It was a late night for many in Europe on April 10 as we awaited the outcome of the crucial Brexit summit. In other news, Salvini launches a new European parliamentary group and Bulgaria ups its border security.
So the UK has its extension. Not the short one requested by Theresa May (and favoured by France, albeit for different reasons), nor the longer one supported by many other member states. The October 31 date, as ever, marks something of a compromise.
As yet, no line drawn under Brexit
Prior to Wednesday night’s summit, the British prime minister had been instructed to come up with a solid reason to justify any further extension of the deadline for the UK exiting the EU. In the end, she managed to secure one even though her arguments were rather weak, as Luxembourg’s premier Xavier Bettel admitted to Radio 100,7 following the talks.
Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of Luxembourg (in Luxembourgish):
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“I cannot say that she provided overwhelming reasons to extend the date, where we would have said ‘wow!’… but there is a will to find an agreement. She told us that there is also a will on the part of the Labour Party – and this is new.”
Whether the can has simply been kicked further down the road remains to be seen, but the UK does now have (a little) breathing space – even though it will almost certainly have to participate in the European elections. The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, has appealed to Westminster not to “waste this time”, as Skai reports.
RTBF interviews Belgian MEP Philippe Lamberts (Greens/EFA), who offers a succinct summary of the Westminster impasse and what could realistically be achieved over the next six months.
Right-wing parties join forces
Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) plans to come together with Italy’s Lega Nord and other right-wing populist parties from across the EU to form a new faction in the European Parliament, reports ams. The faction will include the Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti) and Finland’s Finns Party, among others.
A parliamentary group requires a minimum of 25 MEPs from at least seven countries.
The new European Alliance of People and Nations (EAPN) will emerge from the European elections in late May as “liberal” and “patriotic”, said AfD party leader Jörg Meuthen on Monday (April 8) at a conference with Lega chief Matteo Salvini in Milan.
Jörg Meuthen, Leader of Alternative for Germany (in German):
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“We want to reform the European Union on the head and limbs. But we do not want to destroy it. We want a very radical change in the way that the EU gives back competencies to member states. We want significantly more power in our home countries, and much less power concentrated in the Brussels and Strasbourg bureaucracy. For example, we want the vital and powerful protection of the external borders of the Union. We want to reduce illegal immigration to the EU to zero. In the future, immigration should only be permitted by those who have obtained our permission from outside the borders of the EU. If we want to preserve our Europe of diversity, with rich cultures and a very rich heritage – and I stress that we will do so with determination – then we have to form a fortress Europe, only letting in those we are willing to let in.”
Matteo Salvini expressed his sense of pride in being a founding member of this new political grouping.
Matteo Salvini, Leader of Lega Nord (in Italian):
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“I’m proud that the new Europe is being born in Italy: a Europe founded on labour, security, anti-terrorism, border protection, defence of our economy, agriculture, fishing, commerce, ‘made in Italy’ and ‘made in Europe’, the fight against counterfeiting… I’m proud to represent a country that is finally standing up. A dream is awakening. Europe has become a nightmare for some – think about the Greeks; think about what’s happening in Paris; think of the unemployment in Italy. Labour, family, environment, security, rights… This is a wonderful day and we want to be the leading political movement in the European Parliament.”
Salvini also expanded on the issue of border protection in what, claims Radio 24, appears to be a response to his fellow Deputy Prime Minister, Luigi Di Maio, who had accused Lega of partnering with Holocaust deniers.
Matteo Salvini, Leader of Lega Nord (in Italian):
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“At this moment in time, the danger does not come from the past. Luckily, Europe will not return to communism, fascism, Nazism and the horrors of the past. The problem is rather Islamic extremism, terrorism and fanatism. So, border protection also means protecting our identity, our history, our culture, our traditions… and the proud rediscovery of European Judeo-Christian roots denied by those in charge of Europe now. We are open to dialogue with anyone, but we’re also proud of our history. To put it simply, Turkey will never be a part of Europe while Lega and this family is in government.”
Salvini has announced a major event with Lega Nord’s new allies to take place in Milan just days before the May elections.
Bulgarian army deployed to southern border
Bulgaria has stepped up its border security in preparation for an influx of illegal migrants coming from Greece.
‘Fake news’ reports on social media suggesting a relaxing of border controls between Greece and North Macedonia have provoked fears of a re-run of the 2015 migrant crisis, with clashes taking place late last week (April 4/5) between refugees and Greek police.
Concerns that tensions in migrant camps near Greece’s border with North Macedonia would cause a wave of migrants moving North provoked an emergency meeting in Sofia, as Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reports. According to Bulgaria’s Defence Minister, Bulgaria is ready to mobilise up to three thousand troops in order to protect its southern borders.
Some commentators, including Bulgarian premier Boyko Borisov, are suggesting that the timing of this latest crisis, just before the European elections, is no coincidence.
The Bulgarian media is more inclined, though, to put this latest scaremongering down to the Bulgarian cabinet’s desire to deflect public attention from recent corruption scandals, which have led to a series of high-level resignations and sackings.
Meanwhile, Austria has announced that it will retain controls along its borders with Slovenia and Hungary at least until November, against the wishes of the European Commission. Slovenia is also opposed to such controls, insisting that it already protects the Schengen border, as RTV SLO reports.
Spying scandal flares up between Croatia and Slovenia
Slovenia’s prime minister Marjan Šarec has called on his country’s national security council to reveal attempts by Croatia to influence the Slovenian media.
Following allegations that Croatia’s intelligence agency was spying on the Slovenian arbitrator back in 2015 during proceedings related to the long-running border dispute between the two countries, Croatia is now accused of putting pressure on Slovenian media sources to prevent publication of the scandal.
Miro Cerar, Foreign Minister of Slovenia (in Slovenian):
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“Slovenia has grown up respecting the freedom of the press and freedom of speech and it will not stop defending an independent media and freedom of speech. We must defend this fundamental democratic right not only here in Slovenia, but in the whole of Europe and elsewhere the world.”
Zagreb denies all involvement.
Romanian minister of justice faces opposition from within
For over a year, the European Commission has been expressing serious concerns about Romania’s proposed justice reforms and the way in which Bucharest intends to adopt them.
Recently, there appear to be splits forming within the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the main party in Romania’s ruling coalition, itself.
Tudorel Toader, the Romanian minister for justice, now insists that the controversial justice reforms should not be adopted by emergency decree, as the PSD party would prefer, but should instead pass through parliamentary debates and procedures.
A motion against him, proposed by the opposition, is scheduled to be debated in the country’s parliament next week. And for the first time, members of the PSD party could vote against him.
Liviu Dragnea, PSD president (in Romanian):
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“They will vote, as members of the Social Democratic Party, exactly how their consciences dictate. [Toader] was supported by the PSD, but I don’t know how long he will still be supported by the PSD. It seems that the PSD is not backing him anymore.”
Toader claims, however, that his position is supported by elements of the PSD leadership.
Tudorel Toader, Romania’s Minister for Justice (in Romanian):
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“I read today in the press a statement by a member of the [PSD] leadership, who said that the law projects would go back through the parliamentary procedure. This is the route to follow.”
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Euranet Plus Election Corner
SPRING MANIFESTO FOR SPRING ELECTIONS
Poland’s new, progressive Spring Party (Wiosna) has published its manifesto for the upcoming European elections. Its proposals include creating a common European passport and focusing on renewable energy sources, highlights Polskie Radio.
During the party’s convention in Warsaw, leader Robert Biedroń emphasised that he wanted to see equal standards of living across the European Union.
Robert Biedroń, Leader of Poland’s Spring Party (in Polish):
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“We have broken down the borders between states; we have guaranteed the free, unrestricted flow of capital and people in Europe; but still passports do not have the same value. It is time for the Polish passport to be equal to the German or French passport. That’s why, from 2025, instead of national passports, there should be one integrated and uniform European passport.”
SPOTLIGHT ON DENMARK
Latvijas Radio follows up last week’s feature on election preparations in Estonia with a piece on Denmark.
Danish political commentator Jarl Cordua notes that Brexit is likely to number among the big issues of the Danish campaign – particularly with Denmark holding national elections around the same time as the European elections. Cordua suggests that the Danish prime minister will be able to portray himself as an “anchor in the turmoil”.
Immigration is another key issue for the European elections. While the right-wing Danish People’s Party has always taken a hard line on this subject, over recent years other parties have begun to follow suit. Even Denmark’s Social Democrats.
Jarl Cordua, Political Commentator (in English):
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“The Social Democrats have moved to the right on the issue of immigration. They have more or less adopted the Danish People’s Party’s agenda and views on immigration. They haven’t been as eurosceptic, but they have stepped in that direction also.”
As a result, the Danish People’s Party is projected to lose support compared to in the 2014 election, when they won more seats in the European Parliament than any other Danish party.
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- Author: Joanna Neville, Euranet Plus News Agency
