Europe

Is Your Project to Unify Europe Falling Apart? Blame Russia
As the project for a united Europe continues to experience arguably the most serious political crisis since its inception, policy elites in Brussels are urging Europeans not to despair, to stay together, and to prepare for confrontation with Russia instead. European Council President Donald Tusk is unsatisfied with the defeatist attitudes among Europeans. Speaking in Rome on Thursday on the 69t [...]
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‘If Merkel wants refugee labor, let them fly to Germany on Lufthansa!’
Europe wants a restrictive policy on refugees because small countries like Austria cannot handle unlimited number of arrivals, Laszlo Maracz, assistant professor of European studies at the University of Amsterdam, told RT. Tensions are rising at the Brenner Pass between Austria and Italy. [...]
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US-led France ignored reality in Syria, harmed itself with Russia sanctions – frmr French intel boss
The French government ignored its own intelligence in dealing with crises in Ukraine and Syria, and recklessly followed Washington’s lead by joining anti-Russian sanctions, dealing a huge blow to its agriculture, said a former French intelligence boss. [...]
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Why Merkel is Letting Erdogan “Make Fool of Her”
Europe has to make concessions to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan because Brussels has no other option in the light of the ongoing migrant crisis, a French journalist said in an interview with Atlantico. After German comedian Jan Boehmermann in his show mocked Turkish President Recep [...]
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Welcome to Fortified Europe: the Militarization of Europe’s Borders
It’s late in the afternoon and we are stuck behind a school bus in Northern Croatia as we drive through the what the GPS says is the miserable little town of Apatija, which my Croatian friend Juraj says literally translates to “apathy” in Croatian.   [...]
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‘Inconsistency & Cowardice’: German activists decry Merkel’s collaboration with ‘despot Erdogan’
Dozens of pro-Kurdish activists alongside members of Germany’s Pirate Party have held a rally outside the Chancellery in Berlin rejecting Angela Merkel’s cooperation with the Turkish President, which they claim made her an accomplice in human rights violations. Gathered outside the seat of the Chancellor, demonstrators wielding Kurdish flags and banners were addressed by Bruno Kramm, the he [...]
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Obama went to Germany to deliver Europe’s latest report card
Shouldn’t the days of European leaders enlisting the help of American presidents to sell unpopular ideas to their citizens be long over? They should. But evidently, they are not. Barack Obama arrived in Europe last week, bursting with words of wisdom and friendly advice. He was welcomed enthusiastically by the leaders of the United Kingdom and Germany. Less enthusiastic, however, was the rece [...]
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64% of French say refugees are ‘a major source of crime’ – poll
At least 64 percent of French people believe that asylum seekers arriving in increasing numbers from North Africa and the Middle East are a “major source of crime,” a recent poll shows. The survey was conducted by international polling and market research company Ifop for the Russian Sputnik news agency. [...]
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Far right gains in Austrian presidential race – ‘Turning point in country’s politics’
The far-right triumph in the first round of the Austrian presidential election is a new page in the country’s history as it marks the end of the domination by socialists and conservatives, says Alexander Markovics of the right-wing Generation Identity movement. [...]
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Austrian President Says Anti-Russia Sanctions Disastrous for Both Parties
No side wins from the sanctions introduced by the European Union against Russia, it is necessary to find a way that would lead to the removal of most of them, Austrian President Heinz Fischer said Wednesday. Fischer arrived on an official two-day visit to Moscow on Tuesday at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation. [...]
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Vienna’s Safe Bet: Austrian Armed Forces Ready to Cooperate With Russia
Chief of the General Staff of the Austrian Armed Forces, Lt. Gen. Othmar Commenda said that Russia for Austria is much closer than other great powers. The Austrian Armed Forces are ready to develop cooperation with Russia, despite recommendations of other world powers, the Chief of the General Staff of the Austrian Armed Forces, Lt. Gen. Othmar Commenda said Wednesday. [...]
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Austria: State of Emergency & Migration Crisis
The Austrian government is about to enforce a tougher asylum law. According to it, the government will be entitled to declare a state of emergency. If this happens, no refugee would be able to apply for asylum in Austria any longer. The opposition and other critics speak of a “de facto abolition of the right to asylum”. [...]
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Ukraine in Ruins:Catastrophe or One More of Washington’s ‘Success Stories’?
It is hardly surprising that Europeans are growing angry with their leaders who blindly follow Washington; it seems that neither Brussels, nor Washington is bothered by the fact that it is the citizens of the EU member states who pay the price for the US’s political adventurism, Ron Paul writes. Anger is rising in the EU, and with reason, former US Republican congressman Dr. Ron Paul notes in [...]
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‘Towards the Common Good’: Mr. Sanders Goes to the Vatican
At the Vatican on Friday, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders railed against everything from environmental destruction and the weakening of the rights of workers to widespread financial criminality on Wall Street and unregulated globalization.   [...]
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Germany grants Turkish request to allow for possible prosecution of comedian who joked about Erdogan
The German government has granted a Turkish request to allow the possible prosecution of a TV comedian who wrote a crude poem about Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Chancellor Angela Merkel said. Ankara has demanded to have comedian Jan Boehmermann prosecuted for insulting a foreign head of state. [...]
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This is prison? 60 Minutes goes to Germany
Germany's prison system keeps convicts comfortable, costs less and has lower recidivism rates, but would Americans ever accept it? In Germany, prison isn't meant to punish, it's designed to mirror normal life as much as possible. Among the privileges enjoyed by German     G M T Detect language Afrikaans Albanian Arabic Armenian Azerbaijani B [...]
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Most Germans oppose EU migrant deal with ‘untrustworthy’ Turkey – poll
The majority of Germans believe that EU-Turkey deal is a bad idea and will not work properly, according to a recent poll. Most also don’t tend to see Ankara as a trusted partner, let alone a potential member in the union. Under a plan agreed in Brussels earlier in March, all migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey would be returned. [...]
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France Coaxes Foreign Streetwalkers to Move On With Residence Permits
French authorities plan to provide foreign prostitutes with six month residence permits in a bid to help them escape the sex trade, according to media reports. Foreign prostitutes in France will be offered six month residence permits if they agree to participate in "the exit program," something that is thought will help sex workers escape the trade, media reports said. [...]
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Germany’s Fantastic New Flying Car Achieves Road Speeds in the Sky
A quadcopter-like contraption, but for humans, the "Volocopter" hopes to change urban transportation by transforming low altitudes into highways. A new vehicle, called the Volocopter, could make flying cars a reality for many people, as the design includes such ideas as creating virtual highways with speed limits for the vehicles. [...]
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Austrian President wants EU to examine ending anti-Russia sanctions
The Austrian President Heinz Fischer says the EU has to find a way to lift sanctions against Russia. "I always say that sanctions are disadvantageous for both sides," Fischer said at Wednesday’s meeting with Russia's State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin. "It is important to find a way to lift them in the near future." [...]
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‘Russia closer to Austria than other major world powers’ – head of Austrian General Staff in Moscow
Austrian armed forces are ready to cooperate with Moscow as “Russia is much closer to Austria than other major world powers,” chief of the Austrian General Staff said in Moscow, according to TASS. Vienna’s top military figure noted that one of the reasons for his visit to the Russian capital was to disobey others’ orders. [...]
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Europe’s Terror Blowback – Consortiumnews
The Paris and Brussels attacks are blowback from what Islamic State terrorists see as betrayal by Western benefactors who thought using jihadists could bring “regime change” in Syria, says Pakistani analyst Nauman Sadiq. France under President Nicolas Sarkozy played a lead role in fomenting the insurgency against the Gaddafi regime in Libya in 2011, and Sarkozy’s successor, Francois Holla [...]
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