FOLLOWING THE EUROPEAN UNION

Reactions by the the British press (via the BBC):

The Sun accuses Tony Blair of caving in to the French and handing over billions to keep the shambolic EU in business.

The Daily Mail also accuses the prime minister of surrender, while for the Telegraph the whole affair is a fiasco.

But the Times, the Independent and the Guardian focus on German Chancellor Angela Merkel, variously describing her as the "peacemaker" or "power broker".

Back to Turkey - while Macedonia got the candidate status for membership -

source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Walter, this would be good news indeed and I sincerely hope it comes to pass.

Believe me - no one is rooting for the current situations of Germany and France to continue "as is". That's clearly not in the best interest of either the U.S. or the rest of the world. A weak European economy is one reason that the world economy is shaky and so dependent on American growth. I truly hope that Mr. Barroso is proven to be correct.

I don't really get what you mean by this - last night's talks were about the EU-budget and not any EU-member's economy.



to be continued

Continued
source various linked websites from the BBC

"As is" meaning weak economic growth, excessive government, low birthrates (shriveling population), high taxes and high unemployment. The national governments of France and Germany are certainly contributors to the overall economy of the EU, which, according to some experts is losing ground in the world economy.

Well, such has been discussed a few times, might be correct or wrong, but actually hasn't been discussed with the budget.

And besides, these points of yours surely aren't only [if at all] related to the named countries.

(Did you notice that Germany made a 'gift' of € 100 million to Poland and still is the biggest netto contributer to the EU-budget? And one of the richest countries, Ireland, with a high birthrate as well, get's nearly the most out of it? :wink: )

Good point. Ireland, of course, can attribute its economic success to slashing their corporate tax rate, thereby attracting multinational businesses to her shores. Hopefully, Germany and France will follow suit.

One of the pieces that Walter pasted here noted that when the rebate was negotiated the UK was one of the poorest of the EU countries, and that now it is one of the richest. The difference of course is the result of Maggie Thatcher's dismantling of government-controlled corporations and industries and her consistent application of free market principles to investment and labor market regulation. During this same period France & Germany expanded the reach of their outmoded and sclerotic social welfare sustems, and grew relatively poorer as a result. Now the people of the UK are being asked to pay the price for the stubborn backwardness of their French and Gernman allies. If this is an example of"the EU on the move", then I am not impressed.

The Irish are indeed getting the best of both worlds in the EU. Not a bad thing - they have had the short end of the European stick for a long time. Perhaps their example of real liberal economic policies will one day cause eyes to open on the continent.

Could you please just give some points which show the differences between the "outmoded and sclerotic social welfare sustems" in France and Germany and those the UK?

Pension systems, and Labor market regulation are the primary ones and they are real current problems in both France and Germany.

Well, I'll tell you one bit of information I stumbled across re France a few months ago that I found astounding. So much so that I had to read the sentence 3 times before it sunk in. However, it explains a lot.



40 years!? How is that even possible?

Right. And as much as I hate to admit it, if the GOP doesn't make a few changes in our spending habits, we could be facing similar disastrous results in another 5 decades or so.

I agree with that, although wasteful spending does less ladsting harm than idiotic regulation - a "gift" that keeps on "giving".

Rising costs of state pension insurance funds ('Social Security here means something total different) are compelling Germany to look for alternatives. But I'm not sure, but I'm not sure if individual pension plans do necessarily result in more efficient provision for old age.

Here's a selection of news stories from the second half of November I compiled/summarized for other purposes. I left out the French riots stories since I've already used most of those in other threads.

Chirac: TV Network to Display French Values
2005/11/30 · Yahoo! News

De Villepin signed off on a deal between France Televisions and TF1, clearing the way for a new French Channel for International Information (CFII). It will "carry the values of France and its vision of the world everywhere on the globe," said President Chirac. The network will receive $76-82 million per year between 2006 and 2010. News programs in French, English and Arabic will reach audiences in Europe, Africa and the Middle East by cable, satellite and the Internet. Later, the channel plans to target Spanish-speakers and broadcast in Asia and the Americas.

Europeans prefer Russia as EU member over Turkey
2005/11/30 · EU Observer

Europeans would rather see Ukraine and Russia enter the EU than Turkey, a poll in the EU's six largest countries suggests. Kiev and Moscow got a "yes" from 51% and 45% of respondents, while just 40% backed Turkish membership and 31% agreed to Moroccon membership. The poll found that there is strongly decreasing support for enlargement, irrespective of who the candidate might be. The French and Germans were the biggest opponents of any of the countries joining the EU, while the Poles were most supportive, with 64% backing Ukraine's EU ambitions.

Euro-Med summit approves anti-terror code
2005/11/29 · EurActiv

Concluding their Euro-Mediterranean summit, representatives of the EU, Israel and its Arab neighbours approved an anti-terrorism code of conduct. It commits the signatories to "prevent terrorists accessing money and weapons, to disrupt their plans and disrupt their networks and to bring them to justice by strengthening international co-operation". The document also states that response to terrorism must be "proportionate and solidly anchored within international and domestic legal frameworks that ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms".

Number of Romany assistants to teachers rise in Slovakia
2005/11/29 · Romservis

The number of Romany assistants to teachers, who help them with problem children, has risen by a half to 900 in Slovakia since last year. Last year the Education Ministry earmarked 88 million crowns for their salaries. They now work in hundreds of primary schools, mainly in localities with dense Romany population. The project, launched in 2002, was initiated by the Association of Young Romanies. So far some 200 Romanies with completed secondary education have worked as assistants via the foundation.

Swedish anti-gay pastor acquitted
2005/11/29 · BBC News

Pastor Ake Green told his congregation that homosexuals were "a deep cancer tumour on all of society" and that gays were more likely to rape children and animals. He was convicted in 2004 under Sweden's new hate crimes law, which was amended two years ago to include homosexuals. But on Tuesday the court upheld an appeals court verdict that Pastor Green's remarks were protected by freedom of speech and religion.

East-to-West Migration Remaking Europe
2005/11/28 · Washington Post

Janis Neulans has never heard of Guinness. In his home town, a village of eight people on Latvia's Russian border, he learned truck-driving, not Yeats. He doesn't know what the Irish minimum wage is, but he dreams of it - and he is one of 150,000 new workers, mostly Poles, Lithuanians and Latvians, to make his way to Ireland in the past 18 months. He agreed to let a Washington Post reporter accompany him on his quest.

Slovakia "surprised" by Merkel's stance on taxes
2005/11/28 · EurActiv

Angela Merkel attacked low taxes in some new member states, hinting at the possibility of cutting EU regional funding. "Member states are free to decide on their tax laws. But they have to be ready to forgo fully the resources granted from the structural funds," the new German government's programme says. Slovakia says it takes the issue seriously enough to consider blocking a deal on the Financial Perspective. Like the Czech Republic, Estonia, Ireland and the UK, it opposes the proposal for an EU-wide harmonisation of corporate taxes.

Dispute Rises Over Cartoons of Prophet
2005/11/28 · IPS

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference will consider the matter of the Danish newspaper that published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed at its summit. Several leaders wrote in a joint letter that Muslims feel insulted. Prime Minister Rasmussen replied that "the Danish government has no means of influencing the press." Earlier, he said: "When Erdogan comes, I will explain him what freedom of expression means." Erdogan in turn said "freedoms have limits, what is sacred should be respected." He pointed to the Jewish reaction to 'The Passion of the Christ', saying Muslims can have similar sensitivities.

WB: Conference on "Disability and Poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina" Opens
2005/11/28 · FENA

"Poverty causes disability, (and) disability traps people in poverty," said World Bank Country Manager Dirk Reinermann on a Sarajevo conference. Disabled people are over-represented in the world's poor, comprising some 10% of the population, but 20% of the poor. BiH faces particular challenges, including extensive benefit systems for war veterans that are not well targeted to need, while non-war veteran disabled persons remain with inadequate protection. Reinermann said policy is too focused on benefits and not enough on creating employment opportunities for people with special needs.

Erdogan, Zapatero launch Alliance of Civilisations initiative
2005/11/28 · Southeast European Times

Spain and Turkey's prime ministers launched the inaugural meeting of the Alliance of Civilisations initiative, seeking to foster respect and dialogue between Islamic and Western societies. The project is backed by the UN and over 20 countries. "The Alliance [..] is an effort to fight against all those who promote hatred and intolerance," Zapatero said. The group includes former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Andre Azoulay, an adviser to Moroccan King Mohammed VI.

Swiss taken to task over domestic violence
2005/11/27 · swissinfo

Switzerland does not do enough to protect women against domestic violence, according to Amnesty International. It calls for improved coordination between cantons and the federal government to provide more beds in shelters, better help for migrant women and counselling for aggressors. "Switzerland occupies the middle field compared to other countries, which is not good enough," Stella Jegher said. "Other countries, such as Spain and Austria, have achieved a lot more."

World: Violence Against Women Emerging As Major Social Issue
2005/11/25 · RFE/RL

In 1999, the UN declared 25 November the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Governments, international organizations and NGOs organize activities to raise public awareness of the problem on that day. AFP reports that according to a recent French study, a total of 164 women and 47 men were killed in domestic-violence incidents in 2003 and 2004. The situation is worse in many Asian and African countries.

SPAIN: Nowhere to Turn - Immigrant Women Especially Vulnerable to Domestic Violence
2005/11/25 · IPS

Immigrant women are the least protected against domestic violence in Spain. 700,000 undocumented women risk being deported if they file legal complaints, do not qualify for assistance to victims, and are denied access to women's shelters, said Amnesty International. However, a new law on aliens did improve matters. Also, parliament adopted the first specific law in Europe against gender-based violence, providing for specialised courts. And the government established immediate protective orders for victims who fear for their lives. Within three months, this protection was granted to 15,302 people.

European Commission stakes new claim in European criminal law
2005/11/25 · EU Observer

The commission presented a list of seven areas of EU legislation in which it claims further powers in the area of criminal law. Minimal sentences for offences set by the commission must be enforced in member states, with countries that fail to implement this liable to be taken to court by the commission, it was said. In September, the European Court of Justice ruled in favor of the commission and the EP in a case involving infringements of environmental law. The ruling means that for the first time, a member state government no longer has the sovereign right to decide what constitutes a crime and what the punishment should be.

Milivoj Asner sent Jews and Serbs to the camps. But will he escape justice?
2005/11/25 · The Guardian

Around 150 Jews of Pozega, Croatia, were sent to the concentration camps. They all perished. Police chief was Milivoj Asner, now 92 and living in Klagenfurt. For Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff, the Asner case is at the centre of his Operation Last Chance, thanks to documents unearthed by a young Croatian amateur historian. Alen Budaj, then 19, discovered Asner had lived prosperously in Austria since 1945, and returned to Croatia in the 90s. But when President Mesic ordered an investigation, Asner fled back to Austria. "Austria is a black hole," said Zuroff, "They have not convicted a Nazi in 30 years. And it's not for a lack of Nazis."

EU to strengthen checks on visas and asylum seekers
2005/11/25 · EurActiv

Two newly proposed measures on external border controls seek to improve the databases of information on visa and asylum seekers and widening access to them by member states. The package is to specify how Europol and member states security services can access VIS, a database containing information on all visa applications which will include fingerprint data. The proposals also concern the EURODAC and SIS databases. EURODAC contains the fingerprints of all asylum-seekers in the EU. Access to the data would allow member states to detect double applications.

Macedonia: New Language Law Too Hot to Handle
2005/11/25 · Balkan Insight

Macedonia's Social Democrats (SDSM) are seeking to delay a new law on the Albanian language. Its use is currently regulated by nine laws, and the government parties had agreed to adopt one overarching law. But after the DUI sought to make Albanian an official language throughout Macedonia, adoption stalled. The SDSM fears the new law might lead it to annihilation in the elections. The Ohrid Agreement already gave Albanian official status in areas where Albanians make up over 20% of the population. The government has adopted over 70 laws in connection to the Ohrid Agreement.

Europe Sets Terms For Montenegro's Independence Poll
2005/11/25 · Balkan Insight

Europe gave the green light for an independence referendum in Montenegro, but set conditions that the government, which pledged one before the elections next year, may find hard to meet. The pro-Serbian opposition refuses to even talk to the government, instead listing its conditions to the Venice Commission. Serbia says it will recognise any result the EU recognises first. Observers fear the vote will occur at the height of talks between Serbia and Kosovo, and destabilise Serbia. If Montenegro secedes, it will have to start its EU integration process afresh. Polls say 41 % would support independence, 34% oppose it.

Vatican issues policy on gay priests
2005/11/23 · MSNBC

The Vatican says homosexuals who are sexually active or support "gay culture" are unwelcome in the priesthood unless they have overcome their homosexual tendencies for at least three years, according to a church document obtained by an Italian Catholic news agency. In 2003, homosexuality was described as a "troubling moral and social phenomenon" in a document by the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, then headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict this year.

Restitution demanded for confiscation of Croatian Jews' assets
2005/11/22 · Southeast European Times

Expatriated Croatian Jews who lost their property during the Ustashe and communist regimes could receive compensation, and the total amount of restitution could reach 20m euros. As Croatia moves forward with its EU bid, it is under pressure to resolve issues of restitution. It is already conducting negotiations with Austria over compensating the Volkdeutschers who were kicked out in 1945. This, in turn, highlighted the problem of Jewish restitution, since some exiled Germans lost property that originally belonged to Croatian Jews.

Publisher Ragip Zarakolu faces 6-year prison sentence
2005/11/22 · IFEX

In Turkey, publisher Ragip Zarakolu is charged with "insulting and undermining the State". The charges stem from the publication of Dora Sakayan's "Garabet Hacheryan's Izmir Journal: An Armenian Doctor's Experiences" and George Jerjian's "History Will Free Us All - Turkish-Armenian Conciliation". The prosecutor on 22 November demanded a six-year prison sentence for Zarakolu, arguing he had "insulted the Army" and "Turkishness" by publishing Sakayan's book. Some 60 writers, publishers and journalists in Turkey are under judicial process.

EU puts Bosnia on path to entry
2005/11/21 · BBC News

The EU has given the green light to talks that will prepare Bosnia for the long road to EU membership. EU foreign ministers agreed to start negotiating a stabilisation and association agreement on closer political and economic ties. The move comes exactly 10 years after the end of the Bosnian war, the worst conflict in Europe since World War II.

Uzbekistan Rejects EU Criticism Of Andijon Trial
2005/11/21 · RFE/RL

Uzbekistan rejected EU criticism about the trial of 15 men convicted of organizing an uprising in Andijon, calling it "unprecedented political pressure." Last week the EU banned 12 Uzbek officials from entering the bloc for their involvement in quelling the uprising in May. Last month, the EU also imposed an arms embargo on Uzbekistan and suspended a cooperation pact. The Uzbek statement called the EU moves based on "groundless information of Western NGOs and mass media that are waging a real information war."

Lords threaten rough ride for anti-terror bill
2005/11/21 · The Guardian

Tony Blair warned the House of Lords not to wreck the government's terror bill today. But the much-trumpeted support of senior police officers turned out not to extend to the entire bill. The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) privately opposed four of the 14 main proposals. A confidential Acpo assessment concludes that all risk alienating Muslims, whose confidence in the police the Acpo considers crucial. Opposition leaders warned that they would scrutinise the bill's provisions line-by-line before sending it back to the Commons.

Action on disability masks lack of progress
2005/11/21 · management-issues

The vast majority of British employers now have a formal policy in place on employing disabled people. They were increasingly allowing absence for rehabilitation and treatment, acquiring or modifying equipment, altering individual working hours, assigning a person to other work and providing flexible working arrangements, a study found. Yet over the past five years, the proportion of disabled people in the workplace had by and large remained constant in most organisations, with any increase largely the result of improved disability reporting.

Romania concludes deal on US bases
2005/11/18 · EurActiv

Romania has agreed to the establishment of US military bases on its territory. Romanian President Basescu said that "it is clear that the United States seems to be more interested by the instability in the Black Sea area than the Europeans are. They have already understood the importance of the Black Sea for the security of Europe".

Migrants die on coast of Sicily
2005/11/18 · BBC News

Italian authorities found the bodies of nine migrants washed up on the Sicilian coast after their boat ran aground off the shore. About 160 survivors were picked up on land but 30 could still be missing. Survivors said the boat, 15 metres long, had carried 200 people. Italy had been alerted of its approach by the Maltese authorities, but strong winds and rough seas meant it could not be intercepted. "The conditions were terrible, there were very high waves," said Michele Maltese.

Dutch scriptwriter's next film about gays and Islam
2005/11/17 · CBC

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Dutch politician who wrote the script for Submission, will take on a new hot topic. Submission, a film about Muslim women suffering abuse, was vilified by Muslim leaders. A fanatic murdered the director, Theo Van Gogh, and Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born refugee who renounced Islam, went into hiding. She now says her next script will be about gays and Islam: "In the movie, they are called God's creatures." The new project will carry no credits and the actors will not be recognizable.

Spain: Changes in Religious Instruction under Way
2005/11/16 · TerraViva

Supported by the right-wing Popular Party and Church leaders, 0.5-1.5 million people protested an educational reform bill Saturday. When the bill is adopted, religion classes, which the government already made optional, will no longer be factored into a student's grade point average. The bill requires a government-appointed commission to decide on the admission of students to private schools that receive state funding, to prevent discrimination. Vice-President Fernández de la Vega said also that "the Church will have to meet its goal of becoming self-financing."

Student 'killed over skin colour'
2005/11/16 · BBC News

An 18-year-old student was murdered with an axe as he walked through a park simply because he was black, a court has heard. "On 29 July Paul Taylor, Michael Barton and others decided to pursue Anthony Walker and Marcus Binns for no reason other than the colour of their skin," stated the Prosecutor. Anthony, his girlfriend and Marcus were on their way to a bus stop when racial abuse was shouted at them. Despite walking away they were followed, allegedly by Taylor and Barton.

Turkey and Denmark clash over press freedom
2005/11/16 · EU Observer

Turkish prime minister Erdogan boycotted a joint press conference with Danish prime minister Rasmussen in protest at the presence of a journalist from a Kurdish TV station. Turkey repeatedly urged Denmark to close the channel, which sends news and entertainment to Danish Kurds, arguing it is PKK-financed. Danish police say no evidence of links to forbidden organisations has been found. Mr Rasmussen said that excluding the station from the conference would have violated the freedom of expression.

Pro-Lifer Fuels Abortion Row
2005/11/16 · ANSA

A plan by Health Minister Storace of the rightist National Alliance to allow members of the Movement for Life into state-funded family abortion centres has unleashed controversy. Democratic Left leader Fassino said that "turning abortion advice centres into battlegrounds between pro-life and pro-choice activists would be the worst thing to do." The minister also said that he was personally against the abortion law. Another row surrounds the experimental introduction in some regions of the RU486 abortion pill, which the Catholic Church has been railing against.

Viennese conference explores place of Islam in a pluralistic world
2005/11/15 · Radio Netherlands

Politicians and theologians from within and without the Muslim world gathered in Vienna to talk about the position of Islam in a pluralistic world. Participants include Presidents Talabani of Iraq and Karzai of Afghanistan; former Iranian president Khatami; Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi; the Archbishop of Vienna, and the Patriarch of Constantinople. There are over 1700 participants. Topics for the meeting include the latest attacks in the Middle East and the riots in Paris.

Minorities break 'class barrier'
2005/11/14 · BBC News

Young people from working class ethnic minorities tend to out-perform their white counterparts. Research into 140,000 children over 30 years found that half of children from Indian working class families went into professional or managerial posts, compared with 45% of those from Caribbean backgrounds and 43% of white working class children. Those from Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities under-performed, however. Jews and Hindus had more chance of upward mobility than Christians; Muslims and Sikhs less.

Future German presidency to revive EU constitution
2005/11/14 · EU Observer

The new German government plans to use its 2007 presidency of the EU to revive the ratification of the EU constitution. "We stand for the European constitutional treaty," the coalition agreement reads. For now, the government will support the continuing ratification of the treaty by member states, and will strengthen the process more directly when it takes over the helm of the EU in January 2007.

Female members attack Tories' negative attitude to women
2005/11/14 · The Guardian

The Tories' share of the female vote slumped in May because their campaign was male-dominated and unappealing, concludes a report of the Conservative Women's Organisation. The issue has moved to the forefront of the Tory leadership campaign, with both Davis and Cameron arguing they could woo female voters, but both have ruled out all-women shortlists. Only 9% of the parliamentary party is female, compared to 16% of the Liberal Democrats and 28% of Labour.

Except for viewers in Tirana
2005/11/14 · The Guardian

The BBC World Service is pulling out of eastern Europe, to pay for a new Arabic-language TV news channel. But a new report says the emerging broadcasters there are a poor substitute. The government in Slovenia, for example, recently ignored international pressure by adopting a law that threatens to undercut the independence of national TV. Just how patchy progress of broadcasting quality and diversity in post-communist societies is, has been confirmed by a remarkable new report: Television across Europe.

British MPs roundly reject anti-terror law
2005/11/11 · EurActiv

The defeat of a crucial part of the UK anti-terrorism bill signals doubts over how far civil liberties can be sacrificed in Europe's fight against terror. The House of Commons threw out a proposal that police be allowed to detain terrorist suspects for 90 days without charge. The power would have gone far beyond any allowed in any other European country, and would have increased detention periods from the current 14 days. Parliament did accept that detention without charge should be allowed for up to 28 days.

Sweden: Rabi Nikoo Granted Asylum
2005/11/11 · Radio Sweden

Iranian radio reporter Rabi Nikoo has been granted asylum in Sweden. This overturns a previous decision to have him deported. The journalist has said he would be imprisoned and tortured if returned to Iran. Nikoo had interviewed a doctor who testified that he had treated the tortured and murdered Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi.

Criminal justice revolution to secure more convictions
2005/11/11 · The Guardian

A change to the way criminal cases are assessed before they come to court is to be introduced in England and Wales in a pilot scheme. It will allow prosecutors to interview victims and witnesses before trial, scrapping a 200-year-old rule. The greatest value is expected in rape cases, where the verdict often turns purely on whether the jury believes the victim's story. A 2002 police report revealed that only one in 20 who reports a rape will see her attacker convicted, down from one in three in 1977.

Macedonia leads world with wi-fi
2005/11/11 · BBC News

Macedonia is on the brink of leading the world in what could be a template for other developing states, becoming the first wireless country. A USAID-funded project brought broadband internet to Macedonia's 460 primary and secondary schools, rolling out a wireless communication network across the country while doing so. Mesh technology creates wi-fi hot-zones stretching 15 kilometres over a city. Locals hope the internet can help businesses. "Macedonia is not on the sea, so we think the internet is our sea, an open window for economic changes."

If you thought that was much, here's more for your entertainment ... :wink: here's several themes I decided to split off under separate headers for reader convenience.

Renditions and secret prisons

CIA allegations put question mark over Romania's EU credentials
2005/11/28 · EurActiv

The foreign policy spokesman of the EPP-ED group in the European Parliament said Romania's accession should be questioned if the outcome of an inquiry is that the country has co-operated "in an illegal and inhumane way" with the CIA. Romania's Foreign minister Ungureanu meanwhile rebuffed the request for cooperation by Dick Marty, the chairman of the Council of Europe's committee on legal affairs, saying his government was not willing "to waste time" investigating the issue, which was "a minor matter" anyway.

US criticized over alleged Kosovo prison camp
2005/11/26 · ISN Security Watch

The US is accused of running a secret military detention center in Kosovo. The Council of Europe's human right envoy said he visited the Bondsteel military camp to investigate reports that NATO-led peacekeeping forces were making extrajudicial arrests - an accusation the US military has denied. He described it as a "smaller version of Guantanamo". US officials rejected the accusation. "There are no secret detention facilities located on Camp Bondsteel. [..] We do have a Kosovo Force detention facility" there, Major Wunn said. "Currently, no one is detained in this facility. We have not had anyone detained there during the current rotation."

CIA Uses German Bases to Transport Terrorists, Paper Says
2005/11/25 · Deutsche Welle

The CIA continues to use a military base in Germany to transport terrorism suspects without informing the German government, the Handelsblatt reported, quoting a high-ranking CIA official. The BZ reported 85 takeoffs and landings by planes at German airbases with a "high probability" of being operated by the CIA. Dutch Foreign Minister Bot told parliament that the existence of secret prisons in Europe would have "consequences" for Dutch military operations in Afghanistan.

Austrian Politician Wants Wider CIA Probe
2005/11/24 · The Guardian

Peter Pilz of Austria's Greens accused U.S. intelligence of running a covert airline he dubbed "Kidnap Air.'' He urged the public prosecutor to get involved. The Social Democrats' parliamentary leader demanded that Chancellor Schuessel lodge a formal protest. Spain's foreign minister, meanwhile, said the government had investigated at least 10 stopovers by U.S. planes but had no evidence any laws were broken. Polish PM Marcinkiewicz said he had no information that "any unnecessary episodes'' had taken place. In Romania, the head of the PACE urged lawmakers to investigate reports of clandestine CIA prisons.

Italian Questions Prosecutor's Motives
2005/11/22 · The Guardian

Justice minister Castelli questioned the motives of a Milan prosecutor seeking the extradition of 22 purported CIA agents accused of kidnapping an Egyptian cleric in 2003. "We are examining if the accusations are well-grounded or are simply linked to a type of anti-Americanism that runs through the left,'' Castelli said. He said prosecutor Spataro was known as a militant and had voted in the recent center-left primary to elect an opponent to Premier Berlusconi in the elections.

Nordic states probe 'CIA flights'
2005/11/18 · BBC News

Iceland and Sweden are investigating allegations that planes flown by the CIA used their airports during secret transfers of terror suspects. The Icelandic government has asked the US for an explanation and is still awaiting a satisfactory answer. The CIA's controversial "extraordinary rendition" programme involves removing suspects without court approval to third countries for interrogation. UN special representative on torture Manfred Nowak called on the EU to investigate allegations of secret prisons.

Europeans Probe Secret CIA Flights
2005/11/17 · Washington Post

Several governments have opened investigations to determine whether the CIA secretly used local airports and military bases to transfer terrorism suspects under conditions that violate local and international treaties. Officials in Spain, Sweden, Norway and in the European Parliament opened inquiries or demanded answers from the U.S. In Italy and Germany, criminal probes deepened into the alleged CIA kidnapping of terrorism suspects. Ireland protested the presence of CIA-operated aircraft, while Denmark asked the CIA to avoid Danish airspace altogether when transporting secret prisoners.

Spain probes 'secret CIA flights'
2005/11/15 · BBC News

Spain is launching an investigation into claims that CIA planes carrying terror suspects made secret stopovers on Spanish soil. Interior Minister Alonso announced this on Spanish television Tuesday. According to press reports, the CIA is suspected of having used Majorca for such prisoner transfers. "If it were confirmed as true, we would, of course, be looking at very serious cases," Mr Alonso said.

Brussels dismisses calls for enquiry into alleged CIA jails
2005/11/15 · EU Observer

The European Commission (EC) rejected MEPs' calls for a formal investigation into alleged CIA prisons on EU territory. Commissioner Frattini said the EC had seen "no evidence", and that it could only continue its "ongoing dialogue" with member states. A formal enquiry is "not authorised by the [EU] treaty," he said. "We are in a position to put questions, but can we seize classified files of the CIA? No, sorry." Meanwhile, new reports emerged on CIA planes using European airports to transfer terror suspects.

European courts may challenge US terror renditions
2005/11/14 · EU Observer

The Spanish national court will be asked to consider whether the CIA was routing suspects through Majorca as part of its rendition program, involving secret kidnappings of terror suspects. Italy could issue a formal request to extradite CIA operatives accused of kidnapping a radical imam. In Germany, an investigation has been opened into the kidnapping of imam Abu Omar. Today MEPs will debate reports of secret CIA detention camps in Europe. Last week the Council of Europe appointed Dick Marty to examine the existence of such detention centres.

Bosnia and Kosovo talks

EU divided over future status of Kosovo
2005/11/29 · EU Observer

Member states are signalling disagreement on Kosovo, just as UN-led talks get under way. Czech PM Paroubek suggested partitioning Kosovo, while Slovene president Drnovsek presented a plan for full independence of an unpartitioned Kosovo. His plan caused a row in Slovenia, where the foreign ministry publicly declared it did "not reflect" the government's position. Spain reportedly is "nervous" about an independent Kosovo setting a precedent for the Basque region, while Italy is fearful of a future "failed" state producing many refugees. The statements are described as a "cacaphony of opinions."

Serbian President Proposes Dividing Kosovo
2005/11/24 · ABC News

Serbian President Tadic on Thursday formally proposed dividing Kosovo between its Albanian majority and Serb minority. The Albanians would get virtual independence but remain within Serbia's borders. The division of Kosovo, or its return to the direct Belgrade administration, has been rejected by the US and the EU. But Russia and China, who also have veto power in the Security Council, oppose Kosovar independence.

Bosnian political leaders pledge constitutional changes
2005/11/23 · Southeast European Times

Bosnian politicians agreed to overhaul their country's Constitution. "We have decided to embark upon a process of constitutional reform that will enhance the authorities of the state government and streamline parliament and the office of the presidency," the leaders of the eight main political parties stated. "We are committed to making these reforms by March 2006." The reforms envision strongly reduced powers of the two entities. Separately, the three Bosnian Serb leaders called for Karadzic and Mladic to surrender immediately: "These men do not represent the interests of the RS or BiH".

EU's Solana against Bosnia model for Kosovo, proposed by Serbia
2005/11/21 · DTT-Net

EU officials opposed Serbia's plan for internal division of Kosovo and said that Bosnia's model can not apply to the province. President Tadic said last week that the province should be divided into Serb and Albanian entities, each with their own institutions and on the top of them the central Kosovo institutions. He also said that the Serbian region should then have rights for special links with Serbia. His proposal is very similar to the current division of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Kosovo Assembly adopts toned-down resolution on status
2005/11/18 · Southeast European Times

Kosovo's Parliament approved a resolution calling on the negotiating team to accept nothing less than independence during status talks expected to start this month. Under international pressure, however, the lawmakers softened the tone of the resolution. The original text had amounted to an outright declaration of independence. The resolution also expresses support for international involvement and demands that every move by Kosovo's negotiators be approved either by parliament or through a referendum.

Bosnia ten years on: New Constitution must incorporate minority rights to heal ethnic divisions
2005/11/17 · MRG

Negotiations over the new Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitution must reform a discriminatory electoral system, says MRG. In the current system, only individuals from the three 'constituent peoples' - Bosniacs, Croats and Serbs - can stand for office in the House of Peoples or for election as President, not Roma, Jews or other minorities. Only a Serb may be elected from Republika Srpska and only a Bosniac or Croat from the Federation. Restrictions exclude individuals of mixed ethnicity who refuse to choose one identity over another.

Presevo Valley Albanians Demand Place at Kosovo Talks
2005/11/16 · Balkan Insight

Albanian politicians from south Serbia are lobbying negotiators to get their region involved in talks on Kosovo's final status. They hope that Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja may eventually join an independent Kosovo. But Kosovo politicians do not support the idea, eager to avoid being suspected of territorial aspirations. The only hope for the Albanians lies in a trade-off, if the Presevo Valley was exchanged for Serbian districts in Kosovo. Over 80% of Albanians in south Serbia want to join a 'union of Albanian territories'.

Bosnian leaders in Brussels for US-led constitution talks
2005/11/14 · EU Observer

The Bosnian leaders of eight political parties are meeting in Brussels to discuss a reform of their country's constitution, on the basis of a blueprint developed during seven months of secret negotiations with US officials. The plan would strengthen the country's central institutions. The tripartite presidency is to be replaced by a single president, while the country's Muslim-Croat and Serb "entities" should lose powers to the national parliament. The plan is guardedly backed by the EU.

Former Yugoslavia: further aftermaths of war

UN court acquits top Kosovo rebel
2005/11/30 · BBC News

A UN court in The Hague has cleared Fatmir Limaj, former Kosovo Albanian rebel commander, of war crimes charges. His co-accused was also cleared of all charges. In Pristina, crowds celebrated with gunfire and by tooting car horns. "The verdict proves that our war against the Serb occupation [..] and our hopes placed in international justice were justified," Kosovo President Rugova said. But a third man, Haradin Bala, was found guilty. The first Kosovo Albanian to be convicted by the court, he will serve 13 years for the mistreatment and murder of Serb civilian prisoners and alleged Albanian collaborators.

Inquiry into Lovas war crimes case under way in Serbia
2005/11/29 · Southeast European Times

Serbian war crimes prosecutors are working with counterparts in Croatia to investigate 1991 atrocities in the Croatian village of Lovas, where some 24 civilians were killed when the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) ordered them to walk through a minefield. On 10 October 1991, JNA soldiers, local territorial defence units and the "Dusan Silni" paramilitary group attacked Lovas, killing 30 residents. They then reportedly subjected its non-Serb population to forced labour, torture and rape. Many of the perpetrators are said to remain at large in Serbia.

Research halves Bosnia war death toll to 100,000
2005/11/23 · Reuters AlertNet

The death toll from the Bosnian war was half of the widely used figure of about 200,000, said Mirsad Tokaca, who heads the Sarajevo-based, Norwegian-funded Investigation and Documentation Centre. Tthe exact number of Muslims, Serbs and Croats killed should be established in early 2006. The ethnic breakdown is "about 70 percent Bosniaks, slightly under 25 percent Serbs, slightly under five percent Croats". The full database of names will be made available online, while Tokaca's team will produce an analysis with ethnic, regional, age, sex and time breakdown.

UN extends EU's military mission in Bosnia
2005/11/22 · DTT-Net

The UN Security Council decided to extend EU's force mission (EUFOR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina for another year. 7000 troops were deployed in December last year, following the end of the major NATO led mission (SFOR) in the country, to ensure continued compliance with the 1995 Dayton/Paris Agreement.

A country with 14 governments where children refuse to cross ethnic divide
2005/11/18 · The Guardian

Zepce is split 50-50 between Catholic Croats and Bosnian Muslims. But Croat parents reacted furiously when the education authority tried to introduce a common school curriculum, pulling their children out of school. "Schoolchildren are growing up with the knowledge that their neighbours are their enemies," says the head of Sarajevo's Jewish community. "We've got 14 parliaments, 14 governments - but not a single statesman thinking of the country as a whole." Bojan Bajic from Rudo does. Beaten up for his anti-nationalist stance, he ran for mayor of the Serb town anyway, and took 10% of the vote.

Serbs Sell Up In Presevo
2005/11/16 · BIRN Balkan Insight

Presevo may be part of Serbia, but only 3,200 Serbs remain there, among 34,000 Albanians. Most dream of moving to central Serbia. They fear for their future in this border area but also know they can get high prices for their real estate: Albanians pay up to 1,000 euro per square metre, so departing Serbs can secure dream homes elsewhere. The town is now divided, with the Serbs clustered by the Railway Station. Many blame the Albanian-run authority for shutting Serbs out of jobs: "they formed a town council in which no Serbs take part."

Majority supports Karadzic's surrender to ICTY
2005/11/13 · Southeast European Times

More than half of Bosnian Serbs think Radovan Karadzic should turn himself in, according to a new poll. The survey found that 53% of citizens in Republika Srpksa favour Karadzic's voluntary surrender, while 47% are against it. While 71% favoured voluntary surrender as a way of bringing war crimes indictees to justice, 52% also supported arrests as a method, suggesting that RS public opinion favours meeting obligations to the tribunal.

Dutch blamed for soldier trauma
2005/11/11 · BBC News

A Dutch court ruled that the defence ministry is responsible for psychological damage to a former Dutch soldier at Srebrenica in 1995. It ruled that the soldier's employer did not take care of him properly during the Serb attack. An official Dutch report in 2002 said the Dutch and the UN must share responsibility for what happened in Srebrenica. The judge agreed that the soldier's employer gave him false hope that the UN would provide air support, supplies and an exit strategy.

Corruption in East and West

Slesers: Anticorruption bureau is tapping my phone
2005/11/30 · The Baltic Times

Latvian Transport Minister Slesers has accused the country's anticorruption bureau KNAB of tapping his phone and distributing information to journalists about his meeting with a local prosecutor. The leader of the Latvia's First Party said the bureau has employees aligned with political forces: "The question is, are other politicians also being listened to?". Slesers' meeting was connected with allegations his party was involved in bribes to buy the Jurmala mayoral seat. The head of the KNAB claimed Slesers was attempting to cast a shadow over the bureau's work.

Madame Chirac faces inquiry into 'free flights'
2005/11/29 · The Independent

A lawyer has accused President Chirac of impeding criminal investigations into the alleged illegal use of private jets by his wife. Documents suggest Mme Chirac took six private flights with the Euralair company in 1998-99 but was never asked to pay the bills. Euralair's president is a friend of the Chirac family. At the time, his company was already in financial difficulties. Chirac took the flights to Correze, where she is a local councillor, once to appear at the making of the "biggest mushroom omelette in the world". Baduel wants a parliamentary commission of inquiry.

Gross, Urban to be questioned over Unipetrol case
2005/11/25 · Prague Daily Monitor

The Czech Chamber of Deputies commission investigating the Unipetrol privatisation will question former prime minister Gross and Minister Urban. They also want to speak with former head of the government office Zdenek Dolezel and lobbyist Jacek Spyra. A meeting between Dolezel and Spyra was filmed by a TV Nova hidden camera, and suggested bribes were involved in the privatisation, and that Gross was entangled too. The commission is to clarify the role of the government and private entities in the restructuring and privatisation of the Czech chemical industry.

PSD deputy investigated for abuse of position denies charges
2005/11/24 · Bucharest Daily News

Former head of the National Forestry Administration Romsilva Ion Dumitru said corruption allegations against him opened the door into the "high class." Dumitru is alleged to have caused 2 million euros damages to the state. In June, the Agriculture Minister said he was informing anticorruption prosecutors on dubious Romsilva acquisitions that fiscal inspectors had come across, including the so-called "tie scandal". Three businesses bought ties and other items and sold them to Romsilva at eight times the price. "The product was unique and didn't exist on the Romanian market," argued Dumitru.

Politicians investigated for corruption and misuse of EU funds
2005/11/23 · Bucharest Daily News

Daniel Morar, head of the National Anticorruption Department, announced that three MP's are being investigated in corruption cases, while European Anti-Fraud Office director Franz-Hermann Bruner said Romanian politicians are involved in EU funds defrauding. A further corruption file involves Social Democrat leader Nastase, who is accused of illegally buying land from a former deputy, Gabriel Bivolaru, for "25 times less than the market price," while offering his support to him when he was under investigation. Bivolaru is now in prison for causing 60 million dollars in losses to the Romanian Bank for Development.

Judicial house not kept in order
2005/11/21 · Kathimerini

The Greek justice system let itself down in the runup to the corruption scandal that has rocked the judiciary this year, by not being stringent enough in the checks it conducts on its own staff, said the new head of the Union of Judges and Prosecutors. Panayiotis Athanassopoulos was appointed after the previous leader became the highest-ranking judge so far to be embroiled in allegations of corruption. This year, 11 judicial officials have been sacked, 24 had charges filed against them and 31 others are under investigation.

Iraq Oil Connection Leaves Greasy Marks
2005/11/15 · IPS

Questions hover above 180 French firms named by the Volcker report as having profited illegally from the oil for food programme in Iraq. BNP Paribas, Total and Peugeot rejected the allegations. Volvo, which now owns Renault VI, announced an internal investigation "to determine what really happened." The report also names U.S. and British companies that established subsidiaries in France in order to benefit. Former minister Pasqua and leading politicians close to President Chirac also allegedly received illegal commissions from the Iraqi regime.

Gay rights in Eastern Europe

Polish gay rights activists rally a second day to protest banned march
2005/11/27 · Free New Mexican

Gay rights activists rallied for a second day to protest the banning of a gay rights march last week and to demand tolerance and freedom of speech from Poland's new conservative leaders. People gathered in Warsaw, Gdansk, Lodz and Torun. Human rights groups and left-wing parties joined in under the slogan "The resuscitation of democracy - The Equality March goes on." The city of Poznan banned an "Equality March" last week. Activists gathered anyway, and many were arrested.

Latvian Theologian Excommunicated For Support of Riga Gay Pride
2005/11/17 · UK Gay News

A leading Latvian theologian has been excommunicated by the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church for his involvement in a church service for gay men and women during the Riga Gay Pride in July. Juris Cālītis, who is the dean of the theology department of the University of Riga, allowed the openly gay and previously excommunicated pastor Māris Sants, one of the Pride March organisers, to host a service at the Anglican church of Riga.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Gay Group Officially Recognised
2005/11/16 · UK Gay News

After long negotiations with the authorities, the International Initiative for Visibility of Queer Muslims (IIVQM) has been legally registered as an NGO in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the first officially recognised queer Muslim society in a predominantly Muslim country. IIVQM was founded last year by young activists from Bosnia and Lebanon.

Homophobia rules in Poznan
2005/11/15 · Radio Polonia

The Gay and Lesbian Equality Parade planned for the coming Saturday in Poznan was banned by local authorities as it would "be a serious danger to social order and property." A similar parade last year was stopped by an attack of right-wing hooligans, skins and members of the All-Polish Youth, an extreme right organisation connected with League of Polish Families.

nimh, I love your summaries!!!! Well, perhaps a different verb would be appropriate.

Source

"In the long-term, however, the review opens up the real prospect of a drastic re- ordering of EU spending and revenue-raising along the lines advocated by Mr Blair".................


Ooh look! There's a flying cochon!


Well done, M.Chirac. You are a politician par excellence!

Vive la Republique!
Vive le subsidie!