Photo : Rferl.org
25 March 2024, Monday | NIAS Europe Daily Brief #790
This Week In History: 25 years since NATO’s air bombing of Yugoslavia
On 24 March marked the 25 years of NATOs air campaign on Serbian forces in Kosovo in an attempt to end the ethnic cleansing of Albanians. In Kosovo, one of its provinces, known as Yugoslavia, witnessed the first humanitarian intervention pushed by the US. The intervention began after Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic denial to sign to agree on an interim autonomy for Kosovo due to concerns over deployment of international forces in Yugoslavia. While the UN Security Council called it as violation of international law, the refusal sparked NATO’s intervention of 78 days till 10 June 1999. During this period, 14,000 bombs were dropped and 2,000 missiles fired, killing 2500 people and injury of 12,500. According to the statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry on 24 March, the interventions caused damage to many civilian infrastructures such as residential, hospitals, schools, mass transit vehicles and refugee groups. The intention of the air campaign was to force Milosevic to agree on ending the campaign against the Kosovo. By 10 June 1999, NATO’s air campaign ended with signing of the Kumanovo Agreement and the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. This resulted in ousting of Milosevic, withdrawal of all Yugoslav military forces and deployment of international peacekeepers. (“Far-Right Activists In Serbia Mark 25th Anniversary Of NATO Bombing,” rferl, 25 March 2024; “Foreign Ministry statement in connection with the 25th anniversary of NATO aggression against Yugoslavia,” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, 24 March 2024; Keida Kostreci “25 Years After NATO's Intervention, Serbia, Kosovo and the War in Ukraine,” Voanews, 23 March 2024; Maja Zivanovic and Serbeze Haxhiaj, “78 Days of Fear: Remembering NATO’s Bombing of Yugoslavia,” Balkan Insight, 22 March 2019)
GERMANY
Cannabis possession and home cultivation to be decriminalised from 01 April
On 22 March, Politico reported on the law decriminalising cannabis possession and home cultivation, passed in Bundesrat, the German chamber of federal states. According to the law, Adults over 18 years are allowed to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis and grow up to three plants at home. It also allows “cannabis clubs” to supply up to 500 members with a maximum monthly quantity of 50 grams per member. Cannabis clubs would also be subjected to regular inspections instead of annual inspections. Karl Lauterbach, German Health Minister remarked this law marks “the beginning of the end for the black market,” and asked to use the “new option responsibly.” Law garnered criticism stating the permitted amount of cannabis possession to be high and the lack of prohibition zones around schools and kindergartens. The decriminalisation law will be followed by the setting up of state-controlled cannabis sold in licensed shops, after the setting up of municipal five-year pilot programmes. (Peter Wilke, “Cannabis will be legal in Germany within days,” Politico, 22 March 2024)
IRELAND
Simon Harris to become Ireland’s youngest Prime Minister
On 24 March, according to Le Monde, Simon Harris is set to become Ireland’s youngest prime minister at 37 after he acquired the leadership of the Fine Gael party after receiving a series of endorsements from the party members. Simon Coveney, deputy leader of the Fine Gael party stated, “I think he's done a really good job in securing the leadership in as comprehensive a way as he has.” Harris, Ireland’s Further and Higher Education Minister, would be replacing Leo Varadkar as Prime Minister who resigned the previous week. Harris stated his commitment to the government programme agreed upon by the coalition of Fianna Fail and the Green Party. (“Simon Harris set to become Ireland's youngest prime minister,” Le Monde, 24 March 2024)
PORTUGAL
Luis Montenegro appointed as Prime Minister; Aims to form a minority government
On 21 March, according to Le Monde Luis Montenegro, the leader of the centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) was appointed as Portugal’s Prime Minister. AD won 79 seats in the 230-seat parliament followed by Socialist Party (PS) which won 77 seats. Montenegro would replace Antonio Costa from the Socialist Party as the prime minister. Although the Democratic Alliance has garnered the support of the Liberal Initiative party, it would still need to form a coalition with the anti-immigration party Chega to form a majority government. However, Montenegro aims to form a minority government, thus ruling out the coalition. Andre Ventura, leader of Chega has cautioned against rejecting the coalition as it would result in political instability. (“Luis Montenegro appointed Portugal's prime minister,” Le Monde, 21 March 2024)
RUSSIA
Soyuz rocket successfully launched to the International Space Station
On 23 March, Le Monde reported the successful launch of Soyuz, a Russian rocket carrying NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and the first Belarus astronaut Marina Vasilevskaya. The Soyuz rocket was scheduled to launch on 21 March from Kazakhstan but was aborted due to last minute voltage drop in a power source, as stated by Yuri Borisov, head of Roscomos, Russian space agency. Due to the delayed launch, the space capsule would now take a two-day 34-orbit journey, compared to the 2-orbit journey. The space capsule is expected to dock at the International Space Station at 1510 GMT on Monday. (“Russian Soyuz rocket successfully blasts off to ISS,” Le Monde, 23 March 2024)
SLOVAKIA
Pro-EU candidate Ivan Korčok wins first round in Presidential elections
On 23 March, according to Politico Pro-EU candidate Ivan Korčok won the first round in Slovakia’s Presidential elections with 42 per cent support from 99 districts. Peter Pellegrini, came in second with 37 per cent. The runoff ballot is scheduled to take place on 6 April. Korčok has previously held the portfolio of foreign minister from 2020-2023, permanent representative to the EU, and ambassador to Germany and the US. Peter Pellegrini has previously served as Slovak prime minister in 2018 and the speaker of the parliament since September’s general election. Pellegrini has agreed to hold multiple rounds of debates before the second round of elections.
SWITZERLAND
FSO reveals a rise in salaries while living costs remain higher
On 20 March, according to Swissinfo, the Federal Statistics Office (FSO) reported an increase in the median monthly pre-tax salary at 6,788 CHF in 2022, an increase of 123 CHF compared to 2020. The income gaps between different categories of earners, low, middle and top have been “relatively stable” while the report also indicated the gender pay gaps slowly narrowing. The gender pay gap was reduced to 9.5 per cent in 2022, compared to 11.5 per cent in 2018. Even as the salaries in Switzerland remain one of the highest in the world, the cost of living in Swiss cities such as Zurich and Geneva which rank as “most expensive cities” render such high incomes inadequate to meet living expenses. The tax and pension deductions, costly average rents (1,412 CHF per apartment in 2022), and rising health insurance and transportation costs make a dent in one’s salary. The report indicated that 14.5 per cent of the Swiss population is “at risk of poverty.” (Domhnall O’Sullivan, “Swiss salaries: high, stable, yet not enough for many, Swissinfo.ch, 20 March 2024)
THE UK
Wapsi group demands compensation over government’s failure to inform of changes in state pension age
On 21 March, the BBC reported on the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) which stated the government’s failure to inform women of the impact of changes to the state pension Act. Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group, demands compensation for 2.6 million women affected by the 2011 Pensions Act. The 2011 Pensions Act increased the qualifying age of women for the state pension to 65 years from the earlier 60 years. Waspi group believes that the changes were not adequately communicated to women, which resulted in longer work life for them. The act mostly affected the 300,000 women born between December 1953 and October 1954, who had to wait for an extra 18 months to reach their State pension age. Wapsi thus demands payment for those women who have attained the state retirement age and for women who await their state pension. This would amount to up to 36 billion pounds for the government. PHSO although cannot enforce compensation, it is responsible for investigating women’s complaints against the government. PHSO has asked for parliamentary intervention on the same. ( Jennifer Clarke, “Who are the Waspi women, and will they get compensation over state pension changes?” BBC, 21 March 2024)
INTERNATIONAL
French Senate rejects CETA deal
On 21 March, according to Euractiv, the French Senate rejected CETA, the trade deal between the EU and Canada owing to its potential impact on French livestock farming. The bill was rejected by the majority of the Senate with 211 votes to 255. Although the commercial part of the deal has been implemented since 2017, the EU needs the approval of its 27 member states to fully ratify CETA. Franck Riester, French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade insisted that the deal was “good for our economy, our businesses, our agriculture and our strategic relationship with Canada” quoting the 33 per cent increase in French exports to Canada in the last 6 years. However this claim was met with the criticism by Senator Laurent Duplomb of Les Républicains that the increase in exports was not in volume, but in value due to the inflation. The Veblen Institute highlighted that the trade between France and Canada had increased only 0.7 per cent in terms of volume between 2017 and 2022. The bill awaits debate and voting in the National Assembly which would determine if it gets ratified. Currently, 17 EU member states have ratified CETA, whereas Cyprus rejected the ratification. ( Hugo Struna, “French Senate rejects EU-Canada free trade deal,” Euractiv, 21 March 2024)