There are three major suggestions in the air: three months, six months and one year, the last one is propelled by those who hope for the second referendum and derailing Brexit as such.
However Brexit Party leader and Member of the European Parliament Nigel Farage insists on six month extension, explaining that winter months are interrupted by holidays, and six month extension give sufficient time to organise general elections – the only way out of parliamentary Brexit crisis.
Foreign minister of the Republic of Ireland Simon Coveney said that Britain will be offered a flexible extension that could trigger Brexit well ahead of the new deadline but that the opinions of all EU member states were first needed.
“I think that extension will be a flexible one, that will allow the United Kingdom to leave the EU – if they can get a deal done – well in advance of the end of that extension period which looks like it will be the end of January,” Simon Coveney told an audience in Belfast on Wednesday.
Anna van Densky OPINION Next week the European Parliament starts the series of hearings to endorse the team of Ursula von der Leyen Commissioners-designate. In one of paradoxes of protracted Brexit the British Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will participate and vote for the candidates, influencing the EU politics in spite of the fact that they did not propose a Commissioner themselves for apparent reasons.
Curiously #UK#MEPs wil participate in process of Commissioner-designate hearings, influencing #EU future although they are leaving and because of #Brexit they didn’t designate candidate, @jduch confirmed UK MEPs full rights. pic.twitter.com/XDRbToKNpU
Roughly 10% of votes, 73 UK departing MEPs will influence decisions shaping future composition of the top executives of the Commission – the guardian of EU Treaties, and the initiator of new laws.
In case #UK receives another #Brexit deadline extension beyond 31/10, they have to appoint British Commissioner, who will receive hearing individually organised by #MEPs for him/her. (From @jduch briefing in @Europarl_ENpic.twitter.com/EfdN22K5Uf
However it is not the end of the road. In case there will be one more extension of Brexit beyond October 31, British government has to appoint a Commissioner to Brussels. Will Lord Hill come back? (Joke). Will Sir Julian King stay? If ‘yes’, it will be to the greatest joy of the Remainers, assessing his marriage to the top EU civil servant Dane Lotte Knudsen (Germany, EEAS) as an ultimate sign of this loyalty to Brussels. Conflict of interests? One can hardly blame it to any UK national amid total confusion the protracted Brexit is causing. (Continuation follows),
Commissioners-designate hearings are starting on Monday! Maroš Šefčovič 🇸🇰, Phil Hogan 🇮🇪 and Mariya Gabriel 🇧🇬 will be the first to appear before parliamentary committees.
In the framework of the September Strasbourg Plenary the Animal welfare Intergroup of the European Parliament has elected Anja Hazecamp, Dutch MEP as president of the biggest cross party congregation.
Anja Hazekamp(51) is a prominent Dutch politician, a member of the Party for Animals (PvdD), and a member of the group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (@GUENGL).
The PvdD is the first political party across the world to gain parliamentary seats, including three seats for Senate, with an agenda focused primarily on animal rights, and animal welfare. At her election Hazekamp said she expects from Ursula von der Leyen ‘real change” in animal welfare issues.
Hazekamp was elected unanimously as the only candidate put forward by the MEPs. The former president of the group Sirpa Petikainen has been elected as an Honorary president.
The Intergroup is providing a forum for debate, and initiating actions for animal welfare-related issues in the European Parliament. An entire spectrum of activities as issuing reports, resolutions or amendments, formally asking parliamentary questions and sending letters to authorities, organising public awareness events, – all of them resulted in graduate improvements in the animal welfare situation in the EU.
Next meeting of the Intergroup will take place in Strasbourg during October Plenary to discuss problems of exotic pet trade in the EU (Thursday 24 October, 10:00 – 11:00).
Retweeted IFAW EU (@IFAWEU):#Wild animals belong to the wild – not in our #homes. It's as simple as that. Help us spread the message to save animals from the exotic pet trade. RT if you agree! pic.twitter.com/DoEag9Ug1Z
Anna van Densky OPINION Curiously the European diplomacy started to talk about “war crimes” in Libya in the context of the protracted for a decade conflict ravaging after the West destruction of led by Colonel Gaddafi Libyan state. (Image above: Tuareg,Fezzan)
The failed ‘regime change’ opened a decade of chaos, and fragmentation, resulting in losses of among the civilian population along with the military. However the EUdiplomats are not willing to remember who caused the current dramatic situation, neither they are prepared to demand the investigation of the assassination of Mouammar Gaddafi, whose lynching ended the period of the peaceful development of Libya.
“The death of Mouammar Gaddafi, on October 20 in Syrtie, is one of the questions, which should be clarified. There are serious suspicions that it factually was the war crime“, said Luis Moreno-Campo, the General prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (The Hague) on December 16, a month after NATO manhunt, ending in Gaddafi death. Today, almost a decade later, Gaddafi lynching remains unpunished, the 150 tons of Libyan gold vanished and the Libyan state, bombed by NATO air forces, is still in ruins, ravaged by competing militias. The Murzuq air strike is no exception.
The air strike has been reported to be an action upon requests of local people of Murzuq, suffering from Chadian gangs:
“The Libyan armed forces’ aviation, under the aegis of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, responded promptly to requests for help from the Murzuq community in southern Libya. The village, on the southern outskirts of the capital in Fezzan, had been overtaken by a group of Chadian rebels who killed at least 20 people on Sunday morning. Residents spoke of members belonging to the Chadian opposition and Tebu, defined as “mercenaries in the pay of the Government of National Agreement“, based in Tripoli. The aviation has achieved a high precision raid that has dismantled the group and its means”, an Italian journalist Vanessa Tomassinireported from Libya.
Degraded to conflict and poverty by NATO bombs, the richest state of Maghreb now faces the EU tutorials on human rights. The EU threatens with the lawsuits: the acts of “selective justice” vis-à-vis Libyans, while the names of the mega villains, who committed crimes resulting in Libyan tragedy, has been never mentioned.
If the EU top diplomat Mogherini stated on behalf of the EU on 2 August, those “committing war crimes and those breaching International Humanitarian Law must be brought to justice and held to account”, the investigation into Gaddafi assassination should be the first. Naturally the international community should protect the International Criminal Court, threatened by the US top officials:
With the US National Security Advisor John Bolton lthreatening ICC judges with sanctions in an attempt to stop war crimes prosecutions over Afghanistan and Palestine, a look at Bolton's (and Blair's) last assult on the court https://t.co/TFK4yrhijN
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 OPINION The European Parliament Brexit negotiator Guy VERHOFSTADT(Belgium, ALDE) cancelled his press-conference, so did his major ally – Esteban GONZALES-PONS (Spain EPP). There are no traces of optimism in the corridors of power in spite of British Prime MinisterTheresa MAY the last minute spontaneous visit to Strasbourg, attempting to obtain compromises on the Article 50 Agreement.
However the legally-binding interpretations of Brexit deal will be hardly enough to convince the Westminster to accept it in tonight’s vote.
In case of voting down the Article 50 Agreement the relations between the EU and UK will be entering the uncharted waters, as Prime Minister Mayhas stated already. The extension of the deadline (March 29) is possible in the framework of the agreed Brexit only to avoid legal vacuum. The Remainers already threaten to sue their government in the European Court (CURIA) for breaching the Article 50, which clearly describes the timetable, and does not foresee any prolongations.
Originally there were two fixed deadlines: Brexitdate on March 29, and the latest date of its possible extension on May24 (European elections), before which the UKshould leave, or it is obliged to participate, according to the Treaties to ensure the right of the citizens to elect their representatives to the European Parliament. In any case the status of the incumbent MEPs could not be extended beyond July 2, when the newly elected Parliament will be constituted.
“@JunckerEU believes we accommodate British concerns as much as #EU can. Key steps have been taken to respond to MPs concerns”@GabiZimmerMEP said. She doesn’t see talks continuation possible. pic.twitter.com/I7TztQdPLE
However there are very few politicians eager to model possible developments in case tonight of House of Commons will vote down the deal. It will be not only the downfall for Theresa May, and her government, but also considered as a major failure for the EU27 to secure orderly Brexit, preserving from blow economies, jobs, and citizens rights. The failure will certainly reflect on upcoming Europeanelections disfavoring predominant political forces, unable to preserve mutually beneficial relations with one of major European economies.
The expulsion of the EU Ambassador Bart Ouvry from the Democratic Republic of Congo is a serious blow to the image of already weakened by Brexit block. In multi-polar world Congo will be not short of friends and those, willing to co-operate with one of the richest African nations. The EU is losing again its positions, due to its outdated foreign policy, inclined to give unsolicited advise and tutorials on democracy and human rights. The price to pay is high – in face of one diplomat, Congolese government turns its back on 28 European states for at least a decay to come.
The EU insistence on prolongation of sanctions on Presidential candidate, Interior ministerEmmanuel RamazaniShadary, who is the incumbent President’s chosen successor, shows a very poor analysis and judgement of the situation in Congo, especially in view of a broader trend of political longevity of African leaders. It is highly likely that Kabila‘s protégé will win the bid, and it is certain, that he will not forgive and forget the position of Brussels diplomacy.
EU renewed sanctions against the ruling coalition's candidate for presidential elections in Democratic Republic of Congo, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, and 13 other senior officials, for violent crackdown on protestshttps://t.co/BTP4O3sbV1
“Africa’s future is also our future,” said the European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said recently at high level Africa-EUForum in Vienna. However, if the course of the EU foreign policy remains unchanged, and rigid, soon Europe will be excluded from African future without reverse, and Africa’ future will be shared with Chinese, Indians, and Arabs.
So far the EU politics of sanctions failed wherever it was applied conducted at costs of growth and jobs, leading to impoverishment of Europeans, whose despair erupted in Yellow Vests protests in France. But who will criticize French Minister of interior for an excessive use of force against the protectors?.. Who will apply sanctions against the Interior Minister?.. Quod licet iovi non licet bovi… (What is allowed to Jupiter is not allowed to a bull – Latin proverb).
Congo’s most important export partners are: China (24% of total exports) followed by South Africa (22%) and the European Union (4%). Main imports are: foodstuffs, fuel, textiles and machinery, and leading partners: Angola(15%), France (13%) and Singapore (10%).
