Photo : PM Office/Vivien Cher Benko/Handout via REUTERS
09 May 2024, Thursday | NIAS Europe Daily Brief #829
By Shilpa Joseph
HUNGARY
Xi in Hungary: Budapest seeks more ties with Beijing for development in the multipolar world
On 08 May, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Hungary coincided with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two states. As Hungary’s presidency in the EU starts in July, Levente Horvath, director of the Eurasia Center at John von Neumann University spoke about the significance of China in the EU and the new world order. Hungary’s "Open to the East" policy has worked out well in the past 14 years and the state sought to diversify and cooperate in international relations and economic aspirations. Horvath highlighted the various levels of cooperation with China, including political connectivity, Trade, and People-to-people ties. He sought more developments in the BRI projects in Hungary like the successful railway project connecting Budapest and Belgrade.
On 08 May, ahead of reaching Hungary Xi issued a arrival statement at Budapest Airport. By appreciating the recent economic and social developments that Hungary went through, he reiterated the friendship and strategic cooperation between the two countries. Hungary was among the first to recognize China in 1949 when the PRC was founded and the two states established diplomatic ties in 2004, which celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2024. With China’s Belt and Road Initiative taking shape in Hungary, there have been frequent high-level exchanges, deepening mutual trust and people-to-people ties formed in recent years. Xi said: “Together, we have set a fine example of building a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation”. He also hopes to draw a new blueprint for cooperation and development, viewing the bilateral relations from a broad perspective and a long-term view.
Hungary strongly dissented from the de-risking approach of the EU and promised to promote Cooperation with China, as the best strategy for advancing in technology and innovation. Impressed by China’s growing EV sector, he encouraged more investments from Chinese companies in Hungary as it will lead to healthy competition. Hungary wanted to strengthen ties between Europe and Asia and change the EU-China relations while it holds the presidency. Horvath also opposed the Ukraine war and insisted on discussions to ensure peace. (Chen Qingqing and Bai Yunyi, “Exclusive: Hungary poised to play a positive role in China-EU relations under its upcoming EU presidency”, Global Times, 09 May 2024; “Arrival Statement by H.E. Xi Jinping President of the People’s Republic of China At Budapest Airport, Hungary”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, 09 May 2024)
FRANCE
Government claims on safety during Olympic construction questioned
On 08 May, a report published by The New York Times shed light on the construction hazards and migrant worker abuses that took place ahead of the Paris Olympics in 2024, which went unrecorded so as to put France in a good light, unlike the Qatar World Cup. There was a discord between the government data which shows no death and less than 200 injuries, when compared to other inspection records that reveal the dangerous conditions and suboptimal safety standards in the working sites. Many fatal accidents of labourers working legally are also omitted from the records. The French government has been accused of bending laws and reporting procedures when it comes to undocumented workers. Macron eliminated company safety boards and slashed inspection funding to streamline the burdensome bureaucracy. But they have increased the risk of working. The construction companies that employ illegal workers conceal many injury reports fearing legal repercussions. The migrants were forced to comply with their subcontractors so that they wouldn’t lose their jobs. (Sarah Hurtes, “France Says It Built the Olympics Safely. Migrant Workers Don’t Count.,” The New York Times, 08 May 2024)
NORTH MACEDONIA
Parliamentary Elections: The right-wing gains power
On 08 May, North Macedonia held its parliamentary elections and the initial results showed a clear victory for the right-wing opposition leader Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, who was backed by the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party. With a landslide victory with over 64.5 percent votes and 59 seats in the 120-seat parliament, the VMRO-DPMNE party headed by a 22-party coalition called "Your Macedonia,” won by capitalizing on the voters’ frustration at the incumbent government due to extreme corruption and lag in joining the EU. For the past two years, Bulgaria has vetoed North Macedonia's membership to the EU. However, the nationalist party had been vocal about refusing the Bulgarian demand to amend the constitution recognising the Bulgarian minority and raising the dispute with Greece over the country’s name. This puts the nation at risk for its longtime ambition of joining the EU, although efforts have been made since 2005 when North Macedonia became a candidate for accession to the EU. (“North Macedonia: Right-wing opposition set for big victory “, Deutsche Welle, 08 May 2024)
SCOTLAND
John Swinney elected as First Minister
On 07 May, the Scottish parliament appointed John Swinney as the new First Minister after he was named as the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP). The previous New Minister, Humza Yousaf, who took office in 2023, resigned after facing backlashes for ending a coalition deal with the Green Party. Following this, on 06 May, the SNP elected Swinney, who was a veteran who led the SNP from 2000 to 2004, as its new leader. In the parliament election, 64 lawmakers voted in favour of Swinney. Douglas Ross, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, came in closest to him with 31 votes. Nicola Sturgeon, the predecessor to Yousaf, warned the leader about a rocky path ahead, since the domestic politics was difficult, as the Labour Party is on the rise and internal party divisions could see the SNP lose UK parliamentary seats in the upcoming election. (“Scotland's parliament elects John Swinney first minister,” Deutsche Welle, 07 May 2024)
SWEDEN
Greta Thunberg fined for disobeying police orders in a protest
On 08 May, a Stockholm court charged 6,000 Swedish crowns for two counts of civil disobedience, on Greta Thunberg, a young Swedish climate activist. Thunberg began the “Fridays for Future” movement at the age of 15 when she skipped school to stage a protest outside the Swedish parliament. Thunberg was charged as she disobeyed police orders during two demonstrations in front of Sweden's Parliament in March 2024, demanding that action be taken against climate change. The activists of a day long series of protests blocked the main entrance of the parliament building despite an order from the police to leave. By justifying her refusal to relocate, she said: "There was a (climate) emergency and there still is. And in an emergency, we all have a duty to act." She also demanded reforms in the current laws that protect extractive industries rather than the people and the planet. (“Greta Thunberg fined over Stockholm protest,” Deutsche Welle, 08 May 2024)