EU Parliament warns Poland on not fearing off rule of law

In the vote, the Parliament decided by 438 votes to 152 to prepare a formal request that the Council activate the preventive mechanism provided for in Article 7.1.of the Treaty. If the risk persists and the Polish authorities refuse to comply with the EU recommendations, the procedure might lead to the suspension of Poland's voting rights in the Council.

Specific concerns were voiced about the separation of powers, the independence of the judiciary and fundamental rights.

The resolution calls on the Polish authorities to uphold the common European values listed in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and in the Polish Constitution. It urges Poland:

    not to proceed the new laws unless they fully guarantee the independence of the judiciary to implement all EU Commission and Venice Commission recommendations in full,
    to comply with the EU Court of Justice order to "immediately suspend large-scale logging" in the ancient Bialowieza forest,
    to respect the right of freedom of assembly,
    to strongly condemn the "xenophobic and fascist march that took place in Warsaw" on Saturday,11    November 2017, and
    to take a firm stand on women's rights, by providing free and accessible contraception without discrimination and making emergency contraception available without medical prescription.

Under Parliament's Rules of Procedure (Rule 83), its Civil Liberties Committee now needs to draw up a "reasoned proposal", the document required to call on the Council to trigger the rule of law mechanism in response to a "clear risk of a serious breach" of European values by the Polish authorities.

This is only the second time that the European Parliament has taken formal steps to call on the Council to start the Article 7 procedure. The first was taken in May 2017 with respect to Hungary. The procedure is still under way.

The dialogue between the Commission and the Polish authorities is conducted under the "rule of law" procedure initiated in January 2016.

Read more: EU Parliament warns Poland on rule of law — EUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politics

Britain: Ultra Conservatives Argue European Ministers Have Layed Out Plan to Create United States of Europe

The Ultra-Conservative news agency Breitbart reported  that when presenting his renegotiated deal on EU membership in February, Mr Cameron insisted: “Britain will be permanently out of ever closer union, never part of a European super-state.”

But the emergence of a declaration signed in Rome by European ministers five months previously to Mr Cameron’s announcement reveals that the intention on the continent is to press ahead with the creation of a federal Europe.

Not content with merely monetary union and free movement, the declaration, signed by the speakers of the national parliaments in Germany, France, Italy and Luxembourg states that they want to integrate a broad spectrum of policies. “It should include all matters pertaining to the European ideal — social and cultural affairs as well as foreign, security and defence policy,” the declaration states.

It adds: “We are convinced that new impetus must be given to European integration. We believe that more, not less, Europe is needed to respond to the challenges we face.

“The current moment offers an opportunity to move forward with European political integration, which could lead to a federal union of States.”

The Commission has denied all knowledge of the declaration. A spokeswoman told the Sunday Times: “I am not aware of any such initiative. This is not something related to the commission.”

But leader of the Commons, Chris Grayling, who has been sent the document, said: “This shows there are now serious plans for a political union, where those countries in the Eurozone move towards having a single government.”

The above report by Breitbart was obviously published in support of the anti-EU Brexit camp.

EU-Digest

European Opinion: The changing face of the USA - by Gero Schließ

History is being written right now in America. That is always exciting. But in this case it is also dramatic. An entire country is changing before our eyes. Though he may not have started it, Donald Trump is the man who is now speeding up and steering this process in a very dangerous direction. Like a bulldozer on a rampage, he is destroying the foundations of this freedom-loving and once so self-assured nation.

And the country is letting him do it. Trump insults women - then gets more votes from them than his Republican rivals. He endorses liberal abortion policies, advertises for sex clubs in his casinos and stomps on Christian values - yet he has the support of ultra-conservative Evangelical Christians. Indeed, the list of those Trump has insulted goes on and on.

The country seems rotten, like a once mighty tree that is leaning precariously. It remains to be seen if it can weather the gathering storm or will come crashing down.

In the eyes of a growing number of voters, the country's elite, which only thinks of itself, is also rotten. It is an elite that, despite the country's economic well-being, has starved the middle-class and robbed them of the fruits of their labor. The fact that more and more Americans are growing angry is understandable. But the conclusions that they are reaching are not.

Read more: Opinion: The changing face of the USA | Opinion | DW.COM | 05.03.2016

European far-right politicians in Russia to support Putin

Nationalist supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin brought together controversial far-right politicians from across Europe on Sunday in an effort to demonstrate international support for Russia and weaken European Union commitment to sanctions imposed on Russia over its role in Ukraine.

Putin's critics pointed to the irony of St. Petersburg, his hometown, welcoming neo-Nazis as Russia prepares to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

The meeting drew about 40 protesters, who held signs denouncing fascism, and about eight of them were detained by police.

Among the more prominent Europeans at the gathering was Nick Griffin, the expelled former leader of the anti-immigrant British National Party, who accused the U.S. of aggravating the confrontation in Ukraine, where more than 6,000 people have been killed in fighting between government troops and Russia-backed separatists.

"The people running the U.S. and their puppets in the European Union are doing everything they can, whether deliberately or just by stupidity, to drag us into a terrible war," Griffin said.

He spoke out against the EU sanctions, as did Udo Voigt, a senior figure in Germany's neo-Nazi fringe National Democratic Party, who was among several members of the European Parliament who attended the St. Petersburg gathering. Griffin lost his seat in the EU body last year.

Read more: European far-right politicians in Russia to support Putin - Yahoo News

Israel - Palestine: Recognizing Palestine a 'Grave Mistake?' Israeli Prime Minister Warns France

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that it would be a "grave mistake" for France's parliament to recognize a Palestinian state in a vote on Dec. 2, reported France 24.

"Do they have nothing better to do at a time of beheadings across the Middle East, including that of a French citizen?" he said while talking to reporters in Jerusalem.
"Recognition of a Palestinian state by France would be a grave mistake," he added.
"The State of Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people, the only state that we have, and the Palestinians demanding a state do not want to recognize the right have a state for the Jewish people."
France's vote to recognize Palestine is reportedly symbolic and, while non-binding, is similar in nature to recent resolutions passed by British and Spanish governments. In October, Sweden ruled to officially recognize Palestine. As of early November 2014, 135 of the 193 United Nations member states have officially recognized Palestine as a state.

The proposal is being used as "an instrument to gain a definitive resolution of the conflict," according to France 24, and is modeled after one approve on Oct. 13 by British lawmakers, which was designed to "recognize the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel as a contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution."

Earlier Sunday, Israel's cabinet approved a bill that officially defines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. While the bill is still waiting to pass parliament before becoming law, Sunday's vote is sure to strain relations with Arab Israelis - which make up about 20 percent of Israel's population - and Palestinians, as it excludes a "significant part of the population, both Arabs and Druze, many of whom serve in the Israeli military," according to France 24.

"The devil is in the details. Will the final bill talk about equality for all of Israel's citizens? Where will the democratic nature of the state fall into this bill?" said Gallagher Fenwick of France 24.
Read more: Recognizing Palestine a 'Grave Mistake?' Israeli Prime Minister Warns France : News : Headlines