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Trump said Europe would pay a heavy price for having run a large trade surplus with the US for decades.

The post Trump wants EU to buy more US oil and gas or face tariffs appeared first on Euractiv.

Die EU-Kommission hat am Mittwoch (18. Dezember) zwei Konsultationen zur Verbesserung der Kompatibilität von Apple-Betriebssystemen eingeleitet. Drittanbietern soll eine Zusammenarbeit mit Apple-Produkten gewährt werden, um eine Marktverzerrung zu verhindern.

Die spanischen Sozialdemokraten (PSOE) reichten bei der Staatsanwaltschaft eine Beschwerde gegen die rechtspopulistische Vox-Partei ein. Es geht um mutmaßlich dubiose Finanzierungen einer ungarischen Bank, mit Verbindungen zu Viktor Orbán. 

Alors que les prix du café et du chocolat augmentent sur les marchés mondiaux, les produits alternatifs à base de céréales se développent pour continuer à répondre à la demande croissante en Europe.

Le gouvernement suisse devrait donner vendredi 20 décembre son feu vert à un accord de rapprochement avec l’Union européenne, la première étape d’un long parcours semé d’embûches d’une éventuelle adoption par le petit pays alpin.

Rumäniens Sozialdemokraten (PSD), die bei den Parlamentswahlen als Sieger hervorgingen, hat sich aus den Regierungsverhandlungen zurückgezogen. Die Partei werde nun eine rechtsgerichtete Regierung unterstützen, wurde überraschend am Donnerstag verkündet.

Après avoir dirigé la Syrie pendant plus de 20 ans, Bachar el-Assad a fui avec sa famille vers la Russie, où ils ont obtenu l'asile. Nous vous expliquons pourquoi ils y sont allés.

Après avoir dirigé la Syrie pendant plus de 20 ans, Bachar el-Assad a fui avec sa famille vers la Russie, où ils ont obtenu l'asile. Nous vous expliquons pourquoi ils y sont allés.

Beim gestrigen EU-Gipfel hatte Ungarn ein letztes Mal den Vorsitz, denn mit dem Jahresende endet auch die EU-Ratspräsidentschaft von Viktor Orbán. Als dieser den Sitz im Sommer übernahm, befürchteten viele einen Stillstand auf der Verhandlungsebene der EU. 

A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent and beyond.

A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent and beyond.

Aujourd'hui dans l'Expresso : « Make Europe great again » : Viktor Orbán a-t-il réussi son pari ?  les socialistes espagnols accusent le parti d'extrême droite Vox de financement irrégulier.

Ungarns EU-Ratsvorsitz sei eine „politische Präsidentschaft“ gewesen, erklärte Ministerpräsident Viktor Orbán. Am Donnerstagabend (19. Dezember) verteidigte er in Brüssel den umstrittenen Kurs vor Reportern und betonte die Errungenschaften seines Landes während der sechsmonatigen Amtszeit.

Swiss media cited diplomatic sources saying that all the issues had been agreed, with the exception of how much Switzerland should pay into the EU's Cohesion Fund.

The post Swiss ready to seal EU deal appeared first on Euractiv.

A piece from Emo de Medeiros’s series Vodunaut in the “Revelation! Contemporary art from Benin” exhibit in La Conciergerie in Paris, France. The smartphones within the cowry shell-decorated helmets feature videos taken on four different continents. Credit: Megan Fahrney/IPS

By Megan Fahrney
COTONOU, Benin, Dec 20 2024 (IPS)

Construction of the new Museum of Modern Art is underway in Cotonou, Benin’s largest city. The museum, along with three others being built throughout the country, are part of the Beninese government’s extensive plan to ramp up the nation’s tourism industry and preserve its culture. It is expected to open at the end of 2026.

A traveling exhibition entitled “Revelation! Contemporary art from Benin” serves as the precursor to the new modern art museum. Originally, the exhibition launched in Cotonou in 2022 under the name “Art of Benin From Yesterday and Today: From Restitution to Revelation.” It then traveled to Morocco, Martinique, and it is now in Paris.

At the heart of the initiatives is the repatriation of 26 pieces of stolen art to Benin from France in 2021. The returned royal artefacts were showcased alongside the contemporary art in the original exhibition in Cotonou, and they have remained in the nation’s reserves since.

The exhibition brings together over one hundred pieces of art by 42 artists from Benin and the Beninese diaspora.

Yassine Lassissi, director of visual arts at the Agency for the Development of the Arts and Culture (ADAC), said the exhibit unites works from both distinguished, well-known Beninese artists and emerging young creators.

The featured pieces represent a range of different forms and artistic mediums, Lassissi said.

“There is really a diversity of techniques,” said Lassissi. “We have paintings, sculptures, installations, multimedia techniques, drawings, and photography.”

Artist Emo de Medeiros showcases two works in the exhibition: a series of fixtures entitled Vodunaut and a short film by the name “Tigritude I.”

De Medeiros said “Tigritude I” was inspired by a quote by Nigerian activist and author Wole Soyinka, who said, “A tiger doesn’t proclaim his tigritude, he pounces.” De Medeiros explores the role of the African diaspora in uniting technology and spirituality through the piece.

“It features an alternative past,” said de Medeiros. “An alternative futurism that is very dystopic with the intervention of futuristic tigers.”

Upon the return of the exhibition to Cotonou from Paris this January, Lassissi said she hopes the artwork can continue to travel to new destinations until the opening of the museum in 2026, including potentially to the United States.

While in Cotonou, the exhibition drew more than 220,000 visitors in just sixty days of opening.

“It was really a historic event,” Lassissi said.

In addition to the Museum of Modern Art in Cotonou, Benin is constructing the International Museum of Memory and Slavery in Ouidah, the Museum of the Epic of the Amazons and Kings of Dahomey in Abomey, and the International Museum of Arts and Civilizations of Vodun in Porto-Novo.

The majority of contemporary art pieces from the traveling exhibition will be housed in the Museum of Modern Art in Cotonou. The 26 returned royal artefacts will be displayed in the new museum in Abomey.

The government plans to situate the Museum of Modern Art within an entirely new Cultural and Creative Neighborhood, which would also consist of the Franco-Beninese Institute, coworking spaces, the Art Gallery, the artisanal village, and artists’ residences.

The nation hopes the museums will strengthen its culture and tourism industry, which it projects to be the second pillar of its economy after agriculture.

De Medeiros said he believes Cotonou had been “sorely missing” a contemporary art museum.

“This was something that was necessary,” said de Medeiros. “I think this definitely should be a platform [where] Beninese artists can showcase their work to the world.”

Note: Megan Fahrney is a U.S. Fulbright fellow. The views expressed are solely the author’s and do not represent the views of the United States government.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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IPS UN Bureau, IPS UN Bureau Report, Benin

Jeudi 19 décembre, le Parti socialiste du Premier ministre espagnol Pedro Sánchez a déposé une plainte auprès du parquet contre le parti d’extrême droite Vox pour financement irrégulier présumé, incluant un prêt de plusieurs millions auprès d’une banque hongroise proche de Viktor Orbán.

Chile’s political and legislative landscape has become increasingly fragmented, creating a gridlock that hinders the passage of much-needed reforms. Credit: UNDP

By Javier Bronfman
SANTIAGO, Chile, Dec 20 2024 (IPS)

As many middle-income countries in the world, Chile finds itself at a critical juncture. The country has made significant progress over the past decades in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction, yet many structural challenges remain.

The 2024 Chilean Human Development Report highlights some of the most pressing issues facing the country today, answering a fundamental question: Why is it so hard to change? At the core of this question are institutional, cultural, and socio-economic factors that have made meaningful reforms difficult to implement.

Below, some important insights coming out of the report.

Institutional Difficulties

Chile’s political and legislative landscape has become increasingly fragmented, creating a gridlock that hinders the passage of much-needed reforms. The report emphasizes how the institutional structure of the country, and especially how the political parties and electoral system fosters a culture of revenge that promoted a constant blocking of the needed legislation and reforms.

Chile’s political system, characterized by a multi-party system with highly polarized factions, has increasing struggles to find common ground and reach agreements. Legislative deadlock arises when parties fail to collaborate, leading to stalled policies.

This institutional impasse is exacerbated by the requirement for supermajorities to pass key reforms, especially constitutional amendments, making it extremely challenging to address deep-rooted issues education, pension reform, or healthcare access.

Even though there is agreement on what reforms are needed, we observe a prevailing culture of revenge that ends up blocking most policy reform effort. Political discourse has become increasingly adversarial, making cooperation across political divides nearly impossible.

Instead of focusing on policy issues, political energy is often spent on character attacks and undermining the opposition. As a result, the public grows increasingly cynical, and trust in the political process erodes.

The inability to foster a culture of dialogue and mutual respect between political actors prevents any meaningful long-term change. Politicians are locked into short-term battles that perpetuate a cycle of revenge, further polarizing society and making structural reforms even harder to achieve, while people wait for things to change.

Difficulties in reconciling growth and inequality: a lack of Future Perspectives

The report also identifies a growing crisis of the future, a deep sense among many Chileans, particularly the youth, that the future is uncertain and precarious.

This “crisis of the future” is characterized by a lack of clear opportunities for advancement, whether in terms of social mobility, career prospects, or general quality of life.

In a society where inequality persists, many young people feel that the traditional paths to success, such as education and employment, no longer guarantee a better future. The rising cost of living, combined with the difficulty of finding secure, well-paying jobs, contributes to a sense of hopelessness.

This crisis is not just economic; it is also emotional and psychological, as more Chileans feel disconnected from the idea of progress and personal development.

This feeling of a “lost future” is also compounded by the existential threat of climate change, which is hitting Chile particularly hard. From severe droughts to devastating wildfires, the environmental crises further erode any sense of stability, reinforcing the feeling that the future is uncertain and full of risk.

A path forward

The 2024 Chilean Human Development Report offers a sobering analysis of why change is so hard in Chile today. Institutional blockages, a culture of retaliation in politics, social inequality, and a pervasive crisis of future perspectives all converge to create a challenging landscape for reform.

Yet, despite these difficulties, the report also points to the potential for new paths forward. Building a more inclusive, forward-looking society requires a shift in political culture, one, as well as economic models that prioritize equality and sustainability.

The challenges are daunting, but they are not insurmountable. By fostering greater political cooperation, addressing institutional inefficiencies, and creating a shared vision of a more equitable future, Chile has the opportunity to break through these barriers.

This will only be possible if the current political and electoral system are reformed towards one that fosters dialogue and long-term compromises. Fortunately, most political sectors agree on those needed reforms, will they be able to come to a national agreement, remains to be seen.

Javier Bronfman is Regional Adviser on SDG Integration

Source: UNDP

IPS UN Bureau

 

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The weekly Tech wrap-up containing the Commission’s investigation into TikTok, an interoperability push on Apple, and Ryanair's GDPR complaints.

The post AI training as legitimate interest, €10 billion for an EU Starlink appeared first on Euractiv.

Jeudi 19 décembre, à Bruxelles, Viktor Orbán a qualifié les six mois de mandat de la Hongrie à la tête du Conseil de l’Union européenne (UE) de « présidence politique ». 

Boyko Borissov, ehemaliger bulgarischer Ministerpräsident und GERB-Chef, zog seine Unterstützung für ein bilaterales Sicherheitsabkommen mit der Ukraine zurück. Zuvor hatte der geschäftsführende Ministerpräsident das Parlament um eine Entscheidung gebeten.