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By Samruddhi Pathak
GEROGIA
Anti-establishment protests continue
On 08 December, protests against the government gained more momentum. Protesters gathered in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, with EU flags. The protesters have two main demands i.e., a fresh election after the contested October 26 parliamentary vote and a return to the European path enshrined in their country's constitution. The ruling party, Georgia Dream, suspended the EU membership talks until 2028. The party has also blamed the opposition for staging a protest similar to the Maidan revolution in 2014, which occurred in Ukraine to topple the then pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych. The ruling party claims that the elections were free and fair. However, many experts have pointed out certain irregularities in the elections. This questions the legitimacy of the elections. Around 400 detained by the police for protesting, and 300 injured due to tear gas and pellet guns being used by the police. (Maria Katamadze, “Why are thousands of Georgians protesting day after day?,” Deutsche Welle, 08 December 2024)
FRANCE
Notre-Dame holds first mass after restoration
On 08 December, Notre Dame, a famous Cathedral in Paris, was reopened to the public as a place for worship. Notre Dame was heavily damaged in a fire in 2019 and has been under construction since then. The inaugural mass was led by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, along with 150 bishops and more than 100 priests. It was also attended by Emmanuel Macron, the president of the Republic of France, and other global leaders like Donald Trump, the President of the US. The Archbishop also said, “This morning, the pain of April 15 2019 has been erased.” Around 2,500 attended the second service on Sunday evening. The event was organised amid political turmoil in the country. Micheal Barnier, former Prime Minister of the Republic of France, lost the motion of confidence in the parliament. Donald Trump was also the guest of honour for the event. The cost of reconstruction was around EUR 700 million. The cause of the fire in 2019 could not be found despite a forensic investigation. The church expects 14 to 15 million visitors this year. It was a unique 19th century Gothic building. Almost 2,000 have contributed to the reconstruction of the church. (“Notre-Dame Cathedral holds first Mass after five-year restoration,” France24, 08 December 2024; Stephanie Trouillard, “Ten key moments in the colossal five-year reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral,” France24, 06 December 2024)
ICELAND
Most women in Nordic countries are victims of sexual violence study by JAMA reveals
On 08 December, a study published in JAMA Network Open revealed that almost 40 per cent of women in Iceland have suffered through sexual violence and are struggling with its aftermath i.e., post-traumatic stress disorder. This is shocking because Iceland has been topping the World Economic Forum’s global gender equality rankings for 15 years. The study surveyed 28,200 women and found that many of them had living traumas like stillbirth, having a child taken away, divorce, or discrimination and humiliation. Two in three women said they had either witnessed or were a direct victim of unwanted sexual experiences. The researchers have highlighted that the number might be inflated because victims are more likely to complete the survey. Another analysis concluded that women are four times more vulnerable to sexual violence than men. These analyses bring Iceland’s image as a gender-neutral country into question. Finland, Denmark, and Sweden all report higher lifetime levels of sexual or physical assault compared with the rest of Europe. This reflects that there is much room for improvement. Euronews report suggests that the judicial process in such cases can be fastened, and public services can be improved. (Gabriela Galvin, “Inside the ‘Nordic paradox’: Why the world’s best country for women struggles with sexual violence,” Euronews, 09 December 2024)
ROMANIA
Romania’s presidential candidate detests cancellation of elections
On 08 December, Călin Georgescu, a far-right candidate in the presidential race in Romania, protested against cancelling presidential elections in front of a closed polling station. He called the cancellation of elections “cancelling democracy.” Georgescu was leading the presidential race and is known as the ‘TikTok messiah.” Meanwhile, the Court has cited reasons such as illegal use of digital technologies, artificial intelligence and undeclared funding sources for cancelling the elections. The Court said one candidate received “preferential treatment" on social media platforms, distorting voters’ expressed will pointing towards Georgescu. New dates for the upcoming elections have yet to be announced. (“Romania's far-right Georgescu denounces cancelled vote outside closed polling station,” Euronews, 08 December 2024)
Prosecutors raid three houses after irregularities in elections
On 08 December, police raided three houses in Romania to investigate the electoral financing during the elections held in November, which the Supreme Court later cancelled. The investigation will also look into evidence indicating racist and xenophobic sentiments being exploited during the presidential election campaigning. The Court cancelled the elections over illegal financing and the alleged role of Russia in the promotion of candidates. Meanwhile, Russia has denied any role in the elections. (“Romania: Police raid houses after presidential poll annulled,” Deutsche Welle, 08 December 2024)
THE NETHERLANDS
Explosion in the Hague kills three
On 07 December, there was a massive explosion in the Hague, which resulted in five houses being burnt down. After the firefighters extinguished the fire, rescue dogs and ambulances gathered to clear debris and rescue strangled individuals. Jan van Zanen, Mayor of the Hague, reported on the destruction of five houses. The cause of the fire is still unclear. Around 40 residents had to be evacuated, and 20 were estimated to be missing. Dick Schoof, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, said that he was shocked by the news. Willem-Alexander and Maxima, the King and Queen of the Netherlands, also expressed their condolences towards the victims. Police think that the attack is related to drug gang violence in the country. Such attacks have become more frequent. In January 2024, such a blast was also orchestrated in Rotterdam. (“Netherlands: Several killed in explosion in The Hague,” Deutsche Welle, 08 December 2024)
REGIONAL
El Pais reports on the tenure of Josep Borrell as the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
On 09 December, El Pais reviewed Josep Borrell’s tenure and role as an EU Representative and his contribution towards strengthening the EU's position in global politics. Last week, he also issued a final warning on Russia’s expansionist policies in the Baltic region. He has appointed Kaja Kallas, the former Prime Minister of Estonia, as his successor. The Article reports that the population in the Baltic region has been living in existential anxiety since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Article also calls for the membership of the Baltic states in NATO and the EU as their life insurance. The defence spending in the Baltic states is amongst the highest in Europe in terms of GDP per cent. Amid this, the Article also speculates that the appointment of Donald Trump as the president of the US might lead to the withdrawal of military aid from the US, which amounted to around USD 100 billion during President Biden’s term. Thus, politicians in Estonia are reiterating Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union, which states: “If a Member State is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other Member States shall have towards it an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power.” However, even the implementation of this Article has systematic issues, such as every country having a different system for commanding and controlling its army.
Nonetheless, defence spending among the EU countries has increased by 50 per cent since 2014. Europe is still not strategically independent as the weapons program can take 20 years to materialise. Borell has said, “what is really lacking is political will [in Europe].” He also differentiates between NATO and the EU by stating, “The EU is not a military union like NATO. It was born to avoid wars in Europe.” The report also writes about their interview with Borrell. He said that his biggest achievement as the EU Representative is that he brought all the 27 member states on board to provide arms to Ukraine in a coordinated way. The Article also states that Kallas was set to replace Borrell in 2021. Kallas’ strategy is to be careful against Russia, support a two-state solution in the Middle East, keep an eye on Iran, North Korea, and China, and develop the European defence industry. The EU has created European security and defense instruments like the European External Action Service and Crisis Response Centre in the past five years. Meanwhile, the EU also holds frozen Russian assets worth EUR 260 billion. The EU has already given Ukraine €1.5 billion in interest generated by that capital. (Jesus Rodriguez, “Josep Borrell’s final days at the head of European security,” El Pais, 07 December 2024)
Europe is dependent on China to meet its green energy goals, says an opinion in El Pais
On 08 December, El Pais published on Europe’s dependence on China for clean energy vehicles. BYD, a Chinese EV manufacturer, aims to overtake Tesla to become the biggest producer of electric vehicles globally. BYD stands as an acronym for “Build Your Dreams.” The company hosted a tour for journalists in one of their factories. The factory had the capacity to produce 3,000 vehicles in one day. The company has research and development funded for all their parts. China has become the leader of EVs with more than 30.16 million cars produced in 2023. The number is far ahead of the US which produces 10.6 million cars annually, according to data from the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA). China is also leading in wind and solar energy sectors. China manufactures 60 per cent of the world’s wind turbines, more than 80 per cent of solar cells , and almost 40 per cent of heat pumps, according to a report published by the European Commission as part of a “trade defense” investigation in April 2024. China also has the largest battery producers in the world. However, the green transition of energy is much faster and advanced in Europe than in China. 60 per cent of electricity produced in China still comes from coal. The subsidies provided by the PRC government are also backfiring. The solar sector in China is currently experiencing the effects of these subsidies. The main manufacturers recorded large losses in the third quarter of 2024, due to serious excess capacity and price wars. This has led to laying off 30 per cent of the workforce in the sector. On the other side, tariffs imposed by the EU on Chinese EV manufacturers have also backfired. A large part of European electric cars use Chinese batteries, which account for around half of the total cost of the vehicle. China controls almost two-thirds of world production in this sector, according to a study conducted by Natixis CIB. China is the world’s largest supplier of critical raw materials. China’s strategy is to control all stages of the value chain, from the extraction of materials to final output. The country also accounts for almost all of the world’s graphite production, another key material in battery production. (Manu Granda and Guillermo Abril, “The green revolution, ‘made in China’: The two sides of Europe’s ecological transition,” El Pais, 08 December 2024)
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