Being insulted by politicians is part of journalists, and some journalists even claim to like it. Either way, on Tuesday, Dutch journalist Ingeborg Beugel became the latest person to feel the anger of angry leaders.
As Beugel urged him to “finally stop lying on the issue of preventing immigrants from entering Greece”, Prime Minister Kiriakos Mizotakis furiously expressed his feelings towards her at a press conference with Dutch President Mark Rutte. view.
It must be fun to watch the live broadcast.
Embarrassing, maybe, but this party may not harm the Greek leader at home. Except for a major strategic error—asking Beugel if he had been to a new immigrant camp in Greece, and then calling her a liar when she said she had been there—Mitsotakis defended herself effectively and enthusiastically.
More importantly, the incident highlights the emotionality of immigration policy and control and how European leaders (although some people are more than others) get into troubles and predicaments.
Since 2015, the European Union has paid Turkey billions of euros to settle refugees and potential migrants. However, the government of President Recep Erdogan continues to allow thousands of people to try to cross the Aegean Sea.
Patrolling migrant ships in its waters is an expensive and thankless task, as is accommodating those who do arrive, and the European Union’s border control agency Frontex is unable to provide Greece and other countries with the support they need.
For the refugees who have gone through this dangerous journey, the tragedy is that they are not needed in the EU just as they are in Turkey or the homeland they fled from.
A similar story is happening thousands of kilometers north, where Belarus is accused of directing thousands of refugees across the border into Poland. The Polish minister stated that the move was “planned” by the Kremlin.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the EU of hosting a new immigration “disaster” and hinted that the EU should pay Minsk to prevent refugees from entering the EU. At the same time, Russia, which has always been useful, sent military aircraft to patrol the border areas.
In both cases, the EU’s enemies: Turkey, Belarus, and Russia are all responsible for weaponizing refugees. However, the European Union and its governments should take responsibility for the resulting humanitarian crisis and are required to pay this cost.
What can the EU do?
The EU’s divergence in immigration policy and the lack of a common burden-sharing method have allowed hostile neighboring countries to isolate fragile member states and confront each other.
Ironically, weeks after the European Commission was threatened by the rule of law dispute with Brussels, the consequences of political isolation are being articulated to Warsaw’s Eurosceptic law and justice government in a technical way.
In her last act as Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel tried to mediate on behalf of Poland.
Until the EU and the capitals reach unity on immigration issues, its enemies will continue to treat refugees as weapons that can be used at will.
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Summary
“Europe must be a security provider Because this is what European citizens want-to be protected by the EU,” EU Chief Diplomat Joseph Borrell told several European media including EURACTIV in an interview. Borrell emphasized the EU’s strategic autonomy and ” The importance of a common strategic culture”.
European cities are increasingly letting their residents express their opinions on local affairs by asking city residents how to use municipal budgets and involving them in innovation platforms. But critics of the strategy say that stopping populism is not enough. View the special report of EURACTIV More.
And the place of urban Europeans Environmental transformation, sustainable infrastructure and green public space Very important on their local agenda. “Most citizens are calling for projects that have an impact on their quality of life, the built environment and the surrounding environment,” said an official from Eurocities.
The new draft of COP26 negotiations calls on all countries Increasing short-term commitments to reduce emissions in 2022, Acknowledge the widening gap between current commitments and the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement. The draft was released before dawn on Wednesday and will be negotiated by various countries in the last three days. It is likely to become the basis for the summit’s main results.
The new global methane commitment was announced on the first day of COP26 and will directly affect practices in the agricultural sector. The commitment focuses on technical measures, such as animal feed supplements. According to the United Nations, By 2030, the industry’s emissions can be reduced by 20% every year.
As COP26 continues, policymakers are working to reduce the carbon footprint of the food and beverage industry, a sector that is sometimes overlooked in emission reduction policies. Food and beverage emissions account for about 30% Sustainability experts say that there is an “absolutely large amount” of work to be done in the future.
COP26 promises to stop sales of polluting vehicles by 2040 Known as insufficient Climate activists criticized the absence of major economies such as the United States, Germany and France, as well as leading automakers such as Volkswagen and Toyota.
Russia blames the EU for the ongoing immigration “catastrophe” At the Belarus-Poland border, EU leaders are accused of trying to “strangle” Belarus through a plan to close parts of the border. Overnight, Moscow sent two strategic bombers to patrol the airspace of Belarus, sending further support signals to its ally, Belarus.
The Prime Minister of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev (Zoran Zaev) announced his resignation in a local vote last month due to poor election results. He will continue to serve until the political situation stabilizes. “I hope that the democratic majority will stabilize, especially the majority supporting the EU and supporting a multi-ethnic society,” Zayev said.
Seasonal agricultural workers are exposed to Many violations of labor rights in Germany, According to a new report. Union members demand that the next government implement the social dimension of EU agricultural subsidies as early as 2023 instead of using the transition period granted by the committee.
People with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic neuromuscular disease, Must gain more social rights and better integrate into society, According to the Greek legislator Stelios Kympouropoulos. “Physical health is very important, but if someone is ostracized by society, that person’s living conditions will be very bad,” said the Christian Democrat member.
Pay close attention, watch out, watch out…
- Finance Commissioner Mairead McGuinness met with officials in Finald to discuss sustainable finance.
- Environmental Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius traveled to Greece to discuss the European Green Agreement and visited areas damaged by wildfires this summer.
- The plenary meeting of the European Parliament continues on Thursday.
- The European Trade Minister discusses World Trade Organization (WTO) reforms in the Foreign Affairs Committee.
The opinions are those of the author.
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]
