European Union

It looks like France and the UK will be in trouble this winter! :-O

The core baseload of the European grid is in trouble, and there is no back up. If the rest of Europe had enough coal or nuclear power, this wouldn’t be so bad, but they were all too worried about heatwaves in 2100 they forgot…

This is bad news for Europe. Half of France’s nuclear power fleet were already out of action and EDF was hoping to bring “all of them” back online for winter. But they’ve just announced that at least four plants they planned to restart will suffer a major delay. France’s electricity prices have hit €1,000 per MWh for January delivery. (Which is a blockbuster $1,500 AUD).

France’s large nuclear fleet is normally a major exporter of electricity, referred to as the “backbone” of the whole European grid. Blackouts are not only being forecast in France, but there is growing recognition that they are now more likely in the UK too. Where else will this spread?

To make matters worse, a week ago, a pipe ruptured during a safety test at the Civaux plant. This is the same plant where corroded welds were discovered in August last year, but this is “absolutely not a weld that gave way” this time, which sounds ominous. When they shut Civaux down last year, they also shut down another 12 reactors built to the same design — which paradoxically are the newest reactors in the nuclear fleet and only about 20 years old. Such is the urgency, that currently 500 specialist welders are working on these plants, about 100 of those have come from the US and Canada.
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Europe in trouble. More French nuclear power out for winter, and prices hit €1,000/MW « JoNova

joannenova.com.au joannenova.com.au
 
thorbiorn said:
On MindMatters, there was an interview in 2021:

Is Liberalism the New Totalitarianism? A Conversation with Ryszard Legutko where among other points Legutko argues that the EU parliament is not similar to a one party system, because there are not major difference between the Liberals, the Christian and Social Democrats and the Green parties. The point is made at 17:04 / 1:46:55, although he begins his argument before
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PROF: RYSZARD LEGUTKO: "Two minutes of truth, of bitter truth" in the European Parliament​

I absolutely loved this! Look at the faces of the Useless Eater Euroc-Rats, how their smiles are fading fast. Mayhaps these demonic wretches are disturbed by their sharp Jackal Ears picking up applause in the EU Parliament? How dare they [!!] applaud this man Legutko??! Watch them hysterically protesting that somebody - [I image they think] this "subhuman Prof. Legutko"(professor of philosophy) dares to step forward and oppose them! Them!??! - the Mighty Exceptionally Privileged Ones, who didn't have to pay their heating and electricity bills in their life, since their wealthy acquaintances always got them covered:
..the smug smiles of the European Parliament's sinecure abusers who pretend that they are representatives of someone in Europe (actually, some of them are), the wiping of those smiles from their faces will not come through academic discussion and scientific reasoning. Albeit, Legutko's civic courage is appreciated.
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I agree with Andrei Martyanov: the wiping of those smiles will come with Guillotine, I think.

While in Hungary, Honored Parliament Members rake in SIX TIMES THE SALARY of Hungarian Workers' Average payment per month. Social-net payments of course are in the gutters compared even to that average.. I can only smile, but recently a Soup Kitchen opened in my little agricultural city of 18K Sheeple and there is a surprisingly long line each day.

Will the soup kitchen solve the heinous disparity in Hungary - and probably in most places in the world?
 
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'That's why EU is sinking.'

www.rt.com

EU is dominated by US – Italian FM

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani says Europe lacks a real foreign or defense policy, and its interests always come after the US
www.rt.com www.rt.com
25 Jan, 2023
[...]
During the interview, he was asked if he thought the EU was “too weak,” to which he replied by explaining that “Europe [sic] does not have a real foreign or defense policy… We always come after the Americans,” adding that this has been the case since 1954 [when the European Defence Community collapsed].
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In the french news today, ambiance (translation) :

"In Brussels, Meloni beats Macron cold

The Italian leader could not stomach not having been invited to the dinner organized on Wednesday February 8 at the Elysée for the Ukrainian president.

At her very first European summit, in December 2022, Giorgia Meloni had kept a low profile. Nothing like this this time. As soon as she arrived in Brussels, the Italian leader criticized Emmanuel Macron. In question: the dinner that the president had organized the day before at the Élysée with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz. When she was asked about the recent trip by the French and German Ministers of the Economy to Washington - without their Italian counterpart, therefore -, the President of the Italian Council had this answer: "Yesterday's invitation to Zelensky felt more inappropriate because I think our strength in this story is unity."

Even more directly, she accused Emmanuel Macron of having instrumentalized Zelensky's trip to Paris. "I understand domestic political issues, privileging one's own domestic public opinions, but there are times when privileging those opinions may not be favorable to the cause and it seems to me that it has been," she told reporters.

In Italy, the press drew a parallel between this dinner to which Giorgia Meloni had not been invited and Emmanuel Macron's trip to kyiv last year with Olaf Scholz and… Mario Draghi, the former President of the Italian Council, who had privileged relations with the French president. The comparison greatly displeased the Italian leader. She spent her day beating the president. While the Twenty-Seven were to exchange in groups of five with Volodymyr Zelensky, the latter finally offered a bilateral exchange.

During his press conference, Macron admitted that there were no bilateral meetings with Meloni during the long day. Even though the leaders had a lot of dead time and, beyond the arrival of Zelensky, two subjects of importance for the two countries were on the agenda: migration and the response to the massive American plan of grants. According to the words of the president, the two leaders would have only crossed paths. “I am always respectful of people and choices,” he slipped to journalists, before joining Paris. A way of showing that Meloni, on the contrary, had not been respectful towards him. Emmanuel Macron, however, wanted to justify the format chosen for Zelensky's dinner at the Élysée. “I think that Germany and France have had a special role for 8 years on this issue (Ukraine, editor’s note), since we have also, together, precisely supported this process. I think it is also up to President Zelensky to appreciate the formats he chooses, ”he said in a reference to the Normandy format. Giorgia Meloni has been at the head of Italy since October 2022. Relations with Emmanuel Macron did not start under the best auspices, due to the Ocean Viking affair. Meloni had refused to let this migrant boat dock in Italy. At the end of a showdown lasting several days between Paris and Rome, France had finally resolved to let the 234 migrants disembark in Toulon."
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From here, some economic news (17 jan 2023) :

"The number of bankruptcies explodes in France

In 2022, France recorded the highest increase in business failures in its history, at nearly 50% over one year, according to a report by the specialist firm Altares. In all, 42,500 companies went out of business in 2022, i.e. +49.9% compared to 2021 – an unprecedented figure, resulting from an economic recovery lagging behind since Covid-19.

While the numbers are still lower, by around 10,000, compared to pre-Covid, the gap has narrowed drastically throughout the past year. Defaults had fallen sharply between March 2020 and November 2021, when the State intervened to support companies in the face of the pandemic. A trend whose risks EURACTIV highlighted in August 2022, when the first repayments of State-guaranteed loans (PGE) and the collection of social debts, such as URSSAF charges (famous french gov'tax upon societies) , began.

In question, the numerous financial constraints imposed by the repayments of PGE and URSSAF debts, which are added to a gloomy economic situation and rising energy bills. The era of “whatever it takes”, a period during which the state was able to support companies in all directions, is also over.

The report expects 55,000 failures in 2023, a return to figures from 2017, when 55,400 companies went out of business. In addition, no sector is spared: construction accounts for a quarter of bankruptcies, with 10,000 closures. Ditto in trade, especially retail, which sees the number of companies, and especially the smallest, decline. As for business services, they showed a more contained increase, at +32.3% compared to 2021.

A trend that is not limited to France: 100,000 companies are at risk of going bankrupt in Italy, according to October 2022 figures from the Osservatorio Rischio Imprese of market research firm Cerved. In Poland, requests for temporary suspension of activities have increased by 39.4% over the last twelve months. As for the UK, "more than one in ten UK businesses reported a moderate to severe risk of insolvency in August 2022", according to a note from the Office for National Statistics (ONS)."
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Bring the popcorns 🍿, enjoy the sinking !
 
From here in french, the EU has not reached the bottom, yet. But still trying hard.
French's president had a "de Gaulle" moment, trying to shake his leash... and Italy feels some pressure :

"Berlin and Prague are outraged by Emmanuel Macron's comments on China and the United States

Emmanuel Macron's renewed efforts to boost the EU's strategic autonomy and lessen the bloc's willingness to sign on to US foreign policy goals have been met with harsh criticism in Germany, although the government has not not yet commented on this. In Prague, politicians went further, accusing Mr Macron of undermining transatlantic relations.

French President Emmanuel Macron, returning from a trip to China, told Politico and Les Echos that when it comes to Taiwan, which Beijing considers a rebel province and ardently wishes to control, "[t]he worst thing would be to think that we Europeans should be followers on this subject and adapt to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction".
These remarks drew strong criticism from American and German politicians, with Republican American Senator Marco Rubio asking if Mr. Macron "speaks on behalf of Europe".

On the German side, Metin Hakverdi, a centre-left SPD lawmaker, was the first to speak about the situation. "Macron is starting again. He speaks in Beijing without any authorization from the EU. He will then certainly organize security guarantees for Ukraine on his own," said the senior legislator. He then told the Tagesspiegel that "it is a serious mistake for the West to allow itself to be divided in its relations with Beijing".

Norbert Röttgen, of the center-right CDU party, is the German politician who has criticized Mr Macron the most. Mr. Röttgen, a former minister and candidate for the leadership of the party, warned against the French policy which leads to a " geopolitical impasse " for Europe. Ukraine has shown that Europe's dependence on the United States for security policy persists. "It's almost ironic that Macron, who is doing even less for Ukraine than Scholz, is alienating the United States with his statements on China," he said. "

If Americans had thought the same way since February 24, 2022, Ukraine would no longer exist and Putin would probably already be standing in front of Paris," said CDU lawmaker Tilman Kuban. It is generally accepted that Ukraine could not have withstood the Russian invasion of February 2022 without the help of the United States.

.../...

In his comments after his visit to China, Macron also stressed that Europe should strive to achieve strategic autonomy. However, some Czech politicians are convinced that strengthening ties with China is not the right way to achieve this.

"When the Council of the EU last year agreed on the need for strategic autonomy, it had in mind the strengthening of our independence from Russia and China. In any case, reassuring the Asian giant by telling it that Taiwan is none of our business does nothing to reduce the risk of military conflict. On the contrary ! warned the Czech senator of the Mayors and Independents party (STAN, EPP), David Smoljak."
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"Italy: state of emergency declared in the face of the influx of migrants


Italy on Tuesday (April 11) declared a nationwide state of emergency for the next six months, following the exceptional increase in the number of migrants continuously arriving via Mediterranean routes.

On Tuesday, the Council of Ministers led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (FDI/ECR) declared a national state of emergency on immigration after the Minister of Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, Nello Musumeci, the has proposed. This decision also follows a meeting between Mr. Musumeci and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.

The state of emergency will be funded to the tune of 5 million euros. " Let's be clear. The problem is not solved and its solution is only linked to a thoughtful and responsible intervention by the European Union ”, affirmed Mr. Musumeci after the state of emergency was declared by the government.

“ There is an absolute emergency. It is not a new fact [...] It is a problem destined not to be solved for at least the next ten years", declared the minister to Radio Anch'io, stressing the need to " neutralize the mafia of scapegoats ".

Last February, the Italian parliament approved the "Code of Conduct for NGOs" — a government decree establishing a code of conduct for ships intervening to rescue migrants — despite criticism from the UN and humanitarian groups. The migratory flows of recent months have put a strain on state structures, according to Mr. Musumeci, who called for a " responsible approach " towards migrants and their rights.

The minister notably underlined the difficulty of managing the flows arriving on the islands – Lampedusa and the entire southern coast of Sicily – areas where the first reception centers are constantly collapsing. It has been a busy Easter weekend for national authorities, with broken boats and migrants at sea. Around 2,000 people have been rescued and rescue operations are underway for another 1,200. Frontex coastguards and air assets participate in search and rescue (SAR) operations.

" Rescue operations are still ongoing in the Ionian Sea ", tweeted the coast guard on Tuesday, referring to two barges - one with 800 and the other with 400 migrants on board - intercepted more than 160 kilometers away southeast of Sicily. Both boats were escorted to shore due to unfavorable weather conditions. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, 31,292 migrants landed between January 1 and April 11. During the same period of the previous two years, arrivals were significantly lower: 7,928 in 2022 and 8,505 in 2021."
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Olivierlejardinier said:
From here in french, the EU has not reached the bottom, yet. But still trying hard.
French's president had a "de Gaulle" moment, trying to shake his leash... and Italy feels some pressure
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Scene straight out of Laura's Romance Book Project! Specifically "The Russian Billionaire" series, book: Love’s Sacrifice, (IIRC): When Blake's father is ready to prove the Power of Their Deep State Club by asking the heroine, Lana, to name any European politician - "Please don't select a head of state as we had a lot of work cherry-picking and positioning them on top, but you can select anybody else.." - to prove that they can 'Warn By Proxy'™, 'financially assassinate' / Soft Kill = Ruin or hard kill anybody on Earth.
 
lilies said:
they can 'Warn By Proxy'™, 'financially assassinate' / Soft Kill = Ruin or hard kill anybody on Earth.
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Olivierlejardinier said:
and Italy feels some pressure :
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Maybe there's a clue here, Russia's long arm in action...

"

Son of Krasnoyarsk Governor Back in Russia After Escaping House Arrest in Italy​



A Russian entrepreneur wanted by authorities in the United States revealed Tuesday that he had returned to Russia after escaping from house arrest in Italy, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Artyom Uss, 40, the son of the governor of Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region, was one of five Russians detained last year at Milan’s Malpensa Airport at Washington’s request over “unlawful schemes to export powerful” U.S. military technology to Russia.

On March 22, Uss escaped house arrest in Italy by removing his electronic bracelet and traveling by car with an unknown driver, before using a fake passport and a private jet to flee the country.
“I’m in Russia! Over the past particularly dramatic days I was with strong and reliable people. I'd like to thank them,” Uss told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.

The Italian newspaper La Repubblica earlier reported that the entrepreneur was likely aided in his escape by Russia’s secret services.
(elsewhere, "The prosecutor's office in Milan believes that Uss left Italy by car in a few hours, changing several cars, the newspaper claims. Investigators believe that he went to Slovenia, and then to Serbia, from where he could then allegedly take a plane to Russia.")

“The Italian court, whose impartiality I was originally counting on, revealed that it was politically motivated. Unfortunately, it’s ready to bend to the will of the American authorities,” Uss said.

The governor’s son faces a number of charges in the U.S., including sanctions violations and money laundering that could see him sentenced to decades in prison.
On March 21 an Italian court approved the entrepreneur’s extradition to the U.S., while an appeal filed by his defense was rejected.
In his interview with RIA Novosti on Tuesday, Uss explained that due to the current geopolitical climate, when the West engages Moscow “without any rules,” he was compelled to return to Russia through "unconventional means." He called his return a "victory."
 
Clare Daly

"The brightest and most courageous woman in the EU parliament and amongst all EU politicians. Always a pleasure listening to one of her brilliant speeches."

"Shameful displays of colonial arrogance towards China should be left in the past. The issue is simple. Do we want to be a vassal of our Atlantic friends, or have peaceful, independent relations with our largest trading partner, which hasn't dropped a bomb on anyone in 40 years?"

Tweet/video of her short speech below:


https://twitter.com/x/status/1651908319613779970
 
'The EU is heading to abyss.'

www.rt.com

Europe approaching a ‘catastrophe’ – Hungary

Many thousands more lives will be lost unless Europe shakes off its “war psychosis,” Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto is warning
www.rt.com www.rt.com
28 Jun, 2023

tass.com

Todayâs European Union offers 'neither peace nor prosperity,' Hungaryâs Orban laments

At their two-day summit that kicks off later on Thursday, the EU leaders are planning to discuss the attempted armed mutiny in Russia and the military conflict in Ukraine, and the blocâs further support for it, as well as how to legally tap frozen Russian assets
tass.com tass.com
29 JUN, 2023
 
sToRmR1dR said:
'The EU is heading to abyss.'

www.rt.com

Europe approaching a ‘catastrophe’ – Hungary

Many thousands more lives will be lost unless Europe shakes off its “war psychosis,” Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto is warning
www.rt.com www.rt.com
28 Jun, 2023

tass.com

Todayâs European Union offers 'neither peace nor prosperity,' Hungaryâs Orban laments

At their two-day summit that kicks off later on Thursday, the EU leaders are planning to discuss the attempted armed mutiny in Russia and the military conflict in Ukraine, and the blocâs further support for it, as well as how to legally tap frozen Russian assets
tass.com tass.com
29 JUN, 2023
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yes, i am very disappointed by the eu. its members are elected but not on the basis of their competence. i worked in a european agency as an engineer and we always did see the inversion layer where common sense was replaced by political machinations. this layer was impenetrable without political backing of diverging national views. we always kept the eu at bay. but the salaries were more than ok...
 
Laura said:
Session Date: June 24th 2023
[...]
A: Pray and meditate and build your network in the hyperdimensional spaces. Much turmoil coming. Be awake, alert, aware, and utilize knowledge. It really does protect if you can set limiting emotions aside. Goodbye.

END OF SESSION
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tass.com

Hungary wants to know who bears responsibility for EU bankruptcy — Orban

The Hungarian PM stated that he opposed the latest proposals from the European Commission, which he said would exacerbate the EU's financial problems while lining the pockets of the Brussels-based bureaucracy
tass.com tass.com
29 JUN, 2023

Good question!
 
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