Catalàn Separatist Leader Addresses 200 Mayors in Brussels--Pressure on the EU

LIVE BLOG

Carles Puigdemont has called for an extraordinary meeting in Brussels to address 200 mayors from the region of Catalunya. The gathering began two hours ago and is ongoing. The former Catalàn President and leader of the independentist movement spoke earlier, in Catalàn, English and French. Among other remarks, he questioned the vision of the EU in respect to the various regions of Europe:

"Mr Juncker [President of the Commission], Mr Tajani [President of the European Parliament]: Is this the Europe you want? A Europe with a [Catalàn] government in prison?

The mayors have been arriving since the morning by air from Barcelona and other regional airports. They plan to also issue a petition to the Belgian authorities and to the EU institutions aiming at putting pressure on Madrid's government to free the Catalàn MPs who were incarcerated last week.

Other speakers, and probably Puigdemont too, will intervene this evening.

Live streaming from Brussels here. Source Reuters, courtesy of LaVanguardia

Africa Buongiorno: EU's New Focus Area

"THE MEDITERRANEAN IS A LINK, NOT A SEPARATION LINE", SAYS EP's PRESIDENT

EP President Tajani (left) with Tunisian President Beji Caib Essebsi

Africa is ranking these days high on the Union’s agenda. Antonio Tajani (IT-EPP), President of the European Parliament, made an official visit to Tunisia on 30-31 October to discuss with the country’s leadership some of the common challenges with the EU—migration, economic growth, terrorism.

Addressing the Tunisian Parliament, Tajani praised the people of Tunisia for having solved rather peacefully the political crisis of the Arab Spring, but urged them to remain vigilant and persist on maintaining democracy and the rule of law.

“Let us be the guarantors of the democratic pact [concluded among the political movements of Tunisia at the end of the conflict]. We should strengthen it, because the only alternative to democracy is chaos,” said Tajani.

Tunisia has in the current decade served as departing point for thousands of political and economic refugees from failed African states, such as Libya. Tajani’s visit was, therefore, aimed at persuading the Tunisian authorities to engage in a closer collaboration with the EU in general, and Italy in particular, in order to halt the flux of migrants towards southern Europe.  

But the European Union cannot isolate herself from Africa. Trade and political ties between the two continents go back to longer than four millennia, and African population is expected to at least double in size between 2017 and 2050, according to a United Nations study published in June.

For instance, Nigeria, world’s seventh country in terms of population, will surpass the U.S. in the same timeframe and become the third most populous state.

African American family

The European Parliament envisions a ‘buffer’ role for Tunisia and other Northern African countries, which are willing to cooperate. EU officials are particularly eying Egypt, Algeria and Morocco. Thus, in Tajani’s view:

“The Mediterranean should not be a separation, but a link between the European Union and the African continent because the Mediterranean is the crucible of the values of our civilisation and Tunisia plays a fundamental role in this particular relationship.”

Some of the projects floating in Brussels for controlling immigration from Africa—sponsored primarily by France and Italy—include the creation of safe geographical zones on the African continent for repatriated refugees, sustainable development in the countries that are responsible for this exodus, and financial incentives to local governments and, especially, to those of the ‘transit’ states of Northern Africa.

However, these measures are unlikely to reduce (a) population growth, although the number of births per African woman has declined from 5.1 (2000-2005 period) to 4.7 (2010-2015), per the UN; and (b) propensity for young people to emigrate. The main reasons for this are the permanent very low per capita income, which increases the gap in living standards between Europe and Africa, and the endemic corruption of the leaders of the African continent. The latter phenomenon is, obviously, the cause of the former. The usual EU ‘soft Europeanisation’ approach may, in this case, prove both expensive and ineffective.

Lagos, Nigeria--Hairdresser at work

Technocrats in Brussels will argue that explosion in population, and increasing urbanisation in Africa presents new commercial opportunities for European firms, thus the funds used in convincing local leaders to cooperate should produce solid return on investment. Rationally, this may be accurate. However, the demographic trends in that continent have already attracted some of the EU's main competitors: China, Japan, Turkey. Their presence is already massive in the African countries whose GDP per capita is growing faster, or where there are large reserves of natural resources. 

By the time Brussels's plans are put to work, the EU may be confined to the role of the good Samaritan only.

The Pulse of the EU, Week Ending 4th of November

PARIS TO BEAT SILICON VALLEY IN HIGH TECH--MACRON'S VISION

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed last week his determination to push forward with his electoral promise: the make of France the world’s new Silicon Valley.

French venture capital firms already began in 2013 intensifying their contribution towards developing a national flora of start-ups, encouraged by former president François Hollande. The effort seems to now be producing results. During the first nine months of 2017 the capital raised for new ventures in the country is 2 billion euros higher than that raised in Britain and Germany. Some foreign technology giants—Cisco and Facebook, among others--have also invested in small technology French companies.

Paris -- City of Light, and of tech start-ups?
(Eiffel Tower, hit by lightning, 2 June 1902 9:20 p.m.)

These good news are, however, insufficient to implement Macron’s vision of a made-in-France Silicon Valley. So his drive will focus on state-funded efforts to ensure that national technology champions can survive and grow quickly. The vehicle for this already exists, in the form of BPI France, state-owned bank, which streams cash to local venture capital firms. It is estimated that in the past four years it has poured 4 billion euros, or one-fifth of the amount consumed by start-ups during that period. BPI France’s scope encompasses, according to its CEO, more than the Hexagon: new tech ventures in Europe and the U.S. have also benefited from its assets.

Other tools in Macron’s bag are: liberalisation of visas and work permits in France for talent from third countries; reduction to 30% of the tax on capital gains for new companies; change of the national labour law as of January 2018 to enable hiring and firing of workers much easier than it is now; facilitation of establishment in France of foreign-owned start-ups; and a few other administrative incentives. France has been considered, indeed, for decades one of the world’s strongest bureaucracies for business undertakings.

There are, of course, many challenges ahead that may force Macron’s government to tune down its enthusiasm. The intended changes in the labour law are already faced with strong resistance by the unions and a large number of legislators; state funding and tax rebates will raise objections from the Parliament and EU Institutions, as France’s budget deficit exceeds the norms of the Eurozone; if the ‘carrot’ from Paris becomes too attractive for British and American start-ups, and funds, to relocate, London and Washington will retaliate with counter measures.

More challenging, however, is to fulfil Paris’s aim to create world champions—tech companies with high valuations: today’s rule of thumb is 1 billion dollars for such pearls. The goal is even more difficult to attain in a country where the state mingles with private enterprise more often than elsewhere in the West.

On the latter point, the French government has in recent weeks defended its plans referring to the example of China, where the state has been behind all major entrepreneurial successes.

But, perhaps, the most critical test will be the return on investment for venture capital firms betting on France’s talent and lifestyle charm. French funds have, over the past three years, achieved an internal rate of return of 6.3 %. This is substantially lower than the return obtained by their British counterparts (13.5%), according to a recent study by PwC with BVCA Private Equity and Venture Capital.

Critics of the Macron plan argue that the model Paris intends to use in this ambitious programme is based on the classic Silicon Valley scenario, which is already reaching, apparently, its own limitations. Moreover, the French project contemplates to implement, in a second phase, the strategy throughout the EU, a hypothesis that does not appear to have been seriously considered so far by many of the other heads of state or government of the Union.

There is also a degree of inconsistency between intent and action: while devising new approaches to lure foreign talent and investment into France and Europe, Paris orchestrates the attacks in the European courts against the global giants of the technologies industry, and is in the process to convince the other member states of the Union to impose heavy taxes on digital companies. The obvious targets are Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon. But, experts assert, smaller tech players will inevitably pay their own share in this intimidation campaign. Which means that many will have to seek greener pastures for their own (and their investors’) sake and prosperity.

SETTING THE MIDDLE EAST ABLAZE--ACCIDENTALLY

A Controversial Anniversary: Balfour's Letter to Lord Rothschild

Today is a historical anniversary for Britain and Israel. Exactly one century ago, on 2^nd November 1917, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Great Britain, Lord Arthur James Balfour, issued a letter to Lord Rothschild, a pioneer of Zionism, promising his government’s commitment to allow the Jewish community--at the time dispersed all over Europe and beyond--establish a “national home in Palestine.” Palestine was at that time occupied by British armed forces, while the Second World War was being fought.

Theresa May

In an official dinner tonight in Westminster, London, British Prime Minister Theresa May will receive her Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. In their reciprocal congratulatory speeches the two heads of government will express, live on TV, their countries’ respective views on what that declaration really meant at the time—and now.

The content of that simple letter—the result of a miscalculation by Britain about the influence of the European Jews on Kaiser’s strategic thinking, according to many historians—has become over several decades an item of controversy and of bitter disputes among Israelis and Arabs. London has, in recent decades, systematically been accused of favouring the Zionist cause to the detriment of the rights of the native Palestinians.  

One must, however, examine the controversy with historical accuracy, in order to properly appreciate the role of the UK in the creation of Israel—the final outcome of all this, which is the true root of hatred in that part of the Middle East. As Jonathan Marcus of the BBC pointed in an editorial today:

"Analysis: Competing narratives

"There is a huge amount of fuss being made about the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, in part misguided. 

"For Balfour, and indeed Britain, did not create a Jewish state. In fact in the years leading up to Israel's independence in 1948, Britain, as the mandatory power, did a good deal to thwart Jewish statehood, torn between the competing claims of Jewish and Palestinian nationalism.

"Much of the current focus on the Balfour Declaration is due to the fact that it supports the competing narratives of the Israeli government and the Palestinian leadership.

"For the Israelis it highlights the legitimacy of the Jewish national enterprise, while for Palestinians, it underscores the role of the major powers in helping to create Israel, while - in their view - the legitimate Palestinian aspirations to statehood were ignored or side-lined.

"Thus both sides have a very different interpretation of the declaration's significance - one that serves today's arguments about one of the region's longest unresolved struggles."

*** 

Lord Balfour’s text corroborates the analysis put forward by Marcus. Britain cannot be blamed single-handedly for what happened in 1948 and afterwards. Other ‘great powers’ have been much more influential in reshaping the Middle East—then, and again now!

Lord Balfour (centre).
Lord Edmund Allenby (left), Sir Herbert Samuel (right).
Allenby captured Jerusalem in December 1917.
Samuel was the first British High Commissioner in Jerusalem (1920-25)

The European Union, including Britain while she is still ‘in’, should address the Israelo-Palestinian conflict with lucidity and fairness, based on historical data and on rational interpretation of the intention of Balfour when he signed that document. But this is unlikely to happen. The Union is less united than at any time before, in its 66 years of existence, as ongoing developments in many aspects witness. The vagueness in dealing with the Palestinian issue is but a note in the cacophony. It does not disturb the hearing of the Eurocrats.

Balfour Declaration 1917

November 2nd, 1917

Dear Lord Rothschild,

I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet.

"His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."

I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.

Yours sincerely,

   Arthur James Balfour

Lord Balfour's letter of 2nd November 1917

But who needs Balfour or May today?

U.S. President Trump with Israel's PM Netanyahu, Jerusalem, 23 May, 2017

Point of Non-Return: Catalan MPs Don't Bend Their Spines, Vote Sî

 CLEAR DECISION. 83% OF MPs CONFIRM INDEPENDENCE

People of Catalunya Celebrate Independence, 27 October 2017

The Parliament of Catalunya this afternoon at the end of an extraordinary plenary session, unilaterally declared the independence of the autonomous region from the Kingdom of Spain. Seventy representatives voted in favour, ten against, and two cast blank votes.

It is the first time in recent history that a Spanish region secedes from the state, and a first for the European Union, too. Numerous independence movements succeeded, sometimes by shedding blood, in the 1990s, in Central Eastern Europe and the Balkans, following the collapse of the Soviet Union and of Yugoslavia.

Catalan Flag

Today's Declaration now gives additional ammunition to the central government of Spain, led by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to fully implement the decision of its cabinet last Saturday, confirmed by the Spanish National Parliament on Monday, to fully implement Art. 155 of the country’s Constitution, which provides for suspension of a region’s autonomy, dismissal of the latter’s government, stripping-down the powers of its parliament, and employing the country’s security agencies and armed forces to enforce the referenced provisions.

BREAKING NEWS 20:40 CET

Madrid's government has just sacked the government of Catalunya and dissolved the Catalan Parliament.

Rajoy has fixed the local elections for 21st December.

It is at present unclear what the next moves will be from either side, although speculation and theories abound. What is certain is that the native population and the Catalan diaspora will resist Madrid’s determination to crack-down of the secessionists. 

Foreign governments—namely British, French, German, American--made this evening brief statements of support to Rajoy. The European Council's and the Commission's presidents also said they will back Rajoy. However, it is not yet possible to fathom public opinion throughout the EU and other parts of the World. In Scotland, there are calls tonight to the local government to recognise Catalunya’s independence. A large portion of the Scots are aspiring at independence from London.

A rare moment in EU's history--Watch BBC video

In order to better understand the emotional and moral grounds of the Catalan Parliament’s representatives, it is worth reading the full text of the Declaration, in its English version:

 

Coat of Arms of Catalunya

To the people of Catalonia and to all the peoples of the world.

Justice and individual and collective human rights, irrevocable foundations which sustain the historical legitimacy and legal and institutional traditions of Catalonia, are the basis of the foundation of the Catalan Republic. 

The Catalan nation, its language and culture have a thousand years of history. For centuries, Catalonia has maintained and run its own institutions in complete selfgovernance, with the Generalitat as the maximum expression of Catalonia’s historic rights. 

Parliamentary process, during the periods of freedom, has been the cornerstone of those institutions, materialised through the Corts Catalanes and crystallized in the Constitutions of Catalonia. 

Today Catalonia restores its complete sovereignty, lost and much sought for, after decades of attempting to maintain institutional coexistence, in an honest and loyal manner, with the other peoples of the Iberian Peninsula. 

Since the approval of the Spanish Constitution in 1978, Catalan politics has played a key role, displaying an exemplary, loyal and democratic attitude towards Spain, and a deep sense of State. 

The Spanish State has answered this loyalty with the refusal to recognise Catalonia as a nation; and allowing a limited and constantly re-centralising autonomy, more administrative than political; with profoundly unjust economic conditions and with cultural and linguistic discrimination. 

The Statute of Autonomy, approved by the Catalan Parliament and the Spanish Congress, and in a referendum by the Catalan people, should have been a steady and enduring new framework for bilateral relations between Catalonia and Spain. 

However, this political agreement was demolished by the Constitutional Court and resulted in new demands from citizens. 

Heeding the calls of a large majority of the citizens of Catalonia, the Parliament, the Government of Catalonia and civil society have repeatedly asked for an agreed referendum on self-determination to be held. In the face of total rejection by Spanish State institutions of all and any negotiation, violating the principles of democracy and autonomy, and ignoring the available legal mechanisms of the Constitution, the Government of Catalonia has called a referendum to exercise the right to self-determination as recognised in international law. 

The organisation and carrying out of the referendum has resulted in the suspension of self-government in Catalonia and the application of a de facto state of exception. 

The brutal military-style police intervention orchestrated by the Spanish State against Catalan citizens repeatedly violated their civil and political liberties and the principles of Human Rights, and contravened international accords signed and ratified by the Spanish State itself. 

Thousands of people, among them hundreds of elected and government officials and professionals in the communications and media sector, the administration and in civil society, have been investigated, detained, charged, interrogated and threatened with lengthy prison sentences. 

The Spanish institutions, who should remain neutral, protect fundamental rights and arbitrate in political conflict, have become an instrumental part of these attacks, leaving the Catalan people defenceless.

In spite of the violence and repression used to impede the holding of a peaceful democratic process, the citizens of Catalonia have voted by majority in favour of the foundation of the Catalan Republic. 

The founding of the Catalan Republic comes from the necessity to protect the freedom, safety and coexistence of all of the citizens of Catalonia and advance towards a better democracy and rule of law, and responds to the obstruction on the part of the Spanish State to enacting the right of a people’s self-determination. 

The people of Catalonia stand for legality, and respect for the law is and will be one of the cornerstones of the Republic. 

The Catalan State will abide by and legally comply with all provisions which make up this declaration and guarantees that the legal certainty and maintenance of subscribed agreements will form part of the foundational spirit of the Catalan Republic. 

The founding of the Republic is an outstretched hand as an invitation to dialogue. 

Honouring the Catalan tradition of seeking pact and agreement, we maintain our commitment to finding accord as the way to resolve political conflict. 

We reaffirm our fraternal solidarity with the peoples of the world, and especially with those with whom we share a common language and culture and the Euro-Mediterranean region in defence of collective and individual freedoms. 

The Catalan Republic is an opportunity to correct current democratic and social deficits, and to build a more prosperous, just, safe and sustainable society in solidarity with others. 

By the virtue of all that has been expressed, we, the democratic representatives of the people of Catalonia, in the free exercise of self-determination, and in accordance with the mandate received from the citizens of Catalonia:  

- CONSTITUTE the Catalan Republic, as an independent, sovereign, democratic, social State under the rule of law.

- BRING into force the Law of Transitional Jurisprudence and Foundation of the Republic.

- INITIATE the constituting phase, as a democratic, broad, binding and participative citizens’ process.

 -CLAIM the willingness to open negotiations with the Spanish State, without preconditions, in order to establish a collaborative framework for the benefit of both parts. The negotiations must be founded on the equality of both sides.

- MAKE IT KNOWN to the international community and the authorities of the European Union the founding of the Catalan Republic and the proposal for negotiations with the Spanish State.

- URGE the international community and the authorities of the European Union to intervene to stop the violation of civil rights and political rights which is in process, and to witness and follow the negotiation process with the Spanish State.

 -MANIFEST our interest in the construction of a European project to reinforce the social and democratic rights of citizens, along with the commitment to continue applying, without solution of continuity and in a unilateral manner, the legal system of the European Union, and the laws of the Spanish State and Catalan autonomy which transpose its laws.

 -AFFIRM that Catalonia has the unequivocal willingness to integrate into the international community as quickly as possible. 

The new State is committed to respecting the international obligations which currently apply in its territory and to continuing its part in the international accords of which the Kingdom of Spain is bound to. 

- CALL on states and international organisations to recognise the Catalan Republic as an independent and sovereign state.

- URGE the Government of Catalonia to adopt the necessary measures to make possible and effective this Declaration of Independence and the provisions of the Law of Transitional Jurisprudence and Foundation of the Republic.

- CALL on each and every citizen of the Catalan Republic to join with dignity in the freedom we have awarded ourselves and to construct a State that expresses in action and conduct our collective inspirations.

The legitimate representatives of the people of Catalonia. Barcelona, 

The Pulse of the Union - Week Ended on 21 October

MORE  CITIZENS TRUST THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The European Parliament has gained additional confidence among European citizens, according to the results  of a recent official survey, which were published at the end of last week.

"The European Parliament sees an uptick in public opinion. An increase of eight percentage points now sees 33% of all citizens having a positive image of the European Parliament, while 42% of respondents still have a neutral image," claims the EP in its website.

Other ‘good news’ is that a clear majority of Europeans (57%) support membership of their respective countries in the Union. However, their expectations for additional protection from the EU remain quite high—against terrorism, uncontrolled immigration, and unemployment.

Full Report Here

CATALUNYA: TEST OF WILLS BETWEEN MADRID AND BARCELONA

The events on Saturday, 21 October, following the activation of Art. 155 of the Constitution by the Spanish Government show that return to normality is still some distance away in Catalunya. 

The Catalan parliament will convene in order to debate on the position to be taken by Barcelona. The president of the Catalan autonomous government said on Saturday night that dissolution of his cabinet and call for emergency elections--measures imposed by the central government--"are not on the table," meaning that there will be disobedience and resistance against Madrid.

EUROPEAN COUNCIL SUMMIT: DIVISION AND CONFUSION

The European Council ('EUCO') Summit on 19-20 October was not expected to come up with spectacular announcements on anything. The meeting was, indeed, an informal gathering of heads of government or state, a practice adopted under the presidency of the Commission by Jean-Clause Juncker, on the instigation of the French and German leaders, in order to give the other member states the feeling of open dialogue without the necessity to come to formal decisions every time.

It had been expected that a common position--albeit unofficial--would have been taken in respect to the accession talks with Turkey,  to the negotiations with the UK about the latter's departure from the Union, and for encouraging (even sponsoring) a negotiated solution to the Catalan crisis. Around their large table, the heads were, apparently, not keen to hold concrete discussions. 

EUCO summary

'AUTONOMIA' - THE NEW EUROPEAN BUZZWORD

Luca Zaia, Governor of Veneto and supporter of more autonomy
"Enough with taxes--(ex PM) Monti go home" (2012 rally) 

After Catalunya, two Italian regions--Lombardia (capital Milan) and Veneto (capital Venice) holding on Sunday, 22 October referenda aiming at taking their citizens' temperature for seeking extended autonomous governance in their respective jurisdictions. The main area of improvement sought is direct control of their finances, a large portion of which is currently diverted by the central government of Rome to less productive and poorer regions in the South of Italy. 

Turnout of voters was 50% in Veneto and 30% in Lombardia at 19:00 CET. There are no forecasts available for the preferences of the citizens who voted.

EASTERN EUROPEANS VOTE FOR PRESIDENTS

The Czech Republic and Slovenia have voted during the weekend for the appointment of the presidents of their respective republics. No surprises. The Czechs chose a pragmatist--a successful businessman and billionaire. 

Abe Reelected Japan's PM--Thanks to North Korea!

VOTE COUNT CONTINUES. HE MAY GET SUPERMAJORITY 

The coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (‘LDP’) and Komeito, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, will return to ruling Japan, after today’s legislative elections.

The coalition has won, based on 95% of the votes counted, 303 seats out of a total of 465 seats in the Lower House, thus securing majority, but not two-third supermajority, for which 310 seats are needed.

Seat allocation in Japanese Lower House - 23 October - 00:30 JST

However, at this moment not all hope is lost, as 21 seats have not yet been allocated. In the previous elections, in 2014, Abe’s coalition had won 318 seats. Turnout has been 56.3%, consistent with a trend downwards since the end of WWII.

Abe has benefitted from his tough rhetoric against North Korea in recent months, according to large circulation daily Asahi Shimbun.

Shinzo Abe, Japanese PM

Abe’s government began last year negotiations with the European Union for signing a Free Trade Agreement. Japan has also given this year signals of interest in improving trading with, and investment in Turkey.

Japan’s head of state is the Emperor. His role, after the Constitution adopted following the end of WWII, is cosmetic. The country’s democratic system—a parliamentary monarchy—observes the principle of separation of powers among the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary.

The legislative is represented by the Diet, which is composed of the Upper House (‘House of Councillors’) and the Lower House (‘House of Representatives’).

The judicial branch consists of a Supreme Court and four classes of lower courts—high courts, district, family, and summary courts.

The executive branch is represented by the Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister. He/she is appointed by the Diet after the legislative elections and, therefore, represents the ruling party, or ruling coalition of parties.