Photo : Alexandru Dobre/AP Photo/picture alliance
By Neha Tresa George
ROMANIA
Far-right candidate leads the Presidential runoff with 22.94 per cent
On 24 November, Calin Georgescu an independent candidate defeated Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu in the first round of the presidential election with 22.94 per cent of votes. He is then set to face center-right opponent Elena Lasconi, leader of the opposition Save Romania Union who attained 19.18 per cent of votes, in the second runoff scheduled on 08 December. The results were unexpected as the pre-election polls showed Ciolacu as the forerunner. Georgescu, a former member of the far-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians party has been against the relationship with NATO. He claims that Romania’s best interests lay with “Russia’s wisdom.” However, he has not explicitly accepted his support to Russia or his extreme stances. He has portrayed himself as “completely dedicated to Romanians.” Meanwhile, Lasconi aims to point out her pro-western stance and support for NATO. (“Romania set for right-wing runoff after PM eliminated,” Deutsche Welle, 24 November 2024)
GERMANY
Business confidence ratings drop with the fall of the government
On 25 November, Deutsche Welle reported that the Ifo business climate index of Munich had calculated confidence in the German business world in November to be lower than that of October. This could push Germany’s economy as the worst performer among the G7 in 2024. Germany’s rating slipped from 86.5 in October to 85.7 in November. The index was calculated on the basis of 9000 companies in Europe. The president of the company Clemens Fuest said: “The German economy is lacking strength.” However, the business expectations had decreased from 87.3 to 87.2 which was remarkable given the collapse of the government. The index also pointed out that the incoming Trump administration would further impact Germany’s economy, especially trade. (“The German economy is lacking strength,” Deutsche Welle, 24 November 2024)
HUNGARY
Blood Plasma centres exploit the deprived population, says The Guardian
On 25 November, The Guardian reported the plight of the vulnerable population, whose means of living has become plasma donation. This new economy based on blood was particularly in north-eastern Hungary. For the poor and deprived population, especially gypsies, donating plasma was becoming a way of life. Over the past few years, over 40 new plasma centres have been established across the country. These centres which operate six days a week collect blood plasma of about 2600 litres a week. As per the law, donors are entitled to a payment of 7,500 forints (EUR 15.30) in cash. Since there are no regulations on bonuses and other incentives, the plasm centers have exploited this by offering points, bonuses, and lottery entries for frequent donations. There was no regulation in place to track how often the donors came although Hungarian law only allowed twice a week. The people travel long distances and visit different centres to maximise their income. It was also alleged that the medical centres did not verify the basic health requirements to increase the donors. (Hungary’s most deprived people donate blood plasma to survive – photo essay,” The Guardian¸24 November 2024)
ITALY
Education Minister comments on illegal immigration sparks controversy
On 25 November, Euronews reported on the widespread condemn sparked by the comments of Italy’s education minister Giuseppe Valditara on illegal immigration. He said: “We must not overlook the fact that the rise in incidents of sexual violence is somehow linked to forms of marginalisation and perversion stemming from illegal immigration.” These comments were made at the launch of a foundation honouring the 22-year-old Giulia Cecchetin who was kidnapped and murdered by her Italian ex-boyfriend in 2023. On this, Giulia’s sister responded and said that her sister was killed by an Italian man. Valditara was also criticised by Italian politicians, by pointing out the data from the Interior Ministry which showed that more than 80 per cent of femicides were done by Italian citizens. Data from Istat, Italy’s national statistics agency also showcased that there was an increase in the number of deaths in 2023 from 2022, the majority of which were committed by Italians. (James Thomas, “Fact check: Is illegal immigration to blame for rising sexual violence in Italy?” Euronews, 25 November 2024)
REGIONAL
Number of women experiencing sexual harassment has barely improved from 2014 says EIGE
On 25 November, Euronews reported on the survey submitted by the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), the European Gender Equality Institute (EIGE) and Eurostat. According to the data, around 50 million in the EU still experience sexual and physical violence at home, workplace and in public. FRA Director Sirpa Rautio said that nothing had changed from 2014 as the percentage of women (18-74 years) experiencing sexual violence has not gone down much. The number of women reporting cases increased in 14 member states while it decreased in 11 and remained the same in two. Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Denmark and Luxembourg have the highest reported cases of violence due to open discussions on these issues. Data on sexual harassment at work and home have also not changed, especially for women aged 18-29. Rautio noted the lack of implementation of rules in states and insufficient funding for shelters, services and data collection which worsened the situation. (Paula Soler, “Violence against women as 'worrying' in the EU as a decade ago,” Euronews, 25 November 2024)
EU states stall Serbia's accession process
On 25 November, Euronews reported that Serbia’s accession talks with the EU under the recommendation of Hungary were stopped. A group of EU countries like Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden refused the move proposed by Hungary. They highlighted Serbia’s track record on fundamental rights, problematic relations with neighbouring Kosovo and reluctance to impose sanctions on Russia. Hungary, being a strong supporter for Serbia’s accession to the EU tabled the proposal to bring it closer to the Cluster 3 of the accession process, covering eight chapters related to competitiveness and economic growth, such as taxation, monetary policy, employment, customs union and scientific research. Serbia’s free trade agreement with China was also one of the main points of contention. Although Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić expressed his commitment to join the EU, he confirmed to maintain good ties with Russia. (Jorge Liboreiro & Aida Sanchez, “Hungary's push for Serbia EU accession talks stalls,” Euronews, 25 November 2024)