Senselessland (chapter 2)

Impressions and images from a trip to Bel Paese

Let's go to Italy and watch a football match. Not a common one, but a very specific match where the home team has a sector of its stadium closed for public order reasons. I'm not going to enter into details, so I will not say who I'm referring to but I'll just say it happened that during a football match the home team supporters screamed racist slogans to the away team fans, and that's the reason why public authorities decided to impose sanctions not allowing to seat in the sectors where the slogans came from. Now, when we have such a situation theory wants tickets are not going to be sold. But theory is a thing, and practice is another one. So it happened to me to find tickets for the stadium sectors which were supposed to be banned. «They didn't say anything to us, so we sell tickets», the answer I received by the clerk of the box office. «They made tickets available, then if it will be possible to go in or not we don't know». Italians don't ask question. Never. They don't ask question neither to themselves nor to other people. Mind your business and you'll be ok: that's the only universal principle for Italians. No solidarity, no curiosity, no critic spirit, no responsibilities. Italians just care about their own interests. That is valid from the less important things to the more important affairs, from a ticket for a football match until to the political sphere. Looking at the Italian politicians is easy to observe the same approach. I was lucky to be in Italy right at the moment when Matteo Renzi - leader of the centre-left party Partito Democratico - decided to throw Enrico Letta out of the government. Believe me when I say Italians understand even less than foreigners. Nobody has clear in mind why Renzi, who serves in the same Letta's political party, decided to take him over. The answer is an easy one: for personal profits. In front of rising unemployment, young people leaving the country, economic crisis, credit crunch and poverty, Italian politicians pay attention just to personal power, prestige and chairs. The so called "decision makers" are those who are supposed to direct a country, setting policies up. If the path is egoism and defence of personal affairs rather than promotion of general interest, then it can't surprise if Italians are able to create paradoxical situations. Who cares if politicians don't work for the nation? Is not their problem. Similarly, who cares if box offices sell tickets to people who risk to be not allowed entering the stadium? Is not sellers' problem. It has already been said Italy is a curious country. Adding new brief considerations it could be said in Italy there situation is difficult to believe to. Please, be careful: I'm not saying Italy is not credible, I'm saying is incredible.

EU-Ukraine agreement still possible, said Fule

The European commissioner for Enlargement made clear that nothing is missed, but everything is up to Kiev

Stefan Fule

by Emiliano Biaggio

The door remains open for Ukraine and any eventual association agreement with European Union lies in Kiev, said European commissioner for Enlargement, Stefan Fule, after his visit in the former sovietic republic. Europe will continue to provide assistance and to encourage a solution for the political crisis, but everything depends on Ukrainian authorities. Fule made clear the European Union has no intention to interfere in internal affairs of a sovereign country, reminding to Ukrainian leaders what are the conditions required to join a EU partnership. After critics realpolitik prevailed in Europe, with all the leaders who ruled sanctions out after have given the impression to choose for that option. Russian warnings and US criticism made clear for Europe that the an internal solution for Ukrainian problems is the only path. On Monday last foreign affairs council meeting produced a joint statement in which was written that European Union stand ready to offer all the aid necessary for facilitating a comprehensive political dialogue. At the same time was made clear by the twenty eight ministers that European Union is always ready to offer the opportunity for signing an association agreement. An approach confirmed by Fule. «Only one plan can work here: a Ukrainian plan agreed by Ukrainians and implemented swiftly». As Europe, added Fule, «we continue to support the peaceful political process, and we are ready to step up our efforts, together with international partners, to help Ukraine in dealing with difficult economic situation with reform agenda and assistance». To move toward what is considered by Fule the right direction for Ukraine «there is the need», first of all, to take «urgent» steps on constitutional reform, the formation of the new inclusive government, and ensuring free and fair elections. Secondly Ukraine has to nominate the remaining member of the Investigation Advisory Panel in order to guarantee more security and no impunity. «Time is not on your side», stated commissioner Fule. «But this is a Ukrainian process. A process, in which the future of this country and its people is at stake».

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Cuba to exit the European embargo

EU member states gave to the Commission the mandate to negotiate co-operation agreement

by Emiliano Biaggio

The European Council gave green light to start negotiations for a Political dialogue and Co-operation agreement with Cuba, after the twenty eight ministers of Foreign affair voted in favour of the proposal made last April by the European Commission. During the Foreign affairs council meeting held last week in Brussels, all the EU member expressed their opinion for boosting bilateral ties opening a new chapter in the mutual relationship. The European Union began to have regular contacts with Cuba in 2008, but always in the more general context of the EU-Celac dialogue. No direct bilateral ties exist between the two subjects, and the decision could sign an historical moment for the Caribbean country, still under embargo. Despite the economic restriction Cuba has strategic commercial and financial flows: the EU is Cuba's biggest external investor, and Cuba's second most important trading partner (accounting for 20% of total Cuban trade), after Venezuela (27%) and China (15%). Again, the European Union is the second biggest source of Cuban imports (20%) and the third most important destination for Cuban exports (21%). About tourism, approximately one third of all tourists visiting the island every year come from the EU. Now the European Commission has the mandate to open an in-depth relation with Raul Castro's regime, ending the contradictions marking the common external policy. One one hand, in fact, the European Union has not a general policy toward the Cuban affairs and on the other hand the single member states have bilateral ties with Havana. Finally the EU will can have a more coherent and a more harmonized policy, recognising the same status already granted to other countries around the world such as Myanmar. If everything will be ok an EU-Cuba Political dialogue and Co-operation agreement will be in place in up to two years, but Cuban authorities will remain "under control". «This is not a policy change from the past», pointed out the High Representative of the Union for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine Ashton. «Just as we want to support reform and modernisation in Cuba, we have consistently raised human rights concerns which will remain at the core of this relationship». So, she added, «I hope Cuba will do what is necessary on its side, especially on the question of human rights». The pace of our negotiations «will reflect this». Raul Castro has been warned.


SEE ALSO

EU Country Strategy Paper/National Indicative Programme for Cuba

Senselessland

Impressions from a trip to the Bel Paese

by Emiliano Biaggio

Italy is really a curious country. Everything considerable as not making sense, there is normal. First of all, the term "evolution" is unknown. That means improvements are not allowed in Italy. Things can only to turn from bad to worse, when it would be supposed to be the contrary. Nowhere will be possible to find heaven on Heart, but generally speaking when there are dysfunctions or problems every country works for solutions. In Italy it doesn't make sense. Making a practical example, if today there's a railway line with a few technical problems, in a couple of years the amount of such problems will be grown up. Or problems will be founded in deleting a certain number of trains. Again, if there's a road with some dips on it, in a rain-time all the other ways will become a minefield. In such a situation, Italians simply don't care about. "What can I do?", "It happens", "It has always word in that way", are the typical comments you will listened to from the people. There even those who complain. "It goes always worse and worse", "It would be better to go abroad", say other. But despite the critics nobody does anything to try to change the situation. And improvisation is the main lifestyle. There not any long term strategies, the so called structural reforms are in reality measures conceived just to resolve contingencies, and promises remain on paper. Public procurement and public contest are manipulated since the beginning, credibility as a country is at the lowest rates ever. But Italians don't care. They use to say that "all politicians are bastards", borrowing for a while the very popular expression ACAB and turning into APAB. It's not a case Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S) got consensus until being one of the major political party in Italy. But to be honest, if you ask people (and members of M5S as well) what the programme is, they'll simply offer complains rather than proposals. Even Nazis had a programme: a foolish one, but the have it. In Italy M5S is waited to offer a vision of the country, and we understand that's a problem in a country where there any vision for the future. But as we told at the beginning, what it doesn't make sense everywhere else has a reason to be in Italy.

bLOGBOOK

Rain. The walking umbrellas are the only colors of a city grey and dark. Sometimes the long scarves worn to have a shield against the biting cold add new tones to this autumn without the classic color game played by trees and leaves. Winter, where are you? It's time of crisis even for snow, and for all those children waiting for playing with snowmen. No men, we're sorry kids. «When you miss something you always have the opportunity to find it out, or find something else even better». My colleague's words are still clear in mind. He talked to me as he was talking to his son. It's something really uncommon: today there's no person who find time to show humanity. We're alone, that' the paradox. We live into the so called global village, where we live terribly alone. Suddenly we realized we're too much, and then we started to ignore each other. Man, what about you? I could ask the same question to myself, but why should I do it? Once again I have no answer to give to myself. I'm waiting answers as kids are waiting for their snow.

EU to start debate over Ukraine sanctions

On Monday the proposal will be discussed during the Foreign affairs council meeting, despite Russian and US warnings

by Emiliano Biaggio

To take actions or not to take actions, that is the question. Paraphrasing Shakespeare we get the dilemma is animating Europe in these hours. Within the European Union a strong debate is ongoing on how to deal with the Ukrainian crisis, and next Monday the foreign ministers of the twenty eight member states will put on the table the possibility to impose sanctions against the government of Kiev in response of violences against protesters. At the moment it appears unrealistic to expect any final decision on this issue, as EU is marked by huge internal divisions. On one hand there countries such as Germany that press to send strong signals to Viktor Yanukovych government, but on the other hand there other countries that prefer to maintain prudence. Ukraine is not only a matter of democracy, respect of the rule of law and a strategic partner to drive toward the EU side, Ukraine risks to jeopardise international balances as Russia is directly involved into the situation. Russian president Vladimir Putin made very clear he'll never accept any meddling in what is not considered as a European business. «I am not sure Ukraine needs intermediaries», said Putin last week on the occasion of EU-Russia summit held in Brussels, adding any EU activity on Ukraine will be not welcome. «I can only imagine what the reaction would be if in the heat of the crisis in Greece or Cyprus, our foreign minister came to an anti-European rally and began urging people to do something. This would not be good». Told in other words the European Union has to stay out of Ukraine's political crisis. Such a warning alone clearly describes the rising of tension for a matter becoming more and more sensitive. In Europe is well known imposing sanctions against the Ukrainian republic could generate an unfavorable environment for EU-Russia relationship, and that's the reason why the majority of the member states are not in favour in imposing sanctions. But to make the Ukrainian matter more complicated was the assistant US secretary of state, Victoria Nuland, who blamed the European Union efforts in finding a solution for the political crisis in the former soviet republic. «Fuck the EU», she said in a leaked phone call with the US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoff Pyatt. In Brussels both the European Commission and the Greek presidency of the Council tried to minimized, but is evident Ukraine now has become an international case. «The EU is engaged in helping the people of Ukraine through the current political crisis, and we don’t comment on alleged leaked telephone conversations», said Maja Kocijancic, a spokesperson for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. Despite all that, among the twenty eight EU member states there are still those who don't want to give up. Not acting would mean to show EU is weak and not able to resist to the pressure exerted by third countries. «Of course on Monday the question of sanctions against Ukraine will be put on the table», EU officials revealed. The idea will not pass, but the political message will arrive to Kiev, to Moscow and to Washington. And the message is EU started to talk about the possibility to act. The problem is how the counterparts could react.


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Emiliano Biaggio becomes biaggionline

Emiliano Biaggio changes and becomes biaggionline. We start with the new logo, and we'll finish with the new web address. In few days Emiliano Biaggio will disappear and to arrive on this blog it will be necessary to type "biaggionline.blogspot.com". With the arrival of 2014 huge changes have been experienced on these pages, and it happened simply because Emiliano Biaggio became a new project. After long time - two months is a relatively long term - the main elements of the blog have been translated to English, and all the posts started to be in English. To turn all the old posts in English would require a very long time (we talk about more than 1.300 articles), so we decided to leave them in the original version. Doing so it will be possible to better see when Emiliano Biaggio stopped to be Emiliano Biaggio and became biaggionline. We also decided to don't translate DIARIO DI BIAGGIO section. The reason is simple: in Italian this expression was used as word game, which is impossible to propose in English. Biaggio (proper name) is close to the italian word viaggio (travel), so the expression "diario di biaggio" in Italian sounds as "travel journal". But of course, Biaggio's diary in English doesn't suggest any relationship with a travel journal. That's why it was decided to continue to use the Italian expression. Since the section we talk about is more personal than all the other, we reserve the right to write in Italian. Perhaps some section will disappear, which means that all posts written in the previous years will be removed. A final decision was not taken yet, but the sections we think about are "Il temario" and "Mad in Italy". Time will decide. Right now the entire renovation process is considered concluded, and biaggionline is ready to start its adventure. In the coming days the web address will be updated. It could be possible to do it right now, but we want to inform you and leave the time to take note.

EU to allow Pioneer GMO if Council fails to act

Qualified majority is needed among the member states, but Europe is too divided and there is no quorum. Commission ready to authorise cultivation

by Emiliano Biaggio

European Union member States try to reach a political position on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), but the twenty eight are still far from a final decision and at this stage there no the legal numbers to have the qualified majority required to approve or reject the proposal for the cultivation of Pioneer 1507 maize within the EU. Next Tuesday the General affair council meeting is called to take an official position, but it's highly probable the final decision will be taken by the European Commission. The Council had three different possibilities: to vote in favour, to vote against, or to be not able to vote. In a such a case, the dossier will come back to Berlaymont building, where a common position will must be taken by the college of commissioners. Generally the Commission can rule in favour or against, but in this specific case - due to a sentence of the European court of justice which impose to allow the cultivation of Pioneer 1507 maize - if the Commission will have to say the last word there will be only a positive decision. In other words, in case of a non-decision during the General affair council scheduled for next Tuesday, in Europe will be introduced a new kind of Genetically Modified Organism.
Nowadays in European Union there are 49 authorised GMOs for food and feed (27 maizes, 8 cottons, 7 soy beans, 3 oilseed rapes, 1 sugar beet, 1 potato, 2 microorganisms). The case divided Europe is that one of the genetically modified maize 1507 (Bt maize), developed by Pioneer to confer resistance to specific harmful moth larvae for maize such as the European corn borer. It is currently authorised in the EU for food and feed uses, but not for cultivation. In 2001, the company Pioneer submitted an application for the authorisation of the maize 1507 for cultivation under the Directive (2001/18/EC) on the deliberate release of GMOs into the environment. More than ten years later, on 26 September 2013, the General Court established - in the judgement related to case T-164/10 - that the Commission failed to act under Directive 2001/18/EC by not submitting to the Council a proposal. The Commission cannot stop any process, and that's the reason why - in application of the Court judgement - the Commission on 6 November 2013 submitted a proposal for an authorisation decision on maize 1507 to the Council. But the Council has not a majority, neither to approve it nor to reject it. Into the Council member States have not the same voting right: each country has a number related to the density of population. So the biggest countries such as France, Germany, Italy and United Kingdom have a vote whose value is 27, while the smallest member states such as Cyprus or Malta have a vote whose value is, respectively, 3 and 4. To reach the qualified majority is needed to put together countries accountable for at least 260 votes, but neither those in favour nor those against are able to reach such a quota. Unless the situation will be unlocked in the coming hours, EU member States will be not in position to take nay position, and the Commission will be forced to authorise Pioneer GMO.

Insider traders to face four years of jail in EU

MEP's adopted stronger sanctions aganist distortions in financial markets

by Emiliano Biaggio
 
European Parliament declared war to financial market manipulators, endorsing new legislative proposals which foreseen four years of jail for those who act in illegal way. The draft has been approved in Strasbourg by the large majority of the members of the Parliament (618 votes to 20, with 43 abstentions), and now will be discussed into the Council. The draft rules lay down tougher criminal penalties, including prison terms, for «serious market abuses such as unlawful disclosure of information, insider dealing or market manipulation and also inciting, aiding or abetting them». To ensure that these penalties apply EU-wide, all member states would have to require their judges to sentence maximum penalty offenders to «no less than four years in jail for the most serious forms of insider dealing or market manipulation and no less than two years for unlawful disclosure of information». Furthermore, ander the new rules the definitions of offences and the penalties applied for them would be harmonised. Market manipulation offences punishable by a four-year jail term would include entering into a transaction or placing an order which gives false or misleading signals about the supply, demand or price of one or more financial instruments or providing false or misleading inputs to manipulate the calculation of benchmarks, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or Euro Interbank Offered Rate (EURIBOR). Insider dealing offences punishable by fouryears’ imprisonment include those in which «inside information is used with intent to buy or sell financial instruments or to cancel or amend an order».

Napolitano overthrown in Europe. By Italians

MEP's from Lega Nord waited to receive the president of the republic in Strasbourg to move critics at international level

Lega Nord demonstration in Strasbourg

Opinion

Once again Italy gave a bad proof of the country, this time even worst than the previous times. Once again Italy some Italian "politicians" arrived to publicly criticize the President of the Republic, the Italian highest official. It is not the first time Giorgio Napolitano is object of criticism, but for the first time since he's been serving as head of State this criticism spread outside the country. A group of European MEP's belonging to Italian party Lega Nord received Napolitano in Strasbourg with a protest against his person and his defense of the European values. «No Euro», «Euro kills», and «Napolitano is not my president» was written on banner and t-shirt shown by the the small group led by Matteo Salvini, Mario Borghezio, and Mara Bizzotto. The protesters were stopped immediately by the president of European Parliament, Martin Schulz. «Unfortunately sometimes we have such a situation», he said once the critics were over. It has to be underlined just few minutes before Lega Nord MEP's performance Schulz, giving the floor to Napolitano, went against who spend their time to attack Napolitano, in a clear reference to Beppe Grillo's followers who said Napolitano is a «miscreant». «I have no any sympathy for those who offend you to increase their visibility and bring the country to the chaos», stated Schulz before Giorgio Napolitano's speech in the plenary session of the European Parliament. Unfortunately some Italian there didn't pay attention and decided to demonstrate against their own head of State, something never seen before in Europe. It was a clear demonstration of how Italy is confused, without any benchmark, a clear demonstration of how divided Italy is today. Furthermore, those few MEP's showed this sense of non-respect for neither anything nor for anybody, institutions included. Winston Churchill, politician serving in other times, loved to repeat «when I am abroad, I always make it a rule never to criticize or attack the government of my own country. I make up for lost time when I come home». Clearly Italians don't belong to the Anglo-Saxon world, but it's not necessary to be neither an Anglo-Saxon nor a British to understand Churchill was right. A country showing his fragility abroad, is a country weak and not credible. That's exactly what Italy is.

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