With 35 votes in favor, 30 against and 1 abstention the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs has adopted a draft resolution on Bulgaria. It calls on the European Commission to continue monitoring judicial reform and the fight against corruption in Bulgaria.
The need for the government to ensure tighter control over spending of EU fundsand to immediately respond to fears that taxpayers’ money is being used to increase the wealth of those associated with the government has been pointed out, BNR reported.
Speaking to the Bulgarian National Radio, MEP from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats Elena Yoncheva said that this was not a resolution against Bulgaria, but in support of Bulgarian citizens and their desire to live in a country without corruption and with independent judiciary.
The resolution is not a binding one. It is yet to be discussed and voted on by the European Parliament.
On the 85th night of the anti-government protests in Sofia, one of the leaders of the event, Arman Babikyan, read part of the text of the resolution and said that Brussels had clearly heard the citizens in the square.
<h2>For Ruth Behar and her family, Cuba is not only a place of birth, but a site of refuge.</h2>
Last December, Ann Arbor resident Ruth Behar returned to Havana, her place of birth, to put the finishing touches on her newest novel, Letters from Cuba. She stayed in the same apartment building where she lived her first five years until 1961 — when her family left the island two years after Fidel Castro took over.
During her visit, the author worked in the nearby park she went to as a child, using public Wi-Fi to go over final editorial changes. The neighborhood is just a half-block from Temple Beth Shalom, also known as the Patronato Synagogue, a major hub of the Jewish community built just years before Behar’s birth.
Ruth Behar Gabriel Frye-Behar
She said the nostalgic location for the visit was intentional.
“I wanted to feel the island right before my book went to press,” said Behar, a writer, anthropologist and the Victor Haim Perera Collegiate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. She is the first Latina to receive a MacArthur “Genius” Grant.
“I wanted to be there in Cuba again as I was letting the book go,” she said.
For Behar and her family, Cuba is not only a place of birth, but a site of refuge. Her great-grandfather Abraham Levin journeyed there from Poland in 1924 during the rise of antisemitism in Europe. He lived in the rural Cuban village of Agramonte.
Baby Ruth with her grandparents in Havana.
Behar’s Letters from Cuba, geared toward middle-grade students, was inspired by the true story of her maternal grandmother, Esther, a Polish Jew who journeyed by ship alone at age 17 in 1927 to join her father in Cuba. There, she helped make enough money to bring over the rest of her family from Poland, on the eve of the Holocaust.
The book features fictional letters from Esther to her younger sister, Malka, and imagines the experience of Esther as a young Jewish immigrant in a foreign country. Behar said that fiction became the perfect outlet for a Jewish immigration story that history does not have much record of. Instead, she used details heard in family stories, like the bread and bananas her great- grandfather sustained himself on upon arrival.
“That was a clue to how these new immigrants were taking care of themselves,” Behar said. “It showed how they were gently immersing themselves, trying the fruit of this new culture, while still trying their best to follow the kosher traditions of the old country.”
In addition to her grandmother’s story, Behar said she was motivated to write the book by the climate of hostility toward immigrants exhibited by the Trump administration. She saw connections between her family’s migration patterns and current events.
“It brought the past and the present together for me,” said Behar. “I thought, ‘My own family went through this.’”
In the 1920s, when Behar’s family was trying to escape persecution, the U.S. Immigration Act of 1924 set quotas on how many people could come to the country from Southern and Eastern Europe.
Goworowo map from Memorial Book.
“My family was unwanted here, so our American lives began in Cuba,” she said.
After Communist revolutionary Castro seized power in 1959, Behar said 94 percent of the Jews in Cuba left. Until her immediate family could obtain American passports, they spent a year in Israel living on a Spanish-speaking kibbutz. The family then immigrated once more to join her maternal grandparents in Queens, N.Y.
“I can actually remember looking out [the] ship’s window and seeing the Statue of Liberty when we arrived,” Behar said.
There, they joined a sizeable community of Jewish Cubans, and Behar worked hard to learn English. Still, she held onto her love of Spanish, and eventually pursued a career that allowed her to engage with her passion for language and diversity.
“As a cultural anthropologist, I have this intellectual passport that not only allows but encourages me to connect with the places I write about,” she said.
As part of her anthropological research and writing, she has lived and worked in Mexico and Spain. She has also made many return trips to her native Cuba.
“I do research there on the Jewish community, art and literature, and try to reconnect with the place I was born,” she said.
Haven from the Holocaust
Now, Behar enjoys a home base in Ann Arbor, where she teaches courses on Cuba and its diaspora and the concept of home at the University of Michigan. For herself, the concept of home evokes feelings of gratitude. She recognizes Cuba as the sanctuary that saved her family from a possible death in the Holocaust.
In Letters from Cuba, Behar aims to repaint this picture of the island as a center of welcome for many Jews. She said when it comes to Jewish migration to Cuba, scholars focus on the story of the SS St. Louis, a German luxury ship that carried more than 900 Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany in 1939. Only a handful were allowed entry into Cuba upon arrival. Behar believes this tragedy is out of character for the diverse country.
“I wrote this book in contrast to those stories,” Behar said. “I wanted to show that Cuba did offer sanctuary to very many Jews, that the majority, in fact, did find refuge.”
Behar also hopes the book will fill a gap in children’s learning, to deliver them the diverse kind of anthropological material she teaches to her students at the University of Michigan.
“They’ve read a lot of World War II stories,” Behar said. “They’ve read a lot of immigrant stories. But they don’t know the stories of Jews who went to Cuba.”
In sharing this history, she believes the novel will teach young readers to have compassion toward other immigrant children and hopefully make her readers better citizens of the world.
Perhaps most integral to Behar’s newest literary adventure, however, is remembrance. As remaining Holocaust survivors pass on, and as Behar worries about what she sees as a new climate of fascism, the author wants to make links between past and future traumas.
“We have to do everything we can to bring this historical memory into the present so young people can see it in relation to the contemporary struggles occurring,” she said. “We have to be able to connect all these things and understand how past and present are always in relation to one another.”
Member of the European Parliament Charlie Weimers tweeted that the European Parliament is holding a closed meeting devoted to the escalation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.
“President Emmanuel Macron confirmed France has evidence on Turkey supporting Azerbaijan with Islamists from Syria. He will ask the European External Action Service if the European Union has condemned Turkey’s interference in the conflict and if it considers the expulsion of Turkey from the OSCE Minsk Group,” he tweeted.
Responding to increased interest among media professionals about new approaches to the field, Bahá’í communities in several countries have been exploring with journalists and others how the media can contribute to societal harmony and stimulate thoughtful conversations on issues facing humanity.
AMMAN, Jordan — Earlier this year, as the pandemic was sweeping across the globe, something unusual happened in news reporting—profound ideas about social transformation and acts of solidarity were making headlines worldwide. Although less pronounced now, news outlets continue to feature such stories, many of which would have been considered irrelevant or insignificant before the crisis.
Responding to increased interest among media professionals about new approaches to the field, Bahá’í communities in several countries have been exploring with journalists and others how the media can contribute to societal harmony and stimulate thoughtful conversations on issues facing humanity.
The Bahá’ís of Jordan have been hosting roundtable discussions with journalists on how the media can be a source of hope for society. “The Bahá’í teachings envision the media as a vital element of society with the potential to be a mirror for the world, reflecting the range of experience of diverse people,” says Tahani Ruhi, of the country’s Bahá’í community’s Office of External Affairs.
“At certain points in the past few months, a fuller picture of the world has been reflected in news reporting: not just of sensational narratives, but also of the constructive processes that exist in every community. The media’s power to inspire hope has become especially visible during this time. Due attention has been given to positive developments—big and small—that show the nobility of people and their capacity to put the needs of their fellow citizens ahead of their own.”
Ghada al-Sheikh of the Al-Ghad newspaper, a participant of the roundtable meetings, says: “These discussion spaces are allowing us to better understand important concepts related to progress and to think deeply about their implications for our work. Our consciousness of our mission as journalists is being strengthened as we consult together on issues of social and economic solidarity and how the media can contribute to people’s sense of priorities.”
The roundtable participants in Jordan have also been looking at the impact of structural factors in a media industry shaped by commercial interests. “Media practitioners should not view themselves as competitors, but as collaborators. We are seeking truth, whatever form of media we produce,” said Mahmoud Hishmeh, director of the East and West Center for Dialogue and Sustainable Development, during one of the discussions.
On the other side of the world, the Australian Bahá’í community has also been bringing journalists and others in media together to examine how to be conducive to social cohesion, an issue of great significance in the country. One such effort includes a series of structured discussions, in collaboration with First Draft and the Centre for Media Transition, bringing together media practitioners to reimagine the Australian media landscape.
“By drawing on the principles of Bahá’í consultation we have had the opportunity to exchange diverse experiences respectfully and in an environment that is encouraging and dynamic,” says Venus Khalessi of the Office of External Affairs. “In what is often a fast-paced environment, where complex decisions are made under immense time pressure, media practitioners appreciate the opportunity to step back and reflect on how to apply guiding principles and values to the situations they face.”
At one gathering, Alan Sunderland, Executive Director of the Organization of News Ombudsmen and Standards Editors, said, “There are a lot of people talking at the moment about how the media can do more than just highlight divisions, but can talk about things that unite us. That is challenging for journalism, which traditionally is built on a conflict model, one where you find problems to expose. Finding ways to be constructive while recognizing that there is a fundamental requirement for journalism to ask difficult questions is a really interesting issue to explore.”
Participants at the most recent gathering in Australia expressed that the current health crisis has shown more than ever the responsibility of media to act for “the greater good of humankind.” Just as there is a need for accuracy in reporting facts, participants have noted the need for stories to convey values conducive to harmony. Examples of this during the pandemic have included a greater effort by news outlets in the country to report on stories of community-driven response and resilience.
Meanwhile in Spain, the Bahá’í community has also been having conversations with journalists and other social actors about the need to overcome division and polarization in response to crises.
“Early in the pandemic, new topics entered the public consciousness,” says Sergio García of the country’s Bahá’í Office of External Affairs. “Media outlets focused on discussions of the need for greater international cooperation; the need to transform economic models to be more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient; and many other profound ideas in all areas of life.
“Though older patterns of media coverage reemerged after some time, this change showed a glimpse of how media can open the horizons of human thinking and foster a deep discussion about our common future in a shared world. Media contributes to setting the tone for relations among different elements of society, and it can generate the feeling that we are one world and one people who need to work as such to address our common challenges.”
President Tzitzikostas at local leaders conference in Mannheim: “Cities and regions need direct access to EU funds to turn green words into green actions”
The city of Mannheim virtually welcomed the 9th European Conference on Sustainable Cities & Towns organized by ICLEI with the support of EU institutions, including the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). Hosted by the Mayor of Mannheim and CoR member Peter Kurz, local leaders gave support to the Manheim Message, a collective call for cities and regions to be key partners in the EU’s path towards climate-neutrality and a joint commitment to develop Local Green Deals.
The Mannheim 2020 conference was held virtually from 30 September to 2 October in a difficult social and economic context due to the COVID-19. Five of CoR’s prominent members took part, including President Apostolos Tzitzikostas, calling for cities and regions to be placed at the heart of the design and implementation of the EU’s recovery plans, ensuring every territory becomes more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, CoR President and Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia intervened saying: “To reach climate neutrality by 2050 and deliver a sustainable future for our citizens, regions, and cities need to be part of the development, delivery, and monitoring of EU recovery policies. As local and regional governments, we need to take ownership of the Green Deal, shape our own national investment and climate plans, and have direct access to EU funds to make the Green Deal tangible in our communities. We must turn nice green words into real green action. If the Green Deal is not built and delivered with our cities and regions, it will not happen at all”.
The CoR member and Mannheim Lord mayor Peter Kurz (DE/PES) declared: “The Mannheim Message underlines how important cities and local authorities are as key actors for Europe’s future. We are committed to Local Green Deals designed in cooperation with our citizens and key stakeholders. We aim to build the strong foundations for the implementation of the Green Deal in Europe and to accelerate the transformation to carbon-neutral, sustainable, and inclusive societies. However, the Mannheim Message also stresses that we do not want to be merely implementation partners for programmes, measures, and regulations. We want to be truly involved in co-creating Europe’s future for the well-being of our citizens today and for future generations”.
The Mayor of Seville, Juan Espadas (ES/PES), Chair of the CoR’s ENVE commission and Green Deal Going Local Working Group, congratulated the Polish city of Katowice for winning the 2020 Transformative Action Award. Mayor Espadas said: “Our cities and regions need to undergo a deep economic and societal transformation to address the current COVID-19 crisis, but also the upcoming climate and biodiversity crises. A Europe made by smart revolutionary actions that have the capacity of changing the face of our territories, restoring ecosystems, contrasting climate change, and moving towards healthier and more inclusive societies is indeed possible. Congratulations to Katowice that through its action aims to increase civic participation and to encourage residents to help make the city more sustainable.”
Rafał Trzaskowski (PL/EPP), Mayor of Warsaw, said: “The Climate Pact is, first of all, a bottom-up process in which local communities make public their commitment to the European climate neutrality by 2050. But it is also a catalyst for social innovation, enabling mutual inspiration on the methods, ways, and tools that are used to transform our societies towards a climate-neutral Europe as quickly and equitably as possible. Cities across Europe desperately look forward to some new, bold financing schemes. Already a year ago, Warsaw, together with the other signatories of the Pact of Free Cities, called for more European funds to be directly accessible for cities. Such funds would boost investment in new, sustainable transport infrastructure, renewable sources of energy, greenery, deep retrofit of buildings, and power-saving measures.”
Roby Biwer(LU/PES), Member of the Bettembourg Municipal Council, Head of the delegation of Luxembourg at the European Committee of the Regions took the floor at the session ‘Designing Just Green Cities through Urban Greening Plans’. The CoR rapporteur on various biodiversity opinions declared: “One of the key learnings from COVID-19 is that cities have to rethink their urban development plans. There is a higher expectation by the bulk of the population to breathe a better air and get greener areas in their neighbourhoods. We need to integrate nature and biodiversity in our lives to build a better future. The European Urban Greening Plans have the potential to bring nature back to cities and reward community action to restore and protect biodiversity in urban and peri-urban areas, by also allowing cities to exchange planning tools. Let’s be the leaders of biodiversity conservation, not victims of it.”
Publication of Eurosystem High-Level Task Force report on digital euro
Eurosystem needs to be ready for possible future decision to introduce digital euro
Public consultation and experimentation to be launched
The European Central Bank (ECB) today published a comprehensive report on the possible issuance of a digital euro, prepared by the Eurosystem High-Level Task Force on central bank digital currency (CBDC) and approved by the Governing Council.
A digital euro would be an electronic form of central bank money accessible to all citizens and firms – like banknotes, but in a digital form – to make their daily payments in a fast, easy and secure way. It would complement cash, not replace it. The Eurosystem will continue to issue cash in any case.
“The euro belongs to Europeans and our mission is to be its guardian,” said Christine Lagarde, ECB President. “Europeans are increasingly turning to digital in the ways they spend, save and invest. Our role is to secure trust in money. This means making sure the euro is fit for the digital age. We should be prepared to issue a digital euro, should the need arise.”
The Eurosystem task force, bringing together experts from the ECB and 19 national central banks of the euro area, identified possible scenarios that would require the issuance of a digital euro. These scenarios include an increased demand for electronic payments in the euro area that would require a European risk-free digital means of payment, a significant decline in the use of cash as a means of payment in the euro area, the launch of global private means of payment that might raise regulatory concerns and pose risks for financial stability and consumer protection, and a broad take-up of CBDCs issued by foreign central banks.
“Technology and innovation are changing the way we consume, work and relate to each other,” said Fabio Panetta, member of the ECB’s Executive Board and Chair of the task force. “A digital euro would support Europe’s drive towards continued innovation. It would also contribute to its financial sovereignty and strengthen the international role of the euro.”
A digital euro would preserve the public good that the euro provides to citizens: free access to a simple, universally accepted, risk-free and trusted means of payment. It also poses challenges, but by following appropriate strategies in the design of the digital euro the Eurosystem can address these.
The Governing Council has not taken a decision yet on whether to introduce a digital euro.
The Eurosystem will engage widely with citizens, academia, the financial sector and public authorities to assess their needs, as well as the benefits and challenges they expect from the issuance of a digital euro, in detail. A public consultation will be launched on 12 October.
Experimentation will start in parallel, without prejudice to the final decision.
For media queries, please contact Alexandrine Bouilhet, tel.: +49 172 174 93 66.
Rahman* was out buying food when Spanish police handed him a 500 euro fine for breaking coronavirus restrictions. “I’ll pay this as soon as I get a residence permit,” he told them. He laughs and shakes his head as he tells the story on a video chat. “Look how thin I’ve become, I weigh only 57 kilos,” he says. The 21-year-old Palestinian lets the webcam display his skinny 1.70m frame.
We speak in Swedish, mixed with Norwegian expressions – his capacity in both languages is testament to the nearly five years he split between the countries as an adolescent. They were formative years where he learned that even apparently kind gestures like the offer of a place to stay could open the door to unfathomable cruelty.
It was a time where no matter what Rahman suffered, the legal right to remain in Europe always eluded him. His lack of status contributed to appalling crimes being committed against him, just as it left the criminals unpunished. He has been exploited and deported but his dream of Europe endures and he has found his way back to the continent but the future is uncertain.
In October 2013, 15-year-old Rahman arrived in Sweden alone. Like so many other young refugees, had heard many good things about Sweden: children are protected, they get to go to school and feel safe, their rights are respected and almost all get to stay.
He grew up in Jordan with Palestinian parents from Gaza. Jordan’s citizenship laws had no place for Rahman, leaving him stateless. When the war in Syria was in its third year his father wanted to send him across the border to fight with jihadists against the Syrian regime. His mother disagreed and the teenager fled to what she hoped would be a place of safety.
Refugee shelter
In Sweden, Rahman lived in a refugee shelter, started school and quickly learned the language. He played football in his spare time. But despite his young age and troubles in Jordan, the court of migration in Stockholm rejected his asylum application in the summer of 2014.
He didn’t know what to do, or where to go. The only thing he was certain about was that he couldn’t return to Jordan and his father. Rahman decided to stay in Sweden without a permit. He left the youth hostel in Stockholm to avoid being deported, and cut off contact with his guardian.
That’s when a friend introduced him to Martin: a large man in his thirties, with a shaved head and heavy gold chains around his neck. Once Martin understood Rahman’s situation, he invited him to a flat in central Stockholm.
When he got there Rahman was shocked. Some people sniffed glue; others did cocaine. He was given a drink – it was the first time he had tried alcohol. The night became a haze. Martin took him into a room. Rahman was struck to the ground and felt hands on his body.
The rapes and beatings continued for months. Martin threatened to kill him if he tried to run away. Rahman had seen guns and knives around the flat and didn’t dare argue or ask questions. “I had nowhere to go. No money. And there was no one to help me,” he says.
Fast food and drugs
A lot of people came to the flat, and it was Rahman’s job to keep it clean. He was given fast food and drugs. Martin would call at any hour and send him off with a bag and address to deliver it to. He was sent on drug trips across Europe, for which he was given new clothes, a fake passport and a bag to carry. Rahman, usually on drugs, slept through the flights.
Rahman is among thousands of children who came to Sweden in recent years only to go missing when their European dreams were shattered. According to the Swedish Migration Agency, 2,014 unaccompanied minors are missing without trace since 2013 — equivalent to almost 70 school classes. The threat of deportation is often mentioned as a reason for these disappearances, as is human trafficking.
But no one really knows, because no one is searching for them. The police keep records but often don’t actively search for the children. Municipalities say children no longer resident in their area are not their responsibility. The Swedish Migration Agency says they can’t examine the cases of missing children. In 2016, the UN Human Rights Committee criticised Sweden for failing to prevent these disappearances.
Many, like Rahman are vulnerable to abuses and traffickers. According to a 2015 survey by a Swedish government agency, the County Administrative Board, most suspected child trafficking cases involved unaccompanied minors. At that time, none of the trafficking investigations involving unaccompanied minors, had resulted in a prosecution.
Systemic failure
To understand where the system was failing, I researched every suspected case of human trafficking of minors in Sweden during a four-year period up to 2015. According to police reports and preliminary investigations, more than half of the trafficking cases involved sexual slavery, in which nearly half of the victims were boys. The police’s failed response to trafficking was systemic.
Rahman was one of those cases. I tracked him down in Norway. After several months, he had managed to escape Martin. On reaching neighbouring Norway, he once again applied for asylum and reported his experience of trafficking to authorities. Rahman and his lawyer felt they didn’t take his case seriously. Because the trafficking took place in Sweden, Norwegian police passed the investigation to their Swedish colleagues. Rahman didn’t trust the investigators in either country. They didn’t seem to realise how dangerous it would be for him to single out Martin with no guarantee of protection.
“I can’t build a life here. I want to go to Europe again. I am never giving up.”
Shortly after Rahman turned 18, we spent a few days at a seaside resort. Surrounded by glittering Norwegian fjords, he and his court-appointed guardian sat outside on a mild summer evening. He leaned against her with his big ragged hair, long eyelashes and gentle smile. “She’s like a mother to me,” he said.
The Swedish trafficking investigation was eventually dropped. His asylum application in Norway was also rejected. Now he was no longer technically a child. In the summer of 2018, he was deported to Jordan.
After nearly five years in Europe, Rahman struggled to fall in line with the more socially controlled society in Jordan. He couldn’t return to his strictly religious family: he now smoked, drank alcohol and wore an earring. He was meant to try and find a job without a national ID, which also meant no access to doctors or hope of returning to education.
Yellow dinghy
The police seemed to relish harassing him. They would ask: Why were you in Europe? Why have you come back? And he was mocked by friends and relatives: Where’s the money, the success, the expensive things? For a while he worked 12-hour days at a tourist bazaar for wages that did not even cover his rent. After a few weeks, unable to see any other way, he decided to leave again.
First he attempted to sail to Greece via Turkey but the yellow dinghy was stopped by Turkish coast guards. After a month and a half in a Turkish prison, he returned to Jordan. He still had a Norwegian girlfriend at the time. As a European she could just take a plane and come to visit for a few weeks. Rahman has none of these options.
Thierry Monasse | Getty Photos
His friends in Norway arranged for him to stay with people they knew in Kosovo and he planned to continue overland further into Europe. But he was arrested in Montenegro and sent back to Kosovo. He became severely ill and returned to Jordan. But in his head he was already making new plans to reach Europe.
“I can’t build a life here,” he told me in the summer of 2019. “I want to go to Europe again. I am never giving up.”
This time he went to Morocco. Rahman knew this was his most dangerous journey so far. “But I am going to make it, I am sure of it!” he insisted. Later that summer, he reached the Moroccan border with the Spanish exclave, Melilla. This gateway to Europe is enclosed with high barbed wire fences and monitored by drones. Migrants and Moroccan boys his age were everywhere, hoping to get through the border at night. Some had been trying for months, even years. Rahman’s plan was to swim around the sea fences, a treacherous feat where border guards sometimes fire plastic bullets at swimmers. His first four failed attempts and was hurt in a fall before he finally managed to swim into the port of Melilla.
Cargo ship to Spain
“I am so happy – I am in Europe again!” he said in a message.
Afraid of being forced back to Morocco by authorities in Melilla, he stowed away aboard a cargo ship to mainland Spain. He was given a place in a refugee shelter and 50 euros a month to live on. But this assistance was cut after six months, just as the coronavirus pandemic hit Europe.
As we kept in touch over the years, I would always ask how he was and he always replied, “good,” no matter the circumstances. He has to stay positive, he says, to keep going towards what he longs for: an ordinary life, with a home, a girl and children. He would like to study languages and maybe work with tourists as he is so used to meeting new people.
Newsletter in English
But there is very little space to talk about the future right now. Rahman does not even know what tomorrow will bring, where he will sleep or how he will eat. He is considering two unwanted options: Start selling drugs again or commit a crime deliberately to get caught. “If I get arrested, I have somewhere to live until corona is over,” he said.
Rahman’s European dream has brought him back. Despite the trials he has gone through, the stateless boy is now a young man but no closer to having papers. The asylum process in Spain is long, up to 18 months, and uncertain and that was before the pandemic. He thinks of Sweden or Norway but doubts his chances. From Scandinavia to Jordan he has never been granted the right to belong. “Why is that?” he asks. “Why can’t I be legal anywhere?”
This article is part of the Europe’s Dreamers series, in partnership with Lighthouse Reports and the Guardian. Check the other articles of the series here.
The leaders of the EU countries have reached an agreement on sanctions against the Belarusian government, Agence France-Presse reported on Friday, citing its diplomatic sources.
According to European Council President Charles Michel, President Lukashenko has not been included in the list of sanctions Belarusians yet, he noted.
“We have decided today to implement the sanctions [against Belarus] … Tomorrow with a written procedure we will implement the sanctions on Belarus. You know what was on the table is the list with about 40 names”, Michel said at a press conference following the summit.
The diplomat added that sanctions on Belarus may be implemented immediately.
According to French President Emanuel Macron, Lukashenko may be included in the list of sanctioned Balrusians in case of failure to establish a dialogue with the people of Belarus. If the bloc had included the Belarusian president in the list, that would have meant a rejection of the dialogue, and the EU wants to engage Lukashenko in talks, he added.
Mass opposition protests broke out across Belarus following the presidential election on 9 August that saw President Alexander Lukashenko reelected for a sixth term. While electoral authorities maintain that Lukashenko collected over 80 percent of the vote, the opposition insists that his key contender, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, won the election.
Opposition figures also accuse the security forces of resorting to excessive violence during the protests.
The two-day EU summit in Brussels started on Thursday. The EU member states are focusing on the relations with Turkey and China; the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, Belarus, Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the alleged poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny.
The EU has a strategic interest in a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the development of a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with Turkey. Pursuing dialogue in good faith and abstaining from unilateral actions which run counter to the EU interests and violate international law and the sovereign rights of EU Member States is an absolute requirement in this regard. All differences must be resolved through peaceful dialogue and in accordance with international law. In this context, the European Council reiterates its full solidarity with Greece and Cyprus, whose sovereignty and sovereign rights must be respected.
The EU welcomes the recent confidence building steps by Greece and Turkey, as well as the announcement that they will resume their direct exploratory talks aiming at the delimitation of the Continental Shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone of the two countries. These efforts need to be sustained and broadened.
At the same time, the European Council strongly condemns violations of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus which must stop. The European Council calls on Turkey to abstain from similar actions in the future, in breach of international law. The European Council underlines that delimitation of the Continental Shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone should be addressed through dialogue and negotiation in good faith, in full respect of international law, and calls on Turkey to accept the invitation by Cyprus to engage in dialogue with the objective of settling all maritime-related disputes between Turkey and Cyprus.
The European Council supports the speedy resumption of negotiations, under the auspices of the UN, and remains fully committed to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem within the UN framework and in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions, including UNSC resolutions 550 and 789, and in line with the principles on which the EU is founded. It expects the same of Turkey. The EU stands ready to play an active role in supporting the negotiations, including by appointing, upon resumption, a representative to the UN Good Offices Mission.
Provided constructive efforts to stop illegal activities vis-à-vis Greece and Cyprus are sustained, the European Council has agreed to launch a positive political EU-Turkey agenda with a specific emphasis on the modernisation of the Customs Union and trade facilitation, people to people contacts, High level dialogues, continued cooperation on migration issues, in line with the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement. The European Council invites its President, in cooperation with the President of the Commission and with the support of the High Representative, to develop a proposal for re-energising the EU-Turkey agenda to this effect.
Recalling and reaffirming i.a. its previous conclusions on Turkey of October 2019, in case of renewed unilateral actions or provocations in breach of international law, the EU will use all the instruments and the options at its disposal, including in accordance with Article 29 TEU and Article 215 TFEU, in order to defend its interests and those of its Member States. The European Council will continue to closely monitor developments and will revert accordingly and take decisions as appropriate at the latest at its December meeting.
Finally, the European Council calls for a Multilateral Conference on the Eastern Mediterranean and invites the High Representative to engage in talks about its organisation. Modalities such as participation, scope and timeline will need to be agreed with all involved parties. The Conference could address issues on which multilateral solutions are needed, including maritime delimitation, security, energy, migration and economic cooperation.
China
The European Council welcomes the oral report on the EU Leaders’ meeting with President Xi Jinping on 14 September as well as the signing of the agreement on Geographical Indications. It stresses the need to rebalance the economic relationship and achieve reciprocity. It recalls the goal of finalising, by the end of this year, negotiations for an ambitious EU-China Comprehensive Investment Agreement (CAI) that addresses the current asymmetries in market access, contributes to a level playing field, and establishes meaningful commitments on sustainable development. It also calls on China to deliver on previous commitments to address market access barriers, to make progress on overcapacity and engage in negotiations on industrial subsidies at the World Trade Organization.
The European Council encourages China to assume greater responsibility in dealing with global challenges. This includes, in particular, taking more ambitious action on climate in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement and on biodiversity, and supporting multilateral responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, notably as regards treatments and vaccines, the independent review of the international health response, and debt relief as a necessary condition for recovery from the pandemic, particularly in Africa. The European Council welcomes, as an important step in the right direction, the statement of President Xi Jinping, following the Leadersʼ video conference, that China will aim to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.
The European Council underlines its serious concerns about the human rights situation in China, including developments in Hong Kong and the treatment of people belonging to minorities, as expressed at the EU-China summit in June and the Leaders’ meeting held on 14 September.
The European Council reaffirms the policy approach towards EU-China relations as set out in the Joint Communication of the Commission and the High Representative ʻEU-China: A Strategic Outlookʼ of March 2019 and calls for further coherent efforts to implement it. It invites the Commission and the High Representative to present a progress report by March 2021. It looks forward to a meeting of all its members with President Xi Jinping in 2021.
Belarus
The European Council condemns the unacceptable violence by Belarusian authorities against peaceful protesters, as well as intimidation, arbitrary arrests and detentions following the presidential elections, the results of which it does not recognise. The European Council fully supports the democratic right of the Belarusian people to elect their President through new free and fair elections, without external interference. The European Council calls on the Belarusian authorities to end violence and repression, release all detainees and political prisoners, respect media freedom and civil society, and start an inclusive national dialogue. It agrees that restrictive measures should be imposed and calls on the Council to adopt the decision without delay. The European Council also encourages the European Commission to prepare a comprehensive plan of economic support for democratic Belarus.
With regard to the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant Ostrovets, the European Council reiterates the importance of ensuring nuclear and environmental safety.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
The European Council calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urges parties to recommit to a lasting ceasefire and the peaceful settlement of the conflict. The loss of life and the toll on the civilian population are unacceptable. There can be no military solution to the conflict, nor any external interference. Azerbaijan and Armenia should engage in substantive negotiations without preconditions. The European Council expresses its support for the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and asks the High Representative to examine further EU support for the settlement process.
Alexei Navalny
The European Council condemns the assassination attempt on Alexei Navalny with a military chemical nerve agent from the ʻNovichokʼ group. The use of chemical weapons constitutes a serious breach of international law. The European Council calls upon the Russian Federation’s authorities to fully cooperate with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to ensure an impartial international investigation and to bring those responsible to justice. The European Council will return to the matter on 15-16 October 2020.
<a href="/en/meetings/european-council/2020/10/01-02/" itemprop="url" class="council-link">Visit the meeting page</a>
BRUSSELS — September 30, 2020 — EURATEX responded to the EU consultation on the impact of foreign subsidies on the EU Internal Market. It welcomes the initiative and calls for a comprehensive instrument which guarantees level playing field, but it is not protectionist and does not discourage foreign investment.
The European textiles and clothing industry (T&C) is very globalized, with complex value chains and inter-dependencies with many other sectors. For T&C companies to operate well, they need open and “efficient” markets, but combined with effective controls where necessary.
Against this background, the absence of a level playing field and fair reciprocity between EU and third country competitors on the EU internal market, is a concern. The distortive effects of subsidies provided by non-EU governments have jeopardised the competitiveness of many EU T&C companies. These foreign subsidies could distort the internal market, specifically the general market activity of economic operators in the EU, the acquisitions of EU undertakings, public procurement procedures and access to EU funding. The Commission proposal to create a new legal instrument to address these challenges is therefore very much welcomed.
In its contribution to the public consultation on the matter, EURATEX emphasised that the EU proposal needs to be as comprehensive as possible, both in its scope and in the redressive measures it proposes. The new legal instrument should take into account provisions already available in e.g. EU competition law, Trade Defence Instruments (TDIs) and the International Procurement Instrument. Indeed, consistency and complementarity with other EU tools is key.
According to Dirk Vantyghem, “the aim of the instrument is to level the playing field, not to be protectionist and not to discourage foreign investment. For this, the instrument must be non-discriminatory and WTO-compliant”. EURATEX therefore encourages the EU and member states to move forward with thin initiative as soon as possible.
He highlighted some of the Organization’s accomplishments, such as putting in place vital agreements that codify and protect human rights, setting ambitious goals for sustainable development, and charting a path towards a more balanced relationship with the natural world, among many others.
However, he also outlined some challenges ahead, saying more remains to be done to “hold back the tides of fear, hatred, inequality, poverty and injustice.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the world’s fragility, laying bare “risks ignored for decades”, namely, inadequate health systems; gaps in social protection; structural inequalities; environmental degradation; and the climate crisis, flagged the UN chief.
“But the setback to the fundamental Charter goals of peace, justice, human rights and development has been deep and may be long-lasting”, Mr. Guterres acknowledged.
A global effort
The UN chief also conceded that even before the pandemic, “the world was not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the target date of 2030”.
And although the UN called for massive global support for the most vulnerable people and countries – amounting to least 10 per cent of the global economy – a rescue package has yet to fully materialize.
In emerging from the COVID-19 crisis, the Secretary-General stressed the importance of multilateralism for a world based on fair globalization, the rights and dignity of everyone, and for “success measured in human rather than economic terms”.
In Guatemala, the UN food relief agency, the World Food Programme (WFP) is assisting indigenous communities affected by food insecurity due to the socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the course of a single summer in 2020, Jewish graves in Worms, Germany, were vandalised, an Austrian Jew was attacked in the street and a calendar published in the Czech Republic that glorified Nazi leaders. It came in a year during which Europe and the world marked 75 years since the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz.
Meanwhile, Belgium, Denmark and Poland have either proposed bans or actually banned ritual slaughter, the method by which millions of Jews and Muslims in Europe require their meat to be killed. In Iceland, Denmark and Norway, a furore has erupted over circumcision, with critics arguing that the practice is inhumane and should be banned for those under the age of 18.
“It is very frustrating, there is no question,” Rabbi Menachem Margolin, president of the European Jewish Association, told Euronews from his office in Brussels.
“You just think, […] why do we have to [do this] again […]. Three weeks ago it was the circumcision issue in Belgium […]. Two weeks ago it was circumcision in Denmark, this week it is ritual slaughter in Poland, I mean what is next?”
Kosher meat
Poland’s ban on kosher meat was pushed through by the governing Law and Justice Party (PiS) earlier in September against the objections of its two minority coalition partners, potentially bringing down the Polish government and paving the way for new elections.
The ban on kosher meat was part of a wide-ranging law on animal welfare, which will similarly outlaw Muslim halal slaughter and the production of fur. It is currently in a 14-day review period, but the fact that the PiS was willing to let its coalition collapse to pass it suggests it could stand.
Speaking to Euronews last week when the law was passed, Margolin told Euronews that the campaign for the animal welfare law had distinct antisemitic overtones, presenting the supporters of the law as “good Polish citizens” and its opponents, among them the Jewish community, as bad. But there will also be a practical impact on Europe’s Jewish community.
“Limiting the export of kosher meat from Poland will immediately impact Jewish people from all over Europe because many Jewish people from Europe consume kosher meat coming from Poland,” he said.
Margolin is keen to make the distinction between antisemitism, on the one hand, and a lack of respect for Europe’s religious minorities, including Jews, on the other. Being attacked in the street, he said, is unpleasant, but it is a crime and should be treated as such. The slow chipping away of religious freedoms is the bigger threat to Europe’s three million Jews, he said.
“Of course, governments have to be very tough with people who commit crimes against Jews. But much more important is to take care of the long term: education and a strong commitment to ensuring freedom of religion,” he said.
Key to beating both, he said, is education. As the events of the Holocaust, when six million European Jews died in the death camps of Europe, recede in the memory of Europeans, as the generation that remembers fascism in Europe is dying out, the history of Europe’s Jews must be made part of the curriculum in every school in every European state.
“Antisemitism is a very old disease. If you want to fight against anti-Semitism you have to educate,” he said.
‘Ignorance is an open door for populists’
“We have been pushing European governments to update the curriculum [to] include more information about the Jews, their customs, their history, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, these are things that Europe has faced for two millennia. Every child needs to learn about that,” Margolin said.
Ignorance, he added, is “an open door” for the populist movements of both right and left, and it is from the right, left and the political centre that antisemitism is coming. He is reluctant to name and shame but said centrist parties have noticed the success that the far right and left have had using hatred to win votes, and are now adopting similar tactics.
“What we see is that mainstream political parties do not take the right direction in order to fight the extremists, they adapt themselves to part of that agenda, which is very dangerous,” he said.
“I prefer not to attack anyone in particular. It is a phenomenon that is all over Europe. All over the world. But when it comes to the Jewish situation it is a dangerous direction.”
With Connor O’Brien, Lara Seligman and Jacqueline Feldscher
Editor’s Note: Morning Defense is a free version of POLITICO Pro Defense’s morning newsletter, which is delivered to our subscribers each morning at 6 a.m. The POLITICO Pro platform combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day’s biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro.
— Defense officials get an earful from Democrats and Republicans on Germany troop drawdown.
— Concerns grow that U.S. military forcesmight be drawn into election day disputes.
— The Pentagon has quietly filled a number of deputy-level policy posts.
‘THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE?’ Members of the House Armed Services Committee grew unusually testy with Pentagon officials on Wednesday for declining to provide details on a surprise plan to relocate 12,000 U.S. troops from Germany, our colleagues Lara Seligman and Connor O’Brien report.
Panel member Rep. Bill Keating, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment, asked acting Pentagon policy chief James Anderson whether the Pentagon first drew up the plan and then presented it to Trump, or whether the president imposed the move on the department. When Anderson responded that he is not “privy” to those discussions, Keating said sharply: “Then why are you here?”
The criticism didn’t just come from Democrats. “There needs to be an overall strategic plan that is coordinated with allies rather than have a bunch of rationalizations after the fact,” said Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), the panel’s top Republican.
The Pentagon has said the redeployment, which would bring 6,400 troops home and reposition nearly 5,600 to other countries in Europe, is part of the broader effort to redistribute U.S. forces across the world to better address threats posed by Russia and China.
But President Donald Trump repeatedly indicated the moves are punishment against Germany for being “delinquent” in spending money on defense.
‘SIGNIFICANT REALIGNMENT’: “The U.S. intelligence community has failed to keep pace with the technological and political strides made by China over the last two decades, a lag that risks leaving policymakers permanently in the dark about a growing, strategic challenge to the country’s national security, according to a report released Wednesday by the House Intelligence Committee,” POLITICO’s Martin Matishak reports.
“Absent a significant realignment of resources, the U.S. government and intelligence community will fail to achieve the outcomes required to enable continued U.S. competition with China on the global stage for decades to come, and to protect the U.S. health and security,” the summary warns.
SHUTDOWN AVERTED: Trump signed a short-term funding patch Wednesday evening, averting a government shutdown at midnight. The Senate passed the continuing resolution, which extends government funding until Dec. 11, in a bipartisan 84-10 vote on Wednesday, POLITICO’s Caitlin Emma reports.
Funding straitjacket: But the stopgap measure merely extends last year’s funding so the Pentagon can’t start new programs or ramp up funding for existing ones unless Congress carved out an exemption.
“Aerospace and defense companies of all sizes — especially small- and medium-sized ones — need stability,” Eric Fanning, president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, said in a statement. “Congress must now turn its attention to additional relief measures and to full appropriations as key ingredients for protecting these American jobs and ensuring American economic and national security.”
Some good news for defense: The CR was short on exemptions for the Pentagon, but the bill does include provisions that allow the Navy to procure the first two Columbia-class ballistic missile subs simultaneously. It also extends through Dec. 11 a program that reimburses contractors for leave granted employees who can’t access federal facilities and can’t telework.
‘INSIDER’S GUIDE’: The Association of Defense Communities will host Smith and Jim Inhofe, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, along with Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD), vice chair of the House panel, in “The Politics of Defense: An Insider’s Guide to Today’s Big Issues” starting at 3 p.m. The summit also features a panel including your Morning D correspondent so tune in.
DOD STAFFS UP: The Pentagon in recent weeks filled several more deputy assistant secretaries of defense, even as the department prepares for a possible presidential transition after the November election:
— Matthew Flynn is overseeing counternarcotics and global threats in the Pentagon’s office of special operations and low intensity conflict office as of Monday. Flynn served as deputy assistant to the president and acting White House Cabinet secretary. His appointment continues a trend of moving officials deemed loyal to Trump to the Pentagon.
— Daniel Pick took over special operations policy and programs on Monday. Pick served for 30 years in the Army, including as special adviser to Gen. Stanley McChrystal and commander of the Defense Language Institute. He came to DoD from the City of Del Rey Oaks, Calif., where he served as the city manager. Flynn and Pick fill out the remaining vacancies in the special operations shop.
— Jennifer Walsh assumed the role as the No. 2 official at DoD’s homeland defense and global security office on Sept. 20. Walsh first came to DoD in 1996 and has served in numerous positions at the Pentagon’s policy office, including overseeing the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Russia and Ukraine, and Asia. Most recently, she served as the principal director for countering weapons of mass destruction.
AIR FORCE VICE CHIEF CONFIRMED: The Senate also confirmed several top military promotions Wednesday, including Lt. Gen. David Allvin to be Air Force vice chief of staff. Allvin, who’s currently the director for strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Staff, will succeed Gen. Stephen Wilson.
The Senate also approved the promotion of Lt. Gen. D.T. Thompson, the second in command of the Space Force, to four-star general.
PLAYING WITH FIRE: National security veterans on Wednesday expressed alarm about the potential for a social breakdown on election day after Trump urged his supporters to “go into the polls and watch very carefully,” Seligman reports.
Among them was Michele Flournoy, a former top Pentagon official who is seen as a likely contender to be secretary of defense in a Biden administration. She called the president’s actions “very intimidating to voters” and urged Americans to protect the Democratic process and to uphold a peaceful transition of power.
“We need to hold each other accountable as Americans to back off of this fire that we are playing with,” she said during an event hosted by Defense News. “Our democracy is on the line here.”
In the event of any civil unrest following a disputed election, Flournoy also said local law enforcement, not the military, should handle the situation. If local authorities can’t tamp down demonstrations, then governors may be forced to ask for help from the National Guard. “Lord, I hope we don’t get there,” she said. “I think going right to the National Guard on voting day would be — I don’t think that’s a healthy thing for our democracy.”
NOT OUR PROBLEM: Defense Priorities, a Washington think tank pushing for an end to U.S. military interventions around the world, is out today with a new report arguing for withdrawing the tens of thousands of troops stationed at dozens of bases across the Middle East, “from Bahrain to Egypt to Iraq to Kuwait to Qatar to Syria to the United Arab Emirates.”
The paper by Justin Logan, director of programs and a research fellow at the Center for the Study of Statesmanship at Catholic University, explains why it’s time to pull up stakes. “The Middle East is a small, poor, weak region beset by an array of problems that mostly do not affect Americans — and that U.S. forces cannot fix. The best thing the United States can do is leave.”
The report argues the region is of little strategic importance to the United States, even with its supplies of energy, and that large numbers of ground troops are not required for an effective counterterrorism strategy.
Reuters reports that two more cases of African swine fever has been confirmed in wild boars in the eastern German state of Brandenburg. One of the boars was found outside the area of the first discoveries, according to the German agricultural ministry.
African swine fever is a viral disease affecting domestic and wild hogs. It has a near 100% fatality rate. It can be spread by live or dead hogs and pork products. Transmission can also occur via contaminated feed and non-living objects, including shoes, clothes and vehicles, according to the World Organization for Animal Health. It does not affect people.
Germany discovered its first case of African swine fever on Sept. 10. The total number of confirmed cases stands at 38, with all reported in wild hogs. More cases are expected. The country is trying to keep the outbreak contained by building fences, using search dogs, drones and helicopters with thermal-imaging tech to scour the land and offering 110-euro ($128) rewards for carcasses.
China, the world’s largest hog producer, has been battling African swine fever in its farms since 2018. The disease slashed herd size by almost half, drove up the country’s pork prices and sent meat imports soaring to record highs.
Now, China is engaged in rapid expansion, with companies like Wens Foodstuffs Group, Muyuan Foodstuff Co. and New Hope Liuhe Co. boosting herds, encouraged by government incentives.
The Chinese government approved more than 20,000 new hog farms in the first half of 2020, which have the capacity to raise more 150 million pigs, after Beijing offered incentives to encourage breeding. Among companies, Muyuan Foodstuff plans to double sales in 2020, while New Hope Liuhe is aiming to triple the number of hogs slaughtered in 2021 and increase that by a further 60% thereafter.
There is no vaccine to prevent African swine fever, but a new experimental vaccine shows promise, according to USDA.
African swine fever was first discovered more than 100 years ago in Africa. Outbreaks have been found in eastern Europe, Russia and across Asia, including Vietnam and South Korea. The World Organization for Animal Health provides weekly updates of the disease distribution.
Every year since 1994, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) holds a summit known as a Conference of the Parties (COP) attended by representatives of participating countries.
This year, the twenty-sixth COP was postponed by a full year due to the ongoing pandemic. Originally scheduled for November 2020, it will now be held at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow from 1 – 12 November 2021. COP26 will be hosted by the UK in collaboration with Italy, which will be hosting key preparatory events such as a Youth Event and the Pre-COP summit.
On Tuesday, Nigel Topping, the UK High-Level Climate Action Champion for UN climate talks spoke at a briefing held at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome. The event, organized by the UK embassy to the Holy See, was themed “The Road to COP26.”
During his speech, Mr. Topping highlighted that with an estimated 1.3 billion Christians worldwide, the Church has the capacity to effect massive change through concrete actions and multi-faith dialogue. He also urged everyone to be committed and accountable in their personal, concrete initiatives in the fight to stem the effects of climate change.
Other speakers at the briefing included Fr. Augusto Zampini, adjunct secretary for the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, and Tosca Barucco, the Italian Envoy for COP26.
Nigel Topping (2nd right) with other speakers at the Briefing held at the Pontifical Urbania University on 29 September 2020
Stimulating action alongside policymakers
Mr. Topping explained that his role as the UK champion for climate action was created in 2015 by all the parties to the UN Climate Convention in Paris. He added that the countries recognized that, aside from national governments, civil society, businesses, investors and the private sector have a role to play in determining the success in the fight against climate change.
“My task, therefore, is to drive ambition and action alongside the policy-making process, and to help governments go faster,” explained Topping to Vatican News after the Tuesday briefing.
“The faster that business and civil society goes, the easier it is for policymakers; and the bolder the policymakers are, the faster that businesses and cities can go,” Topping observed, adding that they reinforce each other in “a positive dance of change.”
Interview with Mr. Nigel Topping
Charting the path to begin anew
Responding to a question about the choices we should be making as countries restart their economies after the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Topping proposes two options.
The first, he explains, is the faster transition towards a cleaner economy. He pointed out that seven million people die prematurely every year because of air pollution – mostly from the same sources that drive climate change, including cars and coal. He recommends choosing to not support the old industries in the same manner as before, but rather transitioning towards newer ones that promote a cleaner economy. However, this transition, Topping notes, must be “done carefully” and be “just,” as we cannot simply get rid of all the jobs attached to the old industries.
The second, continues Topping, is the “equity” dimension of the transition. He explained that with the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as with climate change and other challenges, there is a disproportionate level of suffering among the more vulnerable and minority communities. Therefore, in transitioning to a zero-carbon economy, there is a need for human solidarity.
Head, heart and hands
Mister Topping said that to make the transition such as the one we called to make now, we will need a combination of heads, hearts and hands.
The head, he notes, is the intellectual understanding that we “just cannot continue like this,” and the ability to “read the signs” seen in floods, fires and the melting of glaciers. The heart, he continues, helps figure out the spiritual element providing motivation behind fighting for a better, cleaner climate. These, he explains are contained in transcendent values like justice and honoring the beauty of creation as Pope Francis illustrates in the 2015 Encyclical on the Care of our Common Home, Laudato sí.
The hands, for their part, help in carrying out bold, concrete actions that the head and the heart inspires them to do.
Coordinating concrete efforts
Speaking further on his mandate as the High-Level Champion, Topping said that he works with non-state actors – civil society, investors, schools and people of faith, among others – to encourage them to be bolder in taking initiatives. He then amplifies the visibility of these instances of positive action to inspire other people to take action in their turn.
The more people are committed and acting towards the zero-carbon future, the easier it gets for everyone, he said. “By moving together, we reduce the risk for everybody, which actually means we can go faster.”
“We always have agency over our future,” Topping said, adding that it is choice that requires moral courage.
However, it is already too late to stop some things: “We already have one degree Celsius of warming and three times as many extreme weather events as we had twenty years ago.”
Nonetheless, “it is never too late to act,” he insisted.
He pointed out that in addition to working towards achieving zero carbon emissions, he is particularly interested in working with vulnerable communities, especially as catastrophes like sea level rises, droughts and floods are now much more likely than they were 10 years ago. He hopes that through collective, global solidarity, the impact of these challenges will not be disastrous on poorer communities.
Hope for the future
Mister Topping expresses his hope that 2021 will bring about the better actualization of the multilateral processes of the 2015 climate convention and the 1992 biological diversity convention.
The two conventions are already beginning to yield fruit, as China has recently committed to zero-emission in the 2050s and 71 countries signed a nature pledge on Monday.
His second hope is that we learn to “express our commitments to new global goals” like the Sustainable Development Goals and work towards a more equitable society.
For some, noted Topping, 2021 is the year of the “great reset”. “We are not just going back to where we were before! This is a very big challenge and an opportunity to accelerate some changes and to change direction” towards building a cleaner, more equitable global economy for future generations.
It was a 45-minute “cordial” encounter in a “respectful environment”, during which it was possible for both sides to present their respective positions on China, as well as discuss some of the world’s bloody conflicts.
The American Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, arrived at the Vatican on Thursday morning to meet Cardinal Pietro Parolin and his counterpart, Archbishop Gallagher, the Holy See’s “Foreign Minister”.
Responding to questions from journalists, the Director of the Holy See’s Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said: “During this morning’s talks between the Secretary of State of the United States of America, Michael Richard Pompey, and His Holiness’ Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by His Excellency Archbishop Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States, the parties presented their respective positions regarding relations with the People’s Republic of China, in a respectful, relaxed and cordial environment. They also spoke about some areas of conflict and crisis, particularly in the Caucasus, the Middle East, and the Eastern Mediterranean. The meeting lasted about 45 minutes.”
As is known, in recent weeks some statements made by Secretary Pompeo against the Provisional Agreement signed two years ago by the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China have provoked discussions in the media.
The Holy See, as Cardinal Parolin has repeatedly stated, intends to propose renewing the agreement, which is still in provisional form. He has emphasized its genuinely pastoral character, which is aimed only at ensuring that the Chinese bishops are in full communion with the Successor of Peter.
A total of 179,160 have succumbed to the Covid-19 disease in the European Economic Area region (EEA) as of 3 September 2020 according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The outbreak of the virus has affected global and regional mobility in the form of various travel disruptions and restrictions. To better understand how the pandemic affects the mobility at the Points of Entry (PoEs), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has developed an online tool and database which tracks changed in mobility at Points of Entry (airports, land and blue border crossing points). This includes preparedness and response measures to prevent, protect against, control and assist in line with the International Health Regulations (IHR). Among the mobility changes tracked by IOM are: 1) Movement restrictions on entry and/or exit, 2) Changes in visa requirements, 3) Restrictions applied to certain nationalities to disembark at this location, 4) Changes in identification documents needed to disembark, 5) Medical measures in place such as Health Staffing/Medical Personnel, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), Infection prevention and control (IPC) and Surveillance and Referral.
As of 20 August 2020, data was collected on 808 Points of Entry in 28 countries/territories/areas across the European Economic Area. These locations include: 478 land border crossings points, 193 airports, and 137 blue border crossing points (including sea, river and lake ports). This work is based on the information collected by IOM Country offices in the region. This PoE brief analysis provides an overview of the changes of impact on operational status and mobility restrictions over time, between April and August 2020. It is important to note that not all data on PoEs have been updated every month meaning that the trend displayed does not necessarily represent the current situation of all PoEs. Furthermore, in April 764 PoEs were assessed, in May, 786, in June, 787, in July, 795, and in August a total of 808 PoEs were assessed, hence reaching the highest number of PoEs assessed during the five-month period.
Strasbourg, 01.10.2020 – The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, made the following statement today:
“As the armed conflict around Nagorno-Karabakh escalates with a growing number of civilian casualties, I mourn the deaths of the many people, including civilians, who are falling victim to the hostilities. No political considerations can justify the horror and suffering of these women, men and children. I implore all sides of the conflict to immediately cease hostilities and implement without delay the interim measures decided by the European Court of Human Rights. A peaceful solution must be found at the negotiating table to prevent a grave humanitarian crisis.”
The Secretary General reiterated her support to the work of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to this end.
DW: Mr Schäuble, you had a major role in negotiating — indeed, in writing — the Treaty on German Unity.When you look at Germany now, three decades later, is this what you imagined then?
Wolfgang Schäuble: No, but where in the world has anyone ever been able to imagine what is going to happen in thirty years’ time? In these past thirty years, too, Germany, like the whole world, has totally transformed. There is no longer a leading world power keeping order.
For some time the United States appeared to be almost the only remaining superpower. But the world has become more diverse. We could never have imagined, back then, how the East-West conflict would come to an end. But then it did end, miraculously, without war, almost without deaths. And yet that didn’t make the world a safer place. Instead, wars were possible once again. Only a few years later, in the middle of Europe.
Wolfgang Schäuble (l) and his East German counterpart Günther Krause did much of the negotiation of the reunification treaty
Germany’s reunification would not have been possible without the United States’ role as an ordering power. Now the US is stepping back from world affairs. Are you concerned that America could become a force for disorder?
No, I wouldn’t say that. I mean, we Europeans, all of us, owe the fortunate developments of the postwar era — fortunate at least for western and central Europeans, less so for eastern Europeans, who had a tougher time — to the fact that the Americans learned a lesson from the First World War and the period between the wars, namely that they must stabilize Europe to prevent a repetition.
And now the world has totally changed, which is why the chancellor was correct in 2017 when she said, “We will need to take on a greater share of responsibility for our own security.” But I hope that in the future we can continue along that path because we share common values, the basic principles of human dignity, democracy, freedom, the rule of law, and also ecological sustainability and social justice. They distinguish us fundamentally, for example, from the very successful Chinese model, which today does hold great attraction, but at the price of total control of the whole of economic, social, and political life. And that’s not our vision of how to live.
That’s why we must try to demonstrate the superiority of a peaceful, balanced order based on ecological sustainability, geopolitical stability, and the principles of western values. We Europeans cannot do that alone. But we need to take a greater share. And the more we take on responsibility and relevance — economic, political, also military — the more we will influence the debate, also in America. Because if we’re relevant, we play a larger role than if we’re not.
Berlin before and after the fall of the Wall
The Brandenburg Gate
Built in 1791, the Brandenburg Gate is arguably Berlin’s most famous landmark. It marked the border between East and West while the city was divided. Located in the eastern sector, it was inaccessible to the Western public. But everything changed when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 and the barriers no longer held. Now millions come from around Germany and abroad to see the symbolic structure.
Berlin before and after the fall of the Wall
Hohenschönhausen prison
Until 1989, Hohenschönhausen was the main prison of the East German secret police, the Stasi. Political prisoners were locked up and subjected to psychological and physical torture there. The location of the building was top secret and not listed on any city map. It was closed after reunification and opened a few years later as a memorial where visitors can learn about the Stasi’s dark past.
Berlin before and after the fall of the Wall
The Berlin Wall
For 28 years, the Berlin Wall divided the city into East and West. Many people died trying to escape the 155 kilometer-long (96-mile), highly guarded fortifications — the exact number of casualties is unknown. The East Side Gallery, the longest remaining piece of the Wall, was painted by artists from Germany and abroad the year the country was reunified.
Berlin before and after the fall of the Wall
Lenin in Berlin-Friedrichshain
From 1970 to 1991, a 19-meter-high (62 foot) colossus of red granite stood in the Friedrichshain neighborhood of East Berlin. It was the crown jewel of a square dedicated to the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. But after the fall of the Iron Curtain, the regime had run its course and the statue was dismantled. Today, Lenin Square as it was once called, is now United Nations Square.
Berlin before and after the fall of the Wall
From Palace of the Republic to Berlin Palace
In former East Germany, The Palace of the Republic was a showroom of power. After opening its doors in 1976, it was the seat of the People’s Chamber and hosted a variety of political conferences. In 2006 it was demolished as an asbestos-contaminated edifice ready for the bulldozer. The Berlin Palace is currently under construction at the same location.
Berlin before and after the fall of the Wall
The Intershops of the GDR
“Intershop” was a prominent GDR retail chain, a store where it was not possible to pay with GDR money, but only with foreign currency. As a result, the goods were largely out of reach for many people living in the East. The first Intershop was located at the Friedrichstrasse station in East Berlin (picture). Today that square is a busy retail hub with cafes and clothing stores.
Berlin before and after the fall of the Wall
Playgrounds
Nothing represents a carefree childhood more than a playground. These climbable metal structures (left) could be found on nearly every playground in the former East. Today, they are typically made of rope — so it doesn’t hurt as much when young (and old) run into them into them while playing. More pictures of Berlin then and now can be found on Facebook: #GermanyThenNow and #BerlinThenNow.
Berlin before and after the fall of the Wall
Interhotel Metropol
The 13-storey Interhotel Metropol in Friedrichstrasse opened in 1977. It was a luxury hotel, popular with business people, diplomats and celebrities. Yet, for GDR citizens without foreign currency to spend, it could only be admired from the outside. Today, a Maritim chain hotel stands on this site and accessible to all visitors – for a price, of course.
Berlin before and after the fall of the Wall
KaDeWe department store
The Kaufhaus des Westens, KaDeWe for short, is the best-known department store in Germany. It’s second largest in Europe after Harrods in London. The luxury store opened in 1907, survived destruction during the Second World War and stayed standing in West Berlin during the years when the capital was divided. Today it’s popular with tourists and locals alike.
Author: Rayna Breuer
At the time of reunification, many were fearful of a newly strengthened Germany. Now, there are increasing calls for Germany to play a stronger role. Is Germany still too reticent on the world stage?
About this fear of a stronger Germany — the situation was a bit more complicated. There were of course, understandably, these concerns in Western Europe. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was known to have such concerns, the reaction from Francois Mitterrand was similar. In the first few weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the most reliable support in Europe for Chancellor (Helmut) Kohl actually came from the then Spanish Prime Minister (Felipe) Gonzales. Otherwise, most of them were a bit cautious. They were wondering what it would mean if 40 years after the Second World War, Germany is again the largest, most populous, and economically the strongest country in Europe.
But that passed relatively quickly, especially because they understood that this unified Germany was more a reliable partner in European integration and that this served their interests.
A Polish foreign minister said in a speech not that long ago: “We used to fear the strength of Germany – today we rather fear the opposite.” You can still feel the enormous resistance to this in the German population and thus also in the political parties in Germany, including in parliament. And yet we have to get used to the fact that others expect us to bear a fair share of the common burden.
Thirty years after reunification there are still big inequalities between East and West, especially economically. And right-wing populist parties are stronger in the East.
I would be a little more cautious about Germany. The economic differences have become smaller. But the consequences of 40 years of our social market economy were clear then: Full integration into the European Union and into open world trade on the one hand — and on the other, the socialist, bureaucratic state economy, which was just not competitive. Not least because of this, the Eastern bloc as a whole collapsed. It was not able to create living conditions for its citizens as successfully as the liberal order was. The liberal order, including the social market economy, was just superior. That has left deep differences. You can feel them all over Europe.
The people in the GDR did not have the opportunity to experience living together with people who came to our country from other parts of the world. So it is not surprising that people who were not used to immigration, perhaps people arriving with different skin color or a different religion, can be more easily mobilized with populist slogans. And this does not only apply to former East Germany. Take a look at the debates in the Czech Republic or in Hungary or in Poland. You can’t blame people for that.
I also want to emphasize: Although we (Westerners) now have a third generation of immigrants living here since the early 1960s, whose grandparents or maybe even great-grandparents came to Germany from Turkey, we still have considerable problems in many parts of western Germany. And that’s why we West Germans shouldn’t be arrogant towards East Germans.
Wolfgang Schäuble was with Angela Merkel when she was elected as CDU party head in April 2000
Reunification would not have been possible without Russia either. But the current Russian President Vladimir Putin feels cheated by history. Has the West failed in its dealings with Russia?
When Putin came to power, he pursued a policy in which, to a certain extent, he wanted to repair the humiliation of the Soviet Union he believed people felt — and he tried that in his own way. He’s not right about Crimea, but we do need better, fairer cooperation with Russia. Perhaps not everyone in America understood this or handled it correctly in the important years. We must try to achieve better cooperation with Russia — fully respecting Russia’s claims and history. And, by the way, we must also cooperate with China.
Without reunification, the emergence of Angela Merkel as a politician would not have been possible. At the moment, many people cannot imagine a Germany without Angela Merkel after 2021. Can you imagine that?
You know, I grew up at a time when one couldn’t imagine the Federal Republic of Germany without Konrad Adenauer. To that extent, yes: Angela Merkel lived in the GDR and would not have become a German chancellor without reunification. But she is a woman of very extraordinary qualities. And that distinguishes her from her predecessors. It seems that she herself will be able to determine when she leaves office. My wife told me a long time ago: “You men never give up voluntarily. Ms. Merkel is different from the men. She will say for herself when it’s enough.” It seems she can do that.
And after that, life will go on. I believe we will still be a strong, free democracy based on the rule of law in ten years’ time. We will find a new chancellor. The voters will decide. She will no longer be available. But Germany will go on. And so will Europe.
CDU-politician Wolfgang Schäuble is president of the German parliament, the Bundestag, of which he has been a member for 47 years. Thirty years ago, Schäuble played a central role in negotiating the Treaty of Unification. He was a government minister several times.
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