Photo : REUTERS/May James
IN FOCUS
By Ashwin Dhanabalan
The UK: Boris Johnson and the Partygate scandal
According to France24 and the BBC reports, about 10-16 parties were held by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, while the country faced lockdowns or restrictions. They spanned from 15 May 2020 to 16 April 2021 and had broken multiple laws that may have been subjected to fines or even arrests if it was for an ordinary individual.
The one on 15 May 2020 showed Johnson at Downing Street garden with bottles of wine, surrounded by his staff and his wife. Johnson justified the gathering by saying it was a work-related event, but laws then were stringent, and one could not even leave their house without a strong reason. The other case was on 16 April 2021, when the UK was mourning the death of Prince Philip. At that time, the rules in London were eased, but socializing indoors with people from other households was strictly prohibited. However, during that time, two parties were being held at Downing street, the night before Prince Philip's funeral. But, the evidence noted that Johnson did not attend either of the two parties.
Role of Sue Gray's report and Johnson's response
Sue Gray is a senior civil servant who led the ethics team for six years, which adviced the government's divisions. She has been investigating the alleged COVID-19 laws broken at Downing Street. Her report was a compilation of factual accounts on the gatherings and the laws broken, which were to be presented to the Parliament. Even former officials at the Cabinet office praised her, saying: "Sue has been there for so long, she knows everything that anybody has ever done wrong."
Her investigation in 2017 had forced Senior Minister Damian Green to step down after her reports had found inaccurate statements over clams in the case. The recent report did find "failures of leadership and judgment." However, the report did not live up to its expectations as it provided little details about the 16 parties held. Additionally, there was a jurisdictional issue as 12 parties were not held in government buildings and are to be investigated by London's Metropolitan Police as a subject of a criminal investigation.
Johnson responded to the report and its findings saying: “I get it, and I will fix it." He further promised to reorganize Downing Street and assured the Parliament, and said: "It's whether this government can be trusted to deliver. And I say, Mr. Speaker, yes, we can be trusted."
The Parliament's reaction
Many members of the Parliament had reached a boiling point with the partygate scandals. MP Theresa May said people: "had a right to expect their prime minister to have read the rules, to understand the meaning of the rules" and "set an example." MP Aaron Bell also mentioned how at the same time, he had to attend his grandmother's funeral in May 2020 and due to the restrictions, he was not able to hug his siblings or parents at the funeral. He further said: "Does the prime minister think I'm a fool?" as he felt let down by the parties being held as many were mourning their losses. MP Angella Richardson was deeply disappointed by the wrongdoing of the PM and felt it had taken too long for Johnson to acknowledge his mistakes, so she decided to resign from her post in protest. The situation may favor Johnson for now, but once the police submits the report, there will be further investigations.
References:
Aubrey Allegretti, "Tory MPs are frogs in boiling water amid Johnson's 'partygate' defence," The Guardian, 31 January 2022.
Karla Adam and William Booth, "Downing Street gatherings during UK lockdowns' difficult to justify,' report finds," The Washington Post, 31 January 2022.
Tom Edgington, "Downing Street parties: What Covid rules were broken?," BBC, 31 January 2022.
"Boris Johnson: 'Partygate' report finds serious failures of leadership," Deutsche Welle, 31 January 2022.
"UK 'partygate': A timeline of Boris Johnson's lockdown scandals," France24, 26 January 2022.
"Downing Street party: Who is Sue Gray and what is she investigating?," BBC, 13 January 2022.
IN BRIEF
By Joeana Cera Matthews and Padmashree Anandhan
REGIONAL
Ukraine: Putin responds to standoff, expresses “disappointment”
On 01 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Moscow. The first in-person meeting since the escalation between Putin and an EU leader saw the former commenting on the standoff for the first time since 23 December 2021. Putin expressed that the Kremlin’s demands were simply “ignored”. He accused the US of being more interested in “containing Russian development” than being concerned about Ukraine’s security. There was a call by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for governments to adhere to the 1999 agreement, the violation of which was the basis of the Ukraine crisis. Meanwhile, Orban ended the joint press conference stating the “substantial” differences could be bridged. (Natalia Zinets and Vladimir Soldatkin, “Putin says West has ′ignored′ Russia′s security concerns,” Reuters, 02 February 2022)
CLIMATE
EU auditors warn high taxing of renewable energies over fossil fuels
On 31 January, external auditors of the EU reviewed the carbon pricing measures, energy taxation levels and energy subsidies and warned that the taxing of the energy resources are in contrast to the climate goals of the EU countries. The European Court of Auditors discovered that most polluting energy sources get the tax advantage compared to those working under carbon efficiency. The fossil fuels are being taxed less than the electricity which are produced at low-carbon sources. They also indicated that the subsidies to renewable energy have tripled from 2008 to 2019. (“EU auditor: Fossil fuels get more tax breaks than renewables,” Euronews, 31 January 2022)
Portugal closes down hydroelectric dams due to water scarcity
On 02 February, Portugal authorities temporarily disabled the supply of water to a few hydropower dams to save it for civilian purposes. According to the Portuguese Institute of Meteorology (IPMA), Portugal, which was facing drought at minimal level, had now deteriorated to extreme levels. So far, five hydroelectric dams in Portugal have been closed and irrigation has been stopped to ensure drinking water is available for at least next two years. The move has raised worries amongst the farmers as they fear the drought conditions might affect their crops and cattle. (“Portugal limits hydroelectric power amid unusual winter drought,” Euro News, 02 February 2022)
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Social media firms file suit against new laws by Germany
On 02 February, big social media companies Facebook (Meta), YouTube, Twitter and TikTok have come together to file suit against new rules in the Moderation law of Germany called NetzDG. The new rules aim to fasten the identification and prosecution of hate crimes after the far-right attacks in Halle. The tech companies have argued that this law will risk people’s privacy and rights. Recently, Germany has been in constant clash with the social media platforms, as the German politicians have been on the peak of online hatred and misinformation. Germany’s impasse with social media big firms also sends a signal to the EU which is reforming its Digital Services Act. (“Big Tech takes on Germany,” Politico, 02 February 2022)
INTERNATIONAL
Ukraine: US troops to be deployed in eastern Europe
On 02 February, US President Joe Biden agreed to deploy troops in eastern Europe. While 2,000 soldiers are expected to be deployed to Poland and Germany, an additional 1,000 troops will be deployed from Germany to Romania. The Pentagon spokesperson said: “They are not permanent moves. They respond to current conditions.” The Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak appreciated the decision, stating: “Strengthening the US presence in Poland by 1,700 troops is a strong signal of solidarity in response to possible Russian aggression against Ukraine.” Eastern Europe already has 60,000 US troops deployed in the region. (“US to send more troops to Germany, Poland,” Deutsche Welle, 02 February 2022)
Ukraine: US and UK consider further sanctions on Russia
On 31 January, the US declared that if Russia were to invade Ukraine, the imposition of sanctions on the former would include those close to President Vladimir Putin. The White House spokesperson elaborated: “The individuals we have identified are in or near the inner circles of the Kremlin and play a role in government decision making or are at a minimum complicit in the Kremlin's destabilizing behavior.” The UK’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also warned of multiple deterrence measures being considered in the face of a Russian invasion. The Kremlin spokesperson responded to this: “It's not often you see or hear such direct threats to attack business," he said. "An attack by a given country on Russian business implies retaliatory measures, and these measures will be formulated based on our interests if necessary.” (“https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-russia-crisis-us-uk-threaten-sanctions-on-putins-friends/a-60615753,” Deutsche Welle, 31 January 2022)