Intelligence lessons made in Belgium

A questionable banner from Standard Liege supporters triggers controversy

by Emanuele Bonini

What's wrong with the human being? We are supposed to have intelligence, and intelligence is supposed to be what makes man different from all the other living species. Unfortunately it seems humanity got its pick of evolution, starting to come back straight forward to the origins and soccer proves that. Please, folks, remember it's soccer after all. On the contrary, soccer is always lived in the wrong formula: hate, riots, violence. So it happened in Liege a very large number of people had the brilliant idea of preparing a big banner against a former player. It doesn't matter who he is, since it's the message to be the real problem: Jason Voorhees (do you remember the Friday the 13th saga?) holding the tailed head of the football player, considered a traitor after having moved from Standard Liege to Anderlecht. "Red or dead", think (think?) Standard supporters, forgetting football players - like every worker and like every professional - can change workplace, since it is their own right. Despite that, the decision taken by some people in Liege is not the appropriate at all and in Belgium controversy triggered immediately after the match. Since when soccer is a death game? No way, something is wrong with the human being. What about intelligence? Today, perhaps, this word only means "secret services". Just for general information, Anderlecht was beaten 2-0 in Liege. But the impression is real winner was stupidity.

«It's time to replace Troika», said Moscovici

The European commissioner for Economic affairs things to a new body, «more responsible and more democratic». Strong opposition by Germany: «Impossible without a treaty change»

Pierre Moscovivi

by Emanuele Bonini

Time for Troika is over, said the European commissioner for Monetary affairs on Tuesday. The special monitoring club composed by the European Commissioner, the European Central Bank and the IMF «should be replaced by a body with a greater democratic legitimacy», according to Pierre Moscovici. The new structure replacing Troika «should be a more responsible one, and set up all around the European institutions», stated Moscovici during a meeting organised by the think tank Bruegel. It is time to reconsider what has been done in the past, changing the way of monitoring the implementation of the reforms in the Euro area member States, since the situation is different from few years ago. «Troika was needed and was useful, but now I believe we need to move new steps forward».
  Within the EU the debate split Member States up. Italy stands with Pierre Moscovici, as affirmed Sandro Gozi, under secretary of State for European Affairs. «In this new phase of economic governance we need to ask ourselves if the Troika approach Troika will be necessary to handle the new cases that will arise in the future». German position is the opposite. «In order to change the supervision framework of the reforms, a change of the rules for the supervision of Eurozone would be necessary», recalled Wolfang Schaeuble, German minister of Finance. «When European Commissioners talk about the substitution of Troika they also should start the a Treaty change», he added. Flexibility against austerity, here we go again. The political debate still lies in this contrast, with a difference: this time there elections in Greece, where people want to dismantle than kind of Europe ruled over Athens for all this time.

A swastika with an inscription praising Hitler appeared in the bathrooms of the European Parliament, in Brussels. Unknown used a blue pen to smear the plastic box enclosing the toilet paper, and to draw the Nazi symbol accompanied by the motto "Hip Hitler". Really a bad day for everyone. The new security measures taken by the EU institutions may serve to stop terrorists, apparently not fools.

FACT SHEET / Muslims in Europe

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EU on alert after Charlie Hebdo shooting

 

Military trucks parked in front of the headquarters of the European Council, replacing former cab station. Europe today is this picture. After Charlie Hebdo shooting and the following after coordinated police raids across Belgium netted more than a dozen suspects, the EU is on alert, and new security measures were taken. Soldiers were put to guard the street and to control the entrances to the subway, which are in correspondence of the EU Council and EU Commission main door. For security reason the cab station was removed and displaced, and now just pedestrians can enter the "military zone". There are not terrorists in Brussels, just terror. Fear is visible, despite it was explained the European institutions had increased their alert level as a precaution, though they were not aware of any specific threat against them. Meanwhile, the European Parliament increased the access controls. All the people will have to show identity documents in addition to the badge in order to get in. The press entrance will remain closed indefinitely, and the internal parking will be inaccessible from 10pm. Europe today is that.

Défense de la sécurité ou protection des droits?

Aprés l'attentat contre Charlie Hebdo, l'Europe s'interroge. Et se divise.

l'edito

La sécurité, peut-elle justifier la réduction de liberté ou des mesures qui vont contre les droits civils? L'attentat contre Charlie Hebdo a relancé le debat sur quelle réponse donner à la menace terroriste. Parmis les réponses possibles une des plus demandées est l'augmentation des contrôles. Elle est demandée par beaucoup de politiques et par des experts qui n'ont pas de doute sur le fait qu’avoir plus de contrôlels est la chose la plus importante à faire. Mais de quelle typologie de contrôles on a besoin? Les requêtes d'intervention pourraient cacher des risques: il y en a qui pensent qu’à l'augmentation des contrôles correspond une diminution des libertés individuelles. Le débat politique qui se tient au niveau communautaire représente biencette division.
 «Plutôt qu'exiger une plus forte collection des informations il faut que nous ayons un meilleur échange des informations», avait dit le président du groupe Alde au Parlement européen, Guy Verhofstadt, au lendemain de l’attentat à Charlie Hebdo. Une vision partagée par les socialistes. «Il faut assurer la sécurité et la liberté», avait dit Gianni Pittella, président du groupe S&D, pour lequel «il faut mieux utiliser toutes les données fournies par le système de Schengen». Par contre le Ppe a soutenu la nécessité des «nouveaux instruments» pour se défendre de la menace terroriste, pendant que les groupes eurosceptiques ont posé l'accent sur la nécessité de réviser les règles des accords de Schengen. Ici il y a une convergence entre les forces eurosceptiques et le Ppe, comme témoigné par Monika Holmeier, porteparole du Parti populaire pour les affaires intérieures. «Nous avons besoin de mesures ciblées pour tenir sous contrôle les frontières extérieures de l'Ue», avait-elle dit. «Ne pas toucher Schengen»,est la réponse du socialiste Pittella. «L'Europe – avait-il souligné – est la Terre des droits fondamentaux, et si l'Europe décide de “traire” ces droits alors l'Europe se trait elle-même».