Feed aggregator

Analyst Alex de Waal looks at how the US president-elect could deal with conflicts on the continent.

Analyst Alex de Waal looks at how the US president-elect could deal with conflicts on the continent.

Der Poker um das EU-Freihandelsabkommen mit dem südamerikanischen Staatenblock Mercosur steht vor dem Abschluss – wieder mal. Doch vor den wichtigen Gipfeln organisiert Frankreich Widerstand – wieder mal.

HCD-Verteidiger Calle Andersson überzeugt auf der ganzen Linie. Der Schwede mit Schweizer Lizenz weist eine starke Bilanz auf – und würde mit seinem Punkteschnitt pro Spiel die NL-Tabelle anführen. Eine Zahlenspielerei. Und seine Geschichte.

Die Europäische Volkspartei (EVP) benötigt Zeit, um die Nominierung des designierten französischen Kommissars Stéphane Séjourné zu prüfen, erklärte ein führender EVP-Abgeordneter gegenüber Euractiv. Die dreieinhalbstündige Anhörung hinterließ gemischte Eindrücke.

In der Nacht auf Mittwoch wurde der «Sexiest Man Alive 2024» gewählt. Auch dieses Jahr fällt die Wahl auf einen Schauspieler.

Elon Musk, Milliardär und Unternehmer, wird unter der Trump-Regierung eine zentrale Rolle spielen. Nun mischt er sich in den Konflikt zwischen der italienischen Regierung und der Justiz um die neue Migrationspolitik Richtung Albanien ein.

Traurige Nachrichten aus Deutschland: Der siebenfache deutsche Bahnrad-Weltmeister Michael Hübner ist am Dienstag verstorben. Hübner wurde nur 65 Jahre alt.

A young child residing in a displacement camp in Port Sudan. Credit: UNICEF/ Ahmed Mohamdeen Elfatih

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 13 2024 (IPS)

After 19 months of conflict, the ongoing Sudanese Civil War continues to deteriorate living conditions for millions of Sudanese people. Intensive conflicts between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have greatly exacerbated nationwide levels of famine. Numerous civilians have been caught in the crossfire, leading to a rising death toll. Sexual violence and rape have been used as weapons of war, with thousands of cases going unreported due to a pervasive state of fear. Sudan has seen record numbers in displacement, becoming one of the biggest displacement crises in the world.

According to estimates by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), civilian casualties from the civil war exceed 20,000. Approximately 25.6 million people are in dire need of humanitarian aid, which is over 50 percent of Sudan’s population.

On November 12, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) urged the United Nations (UN) Security Council to accelerate response efforts in Sudan amidst the escalation of violence. Humanitarian organizations have been impeded from accessing some of the most conflict-ridden hotspots in Sudan.

The Tine crossing in Chad has long been a critical path for humanitarian organizations to reach the critical Darfur region of Sudan. According to OCHA, intensified fighting along this region as well as the Port Sudan region has blocked the delivery of live-saving aid.

“We are deeply concerned by the alarming trajectory of this conflict. While it has already unleashed horrendous suffering, the conditions are there for it to claim exponentially more lives,” says Ramesh Rajasingham, spokesperson for the Acting Chief of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Joyce Msuya.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed on October 29 that nationwide levels of displacement have reached a new peak, with over 11 million Sudanese civilians being displaced as of today. Over 400,000 people have been displaced in El Fasher in the past six months alone. More than half of the displaced population are women and over 25 percent are children.

The Zamzam Refugee Camp in northern Darfur currently houses approximately 500,000 Sudanese civilians. “The scale of this displacement – and the corresponding humanitarian needs – grows every day. Half the country’s population needs help. They don’t have access to shelter, to clean drinking water, to health care. Disease is spreading fast,” explains IOM’s Director-General, Amy Pope.

The civil war has caused significant damage to Sudan’s agricultural sector. According to the World Bank, nearly 9 million people are expected to face catastrophic hunger in 2025 if conditions do not improve. The World Food Programme estimates that there are 13 areas in Sudan that are currently at risk of famine.

“People are selling off their assets to buy food for their families. Supplies to commercial markets have been disrupted by the fighting. Many people are now totally reliant on aid in order to have just one meal a day. People are having to eat leaves and mud for energy just to try to survive,” says Concern Sudan country director, Dr. Farooq Khan.

“One in every two Sudanese is struggling to get even the minimal amount of food to survive. Famine conditions have taken hold in North Darfur, and millions struggle to feed themselves every day,” adds Pope.

On November 5, the UN reported that the RSF had been using rape and sexual violence as weapons of war. “This large-scale campaign, predominantly targeting women and girls, has been found to include rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, and human trafficking under conditions of extreme violence that would amount to torture,” one UN expert said.

According to an October 23 report by the UN, over 400 victims of sexual assault from RSF had been recorded and referred to healthcare and psychosocial support services. The majority of these victims lack access to medical care. Humanitarian organizations called out RSF personnel to take accountability for their crimes to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and suffering does not continue.

The UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, said in a statement issued on October 26, that continued attacks on civilians and infrastructure are prohibited by international humanitarian law and must come to an end. “I think considering the nature of the violence, the level of impunity enjoyed by the RSF and the near-total global silence on this, that the numbers of dead may end up being a gross underestimation,” she said.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

Több csalás ügyében is nyomoz a pozsonyi rendőrség. Az egyik esetben egy idős károsultat több mint 400 ezer euróval loptak meg – tájékoztatta a TASR hírügynökséget Silvia Šimková, a Pozsonyi Kerületi Rendőrkapitányság szóvivője.

Written by Annastiina Papunen and Rebecca Torpey.

On 7-8 November, the European Political Community (EPC) held its 5th meeting in Budapest. The event gathered 42 European heads of state or government, among them the EU leaders, and was followed, for the European Council members, by a dinner and an informal meeting the next day. Beyond the official agenda, the outcome of the US presidential elections shaped the discussions.

Amid Russia’s continuing war of aggression on Ukraine and the escalating situation in the Middle East, the EPC summit, held on 7 November, focused on Europe’s security challenges. The next day, members of the European Council discussed EU competitiveness and adopted the Budapest Declaration, building on the conclusions of the April 2024 special European Council meeting. Next to competitiveness, the informal meeting also discussed foreign policy topics linked to the elections in the US and Georgia, and Israel’s decision to ban the UN Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA).

General

The US election results set the tone of the two back-to-back meetings in Budapest. Considering the undeniable tensions in transatlantic relations under President-elect Trump’s previous term, an exchange of views on how best to prepare for the next four years was deemed important. The European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, said: ‘Our mentality is not ‘America elects and Europe reacts’, but ‘Europe acts’.’

Figure 1 – European Council President’s tweet

Source: C. Michel, ‘Congratulations to President-elect…’, X/Twitter, 6 November 2024.

Two EU leaders did not travel to Budapest: the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, on account of the flash floods that ravaged Valencia, and the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, following the collapse of the three-party federal government coalition the night before. In the preamble to the Budapest Declaration, EU leaders expressed their deepest condolences to and solidarity with the people of Spain. The violence towards Israeli football fans in Amsterdam on 7 November was mentioned by the Dutch Prime Minister, Dick Schoof, and condemned by the European Council President, Charles Michel, during the press conference.

As this informal meeting was the last for Charles Michel as European Council President, the participants thanked him for his dedication over the past five years. On 1 December, the former Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, will take the helm of the European Council.

1.     The European Political Community meeting

The fifth EPC meeting took place on 7 November at the Puskás Arena in Budapest. It was attended by 42 European leaders, among them the EU leaders. The EU was represented by President Michel and the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen. The European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, also attended the EPC. The former Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, took part in his capacity as NATO Secretary-General. Noteworthy was the attendance of the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who had only attended the first EPC meeting in Prague.

The overarching theme of the day was addressing the major security challenges facing Europe, with two important aspects being the ongoing Russian war on Ukraine and the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The outcome of the US elections had a significant impact on the security discussion. Just ahead of the elections, the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, had tweeted that ‘the era of geopolitical outsourcing is over’. President Metsola echoed these words at the opening of the EPC meeting, capturing the sentiment expressed by many leaders.

The morning session focused on security challenges and was followed by breakout sessions on migration and economic security. After the opening remarks by the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, delivered a speech emphasising the importance of ‘peace through strength’ and not through concessions. Interestingly, Chapter 10 of the 2024 US Republican Party platform reads ‘Return to peace through strength’. The session on migration, co-chaired by the Austrian Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, and the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, covered irregular migration and its instrumentalisation, building on discussions during the fourth EPC meeting. The session on economic security, led by the Latvian Prime Minister, Evika Siliņa (in place of Chancellor Scholz, originally planned as co-chair), and the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, addressed connectivity-related issues such as energy, transport and global trade.

Originally, it was the French President, Emmanuel Macron, who on 9 May 2022 proposed establishing a forum for political dialogue among European countries. At the first EPC meeting in Prague in October 2022, it was agreed that this informal platform would aim to foster discussions among peers at the highest level and build cooperation on issues of concern for the European continent. Due to the informal nature of EPC meetings, no declarations are adopted at their close. Instead, their value lies precisely in their informality, allowing for strategic discussions, roundtables and bilateral meetings between leaders of European countries – within the EU and outside it – to take place. The talks held between Erdoğan and the Cypriot President, Níkos Christodoulídis, demonstrate the unique bilateral opportunities provided by the EPC. Those talks were also attended by the Greek Prime Minister Kyriákos Mitsotákis and the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama.

EPC summits are held on a bi-annual basis, hosted alternately by the EU country holding the EU Council Presidency and a non-EU country. Albania is to host the sixth EPC summit in the first half of 2025, followed by Denmark in the second half.

2.     The informal European Council meeting Foreign policy and transatlantic relations

Ahead of the 8 November informal European Council meeting, EU leaders met for dinner and discussed a range of topics, including transatlantic relations, Georgia and Israel. Having missed the EPC meeting, Chancellor Scholz joined the EU leaders for dinner. The strategic debate on transatlantic relations focused on three main aspects: (i) bilateral relations; (ii) security and geopolitics, with a special focus on Ukraine; and (iii) global challenges and international cooperation.

EU leaders congratulated Trump on his election victory on X, in press statements and over the phone. Even if relations between the new US administration and the EU were centre stage, many EU leaders seemed to focus more on bilateral relations between their own countries and the US than on a joint approach, prompting von der Leyen to tweet that, ‘The EU and the US are more than just allies. We are bound by a true partnership between our people, uniting 800 million citizens’. Some EU leaders, notably Germany’s and Portugal’s, also mentioned their countries’ partnerships with the US within NATO. At the door, the Luxembourg Prime Minister, Luc Frieden, stated that ‘we will stick to our principles but we want to have a friendly partnership with the United States’.

When it comes to Russia’s war on Ukraine, there was much speculation about the new US administration’s plans, particularly in relation to what point 8 of Trump’s 20 core campaign promises meant for Ukraine in practical terms: ‘Prevent World War 3, restore peace in Europe’. When interviewed, EU leaders were keen to avoid hypothetical discussions about what would happen if Trump cut funding for Ukraine’s defence. Dick Schoof stated, ‘We should only talk about the stop of the American support at the moment that that is the topic’. However, it is likely that EU leaders considered various scenarios when discussing the impact of Trump’s election on EU security and geopolitics. Siliņa underlined that the European Council had already emphasised the importance of defence, which is now a core priority in the Strategic Agenda 2024-2029, as indicated by the nomination of a European Commissioner for defence. Despite this, several EU leaders, such as the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, and the Finnish Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, pointed out that the EU needed to do more for its own security and defence.

Concerns were also raised about the Trump presidency’s potential impact on international efforts to tackle climate change. The Irish Taoiseach (prime minister), Simon Harris, for instance, emphasised the importance of the EU and the US remaining actively engaged in global issues, notably climate.

Georgia

Georgia was on track for EU membership in 2023. However, in recent months the ruling (pro-Russian) Georgian Dream party has been steering the country away from the EU path. EU leaders have expressed concerns about acts of intimidation against civil society representatives, political leaders, civil activists and journalists in Georgia. They have also called on Georgia to reverse its adoption of the transparency of foreign influence law. In October 2023, the Commission noted that ‘the level of constructive political dialogue [has been] significantly reduced’ since the adoption of this law. Georgia’s accession process is now de facto halted. Following Georgia’s recent parliamentary elections, thousands protested over alleged election fraud, yet the ruling party claimed victory. Election observation missions raised concerns about several shortcomings. Before the informal dinner, the leaders of Germany, France, and Poland released a joint statement on the situation in Georgia, which fed into discussions amongst EU leaders on the way forward.

Middle East

In October 2024, the European Council emphasised the crucial role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and condemned any efforts to revoke the 1967 agreement between Israel and the agency. However, the Israeli Parliament approved two bills that would impede UNRWA’s humanitarian aid work in the occupied Palestinian territories. Ireland, Norway, Slovenia and Spain issued a joint condemnation of the legislation, while France, Belgium and other European countries expressed concerns about its potential consequences. EU leaders discussed how this move would affect EU-Israeli relations.

Competitiveness

President Michel set the scene in his invitation letter by stressing that ‘Over the past 20 years, the EU’s share of world GDP has halved’, and urging action to strengthen EU competitiveness. On 8 November, the former European Central Bank (ECB) President, Mario Draghi, presented to EU leaders his report on ‘The future of European competitiveness‘, which had already been mentioned briefly at the October meeting. It provides a relatively grim picture of the EU’s economy, and calls for urgent action. However, it creates divisions among Member States, notably as regards the proposed measures’ funding. The idea of new common debt was, for instance, rejected by Germany. The Draghi report has already fed into the Commission’s political guidelines, the Commissioners’ mission letters, and seems to constitute a guiding document for the next 5 years.

Considering the complexity of the current global setting, the discussion on EU competitiveness was particularly timely. The outcome of the US elections may indeed have far-reaching implications on transatlantic relations, especially on trade; the recent BRICS meeting in Kazan has also highlighted the changing dynamics. The BRICS countries, currently accounting for 37.3 % of global GDP, have plans to replace US dollar payments with a new system called the Brics Bridge. This could have major implications for world trade, financial systems and the global power balance between countries. The current ECB President, Christine Lagarde, also shared her views on the situation of the EU economy. The picture she presented follows the sobering statement on EU competitiveness issued by the Eurogroup meeting, held in an inclusive format, on 4 November.

Budapest Declaration on the new European competitiveness deal

The Budapest Declaration follows the path set by the Versailles and Granada declarations, the April 2024 European Council conclusions and the EU’s Strategic Agenda 2024-2029. It mentions how the Enrico Letta and Draghi reports are a wake-up call and underlines that ‘business as usual is no longer an option’. One key request in the declaration is ‘a new and comprehensive horizontal strategy on the deepening of the Single Market’, with a roadmap indicating a clear timeline and milestones by June 2025. This request was already mentioned in April, but the details are now more specific.

EU leaders also focused on moving towards a savings and investment union by 2026, making progress on the capital markets union and banking union. They called on the High Representative and the Commission to present ‘without delay’ options for public and private funding to increase EU defence readiness and capabilities.

Regarding industrial policy, EU leaders went further than in April, asking the Commission ‘as a priority’ for a comprehensive industrial strategy, including both competitive industries and quality jobs. The current industrial strategy was last updated in 2021. The EU car industry is struggling, and potential US tariffs could affect it further. Furthermore, as a result of a trade dispute with China over green technology imports, the EU applies tariffs on Chinese EVs.

Regarding research and innovation, EU leaders stated that closing the innovation gap with global competitors and putting ‘Europe at the forefront of research and innovation globally’ is an urgent priority. In that context, EU leaders reiterated that R&D should constitute 3 % of EU GDP by 2030 and voiced support for the idea of a fifth freedom of research, innovation, knowledge and education.

Considering current high and volatile energy prices, EU leaders called for urgent measures to address them. They also called for the acceleration of the energy transition and for the establishment of a genuine energy union as ‘a matter of priority’.

Regarding trade and economic security, EU leaders reiterated the central role of the World Trade Organization and the need to pursue an ambitious, robust, open and sustainable trade policy to ensure a level playing field. Trade agreements remain a controversial issue, with France recently warning that the EU should not sign the Mercosur trade deal without French approval.

The declaration also includes a request for a circular economy act (with no specific deadline) and for new Commission proposals on the digital economy by June 2025. Moreover, EU leaders request a ‘simplification revolution’ to ease reporting requirements, particularly for SMEs, ‘by at least 25 % in the first half of 2025’. Finally, the declaration mentions the future of EU funding, with the next multiannual financial framework proposal expected in July 2025.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Outcome of the meetings of EU leaders on 7-8 November 2024‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Dans la guerre en Ukraine, les deux armées ont été bloquées par les drones, l'artillerie et la guerre électronique.

Dans la guerre en Ukraine, les deux armées ont été bloquées par les drones, l'artillerie et la guerre électronique.

Im Zuge der laufenden Präsidentschafts- und Parlamentswahlkampagnen in Rumänien werden gefälschte Social-Media-Accounts eingesetzt. Diese Accounts dienen dazu, die Popularität bestimmter Kandidaten künstlich zu steigern und Inhalte zu verbreiten, die gegen ihre Konkurrenten gerichtet sind.

Aujourd'hui dans l'Expresso : Stéphane Séjourné appelle l’UE à « maîtriser son destin » et s’engage à dynamiser l’industrie, Elon Musk envenime le conflit entre les juges italiens et Giorgia Meloni, le président bulgare Roumen Radev soutient l’objectif zéro carbone à Bakou.

Die designierte rumänische Kommissarin Roxana Mînzatu stellte sich einer dreistündigen Anhörung zur Bestätigung im EU-Parlament. Dabei beantwortete sie Fragen zu Arbeitnehmerrechten, sowie zu ihrem Elternhaus in Brașov, Siebenbürgen.

Frappée par un exode massif, l'Albanie fait appel à un nombre croissant de travailleurs africains. Pour certains, leur arrivée est cauchemardesque : passeport confisqué, travail non rémunéré, menaces d'expulsion. Les témoignages de mauvais traitements se multiplient.

- Articles / Une - Diaporama, BIRN, Albanie, Exode, Populations, minorités et migrations, Une - Diaporama - En premier

Frappée par un exode massif, l'Albanie fait appel à un nombre croissant de travailleurs africains. Pour certains, leur arrivée est cauchemardesque : passeport confisqué, travail non rémunéré, menaces d'expulsion. Les témoignages de mauvais traitements se multiplient.

- Articles / Une - Diaporama, BIRN, Albanie, Exode, Populations, minorités et migrations, Une - Diaporama - En premier

Une grève suivie par plus de 4000 personnels de santé a débuté le lundi 11 novembre dans toute la Croatie. Le syndicat dénonce la dégradation des conditions de travail et exige une hausse des salaires, dans un contexte de forte inflation. Mais le gouvernement reste sourd et plusieurs administrations hospitalières font pression sur les grévistes.

- Le fil de l'Info / Une - Diaporama, Courrier des Balkans, Croatie, Santé, Economie

Une grève suivie par plus de 4000 personnels de santé a débuté le lundi 11 novembre dans toute la Croatie. Le syndicat dénonce la dégradation des conditions de travail et exige une hausse des salaires, dans un contexte de forte inflation. Mais le gouvernement reste sourd et plusieurs administrations hospitalières font pression sur les grévistes.

- Le fil de l'Info / Une - Diaporama, Courrier des Balkans, Croatie, Santé, Economie