The 7 European timeless news | 18.06–25.06
The European back flip
Belgium political earthquake — 20.06
The biggest party for 3 decades in Wallonia is being driven off its position of power. Indeed, the Christian Democratic party has put an end in its coalition with the Socialist Party in three regional governments, including Brussels. The explanation of it lays in the several recent corruption scandals that have been attached to the PS. Some politicians took place in two non-profit organizations, Samusocial and Publifin, and earned a lot of excessive extra-cash by attending meetings. (Link)
If some commentators think that move is a good thing for democracy, others fear a political stagnation in Belgium’s Francophone areas. (Link)
Fratricidal in Romanian politics — 21.06
In Romania, the president (Klaus Iohannis since December 2014) nominates the prime minister after consultation with the party holding an absolute majority in Parliament. That’s why, the prime minister is often the previous leader of the majority party. That party today is the Social Democratic Party, lead by Liviu Dragnea. But this time, the chosen prime minister after the legislative election in December wasn’t him. In 2016, Dragnea has been convicted of vote-rigging which disqualified him. So him and the president chose Sorin Grindeanu to form a new government.
On 19 January, the new government attempted to pass a law that would restrict criminal investigations against corrupt politicians and see thousands of prisoners released. Iohannis intervened and the bill didn’t pass. However, it weakened the government popularity with massive protests in the streets. (Link)
On Wednesday, after a struggle with Dragnea, Grindeanu has been dismissed from office by a vote in the majority coalition. The government stability, the party and Dragnea himself have been weakened in the operation.
To find a new prime minister, Dragnea said he wants an “honest, correct person” rather than an “adventurer”. România Liberâ say he’s looking for “marionettes”, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung evokes the possibility he’s trying to take a different approach to relax anti-corruption laws. Iohannis, on the contrary, asks for a person of “integrity”, to counter the idea of a corrupted government. (Link) (Link)
The end of the Croatia/Slovenia border dispute?
In 1991, the independence of Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina marked the end of Yugoslavia. Therefore, what was previously federal borders became international borders. Rapidly, Slovenia claimed the whole Piran bay and a corridor through Croatian waters to directly access the international waters. Also, the river marked in blue is considered as the border (until the grey line) with Croatia, but Slovenia contests it and requires some lands in the south of it. But changing the border on the land for a few meters automatically changes the angle chosen to determine the borders in the sea and as a consequence reduces the water territory of Slovenia’s neighbors. Croatia refused not only for the territory loss, but also because of its territory disputes with Serbia: they had to be uncompromising on both sides.
Until then, no solution has been found. Croatia refused in block while Slovenia, a EU member since 2004, blocked Croatia’s adhesion to the EU by using its veto rights. In 2008 Croatia asks for an international arbitration. One year later, the prime ministers of both countries met to find a bilateral solution: on 2010, Slovenian agreed by referendum for the international arbitration. The commission is created in 2012 and the process started in 2014.
However, in 2014, Croatia’s president said his country would leave the arbitration after the revelation of secret conversations between a judge and the Slovene representative on the tribunal. The Slovenian judge revealed to the representative of the Slovenian government that 75% of the water of the Gulf would be awarded to Slovenia (Link). Croatia left the arbitration in 2015.
This week, the arbitration verdict will be released. Last Tuesday, the Slovenian government said it would abide to it, the Croatian one declared it doesn’t feel obliged to observe it.
Germany’s State Trojan: state as a pirate — 22.06
On Thursday, the German government passed a law overwhelmingly supported by the majority coalition allowing authorities to use a Trojan: a malware used to intercept communications from a phone or a computer before they get encrypted. Basically, they found a way to hack Facebook’s encryption systems in Whatsapp (for instance), and they legalized the use of it. This use won’t be restricted to terrorism related cases but to a “long list of infractions” as the Spiegle puts it (Link). Some criticize the “scandalous” express way the law has been passed, without any debate (Link). The chosen date is also funny: you were thinking about your departure in holidays right ?
THE MOST BADASS SPORT EVENT OF LAST WEEK
For the first time Innsbruck, Austria, hosted the third stop of Crankworx World Tour: a world class mountain biking multi-disciplines competition. It was on June 21–25, I’m sorry you’ve missed it.
“STOP THREE: If there was an epicenter for aerial tricks, Innsbruck would be the place. Home to snow’s famous Air and Style Contest, since 1993, Innsbruck’s relationship with gravity goes far beyond a dalliance, inching more toward obsession. On the peaks above this venerable city, rock climbers gather for World Cups, Olympians charge to victory, and ski jumpers converge for the annual Four Hills Tournament. This is the land of daring and decisiveness. Make room for Crankworx Innsbruck and its bold, German-speaking flare.”
Czexit— 23.06
On 14 June 2003, a referendum on joining the EU was held in the Czech Republic. 77.33% voted Yes, the Czech Republic became a member in 2004. Before that happened, the polls started to report about the question since 1996, when only 46% of the population would back up the European Membership. Today, the polls to stay in the EU are down to 34%.
The Czech president, Miloš Zeman, knows it. On Thursday, he repeated his call for a referendum to remain in the EU. Repeated, because he already asked for it last year, saying (Link):
“I disagree with those who are in favour of leaving the EU. But I’ll do my best to have a referendum so they can express themselves. The same goes for a NATO exit too.”
The government, lead by the Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, refused that call. Now, on 14 June, the European Commission started an infringement procedure against the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland because they didn’t fulfill their responsibilities towards relocating (freeing space to welcome) refugees (Link). In reality, the infringement procedure is a 5 steps procedure, the firsts two ones taking 4 months only for asking the country about the situation and why they don’t apply the law. The former president Václav Klaus then took the opportunity of that -benign- sanction to surf on the dissatisfaction atmosphere and declare that Czechs must prepare to live the union. The new president backed him to push forward his previous demand for a referendum.
As the journalist Julie Hrstková from the Hospodářské noviny newspaper puts it:
“He wants a referendum, he would vote to stay in the EU, but then he blames that very EU for all the problems.”
Fine strategy.
That’s all for this week! We opened our Facebook page, read more from our community here :
https://www.facebook.com/become.european/
Heading photo: all the credits go to Sofia Lambrou Photography. Find more of her splendid work here :
