European Union (EU)

How The Far Right Took Over The Mainstream

September 28, 2020 James Downes, Open Democracy. Educate! Democracy, European Union (EU), political systems, Right wing extremism

In European politics, extensive statistical research has demonstrated that male working class voters tend to hold a much stronger propensity to vote for far-right political parties. While we need to be worried by disaffected white male voters in both modern far-right parties and in extremist political organisations, it is also important to note that the contemporary far-right in Europe (particularly the populist radical right) has sought to become more ‘diversified’ in attracting a wider section of voters in society, and in focusing on different issue areas.

US’ Anti-China Call To Arms Has Not Won Over All Of Europe

September 2, 2020 By Jiang Feng, South China Morning Post. Educate! China, European Union (EU), US Empire, US Foreign Policy

There has also been a notable shift in German views about China. On August 17, Der Tagesspiegel published a column titled, “The West has to prove that it offers the better life”, which emphasized the role positive competition plays in Sino-European relations. It pointed out that if Europe can take effective action against internal social divides, then the West does not have to fear China’s rise. On August 2, the directors of 10 Confucius Institutes in Germany issued a joint statement to decry the politicisation of these institutes. The statement notes that the institutes, which are similar to Germany’s Goethe-Institut, make important contributions to Sino-German academic, cultural and social exchanges. It should be clear that the China-Europe and China-Germany relationship are not just about single issues, but also affect the overall development outlook of all concerned. Therefore, one should not view these ties through a narrow lens, and certainly not add ideological shackles to them. The diverse breadth of ties requires all sides to rationally grow and maintain them. Recent German perspectives on China that are based on reason and logic would be a positive trend.

Community Land Trust Builds Social Housing

August 7, 2020 Brittany Ebeling, GEO Coop. Create! Affordable Housing, Community Land Trust, European Union (EU), New Economy

European communities are adapting the U.S. model of the community land trust to mitigate the housing affordability crisis. While trusts in the U.S. stemmed from the civil rights movement with the goal of securing access to land for Black farmers in the South, European countries have applied the movement’s logic to rural and urban challenges and its spread has been broadly from the affluent northwest to the east. Brussels, Belgium, known as the ‘capital of Europe,’ is one of many cities worldwide that are facing mounting pressure on their accessibly-priced housing stock.

US State Propaganda Outlets Censor Black Lives Matter Protests

June 14, 2020 Yasha Levine, Immigrants as a Weapon Educate! Censorship, European Union (EU), Media, Rebellion2020

With a budget that hovers around $100 million, RFE/RL broadcasts to something like to 22 countries in 26 languages. And the same censorship regime extends to just about every RFE/RL language division. I’ve looked at about a dozen of them. Most have no coverage of the protests at all. A couple — like the Russian and Afghanistan division — do have a tiny protest stories, but they are given very little attention. In the case of RFE/RL’s Russian coverage, the protests are presented from the most reactionary perspective possible: denying racism and blaming the violence on organized armed anarchist communist groups — aka Antifa. In short: Radio Liberty (originally known as “Radio Liberation from Bolshevism”) blames everything on radical anarchist bolsheviks!

Court of Human Rights Deals Major Blow To Israel’s War On Palestine Solidarity

June 12, 2020 Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), BDS. Resist! BDS, European Union (EU), Fance, Israel, Palestine

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled unanimously that the French highest court’s 2015 criminal conviction of activists with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement advocating nonviolent boycotts of Israeli goods violated article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights. Reacting to the breaking news, Rita Ahmad from the Palestinian-led BDS movement said: This momentous court ruling is a decisive victory for freedom of expression, for human rights defenders, and for the BDS movement for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality. It confirms a 2016 European Union position defending the right to call for BDS against Israel to achieve Palestinian rights under international law.

Shell AGM Targeted Throughout Europe

May 20, 2020 Code Rood. Resist! climate crisis, European Union (EU), Fossil Fuels, Shell Oil

The Hague– After a night of autonomous decentralised actions, the group ‘Shell Must Fall!’ protests in front of the Shell Headquarters in the Hague during their annual shareholders meeting. Decentralised actions have taken place in several Dutch cities, as well as in Belgium, Czechia and Germany. The disastrous impacts of Shells business as usual have been spray painted on tankstations, banners have been dropped, slogans have been chalked. Right now, three petrol stations are occupied in Prague. Amongst other places, more protest will take place in Denmark and Portugal later in the day. The protestors demand public decommissioning of Shell, because the company continues to choose profit over climate, nature, and lives.

Four Scenarios For Europe’s Future After The Crisis

May 1, 2020 Philippe Pochet, Social Europe. Create! European Union (EU), Global Recession, New Economy, Pandemic

It’s now clear the Covid-19 pandemic will have major, long-term consequences. In the European Union, the very foundations of European integration are being questioned. The EU is defined by its ‘pillars’: the single market and free movement, the euro and the Stability and Growth Pact, and competition and state-aid law. These three pillars are being shaken by the pandemic and they are sure to be at the centre of debates on the future of Europe. The post-crisis EU—assuming it survives—could have very different foundations if the questioning of the three pillars continues. But in which global environment is this set to happen? There are four possible scenarios. The first (contrary to what I have written before) is a possible return to neoliberal orthodoxy—a bit like the previous crisis (2008-13), when Europe reverted even more radically to neoliberal fundamentals after a more or less green recovery in 2009.

France And Germany Join 10 EU Countries In Call For Green Recovery

April 23, 2020 By Frédéric Simon, Euractiv.com. Create! European Union (EU), Global Recession, Green New Deal, Pandemic

Paris and Berlin have added their names to a growing list of EU capitals asking for the European Green Deal to be placed at the heart of the EU’s post-pandemic recovery plan. The Green Deal “must be central to a resilient recovery after COVID-19,” EU environment ministers wrote in an opinion piece published on Climate Home News, a specialised information site. “The Green Deal provides us with a roadmap to make the right choices in responding to the economic crisis while transforming Europe into a sustainable and climate neutral economy,” the ministers wrote in the commentary piece. “We should withstand the temptations of short-term solutions in response to the present crisis that risk locking the EU in a fossil fuel economy for decades to come,” the text reads.

Europe Sends Medical Aid To Iran Using Sanctions Workaround

April 3, 2020 Al-Monitor. Educate! COVID-19, European Union (EU), Iran, Sanctions

In the first transaction of its kind, France, Germany and Britain have sent medical goods to Iran under a trade mechanism set up to bypass US sanctions against Tehran. In January 2019, the three European countries, known as the E3, developed the trade mechanism — dubbed INSTEX — as a workaround to export goods to Iran. “INSTEX and its Iranian counterpart STFI will work on more transactions and enhancing the mechanism,” the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “These goods are now in Iran.” The German Foreign Ministry did not specify what was included in the shipment, only confirming its arrival. Citing people familiar with the transaction, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that “the sale was equipment related to blood treatment from a German exporter.”

Report On 6th European Left Congress: ‘Reset Europe Go Left’

December 29, 2019 European-Left.org. Create! European Union (EU), Left, Socialism

From December 13 to 15, 2019 members of the European Left held their sixth Congress in Malaga, Spain. The European Left describes itself as: "The Party of the European Left is a political party at the European level which was formed in 2004. Member and observer parties of the EL are socialist, communist, red-green and other democratic left parties. Their basic principles and political aims are laid down in the EL Manifesto from 2004. Membership to the EL is open to any left party and political organization in Europe that agrees with the EL Manifesto and accepts the EL statutes." Below are videos and the political document that came out of the Congress. Read the political document here or scroll below the videos.

In And Against The European Union?

December 29, 2019 Hilary Wainwright, Transnational Institute. Strategize! Austerity, European Union (EU), Portugal, Socialism

The government of the Portuguese Socialist Party supported and pressured by an alliance with the Communist Party and the Left Bloc have shown that it is possible to implement an effective anti-austerity programme as a member of the EU. This entailed successfully standing up to EU negotiators and facing down their repeated opposition to the government’s measures, leading to tough but ultimately successful negotiations. The result was a reversal of all the austerity measures introduced under the supervision of the Troika by the previous conservative government, while remaining within the EU’s 3% deficit limit. From the Portuguese standpoint, the success of these negotiations depended on a favourable balance of power reinforcing the government’s bargaining position.

Goodbye Dollar. It Was Nice Knowing You

July 7, 2019 Philip Giraldi, Strategic Culture. Educate! European Union (EU), Iran, New Economy, Trade

Over the past two years, the White House has initiated trade disputes, insulted allies and enemies alike, and withdrawn from or refused to ratify multinational treaties and agreements. It has also expanded the reach of its unilaterally imposed rules, forcing other nations to abide by its demands or face economic sanctions. While the stated Trump Administration intention has been to enter into new arrangements more favorable to the United States, the end result has been quite different, creating a broad consensus within the international community that Washington is unstable, not a reliable partner and cannot be trusted.

Theresa May Was A Bad PM, But Her Resignation Will Do Nothing To Arrest Britain’s Long-Term Decline

May 30, 2019 Patrick Cockburn, Counterpunch.org Educate! Brexit, Electoral Politics, European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK)

There is a story about an enthusiastic American who took a phlegmatic English friend to see the Niagara Falls. “Isn’t that amazing?” exclaimed the American. “Look at that vast mass of water dashing over that enormous cliff!” “But what,” asked the Englishman, “is to stop it?” My father, Claud Cockburn, used to tell this fable to illustrate what, as a reporter in New York on the first day of the Wall Street Crash on 24 October 1929, it was like to watch a great and unstoppable disaster taking place.

Europe: Greens Surge, Older Parties Erode, Far Right Also Gains

May 27, 2019 By Scott Tucker, Popular Resistance Educate! Ecosocialism, European Union (EU), Green New Deal, Green party

Green parties made stunning gains in the European Elections, due to the strength of many younger voters, the grass roots insurgency of ecological school strikes and marches, and the tenacity of Green Party activists. The older mainstream parties, both center-right and social democratic, received a mix of drubbing demotions and eroding support. The far right nationalists also made gains, notably in France and Italy. The far right also gained less dramatically in Germany. See below for stories describing the election results.

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