Europe

[Doc]

https://www.news.com.au/finance/busines ... 664881c304

what if all the european preening about being above and beyond dirty primary industry was a great big fat lie.

what if all the filthy work they exported to australia and china came unstuck due to a cold war developing between those 2 countries.

what if china stopped producing industrial magnesium because it didnt have enough of the sweet australia coal to keep the factories running.

what if the carbon footprint of europe actually included all the chinese and australian bit.. i wonder wonder.

The world’s largest carmakers and other users of aluminium could be forced to halt production within weeks amid a “catastrophic” shortage of magnesium across Europe.

Magnesium is a key material used in the production of aluminium alloys, which are used in everything from car parts to building materials and food packaging.

China has a near-monopoly on global magnesium manufacturing, accounting for 87 per cent of production, but the Chinese government’s efforts to reduce domestic power consumption amid rising energy prices have slowed output to a trickle since September 20.

In Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, the world’s main magnesium production hubs, 25 plants had to shut down and five further plants slashed production by 50 per cent as a result of the power cuts.

Europe is expected to run out of magnesium stockpiles by the end of November.

On Friday, a group of 12 European industry associations representing cars, metals, packaging and other sectors issued a joint statement warning of the “catastrophic impact” of the production cuts, which they said had already resulted in an “international supply crisis of unprecedented magnitude”.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... evergrande

China’s thermal coal futures have surged in the past month, repeatedly setting records, as concerns over mine safety and pollution constrain domestic output while it continues to ban shipments from top supplier Australia. Meanwhile, natural gas prices from Europe to Asia have surged to seasonal highs as countries try outbid each other for fast-depleting supplies.

I guess we had better start recycling Aluminium

[Typhoon]

Al Jazz | Finland announces ‘historic’ NATO bid, and Sweden follows

Finland and Sweden reversed long-standing opposition to NATO membership after war in Ukraine led to huge public support.

[Heracleum Persicum]

FT.png (328 KiB) Viewed 3171 times

North-Stream-2 is ready and full of gaz .. just turn on the valve

Really silly

Not so that not taking gas from Russia will dent anything with Russians selling gas .. China next door takes all Russia can supply, and, @ 1/3 of world price.

This was a scheme to "f*ck" Germany and EU .. Germany became too strong, too "well off" .. just listen to US media Trump time re Germany.


Trump to Angela Merkel"
'You Owe Me $1 Trillion'

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[Typhoon]

FT | War in Ukraine has shaken the EU’s power dynamics [paywalled]

The Baltic states have seen their suspicion of Moscow vindicated and are newly assertive

SYLVIE KAUFFMANN

The writer is a columnist at Le Monde and fellow of the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin

Addressing Finland’s ambassadors in Helsinki a week ago, Sanna Marin, the country’s prime minister, spoke highly of Estonia, the first European country to ratify Finnish membership of Nato. Then she made a rare admission: “Over the past decades, we could have listened to our friends in the Baltics more closely along the way in questions related to our common security and Russia.”

That was music to the ears of Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who experienced first hand, as Estonia’s president from 2006 to 2016, “the dismissive arrogance” of western European governments when officials of the young democracies of Eastern and central Europe tried to warn them about Moscow’s objectives. That arrogance, Ilves says, “lasted until February 24” this year, when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Now, as a result of the Russian invasion, power dynamics in the EU are changing. Member states formerly occupied by the Soviet Union, and geographically closer to Ukraine and Russia, are not only taken more seriously today — they are also wielding more clout because their mistrust has been vindicated by Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war, and because their position as front-line states makes them strategically more important. This shifting of the centre of gravity is challenging the once almighty Franco-German tandem.

This trend has been obvious in the current debate over a visa ban for Russian citizens in the Schengen area. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for it; Poland, Finland, the three Baltic states and the Czech Republic have actively supported it. Kaja Kallas, Estonia’s prime minister and an increasingly influential voice in the EU, made the strongest push.

Germany openly opposed such a ban, as did Josep Borrell, the EU’s chief diplomat. The Czechs, who hold the rotating presidency of the EU, decided to put it on the agenda of the 27 foreign ministers meeting this week in Prague. The Lithuanian foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, threatened to craft a regional agreement if a deal was not reached among the 27. Eventually, France and Germany had to fight back and work towards a compromise.

This is not the old east-west divide, nor old Europe versus new. The war in Ukraine has upset existing coalitions. Viktor Orbán’s proximity to the Kremlin has paralysed the Visegrad group, comprising Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Poland and the Baltic states can now count on the support of Nordic countries such as Finland and Sweden, putting Paris and Berlin on the defensive.

The shift actually started before the war in Ukraine. In June 2021, then German chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a major defeat when she failed to rally her European partners, with the exception of France, to a proposal for an EU-Russia summit with Putin. Kallas led the charge, backed by Poland, Sweden and the Baltic states.

This year, both Merkel’s successor Olaf Scholz and French president Emmanuel Macron have faced harsh criticism — Scholz for his hesitations on weapons deliveries to Ukraine, Macron for his insistence on working the phones with Vladimir Putin.

Over the past few days both have felt the need to reaffirm their commitment to supporting Ukraine militarily “for as long as it takes”, as Scholz put it in a speech in Prague on Monday that was strong on European defence and enlargement. On the same day, Macron welcomed Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki for talks at the Elysée. This took no small effort on the French president’s part for this was the same Morawiecki who, in an article published earlier in the month, had denounced the Franco-German partnership as a “de facto oligarchy”, opposing any attempt to reform the EU’s unanimous voting rule.

The Polish leadership may be wasting a golden opportunity to make its case. With its exemplary treatment of millions of Ukrainian refugees, its close relationship with Kyiv and its crucial role as a hub for military support to Ukraine, Poland could now exert major influence in the EU — provided it addresses its problems with the rule of law. In Prague, Scholz called for a “gradual transition” to majority voting, directly contradicting Morawiecki, as the EU grapples with the enormous task of integrating new members, including Ukraine, which was granted candidate status in June. For the time being, France and Germany still feel strong enough to resist Warsaw’s challenge to EU treaties.

But there is another potential wild card. Victory for the far right in the Italian election on September 25 could see Europe’s fluctuating power dynamics shift still further.

As dumb as a German politician should now be a standard form of insult.

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

[Typhoon]

Fresh raids as Qatar corruption scandal rocks Brussels [paywalled?]

European Commission president says allegations of payments to EU lawmakers are of the ‘utmost concern’

Ursula von der Leyen said the European Commission was going through its own transparency register to check for undue influence
Belgian police raided a European parliamentary office on Monday in a widening corruption investigation involving World Cup host Qatar as top politicians pledged to clamp down on sleaze.

The Belgian federal prosecutor said it had searched 20 premises including homes and offices and seized about €1mn in cash since Friday. Four people, including a member of the European parliament, will appear in front of a judge in Brussels on Wednesday after being charged with “participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and corruption”.

They have not named the MEP but Eva Kaili, a Greek socialist who was a vice-president of the body, has been stripped of her responsibilities and party membership.

The prosecutor said it had “frozen” data belonging to 10 assistants to MEPs. Police seized €600,000 in cash at a suspect’s home, €150,000 at Kaili’s flat and “several hundred thousand euros” in a suitcase in a Brussels hotel room.

Pierantonio Panzeri, a former MEP, is among the four charged by the Belgian authorities, according to Italian prosecutors.

In response to the scandal, Brussels must set up a body to uphold rules on integrity and ethics across all EU institutions, the European Commission president said on Monday. Ursula von der Leyen said allegations that Qatar was seeking to buy influence in the chamber was of the “utmost concern” and undermined the confidence of citizens in the EU.

Von der Leyen said there was already a watchdog overseeing matters of transparency and independence at the commission but that she wanted to see “the same rules across all European institutions”, including the parliament.

Leading ministers from across the bloc said the scandal raised questions about the “credibility” of the EU, and demanded a full investigation into the alleged payments.

“This is an unbelievable incident that must now be clarified without ifs and buts with the full severity of the law,” said Annalena Baerbock, Germany’s minister of foreign affairs.

“This is about the credibility of Europe, so this has to trigger consequences in various areas,” Baerbock added.

The scandal has triggered official resignations and the suspension of a parliamentary vote on granting Qatari nationals visa-free travel to the bloc, due next week.

The head of Greece’s anti-money laundering authority on Monday ordered a freeze of Kaili’s Greek financial assets and those of her associates. During its investigation it said it had discovered that an Athens-based real estate company had been formed on November 30, under the names of Kaili and her partner.

Kaili, her partner and her lawyer could not be reached for comment.

One MEP suspended himself from the socialist group in the European parliament, to which Kaili belonged, on Monday, while three more stepped down from parliamentary roles.

“Today is a dark day for European institutions,” group leader Iratxe García Pérez said. “You can be sure that we will keep our clear commitment to fight against corruption and to be transparent and take strong and firm positions.”

Roberta Metsola, president of the European parliament, told a meeting of MEPs in Strasbourg that “malign actors linked to autocratic third countries had allegedly weaponised” a series of entities including unions, NGOs and MEPs in their efforts to undermine democracy”.

Doha has rejected any allegations of misconduct. “Any association of the Qatari government with the reported claims is baseless and gravely misinformed,” an official said.

Additional reporting by Javier Espinoza in Strasbourg[

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

[Typhoon]

+1

Indeed. Japan is busy investigating corruption and bribery for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

[Heracleum Persicum]

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https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2022/12/13/m ... -tribunal/

Speaking in her interview for “Die Zeit”, published on December 7, German ex-Chancellor Merkel said the following: “The 2014 Minsk Agreement was an attempt to buy time for Ukraine. Ukraine used this time to become stronger, as you can see today. Ukraine in 2014-2015 and Ukraine today are not the same.” According to the ex-Chancellor, “it was clear for everyone” that the conflict was suspended and the problem was not resolved, “but it was exactly what gave Ukraine the priceless time.”

[Typhoon]

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https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2022/12/13/m ... -tribunal/

Speaking in her interview for “Die Zeit”, published on December 7, German ex-Chancellor Merkel said the following: “The 2014 Minsk Agreement was an attempt to buy time for Ukraine. Ukraine used this time to become stronger, as you can see today. Ukraine in 2014-2015 and Ukraine today are not the same.” According to the ex-Chancellor, “it was clear for everyone” that the conflict was suspended and the problem was not resolved, “but it was exactly what gave Ukraine the priceless time.”

Attempting to salvage her foolish and ruinous legacy.

Merkel's place, as the third dumbest German politician in history, is assured.

[Heracleum Persicum]

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https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2022/12/13/m ... -tribunal/

Speaking in her interview for “Die Zeit”, published on December 7, German ex-Chancellor Merkel said the following: “The 2014 Minsk Agreement was an attempt to buy time for Ukraine. Ukraine used this time to become stronger, as you can see today. Ukraine in 2014-2015 and Ukraine today are not the same.” According to the ex-Chancellor, “it was clear for everyone” that the conflict was suspended and the problem was not resolved, “but it was exactly what gave Ukraine the priceless time.”

Attempting to salvage her foolish and ruinous legacy.

Merkel's place, as the third dumbest German politician in history, is assured.

Europe's prosperity , all Europe, was on the back of RUSSIAN " Cheap Energy " .. That was what made Europe prosper

Now, Europe is back to square one

In the meantime, Russians will sell; their oil and Gas, "at SPOT market price" to "bottomless pit energy demand" of China, India (Pakistan etc etc) ..

Notion West has power to dictate (energy price cap for Russia) prices to India or China for Russian oil NAIVE .. they have their own tankers that neither need western insurance nor anythings else controlled by west.

And, China just next door to Russia ..

Now Iran negotiating with Russia for Iran and Russia Oil swap with India

Russia delivers Oil and gas to Iran and Iran delivers equivalent to India

North South route , oil and gas pipeline from Russia, Caspian sea , Persian Golf

Many ways to skin that cat

So, don't hold your breath

We already in Multipolar world
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[noddy]

The Russians have managed to get Europes army started.

https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2023/02/n ... -year-nrc/

The Dutchies have merged all their forces into the German forces.

[Heracleum Persicum]

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NYT
War in Ukraine Has Changed Europe
for Good

Gone is discussion of the size of tomatoes or the shape of bananas acceptable in Europe; in its place, debate rages over what tanks and possibly F-16 fighter jets to give to Kyiv.

..

“The war has sent Europeans back to basics, to questions of war and peace and our values,” said François Delattre, the French ambassador to Germany. “It asks of us: Who are we as Europeans?”

[noddy]

Finland has now made Russias largest border, NATO territory.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wi ... s-98071674

no point in worrying about provoking Putin when he is already provoked.

[noddy]

https://cepa.org/article/europe-fights- ... e-capture/

China and Russia have courted and coopted European businesses, hiring prominent retired politicians and influential businessmen to win access to key technologies. Italy is leading the counterattack.

meddlers.

[Heracleum Persicum]

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Ukraine is not worth a nuclear war
an escalation that would devastate Europe

The Polish ambassador to France has said Poland “will be forced” to enter the Ukraine war if Ukraine’s army starts to falter.

To Putin, the buildup of Poland’s land forces means a NATO army is preparing for intervention, and means that NATO will commit other resources, especially airpower and even strategic bombers. In theory or in reality, NATO’s actions explain the Russian move.

The Russians have long contended that the US installation of anti-ballistic missile systems in Poland and Romania was not just for air defense.

..

Russia has a massive arsenal of so-called “tactical” nuclear weapons that can be launched from land, air and sea.

While there is, as yet no sign of any Russian preparation to arm its weapons with nuclear warheads, the planned Iskander missile deployment to Belarus would definitely change the picture.

Germans and French leaving to Poland to lead Europe into Nuclear wipeout ? ?

[noddy]

the Belarus nukes are a silly game for political posturing, they already had nukes in Kalingrad, which is even closer to NATO countries.

Good on Poland for reminding Putin that Russia has many enemies, for good reasons.

Besides, if all you imperial northerners tactical nuke eachother into oblivion in a lunatic effort to re-create your greater empires, the global south will truly rise!

do it for Africa and South America, let them be free!

[Heracleum Persicum]

the Belarus nukes are a silly game for political posturing, they already had nukes in Kalingrad, which is even closer to NATO countries.

Good on Poland for reminding Putin that Russia has many enemies, for good reasons.

Besides, if all you imperial northerners tactical nuke each other into oblivion in a lunatic effort to re-create your greater empires, the global south will truly rise!

do it for Africa and South America, let them be free!

Nukes in Königsberg is for Germany & friends

Tactical nuke in Belarus is for Zelenskyy, Baltics and probably to scare Finland.

In Europe, with "hypersonic" stuff, distances shrink to minutes


But

What all this is about ?

Why NATO, as promised by Baker (still alive), not retreat behind agreed lines ?

Why risk nuclear war for nothing ?

[noddy]

you seem to have forgotten once again that Russia attacked Europe, not Europe attacked Russia.

Europeans and Anglos are a bloody thirsty people , prone to barbarian wars - long history of it, going back centuries.

you get what you ask for, unless Putin is an durian, then he must have expected Europe to respond to him attacking Europe.

[Heracleum Persicum]

you seem to have forgotten once again that Russia attacked Europe, not Europe attacked Russia.

Europeans and Anglos are a bloody thirsty people , prone to barbarian wars - long history of it, going back centuries.

you get what you ask for, unless Putin is an durian, then he must have expected Europe to respond to him attacking Europe.

Well, old Iranian saying goes , it's not done until 3rd BANG

First Bonaparte lost his shirt when all his soldiers froze to death

Next aDolf soldiers got a taste of Siberian Gulag and General Georgy Zhukov marched into Berlin

Now, we @ 3rd BANG .. interesting to see what Russians have in store this time.

Depleted Uranium .. .. Poor Ukrainian women and children, they will suffer for generation

The World Health Organization released a report in 2003 entitled “Potential Impact of Conflict on Health in Iraq,” which suggested that depleted uranium might be related to reports of increased cancers, birth defects, reproductive health problems and renal diseases in the Iraqi population since 2003.

Sep 22, 2020

[noddy]

Good point.

The Russian army should build up all its resources in Stalingrad and then wait for the attack.

[Parodite]

In the animal kingdom, fights regularly erupt among males over social ranking, power, sex, territory. They are in no doubt the other is their enemy. Completely consensual competition and wars...

No need for shrinks who theorize it might have been an unlucky youth. Or that social injustice is behind the blood spills. Just a battle among battles that rage on for millions of years already. Genetically encoded if thou asketh me.

Maybe males more than females feel this reality as a possible, sometimes probable, inescapable, visceral and even desirable reality. Boredom can switch on the need for war; young guys happily march like scouts into the kill zones of WW1 in Europe believing they went on an exciting holiday full of challenges and adventure with a medal waiting for them at the end.

The sad thing of modern warfare is that more blood is spilled than only that of soldiers.

If it means the forest everybody lives in catches fire too.. then one would expect a natural deterrence keeps that from happening. Unless someone who is going down also has the power and position to revenge, deciding that nobody has the right to live after his defeat and death.

Or the belief that God rewards the dead martyr and enjoys the millions of dead enemies he took with him Home to Heaven. Taliban-types cannot be defeated without destroying the majority of their male population and taking over their territory and females to breed. Old fashioned style.

Higo de Putin loves life too much. If push comes to shove again in Yurp, I suspect the war-switch flips on rather easily among euro-males when the fire reaches our own borders and bedrooms.

[noddy]

yep, I wouldnt be betting too much on European passive behaviour.

the feminized middle class might dominate the media and the conversation but they are only a minority of whats going on in the burbs.

[Typhoon]

Faster please | Learning from Europe's Doom Loop of Decline

“It feels like a perma-freeze in living standards”

Aside from an aging population and precautionary principle risk aversion with resulting over-regulation, the obsession with intermittent sunshine and wind as sources of power, at the expense of nuclear in the case of Germany, comes with a cost.

That the current Western European chattering and ruling classes are the dumbest since the end of La Belle Époque also does not help.

M. Hutchinson | Europe needs a populist revival

[Parodite]

Europe 4K - Scenic Relaxation Film With Calming Music