Anna van Densky On Sunday May 26 Europeans vote in an election expected to further erode traditional Eurocentric parties and boost the nationalist movements across the continent, resulting in a drastically different and difficult composition of the European Parliament – once a champion of compromise, – effecting the entire range of politics. (Image above: European Parliament, Strasbourg).
The #EUelections2019 are the largest transnational elections in the world.
More than 360 million people are able to cast their vote to decide who should represent them in the European Parliament.
Polls opened at 7 A.M. (0400 GMT) in the east of Europe and will finally close at 11 P.M. (2100 GMT) in Italy. Seven states have already voted, with 21 joining in on Sunday in what is the world’s biggest democratic exercise after India.
Many feel it is odd, that three years after the referendum, Britonsare back to the European Parliament, and there are certain fears, that the entire EU political agenda will be “hijacked” by Brexit.
However it is universally understood, that after Brexitthe EUproject will never be the same. Departure of the oldest European parliamentary democracy feels like an amputation.
EU in transit. Tempora mutantur – times are changed, we also are changed with them.
Anna van Densky OPINION The decision of resignation of the British Prime minister TheresaMay next day after the European elections indicates the severe loss of Conservatives attempting to deliver negotiated departure from the EU. It is also an indicator of highly likely big win of the Brexit Party led by Nigel Farage, uniting under his flags all those who are discontent with Brexit protracted crisis.
May stepping down is definitely bad news for the European Union, meaning the radical Brexit forces are taking over, leading to much feared no-deal Brexit on the 31st of October. Tearful good-bye of May, a compromise figure, is much more than a personal failure, but equally the EU leadership fiasco to achieve a reasonable agreement, which could be accepted by the majority in the Westminster.
Many considered a over demanding position of the EU as a tactic to create crisis, leading to the impossibility of the departure, and subsequent second referendum “helping” Britons to correct their ‘historic mistake’. However this risky Russian roulette of the European Commission, including the rejection to re-open the endorsed deal to help May out of the impasse, will now backfire. Instead of the return under guidance of Brussels Shepherds,Britons, morally exhausted by the protracted Brexitargument will follow Farage ‘clean break‘ plan.
Leaving the EU without a deal to start the negociations next day after departure will put Brussels at disadvantage, depriving of instruments of influence, but strengthen the position of the UK, striking trade deals across the world. It will be a considerable blow for many sectors, in first place for the European agriculture, losing a substantial share of the UK market to the other players, which leads to further decline of the EU popularity among Europeans.
The tears of May, while announcing her resignation, are highly symbolical. They are much more about lamenting compromise with Europe, than about her personal fate. Profound sorrow for the end of the EU era, which will never come back.
From the beginning of May this year Japanese call their new era – Reiwa, meaning “harmony“. Using Japanese analogy, after May’s leaving historic arena, the new European period of history will look like ‘Kenka‘ era, meaning “quarrel“.
Ukrainian representative to UN Oleg Nikolenkocalled Russian request for UN Security Council meeting an “absurd”, insisting recent language law imposing Ukrainian unique status is no different to similar legislation in the other countries. Is it?
Ten years of prison for an attempt to establish multilingualism, and three year sentence for failure to use Ukrainian language in public institutions. Where language laws amount to such a Draconian practice? In what modern state there is such a supervising instance of powerful language inspectors, resembling Inquisition with extraordinary powers to repress?
However the totalitarianism of language law is impossible to understand without the context of the contemporary Ukrainian nationalist ideology, resurrecting fascist collaborator, and terrorist Stepan Bandera, glorified by President Yushchenko (2010) claiming his “sanctity“.
Monument to Stepan Bandera, anti-Semitic and anti-Polish Ukrainian nationalist is located in Stepan Bandera Park in Drohobych at the former Jewish getto. In July 1941 Bandera’s people organized pogrom in which they killed more then 300 peaceful innocent Jews of Drohobych. pic.twitter.com/0OTsuXlx7v
The “resurrection” of Nazi criminal Bandera has drawn the vector of development for contemporary Ukrainiannationalist idea, opening the tragic sequence of events from violent Maidancoupd’état, to Donbass conflict, and Odessa massacre.
The imposition of Bandera cult, marked a clean break from the humanist tradition of Ukrainian national idea of the XIX century, reflected in poetry of Taras Shevchenko and Lesya Ukrainka. Modern Ukrainian political elites could turn for inspiration to their heritage, developing national idea through creative spiritual growth, but they have chosen otherwise.
Anna van Densky, OPINION Election of Vladimir Zelensky demonstrates huge disappointment of the Ukrainians with their political class, even more, than their hopes for a meaningful change of the malfunctioning system. Ukrainian politics, run by a group of oligarchs has been a vaudeville for sufficiently long time to make a comedian look appropriate in the President’s office.
The decadence hit a new low, indicating there is a complete loss of confidence in the establishment, unable to produce any leader with a relevant background convincing enough to be worthy of dropping a ballot. Zelensky wins not because his programme opens new perspectives, but because the Ukrainianswish to trash their political Pantheon, plagued by corruption, and indulging in demagogy.
However change from Poroshenko toZelenskyperceived by many as a revolution, is nothing more than a change of head on Emperor‘s sculpture in times of declining Rome: they succeeded too often, leaving insufficient time to carve the entire figure in marble, and the clever local governors in provinces adapted by removing the detached heads.
In particular case of showman Zelensky elections, one can conclude the Ukraine is true to itself: predictable in is instability, grotesque, and volatile.
Ascending to presidency due to his popularity as an actor, Zelenskyhas no political force behind him, – a convenient disposition for clans at power, who are content with a President starring in TV sequel, while they continue business as usual, enriching themselves in reality.
Considered by experts as the ninth most corrupt nation in the world, with almost $50 billion gross external debt, and public debt around 70% of GDP, Ukrainian kleptocracyis comfortable with a comedian as a head of state – weaker is the president easier is to continue their own way. Ukraine ‘Semper idem‘ – always the same…
Nevertheless the change is coming, but not due to the new President of Ukraine, but the context: both the US, and the EU have to revise their foreign policy vis-à-visKiev, although for different reasons. While Europe is growing increasingly Euro skeptic, demanding from Brusselsto put the EUcitizens interests first, before pursuing the Enlargement, and poring billions on integration of neighboring states. The US has to resolve the problem of contribution to NATO of the European allies: among 29 members, just five meet 2% GDP defence spending target: Greece, Estonia, the UK,Latvia, and the US.
Without any perspective to enter the EU or NATO, immense debts, endemic corruption, ongoing conflict in Donbass, protracted argument with Russia over gas transit, huge migration rising up to one million a year leaving the country – plagued with multiple setbacks, Ukraine slides into further decline, searching for refuge in a world of illusory – voting a man, who incarnated their dream of an honest president in a TV sequel. Zelensky victory – is a triumph of tele-guided democracy, fusion of reality and fiction, dreams and frustrations, a political jest, an idle tale. A human comedy…
Anna van Densky: According to reports from Paris reporter Gaspard Glanz has been handcuffed. Arrests have multiplied, also a journalist from French newspaper Le Figaro has been taken to custody by an agent of anti-riot police during 23 week of protests of Yellow Vestsnamed Acte XXIII. The Vth Republic under Macron‘s leadership swiftly degenerates into Banana Republic, using police batons to oppress wide-spread public discontent. Citizens with shot off eyes, ripped off limbs, and reporters handcuffed – is that European “Renaissance” Macron’s party “En Marche” is marching to?..
“I adore to inhale the smell of tear gas in the morning“, wrote Gaspar Glanz on his Twitter micro blog page. “Ideals are peaceful history is violent” is the second line, defining his vision.
“One tries to prevent independent journalists by fear. The censorship of absence on spot” Gaspard Glanz writes, explaining governments’s policy towards independent press, covering Yellow Vestsprotests against Macron‘s presidency.
Anna van Densky from EP, Brussels. The Members of European Parliament (MEP) raise concerns about perspective of the UK remaining for upcoming European elections, being “one foot in, one foot out”, as Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, Belgium)said.
We cannot risk giving the keys of the EU’s future to a Boris Johnson, or a Michael Gove, the architects of this #Brexit disaster. A long extension would do exactly that. pic.twitter.com/TyFX2lepic
The perspective of electing even more Brexiteers is definitely not inspiring MEPs, open to endorse additional political declarations, if necessary, however standing firmly by the EU Commission, and Council, refusing the revision of the endorsed deal.
Si le Royaume-Uni est en mesure d'approuver l'accord de retrait avec une majorité viable d'ici au 12 avril, alors l'Union européenne devrait accepter une prorogation jusqu’au 22 mai.
While the attempting to convince Westminsterto endorse the deal the European Commission PresidentJean-Claude Juncker repeated the UK can have one more extension on condition of the Article 50 Agreement (Withdrawal Agreement) endorsement, and proposing clear plans of moving forward with the implementation. The prolongation of uncertainty is not an option.
The tone of the EU top executive was dead, and while he was offering more political declarations. Juncker’s glances were gloomy, while he switched to the part of speech, describing damages to EU, and even more so to British economy if the no-deal scenario takes place by default. He admitted to read the speech first time during his intervention in Europarliament, because “every word is important“.
“If the UK is able to approve the withdrawal agreement with a viable majority by 12 April, then the European Union should accept an extension until 22 May“, Juncker concluded.
Responding to the worst fears of MEPs, Gerard Batten(UKIP, UK)called Britons to vote massively for UKIP in case the country participates in European elections in May.
In the first round of the election in Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky (41)is clear winner, leaving behind two heavy-weight incumbent President Poroshenko, and former Prime Minister Timoshenko.
The result means a huge disappointment of the Ukrainians with the results of Poroshenko mandate, but also with the systemic politics, which did not deliver anything close to the promises made. Choice of Zelensky above all indicates a desire for change, and new generation in leadership.
(Below video with #Zelensky dancing in a show)
On January 21, 2019, the “Servant of the People” party nominated Vladimir Zelensky as a presidential candidate. He studied law in Kiev, but after graduation has never worked in accordance with his professional qualifications, pursuing a career in showbiz.
There are no reasons for optimism in Brussels, where the heads of states and governments are meeting for the European Union Summit on March 21-22: there is hardly anyone who believes that the Westminsterwill endorse Theresa May‘s Article 50 Agreement.
In absence of any changes in the text of the negotiated for two years deal itself, it is only context that changes, the perception of losses endorsing the deal, or preferring no-deal damages.However it is unlikely the MPs will change their minds, vote for the Agreement they have rejected two times already.
“On the Brexit, we need to be clear about ourselves, our British friends and our peoples. The withdrawal agreement cannot be renegotiated. In case of a British negative vote, we would go to a no-deal” explains Emmanuel Macron. At his arrival to the #EUCO the President ensured that France is ready for no-deal scenario, and will support enterprises, especially small businesses, but also fishery.
However in case the Westminster decides to accept May’s deal next week, the EU is ready to extend the Brexit deadline to 22 May, a day before the European elections vote will start. The top EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said, while arriving to the Council, that a short extension can be only “conditional”.
Antonio Tajani,the president of the European Parliament expressed his solidarity with the families and victims of the Utrecht shooting, naming it “violence“, however without references to terrorism. (Image: Utrecht, The Netherlands).
I stand by the families of the victims of the Utrecht shooting and the Dutch authorities. Europe must be united in the face of violence and attacks on our citizens.
Manfred Weber (Germany, EPP) the leader of the European People’s Party, and the candidate for the position of the European Commission president, also avoided to mention terrorist trace.
Shocking news from the #Netherlands. Our thoughts are with the people of #Utrecht, with the families of the victims and the wounded. We stand by the Dutch people and the authorities in these challenging times.
Guy Verhofstadt, the leader of the European Parliament Liberals (Belgium, ALDE), expressed his intention to “defeat hatred” by standing “strong together and defending our values”, without mentioning radical Islamicterrorism.
Thoughts with the people of #Utrecht, the Netherlands and the victims' families. We will defeat hatred by standing strong together and defending our values. https://t.co/ra43L0uEMu
Meanwhile the manhunt is on the way in Utrecht, the Turkish born assailant is at large, leaving behind three dead and five wounded. There are strong indications of terrorist attack, Dutch police claims.
The police asks you to look out for the 37 year old Gökman Tanis (born in Turkey) associated with the incident this morning at the #24oktoberplein in #Utrecht.
Three people were killed and nine others injured in a shooting in a tram in Dutch University city of #Utrecht, the mayor said, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported.
Burgemeester Utrecht: drie doden en negen gewonden bij aanslag, volg ons liveblog https://t.co/CvMXhwDuJ3
Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission expressed his solidarity with Dutch people during this difficult times in a telephone conversation with Prime minister Mark Rutte.
I have just spoken with @markrutte to get an update of the situation in #Utrecht. The #EU stands side by side with the #Netherlands and its people during these difficult times. My thoughts are with the wounded and their families.
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