News from across Europe

[AlbertC]

Poland: New legislation treats sex education as 'pedophilia'

New legislation tabled by the right-wing Polish government would ban sex education and criminalize "the promotion of underage sexual activity." Teachers who flout the ban could face up to five years in prison.

Date 16.10.2019
Author Elliot Douglas

New Polish bill treats sex ed as 'pedophilia' – DW – 10/16/2019

New legislation tabled by the right-wing Polish government would ban sex education and criminalize "the promotion of underage sexual activity." Teachers who flout the ban could face up to five years in prison.

www.dw.com

 

[AlbertC]

I have family in Hungary who lived through Communism, my Grandmother fled Hungary during the 1956 Revolution and I have cousins who fled Hungary via Austria in 1989. They all believe Hungary was better off during Communism than it was after Soviet Union collapsed. .

That view is changing now that the EU has come into play but the older generation still remembers the days where the state gave a good pension, treated the people well and provided for them. Now that communism has fallen, Hungary is a small fish in a big tank. They are not as important as they once were and the quality of life has gone down. Slowly things are getting better thanks to the EU but it is not as it once was.

The New York Times with an article today on this exact topic about Hungary:

Opinion | The Case for Populism (Published 2019)

Hungary’s history under Communism and a domineering European Union illustrates why we have chosen a nonliberal path.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Towered]

I have family in Hungary who lived through Communism, my Grandmother fled Hungary during the 1956 Revolution and I have cousins who fled Hungary via Austria in 1989. They all believe Hungary was better off during Communism than it was after Soviet Union collapsed. .

That view is changing now that the EU has come into play but the older generation still remembers the days where the state gave a good pension, treated the people well and provided for them. Now that communism has fallen, Hungary is a small fish in a big tank. They are not as important as they once were and the quality of life has gone down. Slowly things are getting better thanks to the EU but it is not as it once was.

Hungary hasn't been important for 100 years, and even then its debatable because they played second fiddle in the Austro-Hungarian empire for centuries.

 

[Richard White]

Hungary hasn't been important for 100 years, and even then its debatable because they played second fiddle in the Austro-Hungarian empire for centuries.

No but as part of the USSR (Satellite State) they had a bit more clout.. they were treated well but were a somewhat independent country.

 

[AlbertC]

Violence erupts after pro-Catalan general strike in Barcelona

Protesters set fire to bins and chant ‘The streets will always be ours’ in fifth night of rioting

Stephen Burgen in Barcelona and Sam Jones in Madrid
Fri 18 Oct 2019 18.13 BST

Violence erupts after pro-Catalan general strike in Barcelona

Protesters set fire to bins and chant ‘The streets will always be ours’ in fifth night of rioting

www.theguardian.com

 

[AlbertC]

German officials present plan to combat anti-Semitic violence, far-right extremism

Interior officials have presented measures to fight extremism following last week's synagogue shooting. Proposed measures included extra protection for synagogues and fast-tracking investigations of anti-Semitic crime.

Germany introduces plan to combat anti-Semitic violence – DW – 10/18/2019

Interior officials have presented measures to fight extremism following last week's synagogue shooting. Proposed measures included extra protection for synagogues and fast-tracking investigations of anti-Semitic crime.

m.dw.com

US imposes record $7.5 billion tariffs on European goods

Cheese, wine, olives and many other European goods are now subject to fresh US tariffs in a row over EU subsidies to Airbus. As Brussels threatens retaliation, Germany urges progress in talks for a US-EU trade deal.

US imposes record tariffs on European goods – DW – 10/18/2019

Cheese, wine, olives and many other European goods are now subject to fresh US tariffs in a row over EU subsidies to Airbus. As Brussels threatens retaliation, Germany urges progress in talks for a US-EU trade deal.

m.dw.com

 

[AlbertC]

Spanish state repression in Catalonia may be shocking – but it’s nothing new

As we learned in the Basque country, true democracy requires there to be peace on both sides

Arnaldo Otegi

Spanish state repression in Catalonia may be shocking – but it’s nothing new | Arnaldo Otegi

As we learned in the Basque country, true democracy requires there to be peace on both sides, says Basque leader Arnaldo Otegi

www.theguardian.com

 

[AlbertC]

Spanish police clash with thousands of Catalan protesters in Barcelona

Police charge 10,000-strong crowd as pro-independence demonstration turns violent
Agencies

Sun 27 Oct 2019 04.13 GMT Last modified on Sun 27 Oct 2019 04.21 GMT

Spanish police clash with thousands of Catalan protesters in Barcelona

Police charge 10,000-strong crowd as pro-independence demonstration turns violent

www.theguardian.com

 

[Northern Light]

As noted in the Latin American thread; you have elites in one part of the world who never quite grasped sharing power, privilege and wealth sufficiently to bring their economies and nations fully into the family of developed world nations; While in Europe and the U.S. (and here if we're not careful) you have elites who want to roll back many of things that brought such wealth to their nations.

Fomenting nationalism is at odds w/the European project.

But at the same time, the E-U. has been more focused on liberalized trade and free flows of capital than on protecting the middle/working class and raising standards of living for a generation.

They were never honest with (themselves?) or Southern/Eastern Europe about the scale/scope of change required of nations in an integrated Europe and the impacts of internal migration and economic modernization.

Rather than insist ( support) less well off nations/areas in coming to terms w/the change, they've allowed, if not promoted mass internal migration as the way of dealing w/it.

This has exacerbated social tensions, rather than easing them.

I see nothing w/one Europe in the medium and longer term, less tribalism would be a good thing. But for a continent rife with a history of revolutions, their memories seem all too short. Radical change breeds backlash.

Further, since enshrining the E-U. minimum of 4 weeks paid vacation, there's been little move to upward harmonize either labour standards or social spending.

Indeed, if anything, there's been downward pressure, particularly on pensions. The latter is understandable giving an aging, but increasingly long-lived population.

But its the absence of a cushion in some places (Greece) and the absence of an obvious long-term benefit in others {France) that are putting enormous strains on Europe.

We again need to be aware of this here. We're in a comparatively better position as a country than many; but self-satisfaction will not help that. There are social fishers in need of addressing, sooner, rather than later.

 

[AlbertC]

Germany announces plans to combat far-right extremism and online hate speech

By Kate Brady (Berlin)

After the deadly attack on a synagogue and killing of a politician, the German government has set out its new measures to tackle far-right extremist violence. Opposition politicians say the plans are long overdue.

Tightening of gun laws, more protection for political figures at all levels and an obligation to report online criminal content for social media networks such as Facebook, Youtube and Twitter: those were just some of the measures announced by the German government on Wednesday as part of a new strategy which aims to combat far-right extremism and hate speech on the internet.

Germany announces plans to combat far-right extremism – DW – 10/30/2019

After the deadly attack on a synagogue and killing of a politician, the German government has set out its new measures to tackle far-right extremist violence. Opposition politicians say the plans are long overdue.

m.dw.com

 

[SunriseChampion]

Hungary hasn't been important for 100 years, and even then its debatable because they played second fiddle in the Austro-Hungarian empire for centuries.

Yeah.....but you can go tell the Slovaks that.

 

[Towered]

Yeah.....but you can go tell the Slovaks that.

They're even less relevant!

 

[AlbertC]

German farmers sue government over climate change failures

For the first time, the German government is being taken to court for failing to protect the climate. Ahead of the hearing, DW spoke to one of the plaintiffs in the case, organic farmer Silke Backsen.

By Mabel Gundlach

German farmers sue government over climate change failures – DW – 10/31/2019

For the first time, the German government is being taken to court for failing to protect the climate. Ahead of the hearing, DW spoke to one of the plaintiffs in the case, organic farmer Silke Backsen.

m.dw.com

 

[SunriseChampion]

They're even less relevant!

Them's fighting words, mate.

 

[AlbertC]

Spain: Far-right party Vox surges in polls ahead of election

Support for the center-left Socialists has remained steady, but upstart party Vox became the first far-right grouping in the Spanish parliament since the country returned to democracy after the Franco dictatorship.

Spain: Far-right Vox surges in polls – DW – 11/03/2019

Support for the center-left Socialists has remained steady, but upstart party Vox became the first far-right grouping in the Spanish parliament since the country returned to democracy after the Franco dictatorship.

m.dw.com