In the context of the Brexit confusion reigning in Europe, many voices are calling for calm and cohesion. Meanwhile, Poland makes the headlines for the Gdańsk murder, its Middle East initiative and the arrest of a Chinese executive.
All eyes continue to be fixed on Theresa May as the EU awaits her next move. This follows the British parliament’s rejection of the negotiated withdrawal agreement and her subsequent (narrow) survival of a vote of no-confidence.
Britain in a bind over Brexit
So what now? Do we really have to start over? No, says Guy Verhofstadt, who represents the European Parliament in the Brexit negotiations, stressing that the EU has no appetite for returning to the negotiating table.
Guy Verhofstadt, Member of the European Parliament for Belgium – ALDE (in French):
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“I don’t think there is a desire to reopen negotiations on the withdrawal agreement. But there is a will, which has existed since the start of negotiations, to negotiate with the UK a more intense future relationship than is currently on the table. It is now vital, in the British Parliament, for the government and the opposition to agree on the kind of intense relationship they want with the European Union.”
For German chancellor Angela Merkel, who appears not to have completely closed the door on further negotiations, the key thing is to minimise the harm done by a disorderly Brexit. And there will be harm done – Merkel is convinced of this.
Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany (in German):
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“This is why we are still trying to find a proper solution, of course. But we are also prepared for not having this proper solution. That’s why we will hold consultations in the Bundestag tomorrow [Thursday] on the laws proposed by the German government, which may come into force if there is no withdrawal agreement with Great Britain. We still have time to negotiate, but for now we are awaiting the proposals of the British prime minister.”
The former Slovenian ambassador to the UK gives his own take on the situation, while Romania’s president appeals for calm.
Iztok Mirošič, former Slovenian Ambassador to the UK (in Slovenian):
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”It’s crucial that the EU remains united. It would be difficult to allow new negotiations on the so-called exit deal. However, if I understand correctly, German Chancellor Merkel has hinted at this possibility. In my opinion, this would only really be possible in terms of a political declaration related to future relations and stronger assurances that the UK would not be permanently caught in the so-called EU customs union. Some even speculate that Tuesday’s negative vote could lead to a softer Brexit that would isolate radical conservatives, members of Prime Minister May’s party, in ways of seeking cross-party consensus for a new negotiating position.”
Indeed, most member states appear not to see eye to eye with Merkel on this, including Romania – as Radio România reports.
Klaus Iohannis, President of Romania (in Romanian):
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“This agreement, which has long been negotiated and approved by the 27 European states, will not be renegotiated. In view of these issues, we await the UK government’s position. There is no need to get worked up, no one should panic and neither is it helpful to speculate on possible scenarios.”
According to RTV SLO, Slovenian companies do not see Brexit as the biggest threat. They are more concerned about political instability in the UK affecting their business relationships.
The ongoing uncertainty in the UK also worries Fevia, the Belgian agri-food industry federation, reports RTBF. Britain is the fourth-largest market for Belgian food exports, representing 10 per cent of turnover.
In terms of the impact on citizens, Lisbon has provided assurances that Portugal will not ask British tourists for a visa, reports Rádio Renascença. In addition, British people residing in Portugal will maintain their right to vote in local elections post-Brexit as long as they have registered to vote before Brexit takes place.
Europe reeling after Gdańsk murder
In other news, the public murder of Paweł Adamowicz, the liberal, pro-European mayor of the Polish city of Gdańsk, has sent shockwaves not only around Poland, but around the EU.
A spokesperson for the Polish president has stressed that the public stabbing, which took place at a charity concert on Sunday (January 13), had all the hallmarks of an unbalanced individual who was unlikely to have had any deeper motives. The victim’s family has also appealed for the murder not to be used to political end.
Błażej Spychalski, spokesperson for the President of Poland (in Polish):
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“This is a terrible, terrible crime, committed by a mentally disturbed person. I think that’s how you have to look at it. This person made no effort to hide what he wanted to do. Moreover, after what he did on the stage, the man did not run away. He just waited for the appropriate authorities to deal with him.”
In spite of these reassurances, Adamowicz’s murder has sparked renewed calls for the adoption of a long-awaited resolution on hate speech in the Polish parliament.
- www.thenews.pl: Polish city grieves loss of mayor who championed culture
- www.thenews.pl: UK magazine remembers Polish mayor
- www.thenews.pl: Polish MPs honour slain mayor
Pro-European cohesion: the key to Europe’s future
esRadio Castilla y León covers the Spanish prime minister’s vision for the EU, which he shared with MEPs in Strasbourg this week during a debate on the future of Europe. Pedro Sánchez called on Europeans not to let themselves be “dragged” into exclusionary nationalism.
Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain (in Spanish):
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“It is very clear to me that we need to call on pro-European forces to prevent the political discourse being conditioned by the far right. This is what worries me the most: not that the far right has more or less deputies in a given territorial chamber, but that their political agenda influences the discourse and political actions of the centre right”.
- esradio.libertaddigital.com – Es Noticia: Susana Díaz dice que VOX defiende al “terrorismo machista”
Also speaking at the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg, Romanian prime minister Viorica Dăncilă outlined Romania’s priorities for the six months of its EU Presidency. Chief among these is creating a more united, more cohesive Europe – strong enough to tackle the significant challenges it is currently facing, reports Radio România.
Romania issues robust rebuttal on rule of law
Meanwhile, at a separate plenary session, ALDE group chair Guy Verhofstadt mentioned that if Romania failed to respect the European Commission’s rule-of-law recommendations in its planned package of justice reforms, this would likely lead to sanctions. These could include the triggering of Article 7, as in the case of Poland and Hungary.
The Romanian PM resolutely denied any lack of respect for the rule of law.
Viorica Dăncilă, Prime Minister of Romania (in Romanian):
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“The activation of Article 7 cannot happen in the case of Romania because the rule of law is not being violated in Romania. We therefore cannot talk about triggering Article 7 in this case. I would not want to put Romania in the same camp as Poland and Hungary and will not even discuss that because, I repeat, Romania respects the rule of law.”
Di Maio takes aim at EP’s Strasbourg seat
Meanwhile, Italy’s deputy PM Luigi Di Maio, of the 5-star movement, was also in Strasbourg this week, launching his own party’s electoral campaign for the European elections.
Touching on recent austerity measures in Italy, he did not miss the opportunity to reignite the age-old debate surrounding the European Parliament’s Strasbourg seat, as Radio 24 reports.
Luigi Di Maio, Deputy Prime Minister of Italy (in Italian):
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“In Italy, we have cut pensions. Here, there is so much to cut: this seat is used 40 days a year. It is a brand for France; a favour to France that serves no purpose. There can only be one seat – in Brussels – and we can do without [Strasbourg] because this would save a billion euros per legislative term.”
Threats of “Dexit” from German right
Alternative for Germany (AfD), a German right-wing party, warned this week of the potential consequences of EU reforms failing to go far enough.
ams covers the comments made by AfD co-leader Alexander Gauland, who also claimed that there could be a new word on everybody’s lips by 2024: “Dexit”.
Alexander Gauland, co-leader of Alternative for Germany (in German):
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“As much we are itching to get rid of this corrupt, inflated, undemocratic, uncontrolled and latent-totalitarian apparatus, we have to consider that the consequences might spiral out of control.”
However, on Tuesday (January 15), Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution announced that it would be taking a closer look at AfD. Some of the party’s officials and constituent groups are suspected of making far-right statements that are not permitted under German law.
Poland pushes for Middle East conference
Polish defence minister Mariusz Błaszczak has said that Poland’s co-organisation of a controversial Middle East conference is proof of the key role the country now plays on the international stage. Poland considers itself the ideal candidate to bring the EU and the US together with Middle Eastern nations in order to find peaceful solutions to problems in the region.
According to Polskie Radio, the Iranian foreign ministry has called on Poland to desist from interfering.
Adam Bielan, Deputy Speaker of the Polish Senate (in Polish):
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“The reactions of Iranian state officials and diplomats are premature at this time. This will be a large international conference, not only involving our US partners but partners from several dozen countries. I am not yet at liberty to discuss the numbers. However, work on this conference has been ongoing on for some time now. It may only have been unveiled this week, but preparations for this conference have been underway for a long time.”
At the same time, the deputy speaker conceded that Iran’s polemical nuclear programme would be one of the key topics to be broached at the conference. On this subject, the US favours the imposing of strict sanctions, while the EU takes a more cautious approach. One of the goals of this conference is to come up with a common approach to this issue.
Arrest of Chinese executive in Poland
Following last week’s arrest of two people suspected of spying for the Chinese government, one of them a representative of Chinese telecoms company Huawei, Poland’s internal security agency (ABW) has drawn up a number of recommendations regarding the use of telecommunications companies’ products and services.
These arrests are the latest incident in an escalating diplomatic dispute between China and the US, into which other countries, including Poland and Canada, have been drawn.
Stanisław Żaryn, Polish government spokesperson (in Polish):
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“Recently, the Czechs have made an unequivocal decision to withdraw certain Chinese products and services and to close some state space to these companies. Poland has not yet taken such a decision. As Minister Okoński [the Polish minister for digitisation] reported last week, an analysis of the Chinese telecoms threat is ongoing and we are currently waiting for this procedure to come to an end.”
Malta critical of Italy’s stance on Global Compact
The recent stand-off over 49 migrants stranded on two German NGO vessels off the coast of Malta was resolved last week when they were finally permitted to disembark on the island – but only after eight other EU countries had agreed to take them in. Italy was one of these eight countries, in spite of Rome’s anti-migration rhetoric.
However, this followed Italy’s decision not to formally adopt the UN’s Global Compact on Migration back on December 19. Maltese premier Joseph Muscat gave an interview to Radio 24 in Valletta earlier this week (January 14), during which he expressed his disappointment with Italy’s decision.
Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta (in Italian):
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“We are the third country in terms of per-capita asylum applications in the whole of the EU. For me, when I read the Global Compact, it contains everything that Malta – but also Italy – has long fought for. Now we have a proposed agreement that says the same thing. I don’t see how you could be against it.”
Mobility package not moving anywhere fast
Significant diplomatic efforts are underway to overcome the controversy surrounding last week’s divisive vote on the reformed Mobility Package 1 in the European Parliament’s Transport Committee, reports BNR.
European Parliament president Antonio Tajani has discussed different ways of tackling the issue with Bulgarian transport minister Rosen Zhelyazkov in the hope of resolving the contentious issues before the package is presented in plenary on January 31.
Meanwhile, Bulgaria’s prime minister has appealed for support from his counterparts in Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Hungary and Spain, who also oppose the package. He hopes they will help him get the package thrown out or, at the very least, the vote postponed.
- bnr.bg: Три сценария по пакета “Мобилност” обсъдиха в Страсбург Росен Желязков и Антонио Таяни
- bnr.bg: Бойко Борисов благодари на европейски премиери за подкрепата за пакета “Мобилност”
- bnr.bg: Радев подкрепи българските превозвачи в писмо до шефа на ЕП
Slovenia’s liberals to join forces?
Slovenia’s three Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) members are contemplating joining forces for the European elections in May. Former prime minister Miro Cerar has welcomed the idea of integrating Slovenia’s liberal parties.
Cerar added that the Modern Centre Party, or SMC, was currently considering its list, with EU commissioner Violeta Bulc and Slovenia’s former infrastructure minister Peter Gašperšič touted as possible candidates. RTV SLO reports.
- Author: Joanna Neville, Euranet Plus News Agency
