Refugee crisis

Europe’s prioritising problems

The last EU summit showed what is the biggest problem of EU countries. Prioritising. Instead of talking about really important things most of the summit and its “extra time” were devoted to a secondary problem. Yes, you read it right. The question of the UK staying or not in the EU is currently of secondary importance. The existence of the EU will not depend of the British staying or leaving but it depends on the (common) solution to the refugee crisis and its causes in Syria, the Middle East and Africa.

(Vir: (c) Evropska unija 2016) — (Source: (c) European Union 2016)

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What’s the price of our values

3 billion euros, speed up of visa liberalisation and acceleration of EU accession negotiations. This is briefly what Turkey got on Sunday’s summit with EU leaders in exchange of limiting the refugees’ arrivals to Europe. Article 2 of the Treaty of the EU states that “The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.” However, as everything, also this values have their price.

Vir: (c) Evropska unija 2015 — Source: (c) European Union 2015

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Friday 13th

For most of the people a completely normal day. For some it represents an unlucky day. For 129 people it was their last day. To see the French reaction we didn’t need to wait long. In fact, it wasn’t neither a surprise, specially if we take into account the rhetoric used by president François Hollande in his first speech on Friday and in the others that followed. The opinions regarding the usefulness of the attacks are mixed. Some say that they are needed, while others warn that this attacks in Syria will only provoke more attacks on European soil. In any case, this would also bring more refugees to Europe. Only one thing is sure. Europe is inside a vicious circle and to exit from we will (unfortunately) need a lot of time.

Francoska trobojnica na eni izmed bruseljskih stavb. — The French flag on one of Brussels’ buildings.

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It’s the End of Schengen (As We Know It)

I owe you an apology. It was difficult to find the inspiration and will to write something for the blog this week. Firstly, I was thinking to write something lighter. The European Mobility Week was a perfect excuse. However, the events of the past days, also in Slovenia, didn’t allow me so. I can’t be silent over what is happening. If after the Paris terrorist attacks in January I was thinking how will Schengen seem in the future, after the last events I am more and more convinced that Schengen, as we know it now, won’t exist any more.

Ostanek berlinskega zidu pred Evropskim parlamentom v Bruslju (Vir: (c) Evropska unija 2014 - Evropski parlament) — A historic residue or a return to the future (Source: (c) European Union 2014 – European Parliament)

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Apparently it’s not (yet) enough

After last April’s boat sinking between Malta and Lampedusa, where at least 950 people died, I was asking in a post if that event would wake up the European public and politics to act. I left some hope back then, that the “fast reaction of the EU” will bring some concrete actions. But I was wrong. As always the highly ambitious plans were followed by a cold shower, as the EU States didn’t respect the decisions taken by them just a couple of days before. unfortunately, the number of tragedies didn’t drop. Rather the contrary.

Vir: (c) Bansky FB — Source: (c) Bansky FB

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