NIAS Area Studies
PAKISTAN READER
Photo : Stockholm Centre for Freedom
TURKIYE
Mayor Immamoglu boycotts his trial over unlawful venue move
On 13 June, Euronews reported that the trial venue shifted from Istanbul’s Caglayan courthouse to the Silivri prison facility where Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu is currently detained. The change was made 24 hours before the scheduled hearing, and Imamoglu and his legal team boycotted the hearing. They argued that the late venue change was unlawful and that the process did not comply with the principles of the trial. The case concerned remarks Imamoglu made about an expert witness in ongoing proceedings tied to the prosecution of members of his Republican People’s Party (CHP). Prosecutors got a prison term of two and four years, along with a political ban, over accusations that he tried to influence that expert witness. Imamoglu was arrested in mid-March during a crackdown linked to corruption and terror charges. His detention sparked widespread protests in Turkey for over a decade. The hearing was postponed and rescheduled for 26 September. (Malek Fouda, "Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu boycotts court hearing citing 'unlawful' change of venue," Euronews, 13 June 2025)
FRANCE
Tesla customers file lawsuit against CEO Musk for his alleged extremist symbols
On 12 June, France’s Tesla customers filed a lawsuit to terminate their leases on their cars. This happened following the actions by CEO Elon Musk, by stated that they showcase extreme right symbols. They believe that this would disrupt their intention to buy cars and would only demand to terminate their lease, and legal costs would be reimbursed for specific damage. This came following the drop in Tesla sales by half in 2025. The lawsuit also implies that his support stands with US President Donald Trump in cutting down US departments and agencies. Tesla owners across Europe have said that they have been insulted for using these cars, which are called “swasti-car”. They were saying that Elon Musk owes these buyers the peaceful possession of the thing sold in Europe. (“French Tesla customers file lawsuit over brand becoming 'extreme-right' symbol,”) Euronews, 12 June 2025
GERMANY
IFo reports the economy is expected to recover as per the 2026 forecasts
On 12 June, the German economy shows its forecast for their economic growth for 2026. There are several reasons accumulated for this. First, the GDP is estimated to grow by 1.5 per cent, and a spending surge should boost the economy. The growth forecast for 2025 was changed from 0.2 per cent to 0.3 per cent. The second reason was said to be the new fiscal measures announced by the government. The Institute for Economic Research (IFo) calculated that these measures would be estimated to boost the economy by EUR 10 billion in 2015 and EUR 57 billion by 2016. The government has approved a EUR 46 billion tax relief package to support companies and to enhance economic growth. It was also stated by an economist that these are just assumptions and the trade war between the US and the EU would be resolved. The economy is still struggling with the effects of the pandemic and the high inflation rate because the recovery remains very weak. Karl Sexton(“Germany updates: Economy expected to see growth boom in 2026”,) Euronews, 12 June, 2025
ITALY
Illegal fish traps ravage Mediterranean habitat
On 12 June, BBC reported that the poachers use dense networks of illegal fish traps made of nylon with cylindrical pots to catch octopus, squid, and other species along Italy’s Mediterranean coast. These traps were left on the seabed for extended periods, exceeding legal limits on number and deployment duration. This resulted in massive ecosystem damage. International non-profit marine conservationist, Sea Shepherd, reported that tens of thousands of traps were discovered along monitored coastlines. They describe the situation as an environmental disaster. Traps lured octopuses even during their biological rest periods. Authorities and NGOs like Italy’s Guardia di Finanza and Sea Shepherd collaborated to remove these traps. In a single operation, 7,600 pots were captured. This marks a large seizure in the Mediterranean. Experts warn that abandoned gear (ALDFG) and bottom trawling are major contributors to marine pollution and biodiversity loss. Small-scale Italian fishers reported declines in fish stocks, up to 60–90 per cent in some species. The fishers blamed illicit fishing practices and tax enforcement at protected sites. Traditional fisheries in marine protected areas were undermined by continued illegal trawling during closed seasons, illustrating a gap between legislation and enforcement. Other forms of illegal gear, like drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) and barrier nets, remained prevalent, contributing to plastic pollution and wildlife entanglement. (Alice Pistolesi and Monica Pelliccia, "'The sea is like a minefield': The web of illegal fish traps in Italy's Mediterranean," BBC, 12 June 2025)
SPAIN
PM Sánchez apologises for Cerdan's corruption scandal
On 12 June, a leaked police report stated that Socialist Party Secretary Santos Cerdán was guilty of illegal commission payments tied to public contracts. The Supreme Court confirms that Cerdán was under investigation for alleged involvement in a kickback scheme related to government contracts. Following that, he resigned from his position and gave up his parliamentary seat on 12 June. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez publicly apologised, stating that he and the party should not have trusted Cerdán and asked the public for their forgiveness. He pledged to conduct an external audit of the Socialist Party’s finances but rejected calls for early elections. Protests and political pressure are building, but Sánchez insists that there was no crisis within his government, and retained the support of the coalition and regional partners. (Gavin Blackburn, "Spain's PM Pedro Sánchez apologises after top aide implicated in corruption scandal," Euronews, 12 June 2025)
SWITZERLAND
PostFinance appoints former Credit Suisse executive as interim CFO
On 12 June, PostFinance announced that former Head of Treasury and deputy CFO Marc Bonfils is to lead the finance unit as interim CFO from March 2025. Bofils' appointment was followed by Kurt Fuchs’ resignation in February 2025. It is revealed that the CFO succession process took longer than expected, prompting the interim appointment to ensure continuity. Bonfils brought decades of banking experience, having begun with an apprenticeship and later serving in senior roles, and was overseeing the Finance team with FINMA approval. The company confirmed that Fuchs had served as CFO since 2011 and officially announced his early resignation around 13 years earlier than his planned retirement, allowing him to pursue a fresh executive leadership in a new strategic period. The organisation pledged to name a permanent CFO by the end of 2025. ("PostFinance recruits former Credit Suisse executive as Chief Financial Officer," Swissinfo, 12 June 2025)
WEF releases its results on Gender Equality
On 12 June, the World Economic Forum declared its results on gender equality. Switzerland has improved from last year as it secured 17th position, but still it didn’t come up to the 10th place that it secured in 2021, and in Europe it stands at 12th position. This index was topped by Iceland, then Finland, and after it, Norway. The gender gap was closing to 68.8 per cent, contributed by political emancipation and economic participation. Women would make up to 41.2 per cent of the workforce, but still only represent 30 per cent of senior management positions. The organisation opined that this was the fastest progress towards parity in the world since the Covid-19 pandemic. It was better than last year, but it would still take “123 years to achieve parity at the current rate.” (“Switzerland moves up three places in the WEF gender equality index”) Euronews, 12 June 2025
SpaceX plans to install Starlink Antennas in Switzerland
On 12 June, Swissinfo reported that SpaceX plans to establish one of Europe’s largest Starlink ground stations in Leuk, canton Valais. The ground stations would comprise 40 gateway antennas under protective domes, designed to connect Swiss and regional users to its satellite internet network. The site selection leverages Leuk’s existing satellite infrastructure, and the elevation would be roughly 700 metres. Its unobstructed sky view makes it ideal for consistent connectivity. German communication firm Signal horn AG filed for the deployment permit, which awaits confirmation by 28 June. Construction would start in autumn upon approval. Starlink already operates over 6,750 satellites and serves nearly five million users globally. It was supported by about twenty similar gateways across Europe. ("SpaceX wants to install 40 Starlink antennas in Swiss canton Valais," Swiss info, 12 June 2025)
THE UK
Fourth day of protests in Northern Ireland turns violent
On 12 June, protestors attacked police with bricks and masonry. This turned from a peaceful protest to a violent demonstration between the people and the police. This protest has been taking place for four days against an alleged sexual assault in County Antrim Town. This took place in the centre of Portadown, where 400 protestors gathered on 11 June. Protestors attacked police with masonry and even an empty beer keg. This affected families living nearby, fearing them and hiding in the attics to avoid violence. The family of the victim also didn't want violence, and the victim is said to be further traumatised by these events. Police have described this as “racist thuggery, pure and simple” that targeted ethnic minorities and law enforcement.
Catherine Doyle(“Masonry thrown at police in Portadown in fourth night of NI disorder”,) Euronews, 12 June, 2025
REGIONAL
EU health funding faces cuts amid new budget priorities
On 12 June, the European Commission reported that sectors like defence have led to a lack of resources in the health sector. These priorities raise concerns that health funding might face substantial cuts in the upcoming EU budget. The European Commission indicated that it would unveil its proposal for the 2028–34 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) in July. Few leaks suggest that the dedicated EU4Health fund could be merged with broader instruments or removed entirely. Member states initially had created the standalone EU4Health programme, allocating EUR 5.3 billion, which was far more than the EUR 450 million of the previous 2014–2020 health programme. EU4Health supported various initiatives, including a EUR 1.3 million project to address nursing shortages in the region. Several EU officials hinted that EU4Health might be a one-time response. These hints prompt fears among lawmakers that flagship initiatives such as the Beating Cancer Plan could be absorbed into broader, less targeted funds. Croatia's Member of European Parliament (MEP) Tomislav Sokol warned that eliminating a health budget would weaken the EU’s ability to harmonise healthcare across member states and support future strategies like the Critical Medicines Act. In February 2024, the EU reallocated approximately EUR one billion from EU4Health to aid Ukraine, deepening concerns within the health sector. The Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR) urged continued EU investment in health ahead of the new budget proposal. Senior Vice President at AstraZeneca, Greg Rossi, warned that Europe was falling behind in life sciences, with declining R&D funding and a shift of clinical trials outside the continent. He emphasised that without specific EU health investments, innovation, healthcare, and competitiveness would suffer. The Commission announced plans to simplify and refocus the MFF by consolidating more than 50 programmes into fewer strategic ones, with clarity on health funding expected in the mid-July proposal. (Gerardo Fortuna, "EU long-term budget: Is health funding on the chopping block?" Euronews, 12 June 2025)
The US Congress budget cuts force the ESA to pause all projects with NASA
On 12 June, the European Space Agency (ESA) has not ruled out cancelling or pausing some space exploration programs if the US Congress approves proposed funding cuts to NASA. NASA’s 2026 budget draft plans cuts affecting 19 European-linked research projects. This cut in the budget could potentially disrupt technologies that the ESA provided for American lunar missions. ESA Director-General Josef Aschbacher confirms that no decisions were made at the time, but the agency had been ready to respond once US funding outcomes were clear. ESA’s Science Director Carole Mundell identified that funding pressures threatened three key collaborative missions, including LISA (gravitational-wave observatory), EnVision (Venus’s probe), and NewAthena (X-ray observatory), which would need recovery strategies. ESA had continued fulfilling its commitments for NASA-led Artemis missions. To ensure resilience, ESA began collaborating with industry and partners like the Canadian Space Agency to build alternative technologies domestically, such as replacing NASA-supplied instruments on the Rosalind Franklin rover (RHU and MOMA. ESA assessed the cost and timeline implications of replacing NASA components, noting that producing essential technologies in Europe would require significant development. Earlier reports indicated that ESA was evaluating the impact on broader programs like SLS, Orion, and the Gateway. Additionally, ESA was consulting with its 22 member states and NASA ahead of a June ESA Council meeting. (Anna Desmarais, "ESA may be forced to axe or freeze planned missions amid proposed NASA budget cuts," Euronews, 12 June 2025)
Ryanair to fine disruptive passengers EUR 500 for disruptive behavior
On 12 June, Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, to fine unruly passengers up to EUR 500 for their disruptive behaviour. It was because neither the airlines nor the other passengers were responsible for the disturbance other than the only passenger who caused this. According to them, these disruptions are only caused by a tiny number of unruly passengers. In an incident that took place in January, the airline imposed an EUR 15,000 fine on an unruly passenger because the flight scheduled from Glasgow to Kraków was diverted to Rzeszów, Poland. The airline even amended its terms and conditions to directly take money from the card used for booking, and even requested the EU to limit the sale of alcohol at airports.
(Louis Oelofse “Ryanair to fine unruly passengers €500 or more”,) Euronews, 12 June 2015
INTERNATIONAL
EU raises concerns over the US’ Big Beautiful Bill
On 12 June, the EU expressed its concerns over the US budget 2025. It has a new provision to levy 20 per cent taxes on US-sourced income received by foreign investors. The vice-chair of the European Parliament tax subcommittee opined that this provision taxes more on the EU than others. This was caused in retaliation for certain taxes imposed by the EU on US enterprises. The OECD agreement came into force on 01 January 2025 and was made to impose taxes on multinational companies with a global minimum of 15 per cent of taxes. This agreement has been approved by 140 countries by now. It would apply to MNCs within the EU. According to EU executive officials, this “Big Beautiful Bill” would affect foreign investors in US income tax by five per cent each year, increasing to 20 per cent in addition to existing taxes. Peggy Corlin(“EU targets Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' over tax provision in tariff talks,”) Euronews, 12 June 2025
ECHR ruling on the 2017 Libyan coastguard’s case confirms Italy is not liable
On 12 June, the European Court of Human Rights declared that Italy cannot be held liable for the actions of the Libyan coastguard. It was regarding a case of a group of migrants who were rescued in a sinking boat in 2017. The Libyan coastguard acted independently during a distress signal at that time, and since 2017, Italy has supplied Libya with funding, vessels, and training as part of an agreement to slow the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean. This group of migrants was rescued by the humanitarian organisation Sea Watch, which took them to Italy. This case was rejected as it was inadmissible according to the Strasbourg Court. They told the Italians that they didn't have “effective control” over the Tripoli coast and Libyan public authorities. This was an important detail that was used to dismiss the case. A ruling in favour of the 14 survivors could undermine the agreement between the EU, Libya, Turkey, and others. Gavin Blackburn (“Italy not liable for Libyan coastguard's actions in 2017 boat sinking, ECHR says,” Euronews, 12 June 2015)