EUROPE - POLITICAL NEWS IN BRIEF

  I know it has been a while, since I wrote to you last time about developments in Ukraine!  This is  not  a sign from me that it is not important!  On the contrary.  The Middle East, Gaza, etc. is, of course, important. No doubt about that.  But we have to realise, that  UKRAINE and its fate is strategically much more important to us in Europe than the Middle East.  We have all the way to remember that ! I sent you some time ago a number a good and reliable sources about Ukraine events. I hope you use them. Our Norwegian expert Hans Petter Midttun has unfortunately stopped his daily, detailed reports.  This is understandable. He has done a fantastic job. I just found a new note from him on his LinkedIn site. I enclose it below.  And I fully agree with it. I will try to  find more good sources  to keep us all really up to date on the terrible situation in Ukraine. I will come back to you on that. And  if you...

  Luc Frieden After the parliamentary elections on 8 October, a new government is now in place. It consists of the Christian Social Party (8 ministers) and the Liberal Party (7 ministers). The government is led by Prime Minister LUC FRIEDEN from the Christian Social Party. He is 60 years old and has previously held various ministerial posts. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the former Liberal Prime Minister, XAVIER BETTEL (50 years old). Luxembourg's strong support for the EU and for stronger European cooperation continues.

As expected, VICTOR ORBÁN has immediately come out with a statement that under no circumstances should Ukraine be a member of the EU. Hungary has already opposed aid to the attacked Ukraine. And Orbán interacts in different ways with the accused war criminal Putin. This statement could become serious, because the EU's heads of state and government must decide in December whether accession negotiations with, among other things, Ukraine must start. It requires unanimity. So also a Hungarian YES. What could be the reason for Orbán's negative attitude? He says it is due to "the bad treatment the Hungarian minority in Ukraine receives". Which minority is it? It is approx. 100,000 Hungarian-speakers living in the mountains up the Hungarian border. This area was given to the Soviets in 1945 in connection with the peace agreement after World War II. Hungary had been allied with Hitler during the war. Therefore it cost concessions to Stalin. The area's main town, Berehove,...

  The political situation in the Netherlands is constantly evolving. I can provide you with some information on the latest developments.  According to  The Guardian , the Netherlands is currently in the midst of a snap parliamentary election, which was called after the collapse of the outgoing coalition government headed by Mark Rutte in July 2023 .  The election is scheduled for November 22, 2023, and three parties - Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), a Green-Labour alliance (GL/PvdA), and New Social Contract (NSC), a brand-new party led by a popular former Christian Democrat MP - are vying for the lead in the polls .  None of these parties, however, looks likely to win more than 20% of the vote, and the next Dutch government will emerge only after coalition negotiations that could well last months . In the meantime prime minister Rutte will continue as a temporary government. But he will leave politics, as soon as a new government is in pl...

  The political situation in PORTUGAL is very unstable and uncertain. Here are some key points: PM’s resignation : Prime Minister António Costa resigned on Tuesday, November 8, after his official residence and several ministries were raided by police as part of a corruption investigation related to lithium and hydrogen projects. Costa denied any wrongdoing. President’s decision : President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa accepted Costa’s resignation and announced that he would dissolve the parliament and call a snap election on March 10, 2024. He said he would wait until the 2024 budget bill is passed by the end of November before disbanding the parliament. Election prospects : The Socialist Party, which has a majority in the parliament, faces a challenge from the opposition parties, especially the center-right Social Democrats and the far-right Chega. The corruption scandal could erode the public trust and support for the Socialists, who have been in power since 2016 and led the country’...

    On November 8, the European Commission recommended starting accession negotiations with  UKRAINE  and  MOLDOVA , and granting candidate status to  GEORGIA. The reports focus on their progress in implementing the fundamental reforms needed to qualify for EU membership.  They also provide advice for upcoming reform priorities . The decision on opening negotiations will be taken by the EU heads of state and government in mid December. The decision has to be unanimous. If negotiations start they will on the EU side be presided by the Commission.  Altogether 35 policy areas will have to be negotiated in parallel. When there is agreement, it has to be approved by the European Parliament and each of the 27 EU member states - and by the candidate countries individually.  When that is done, an accession treaty will be made and the necessary changes done in the EU treaties.   This is a significant development for the three countries, as i...