Poland, aside for a brief period between World War I and World War II, languished under foreign occupation from 1795, when the Prussians, Austrians, and Russians divided Poland among themselves, until 1989 when the Soviets relinquished their stranglehold over the country. Thus, the Poles, who for a century lacked control over their destiny, entered the 21st century more or less… Read more »
Al Jazeera reports, “The pro-Russia Harmony party has topped polls and the ruling coalition lost its majority in Latvia’s national election, according to results from over 80 percent of precincts released. Latvia, a country of roughly two million, shares a 214km border with Russia. Its location, along with its membership in NATO and the European Union, places Latvia on the… Read more »
Radio Free Europe reports, “A referendum on changing Macedonia’s name as part of a deal to end a decades-old dispute with neighboring Greece won overwhelming support on September 30 but failed to secure turnout of 50 percent required to make the nonbinding vote valid. Early on October 1, with ballots from more than 98.6 percent of polling stations counted, the… Read more »
Radio Poland reports, ‘If all goes as scheduled, the satellite will have undergone all the tests and be ready for launch in April, Poland’s PAP news agency reported, citing a space technology executive. The satellite, called Światowid, will be flown to the International Space Station, from where it will be launched into orbit, Grzegorz Zwoliński, CEO of the SatRevolution company,… Read more »
Radio France International reports, “For over a week, France has been without an Interior minister, as the government is set to announce a major cabinet reshuffle on Friday. The hesitation around the new cabinet appointments is seen as a sign of Macron’s growing weakness.
A specter is haunting Europe – the specter of populism. Right-wing, centrist, and left-wing, populists of all political stripes are hounding down on the established parties of Europe. From left wing firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon in France to rightwing leader Alexander Gauland in Germany, these parties are precipitating a collapse of Europe’s traditional political stability. An important caveat, however, is that… Read more »
Poltico.eu reports, “PAVIA, Italy — Italy’s populist government is walking a tricky tightrope: How can it deliver on expensive election promises without falling foul of EU rules on public spending? For Luigi Di Maio, the minister of economic development and head of the anti-establishment 5Stars, answering that question is also a way to get out from under the shadow of… Read more »
TheLocal Sweden reports “The new speaker of parliament – whose job it is to find a new prime minister for Sweden – is set to meet all the party leaders in the coming days, starting with incumbent PM Stefan Löfven today. Sweden’s September 9th election left the centre-left bloc with just one seat more than the centre-right Alliance, with the… Read more »
Deutsche Welle reports “Dutch police said on Thursday they had foiled a major terrorist attack with the arrest of seven alleged extremists in multiple raids across the country.
The BBC reports A historic moment or a proposal that would mean war? When it comes to Kosovo’s putative territory swap with Serbia, it depends who you ask. Speculation abounds that the two parties could make the concept official as early as Friday, when their presidents meet for scheduled talks in Brussels. The idea seems simple. The Presevo Valley in… Read more »