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09 October 2024, Monday | NIAS Europe Daily Brief #958
By Samruddhi Pathak and Advik S Mohan
THE EU
Unclear stance persists over climate financing
On 08 October, Politico reported that the EU was unclear about the funding levels it was willing to contribute towards climate commitments. Finance ministers from across the EU approved funding for climate action but did not reveal the amounts of cash they were willing to contribute, ahead of the COP29 summit in November. The EU officials stated this was a deliberate negotiating tactic for the EU to make the precise amount of funding dependent on expansions in the group of donors. The make-up of the donor base and the overall structure of the funding target will also determine the final number related to funding. A statement by the EU acknowledged that developed countries must take the lead in providing climate financing, but also informed the precise amounts provided for climate financing by everyone including developing countries need to be reported. Industrialized countries, including from the EU had stated the position that developing economies like China with high levels of emissions must also contribute towards climate financing. (Zia Weise, “The EU’s (vague) climate aid stance: Want more money? Get more donors.,” Politico, 08 October 2024)
British PM Starmer meets EU President Von der Leyen
On 03 October, Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the UK, met Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the EU, for the first time since assuming office. Starmer said that his main objective is to rebuild ties after Brexit. The main issues addressed were irregular migration, energy security, defence cooperation and climate change. According to the BBC, the EU still struggles with the aftermath of Brexit. Negotiations following Brexit also involved time and resources. However, the relations have steadily improved since the war in Ukraine started. The Interior Ministries of France and Germany have urged the EU to conclude a formal agreement with the UK on irregular migration. Starmer also emphasised on removing trade barriers between the EU and the UK. The UK has asked for freedom of movement of foods and drinks. Meanwhile, EU members have urged for rights for fishing in the British waters. (Katya Adler, “PM goes to Brussels as he eyes closer UK-EU co-operation,” BBC, 03 October 2024)
Mechanisms for out-of-court settlements for social media disputes
On 08 October, the EU announced set up of a dispute settlement body for disputes between social media firms and their users. The new body is called the ‘Appeals Centre’. It is based in Dublin, Ireland and has been established under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA). The Act was introduced to curb illegal content like hate speech and disinformation. Thomas Hughes, former oversight board chief, will be CEO of the new body. The DSA aims to force the largest online companies to tackle illegal content or face fines of up to 6% of their global turnover. Meta has backed the creation of the Appeals Court and has also provided a grant of USD 130 million. Whenever a case is filed, the user will pay EUR five, which is refundable, and the company will pay EUR 100. Experts on the subject have clarified that this is a mechanism for holding tech companies accountable and not content moderation. (“EU creates 'Appeals Centre' to referee disputes with social media giants,” Le Monde, 08 October 2024)
Viktor Orban says Brexit changed internal balance of the EU
On 08 October, Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, said that the UK played a vital role in striking a balance between France, Germany and other countries who wanted greater cooperation in the EU and the UK and central European countries demanding more autonomy. He referred to the EU holding Hungary’s funds. He said that while the UK was in the EU, conditionality over membership was “unthinkable.” Viktor Orban will be speaking in the European Parliament on 09 October 2024. (Brexit ‘changed everything’ in the EU, says Orbán,” Politico, 08 October 2024)
ALBANIA
Protestors demand resignation of the government
On 08 October, Deutsche Welle reported on clashes occurred between protestors from opposition parties and the Albanian police. The protests were over corruption allegations against the current Government of Albania and the imprisonment of Ervin Salianji, an official from the opposition Democratic Party. Another demand was the release of Sali Berisha, the former Prime Minister of Albania from house arrest. Protestors demanded the replacement of the current government with a technocratic caretaker cabinet before general elections to be held next year. Protestors threw petrol bombs at government buildings, chanted slogans like Down with the dictatorship and burnt posters of Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of Albania. Police officers used tear gas against the protestors as they approached government buildings. The violent clashes come before the scheduled start of negotiations between the Albanian government and the EU over shared areas of interest in the rule of law, the functioning of democratic institutions, and the fight against corruption. (“Albania: Clashes as protestors call on government to resign,” Deutsche Welle, 08 October 2024)
ESTONIA
Boom in IT sector jobs, says a report
On 08 October, European Center for Entrepreneurship and Policy Reform (ECEPR) published a study that suggested that there has been a rise of 60 per cent in the jobs relating to the IT sector and creative sector since 2014. In 2024, there was an increase of 9.1 per cent. Estonia has a higher concentration of skilled labour than the Netherlands, Norway and Germany. Estonia has established, what the report calls, a knowledge-based economy. It has produced the best educational outcomes in Europe. The study also suggested that central and eastern European countries are having the highest concentration of knowledge-intensive jobs. These countries also offer competitive tax policies. In Portugal and Cyprus, knowledge-intensive jobs have doubled since 2014. Estonia’s high-tech manufacturing industry employs over 6,500 people while the IT services industry employs nearly 4,200 people. (International study: Estonia grows as a knowledge economy,” ERR News, 08 October 2024)
FRANCE
Authorities deport Osama bin Laden’s son from Normandy
On 08 October, Bruno Retailleau, the Interior Minister of France, informed the public through X that Omar bin Laden, son of Osama bin Laden, has been deported from a village in Normandy due to accusations of glorifying terrorism on social media. The sharing of posts was called a ‘Matter of National Security.’ According to local media reports, bin Laden is now residing in Qatar. Omar bin Laden has been living in Normandy since 2016 with his wife, who is a British national. French authorities have implemented a new measure called “obligation to leave French territory” which is used to deport foreign nationals. Omar bin Laden claims that his X account was hacked before the controversial post was made. The tweet was made on 02 May 2023. It called Osama bin Laden a martyr. Omar bin Laden was trained in Al-Qaeda camps from the age of 14. However, he claims that he left Al-Qaeda in 2000. (“France deports Osama Bin Laden's son from Normandy village,” Euronews, 08 October 2024)
Debate on secularism sparks after a student was taken under police custody
On 08 October, an 18-year-old student in Tourcoing, a city in northern France, was taken under police custody for assaulting a teacher. The teacher has asked the student to remove her hijab, and head scarf. The student pushed and slapped the teacher before leaving the school. Later, she was found in her house and has been arrested. Under the French principle of secularism, public institutions are supposed to maintain neutrality which means that students are forbidden from wearing religious symbols. The ban on headscarves imposed in 2004 has been criticised by several groups. Critics argue that the law unfairly affects the Muslim community and limits personal freedom. (“Violence in French school sparks debate on headscarf and secularism,” Euronews, 08 October 2024)
Michael Barnier can survive the no-confidence motion says an opinion in Euronews
On 09 October, the minority government led by Michael Barnier is set to survive the no-confidence motion as per . The no-confidence motion is tabled by the New Popular Front, the left-wing alliance, which has 192 lawmakers. The far-right National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, said that it will abstain from voting. Currently, the parliament is divided into three blocs, the left-leaning New Popular Front, the far-right National Rally and centrist allies of Emmanuel Macron’s party. The New Popular Front has displayed its dissatisfaction with Macron’s decision since Barnier’s party managed to win only five per cent of votes in the snap elections in July. Olivier Faure, a politician from the left-leaning Socialist Party, said that the vote is an opportunity to know "who is in the opposition and who is not."(“French government set to survive no confidence vote with support of far right,” Euronews, 08 October 2024)
THE UK
MI5 chief warns of significant threat from Russia
On 08 October, The Guardian reported that Ken McCallum, the Director-General of MI5 had stated the Government of the Russian Federation was engaging in a sabotage campaign against the UK. McCallum stated the GRU military intelligence agency from Russia was engaged in a “sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets.” McCallum also informed Russia relied on criminal networks to carry out disruptive attacks and arson and assassination and sabotage plots, since most of its spies were removed from the UK. Russian spy activity had increased after a chaotic period following the invasion of Ukraine when 750 Russian diplomats were expelled across Europe. The level of state-based investigations by MI5 which included Iran and China alongside Russia, increased by 48 per cent in the past one year. (Dan Sabbagh, “MI5 chief: UK facing growing threat from Islamic State, Russia and Iran,” The Guardian, 08 October 2024)
PM Starmer faces crisis of premiership 100 days into tenure says Politico
On 08 October, an op-ed in Politico informed Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom faced significant challenges 100 days into his tenure. The op-ed informed reports of political allies of the Labour Party being preferred for civil service jobs, acceptance of freebies from donors and lobbyists by government ministers, and discontent amongst special advisors to the UK government caused problems for the government, despite its substantial parliamentary majority. The removal of Sue Gray, the Chief of Staff for Starmer was an attempt by the Prime Minister to regain control over the situation. Discontent over the approach and methods utilized by Gray in government led to rivals briefing against her in the media and leaking information about her high salary. According to the op-ed, the removal of Gray is an example of the willingness of Starmer to remove alliances in order to move forward. Members of the Labour Party expressed confidence in Morgan McSweeney and James Lyons, the replacements for Gray appointed by Starmer to handle political communications. An anonymous Member of Parliament from Labour stated the appointments were a positive sign which indicated a shakeup amongst the top governmental ranks. Alex Thomas, Program Director at the Institute for Government think tank stated the appointment of a new head for the UK Civil Service would strengthen the government setup. The op-ed also stated it was urgent for Starmer to reveal a strong domestic agenda of governance for his government after the removal of Gray, to counter criticism. (Esther Webber, Stefan Boscia, and Sam Blewett, “Keir Starmer’s reset shows his premiership is already in crisis,” Politico, 08 October 2024)
INTERNATIONAL
China imposes tax on European brandy
On 08 October, China announced new tariffs on brandy imported from the EU. France has strongly criticised this move since French brandy manufacturers like Hennessy and Remy Martin. The owners of the two companies have said that these tariffs might be catastrophic for the industry. China’s commerce ministry has provided the justification that the imports are proving to be detrimental for its own brandy industry. The EU countries have called the tariffs as a tactic to get back at EU imposed tariffs on Chinese EVs. Sophie Primas, the Trade Minister of France, called it a “retaliatory measure” by China. She called it a contradiction to rules of international trade. France accounts for 99 per cent of the Brandy exported to China. (Tom Espiner, “China hits back at EU with brandy tax,” BBC, 08 October 2024)