INTL Europe: Politics, Economics, Military - April 2024

[Plain Jane]

March thread:

Norway follows its neighbor Denmark in planning an increase in conscripted soldiers

Norway is to increase the number of conscripted soldiers from the present 9,000 to 13,500. Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram said Tuesday that “we must have enough people with the right skills at the right time.”

apnews.com

WORLD NEWS

Norway follows its neighbor Denmark in planning an increase in conscripted soldiers​

FILE - Norwegian soldiers march during a military parade ceremony marking the 105th anniversary of the Lithuanian military on Armed Forces Day in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Norway is to increase the number of conscripted soldiers from the present 9,000 to 13,500, the Norwegian government said Tuesday, April 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis, File)
Read More
Updated 5:28 AM EDT, April 2, 2024

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway is to increase the number of conscripted soldiers from the present 9,000 to 13,500, the Norwegian government said Tuesday.

“We must have enough people with the right skills at the right time,” Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram said. “We will need more people with professional military expertise going forward.”

The country’s armed forces will see a gradual increase in the number of conscripts for initial service each year, Arild Gram said, adding that several billion kroner (several hundred million dollars) will be invested in the Norwegian Armed Forces’ facility at Terningmoen, north of Oslo, where the NATO member will gather all new recruits. He did not specify precisely how much oil-rich Norway will spend.

Norwegian news agency NTB said the aim was to reach 13,500 conscripts by 2036.

The move by the Scandinavian NATO member comes after neighboring Denmark last month said it wants to increase the number of young people doing military service by extending conscription to women and increasing the time of service from four months to 11 months.

The Danish government wants to increase the number of conscripts by 300 to reach a total of 5,000.

Both Denmark and Norway are staunch supporters of Ukraine in its war against Russia’s invasion.

 

[Plain Jane]

Portugal’s new minority government aims to outmaneuver its radical right populist rivals

Portugal’s new center-right minority government has taken office. Only one of the 17 ministers being sworn in at a ceremony in Lisbon on Tuesday has previous government experience.

apnews.com

Portugal’s new minority government aims to outmaneuver its radical right populist rivals​

FILE - Luis Montenegro, leader of the center-right Democratic Alliance, delivers a speech to supporters claiming victory in Portugal’s election, in Lisbon, on March 11, 2024. Portugal’s new center-right minority government is due to take office Tuesday April 2, 2024. Only one of the 17 ministers being sworn in at a ceremony in Lisbon has previous government experience. Even Prime Minister Luis Montenegro has never been in government before. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, File)
Read More
BY BARRY HATTON
Updated 6:23 AM EDT, April 2, 2024

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal’s new center-right minority government was due to take office Tuesday, days after its first test in parliament exposed both the pitfalls and the opportunities it faces following a radical right populist party’s sudden surge in support in a recent general election.

Only one of the 17 ministers being sworn in at a ceremony in Lisbon has previous government experience. Even Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, who promised a Cabinet made up of specialists from outside the usual political circles, has never sat in government before.

Some key members of the Cabinet have spent time in Brussels and are familiar with the European Union’s corridors of power. They include Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel and Defense Minister Nuno Melo, who were European lawmakers from 2009. Portugal, a country of 10.3 million people, is receiving more than 22 billion euros ($23.6 billion) through 2026 from the EU to fuel growth and enable economic reforms.

Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, a Lisbon university professor, is likely to have a prominent role as the new administration seeks to keep a lid on what in the past has been ruinous government overspending. He wants fiscal policies to help drive investment and saving.

An alliance led by the Social Democratic Party clinched a narrow win in last month’s election, capturing 80 seats in the 230-seat National Assembly, Portugal’s parliament.



The center-left Socialist Party, which for decades has alternated in power with the Social Democrats, collected 78 seats.

A new ingredient is adding to the political unpredictability around the minority government’s prospects: the Chega (Enough) populist party picked up 50 parliamentary seats, up from just 12 in a 2022 election, on a promise to disrupt what it calls the establishment’s politics-as-usual.

Consequently, the election of parliament’s speaker last week brought an unprecedented problem — and an unprecedented solution.

The Chega party made good on its promise to upset the old way of doing things, standing in the way of the incoming government’s candidate for speaker and delivering an embarrassing defeat for Montenegro, the new prime minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party.

Chega leader Andre Ventura wants the Social Democrats to join his party in a right-of-center parliamentary alliance. That would create an overall majority and place Chega at the heart of power. But Montenegro is so far saying no to that.

Instead, Montenegro left Chega out in the cold by striking a deal with the Socialists, his party’s traditional rival, for a speaker named by each party to serve two-year terms.

It’s the kind of deal Montenegro may be forced to do again over the next four years.

 

[Plain Jane]

A close ally of populist prime minister tops a pro-Western diplomat to become Slovakia’s president

A close ally of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has defeated a pro-Western career diplomat to become Slovakia’s new president, and succeed Zuzana Čaputová, the country’s first female head of state.

apnews.com

A close ally of populist prime minister tops a pro-Western diplomat to become Slovakia’s president​

Updated 6:51 PM EDT, April 6, 2024
Share
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — A close ally of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico beat a pro-Western career diplomat to become Slovakia’s new president, and succeed Zuzana Čaputová, the country’s first female head of state.

Parliamentary speaker Peter Pellegrini received 53.26% of the vote with the ballots from almost all polling stations counted by the Statistics Office in Saturday’s runoff election, topping former Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok who had 46.73%.

“I can promise I will be a president of all Slovak citizens,” Pellegrini said. “I can promise I’ll be always by the side of Slovakia.”

Pellegrini becomes Slovakia’s sixth president since the country gained independence after the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993.
Čaputová, a staunch backer of neighboring Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, didn’t seek a second term in the largely ceremonial post.

Pellegrini’s victory cemented Fico’s grip on power by giving him and his allies control of major strategic posts.

The president of the nation of 5.4 million people picks the prime minister after parliamentary elections, swears in the new government and appoints Constitutional Court judges. The president can also veto laws, though Parliament can override the veto with a simple majority, and challenge them at the Constitutional Court. The head of state also has the right to pardon convicts.

The government, led by the prime minister, possesses most executive powers.



Fico’s leftist Smer (Direction) party won Sept. 30 parliamentary elections on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform.

Pellegrini, 48, who favors a strong role for the state, heads the left-wing Hlas (Voice) party that finished third in the vote and joined a governing coalition with Fico and the ultranationalist Slovak National Party.

Critics worry Slovakia under Fico will abandon its pro-Western course and follow the direction of Hungary under populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.


The new government immediately halted any arms deliveries to Ukraine. Thousands have repeatedly taken to the streets across Slovakia recently to rally against Fico’s pro-Russian and other policies, including plans to amend the penal code and take control of the public media.

“A majority of people in Slovakia said that they prefer this way of ruling,” Fico said in his comments.

Korčok was critical of the government’s moves that the protesters fear could undermine the rule of law while Pellegrini backed the new government and didn’t question its policies.

Korčok is the former ambassador to the United States and Germany, who also served as the country’s envoy to NATO and the European Union. He firmly supports Slovakia’s EU and NATO memberships.

He conceded the defeat and congratulated the winner.

“I’m disappointed,” he said about the result.

Pellegrini, who was Fico’s former deputy in Smer, became prime minister in 2018, after Fico was forced to resign following major anti-government street protests over the killing of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancee.

Pellegrini had temporarily parted ways with Fico after the scandal-tainted Smer lost the previous election in 2020.

With Pellegrini’s win, Fico rebounded from two straight presidential election losses. Fico was defeated at the presidential vote by Andrej Kiska 10 years ago while Čaputová claimed victory over a candidate he supported in the 2019 ballot.

 

[Plain Jane]

EU lawmakers will decide on migration law overhaul, hoping to deprive the far-right of votes

Lawmakers are to vote on a major revamp of the European Union’s migration laws. The aim is to end years of division over how to manage the entry of people without authorization and to deprive the far-right of a vote-winning campaign issue ahead of June elections.

apnews.com

EU lawmakers will decide on migration law overhaul, hoping to deprive the far-right of votes​

FILE - A migrant uses his mobile phone sitting in the Eleptherias square at the old city of the divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, May 10, 2023. The president of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides said on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, he has personally asked the head of the European Union’s executive arm to intercede with Lebanese authorities so that they could put a stop to boat loads of Syrian refugees from heading to the east Mediterranean island nation. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File)
Read More
BY LORNE COOK
Updated 6:27 AM EDT, April 10, 2024

BRUSSELS (AP) — Lawmakers are to vote later Wednesday on a major revamp of the European Union’s migration laws, aiming to end years of division over how to manage the entry of thousands of people without authorization and deprive the far-right of a vote-winning campaign issue ahead of June elections.

Members of the European Parliament will vote on 10 reform topics that make up the Pact on Migration and Asylum. The regulations and policies lay out who should take responsibility for migrants when they arrive and whether other EU member states should be obliged to help.

The plan was drawn up after 1.3 million people, mostly those fleeing war in Syria and Iraq, sought refuge in Europe in 2015. The 27-nation bloc’s asylum system collapsed, reception centers were overwhelmed in Greece and Italy, and countries further north built barriers to stop people entering.

But few say they’re happy with the new policy response to one of Europe’s biggest political crises, and even the lawmakers who drafted parts of the new regulations are not willing to support the entire reform package.

“I’m not going to open a bottle of champagne after this,” Dutch lawmaker Sophie i’nt Veld, who drew up the assembly’s position on migrant reception conditions, told reporters on the eve of the plenary session in Brussels. She plans to abstain from some of the 10 votes.

In’t Veld described the pact as “the bare minimum” in terms of a policy response, but she does not want to torpedo it by voting against. “We will not have another opportunity to come to an agreement,” she said.

Swedish parliamentarian Malin Bjork, who worked on refugee resettlement, said that the pact does not respond to “any of the questions it was set to solve.”

She said the reform package “undermines the individual right to seek asylum” in Europe because it would build on plans that some EU countries already have to process migrants abroad. Italy has concluded one such deal with Albania.

“We cannot have a situation where people systematically, in their thousands, die on their way seeking protection and refuge in Europe. This doesn’t do anything about that,” Bjork told reporters.

Spanish lawmaker Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar agreed he wasn’t satisfied by the negotiations, but said they were an improvement to existing policies. The lawmaker did not say if he might vote against part of the new plan.

The new rules include controversial measures: Facial images and fingerprints could be taken from children from the age of 6, and people may be detained during screening. Fast-track deportation could be used on those not permitted to stay.

“The pact will lead to more detention and de facto detention at the EU’s external borders, including for families with children, which is in clear violation of international law,” said Marta Gionco from Picum, a network of migrant rights defense organizations.

It remains unclear what will happen to the reform package if lawmakers reject parts of it. The EU’s 27 member states would need to endorse the parliamentary vote before the regulations could start to enter force. That could happen by the end of the month.

Mainstream political parties want to secure agreement on the pact ahead of Europe-wide elections on June 6-9. Migration is likely to be a campaign issue, and they believe the new reforms address concerns about an issue that has been a consistent vote-winner for far-right parties.

 

[Plain Jane]

Croatia votes in a parliamentary election that's a showdown between its president and prime minister

Croatia is voting in a parliamentary election after a campaign that centered on a bitter rivalry between the president and prime minister of the small European Union and NATO member.

apnews.com

Croatia votes in a parliamentary election that’s a showdown between its president and prime minister​

BY DUSAN STOJANOVIC
Updated 4:37 AM EDT, April 17, 2024
Share
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia is voting Wednesday in a parliamentary election after a campaign that centered on a bitter rivalry between the president and prime minister of the country.

The ballot pits the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), led by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, against an alliance of centrist and left-wing parties informally led by populist President Zoran Milanovic and his Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The election is being held as Croatia, a European Union and NATO member, struggles with the highest inflation rate in the eurozone, a labor shortage, illegal migration and reports of widespread corruption.

At stake in the race for Croatia’s 151-seat parliament is not just the Adriatic Sea country’s future domestic policies but also the EU’s unity as it grapples with the instability from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

If the HDZ stays in power, the country would continue a pro-Western course in supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia. A success for SDP could put it on track for victory in the European Parliament elections in June and the presidential election in December. It would shake the HDZ’s long dominance of politics and potentially open space for stronger pro-Russian influence in the country, akin to Hungary and Slovakia.

Polls close Wednesday evening and official results are expected Thursday.

Most pre-election polls predicted a HDZ victory, but without enough seats to rule alone. The left-wing opposition may benefit from discontent with the country’s high inflation and the general economic malaise in most EU member states. Smaller parties on the right and the left could be key to both the HDZ and SDP in their quest to power.



The HDZ has largely held power since Croatia gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. The Balkan nation became the newest member of the European Union in 2013, and joined Europe’s passport-free travel area and the eurozone last year.

The president holds a largely ceremonial role in Croatia, while the prime minister exerts most of the political power. The election has played out as the final episode in the long-running rivalry between Plenkovic and Milanovic.

After Milanovic scheduled the election and announced his surprise bid for prime minister, he began campaigning on behalf of the SDP. But Croatia’s constitutional court judges stepped in, saying the move was unconstitutional.

The judges said that the president can’t run for prime minister, take part in the parliamentary election or campaign in favor of any party, unless he first resigns.

Milanovic refused, openly ignoring the top court and continuing to campaign in favor of the left-wing alliance

“I hope that the citizens will vote for a Croatia that respects the constitution and the constitutional order, for a Croatia that belongs to the Western and transatlantic democratic circle,” Plenkovic said after he cast his ballot, appearing to reference Milanovic and his alleged breach of the constitution by actively taking part in the election process.

Milanovic also accused Plenkovic and the HDZ of rampant corruption and “massive theft” of state funds, referring to past and present scandals, some of which had ended up in the courts.

Plenkovic, who has led the government since 2016, repeatedly denied the accusations, saying Milanovic as the prime minister would shift the country away from the EU and closer to Russia.

Milanovic has often voiced a pro-Russian stance during the war in Ukraine, opposing the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Croatia as well as sending weapons to Ukraine because, in his view, it only prolongs the war. He also criticized EU’s policies over Ukraine.