USA: 45% of Republicans Support a Universal Vaccine Mandate: New Poll

45% of Republicans support a universal vaccine mandate, a new poll found. Comparatively, 84% of Democrats support a universal mandate A majority of Americans (64%) also supported such a mandate.

Read more at: 45% of Republicans Support a Universal Vaccine Mandate: New Poll

BRITAIN: Brexit - Scotland: PM Scotland Nicola Sturgeon says delay Brexit inevitable

A delay to Brexit is 'almost inevitable', Scotland's Nicola Sturgeon tells FRANCE 24 In an interview with FRANCE 24, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon weighed in on the current Brexit impasse, saying she believes it's "almost inevitable" that the process will be delayed. The SNP leader also insisted she had a "democratic mandate" for a second referendum on Scottish independence, saying she will soon reveal when she intends to call one.

Read more at:

http://www.france24.com/en/20190221-talking-europe-nicola-sturgeon-scottish-first-minister-brexit-indyref2-independence

France: Emmanuel Macron's conquest is complete - what now? - by Hugh Schofield

A new political wind is blowing in France

So the legislatives have been won, and the final part of what future history books will record as the Macronian conquest is complete.

In truth it has all happened so quickly - little more than a year from the germ of an idea to Elysian omnipotence - that the country feels slightly dazed.

People are looking at their new leader, and many more than voted for him are honestly impressed by his calibre. But many are also wondering: so where do we go from here?

For there is an unknown aspect to the coming mandate that sets it apart from all that went before.

It is not just the newness of it all: the fact that President Macron's party didn't exist until he dreamed it up, and that half of the new parliamentarians will need lessons (literally) in how to do their jobs.

And that never before - at least not since Charles de Gaulle in 1958 - has a head of state had such a powerful majority, made up of men and women who depend on him so personally for their new careers.

And that the opposition has been reduced to a rump, thanks to the dégagiste (kick 'em out) imperative that wipes out sitting MPs in droves.

It is also that at heart Emmanuel Macron himself remains something of an enigma.

When he was 22, and already a precocious high-flier, the president spent several months as the amanuensis of one of France's then most respected philosophers, Paul Ricoeur.

The name will mean little to most people, but according to the experts, one of the key elements of Ricoeurian philosophy is the "ability to think at the same time two ideas that are apparently opposed".

For example - in a political context - that could mean supporting the freeing up of the labour market and protecting the most vulnerable. Or slimming down the state and ensuring that France's social contract remains intact.

The heart of the philosophy is a generous one: the recognition that neither side in an argument holds a monopoly of the truth, and that the best policies are ones that combine some elements of both.

Macron's adherence to this scheme of thought was most obvious in the pre-presidential debates, when his use of the phrase "au même temps" (at the same time) was much noted upon - implying as it did a constant bid to reconcile apparently contradictory ideas.

All this is very well - and his sincere desire to bring together left and right no doubt contributed greatly to his success.

But the enigma is this: when it comes to acting, rather than talking, which way will the president jump?

Read more: Emmanuel Macron's conquest is complete - what now? - BBC News

Turkey votes to expand president’s powers wih minimal margin; critics cry fraud - by E. Becatoros, S. Fraser and Z.Bilginsoy

Turkey Referendum :Erdogan 's intimidation worked  barely

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a historic referendum Sunday that will greatly expand the powers of his office, although opposition parties questioned the outcome and said they would challenge the results.

With 99 percent of the ballots counted, the “yes” vote stood at 51.37 percent, while the “no” vote was 48.63 percent, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. The head of Turkey’s electoral board confirmed the “yes” victory and said final results will be declared in 11-12 days.

Although the margin fell short of the sweeping victory Erdogan had sought in the landmark referendum, it could nevertheless cement his hold on power in Turkey and is expected to have a huge effect on the country’s long-term political future and its international relations.

The 18 constitutional amendments that will come into effect after the next election, scheduled for 2019, will abolish the office of the prime minister and hand sweeping executive powers to the president.

In his first remarks from Istanbul, Erdogan struck a conciliatory tone, thanking all voters no matter how they cast their ballots and calling the referendum a “historic decision.”

“April 16 is the victory of all who said ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ of the whole 80 million, of the whole of Turkey,” Erdogan told reporters in address that was televised live.

But he quickly reverted to a more abrasive style when addressing thousands of flag-waving supporters in Istanbul

“There are those who are belittling the result. They shouldn’t try, it will be in vain,” he said. “It’s too late now.”

Responding to chants from the crowd to reinstate the death penalty, Erdogan said he would take up the issue with the country’s political leaders, adding that the question could be put to another referendum if the political leaders could not agree.

Note EU-Digest: Given the result of the referendum and charges of intimidation in addition to the possibility of massive electoral fraud, President Erdogan, in all reality, can not really claim he got a sweeping mandate to change the Turkish Constitution in this referendum

The fears of electoral fraud and government meddling is now more relevant than ever, fueled by the extraordinary powers the government wields under the state of emergency. 

The badly crippled Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the main Kurdish political force, which has been trying to soldier on with its “no” campaign against its main rival, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has also voiced their concerns.

HDP members say they have been facing the “unchecked power” of the government, reflected not only in obstructions to their campaigns, but also in moves to keep party activists away from polling stations today, March 16.

Read more: Turkey votes to expand president’s powers; critics cry fraud - The Washington Post