Photo : AFP/ Le Monde
24 June 2024, Monday I NIAS Europe Daily Brief #868
By Govind Anoop and Ken B Varghese
FRANCE
Macron announces his stay till 2027, promises change
On 23 June, Emmanuel Macron, President of France, announced that he would stay in his position regardless of the outcome of the snap parliamentary elections that was called by him earlier this month. In an open letter, Macron wrote "The incoming government, which will necessarily reflect your vote, will I hope to resemble the various republicans who will have shown the courage to oppose the extremes”. This comes after the Far-Right’s victory in the European Parliamentary elections. Polls suggest that Marine Le Pen and the far-right Rassemblement National would be victorious in the snap elections as well. Le Pen stated that Macron’s resignation was necessary to avoid the possibility of a hung parliament for the remainder of his term. While Macron acknowledged the decision to call the snap polls may have caused a kerfuffle, he believed that the elections would only answer the question of “who should govern France?” (“French elections: Macron pledges 'change' and to 'act until 2027' in open letter”, Le Monde, 23 June 2024)
New Caledonia faces a fresh surge of riots
On 23 June, France 24 reported on re-emergence of riots across several buildings including the police station and town halls in New Caledonia. According to the French High Commission: “The night was... marked by unrest throughout the mainland and on the island of Pins and Mare, requiring the intervention of numerous reinforcements: with attacks on the police, arson and roadblocks." The unrest left nine dead and infrastructural damage of EUR 1.5 billion. In response, French government sent 3000 troops and police. The High Commission also confirmed on extinguishing several fires in Ducos and Magenta. He also added on destruction and attempted fires several places in Paita, in the Noumea suburbs. On 24 June, many schools were closed due to this riot and on 22 June seven activists linked to May months riots were sent to the mainland for pre-trial detention. (“Buildings burned, police attacked amid renewed unrest in New Caledonia,” FRANCE 24, 23 June 2024)
Women rights supporters march against the far-right party
On 23 June, thousands rallied in France to denounce the far-right National Party calling it “false feminism” and the “real danger” to women rights. The rally comes ahead of the French snap parliamentary election, organised by the French women’s associations, NGOs and trade Unions, due to fears over rollback in women rights, especially reproductive rights if the National Rally (NR) wins in the 2024 elections. According to the latest polls, the NR leads while the Left-wing New Popular front comes second. Despite the constitutional guarantee, women rights supporters fear that rights will slowly disappear. Shirley Wirden, officer in charge of women's rights at the French Communist Party said: “During the debates around making abortion a constitutional right, we could well observe how the far-right deputies were very uncomfortable with the subject, they were calling for filling the cribs with French babies.” According to the Police reports, 13000 had participated in the rally, while the organisers estimated 75000 people. Due to the rise of the Far-Right in several parts of the EU member states. Sarah Durocher, President of Planning Familial, a reproductive rights NGO, stated “Every time the far right comes to power somewhere, it attacks the right to abortion, so I don't see why there should be any French exception." Similar rallies were held in around 50 cities across France. (French women’s rights supporters march against far-right ahead of snap polls FRANCE 24, 23 June 2024)
ROMANIA
Romanian air base to become to biggest in NATO
On 23 June, BBC reported on Romania’s Mihai Kogalniceanu (MK) airbase possibly transforming into the biggest NATO base in Europe, surpassing Ramstein in Germany. The development comes after Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, justified his invasion of Ukraine with the reason that NATO was encroaching on Russia’s borders with Europe. The MK base is set to have a squadron of F-16s and MQ-9 Reaper drones and a military city which will be host to a rotation of Army, Navy and Air Force personnel of NATO. Reports of Russia’s drones going into Odesa have come from observers in the base and while NATO jets have typically avoided conflict with Russians, two known incidents have taken place over the Black Sea. Firstly, in September 2022 when a Russian pilot misunderstood a command and attempted to shoot down a British Intelligence-gathering plane and secondly, in March 2023, when a Romanian Reaper drone was deliberately brought down by a Russian Flanker jet. (“Romanian village set to become Nato's biggest air base in Europe”, BBC, 23 June 2024)
RUSSIA
Gunmen attacks synagogue and churches in Dagestan
On 23 June, Gunmen in Russia attacked churches and synagogues, killing a priest, six officers, and members of the National Guard according to security officials. The attack took place in Dagestan and in the coastal city of Derbent, where gunfights were ongoing. The Russian Investigative Committee said that it had opened criminal probes over an “act of terror,” while the hunt for the gunmen continues. Dagestan’s interior ministry said it had killed two of the gunmen in Makhachkala. According to the National Antiterrorism Committee: “This evening in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala armed attacks were carried out on two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police check-point.” Dagestan's interior ministry stated that all six officers had been killed and another 12 wounded in the attack. Russia’s National Guard said one of its officers were killed and the rest was hurt. While Russia’s FSB security services in April stated that it had arrested four people from Dagestan suspected of plotting an attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall concert venue in March, which was later backed and climbed by the Islamic state. (Gunmen in Russia’s Dagestan attack churches, synagogue and police post,” FRANCE 24, 23 June 2024)
INTERNATIONAL
EU, China to negotiate tariff on Chinese EV
On 23 June, the EU and China conducted a call where officials discussed the frictions over the tariffs on Chinese electric cars and they agreed to conduct further discussions. This is the first time that both sides agreed to negotiate after the EU threatened to apply tariffs of up to 38 per cent on Electric vehicles (EVs). However, while Valdis Dombrovskis, Trade Commissioner of the EU and his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao agreed to “continue to engage at all levels in the coming weeks”, the EU still insisted on the outcome of the negotiations addressing the “injurious subsidisation” of Chinese EVs. China disagreed with the EU and fiercely opposed the tariffs. It also threatened the EU to file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Germany and leading car manufacturers have been critical of the tariffs which have increased the rate levied on EU vehicles from 10 percent to a range from 17.4 to 38.1 percent. (“China and EU to hold talks on electric car tariffs”, BBC, 23 June 2024)