When the EU flag was first installed at the Arc, Marine Le Pen vowed to file a complaint with the State Council, France’s highest court for administrative matters…reports Asian Lite News.
A giant European Union flag attached to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to mark the start of France’s six-month presidency of the bloc was removed on Sunday after drawing outrage from right-wing leaders. According to BBC, the EU flag was raised in place of the French tricolour on New Year’s Eve in a bid to mark France’s turn as the rotating EU president. Blue lights will also illuminate the arch and other landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower for the rest of this week.
However, French President Emmanuel Macron’s right-wing political rivals for spring elections reacted with fury to the removal of the French flag at the Arc de Triomphe, accusing him of “erasing” French identity. As per the BBC report, they called it an “affront” to France’s heritage and its veterans. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who is a candidate in the presidential election in April, said “replacing” the French flag at the monument was an attack on the country’s identity.
When the EU flag was first installed at the Arc, Marine Le Pen vowed to file a complaint with the State Council, France’s highest court for administrative matters. After the EU flag’s removal, she described it as a “victory” resulting from pressure on the government. Separately, Valerie Pecresse, a conservative candidate, who could be Macron’s main challenger in the upcoming election, also objected to the position of the EU flag: “Preside over Europe yes, erase French identity no!”, she tweeted.
An official at the French Presidency, on the other hand, said that the EU flag was meant to only be at the Arc for two days and the removal was in line with the “planned schedule”. European Affairs Minister Clément Beaune denied the government had bowed to pressure from the far-right and said the flag had been taken down as planned. While speaking to France Inter radio, he also pointed out the French flag which is sometimes displayed at the Arc is not a permanent fixture there.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Macron had outlined the priorities of France’s EU presidency based on three principles – strengthening European sovereignty, developing a new model of growth, and creating a Europe closer to its citizens. He said that specific goals included better border protection and management of migration. Improved security, technological innovation and defending the rule of law, are also top priorities, the French President added.
In June, Biden repeated the slogan “America is back” several times during his first trip to Europe as US President, trying to repair some of the damages the transatlantic partnership had suffered in the past four years….reports Asian Lite News
From the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan to the “backstabbing” AUKUS deal, the US’ unilateral moves have prompted the European Union (EU) to step up its debate and action on strategic autonomy in an eventful year.
As France, the concept’s staunch European advocate, takes over the half-year rotating presidency of the Council of the EU at the start of 2022, the bloc’s drive for strategic autonomy at least in security and defense is expected to get a fresh boost, though tangible results may not be immediately forthcoming, Xinhua news agency reported.
When the newly-elected US President Joe Biden said at February’s virtual Munich Security Conference that “America is back,” European politicians reacted by calling it a “historic opportunity” for the US and Europe to rebuild trust and reinforce unity after bilateral relations turned sour during former President Donald Trump’s administration.
In June, Biden repeated the slogan “America is back” several times during his first trip to Europe as US President, trying to repair some of the damages the transatlantic partnership had suffered in the past four years.
However, soon in July, the US President announced that the country’s military mission in Afghanistan would conclude on August 31, ahead of the original September 11 deadline. The hasty move left its European allies dazed as they scrambled to leave the war-torn country using their own meagre resources.
Then in September, with the announcement of the AUKUS deal, the US dealt yet another blow to the Europeans still frustrated with the exit from Afghanistan. France, which lost a multibillion-dollar contract due to the nuclear submarine pact, said it felt “betrayed” and “stabbed in the back.”
During the time, some European politicians repeatedly called for the EU to reassess the transatlantic partnership and reposition itself with increased autonomy. In October, EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said that “major geopolitical shifts are taking place,” which put into question Europe’s ability to defend itself.
To move forward, he added that the EU “must focus on action” and presented in November the draft Strategic Compass, which sets out “concrete steps” towards building a common strategic vision for EU security and defense over the next five to 10 years.
Described as a “guide for action,” the document includes operational guidelines to help the bloc become more secure when it comes to responding to external crises, capacity building and protecting its citizens.
The blueprint foresees the creation of a so-called “European army”. It proposes the development by 2025 of an EU Rapid Deployment capacity of up to 5,000 troops made up of land, air and maritime components.
The aim is to improve the bloc’s readiness for future crises such as rescue and evacuation missions as well as maritime or air operations.
It is not the first time that the Europeans have come up with a new defense cooperation initiative nor is it the first proposal for the creation of a rapid reaction force.
Since 2007, the EU has maintained multinational battlegroups composed of 1,500 troops but their deployment has been hampered by a lack of political will and money.
This time, the military force proposed in the blueprint has again become a sticking point for the EU countries and the reactions were mixed.
While the bloc’s major military powers such as France and Italy reportedly welcomed the proposal, Poland and Lithuania have voiced reservations arguing that the EU’s existing battlegroups have never been used and any new EU military idea should not be at the expense of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said his organisation supports the EU’s plan but cautioned that this “can’t replace” and “should not duplicate” NATO. He added that the EU and NATO should avoid creating “parallel structures” that would compete for the same limited resources.
The history of European integration, according to Borrell, has seen many initiatives to strengthen security and defense ties but “most have come and gone”.
France, however, has vowed to make developing an EU security strategy a priority when it assumes the bloc’s presidency in January.
Outlining his country’s presidency agenda in December, French President Emmanuel Macron, who has described the NATO as “brain dead,” said that France plans to move towards “a Europe that is powerful in the world, fully sovereign, free in its choices and in charge of its own destiny.”
For years, the concept of strategic autonomy born in the defense industry has been part of the EU’s agreed language. However, not all the bloc’s 27 member states have the same strategic perceptions due to differences in history, geography and national conditions.
Any meaningful effort on defense capabilities will require further expenditure. Of the 27 EU countries, 21 are NATO members. Up till now, most of these EU states have failed to meet the US-dominated alliance’s target of 2 per cent of GDP spending on defense.
Moreover, unlike other areas where the EU can make decisions with a qualified majority, foreign and security policy remains the “exclusive competence” of member states. Decisions in the area must be made unanimously and each country has a veto power which often results in blockages.
Nevertheless, the Strategic Compass, one of the EU’s most ambitious security and defense initiatives, is set to be adopted in March and a summit on European defense is also on next year’s agenda. The EU has declared 2022 “the year of European defense”.
Borrell has stressed that the draft plan aims to nurture a common strategic culture. He called on member states to avoid treating it “as yet another EU paper with limited buy in and follow up” and work together towards its adoption.
In today’s multi-polar world, how far will the EU go on its path to strategic autonomy? Will the Strategic Compass start a new chapter in European security and defense? These remain to be seen.
An employee checks a visitor's certificate of COVID-19 vaccination or recovery from COVID-19 at an entrance of a shopping center in Berlin, Germany, on Dec. 3, 2021. (Xinhua/Stefan Zeitz/IANS)
However, 21.7 million people remain unvaccinated, and no licensed vaccine is available for four million children aged up to four years…reports Asian Lite News
One year after Germany’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign began, 70.8 per cent of citizens are fully immunised, according to official figures published by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the Ministry of Health.
Germany has administered almost 147 million doses in one year. However, 21.7 million people remain unvaccinated, and no licensed vaccine is available for four million children aged up to four years, the figures showed on Monday.
Nevertheless, the German government has already reached its goal of 30 million vaccinations administered in the last six weeks of the year, according to a statement published by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.
People line up to get inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines at a vaccination station inside a shopping center in Berlin, Germany, Nov. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi/IANS)
“It is our goal to continue the booster campaign over the next few weeks at such a high pace that we can significantly reduce the number of hospitalisations due to the Omicron variant,” said State Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach.
The number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in Germany increased by 17 per cent from Saturday, bringing the cumulative number to 7,225 as of Sunday, RKI said on Monday.
In order to push the German vaccination campaign further, a general vaccination obligation is being discussed. The country has already made vaccination mandatory for healthcare workers.
European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen said the ruling called EU foundations into question, “a direct challenge to the unity of the European legal order.”…reports Asian Lite News.
Europe has persevered through a year of challenges in 2021, in the wake of Brexit and amid painstaking efforts towards economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
As the year draws to a close, the unfolding consequences of Brexit, speculations over a Polish exit from the European Union (EU), and the lingering migrant crisis have continued to weigh heavily on EU member states’ sense of cohesion and solidarity.
In one of the most heart-breaking headlines, 27 undocumented migrants died in an English Channel boat accident on November 24 while trying to reach the UK from France. The accident triggered a squabble between the two countries, which blamed each other for the tragedy.
The challenges of 2021 have shown how a strong & fair tax and customs environment can support economic recovery. We made a lot of progress.
The channel shipwreck further aggravated Anglo-French relations, which had already been strained following London’s signing of the AUKUS pact with the US and Australia in September, and the dispute over licenses for French fishermen to fish in British waters after Brexit.
Another major post-Brexit row concerns the Northern Ireland protocol, a deal agreed by the UK and the EU to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for goods, Xinhua news agency reported.
But the arrangement has led to checks on goods crossing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, creating a barrier to trade within the UK. After six months of unfruitful negotiations, the row will continue in 2022.
Analysts interpret Brexit as a warning sign for European integration, following which new divisions could be created between EU member states, notably between Eurozone and non-Eurozone countries, net-payers and net-recipients from the EU budget, and between member states in the north and south, and east and west.
“The threat of European disintegration following Brexit has reversed the seemingly irreversible course of ‘ever closer union’,” said University of Cambridge PhD candidate, Ugur Tekiner in an article, adding that the EU needs effective leadership to set a clear trajectory for the integration process.
Poland was in the limelight again in October after its top court ruled primacy of national constitution over EU law — a ruling that challenged the supremacy of EU law, considered as a central pillar of European integration.
European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen said the ruling called EU foundations into question, “a direct challenge to the unity of the European legal order.”
Critics of Poland’s government feared the ruling would push the country further on the way out of the EU, though the government dismissed the idea as “fake news”.
As the absolute majority of Poland’s citizens strongly support its EU membership, only a few believe that the country, the largest beneficiary of EU funding, is leaving it.
The Polish government, led by the conservative Law and Justice party, has been in conflict with EU officials since it took power in 2015. The dispute is mainly over changes to the Polish judicial system, which give the ruling party more power over the courts.
Polish authorities say they aim to reform what they describe as a corrupt and inefficient justice system, whereas the European Commission believes such changes erode the country’s democratic system of checks and balances and is holding up billions of euros to Poland earmarked in a pandemic recovery plan.
The Commission announced last week that it was taking legal action against Poland for violating EU law and compromising judicial independence of Polish judges, prompting a rebuke from Warsaw.
Meanwhile, a month-long standoff at the border between Poland and Belarus lasted from summer into winter. The border crisis escalated in November, when large groups of migrants tried to cross from Belarus into the EU, raising the specter of a humanitarian emergency.
The EU blamed Belarus for sending migrants over the border as retaliation for EU sanctions, whereas Minsk denied the accusation.
The European Commission put forward a set of temporary asylum and return measures to assist Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, three EU members bordering Belarus, in addressing the emergency. According to the proposal, migrants could be held in closed camps at the border for up to four months and faster deportations will explicitly be authorized.
The move, however, came under immediate criticism from some members of the European Parliament and rights groups, who said the new approach was unacceptable and “putting politics over people’s lives,” especially at a time when Belarus had already evacuated the main camps at its border with Poland and expatriated hundreds of asylum seekers.
The EU’s — and its individual member states’ — approach to migration has created what appears to be a permanent crisis of solidarity. This is a heated and increasingly divisive issue within the bloc and even within the member states, prompting the EU to tackle the crisis from its root.
The European Commission has proposed to make 2022 the European Year of Youth, hoping the younger generation will strengthen European solidarity and build a better future — a mission already taken by some.
Since the age of 18, British humanitarian aid worker, Mary Finn has been involved in sea rescue operations for migrants off the coasts of Greece, Turkey and Libya. Now at 24, she bears witness to the situation of refugees in Europe and its consequences on European politics.
“We are not alone, there is a generation of young people who are not willing to stand by and watch humanity and our planet fall apart,” she said in an Instagram posting after the premiere of a documentary on the experience of herself and her peers at Cannes Film Festival in July.
Therefore, European policymakers seem to have understood the Chinese economic and geopolitical designs…reports Asian Lite News.
European Union has envisaged better planning to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and become a stronger geopolitical entity.
Eight years after the announcement of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — conceived first as One Belt, One Road, the European Union (EU) has a good plan to counter it and become a stronger geopolitical actor in an era of strategic competition as European policymakers seem to have awakened to Chinese economic and geopolitical designs, according to National Interest.
Therefore, European policymakers seem to have understood the Chinese economic and geopolitical designs.
In line with this vision, Beijing is expanding Chinese outreach in the global economy, reducing its technological dependence on the West–in line with its “Made in China 2025” — and maintaining a favorable external influence while addressing domestic challenges writes Valbona Zeneli for the National Interest.
The BRI is an economic and geopolitical necessity for Beijing as it tries to unlock the potential for new sources of growth and export markets for China’s excess industrial capacities in its struggling industries (construction, steel, and cement) which could be done through advance innovation.
Despite Beijing’s significant investment to strengthen the BRI’s narrative power — focusing on the mantra of a “win-win” strategy, promising to advance global development, and presenting China as a benevolent rising power —BRI has become controversial and caused a backlash in several countries, according to National Interest.
Since its inception, 2013, most Chinese projects in Eurasia have been incorporated into the BRI, the brainchild of President Xi Jinping, a foreign policy narrative that exports the “China Dream” that was cemented into the Chinese Communist Party’s constitution during the Nineteenth Party Congress.
To put this into perspective, since the launch of the BRI in 2013, the EU and the United States together have contributed USD 800 billion to global development — more foreign aid to developing countries than China’s BRI loans, writes Valbona Zeneli for the National Interest. Further, a grant represents a much bigger financial contribution than a loan, and the EU’s donations alone ($550 billion since 2013) are greater than the BRI’s infrastructure lending thus far.
Many of Russia’s proposals, which would require the withdrawal of US and allied forces from central and eastern European countries that joined NATO after 1997, are seen as non-starters in the West…reports Asian Lite News.
Foreign secretary Liz Truss has warned Moscow that any Russian incursion into neighbouring Ukraine would be a costly mistake as tensions continue to rise following a recent troop build-up near the border.
“Any Russian incursion would be a massive strategic mistake and would be met with strength, including coordinated sanctions with our allies to impose a severe cost on Russia’s interests and economy,” Liz Truss said in a statement on Thursday.
She added the “only way out of the current situation” for Russia was through dialogue and welcomed indications from Moscow that it is willing to hold talks with the United States early next year in Geneva.
The Kremlin has denied suggestions made by Kyiv and its Western allies, which include the US and the UK, that it plans to invade Ukraine after mobilising tens of thousands of troops near the shared border, marking the second such mass military deployment this year.
Instead, it says the security situation in the region has been undermined by the expansion of the US-headed NATO transatlantic security alliance and Ukraine’s growing ties with the body – developments that Moscow claims threaten Russia and contravene assurances given to it as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
Last week, Moscow presented the West with sweeping security demands, calling on NATO to deny membership to Ukraine and other former Soviet countries, as well as roll back military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe.
Many of Russia’s proposals, which would require the withdrawal of US and allied forces from central and eastern European countries that joined NATO after 1997, are seen as non-starters in the West.
But Washington and NATO have said they will discuss the package with Russia early next year, aware that outright rejection could further inflame the crisis over Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Moscow did “not want” war with its neighbour, but needs an “immediate” response from the US and its allies to its demands for security guarantees.
“This is not our choice, we do not want this,” he told reporters at his annual marathon news conference when asked about the possibility of conflict.
Putin said Russia had received a generally positive initial response to the proposals it handed to the US and that he was hopeful about the prospect for negotiations.
But in separate remarks, Putin grew more heated when recalling how NATO had “brazenly tricked” Russia with successive waves of expansion since the Cold War, and said Moscow needed an answer to its demands urgently.
“We just directly posed the question that there should be no further NATO movement to the east. The ball is in their court, they should answer us with something,” he said.
The US, European Union and Group of Seven (G7) nations have all warned Putin he will face “massive consequences” including tough economic sanctions in the event of any new Russian aggression over Ukraine.
Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and shortly after supported a separatist rebellion in the country’s east, plunging relations between Moscow and the West to post-Cold War lows.
The fighting in Ukraine’s industrial heartland, known as the Donbas, has killed more than 14,000 people to date, according to Kyiv.
Putin accused Ukraine’s government on Thursday of breaking its commitments under a 2015 deal meant to halt the conflict and refusing to talk to representatives of two breakaway regions there. He said his Ukranian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had been influenced by “radical nationalist forces”.
Zelenskyy, for his part, has said he is ready to talk with Russia “in any format”. The Kremlin has so far rejected any such discussions and repeatedly said it sees no point in any meeting without clarity on what the agenda would be.
Health Minister Thanos Plevris recommended all travellers entering Greece to repeat tests for Covid-19 on the second and fourth day upon their arrival…reports Asian Lite News
Greece’s government has announced a new set of measures to contain the further spread of Covid-19 during the upcoming holiday season.
In the wake of the emergence of the Omicron variant, the government has decided the cancellation of all public festive events, the mandatory use of a mask indoors and outdoors, and additional protection protocols for travellers, Health Minister Thanos Plevris told a press briefing on Thursday.
He recommended all travellers entering Greece to repeat tests for Covid-19 on the second and fourth day upon their arrival, Xinhua news agency reported.
“These measures, which will be effective until January 3, are sufficient to celebrate Christmas and New Year, without posing risks to public health,” Greek national broadcaster ERT quoted him as saying.
A special body advising the government on the pandemic will make new recommendations next week for additional measures from early next year, depending on the course of the pandemic, the official added.
Greek authorities reported 5,641 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday and 69 deaths within 24 hours
Director General Khaqan Murtaza said that until the CAA received the approval, the PIA would not be able to resume flight operations to the EU…reports Asian Lite News
The ban imposed by the European Union on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight operations is expected to be lifted soon, local media reported quoting the country’s Civil Aviation Authority official.
“Yes, the ICAO has informed the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that the safety audit conducted by its team recently was presented before its validation committee, which cleared it after which the SSC will be removed and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency will lift the ban,” CAA Director General Khaqan Murtaza said at a meeting of the Senate Sub-Committee on Aviation on Wednesday, Dawn newspaper reported.
He further said that until the CAA received the approval, the PIA would not be able to resume flight operations to the EU.
An ICAO audit team that had visited Pakistan to undertake a safety audit of the aviation authority completed the process on December 10; however, its final report will be released in a few weeks and shared publicly, the newspaper said.
According to Dawn, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had extended travel restrictions imposed on PIA in April for an indefinite period and has directed the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to get its safety audit done by ICAO scheduled in July.
Meanwhile, Pakistan reported 359 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the country’s National Command and Operation Centre said on Thursday.
According to the NCOC, at least two people have been died due to the coronavirus infection.
“Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 46,564 Positive Cases: 359 Positivity %: 0.77% Deaths : 2 Patients on Critical Care: 666,” the NCOC said in a tweet.
Meanwhile over 30 suspected cases of Omicron variant of COVID-19 were reported in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Tuesday, as per local media.
According to The Express Tribune, the provincial government imposed a 15-day lockdown in Kech district to cease a surge in COVID-19 cases. The notification issued in this regard stated that all shops and markets, except for essential services, will remain closed in the district. (ANI)
The Foreign Secretary and the Secretary-General also discussed regional and global issues of mutual interest and reaffirmed their shared commitment to a multipolar world and faith in multilateralism. …reports Asian Lite News
India and France are exploring the potential for greater cooperation in sectors such as defence and security, space, cybersecurity and the digital economy.
This was part of bilateral discussions during between Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Secretary-General, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France François Delattre on Tuesday.
The Foreign Secretary and the Secretary-General also discussed regional and global issues of mutual interest and reaffirmed their shared commitment to a multipolar world and faith in multilateralism.
According to information provided by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) after
the meeting, the two sides also discussed cooperation in blue economy, education and people-to-people contacts, energy, health and climate change.
The Ambassadors of India and France joined the talks.
In his opening remarks, Foreign Secretary Shringla said this FOC comes close at the heels of a very fruitful visit by Florence Parly, Minister for Armed Forces of France on December 17 to hold the third annual Defence Dialogue with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
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Focus on trade, investment
“To tap the full potential of bilateral trade and economic relations, both sides reiterated their commitment to restarting negotiations on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement,” the MEA said.
According to official data, India’s trade with France has witnessed a steady rise in the last decade reaching USD 10.75 billion in 2020. Despite the pandemic, it is estimated that bilateral trade between the two countries in 2021 has reached USD 8.85 billion.
France has emerged as a major source of FDI for India with more than 1,000 French establishments already present in India.
France is the 11th largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of USD 9.86 billion from April 2000 to June 2021 which represents 1.80% of the total FDI inflows into India.
Most big French groups have their subsidiaries in India such as BNP Paribas, Capgemini, Airbus, Dassault, Arkema, L’Oréal, Sanofi, Total, etc.
There are around 200 subsidiaries of Indian businesses established in France, which employ more than 6,000 people.
Among Indian investments in France, majority are in IT services, pharmaceuticals/biotechnologies and hospitality sectors.
During Tuesday’s meeting, the two sides also held discussions on a number of regional and global issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in the European Union in view of the forthcoming French Presidency, Indo-Pacific, UNSC, situation in Afghanistan, among others.
As part of his India trip, Delattre is also visiting Mumbai, where he will meet other Indian officials.
The Commission has “serious doubts about the independence and impartiality” of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, which “no longer meets the requirements of a tribunal previously established by law.”…reports Asian Lite News.
The European Union (EU) is to take legal action against Poland for violating EU law and compromising judicial independence, its executive has announced.
The action is an escalation of a rule-of-law wrangle between Brussels and Warsaw over rulings made by Poland’s top court, which this year found key elements of EU law to be incompatible with the country’s constitution.
The European Commission announced in a statement it was taking action over “serious concerns” regarding the rulings by the Polish Constitutional Tribunal in July and October. These rulings “expressly” challenged the primacy of EU law, the Commission said, adding that Poland now has two months to respond to the complaint.
The Commission has “serious doubts about the independence and impartiality” of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, which “no longer meets the requirements of a tribunal previously established by law.”
Brussels can bring infringement procedures against member states when they do not respect or fully implement EU laws. The first step is an exchange of letters, but cases can be taken before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and result in financial penalties.
The ECJ had previously ruled against Poland’s lifting of the immunity of certain judges, and dismissing of those deemed unacceptable by the parliament.
The Commission is also dissatisfied with a 2019 Polish law prohibiting the country’s courts from interpreting some areas of EU law, and from submitting legal matters to the ECJ.
“We’ve tried to engage in a dialogue but the situation is not improving,” the EU’s Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders posted on Twitter. “Fundamentals of the EU legal order, notably the primacy of EU law, must be respected.”
