Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts

Friday, July 22, 2022

President Macron in Benin should demand the release of Reckya Madougou and Joel Aivo

On the eve of President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Benin, the Brussels-based NGO “Human Rights Without Frontiers” urged the French President to demand the release of two famous opposition leaders, Reckya Madougou and Joël Aivo, respectively sentenced to 20 years and 10 years in prison.

This month, Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) has filed a report with the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) for Benin, in which the organisation outlined its concerns over human rights abuses in Benin, with particular regard to the continued detention of opposition figures Reckya Madougou and Joël Aivo and the fact that they were not included in a list of 17 detainees due to be temporarily released after a 13 June 2022 meeting between President Patrice Talon and Thomas Boni Yayi, former President of Benin (2006-2016).

Reckya Madougou, from her Facebook account
Reckya Madougou, from her Facebook account

The submission by HRWF included details about the case of Reckya Madougou who was sentenced at the end of 2021 to 20 years in prison for allegedly financing terrorism. She had been arrested in March 2021 accused of wiring thousands of dollars to a military officer for the purpose of killing unnamed authorities. Her candidacy had earlier been rejected by the electoral commission. HRWF went on to detail that Ms Madougou was the leader of the opposition party, Les Démocrates, and a presidential candidate. HRWF’s statement also described Ms Madougou’s civil society campaign — “Don’t touch my constitution” — that rallied against leaders seeking to extend their rule under the guise of constitutional reform. The movement spread across West Africa, gaining her a high profile.

Joel Aivo
RMTB, CC BY-SA 4.0, Joel Aivo – via Wikimedia Commons

The HRWF report to the UPR also gave details about the case of Joël Aivo and his December 2021 sentencing by the controversial Economic Crime and Terrorism Court (CRIET) to 10 years in prison for allegedly plotting against the state and laundering money.

HRWF explained in their submission that Mr Aivo is a law professor who challenged Talon in the 2021 election. He was held for eight months ahead of sentencing and pleaded not guilty to the charges of plotting against the state and money laundering.

HRWF has been monitoring the backsliding that has been taking place around human rights in Benin since 2016. “We were especially dismayed to see that Reckya Madougou and Joël Aivo were not on the June 2022 list of 17 detainees to be temporarily released. Ms Madougou and Mr Aivo should be fully released immediately. The persecution and detention of opposition figures has no place in a democracy and we are concerned for the welfare of these two politicians. President Macron must use his visit to Benin to demand that President Patrice Talon release them,Willy Fautré, director of Human Rights Without Frontiers told The European Times.

Friday, July 1, 2022

Von der Leyen: I believe in Ukraine's European future... The reason is the tenacity of the Ukrainian people

President Zelenskyy, dear Volodymyr,

Chairman Stefanchuk,

Prime Minister Shmyhal,

Members of the government,

Honourable Members of the Rada,

Duzhe dyakuyu, thank you so much for inviting me to address this special session. Just days ago, on Constitution Day, President Zelenskyy, you said that your ‘victory is not far off’. Of course, Putin’s army is still killing your brothers and sisters. They continue occupying your land, stealing your grain and bombing your cities. You are fighting back bravely. And Europe will stand up with Ukraine as long as it takes. We will not rest until you prevail.

Your brave soldiers on the frontline are making ultimate sacrifices to defend the soil of Ukraine and its people. And behind the lines, there are countless other Ukrainians working to support this national endeavour. And they all hope for a brighter future for their country. This is a courageous generation, on the march towards their vision. Their vision of a free Ukraine that is part of a democratic Europe. I have them clearly in my mind as I speak to you today. You have kept your state and your democracy up and running against all odds. I saw it with my own eyes, after taking the train to Kyiv twice since the beginning of the war. You have kept the Parliament open even in the darkest days, when bombs fell on Kyiv and you had to build barricades to protect the Rada.

Ukraine filed its application for membership in the European Union only days after the Russian invasion. And you managed to provide us with all the necessary information to put forward a strong opinion. We in the European institutions worked day and night to support you. But it is your effort that got the work done. You mobilised not only your institutions, but the best energies in your country. You reached out to thousands of experts from civil society and academia, to showcase everything Ukraine has achieved since the Revolution of Dignity. And because of this effort, you have gained the endorsement and the respect of all EU Member States. This is a significant sign of trust. Ukraine now has a clear European perspective and it is candidate to join the European Union, Something that seemed almost unimaginable just five months ago. So today is first and foremost a moment to celebrate this historic milestone. A victory of determination and resolve. And a victory for the whole movement that started eight years ago on the Maidan.

You have come such a long way since 2014. You have chosen firmly to be a democracy and to live under the rule of law. This choice, Ukraine has already made for itself, for its own sake. Mr President, you once told me that everything that Ukraine would do for EU membership it would do anyway. Because that is the modern and prosperous Ukraine you want it to be. The next steps are within your reach. But they will require hard work, determination and above all unity of purpose.

Today, the international community is mobilising to support your efforts to rebuild your beautiful country. Next Monday, together with President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Shmyhal, I will participate in the Lugano conference for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Your European path and the reconstruction of the country will go hand in hand. Ukraine will be in the lead. Massive investments will have to come. But to maximise their impact and to foster business confidence, investments will have to be coupled with a new wave of reforms.

You have determined your reform agenda and you have already made important progress. Take the fight against corruption. Preventing and combatting corruption has been particularly high on your agenda since the Revolution of Dignity. You have created an impressive anti-corruption machine. But now these institutions need teeth, and the right people in senior posts. The new head of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor´s Office and the new director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine should be appointed as soon as possible. Or take your plans to reform the Constitutional Court. Legislation is needed for selection procedures for judges, in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission. Institutions must come to life, so that they can deliver on the aspirations of your people. Or think about the excessive influence of oligarchs on the economy. Today, Ukraine is the only country in Europe’s Eastern Partnership to have adopted a law to break the oligarchs’ grip on your economic and political life.  And I commend you for that. Now you have to focus on the implementation of this law in a legally sound manner, taking into account the forthcoming opinion of the Venice Commission. A media law should also be adopted, one that aligns Ukraine’s legislation with current EU standards and empowers the independent media regulator. In sum, many of the laws and the institutions you need are already in place. Now is the time to translate rules and bodies into positive and enduring change.

Of course, reforms always take time. That is how all our democracies work. They need constant commitment and dedication. And for instance, no one expects Ukraine to fill in all posts in your new institutions while so many of your best and brightest are fighting on the front. But Ukraine’s democracy must be kept on the right track. You have already shown that you can pass important laws even as the war still rages on, and make every day count.

You know the work that lies ahead better than anyone else. The word Rada means council, and council means collective wisdom. I am confident that you will put your collective wisdom at the service of Ukraine, when it comes to reforms and to the future of your country. So today, I come here with a very simple message. There is a long road ahead but Europe will be at your side every step of the way, for as long as it takes, from these dark days of war until the moment you cross the door that leads into our European Union.

I believe in Ukraine’s European future. And the reason is simple. The reason is the tenacity of the Ukrainian people. Your resolve. Your passion for Europe. Your desire to live the European dream in your beautiful country. As President Zelenskyy said in his first speech in front of this parliament: ‘Europe is not somewhere else. Europe is here, in your mind. And when Europe is in your mind, then Europe will come to your country too.’ It is your country. It is your future. And only you can make it happen. You are the ones who can change this country for good. And this will be your ultimate victory. A free, prosperous and vibrant Ukraine. A sovereign Ukraine that is finally reunited with our European family.

Slava Ukraini.

Thursday, May 19, 2022

MPs and faith leaders discuss at UK Parliament role and value of interfaith

The Interfaith Dimension – MPs and faith representatives convene at UK Parliament to discuss the Role and Value of Interfaith

The media often portrays religion as a source of contention, war and conflict, but does religion really give value to the world? Is interfaith important to society? Why must we stand up for freedom of religion or belief?

Henry Smith MP and sponsor of the AFN meeting in Parliament
Henry Smith MP and sponsor of the AFN meeting in Parliament – By AFN UK

At a conference sponsored by Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, and organised by the All Faiths Network, MPs Stephen Timms, Chair of the APPG on Faith and Religion, and Fiona Bruce, PM’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief came together with people of faith at Parliament to deliberate these very issues.

Martin Weightman, Director of the All Faiths Network, introduced a 14 strong panel of speakers representing a wide variety of faith organisations in the UK who presented an undeniable snapshot of the incredible work that faith does. 

He also highlighted a book the group had recently published called People of Faith Rising Above COVID-19 giving testimony to the work of religious groups and documenting the tremendous and often unrecognised value of religious communities. The mentioned book was provided by the AFNs to all speakers for them to have a well-documented example of what different religious movements have done.

Henry Smith MP welcomed the attendees to the meeting and told of his own constituency experiences where there are many diverse religions saying that “faith can bring strength to our communities and particularly in the context of young people, helping them to grow and develop.”

Stephen Timms MP Chair of APPG on Faith and Society - By AFN UK
Stephen Timms MP Chair of APPG on Faith and Society – By AFN UK

Stephen Timms MP, Chair for the APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group) on Faith and Society outlined the important role that faith and interfaith activities have in fulfilling different needs in society and providing voluntary support. He explained that the APPG had issued a Faith Covenant, which local authorities are signing, to lay the ground rules for collaboration between councils and faith groups so as to encourage stronger cooperation. The APPG has also published a 2020 report on faith contributions to society where most councils surveyed found that their interaction with faith groups was a positive and supportive one.

Fiona Bruce MP, Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief - By AFN UK
Fiona Bruce MP, Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief – By AFN UK

Fiona Bruce MP, Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, spoke of her endeavours to bring about greater FoRB around the world giving examples of different cases where this is heavily restricted but also of some of the successes where FoRB has won through. She also spoke of other initiatives she is involved with including the forthcoming Inter-Ministerial Conference in London this July being attended by governments from 50 countries around world, the subject of which is respect and adherence to religious freedom principles. Fiona Bruce later tweeted “Wonderful to be in the company of so any people so enthusiastic about FoRB at today’s meeting of the All Faiths Network in the UK Parliament”.

Following the presentation of Fiona Bruce, Alessandro Amicarelli, lawyer and Chair of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief highlighted the religious persecution in China and elsewhere and emphasised the need for coordinated action internationally to deal with these issues. He said that whilst the UN is taking some steps, it is not enough and it was very important for other countries, especially the UK and the USA to become involved. He said the upcoming Ministerial, as already outlined by Fiona Bruce was an important opportunity for this to occur and make pressure on different governments where persecution is occurring.

Sheik Rahman President of the Wimbledon Ahmadiyya Moslem Association then told the meeting that he wanted to thank the UK for ensuring that his faith was able to develop freely and without government discrimination in the UK. He reiterated the previous calls for ensuring human rights especially as we are living in an interconnected global world with social media bringing us even closer. He said that we must always connect and reflect on where we are and where we are heading. He also called for a more equal distribution of resources and the critical need to promote the embodiment of humanity and justice in our own lives.

Harriet Crabtree OBE, Director of the UK’s Inter Faith Network told the meeting of the quiet but consistent background activities that have been going on for many years since IFN’s inception 35 years ago, and how it has moved forward throughout these years. She said that interfaith work is not easy to do, that it is often underestimated, underfunded and undersupported, but that those involved want to be the people they have the potential to be, not to be snarled up by prejudice which only hinders happiness. She said that we are all pioneers in a constantly evolving world.

Rabbi Jeff Berger quite comprehensively summed up the spirit of interfaith by telling the meeting that “The challenge for those of us who hold a faith belief is having courage to move from exclusivity to inclusion. From ‘my faith is the only true faith, and everyone needs to join me’ – to ‘each of our faiths is a unique expression of the Divine message given at a specific time in history’. The responsibility of creating a more inclusive, tolerant religious dialogue, and teaching greater religious literacy, falls squarely at the feet of faith leaders.

Tracey Coleman, Community Officer of the Church of Scientology (the religion founded by L. Ron Hubbard) told the meeting, “I believe that faith in the 21st century plays a vital role in bringing real solutions and practical help to our communities. As faith volunteers, we are motivated by our desire to help other human beings. Working together with other faiths during the pandemic, we developed relationships based on true respect and friendship. This is the beauty of the interfaith dimension. It is a force that dissolves intolerance and builds peace, therefore actions to uphold freedom of religion and belief must be increased so that people of faith can continue their vital work.

Mandip Singh, Trustee of the Central Gurdwara London and co-founder of Gurdwara Aid gave excellent examples of value of Sikh contributions to their own and the wider community through the Sikh tradition of langar – a community kitchen preparing and serving vegetarian food for free. At the hight of the pandemic he estimates that around 90,000 free hot meals each day were being sent to frontline staff and vulnerable communities. “It is a place where poor and needy can always get a nourishing meal,” he said, “This all stems from the Sikh spiritual motivation called Sewa (selfless service) and for caring about the welfare of all.

Sheik Ramzy, Director of Oxford Islamic Information Centre and an imam of Oxford University, also addressed some of the worst religious discrimination issues in the world such as Uyghurs enslaved in China, Rohingya killed in Myanmar. He pointed out that, “interfaith offers an immense contribution to society, It reminds us that our neighbours matter. Upholding human rights is a vital part of loving our neighbours and for those discriminated against we must remember that their rights are our responsibility.”

Ahsan Ahmedi representing Crawley Interfaith Network (CIFN) gave some practical examples to the meeting explaining that CIFN had become a focal point for issues related to religion. Schools would contact them when they needed to have faith speakers, when local tensions arose the police would come to CIFN for assistance and overall they helped the community become more tolerant.

Rev. Dr. Precious Toe, founder Women Worship Gospel Music awards, said, “that working with other faiths is an empowering experience. We give value to society by building bridges. We are helping the next generations of women through our music and give voice to the voiceless as we rise for peace, love, humanity and oneness.

Martin Weightman, Director of All Faiths Network
Martin Weightman, Director of All Faiths Network

Summing up the meeting Mr. Weightman said, “the purpose of the meeting today was to highlight the value of faith and interfaith activity in society and to generate greater support, awareness and broader understanding of this work, the moral value that religions bring to society and the importance of setting an example to others. I think all attendees did this admirably and we will continue to develop this as a work in progress.

There are clearly some tough issues to be addressed. The problem of violent religious extremism – which was raised during the meeting. There is Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and discrimination against minority religions to name some key issues – but whilst all these rightly have a focus in the mainstream media, they are but a small part of the activities which relate to religious activity. There should be more focus on the positive news relating to religions and interfaith activity. I am therefore very thankful for the support and backing of the MPs and all the attendees who truly care and wish to develop a greater understanding and awareness of these issues and to protect and value freedom of religion or belief

Thursday, March 17, 2022

Anti-cult movement hunting pacifists for police in Russia: Back in the USSR

At the European Times, we have covered the long-time association between the anticult movement, the Russian Orthodox Church and the warmongers in the Kremlin. The piece we publish today shows that in current times, the anti-sectarians, as they call themselves, are working hand in hand with the FSB and other Russian law enforcement agencies, to hunt those Russians who would dare to share messages of peace while the war is ravaging Ukraine.

Below is the full translation of a call that has been posted on the website antisekta.ru, which is the official website of the Centre of Religious Studies – Saratov, headed by Alexander Kuzmin, a Russian Orthodox Priest. This centre is a branch of another organization called Centre for Religious Studies in the name of Hieromartyr Irenaeus of Lyons, headed by Alexander Dvorkin, an Orthodox theologian who has been criticized in a 2020 report by USCIRF (US Commission on International Religious Freedom) as a major architect of the crackdown on religious minorities in Russia.

Both centres are members of the FECRIS (European Federation of Centres for Research and Information on Sects and Cults), a French-based umbrella organization that gathers anticult associations all over Europe and beyond and is almost utterly funded by the French government.

The text that you will now read, by Alexander Kuzmin, is to be understood in the context of the new Russian law that can send any person in jail for up to 15 years for “discrediting the armed forces” or “spreading fake news about the military”, which includes saying that there is a war in Ukraine, when the Russian government forbade the use any other term than “special military operation”.

And here is the call, welcome back in the USSR:

Address to readers

02.03.2022

Dear friends, and especially respected fathers who know and read me! Many of you are aware that when I am engaged in anti-sectarian activities, I often talk about the fact that sects have long been a tool of the Western secret services. This has become even more important these days, and I have to warn you all. The situation is more than serious!

In social networks and the messaging systems all of us, clerics and laymen, are the object of close attention from the participants of the information war against Russia. The West has long understood that we cannot be defeated at war on the battlefield, as we are able to fight and the whole world knows it, but we have often been losing the information wars, and there is now a growing split in civil society with the efforts of sectarian structures, especially of neo-pagan and pro-Nazi persuasion. The West has decided to rely on information attacks and now the focus of these attacks is on religion.

Through fan mailings, publications in the opposition media, as well as the increasingly brazen use of the individual approach (personal messages, correspondence in comments and even phone calls), many of us these days are convinced by supposedly “ordinary people”, supposedly “peaceful residents of Ukrainian cities” who are supposedly “parishioners of Ukrainian churches”, that suppose “Russia is the aggressor”, that suppose that on purpose “they bomb civilians” and that there are supposedly “mountains of dead conscript soldiers” on Ukrainian soil and so on and so forth in order to sow panic, indignation at the actions of our state authorities, to bring people out to the streets to protest and to induce them to sign various petitions and statements.

Thus, systematically and cynically, human behavioural stability is being undermined, people are being hooked by regularly viewing opposition mass media, and are filled with indignation and anti-Russian sentiments. In particular, our Church is being attacked, priests and laymen are being asked to “pray for the repose of the newly-departed conscripted soldiers,” people are being persuaded to re-post and leave angry comments about the government of our country. Enemies know that if a clergyman becomes the mouthpiece of their ideas, it will have more resonance than if it were a politician or a public figure. Neo-pagans also do this now, hating Christians and everything related to our Christian values, including our patriotism and desire for justice. They are playing on these very feelings.

Please check and recheck the information coming to you, do not give in to provocations, take care of each other and do not rely on emotions and hasty conclusions.

Please also help in monitoring the activities of such provocateurs. Please send screen shots, their designated data (names and surnames, phone numbers and e-mail addresses) for further analysis, which is conducted by our anti-sectarian organizations together with the law enforcement agencies of the Russian Federation.

Contacts for anti-sectarian center:

Telegram: https://t.me/anticekta

Mail: anticekta@mail.ru

You can see the original call in Russian here

Monday, January 31, 2022

Portugal 2022: António Costa reelected

António Costa reelected, PS wins 2022 Portuguese General Elections

Out of the many scenarios for this election in Portugal, this one was the most sought after by António Costa, the parliamentary majority for the Socialist Party. Voter turnout was almost 10% higher than in 2019.

He asked for it, he got it, almost all political analysts called a socialist parliamentary majority “impossible” and even António Costa said at the beginning of the night that an absolute majority was an “extreme scenario”. However, 41,68% was enough for a majority in the parliament.

117 deputies elected, 116 needed for an absolute majority.

Never, in the history of Portuguese Democracy has a parliamentary majority been formed with so few votes, the last, and at the time only, the absolute majority for PS was in 2005 with 45,03% of the votes. 

PS won all electoral districts except Madeira, a social-democratic bastion, but all other PSD electoral bastions, like Leiria and Viseu for example, were lost to the socialists. This was also one of the major surprises of the electoral night.

The leader of PSD, Partido Social-Democrata (Social-Democratic Party), Rui Rio announced that with a socialist majority “I can’t see how I can be useful” for the party.

This result was a big upset for the social-democrats, Rui Rio expected to increase not only the PSD vote but also the social-democratic parliamentary representation. However, the voter share had only a minimal increase and the PSD parliamentary group will only have one more deputy compared to 2019. PSD wasn’t even able to cross the 30% mark.

CHEGA! (ENOUGH!) is now the 3rd political force in Portugal, even exceeding expectations in relation to the number of deputies elected, the populist party has now 12 deputies, increasing the parliamentary group by eleven members. The party also managed to have a better result in the north of the country than expected.

Iniciativa Liberal (Liberal Initiative), also had only one deputy and now has 8. The party almost had 5% of the vote (4,98%), this result is within the expectations although some polls not only pointed to 6% but also predicted the liberals to be the 3rd political force in Portugal. The party leader, however, did not mention any disappointment.

The former members of “gerigonça” (name given to the informal alliance between the left-wing political parties in Portugal, PS/BE/PCP) had a terrible electoral night. Bloco de Esquerda (Left Bloc) went from 500.017 votes (9,52% of the vote, 3rd political force) to 240.257, losing more than half of the votes, but more importantly 14 deputies, with the leftist parliamentary group being reduced to only 5 members.

The CDU, a coalition led by the PCP, Partido Comunista Português (Portuguese Communist Party) also lost a big share of the vote, going from 6,33% and 12 deputies to 4,39% and 6 deputies. PEV, the ecologist party and the other member of CDU, Coligação Democrática Unitária (Unitary Democratic Coalition), disappeared from the Portuguese Parliament.

Livre (Free) and PAN (People Animals Nature) managed to elect 1 deputy each, but with the Socialist Party absolute majority, will both probably have little, to no relevance in the Portuguese scene.

Although CDS-PP (CDS-People’s Party) had more votes than PAN and Livre, the Christian-democratic party failed to elect any deputy. Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos, the centrists’ party leader, presented his resignation as he is “no longer able to lead the party”.

Results*:

PS (Socialist Party) – 41,68% – 117*

  • PPD/PSD (Social-Democratic Party) – 29,27% ** – 76*
  • CH (ENOUGH!) – 7,15% – 12
  • IL (Liberal Initiative) – 4,98% – 8
  • BE (Left Bloc) – 4,46% – 5
  • CDU – PCP/PEV (Portuguese Communist Party/”The Greens”) – 4,39% – 6
  • CDS-PP (CDS-People’s Party) – 1,61% – 0
  • PAN (People Animals Nature) – 1,53% – 1
  • Livre (Free) – 1,22% – 1

*There are 4 seats in the Portuguese Parliament reserved for the votes outside the Continent and the Autonomous Regions (Açores and Madeira), Europe and Outside of Europe electoral districts. However, each party will almost certainly have 2 seats each from those 2 electoral districts.

**In Madeira and Açores, PSD was part of a coalition with CDS-PP and CDS-PP/PPM respectively, but all the deputies elected by the coalitions are militants of PSD.

António Costa now awaits the request of the Portuguese President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, to form his “new” government.

More information about the Portuguese General Elections to follow.

See the official results HERE – https://www.legislativas2022.mai.gov.pt/resultados/globais

More information about the election:

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Roberta Metsola becomes President of the European Parliament on her birthday

Roberta Metsola, a Malta politician celebrates two important occassion on January 18th. First her birthday, born in 1979, and second, she has been elected with absolute majority, as the president of the European Parliament, taking over for a two and a half-year term. She is the youngest president (43) the European Parliament has ever had.

Ms Metsola, a Christian Democrat from the EPP, received 458 of the 616 votes cast on Tuesday. She had already been acting president since Mr Sassoli’s death on January 11.

She will lead an EU institution which has become more powerful over the years and been instrumental in charting the course of the 27-nation union on issues such as the digital economy, climate change and Brexit.

The European Parliament represents the 450 million citizens from the European Union and refers to itself as “the heart of European democracy”.

Known as a committed bridge-builder between parties, Ms Metsola said she would stick to Mr Sassoli’s style of work.

“David fought hard to bring people around the same table. It is that commitment to holding the constructive forces in Europe together that I will build on,” she said.

The parliament has long been the “less important” EU institution if compared with the executive European Commission and the European Council, which represents the governments of the 27 member states. In fact, while meant to be a legislative power, this task is more executed and own by the Commission and the Council, than by the Parliament.

As it gained decision-making powers the legislature has become a more forceful player on the European scene, and Ms Metsola wants to continue that trend.

“We need to strengthen it. We cannot be afraid of reform,” she said.

“The next part of the mandate will see a window of opportunity to make our parliament more modern, more effective and more efficient. We must seize the opportunity.”

Ms Metsola is the first politician from Malta to hold such a high position in the EU.

“I am a woman from a small island in the middle of Europe’s southern sea. I know what it means to be the underdog. I know what it means to be pigeonholed,” she said.

“I know what this means for every girl watching today. I know what it means for everyone who dares and whoever dared to dream.”

Immediately after the vote, Metsola said: “I am honoured to have been given a strong mandate by the EPP Group to be its candidate for President of the European Parliament. The second half of this legislature will be critical for Europe – I will work hard to keep building bridges in this House as we work together in pushing forward important legislative files and bringing decision-making closer to people in every Member State.”

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Nyenabo Touts Liberia's Strong Democratic Credentials and Urges Deeper EU - Africa Engagements

The Ambassador of Liberia to the European Union and the Benelux Countries, H.E Isaac W Nyenabo II, has highlighted Liberia’s strong democratic credentials in a briefing to members of the European Press.

At the well-attended gathering, Ambassador Nyenabo said Liberia, under the Leadership of his Excellency George Manneh Weah “continues to make significant progress in the areas of rule of law, human rights, Good Governance and Democracy”.

The Ambassador named the December 8, 2020 midterm senatorial elections and the subsequent by-elections of December 2021, during which the opposition won majority of the seats, as evidence of the leaps the country is making to further strengthen its institutions. The elections, he said, were monitored and declared free and fair by the International Community (including the European Union, the UN and United States Embassy in Monrovia).

The Ambassador further informed the gathering that under the new administration, the country has no political prisoners, and that politicians carry out their activities void of any form of harassment and intimidation – an apparent reference to the ongoing legal hurdle between the political leader of the Alternative National Congress, Alexander Cummings, and the All Liberian Party’s Benoni Urey.

He said the issue with Cummings “is purely a matter of law” and that “all should allow the process to take its due course”. He explained that in a case where a private citizen alleges criminality on the part of another, the “Government is left with no option but to allow due process”.

Ambassador Nyenabo then commended President Emmanuel Marcon for his speech during the takeover of the Republic of France of the EU Council, where the French President promised that during his six-month presidency, he will make relations with Africa a priority. He also committed to enhance partnership with the continent through an Africa-EU security structure, provide room for economic growth, as well as good governance. 

The leaders of the EU and the African Union are expected to meet on February 17- 18, 2022 for the Sixth European Union- African Summit in Brussels, with the objectives of outlining a joint communique towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa on five key global trends: Green Transition and energy Access; Digital Transformation; sustainable growth and Jobs; peace, Security, and Governance, as well as Migration.

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Von der Leyen on Sassoli: "A man of deep faith and strong convictions"

Statement by President von der Leyen on the passing of David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament

È un giorno triste per l’Europa. Oggi la nostra Unione perde un convinto europeista, un sincero democratico, e un uomo buono.

Today is a sad day for Europe. Our Union loses a passionate European, a sincere democrat and a good man. David Sassoli was a man of deep faith and strong convictions. Everyone loved his smile and his kindness, yet he knew how to fight for what he believed in. In 1989, he was in Berlin, among the young Europeans when the Wall came down. And ever since, he has stood on the side of democracy and of a united Europe. In over a decade of service in the European Parliament, he constantly defended our Union and its values. But he also believed that Europe had to strive for more. He wanted Europe to be more united, closer to its people, more faithful to our values. That is his legacy.

And that is how I will remember him. As a champion of justice and solidarity, and a dear friend. My thoughts are with his wife, Alessandra, his children, Giulio and Livia, and all his friends.

Un uomo che ha lottato per la giustizia e la solidarietà, e un buon amico. I miei pensieri vanno alla moglie, Alessandra, ai figli Giulio e Livia, e a tutti i suoi amici.

Friday, January 7, 2022

Xi Jinping’s sinicization of religions, the new Cultural Revolution dear to Mao Zedong

On the eve of the Winter Olympic Games to be held in China, this conference and the protest demonstrations simultaneously held in Geneva, Berlin, Brussels and Antwerp are welcome to raise awareness about the egregious human rights violations for which China has been responsible for years and decades, especially under the rule of Xi Jinping.

Under the guise of Sinicization, Xi Jinping has reinforced the full control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over all sectors of society. This is what we would call totalitarianism.

What is sinicization?

Sinicization is a word used at least since the 17th century that indicated the assimilation of minorities in the Chinese empire into Chinese culture and language.

The same term was adopted by Nationalist China to signify the effort to replace the foreigners who managed business, religions and civil society organizations by Chinese citizens.

The CCP, however, gives a different meaning to the word “sinicization”. It is not sufficient that organizations operating in China, including religions and churches, have Chinese leaders. In order to be accepted as “sinicized,” they should have leaders selected by the CCP and operate within a framework of strategies and objectives indicated by the CCP.

In Tibet and Xinjiang, however, the CCP pursues a policy of “sinicization” in the traditional sense of the word, trying to assimilate Uyghurs Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists into the Chinese Communist culture.

On 3-4 December last, Xi Jinping personally presided on the first National Conference on Work Related to Religious Affairs that the CCP had held since 2016. He spoke at the Conference and asked for a more in-depth study of Karl Marx’s texts on religion by all those involved in the management of religious activities in China.

He also reiterated that Sinicization” of religion means its alignment with the CCP’s principles, goals, and directions, and lamented that the process he started with the 2016 conference is not advancing quickly enough.

In the name of “sinicization”, millions of Uyghur Muslims are deprived of their freedom to be politically educated or reeducated in camps against their will, women are massively sterilized, hundreds of thousands of Han people are introduced in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to make the Uyghur community a minority on its own historical lands and young Uyghur students are schooled in other regions far away from their cultural, linguistic and religious roots.

In the name of “sinicization”, Tibetan Buddhists are also deprived of their culture, their traditions, their language, their religion and any access to their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Their monasteries and numerous statues of Buddha have been and continue to be destroyed. The objective is to make Buddhism and any religion invisible in the public space.

“Sinicization” is a form of resurgence of the Cultural Revolution carried out by Mao Zedong from 1966 until his death in 1976 which devastated the then Chinese society.

The common objective of Mao Zedong and Xi Jinping is the reinforcement of Communism by eradicating the historical cultural and religious roots of their ethno-religious minorities and by purging the country of Western elements. And Christianity is one of those “foreign agents” perceived by the CCP as a threat to its leadership.

The sinicization of Christians

As long as Christianity cannot disappear from China, its churches are to be “sinicized,” which means to “adapt to the socialist society” and to be placed under the authority of state organs controlled by the CCP, such as the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement. 

Concretely, it is the CCP who appoints the leaders and pastors of Protestant Churches. Concerning the Catholic Church, it is the Chinese government who proposes candidates to be appointed as bishops who are then to be confirmed by the Vatican.

Those who try to evade the Communist sinicization and to operate outside this framework, in so-called house churches for example, are arrested and sentenced to heavy prison terms, as we regularly report in our newsletters. Examples:

·       From October 14 to November 23 last year, the CCP authorities carried out a wanton crackdown against meetings of Church of Almighty God members in several cities and arrested over two hundred of them in 40 days.

·     On 25 October last, a Chinese Catholic bishop, Peter Shao Zhumin, who had been arrested five times since 2016 for refusing to cut ties with the Vatican was taken away by authorities.

The official reason for his arrest and his whereabouts remain unknown but the real reason is his allegiance to the Vatican.

·     In November last, a Christian couple have each been sentenced to seven years in prison and a heavy fine of RMB 250,000 (approximately £29,240) for allegedly “illegal business operations.” In reality, the couple’s registered printing company had produced a large number of Christian books before being seized by the local authorities.

·     In a Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Church in northeast China’s Liaoning Province, there is a library to promote the education of believers. Its shelves have been filled with all kinds of secular books, including biographies of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and other Chinese communist leaders, a series of books on the battles of World War II and the “red revolution.” 

·     In several parts of China, limitations and prohibitions are introduced for the celebration of Christmas, including in places of worship of the government-controlled Catholic and Protestant churches, in the framework of the implementation of directives on “Sinicization” of Christianity, which forbid “Western” celebrations. Hotels are also penalized for hosting Christmas events.

A previous panelist, Ben Rogers from Hong Kong Watch, has shown us how Beijing is currently putting an end to the “One country, two systems” status enjoyed by Hong Kong and replacing it by “One country one system”.

The absorption of Christianity, Buddhism and Islam under the pretext of “sinicization” follows the same logic: to engulf religions into Communism with so-called Chinese characteristics, to neutralize them, to catch and to revel in their souls. The next target on the agenda of Xi Jinping is certainly Taiwan.

The diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympic Games in China will show which countries, which heads of states, which political parties and which politicians are on the side of democracy and human rights or on the side of totalitarianism and join the Axis of Shame.

Thursday, September 16, 2021

How Stalin’s USSR conquered Afghanistan three times (1)

Twenty years ago, on September 11, 2001, there was a terrorist attack on the United States, which in response declared war on al-Qaeda

“and the Taliban and began an invasion of Afghanistan. 20 years later, this story ended with the withdrawal of the Western coalition and the actual victory of the Islamists. The fact that Afghanistan, despite poverty, is a tough nut to crack, including because it lies in the sphere of interests of different powers and regimes, the experience of Stalin shows. He prepared three times to conquer this country, but he could not carry out his plans.

In Soviet schools, students were told that agrarian and pastoralist Afghanistan was the first country in the world to recognize Soviet Russia, but they preferred not to go into the details of this story. The fact is that diplomatic relations with the Lenin government on March 27, 1919 were established by Amanullah Khan because the Bolsheviks themselves became the first to recognize him as the master of Kabul – a month earlier, at the end of February. The previous emir, Habibullah Khan, ruled the country for 18 years, but was killed on February 20, 1919, then his brother Nasrullah ascended the throne for only one week and was sent to prison on charges of fratricide by his nephew, Amanullah Khan, the third son of Habibullah. … A year later, Nasrullah was killed in custody.

The Bolsheviks saw Afghanistan as a possible road along which the world revolution would go to India.

The Bolsheviks supported the new emir, Amanullah, not so much for the sake of getting out of international isolation as against the British Empire. Until 1919, Afghanistan was actually a protectorate of Britain, which, under the treaty, paid a kind of subsidies to the Afghan budget for Kabul’s abandonment of its own foreign policy. But Amanullah declared the complete independence of his country and even started a symbolic war with yesterday’s patrons, having achieved de facto recognition from the British in August 1919. On February 21, 1921, a friendship treaty was concluded between the RSFSR and Afghanistan, under which Moscow paid Kabul a millionth subsidy annually.

The Bolsheviks viewed the distant mountainous country as a possible road along which the world revolution would go to India, and immediately after the diplomats shook hands, the special services began work. One of the Soviet agents was the Turk Dzhemal Pasha – an accomplice in the extermination of Armenians and atrocities against the Arabs during the First World War. On November 1, 1921, he met with Stalin, then the head of the People’s Commissariat for Nationalities, and said that he was ready to organize financing and supply of weapons to potential rebels in the northwest of then British India. Dzhugashvili approved the initiative, about which he wrote to Trotsky: “… In the face of the Muslim tribes, which constitute the majority in the Indus Valley and in the Punjab region, among which Dzhemal enjoys great influence, we have a certain base from which to seriously damage England if the latter strikes in the spring or in the summer of 1922. In addition, if we give Jemal the opportunity to have in Afghanistan at least a brigade (well-cobbled together) with our and Turkish instructors (formally subordinate to Amanullah Khan), thus, we will create a real base for anti-British influence in Afghanistan, which is also very important for us and without which the second task (direct impact on the insurgency in India) is impossible. ” instructors, and soon Dzhemal Pasha in Tbilisi was killed by an Armenian avenger.

In 1923, Amunullah Khan granted his subjects a constitution. Those, however, did not appreciate this step. The introduction of duties on imported goods from British India hit the pockets of the peasants, especially in the border zone – consumer prices rose. In addition, Amanullah raised taxes and began to centralize their collection, which displeased the local nobility. Farmers were also irritated by the introduction of military service.

In the early spring of 1924, an uprising began in southern Afghanistan. For help in the fight against his own people, the constitutional monarch turned to a large northern neighbor, and in the fall, planes and 11 red aviators arrived in Kabul, and then began not only aerial reconnaissance, but also bombing the positions of the Pashtun rebels. Soviet specialists also began to create their own Afghan Air Force. In addition, the USSR generously supplied small arms at a lower cost, ammunition and radio stations.

The chief of the Kabul police, for a monthly fee of 600 rupees, pledged to arrest all British secret agents

The military intelligence and the Comintern sharply stepped up their activities. According to the testimony of Georgy Agabekov, who since April 1924 served in Kabul in the USSR plenipotentiary mission, the conditions for the operations of the special services have become hothouse: “I worked hard on my own recruiting people to work under the GPU. After the arrest of Abdul-Majid Khan (a gendarme colonel who was sent to jail for not wanting to fight the rebels. – A. G.) I contacted his cousin, who served in the Kabul police , and received through him all the information obtained by the Afghan police agents.Raja Protap (an Indian emigrant close to the emir. – AG) introduced me to Mustofi (head of the tax department) of the Kabul province, through whom I received government information. From him, I received information about Muslim India, with whose leaders he, on behalf of Amanullah Khan, maintained close contact.

… I got to know the chief of the Kabul police … For a monthly fee of 600 rupees, he pledged, according to my instructions, to arrest all British secret agents. Naturally, I used this condition in full. Anyone we suspected of British espionage was arrested by us through this chief of police. “

In 1925, the USSR increased the supply of weapons and ammunition. On top of the contracts, 4.5 thousand rifles, 50 machine guns, cartridges for them, as well as a radio station were transferred free of charge. The uprising was defeated. Then twenty Afghans were sent to study in Soviet flight schools, and Soviet specialists – 36 people – became the backbone of the Afghan Air Force.

After the suppression of the rebellion, Amanullah Khan changed the title of emir to a more majestic one – padish (in the West, and in Russia, they began to call him more simply – the king of Afghanistan). The fighters for the happiness of workers and peasants were little embarrassed by this, and, supplying the monarch with weapons and ammunition, they received him with pomp in May 1928 in Moscow, Leningrad and Minsk.

Fifty fighters and two hundred camels scattered to the sides of the fetid cloud

The Soviet side was accumulating experience in the fight against Muslim resistance, because in the territory of Central Asia all the 1920s there was a struggle against the Mujahideen, whom the Bolsheviks called Basmachi (raiders). Irkutsk researcher Sergei Panin revealed a document of the OGPU, which says that in the operation against the detachment of the field commander Dzhunaid on the night of June 1, 1928, the red aviation struck mustard bombs (RGASPI. F. 62. Op. 2. D. 1367. L. 104 ).

Fifty fighters and two hundred camels scattered away from the fetid cloud, and then gathered again and left for Persia. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, as noted by researcher Yuri Tikhonov, the embezzlement of courtiers, officers and officials reached unprecedented proportions even by local standards, and in the fall of 1928, desperate subjects took up arms again. It erupted simultaneously both in the east, among the Pashtuns, and in the north, in the places of residence of the Tajiks. At the borders of the USSR, the uprising against Amanullah was led by a non-commissioned officer, a commoner Khabibulla Kalakani (aka Khabibulla Bachai-i Sakao – “Khabibullah Son of Vodonos”), a supporter of conservative Islam.

Soviet aviators in the Afghan service in November again dropped bombs on the villages of the Pashtun partisans, but this time it backfired, and the uprising grew, although at the request of Padishah Amanullah, the Soviet side in December increased the supply of high-explosive and fragmentation bombs. Through the buildup of military aid, things went towards the establishment of a Soviet protectorate in Afghanistan. On November 27, Amanullah asked the Soviet representative to urgently deliver chemical bombs …

Sell ​​1,000 rifles, 20 machine guns, 1,000 chemical artillery shells to the Afghan government

The minutes of the Politburo meeting of December 13, 1928 (Special No. 53) contains the only known decree in the history of this body on the export of weapons of mass destruction (WMD): “7. About Afghanistan (Comrade Voroshilov): Allow the People’s Commissariat for Military Affairs to sell to the Afghan government in accordance with the established procedure 1,000 rifles with an appropriate number of cartridges, 20 machine guns, 1,000 chemical artillery shells and one radio station so that, in view of the constrained position of the Afghan government, it is possible to make it easier to accept wool, cotton as payment for these weapons, karakul, etc. “.

On reflection, weapons of mass destruction were still not sent, Amanullah’s position became more and more critical, and he, soberly assessing the mood of his country, abdicated the throne in favor of his brother on the night of January 13-14, 1929 and left for Kandahar. But this did not save the throne of the royal family. A day later, Kabul was occupied by the detachments of the Tajik Bachai-i Sakao, who declared himself Emir Khabibullah, although the rebels of Pashtunistan, not recognizing him, began a fight with him, and Amanullah did not lay down his arms.

For the first time, Stalin firmly decided to conquer Afghanistan, by military force returning the padishah to the throne, because, as the Barnaul researcher Vladimir Boyko notes, in this case he had to become more than dependent on the bayonets of the Red Army soldiers and advisers from the OGPU. On March 20, the Politburo issued a decree on organizing the invasion. The general management of the operation was carried out by Stalin’s friend, Klim Voroshilov, and on the spot the command was entrusted to the former military attaché in Kabul Vitaly Primakov, who received the pseudonym Ragib-bey and completed his training by April 14.

According to Agabekov’s recollections, the attack began in the early morning without a declaration of war: “As eyewitnesses reported, Soviet airplanes rose from the border town of Termez early in the morning and, having flown over Amu Darya, began circling over the Afghan border point of Patta-Gissar. to gaze at the airplanes, but machine-gun fire from airplanes all the soldiers of the post were shot. ” The bombardment turned the border checkpoint into smoking ruins and made it possible for the invaders on boats and barges to cross the Amu Darya without hindrance.

The interventionist forces consisted of a cavalry detachment – over a thousand Red Army soldiers and Afghan emigrants dressed in Afghan uniforms or local clothes. The latter were nominally headed by the Ambassador of Afghanistan, about whose activities in the border regions of the USSR one of the Soviet intelligence officers Nikolai Frigut in his report spoke unflatteringly: who did not observe any rules of conspiracy. ” The unit, equipped with radio communications, was also armed with machine guns and guns.

With skirmishes, Primakov’s detachment reached the main city of the northern part of the country – Mazar-i-Sharif in a week. Agabekov testified that at that time he was there: “It was beginning to dawn. Suddenly the silence of the night was announced by an artillery salvo and then a machine-gun rattle began … they heard a loud “hurray.” … Our guns pushed their guns point-blank to the city gates and smashed them to smithereens in one volley … The city was occupied by a detachment. “

However, as researcher Pavel Aptekar notes, success almost became a trap. Primakov reported: “The operation was conceived as the actions of a small cavalry detachment, which in the process of combat work will acquire formations, but from the first days it had to face the hostility of the population.” A day later, the city was besieged by the troops of Khabibulla, the squadron sent to help from Tajikistan with losses was driven back to the USSR, and airplanes began to transfer weapons and ammunition to Mazar-i-Sharif. The new government was strengthened by demonstrative executions: on May 1, International Workers Day, six of Amanullah’s most active opponents were publicly shot in the city. Primakov asked to send chemical weapons and – to quote his report – “a squadron of cutthroats.” Gas grenades were not sent to him, but the red aircraft began to bomb the besiegers, and another four hundred Red Army soldiers armed with guns and machine guns came out to help from the USSR. This part managed to unite with the besieged and lift the blockade. The combined detachment headed south towards the capital.

People fell as if they were mowed down. Out of 3000, no more than a thousand were saved … Nobody removed the corpses.

Agabekov recalled that a reconnaissance specialist in Mazar-i-Sharif, who appeared under the name “Matveyev,” in a conversation with him described the further advance of the red cavalry: “Especially terrible pictures were observed after the capture of Mazar-i-Sharif, when the detachment moved to Tash-Kurgan and beyond … From Mazar we set out on the morning after his capture and two days later occupied Tash-Kurgan without any fight. Thanks to this tactic, our offensive in Kabul became known only on the seventh day after the capture of Mazar-i-Sharif. From there, a 3,000 detachment headed by the Minister of War Seyid-Huseyn was urgently sent against us. We met them already behind Tash-Kurgan, not far from Geybak. Letting the Afghans go to the distance of machine-gun fire, we immediately opened a hurricane of fire … People fell as if they were mowed down. Half an hour later, the detachment of Seid-Husein rushed back and ran into a mountain gorge. Then we began to crush them with artillery fire. Out of 3000, no more than a thousand were saved … Nobody removed the corpses of those killed. When we returned by the same road ten days later, the corpses were still lying half-decayed. … Our guys know how to shoot, and we would have reached Kabul a week if Amanullah held out in Kandahar … “But the padishah, after his troops were defeated, fled abroad on May 23, so the” restorers of constitutional order “at the end May – early June returned to the USSR, where three hundred of them received the Order of the Red Banner, and the rest – valuable gifts. The losses amounted to 120 people killed and wounded, operational reports from the Soviet side report the deaths of thousands of Afghans. A year later, the Soviet cavalry brigade again invaded Afghanistan – albeit in the border area – with the aim of destroying the mujahideen emigrants who had fought in the USSR before, and refugees from collectivization. The operational report testifies to the success: “The villages of Ak-Tepe were burnt and destroyed, Ali-Abad was completely destroyed with the exception of the part of the village inhabited by Afghans, all the villages and wagons in the valley of the Kunduz-Darya river were destroyed for 35 km … Up to 17 thousand cartridges were blown up, up to 40 rifles were taken, all emigre bread was burned, cattle were partially stolen and destroyed … Our losses – one Red Army soldier drowned while crossing and one platoon commander and one Red Army soldier were wounded. ” commander of the Central Asian Military District, and in 1937 he was sent to the Gulag in the Kolyma for 15 years.

Thursday, June 3, 2021

The European Union and the United Kingdom agree on fishing quotas

RTL.de>

Negotiations lasted six months

After Brexit, many areas of life and the economy between the EU and Great Britain will have to be renegotiated, including fishing. Because important fish stocks will continue to be jointly managed even after Great Britain leaves the European Union. After nearly half a year of negotiations, it is now possible to determine the catch quotas for these commonly used fish stocks.

The European Union Commission announced on Wednesday evening that the successful conclusion of the negotiations that began in January will create a solid basis for further cooperation in the field of fisheries. The agreement sets the total allowable catch for 75 of the joint fishing stocks for 2021 and for some deep-sea stocks for the years 2021 and 2022. It will also provide clarification on access restrictions for species that are not subject to quotas.

The responsible EU commissioner, Virginius Syncevicius, commented that the agreement creates predictability and continuity for the rest of the year. It is beneficial for fishermen, coastal communities and ports, but is also beneficial for the sustainable use of marine resources.

The negotiations were based on the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom agreed upon after Brexit at the end of 2020. In it, the contracting parties set themselves a common goal of “the application of the quota system to the management of common stocks, with a view to preserving the stocks of species that They are caught and gradually reduced by biomass values ​​at the highest possible level that a sustainable yield can be achieved.”

Together with Great Britain, the European Union manages large parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Fisheries has been the hardest part of the post-Brexit trade deal negotiations between the EU and the UK.(dpa/aze)

Friday, May 7, 2021

After 8 years, India and European Union to resume free trade pact talks

After eight years, India and the European Union are set to resume negotiations for an ambitious and comprehensive free trade agreement. An announcement on the formal resumption is expected to be made at a virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top leadership of the 27-nation grouping on Saturday.

Official sources in the EU also said the free trade agreement package will include an investment protection pact as well as a framework on geographical indication.

Launched in June 2007, the FTA talks between India and the EU hit a roadblock in May 2013 when the two sides failed to bridge substantial gaps on crucial issues, including tariff, data security status for the IT sector and market access.

India and the EU will agree to resume the negotiations at the virtual summit between Prime Minister Modi and top leadership of the bloc, sources said Thursday.

The two sides are also likely to announce a connectivity partnership at the summit that is aimed at boosting cooperation in sectors like railway, maritime and aviation as well as in the digital domain to bring people of the two sides closer to each other, sources said.

Prime Minister Modi was scheduled to visit Portugal for the India-EU summit but it was called off because of the coronavirus crisis. Both sides then decided to hold the deliberations virtually.

A strategically important grouping for India, the EU as a whole was country’s largest trading partner in 2018. India’s bilateral trade with the EU in 2018-19 stood at $15.6 billion with exports valued at $57.17 billion and imports worth $58.42 billion.

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Madrid Popular Party doubles strenght and wins elections

Isabel Díaz Ayuso, a complete unknown without much trajectory only two years ago, is consolidating her position as a political phenomenon. The Madrid president and PP candidate is the big winner of the elections in the Community of Madrid, where she has swept to the point of winning more seats than the three left-wing parties combined, which will allow her to govern comfortably and without needing Vox for every law. The right-wing bloc has clearly strengthened and won 78 seats (65 for the PP and 13 for Vox) compared to 58 for the left (24 for Más Madrid, 24 for the PSOE and 10 for Podemos). Just two years ago, the difference between the two blocs was four MPs. Madrid thus swings even further to the right, but thanks to the spectacular increase of the PP, because Vox is left with a result very similar to that of two years ago.

The hard blow to the left has an immediate consequence: Pablo Iglesias leaves all his positions in Podemos and will not stay in the regional Assembly: “I will not be a stopper for a new leadership. I don’t know what destiny is, walking I was what I was”, he said as a farewell quoting Silvio Rodríguez after pointing to Yolanda Díaz as his successor.

A historic turnout, 11 points higher than in 2019, has not only not lifted the left, but has sunk it much further, especially due to the collapse of the PSOE, which has just won the elections in Catalonia, but has hit a bump in Madrid with a fall of more than 10 points that lead it to have the worst result in its history, and to tie in seats with a formation with hardly any means such as Más Madrid, which at the last moment of the count achieved a historic first place on the left by just over 4,000 votes.

Díaz Ayuso has not achieved an absolute majority – she is just four seats short – but the abstention of Vox would be enough for her to be invested. It now remains to be seen whether or not this group will want to enter the Madrid government, although the results make that possibility unlikely.

The left has failed in its attempt to seek a turnaround by mobilising the southern vote. The key to this fiasco is the PSOE’s collapse, which in less than two years has lost a good part of its support, despite having the same candidate who in 2019 amply won the elections in the community, Ángel Gabilondo, although he was unable to govern because the right-wing bloc had more seats than the left-wing bloc.

Friday, February 12, 2021

Seven in 10 Italians positive on EU recovery plan, EP survey

                                (ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, FEB 12 - The Covid-19 pandemic has

strengthened the belief that the European Union is the right
place to develop effective solutions to fight Covid-19 and its
effects. A new survey, commissioned by the European Parliament
and conducted between November and December 2020 by Kantar,
noted that seven in 10 Italians are optimistic about the EU
recovery plan.At a European level – according to the survey – nearly three
in four of those interviewed (72%) believe that the recovery
plan of the European Union would allow the economy of their
country to recover more quickly from the negative effect of the
coronavirus pandemic. Italy, with 69%, is in line with the
European average. A reported 43% of the Italians interviewed
have a positive or very positive image, up 11 percentage points
compared to the fall of 2019.

In general, according to the survey, Europeans who express a
positive opinion about the EU have increased by 10 percentage
points, compared to the fall of 2019, reaching a total of 50%.

“The message of this survey is clear: European citizens
support the European Union and believe the EU is the right place
to find solutions to the crisis. But the reform of the European
Union is clearly something that citizens want to see and for
this reason we have to launch the Conference on the future of
Europe as soon as possible”, said the president of the European
Parliament, David Sassoli. (ANSAmed).

Sunday, December 27, 2020

City diplomacy offers opportunities

Published originally on December 26th 2020 at the TaipeiTimes.

This year has been unusual on many levels. In the midst of a global health crisis ravaging the world, Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil in September led a delegation of 89 civic and political leaders to Taiwan, the only corner of the world that for more than 250 days (until Tuesday) did not register a single locally transmitted COVID-19 infection.

The visit caused quite a stir in international media and intensified already strained ties between the EU and China. Taiwan, a technologically advanced economy with a robust democracy, is a like-minded partner of the EU, but remains a highly sensitive matter within EU-China relations.

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, despite never having ruled it. The EU has its own “one China” policy, but has officially committed to promoting “practical solutions regarding Taiwan’s participation in international frameworks.”

Following the Czech delegation, Brussels and Beijing engaged in a harsh exchange, with Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) threatening that the senate president would pay a “heavy price,” while his German counterpart warned China against making such threats against an EU member state.

As tensions in EU-China relations remain high, and international cooperation becomes more challenging, there is good reason to return to the visit, and consider some of its less talked about contributions.

Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib, who oversaw the signing of the Prague-Taipei sister city framework in January, was also in the delegation. In a global context where cities become key players in addressing complex challenges through innovation and creativity, this aspect deserves more attention.

As the pandemic has illustrated, local governments can increase their capacity to network internationally and bring solutions, while catalyzing new political consciousness. Cities shape identities. They help celebrate connectivity, diversity and openness by warming people-to-people relations and enhancing social networks. This, in turn, facilitates government-to-government ties.

Considering Taiwan’s abnormal international status, city diplomacy provides a particularly valuable platform to circumvent its isolation, by leveraging international cooperation and information sharing on a city-to-city level. Taiwan’s cities must further invest in such diplomacy and seek to build on the momentum the “Taiwan model” has ensured.

The sister-city agreement linking Prague and Taipei includes a wide range of cooperation, including on business, science, technology, tourism, education, healthcare and culture, as well as a smart city cooperation agreement. Through this partnership, the cities can act in their own right, stress collaboration over competition, empower their citizens and contribute to making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Taiwan is already working toward meeting the 17 SDGs. As COVID-19 is taking the world further away from the goals, cities’ contributions have become all the more relevant.

As such, Taipei has sought to advance several goals, including good health and well-being (Goal 3), quality education (Goal 4), decent work and economic growth (Goal 8), innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9), and sustainable cities (Goal 11).

Taiwan has a story to tell, but participating in international organizations will remain difficult. Taiwanese scientists were even excluded from participating in all UNESCO-affiliated events, which has shown that Taiwan is being excluded from international participation. It also indicates that China’s influence within UN organizations continues to increase. Yet, this should not constrain sharing science across cities. Cities are about choices and choices bring opportunities for all.

According to the Taipei City Government Web site, it has established ties with 51 sister cities across 37 countries. Four of these are in Europe: Versailles (1986), Warsaw (1995), Vilnius (1998) and Riga (2001). Since 2012, Helsinki is also a “friendship city” of Taipei.

These partnerships need a fresh approach and adjustment to address current challenges. In addition, it is evident that more similar cooperation should be built across Europe. This will require rapprochement from Europe and Taiwan. Both sides must recognize the value of using city diplomacy to leverage existing strengths and to enable new ones to flourish.

A meeting between Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony and Representative to Hungary Liu Shih-chung (劉世忠), a former Tainan deputy secretary-general, is a welcome initiative. The two exchanged ideas on smart cities, innovation and city diplomacy. The next welcome step would be to establish a sister-city agreement. This would benefit both cities, just like the Grenoble, France-Taoyuan sister-city cooperation signed in March 2018 is hoped to do, particularly in technology, innovation and circular economy.

Kaohsiung, with the largest harbor in Taiwan and among the top 50 world container ports, should also consider expanding its network in Europe, with Rotterdam, the Netherlands, or Antwerp, Belgium, adding to its only sister city in Europe, Erzgebirgskreis, Germany (1993).

In a hyper-connected world, cities across Taiwan should further embrace the practical benefits of city diplomacy. At the same time, as the EU rethinks its China policy, European cities must be more involved, and expand their international sister-city network.

Following the Czech delegation visit, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said the visit was proof that “nothing can stop Taiwan and the Czech Republic’s determination to defend freedom, democracy and protect human rights.”

Let city diplomacy take this forward into the year to come.

Source: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2020/12/26/2003749395

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