European economies continue to suffer due to high oil prices and rising unemployment. (more…)
As you all probably know by now, during Barack Obama’s trip to Germany last Friday he decided not to visit wounded American troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. Instead, he ended up going to the gym. The situation has created a headache for Obama, what with the media reporting on it, and the McCain campaign jumping on to it right away with an ad blasting Obama.
This is a guest post by Ben Heine, who works for the Atlantic Community.
The majority of Germans support Barrack Obama for the US presidency, not because they believe he will radically change US policy, but because he is expected to return it to the familiar pre-Bush trajectory. (more…)
‘The price of European emission permits is rising so rapidly that German companies are threatening to leave the country. Thousands of jobs could be lost. And the environment may, in the end, be no better off.’ (more…)
Weeks after the Irish voted against the new European Union treaty, the presidents of Poland and Germany have refused to sign it as well. The main point from the Poles; if the Irish voted against it and if Ireland will, therefore, not sign it, it’s pointless for us to sign the treaty nonetheless. (more…)
The German newspaper the SPIEGEL decided to pay a visit to the village of Reinhardtsdorf-Schöna. This village is quite controversial because one in four inhabitants support the far-right NPD party. (more…)
As can be expected from Germany, Neo-Nazism is becoming increasingly influential and active. As the SPIEGEL points out, ‘arson attacks and racist assaults by right-wing extremists are part of everyday life in parts of Germany’ today. (more…)
It took a while, but Europeans have finally noticed that the price of oil has run completely out of hand. Honest to God, I didn’t realize that fuel had become as expensive as it has either, until I returned back in the Netherlands and had to buy fuel for in the car; slightly above 1.60 euro per liter for normal fuel (at the gas station I went to). That’s ridiculously high (say $2.50 per liter, that’s $6.25 per gallon if I am not mistaken). (more…)
The German newspaper the Spiegel reports that ‘[t]wo short films have appeared on the Internet featuring the German Islamist Eric B. in which he calls his “brothers” to join the jihad. The authorities have been hunting him for weeks, fearful that he could be preparing a terrorist attack in Kabul. The video messages are fanning those fears.’ (more…)
In what could be interpreted as yet another sign that the situation in Germany is deteriorating, police suspect that Antisemites have vandalized a Jewish cemetery in Berlin. ‘On Monday night, unknown perpetrators knocked over more than 20 headstones.’ (more…)
The German newspaper the Spiegel has a great report up - as we are used from this newspaper - about a Turkish-German organization, Hatun and Can, that helps Turkish women escape from forced marriages. Quite some Turkish immigrants are forced to marry with whomever their father wants them to marry. The result is, most often, an unhappy, frequently even abusive marriage. The organization, therefore, does great work, that deserves to get a lot of attention and financial support (I’ll tell you how to donate to this organization below). (more…)
This is why I believe that conservative women are often great national leaders. There is, of course, M. Thatcher, and now we have, in Europe, Angela Merkel. She is Germany’s Chancellor and not quite willing to give in to pressure from China: shortly after China tried to convince her not to meet with the Dalai Lama for the foreseeable future, she has said that she will most certainly meet with the Tibetan leader again. (more…)
A tragic article in the German newspaper the Spiegel: “Insulted, spat at and attacked — by ordinary Germans. Unable to bear the daily racism, a pastor’s family fled from a small town in eastern Germany back to the their former home in the west.” (more…)
The German newspaper the Spiegel reports that Germany opposes US President Bush’s wish to expand NATO. He “wants to bring more Eastern European countries into the military alliance at the upcoming NATO summit” but Germany “is thwarting his plans, because of concerns about Ukraine and Georgia — and in deference to Russia.” (more…)
German Chancellor (the equivalent of, say, a Prime Minister) Angela Merkel became the first (German) chancellor to give a speech before the Israeli Knesset yesterday. It was a historical day; a day, we could say, that signified Israel’s capacity to forgive, and Germany’s capacity to break with a past filled with hatred for Jews. (more…)
My, my, it looks like Germany has its very own ’shaheed’ or ‘martyr’: “A young German-born Turk could possibly have carried out an attack in Afghanistan that killed two US soldiers. The Islamic Jihad Union claims 28-year-old Cüneyt C. from Bavaria was responsible for the March 3 attack, now the German authorities are desperately trying to find out the bomber’s identity.” (more…)
The German newspaper the Spiegel reports that a woman threw a 19-year old Angolan man in front of an approaching train in Berlin on Sunday. That’s newsworthy in itself, but what’s even more newsworthy is that police said that the woman pushed the black man in front of the train because she’s a racist. (more…)
It seems that laborites, or moderate socialists, shouldn’t cozy up to communists too much in Germany these days: “Social Democratic Party leader Kurt Beck’s comments earlier this week that his party should consider working with the Left Party — disgruntled far-left voters and former Communists in western German states — could kill his chance of running as his party’s chancellor candidate in 2009.” (more…)
This is what happens when you, as a government, decide that people don’t earn money; that what they make isn’t their own money, but that whatever someone earns is of the government first and foremost. The attitude among European socialists (and thus Laborites, same thing mostly) is that your money isn’t yours. It’s of the government. And this government is, out of the goodness of its heart, willing to let you keep some of the money you work so hard for. Of course you can’t complain that you receive too little money, for it’s not yours in the first place. (more…)
One of the most fascinating articles that I’ve read in a long, long time appeared earlier today at the Spiegel. It’s about, as the headline of this post indicates, how Hitler won over the German people. It’s a reasonably long but might interesting read. Below follow some excerpts and thoughts of my own, but be sure to read the whole thing. (more…)
The German newspaper the Spiegel reports that “right-wing radicals in Cologne are gaining traction with Germany’s first anti-Islamic party. The German domestic intelligence agency is alarmed — but so are traditional neo-Nazis, who may have to shift their tactics to compete.”
What made the Pro Cologne - an anti-Islamic Party organization - catch on suddenly? Muslims are planning to build “an enormous” in the district of Ehrenfeld. The normally liberal citizens of Cologne aren’t too happy with that. At this moment, Pro Cologne has collected more than 20,000 signatures in an attempt to prevent the mosque from being built. (more…)
The Washington Post has an article up by Molly Moore, carrying the title: “New Leadership Trio Could Put Europe Back on Political Map.” Subtitle: “Merkel, Sarkozy and Brown Seen Reenergizing Region.” Indeed: very, very positive (almost overly positive in my humble opinion). One thing that has to be mentioned: Brown? Brown reenergizes the region? We are talking about Gordon Brown, right?
Brown is quite unpopular. Both with Tories ánd with Labor voters.
That being said, Molly’s article provides for a good, interesting read.
Europe is undergoing its most dramatic changing of the guard in more than a decade. New leaders in the European Union’s three preeminent countries — Britain, France and Germany — not only may transform their nations individually but also have the collective clout to blast Europe out of its lethargy and revitalize it as a global and diplomatic powerhouse.
“They could get the European heart beating again,” said François Heisbourg, a foreign policy analyst at the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris.
All three new European leaders are replacing predecessors who had become national and international liabilities. Nicolas Sarkozy, 52, took over the presidency of France on Wednesday from septuagenarian Jacques Chirac, who served 12 years. Gordon Brown, 56, will become prime minister of Britain on June 27 when Tony Blair leaves after 10 years. And Angela Merkel, 53, was named chancellor of Germany in 2005, after Gerhard Schroeder’s seven years in power.
The new axis of leaders is expected to moderate Europe’s relationship with the United States, striking a more evenhanded tone than the emotionalism of Blair’s perceived subservience or Chirac’s hostility, many analysts here say.
The expected result: “In this view, a new U.S. president in less than two years could work with a more united, engaged Europe to leverage Middle East peace efforts, persuade Iran to curtail its nuclear ambitions and negotiate with Russia over contentious energy issues.”
Of course, that sounds nice and all but, as Molly points out, Europe has its own internal problems: the Constitution was turned down, both in France and in the Netherlands, many citizens object to the rapid expansion of the EU (from 15 to 27 member states in only three years time), many Europeans fear that Turkey will become a member, which they do not want, and, finally, there is a lot of debate about what the role of the EU exactly should be. How much power should the EU have, how much sovereignty should member states give up?
An interesting change in France’s policies is / will be that Sarkozy’s administration will, most likely, support Israel ánd America. France under Chirac was, of course, pro-Arab and anti-Israel, and of the main Western critics of the US. Sarkozy is a completely different politician and is expected to be a completely different president than Chirac (was).
I have to say that I am quite a fan of Sarkozy and, to a lesser degree, of Merkel as well. I don’t have much faith in Gordon Brown (like most of the British themselves), but the first two are two great politicians who seem to be dedicated and strong. It is interesting to see that, although Molly does mention Brown at the very start of the article, she does not refer to him anymore after the first few paragraphs. The reason? Well, there’s not really that much positive to write about Brown.
Will Sarkozy and Merkel be able to take Europe to the next level? It seems to me that they just might. France and Germany are Europe’s, better, the EU’s, most powerful countries. If these two countries find each other and move towards the US ánd want Europe to unite, well, things could go forward quite rapidly. We will see what happens, but for now, I’m positive and hopeful.
It’s Gül vs. Sarkozy:
Ankara refused on Thursday a proposal to set up a Mediterranean club, floated by new French President Nicolas Sarkozy as an alternative to full membership in the EU, and urged the conservative politician to respect membership agreements signed between Turkey and the bloc.
Sarkozy, who took over office from Jacques Chirac on Wednesday, is a strong opponent of Turkey’s membership in the EU on the basis that much of Turkey’s territory lies in Asia, he has instead proposed a lose grouping of Mediterranean countries in which Turkey could be a key player.
“Cooperation in the Mediterranean and cooperation in the EU are two different things. Turkey is a country that has begun EU talks and is in a negotiation process,” Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül told reporters.”Erecting obstacles to this negotiation process would mean not respecting signatures, commitments previously made. I do not expect this to happen.”
Some European politicians, notably Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, remain publicly opposed to ever admitting Turkey. But Merkel, whose country currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, has said she would honor past commitments made to Turkey and would not block its negotiations.
We have to allow Turkey to join the EU. Turkey truly is a bridge between East and West. Turkey is the world’s only truly democratic secular Muslim country: we must celebrate that and encourage it. Furthermore, it’s also good for our own economies: Turkey’s economy will grow… and grow… and… grow for decades. Sure, Turkey is still a relatively poor country, but it’s potential is enormous: what a market for us (I’m Dutch after all). Also, Turkey has a very rich history: Istanbul, for instance, was the capital of the Byzantine empire. Istanbul, and Turkey, have always been part of Europe, were even at the center of European civilization. There are more reasons, of course, one of them is that if we refuse Turkey, Turkey might stop focusing on the West and might associate more with, say, Iraq, and Syria, and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, and Jordan, etc. Can we truly afford to lose an ally of Turkey’s strategic importance?
Furthermore, those who say that Turkey should never be allowed to join the EU have, I am afraid, never visited Turkey themselves. Those who have always speak extremely highly of Turkey. If West European cultures would be influenced by Turkish culture this would be a good thing: in Turkey they still understand the concept of respect. And of hospitality. And of warmth. And of friendliness. Of course, there are many things that need to change in Turkey: if it were up to me, Turkish culture would look more at the individual and less at ‘the group’ (be it nation or family), and that will happen if we have open borders. As I see it, it will be a win-win situation: in the West, we might adopt some good aspects of Turkish culture, while in Turkey they might adopt some good aspects of West European culture.
And, in the long run, the economies of all those involved will benefit.
Political leaders in the West should - for once - not give in to the will of the public. Instead, our politicians have to do what they did once, a long time ago: they have to try to convince people that popular opinion is wrong. Politicians don’t do that nowadays anymore, they now look at the polls, “visit the country” and do whatever it is the majority wants. That is a mistake. Why? Because the average Joe doesn’t think things through. But, with a little encouragement, Joe does think more carefully and is willing and able to change his (or her) mind.
More news from tolerant Europe:
Jerusalem, Israel, May 14, 2007 � A large number of Europeans continue to be infected with anti-Jewish attitudes, holding on to the classical anti-Semitic canards and conspiracy theories that have dogged Jews through the centuries, according to a new poll released by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today.
A survey of five European countries revealed that a plurality of Europeans believe Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their country and that they have too much power in business and finance. The opinion survey of 2,714 adults - slightly more than 500 in each of the five countries - found an increase in negative attitudes toward Jews, or in some instances no change, from its 2005 findings…
Respondents across the continent were asked a series of indicator questions representing the most pernicious notions of anti-Semitism and whether or not they thought the following four statements were “probably true” or “probably false.”
* Jews are more loyal to Israel than to this country.
* Jews have too much power in the business world.
* Jews have too much power in international financial markets.
* Jews still talk too much about what happened to them in the Holocaust.Respondents were also asked whether they agree or disagree with the following statement:
*
The Jews are responsible for the death of Christ; and
*
If their opinion of Jews was influenced by actions taken by the State of Israel and whether they believed the violence directed against European Jews was a result of anti-Jewish feelings or anti-Israel sentiment.
The results:
A majority of those surveyed across Europe, 51%, believe that Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their own country, with a majority of respondents in Spain, Poland and Germany saying they believe that this statement is “probably true.”
High levels of those surveyed still believe in the traditional anti-Jewish canard that “Jews have too much power in the business world.” Overall, nearly 39% of all respondents believe this stereotype to be true.
Similarly, respondents still adhere to the notion that “Jews have too much power in international financial markets.” Overall, 44% cling to the traditional stereotype.
Large portions of the European public continue to believe that Jews still talk too much about what happened to them in the Holocaust. Overall, 47% of those surveyed believe it is “probably true.” In fact, a plurality of respondents in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain believe this notion to be true.
Quite interesting to see that the Germans have the guts to say that Jews talk too much about the holocaust. Germans criticizing Jews for talking about the holocaust… Hmmm…
Perhaps, if the Germans wouldn’t have killed millions and millions of Jews in the 1940s, Jews wouldn’t feel the need to talk about it?
Richard Esposito and Rhonda Schwartz report for The Blotter:
As many as five or six U.S. air marshals are now assigned to each U.S.-bound flight from airports in Frankfurt, London and Manchester, England, because of fears terrorists might attempt a coordinated series of mid-air explosions, law enforcement officials tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com.
“We’re afraid someone in the back is going to mix something or light something up, so air marshals are being placed strategically through the plane,” said one senior law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the stepped-up security.
The stepped-up security on flights out of Britain’s Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports began about two weeks ago, based on intelligence reports that another al Qaeda hijacking plot was in the making, the officials said.
ABC News reported last Friday that U.S. and German officials fear a new terror attack is in the advanced planning stages.
This obviously indicates that US and European authorities take this threat very serious. The question, as far as I am concerned, is not if Europe will be hit by another terrorist attack, but when. Extremists have, for years, found a safe haven in many ‘tolerant’ European countries, most importantly Britain and Germany: they have influenced young people who might now be willing to carry out terrorist attacks in the name of Islam.
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