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18 November 2021, Thursday | NIAS Europe Daily Brief #46
IN FOCUS
By Joeana Cera Matthews
Bulgaria: More instability, despite the third Parliamentary elections in 2021
On 10 September, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev announced that the country would be holding its parliamentary elections on 14 November. The presidential elections were also scheduled for the same date.
On 14 November, preliminary polls declared the 'We Continue the Change' (PP) party winning 26.3 percent of the votes while the ruling GERB party followed with 21.4 percent.
One year, three elections
This is Bulgaria's third general election in 2021. The previous two elections were held in April and July. These elections resulted in fragmented parliaments that could not prove a majority or build a successful coalition. The opinion polls for the November elections, as well, suggested an inconclusive verdict that had possibilities of swinging both ways. The centre-right GERB party was disestablished via a rule-of-law crisis in April. This began the electoral processes in Bulgaria.
Three Issues
First, the emergence of a new face. The November elections saw the emergence of a new centrist anti-graft party called the We Continue the Change (PP). A party recently founded by two Harvard graduates Kiril Petkov and Asen Vassilev garnered quick support owing to its tough stance on corruption, and promises to bring about transparency along with reforms in the key sectors of the country's economy.
Second, the conflict of interests. There also exists quite a lot of internal differences among the political parties in Bulgaria. Protests were seen after allegations of corruption were made in opposition to former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's government. The existence of a mafia more powerful than the law is and the government is also a matter of concern.
Third, crucial elections. The latest elections were crucial given the worsening COVID-19 situation in the country and the waning economy. Being the least-vaccinated country in the EU, this election is key to retrieving Bulgaria's diminishing stability. It would also aid Bulgaria in figuring out a feasible solution for its COVID-19 problem. The surging energy prices also concern the Bulgarians.
The Road Ahead for Bulgaria
First, not yet a success. Petkov's win via the initial count implies that he will be provided with a mandate to form the new government. There is no surety of creating a successful coalition, especially given the fact that the partial results pointed towards an increase in the fragmentation.
Second, Petkov's hopes. Petkov hopes for a new Bulgaria. Addressing the media, he said: "Bulgaria is starting out on a new road and we will succeed in developing the full potential of this country." A successful result to the coalition talks is the only confirmation of a win. Interviewing with the Dnevnik newspaper, Petkov and Vassilev declared they had been nominated by the party for the posts of prime minister and finance minister respectively. The Democratic Bulgaria party, the There is Such a People, and the Socialists are presently being considered as potential coalition partners for the PP party.
References:
"Bulgaria's new anti-graft party holds narrow lead in parliamentary vote," France24, 15 November 2021.
Christian Oliver, "Kiril Petkov is the big winner of the night in Bulgarian election," POLITICO, 14 November 2021.
Christian Oliver, "How Bulgaria became the EU's mafia state," POLITICO, 09 September 2021.
Tsvetelia Tsolova, "New centrist party wins Bulgarian election, could end months of deadlock," Reuters, 15 November 2021.
IN BRIEF
By Vaishnavi Iyer and Padmashree Anandhan
ESTONIA
Estonia Government to carry out military exercise in the Polish-Belarusian border
On 17 November, the government in Tallinn said that new fences will be constructed across the border it shares with Russia. Till now the 1,700 guards were positioned as part of military exercise to install barricades due to migrant movement in the Polish-Belarusian border. According to the Estonian government "the barriers will be erected in the border areas that have previously been used by organized crime to facilitate illegal migration." The military exercise in Estonia is said to take place till 25 November and has been modelled to assess the rapid response of the national defense chain of command. (Thibault Spirlet, "Estonia to build new barriers on Russian border," Politico, 17 November 2021)
SWITZERLAND
Federal Council of Switzerland passes amendment allowing same-sex couples to get married
On 17 November, the Federal Council of Switzerland has announced that same-sex couples can get married as of 1 July 2022. In the voting process, two-thirds of the country were in favour of the nationwide referendum. Upon which the Justice and Police Minister Karin Keller-Sutter went forward to put the vote in practise. The announcement means the same-sex couples can now get married and those who has registered their partnership can convert it to marriage. All they need is to submit a joint declaration to the registrar for conversion. The co-president of the Marriage for All campaign said that "We have been fighting for marriage equality for 30 years and the referendum result was a historic moment." (Thibault Spirlet, "Switzerland to implement same-sex marriage in July 2022," Politico, 17 November 2021)
ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN
Armenian and Azerbaijani troops open fire over the agreed ceasefire
On 16 November, Armenian and Azerbaijani troops exchanged skirmishes breaking the Russian brokered ceasefire. The clash took place again rekindling the war against Nagorno-Karabakh region. After the intervention of the Russian Defense Minister, the fight came to a stop. The Armenia's Prime Minister has accused Azerbaijan for targeting its statehood, sovereignty, and Independence. Armenia has now appealed to its ally Russia to protect its territorial integrity. The Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed on the same to "Continue Contracts." The French Foreign Ministry released a statement on the incident expressing "deep concern and called on all parties to respect the agreements that were reached in November 2020." ("Armenia-Azerbaijan ceasefire holds one day after deadly border clashes," France 24, 17 November 2021)
ITALY
Israel halts the return of a six-year old cable car victim
The repatriation of a six-year-old boy who survived a cable car tragedy in Italy to his relatives in Italy has been put on hold until Israel's supreme court determines whether to appeal the decision by family members in Israel. When a cable vehicle drove into a mountain in northern Italy in May, Eitan Biran's parents and younger sibling were among 14 lives lost. The court will determine whether or not to hear the appeal in coming weeks, and a hold on Biran's return to Italy has been issued. Last month, an Israeli court ordered Eitan to be sent back to Italy, calling it his "place of normal residence" and requested the grandfather, Shmuel Peleg, to pay 20,000 USD as attorney fees. Eitan's paternal relatives claim he was taken without their permission, and have launched a court lawsuit in Italy for his return. International arrest order for Peleg was issued by an Italian judge earlier this month. ("Israeli court halts return to Italy of boy who survived cable car crash," The Guardian, 17 November 2021)
GERMANY
Merkel stresses on Chinese technological cooperation
Anglea Merkel, the German chancellor, has stated that Europe should not break off research and development collaboration with China. Intellectual property protection, on the other hand, remains a significant concern. Despite concerns about Chinese surveillance and technology theft at German universities, Merkel stated that China remained a significant contributor to research and business. Merkel noted that when it comes to protecting essential infrastructure, standards should stay high, and she referenced Germany's new IT security law. The IT Security Act 2.0 offers the government more authority over device manufacturers for next-generation telecommunications networks, such as Huawei of China.Admitting that Germany was naive concerning its partnerships over the years with China. She said : "We can learn a lot from each other. Total decoupling wouldn't be right in my view, it would be damaging for us". She also noted that the US and China were superior in innovation technology and that Europe must continue working towards larger domains of quantum computing and artificial intelligence. ("Germany's Merkel warns against Europe' decoupling' from China," Deutsche Welle, 17 November 2021)
CLIMATE CHANGE
Germany's bottle disposing system turns climate friendly
As per the mechanism, a wholesaler transports empty bottles into the treatment facility. They are then sorted with other bottles of the same shape before being delivered to a producer who utilizes that particular type of bottle. The bottles are then cleaned, filled, and returned to a store shelf for repurchase. According to the German Environment Agency (UBA), a glass bottle can be refilled up to 50 times without losing quality. It gives a re-use rate of 25 for reusable plastic bottles.Single-use bottles, on the other hand, are taken to a recycling center, where they're shredded and transformed into pellets, which are then used to make new plastic bottles, textiles, and other plastic products like detergent containers.
According to Gerhard Kotschik, a packaging specialist with UBA, the deposit system for both reusable and single-use bottles saves raw materials, energy, and CO2 emissions, primarily by reducing the fossil fuels used to manufacture new bottles. The system currently uses 70 per cent less virgin PET material. Similar deposit schemes have been pushed by environmental groups for tetra packs and other packaging materials. The climate friendly option is soon set to be used in Spain. ( Irene Banos Ruiz and Jeannette Cwienk, "How does Germany's bottle deposit scheme work?," Deutsche Welle, 17 November 2021)
BELARUS
Lukashenko agrees to negotiate the border issues with the EU
On 17 November, According to Belarus' state-run Belta news agency, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus agreed that the problem on the Belarus-Poland border must be resolved through negotiation between EU and Belarusian authorities. Merkel's spokesperson, Steffen Seibert, said that Merkel emphasised the importance of the UN and EU organising humanitarian relief and repatriation facilities to assist the impacted people. The G7 foreign ministers also issued a joint statement on Thursday, urging Belarus to promptly stop the migration situation. ("Belarus: Lukashenko agrees to EU talks on ending migrant standoff," Deutsche Welle, 17 November 2021)
Decathlon stop selling canoes in northern France to prevent migrant crossings
Recently the French police raided a migrant camp that held 1,000 people. Due to which close to 1,185 migrants crossed over the English Channel using small boats and canoes. The crossings have triggered tensions between London and Paris. Upon this the sports equipment retailer has stopped the sale of Canoes to the north of France as it believes it might be used by the migrants in the crossings to reach England. The French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has said that "Britain should stop using us as a punch-ball in their domestic politics." ("Decathlon stops selling canoes in northern France to prevent migrant crossings," France 24, 17 November 2021)