Photo : REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch
25 January 2024, Thursday | NIAS Europe Daily Brief #739
In Brief
By Rosemary Kurian
FRANCE
Two killed during the protest by farmers
On 24 January, the BBC reported on the death of a 35-year-old farmer and her 12-year-old daughter as a car crashed into a roadblock during a protest by farmers in Toulouse. In the south-west of France, one of its key agricultural regions, farmers have blocked roads to protest against EU climate policies and energy costs after a meeting with Gabriel Attal, the French Prime Minister. A report on the accident in its initial review suggests that the incident was not deliberate. The victim farmer was a member of the FNSEA farmers’ union, a key union leading the protests in France. The protesting farmers have been named “gilets verts’ (green jackets), holding the yellow jacket movement as a precursor. (Chris Bockman and Paul Kirby, “French protests: Female farmer and daughter killed as car hits French protesters”, BBC, 24 January 2024)
French MEP Hayer to lead Renew party in the EU Parliament
On 24 January, Politico reported on the decision by the Renew Party, the third largest in the European Parliament, to appoint the French MEP Valérie Hayer as the leader of the Renew Party, ahead of elections in June. The Renew party consists of centrist and liberal politicians and with Hayer, who is also co-leader to the Europe Delegation led by French President Emmanuel Macron, the party could potentially be under French control. Others interested in the post have conducted negotiations with Hayer and agreed to her nomination, in a group content with a single leader nomination. Since the rise of right and far-right parties in Europe, the Renew Party is expected to slide from third largest to the fourth or fifth position. (Eddy Wax, “French Renew MEP Valérie Hayer on course to lead European Parliament’s third-largest faction”, Politico, 24 January 2024)
GERMANY
Railway union calls for the longest strike in German history
On 24 January, the BBC reported on the strike called by the GDL rail drivers’ union as an extension of a long-standing dispute with the state-owned Deutsche Bahn (DB). The strike has been called for six days to force the government to fulfil the union’s demands of increasing their pay due to inflation and cutting their work hours without a pay cut. Until the strike ends, the DB has announced an emergency timetable of the rail schedule. Such a halt in railways, for a cumulative 136 hours, is the first in recorded history. Volker Wissing, the German Transport Minister, urged for dialogue with the union but offered no acceptable solution. The rail drivers are demanding the cutting of the work week from 38 to 35 hours without a pay cut. The strike has halted significant movement and could cost the German economy up to EUR 1 billion. The current offer by the DB is either a one hour cut in the work week with no pay cut or a rise in wage by 2.7 per cent. (Paul Kirby, “German train drivers stage longest strike on record,” BBC, 24 January 2024)
TURKEY
Parliament approves Sweden’s accession into NATO with 287 in favour
On 23 January, Politico reported on the decision by the Turkey’s parliament to ratify Sweden’s membership into NATO, with a majority of 287 votes to 55 in the assembly. Following the ratification, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkey’s Prime Minister, is expected to sign the final approval for accession. The diplomatic talks which went over 20 months concluded positively for Sweden, as Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary-General, focused his attention on getting Ankara’s approval as he expected Hungary to be a lesser problem. Erdoğan, however, turned out to be a lesser problem for Sweden than Viktor Orbán, the Hungary’s Prime Minister. Orbán is following the same disruptive strategy he follows in EU policy making, which leaders of NATO earlier considered an act for relevance. Orbán has shown his criticism over Sweden’s claim of democratic backsliding in Hungary. Orbán’s Hungary is the last NATO country in the 31-member military alliance to approve Sweden’s accession. Sweden left its policy of neutrality and approached NATO after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Stuart Lau and Leyla Aksu, “Turkey approves Sweden’s NATO bid, leaving Orbán as final holdout”, Politico, 23 January 2024)
REGIONAL
EU farmers express their frustration over the EU “technocrats”
On 24 January, Politico reported on the frustration of farmers protesting across the EU over the policy decisions made by “technocrats” in the EU, claiming that the EU’s climate-friendly policies were harming their livelihoods. Several French farmers are headed to the European Parliament to express their anger. The “over-regulation” by the EU through carbon emission cuts and high taxes have made farmers susceptible to unfair international competition. The EU’s decision to cancel import duties for grain from Ukraine due to the Russian invasion has led to protests in Romania and Poland due to unfair competition and threat to their source of income. The far-right parties have utilised the protests to propagate their agenda. Farmers suggest they are largely apolitical because they do not believe any party reaching them can help them as the EU “technocrats” “call the shots” in policies. (Nicolas Camut, “Frustrated farmers slam EU ‘technocrats’ who ‘call the shots’ in Brussels protest,” Politico, 24 January 2024)
INTERNATIONAL
Trump's victory could mean the end of NATO’s security in Europe says Daalder
On 25 January, Politico presented the opinion of Ivo Daalder, former US ambassador to NATO on the potential weakening of the NATO military alliance led by the US, if Trump is elected as the President of the US. During his previous term, Trump had warned that NATO was obsolete, therefore he would pull out American support. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the significance of NATO to Europe’s security was brought into light. If the US pulls out of the alliance, it will continue to exist, with most members being Europeans and Canada. However, it would lose its efficiency since many resources including the supreme commander of NATO have been US contributions. It would cease to be a formidable threat of deterrence to Russia, putting European security at risk. Even if an elected Trump does not pull out of the military alliance, it would weaken in its potential without a significant US presence, given Trump’s dislike towards most international alliances that invest in the security of other states. (Ivo Daalder, “What another Trump presidency would mean for NATO,” Politico, 25 January 2024)