China to «play an active role» in Greek rescue

The prime minister of the PRC said Beijing is «ready to take all the necessary action» to save the country. In name of strategic interests

Li Keqiang

by Emanuele Bonini

People's Republic of China is «ready» to help Greece, said today the prime minister fo the PRC Li Keqiang, who didn't exclude a financial rescue of the Hellenic Republic by his country. «We are aware that Europe is living a critical moment because of the Greek debt issue», Li told reporters during the press conference held in Brussels ahead the EU-China summit. «This specific issue is a European internal affair, but whether Greece can stay or not within the Euro zone is not only a European concern but also a Chinese one». Asked about any Chinese financial assistance to Greece, the head of the PRC government didn't offer a clear answer but made very clear China will not remain at the window. «China will take all the necessary actions to see Greece in the Euro zone», he said. Without providing any further detail, Li Keqiang assured that «China is ready to play an active role» in order to safeguard the integrity of the Euro zone and that one of the EU.
Of course China has huge economic reason to save Europe, given that the PRC is the EU biggest supplier, with €279.9 billion worth of imported goods in 2013. Greece alone represents a strategic area for the Asiatic country. Beijing appears to view the Hellenic Republic as a regional hub for increasing its economic (and perhaps in the future political) influence in South-Eastern and Central Europe. According to Thanos Dokos, the Director-General of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), the current economic crisis cannot but increase the attractiveness of such a prospect for Athens. Cosco, a Chinese state-owned company, has invested approximately 570 million Euros in the port of Piraeus, with the promise of additional investment in the wider transport infrastructure sector (trains and airports). Thus China has strategic interests to defend in Europe and especially in Greece. Current crisis can seriously re-write the geopolitical order of the region.

Greece, the problem is nobody knows what to do

A Grexit is a case never experienced before, and there is not legal framework to deal with it

by Emanuele Bonini

The fact is nobody knows what to do. A financial crisis in the Eurozone never happened, and there are no procedures to follow. That's what Greece is about. No rules, no legal framework, nothing of all that. Even the treaties don't male clear what to do in case of financial insolvency of a member State. Leaving the Eurozone is an option everybody talks about, but there is not a trace on the treaties. Logically, it wouldn't be possible leaving the single currency without leaving the EU, but in practical terms there are not indications. All this means that neither the Eurogroup nor the European Union have the tools to deal with the Greek case. Maybe the ECB has, but we talk about instruments of monetary policy, and couldn't last for ever. In any case Europe is forced to give extemporary answers to the situation. It is not because of the EU itself, it is because the EU law doesn't foresees specific case like the one Europe is experiencing. Jitters and confusions are explained by that. We are in front of a situation which is totally new. This the «unexplored waters» some leaders talked about recently. A Grexit it something more a financial crisis. A Grexit is a phenomenon whose effects are totally unknown and, consequently, totally impossible to foresee. In somehow we can state that Europe is experiencing an historic moment, and there is no doubt about this. But the point is now Europe has to deal with a case never seen before. Temporary and extemporary measures will be the answer, and it doesn't sound good.
The president of the European Parliament was the first one and apparently the only one in Brussels to make clear that «the process under way is not foreseen by the Treaties», and as practical consequence of that «there is no legal  solution». But, he added during the press conference held at the end of an extraordinary meeting of the conference of President, «in time of crisis we should be creative». This really means Europe has to invent something to avoid the worst scenario. The point is: what can be invented? And secondly, what can be found in the very short term? These are the questions.

Europe is at a turning point

The idea of the single project is far far away from the fathers of the EU. Nations are prevailing on the Union, and divisions are leading discussions

Opinion

Europe is at a turning point. Perhaps it is still not so close to a point of non return, but of course Europe is at turning point. In less than forty-eighy hours it has been shown the lack of unity of the European Union. Greece, migrations, and British membership were the three main items put on the table, and what happened? On Greece there was no deal, on migration there was no single answer to the problem. At last only referendum on a possible Brexit was discussed by leader. Well, honestly the British prime minister David Cameron just informed that the referendum will be hold in 2017 as foreseen, and it would be enough to understand where Europe is today. Member states reconsidering the single project is something doesn't sound good. Before leaving Brussels the Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi stated that an agreement on migration «is important for Italy, but is important above all for the idea of Europe». This is true, but the point today is a review process in under way. More than a single country is changing mind with regard of the EU project. Having to summarize the current EU in a slogan, we could say «no decisions, just divisions».

EU summit, a chronicle of a death foretold?

Among the items, tomorrow leaders will discuss migration and Greece. Europe is not really ready for none of the hottest topics, and an epic failure is just behind the corner

by Emanuele Bonini

Tomorrow the European leaders are supposed to find a solution on the hottest topic of the EU agenda, but please don't expect any happy ending story. On the contrary, be ready for a chronicle of a death foretold. On Greece everything is put in questions by the so called “Institutions”, who consider the Greek proposal too focused on tax raise rather than cut of public expenditure. The general understanding is Greece will fulfil the parameters requested by creditors, falling in the a new recession due to the unsustainable tax policy. The risk is in few months Greece will need new bail-outs, something both the IMF and the European member States more involved - those who need a parliamentary vote for every assistance programme - don't want.

At the same time the European Commission and the EU member States are fighting on migration. According to the twenty-eight delegations the mandatory quota approch doesn't work, while according to the EU Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans it's true the opposite. «The voluntary approach doesn't work». In Europe all agreed the proposal submitted by the European Commission was not the right solution: twelve member States (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain and Hungary) are against the mandatory system of relocation, at least other ten (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden) want to set new conditions and new parameters to estabish the repartition of migrants, and other two countries (Greece and Italy) who would like more asylum seekers to be redistributed. 

Considering migration and Greece will be on the table tomorrow at the European Council meeting, it is possible to see how Europe be unite and how the leaders will arrive at the debate. Right now in Europe there is no convergence, and this the picture the EU is offering to the audience. Tomorrow the failure could be complete.

«Haggling number of asylum seekers is cynical»

Verhofstad: European leaders talks about solidarity and then reject proposals

by Emanuele Bonini

It is not a shame, «it is cynical to see leaders haggling over the number of asylum seekers», according to European liberal and democrats group (Alde) leader Guy Verhofstadt. In his opinion «member States speak of solidarity when they publicly mourn the people dying, but then behind closed doors they reject proposals by the European Commission which would put in place a fair system for the distribution of asylum seekers between the Member States». Europe, recalled the liberal MEPs, is facing «the most serious migration crisis since the end of the second world war» and the EU lacks of will. «We cannot pretend this crisis will go away on its own», stressed Verhofstadt. Thousands of migrants continue to arrive in Europe, while EU Member States «seem set to reject minimal proposals by the European Commission to secure the resettlement of 40.000 asylum seekers». Latest compromise reached in Luxembourg during the Internal affairs council meeting didn't produce any result. In line of principle member States agreed to help Greece and Italy, but no quotas were set. «Binding but voluntary» groups of migrants is the formula used to mean that there is no intention of respecting the agenda proposed by the European Commission. Governments want to redefine the criteria for establishing the final amount of people to resettle in the member States, in any case to be accepted after national decision rather than after a European imposition. Italian prime minister Matteo «is right», conclude Verhofstadt. «The migration crisis is not just a challenge for the Italian government». in fact it is a seriousness test for everybody.

Paddington? A typical example of migrant

The popular bear is more than a fictional character for children

by Emanuele Bonini

Probably it doesn't need presentations, because is a well famous character. It is British, but not really. We talk about Paddington, the bear who brought smiles and happiness to all the kids in the United Kingdom and beyond. Because still remaining an important character of the British culture, Paddington bear is in the house of many and many people all around the world. It's impossible to imagine what moms tell their children when they read about Paddington's adventures, but it would be useful to keep in mind that Paddington is first of all a migrant. Of course it is a nice and sweet teddy bear, but it basically remains a migrant. Let explain this to our children, let start reading between the lines, and maybe one day they will discover migrants don't represent a threat. Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature created by Michael Bond, and appeared for the first time in 1958. In the first story, Paddington is found at Paddington railway station in London by the Brown family, sitting on his suitcase with a note attached to his coat that reads «Please look after this bear. Thank you». It is explained that the bear comes from the deepest Perù.

The disgusting hypocrisy of Europe on migration

All divided on redistribution, all unite on return. Always ready to exploit African resources, never ready to accept Africans. The EU agenda? A way to say we don't want anybody

Opinion

Wouldn't be easier and more honest say Europe doesn't want immigrants? What we are seeing with the European debate on the agenda for migration is a pitiful and shameful show. Something really disgusting, I would add. Resettlement? Relocation? Redistribution? Nothing of all that. The European agenda for migration is nothing but return. People arriving in Europe have to be identified and pushed back to their country of origin, and that's it. European leader clearly agreed on that. The European answer to this humanitarian crisis has to be a European mechanism of identification and return. Don't call it expulsions, because it is about no admission that we talk about. It doesn't matter where people are coming from, the key point is that people entitled to get the refugee status can stay, while all the other have to leave. The main political issue is how to save face both at home and outside. After an extraordinary European Council summit meeting summoned in order to find a solution to the migration flows, European leaders have to show their capacity in delivering of outcomes. At the same time they can't say their national electors that they are going to spend energy or money to take care of foreigners. Hypocrisy is ruling Europe right now.

FACT SHEET / European Parliament political groups

EFDD and ENF are both expression of Euroscepticism

Far-right anti-EU parties form a political group

Marine Le Pen will chair Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF), the new entity of the European Parliament. Xenophobic decision makers gain 17.5 million Euro

by Emanuele Bonini

Far-right Euroscepticism found a political house in the European Parliament, thanks to the new Europe of Nations and Freedom group formed today. French National Front leader Marine Le Pen announced the rise of the new coalition, formed by the most xenophobic parties in Europe. ENF group is in fact represented by FN (France), Lega Nord (Italy), Pvv (the Netherlands), Fpo (Austria), Vlaams Belangs (Belgium), former UKIP MEP Janice Atkinson (United Kingdom), and two MEPs from KNP (Poland), Michał Marusik and Stanisław Żółtek. Anti-EU, anti-Euro and anti-immigration, the new block wants to re-shape the traditional political agenda. «The EU is not the right way», said Marine Le Pen, who will chair the ENF group. «Ours will be a political force that will go far beyond our previous situation. We’re here for our peoples, for their freedoms».
  Far-right parties tried to form a political group already one year ago, immediately after the European general elections. In that occasion was not possible meet the minimum requirements (at least 25 members from at least 7 different countries of the EU). Marine Le Pen «now takes her rightful place at the front of the European Parliament in opposition to the Brussels cartel», stated Janice Atkinson, among those who made the creation of the group possible. With 36 MEPs already registered, the ENF group is supposed to reach 40 members in the coming days, when the Parliamentary delegations currently in mission outside Europe will be back. The creation of a political group grants far-right eurosceptic parties grants 17.5 million Euros over the remaining four years of the Parliament.

bLOGBOOK - The scapegoat

A special section dedicated to special people and special memories. A book might not be enough, but collecting some words doesn't hurts

Chapter 2: Paola 

The scapegoat is an ancient and mythological figure, but in modern times scapegoat refers to someone who is unfairly blamed by others for problems. She is our scapegoat just because of that. Nicknames have always uncertain origins, and in this sense she is not an exception. Probably she started to be called "scapegoat" after that famous night, when her former boyfriend started to scream against her in the middle of a party, apparently with no real practical reasons. I think everything started that night. From that night - a night still living in our minds - she officially became the scapegoat. I met Paola well before that night, when she was still a secondary school. I started to deal with her only after that period, once both of us went to the university. I guess it had just question of time: our small towns are truly small, and very very close each other, so it was logic and natural we found together after all. I started to remember Paola as a restless girl, always in movement and constantly in searching of some experience. Somebody could call al that will to live, and it wouldn't be wrong. Everything was supposed to be something to discover and to share. OK, she's not an easy person (it's she who repeats to be «grumpy», and I have to say I can't deny), but she always liked being with other people. Among Paola's skills there is that one of socialization. Left alone in an empty room she could easily find the way to socialise with ants. Of course at last she will find the way to get out of there, too. But this another story. But her very particular special power is finding a parking. With her leaving the car somewhere is never a problem. If I think that I probably have a super-hero for friend and that the same person is known as "scapegoat", I can't avoid thinking how unfair life can be. But that's life, and in particular a scapegoat life.

Pressmen, chapter 6

Star System

In Hollywood rules the so called "star system". Basically, a person can have the chance to count only if present. If you're not there you don't exist: that's what the star system is about. But there is no need to travel to Hollywood in order to find a star system. Any press card is sufficient to live like in Hollywood. Journalist means star, no way. Any journalist lives to become a super-star. Any journalist wants to be the king of this star system. So pressmen basically are everywhere, because this is the only way they have to be. Of course they simply are, according to the press world commandments. Anyway, put into the star system pressmen have to appear. It doesn't matter how, the only thing that really counts is to appear. There are several methods to live the star system: one of the most popular is giving the impression to be in a place without being. In this case pressmen work comfortably at their own office in their home town, writing as they are somewhere else. For example, when a journalist in Rome has to write about a F1 race which took place in Prague, at the beginning of his article he will write «Prague, 13 March...». Rules and professionals ethics would require the journalist to write the name of the city where he is, but rules and professional ethics are for beginners. Once a man gets a press card he becomes a journalist. And journalists have no ethics and, above all, are gods. Thus, they can modify rules at any times. Using the name of the city for their articles, journalists can show the world to be correspondent, to travel, to be real scoop-hunters. They basically can demonstrate to be there, in full compliance with the star system basic rule: if you're not there you don't exist. Even if it is totally untrue, pressmen are everywhere and in this way they exist.

Corporate tax, new action plan with old strategy

The latest EU package for a fairer system will re-launch a project from 2011

by Emanuele Bonini

CCCTB, let's try again. On Wednesday the European Commission will adopt Action Plan to make corporate taxation fairer, more efficient and more transparent in the EU. Despite the purposes behind this proposal, the main fact is the European Commission is re-proposing something at least five years old. In fact, as they perfectly know in Brussels, the project for a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB), was launched already in March 2011. Making a comparison we have nothing but a «re-launch» of the ancient proposal, as admitted by the same European Commission. But what is the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB)? It is a single set of rules that companies operating within the EU could use to calculate their taxable profits. In other words, a company or qualifying group of companies would have to comply with just one EU system for computing its taxable income, rather than different rules in each Member State in which they operate. The 16th of March, 2011, the European Commission proposed to the Member States to introduce the CCCTB. In that occasion the idea was to set a common system for calculating the tax base of businesses operating in the EU, although the CCCTB was not compulsory. On the contrary, it was foreseen that the CCCTB could be optional for companies.

FACT SHEET/ The carbon Cycle

Image source: The carbon cycle, NASA Earth observatory

The most important GHG is carbon dioxide (CO2), which persists in the atmosphere for thousands of years. Other important GHGs are methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and fluorinated gases. CO2 has the largest impact on climate change. In 2014, the average atmospheric concentration of CO2 was almost 400 parts per million (ppm), up from 280 ppm in pre-industrial times.

   The carbon cycle is the flow of carbon through the earth's systems. Carbon is released by plants, soils and oceans, and taken up by plants and oceans, and over very long time periods (thousands of years) also by rocks. A CO2 molecule, made up of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms, is created when carbon reacts with oxygen, for example in the burning of wood or when humans and animals breathe. CO2 is destroyed when the carbon is separated from the oxygen, for example by plants through photosynthesis.

   Human activities lead to additional releases of carbon, from the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and land use change, as well as cement production. About half of this additional carbon is taken up by plants and oceans, while the rest remains in the atmosphere as CO2. However, the take-up of CO2 in plants and oceans appears to be slowing down, as these carbon stores become saturated. Carbon dioxide removal would involve modifications of elements of the carbon cycle to enhance the uptake and storage of CO2 in biomass, soils, oceans and geological formations

Is Russia a friend? The European debate is open

In Strasbourg the EU Parliament called on a review of bilateral ties, while in Brussels there was who preferred share other ideas. Completely different

by Emanuele Bonini

Russia is no longer a strategic partner of the EU. Or maybe it is. That's the dilemma that is dividing Europe, as usual happens in case of hot dossier. It could be said that without division a dossier wouldn't be hot, and this true. But apparently the leopard can not change its spots, thus once again the EU is acting under the "business as usual scenario", that one of different voices. Basically what happened basically was the vote of the European Parliament on Russia, immediately disavowed by the member States. We talk about Italy, to be precise. In Strasbourg MEPs passed a resolution (494 votes to 135, with 69 abstentions) condemning Russia for «deliberate violation of democratic principles, fundamental values and international law with its violent action and destabilisation of its neighbours». Any reference to Ukraine is not entirely fictional, in fact MEP Gabrielius Landsbergis (EPP), rapporteur of the resolution, had no problem to say «with its aggression against Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, the Russian leadership has put our relations at a crossroads». Somebody could define all this "state of play", somebody else "diplomacy". Anyway, with its vote the European Parliament called the EU «critically re-assess its relations with Russia», which means the EU «must devise a soft-power contingency plan to counter Russia’s aggressive and divisive policies». Meanwhile in Brussels the Italian minister for Foreign affairs, Paolo Gentiloni, clearly stated that in Italy opinion «there is the need to look at the future», which means «a framework of ties with Russia has to be re-established because the country is strategic for Europe».

Maia

Oops, I did it again. I wanted to come back being an author, so I wrote Maia. It wasn't my intention, to be honest. But, you know how it works: once the inspiration comes, so does the story. And here we have Maia, something new, something different. How new and how different? Well, I leave the audience answer these questions by clicking here or on the right side of this blog. I can only say Maia marks an historical moment, being the first work in another language. So, enjoy. As usual, Maia is in "my books" section.