January 29, 2017 – Anna Van Densky blog

TK DAYS

While the EU-Turkey migrant deal is on the rocks, with President Erdogan claiming political refugees all over Europe, and jailing thousands of journalists and critics at home, EU’s left and centre-right politicians prefer to criticise President’s Trump ban on migrants from seven countries at high risk of jihadists infiltrations.

The passions about Mr.Trump fulfillment of his political project looks slightly misplaced within the context of current cacophony of proposals concerning the solution of migrant crisis in Europe itself.

The EU-Turkish deal has been marked with controversy right from the start: if it is legal in the framework on international laws, and if it can be a comprehensive solution of the problem. Both questions were always left without a sound answer.

However, next to Turkish migrant route problem, partially addressed, and generously footed by taxpayers, there is a chronic problem of flows from Africa via Libya to Italy and Malta, remaining unresolved due to the fragmentation of the country after Colonel Gaddafi assassination five years ago.

The ‘failed’ state ol Libya at the doorstep of Europe, ‘the worst mistake’ of Obama’s presidency became a playground for various terroristic group, and traffickers, representing high risk for European security, is still awaiting for a comprehensive solution. Seven European vessels and four helicopters of EU naval operation Sophia are not coherent with the scale of the task: there are between 16 to 20 million displaced on African continent, according to the UN, entitled to claim refugee status in Europe. The southern Europe

is increasingly burdened with the new arrivals, appealing to relocate them among EU member-states.

The ongoing Maltese presidency of the EU continues still calls for solidarity among the EU member-states to relocate migrants, however these appeal does not meet many enthusiasts, while anti-mass migration political forces gain strength.

The eurosceptic parties regard President’s Trump policies on restricting migration as a model to follow in case their ascendency to power.

While loudly criticising President Trump for acting up to the expectations of his electorate, the European politicians presume that their own citizens share their views. The polls profiling Front National leader Marin le Pen as a front-runner for the presidency of France show otherwise.

Photo: illustration Francois and Penelope Fillon in better days

When Mr.Fillion was singing a lavish allowance to his wife from a public fund he couldn’t have guessed what an effect his misplaced generosity would have on the cause of European history. If before #PenelopeGate the majority of French were sure Fillon is their next president, after the scandal the wheel of fortune definitely moved away from him. The downfall of the front-runner gave to Marine Le Pen’s chances to become next president of the V Republic, changing her candidate status from ‘probable’ to ‘highly probable’. The ascendancy of Front National leader to Élysée Palace will certainly initiate the fundamental reshaping of the European project, so much feared by the keepers of EU dogma.

The sudden “misfortune” in the form of preliminary investigation in the prosecutor’s office that brutally changed the fate of the front-runner of the French presidential elections Francois Fillon, recasts the whole of political performance just a couple of month before the J-Day.

Many observers point out that French electorate is quite used to a fact of public fund abuse and flourishing nepotism in the political cast, so they can not be surprised by one more scandal, because they have seen so many. However this time there is a particular case because while generously filling the family budget from the public funds, Mr.Fillon called for austerity policy for his compatriots – the hypocrisy that destroyed his reputation forever.

The jungle of politics follows its laws, scavenging on what is over from Fillon’s reputation, the public opinion is upgrading in ranks Front National Marine Le Pen, and a newcomer – semi-Socialist Emmanuel Macron, from now onwards two most probable candidates to confront in the second round of elections.

If before the #PenelopeGate the battle between Fillon and Macron was considered to be difficult to latter because of lack to the governing experience, the competition with Marcon profiles Le Pen to her advantage. As a career politician she is heavy-weight next to Macron-banker, and short time finance minister of the most unpopular president of the V Republic. Not the best of the references so far. However his very recent political record would not encourage many to experiment with Mr.Macron as a president of the country, already hugely disappointed in the management of his Socialist boss.