#European Union reform

[latestnews-now]

Romanian ultranationalist George Simion is making waves as he aims to become Europe’s next hard-right leader. Inspired by Giorgia Meloni and Donald Trump, Simion promises to reform the EU while defying rules that harm Romania. Learn how his rise could reshape Europe’s political future.

[head-post]

PM condemns “far right thuggery” across UK

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned what he called “far-right thuggery” after days of violent anti-immigration protests.

Violent protests erupted in cities across the UK after three girls were killed in a stabbing at a children’s dance class in Southport in north-west England last week. The killings were investigated by anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim groups, as misinformation spread that the alleged attacker was an immigrant and radical Islamist.

However, police stated that the suspect was born in Britain and were not treating it as a terrorist incident. Protests spread across cities across the country, including Liverpool, Bristol, and Manchester on Saturday, leading to dozens of arrests. Shops and businesses were also vandalised and looted, with several police officers injured.

On Sunday, hundreds of anti-immigration protesters gathered outside a hotel in the Rotherham area of northern England where Britain’s Home Secretary said asylum seekers were living.

I utterly condemn the far-right thuggery we’ve seen this weekend. Be in no doubt, those that have participated in this violence will face the full force of the law.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council reported that 147 people had been arrested since Saturday evening and more would be arrested in the coming days. Starmer, who took office a month ago after his Labour party won a convincing election victory over the long-ruling Conservatives, said residents were in “absolute fear” of “marauding gangs” in Rotherham.

Local police reported that 10 police officers suffered injuries in Rotherham during clashes with a crowd of 700 people, some of whom threw wooden planks and doused officers with fire extinguishers before smashing hotel windows. Lindsey Butterfield, Assistant Chief Constable at South Yorkshire Police, stated:

The mindless actions of those today have achieved nothing other than sheer destruction and leaving members of the public and the wider community in fear.

Sunday’s riots took place in smaller towns than Saturday’s, including the northwest towns of Lancaster and Bolton as well as Aldershot, southern England. Police reported arresting 14 people after a march through Middlesbrough in the north-east led to “mindless violence” and a warning to the public to avoid the town centre.

Violent protests last erupted across Britain in 2011, when thousands took to the streets after police shot dead a Black man in London. Starmer was the country’s top prosecutor at the time.

A group of faith leaders from Liverpool also issued a joint statement condemning the riots in the UK.

Since Monday, too many people have sought to use the tragedy to create division and hate. It can – and has – left communities in fear and has put people in danger.

Read more HERE

[rodaportal]

European Immigration Policies: A Complex Quandary

🌐 Explore the intricacies of European immigration policies! From France's political dynamics to Germany's stance and transformative EU reforms, grasp the complexities shaping the continent's approach. 🤔💬

Join the conversation and stay informed! Check out our insightful YouTube video for an in-depth analysis: 🎥✨

[digitalcreationsllc]

eIDAS: EU’s internet reforms will undermine a decade of advances in online security - Help Net Security

The European Union’s attempt to reform its electronic identification and trust services – a package of laws better known as eIDAS 2.0 – contains legislation that poses a grave threat to online privacy and security. An article buried deep in the draft text of the bill would force web browsers to place total trust in certificate authorities (CAs) that have been approved by EU…

[gameofthrones2020]

European Union and Why it Needs to Change

European Union and Why it Needs to Change and how it has its origins from Europe's long and bloody history since 476 AD

The European Union has its roots in the aftermath of World War II in 1945. Europe had been in a state of pectoral wars since the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 A.D. Since then, different regional powers within Europe have tried to become the leading continental power. These wars accumulated in three great European wars: the French Revolution from 1793 until 1799 and the Napoleonic wars…

[eeitonline]

Politics and Business: Navigating Instability in Eastern Europe

by Eastern European Institute for Trade

Eastern European nations face a myriad of challenges as they strive to balance political instability with economic development. This volatile landscape poses significant obstacles for businesses, both local and foreign, as they navigate a complex web of regulations, corruption, and political risk (Pop-Eleches & Tucker, 2011; EBRD, 2020). In this article, we delve into the causes of instability, the implications for businesses operating in the region, and potential strategies for managing the risks associated with political turbulence.

Political instability in Eastern Europe can be attributed to a multitude of factors, including weak governance, high levels of corruption, and ongoing tensions between European Union (EU) aspirations and the influence of Russia (Pop-Eleches & Tucker, 2011; Börzel & Lebanidze, 2017). This instability creates an uncertain business environment, marked by policy unpredictability, regulatory inconsistencies, and heightened risks for investors (EBRD, 2020).

The implications of political instability for businesses operating in Eastern Europe are manifold. Investment decisions may be hindered by a lack of transparency and predictability in regulatory frameworks, while companies face increased operating costs due to corruption and bureaucratic inefficiencies (Slinko et al., 2005; EBRD, 2020). Additionally, geopolitical tensions and the potential for conflict create security risks, further complicating business operations (Börzel & Lebanidze, 2017).

To successfully navigate the complexities of the Eastern European business environment, companies must adopt a proactive approach to managing political risk. This entails conducting thorough due diligence, engaging in strategic planning to anticipate potential scenarios, and fostering strong relationships with local stakeholders (Pop-Eleches & Tucker, 2011; KPMG, 2016). Moreover, businesses should consider diversifying their operations and investments to mitigate the impact of regional instability (KPMG, 2016).

International actors, such as the EU and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), also have a critical role to play in promoting stability and economic growth in Eastern Europe. By providing financial assistance and technical expertise, these organizations can support the implementation of reforms aimed at strengthening governance, combating corruption, and fostering a more predictable business environment (Pop-Eleches & Tucker, 2011; EBRD, 2020).

In conclusion, political instability in Eastern Europe poses significant challenges for businesses. To navigate this uncertain landscape, companies must adopt a proactive approach to managing risk, while international actors should support regional efforts to improve governance and promote stability. By working together, businesses and policymakers can foster a more predictable and conducive environment for economic growth and investment in the region.

References:

Börzel, T. A., & Lebanidze, B. (2017). European Neighborhood Policy at the Crossroads: Evaluating the Past to Shape the Future. European Policy Analysis, 3(1), 1–19.

EBRD (2020). Transition Report 2020–21: The State Strikes Back. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

KPMG (2016). Navigating an uncertain landscape: The changing world of risk. KPMG International.

Pop-Eleches, G., & Tucker, J. A. (2011). After the Colored Revolutions: Regime Change and Political Instability in Eastern Europe. Journal of Democracy, 22(3), 49–63.

Slinko, I., Yakovlev, E., & Zhuravskaya, E. (2005). Laws for Sale: Evidence from Russia. American Law and Economics Review, 7(1), 284–318.

Read more at Eastern European Institute for Trade.

[mesetacadre]

what is a eurocommunist?

Eurocommunism is a tendency that crystallized in western European Communist parties between the 60s and 90s (though the causes were older than that) that consisted of those parties abandoning a revolutionary strategy to favor peaceful change (read: reformism). Especially after the lack of international direction resulting after the XXth congress of the CPSU on top of the dissolution of the third international during WW2, global south communist parties were pretty much abandoned compared to Stalin's international efforts, and west European parties were left to deal with social-democracy on their own. The loss of cadres that WW2 and post-war anti-communist repression created also contributed to the drift. This affected historical parties, meaning those founded around the third international or earlier. France, Spain and Italy's parties were the main culprits iirc, and it is still pretty strong given Austria's KPÖ consolidated the eurocommunist drift pretty recently only because of historical chance, marxism-leninism managed to resist important congresses like the one they had in the 90s (can't remember the exact year, forgive me).

I'll take the PCE as an example because it's what I'm familiar with. The years in exile during the dictatorship obviously burdened their work, inter-congressual periods became longer and were all held outside of Spain, with there being an organic separation between affairs in exile and affairs in Spain's clandestinty (they had a specific position for people in charge of the "interior"). Their ideological tendency came with the baggage of the popular front strategy and the martyrdom mythology around the defeat of the popular front and the Republic to fascist forces. They did not recognize the mistake that the popular front was, the party was the strongest it had ever been in 1936, oftentimes acting as a proxy for the worker's unions in places that lacked actual unions (this was a big reason for their massive leadership at around 300,000), and with the experience accumulated from the failed 1934 revolution. With another strategy and the support of the third international they could have taken power before the fascist conspiracy with international capitalists consolidated. But anyhow, they did not disavow the popular front strategy and were very close with the Spanish Republican government in exile in Mexico, which existed until 1975.

As the exile continued, they lost any remaining direction from the CPSU, and places like France being a very popular place for their exile placed the CC in a very reformist social context. They were unable to mount any significant resistance against the dictatorship even if their work in clandestinty was very, very appreciated, and to their credit it continued until the end of the dictatorship, forever a thorn in Franco's side. It was a common saying around that time that "the Party is not seen, it is felt". Many people place the blame squarely on the election of Santiago Carrillo as gensec right before the end of the dictatorship, but tbh Dolores Ibárruri (the previous gensec for most of exile) wasn't that committed a leninist IMO, as legendary as she was. Whatever the case, Carrillo did represent the reformist trends that had festered in the party all that time, and when the provisional government that was setting up the "democracy" offered to legalize the PCE (in exchange for legalizing the Falange!), it wasn't a surprise when they took it. The PCE run on their own in the 1978 elections and they had good results, people recognized their anti-fascist clandestine work. But as time passed, they integrated themselves more and more into liberal democracy. First under Izquierda Unida (United Left, a broad coalition of parties left of the PSOE) in the 80s, and recently they went along with IU when they joined Sumar, yet another socialdemocratic coalition that acts as the PSOE's crutch to capture the votes of the people who don't like to vote for the main party.

They're a part of the government that hosts NATO summits like it's nothing. They're a part of the government that made a shameful labor reform, one that legalizes extremely unstable and precarious contracts and has the gall to call it dignified work. They're a part of the government that "illegalized evictions" with a law they created that observed every exception under the sun. They're a part of the government that uses refugees for the benefit of European capitalists like any other old party. They made the Mediterranean into a mass grave, the south of Spain into a jail of plastic greenhouses for the ones that survive the crossing, Rota and Morón into NATO's playground, labor contracts into something more precarious than the neoliberalis have ever done, and continue to govern for the interests of those who live off the working class's labor. And they call themselves communists? You'll find countless press releases and articles acting oh so concerned crying crocodile tears for a people they stopped fighting for in 1978. What does it matter what they say? more than 5 years in the government and Spanish capitalism is still stable, more exploitative than it has been in a long time, every year more violent against our protests. That is eurocommunism, anon.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing an oc who's a prostitute? What's the job like? The measures they'll take? It might be lengthy, but stuff like virtual, brothel and escort work?

Writing Notes: Prostitution

Prostitution - the practice of engaging in relatively indiscriminate sexual activity, in general with someone who is not a spouse or a friend, in exchange for immediate payment in money or other valuables.

From the 1980s, the more neutral term sex worker was increasingly employed to describe those involved in commercial sex activities.

"Prostitute" and "sex worker" are shorthand for what is argued to be the more accurate term: “a provider of sexual services for material gain.”

“Pimp” - males who act as intermediaries between client and worker in the exchange of sexual services; he may or may not be in an additional relationship to the woman.

“Madam” - a female brothel-keeper.

The designations “pimp” and “madam” are charged terms. Their usage was common in some historic places and times.

Prostitution is a very old and universal phenomenon; also universal is condemnation of the prostitute but relative indifference toward the client.

Prostitutes may be female or male or transgender, and prostitution may entail heterosexual or homosexual activity, but historically, most prostitutes have been women and most clients men.

Prostitutes are often set apart in some way:

In ancient Rome they were required to wear distinctive dress;

under Hebrew law only foreign women could be prostitutes; and

in pre-World War II Japan they were required to live in special sections of the city.

In medieval Europe prostitution was licensed and regulated by law, but by the 16th century an epidemic of venereal disease and post-Reformation morality led to the closure of brothels.

International cooperation to end the traffic in women for the purpose of prostitution began in 1899.

In 1921 the League of Nations established the Committee on the Traffic in Women and Children, and in 1949 the UN General Assembly adopted a convention for the suppression of prostitution.

In the U.S. prostitution was first curtailed by the Mann Act (1910), and by 1915 most states had banned brothels (Nevada being a notable exception).

Prostitution is nevertheless tolerated in most U.S. and European cities.

In the Netherlands many prostitutes have become members of a professional service union, and in Scandinavia government regulations emphasize hygienic aspects, requiring frequent medical examination and providing free mandatory hospitalization for anyone found to be infected with venereal disease.

Prostitutes are very often poor and lack other skills to support themselves; in many traditional societies there are few other available money-earning occupations for women without family support.

In developing African and Asian countries, prostitution has been largely responsible for the spread of AIDS and the orphaning of hundreds of thousands of children.

It is difficult to generalize about the background or conditions of prostitutes because so much of what is known about them derives from studies of poorer and less-privileged individuals, people who are more likely to come into contact with courts and official agencies.

Much more is known about streetwalkers, for example, than about the higher-status women who can be more selective about their clients and work conditions.

Based on available studies, though, it is reasonable to assert that female sex workers often are economically disadvantaged and lack skills and training to support themselves.

Many are drawn at an early age into prostitution and associated crime, and drug dependency can be an aggravating factor.

They frequently are managed by a male procurer, or pimp, or by a supervisor, or madam, in a house of prostitution.

Health hazards to prostitutes include sexually transmitted diseases, some of which may be acquired through drug abuse.

Male prostitution has received less public attention in most cultures.

Heterosexual male prostitution—involving males hired by or for females—is rare.

Homosexual male prostitution has probably existed in most societies, though only in the 20th century was it recognized as a major social phenomenon, and its prevalence increased during the late 20th and early 21st century.

Prostitution during the Victorian age gained an unprecedented amount of attention from both British society and their government.

Although issues of prostitution were, and are often still, seen in black and white, there were many cases where prostitution was either a supplementary activity or the only available avenue of employment.

It was an unsavory profession, and, unfortunately, it was often considered a necessary evil.

However, it is important to note that although it was an activity highly frowned upon by upper class women in society, these same women were the first to rally to the cause of those “fallen women” that were being exploited by the government.

The popularity of issues concerning prostitution eventually lessened over time, but the resulting influences sparked by feminist movements involved in prostitute’s rights created a ripple effect that can be seen even today.

Working & Living Conditions. Key factors have shaped the working and living conditions of sex workers across the globe since the beginning of the 17th century.

These include the degree to which women were bound or “free”, or were able to exercise power in relation to employers and clients. Related to this is the location of individual women within the sex industry—where they existed within any particular hierarchy based on the class of clients, ethnicity, and so on.

Market forces have also been major determinants of the pay and working conditions in the sex industry. Shifts in the economy have impacted sex workers as well as other workers, affecting both the demand for sexual services and the supply of women willing to sell sex.

A third major influence on sex workers’ lives has been the responses to prostitution of the community in which they worked. This has included both informal and official responses which often determined where and how women could sell sex and under what circumstances.

The formation, expansion, and disintegration of nations and empires have had a similar impact on the market for sex and have contributed to official responses to prostitution.

Finally, developments in technology and medicine, especially since the early 20th century, have contributed to significant changes in the ways in which sexual services are delivered and also impacted the health of sex workers.

Prostitution is considered to be a profession of high mobility; it is almost tempting to say that probably every prostitute migrates at least once in her lifetime.

Despite this fact, the share of prostitutes in the flows over and across the continents has been widely neglected in migration studies.

Migration is thought to be a “basic condition of human societies” and “central to the human experience [and] the major forces for historical change.”

Nevertheless, many studies focus solely on the movements of European male settlers. In particular, labour migration was long held to be a male domain, keeping up the idea of males as breadwinners and the main actors in history.

Hoerder offers up the critique that migration studies emphasize “the westward flow of agrarian settlers and neglect [the] moves of workers and of women”

Changing places is a lifetime experience of women involved in the sex sector, and in many cases, they travel far more than people in other sectors.

The Social Profiles of Prostitutes. There is no shortage of media portrayals of prostitutes. Yet the images that inform our opinions regarding sex workers tend to be largely negative, depicting them as either criminals or as victims.

Today, the latter perception prevails: sex workers are stereotypically seen as:

young,

migrant girls with

no education and

no alternatives.

The most conspicuous types of prostitutes tend to be overrepresented, while those operating in private have largely been overlooked.

In addition to which, the “facts” about the sex workers represented in the sources may not always be entirely correct, as they might have told their interlocutors what they believed would best serve their needs, rather than what was true.

The social profiles of sex workers have changed considerably over the course of the last 400 years.

Prostitute populations have become more heterogeneous in terms of their origin, race, age, family situation, educational level, and professional background—albeit at different paces.

Example: Migrants did not suddenly appear in the western European sex trade after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Rather, they were always present, and always overrepresented in the prostitute population. What actually changed over time are the distances covered.

Similarly, prostitutes’ ages have altered in tandem with developments in society at large, most notably lengthier childhoods and a later start to working life.

While it is definitely true that certain people have limited options for survival, the high degree of diversity among sex workers clearly shows that prostitution cannot be reduced to a profession of the destitute, or one which people passively end up in.

In fact, people who are not members of so-called “vulnerable” groups might be more numerous in the sector than anticipated because of their invisibility.

The sex industry is highly stratified, and individuals with better prospects take the places at the top of the hierarchy more often than those with limited possibilities.

These women have chosen to use their bodies to create a financial surplus, and they are thought to face fewer dangers than the prostitutes working at the lower end of the market.

It seems easier for people to accept that these women actively chose their profession, and harder to view them as passive victims.

However, their underlying reasons are not necessarily different from the masses employed at the industry’s margins.

Although some women are forced into prostitution against their will one way or another, this is certainly not the case for all sex workers, let alone the majority.

Most prostitutes are driven by opportunity, and the fact that most have fewer opportunities than their contemporaries does not change that.

Simply put, prostitution can be emancipatory.

It can be a positive choice, rather than just a negative one.

Profile characteristics do not explain why people use their bodies to earn an income, but they do explain why certain people end up in the most visible and least rewarding sectors of the profession.

Brothel - a building in which prostitutes are available; bordello

Bordello - (somewhat literary) a building in which prostitutes are available

Public brothels were established in large cities throughout Europe.

At Toulouse, in France, the profits were shared between the city and the university; in England, bordellos were originally licensed by the bishops of Winchester and subsequently by Parliament.

Stricter controls were imposed during the 16th century, in part because of the new sexual morality that accompanied the Protestant Reformation and the Counter-Reformation. Just as significant was the dramatic upsurge of sexually transmitted diseases. Sporadic attempts were made to suppress brothels and even to introduce medical inspections, but such measures were to little avail.

By 1915 nearly all states had passed laws that banned brothels or regulated the profits of prostitution.

After World War II, prostitution remained prohibited in most Western countries, though it was unofficially tolerated in some cities.

Many law-enforcement agencies became more concerned with regulating the crimes associated with the practice, especially acts of theft and robbery committed against clients. Authorities also intervened to prevent girls from being coerced into prostitution (“white slavery”).

Prostitution is illegal in most of the United States, though it is lawful in some counties in Nevada.

In most Asian and Middle Eastern countries, prostitution is illegal but widely tolerated: Among predominantly Muslim countries, Turkey has legalized prostitution and made it subject to a system of health checks for sex workers, and in Bangladesh prostitution is notionally legal but associated behaviours such as soliciting are prohibited. In some Asian countries the involvement of children in prostitution has encouraged the growth of “sex tourism” by men from countries where such practices are illegal.

Many Latin American countries tolerate prostitution but restrict associated activities (e.g., In Brazil, brothels, pimping, and child exploitation are illegal).

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

This was a bit difficult to summarise, but I tried to include a wide range of information from different sources. In general, take into account the setting of your story so you can choose which of these references would be most appropriate to use as inspiration for your writing. Do go through the links above because there are details I wasn't able to include here that might be more suitable for your specific story. Hope this helps!

[mariacallous]

A month after Franklin D. Roosevelt won the 1940 presidential election, he called for legislation to ramp up military aid to countries fighting Nazi Germany. Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act in March 1941. Within months, Britain and the Soviet Union were pounding Adolf Hitler’s forces with U.S. weapons and other equipment.

Now that Americans have voted to return Donald Trump to the White House, the situation risks flipping into reverse: After Jan. 20, 2025, the United States may abandon its European allies to Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s fascist war machine.

During his campaign, Trump said he will “not give a penny to Ukraine.” Part of his plan to end the war “in one day” is that he would “tell [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky, no more. You got to make a deal.” But if Russia is allowed to conquer and subjugate Ukraine, it would only be a matter of which democracy gets colonized next by a neighboring dictatorship: Poland, the Baltic States, Moldova, or Taiwan.

Thus, over the next 75 days, Congress and the Biden administration face an urgent historic mission to help Ukraine get as many weapons as possible before a possible withdrawal of U.S. support.

U.S. President Joe Biden has directed the Defense Department to draw down all remaining Ukrainian security aid that Congress has appropriated by the end of his term. It’s not clear if the Pentagon could supply much more weaponry than that by Inauguration Day, even if it received additional funding from Congress.

Instead, the way to promptly fund more arms is to bankroll Ukrainian procurement of U.S. weapons. Specifically, Biden should request, and Congress should pass, another supplemental funding bill on a similar scale as the one in April, which included $60.8 billion for Ukraine. The new supplemental should authorize the administration to spend any amount of the aid—up to the full amount—to cut a massive check to the Ukrainian government with the stipulation that Ukraine use the funds to purchase U.S.-made weapons.

Sending Ukraine $60 billion to spend on weapons would be entirely consistent with the strategy that the Biden administration had been preparing in case of a Trump win. One of Biden’s main initiatives has been to push the G-7 to give $50 billion in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, deliberately structuring the transfer to get out the door before Jan. 20 so that Trump cannot stop it. Biden originally wanted to seize and give to Kyiv all $300 billion of Russia’s frozen money, but the Europeans could not be convinced. The administration has also shown its willingness to throw U.S. budgetary resources into the mix: When the $50 billion was blocked by the Hungarian government, the White House engineered a clever way of guaranteeing the money through the Treasury Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The key political challenge, however, could be getting House Speaker Mike Johnson to support this legislation during the lame duck period, when he will probably be preparing to run for another term as speaker. This may require some hardball maneuvering by some of the many pro-Ukraine Republicans in the House. It would be much easier, of course, if Trump quietly goes along with it, like he did with the last supplemental.

The United States would not be the first government to fund Ukrainian arms procurement. Denmark paved the way this year with a grant that finances contracts between Ukraine and defense manufacturers. Denmark and Ukraine developed a transparent set of financial controls that include factory site visits, validation of delivery, and auditing processes. All sides regard this pilot program as so successful that other allies are pulling out their checkbooks to join in on the action.

Americans’ tax dollars would be safely held by the most credibly reformed and reputably led wing of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry: the defense procurement agency. In the early weeks of the full-scale invasion, when Russian forces were bearing down on Kyiv and heavy Western weapons hadn’t yet arrived, Ukraine’s desperate Defense Ministry called up illicit intermediaries, begging them to help buy up old stocks of Soviet-type munitions on the notoriously opaque and fragmented international arms market. But over the following months, as Western aid started flowing, Ukraine’s strategy shifted to building a clean, transparent pipeline for buying weapons straight from producers.

Established in August 2022, the defense procurement agency is now run by Maryna Bezrukova, a seasoned reformer who previously cleaned up procurement at Ukraine’s national electricity company. To be her deputy, Bezrukova hired Ukraine’s most reputably independent corruption investigator: Artem Sytnyk, the former head of the state National Anti-Corruption Bureau. With these sheriffs in town, the surest way for even the most powerful Ukrainians to go to jail is to try to corruptly make money off weapons acquisitions.

Under this reformist leadership, the defense procurement agency is aggressively cutting out intermediaries by contracting directly with arms manufacturers. The clearest sign of success is that excluded arms dealers and their cronies are attacking Bezrukova with threatening messages, smear campaigns, and doxing on Telegram. Most recently, these intermediaries tried to sideline Bezrukova by getting Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to merge her agency into another one—and fire her in the process. That announcement triggered such strong pushback by NATO and Ukrainian civil society that the minister canceled the planned reorganization. Instead, with support from Ukraine’s allies, the ministry formed a new supervisory board of reputable experts to oversee the procurement agency.

Any U.S. legislation that funds weapons contracts arranged by Ukraine’s defense procurement agency should come with one additional condition: Before Kyiv receives any money, it must enact legislation mandating the existence of the agency, safeguarding the independence of its supervisory board, and most importantly, prohibiting the defense minister from firing the agency head without a concurring decision by the supervisory board.

Beyond the strategic benefits, this approach could create jobs for Americans during Trump’s second term, largely in states that voted for him. Unlike military aid provided by Europe or allocated by NATO, U.S. funding would come right back home: to Northrop Grumman’s gun truck production line in Arizona, General Dynamics’ artillery shell facility in Texas, Raytheon’s missile factory in Alabama, and Lockheed Martin’s F-16 plant in South Carolina.

To prevent the Trump administration from using executive authority to block the export of weapons procured by Ukraine under the program, Congress should insert one exemption to the Buy American requirement: If the U.S. government ends up blocking exports, Ukraine would be free to redirect the funds to non-U.S. arms manufacturers.

Just as vital as the original Lend-Lease Act, this legislation could be called the Buy American Weapons Act. And it would keep the United States on the right side of history against the imperial armies that are once again on the march.

[nordickies]

Eeeeee! I'm so glad you're back. I always end up down loading your drawings just so I can save them and be happy!

Also, please tell us more/draw poor sick kalmar union Noway if you'd like? No pressure, ofc, I just love historical hetalia stuff. <3

Heyy! Please, go ahead, I'm glad to hear my art makes you happy. And sure, I can share some ideas I have about Norway during that time! But I didn't know what to draw for this prompt, will you forgive me?

A little history lesson is probably in place. Norway was a mighty kingdom during the Middle Ages; having overseas territories and the mainland extending all the way to the Kola Peninsula and parts of modern-day Sweden. But by the 14th century, the Scandinavian royal families were extremely intermingled. After the Fairhair dynasty's male lineage died out in 1319, the throne of Norway passed to Magnus VII, who in the same year became elected as king of Sweden as well, merging the two kingdoms into a personal union briefly - until Magnus' sons inherited their separate kingdoms. Magnus' younger son, Haakon VI, inherited Norway as his realm and ended up marrying the Danish princess Margaret, who'd eventually unite all the Scandinavian kingdoms under one crown and form the Kalmar Union in 1397.

However, earlier in 1349, the Black Death arrived in Norway through trading ports and hit the country devastatingly, killing over 60% of the population. Notably, the plague hit all classes of society, even the nobility and clergy. As a result, many powerful Norwegian noble families died out, straining Norway's position among the European powers. But perhaps more devastatingly to the nobles, farmsteads, if not entire villages, around the kingdom died out as a result of the plague, weakening rent and tax revenue. All of this left the Norwegian monarchy weakened in terms of manpower, noble support, defense, and economic power.

Though Norwegians rebelled a few times against the Danish-favored policies during the Kalmar Union, the Norwegian population and the Council of State were still too weak to secede from it. Sweden left the union in 1521, but the Norwegians couldn't do the same, due to their military inferiority to Denmark at the time. During the reformation battles, King Christian III orchestrated an invasion of Norway in 1537 and incorporated the country as a puppet kingdom under Denmark.

"The diminished Norwegian nobility was not able to protect the political rights of Norway in the Kalmar Union and the military power was lost to Denmark who used mercenaries from Germany; the Norwegian merchant class lost their power of the Norwegian economy to the German merchants of the Hanseatic League who established themselves in Bergen; and the dead Norwegian officials were replaced by German and Danish officials appointed to administer Norway for Denmark; all of which has been described as the decline of Norway under the Danish dominance of the Kalmar Union." [x]

And on that note...

I think all of this historical context about the country could be reflected in Sigurd's (Norway) character. His horrible health condition could explain his role shifting in the family, which left him in Magnus' (Denmark) and Björn's (Sweden) shadow for centuries to come.

Due to his poor health, Sigurd could not attend meetings, which led to decisions being made without his presence. Also due to his health, many of his former roles and responsibilities were given to other people, cutting his purpose in the union. He also couldn't work a job to sustain himself, so he had to rely on other people to keep him afloat, which only worsened his situation and made him financially dependent on others. All of a sudden his attendance or opinion didn't matter because his opinion could be outvoted by others in (and out) of the union. He was probably also unaware of agreements and plans that were not formally discussed, giving him reason to believe he was lied to or purposely kept in the dark about things that also concerned him.

While Magnus had found his place among other Nations, maintaining relations and seemingly enjoying his position, Sigurd couldn't do the same. Being bedridden and weak made maintaining friendships beyond the household practically impossible. Crashing down from his peak, and not being able to meet the expectations he once was meeting, would certainly affect Sigurd's mindset and self-image negatively. He was embarrassed and hid, sheltering himself basically. While Sigurd and Björn had grievances certainly even back then, I feel like they could still relate to one another, if not through their circumstances then through perspectives, which made them extremely close. They both had a harder time adapting to change, at least when compared to Magnus.

[simply-ivanka]

The Harris Plan to Lower Your Wages

The Vice President wants to raise the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, which will ultimately be paid by workers.

By The Editorial Board

Wall Street Journal

The Democratic team that brought you declining real wages is now threatening to lower your pay again. That’s the practical effect of Kamala Harris’s idea to raise the U.S. corporate tax rate to 28%, and it’s instructive that an anti-growth tax increase is one of the Vice President’s few distinctive policy priorities so far.

Ms. Harris’s endorsement Monday of a 28% rate, up from the current 21%, signs onto what President Biden has been proposing. A Harris campaign spokesperson told the press the idea is “a fiscally responsible way to put money back in the pockets of working people and ensure billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share.”

That statement wouldn’t survive a polygraph on the economics. President Trump and Congressional Republicans in 2017 lowered the corporate rate from 35%, which was among the highest in the world at the time.

U.S. companies during the Obama Administration often moved their headquarters to lower tax climes such as Ireland to avoid the high U.S. tax rate that made them less globally competitive. The Business Roundtable estimates that some $2.5 trillion in income earned abroad returned to the U.S. as a result of Mr. Trump’s 2017 reform.

Ms. Harris pitches her 28% rate as merely punishing big companies, but economists of all stripes agree that U.S. workers pay for higher corporate taxes in lower wages. The corporate rate cut contributed to the strong pre-Covid U.S. economy in 2018 and 2019 with growing wages that many voters say they miss.

The current U.S. corporate rate is above 25% when state corporate taxes are included, and the Harris increase would again make the U.S. a world outlier at above 30%. The OECD statutory average is a little north of 23%, and the European Union’s is lower at roughly 21%, according to the Tax Foundation. The average in Asia? About 19%.

The next President will put his or her mark on America’s global competitiveness when many of the 2017 tax cuts expire in 2025, and on this score voters are getting a clear choice. Mr. Trump has suggested lowering the corporate rate to 15%. He can make this part of a larger theme of faster growth and rising incomes if he explains to voters what Ms. Harris’s tax increase means for average workers.

[latestnews-now]

Discover how António Costa, the former Portuguese Prime Minister, is reshaping the European Council with his vision for unity, prosperity, and a just peace in Ukraine. Learn about his priorities, including EU enlargement and defense policy, as he begins his historic leadership as the first person of color in this role.

[head-post]

Spain to conclude migration deal by end of year

Spain’s EU presidency aims to finalise negotiations on a migration reform package – a series of laws on migration management – by the end of the year, Euractiv reports.

The Migration and Asylum Pact is a group of legislative documents that the EU is trying to approve before the end of its mandate, which will end in early June after the European elections. It will give the whole continent common rules for managing migration flows from the first arrival of third-country nationals in EU member states.

Most of the files under discussion are interrelated. For this reason, it is important for the Spanish Presidency to “approve them all together”. 

Read more HERE

[mapsontheweb]

European Union, EEA and candidate states in July 2024

by DrNeutrino 

European Union (EU) contains 27 member states. There are 9 candidate states: Turkey (1999), North Macedonia (2005), Montenegro (2010), Serbia (2012), Albania (2014), Ukraine (2022), Moldova (2022), Bosnia-Herzegovina (2022) and Georgia (2023).

About states aspiring to join EU:

Kosovo is an applicant and recognised as potential candidate.

While Armenia is not officially neither an applicant nor a potential candidate, I have included it in the category, as the Armenian PM has stated that the country will apply to by fall 2024 and in 12 March vote at European Union it was confirmed that Armenia meets the requirements for applying.

Turkey’s accession negotiations were frozen in 2019 due to democratic backsliding. In 2023 EU rejected Turkey’s proposal to unfreeze the accession negotiations in exchange of letting Sweden accede to NATO.

The application of Ukraine and Moldova is in screening phase which is prerequisite to opening 35 acquis chapters.

North Macedonian application will proceed to opening acquis chapters once the country approves a constitutional amendment related to Bulgarian minority. Albanian application is tied to North Macedonia.

Georgia passed a foreign agent law on 14 May, which is viewed anti-democratic and contradicts the conditions for EU candidacy. Due to this, the accession process was suspended on 9 July and the money for accession assistance was frozen.

About states which are not aspiring to join:

Norway rejected membership in 1972 and 1994 referenda.

Iceland applied in 2009 and was on fast track for membership, but the application process was frozen after 2013 election and withdrawn in 2015. There has been discussion of referendum to resume application.

Switzerland applied to EU and EEA in 1992 but joining was rejected in a referendum on the same year. Instead Switzerland has bilateral treaties with EU.

United Kingdom joined EU in 1973 but membership was rejected in 2016 referendum, and UK withdrew in 2020.

EU has plans to reform before the next enlargement, which has a target year 2030.

[odinsblog]

“I sometimes hear people say that Russia was forced to attack Ukraine because Ukrainians wanted to join NATO. Those people also often say that NATO promised it would not expand to the East, but later broke this promise. And this, allegedly, is the reason why Russia keeps attacking its neighbors.

If you have ever heard people say something like that, please know that this is not true. And it will take me less than five minutes to prove with facts that both statements are false.

First, let's have a look at the timeline of events.

Russia first invaded Ukraine in February 2014 by occupying the Crimea peninsula. At that moment, Ukraine was a neutral country by law and expressed no intention of joining NATO whatsoever. For instance, during the Revolution of Dignity, the protesters insisted on Ukraine joining the EU, not NATO. It was only in autumn 2014, after many months of war, that Ukraine abandoned neutrality.

So what came first? Russia attacking Ukraine, or Ukraine wanting to join NATO?

The answer is clear.

Had Russia not threatened Ukraine's existence, there would be no reason for our country to seek collective security. So please do not repeat the lie that, I quote, “Russia attacked because Ukraine wanted to join NATO,” end of quote. This does not correspond with the facts.

Now let's have a look at the story of NATO allegedly promising not to expand to the East.

If you ask people who say this, when exactly, such a promise was made and who made it, most of them will not be able to provide a clear answer. Spoiler, because no such promise has ever been made and the whole story is a Russian fairy tale.

Those more sophisticated will tell you that the promise was made to the President of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev. They may even refer to the 1990 U.S.-Soviet negotiations on the reunification of Germany. Again, let’s consider the timeline.

In summer 1990, when these talks were held, the Soviet analog of NATO, the Warsaw Pact, still existed. Its dissolution, let alone the Soviet Union's dissolution, was not on the cart. No one even talked about it or imagined it. It was only next year, in 1991 that the Warsaw Pact, and later the USSR, quite unexpectedly ceased to exist.

Now explain to me just how the very issue could be even discussed in the summer of 1990. It is not surprising that Mikhail Gorbachev later himself refuted this falsehood. When asked by a journalist whether any such promise had been made, he said this was a myth.

Now let's look at it from another perspective. How could NATO even promise anything like that?

Initially, it is not NATO that decides which country joins it. Countries themselves need to want it. And actually, the membership criteria are very difficult. It requires a lot of political will and reform. All the NATO members that joined it after 1991, really wanted to be part of it.

Their people wanted this.

And here comes the most uncomfortable question for Russia: Why were all of the nations that had been part of the Soviet Union or the Socialist bloc so eager and desperate to join NATO?

Well, maybe because in three decades, Russia has invaded or incited war in at least three of its neighbors, Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine. At the same time, Russia has not dared to invade any of its NATO neighbors.

Do you see the pattern?

The only reason for countries in the vicinity of Russia to seek NATO membership has always been and remains the need to protect their people from Russia.

Therefore, Moscow has only itself to blame for the fact that all of the central European and Baltic nations ran away from it and hid under the NATO umbrella as quickly as they could.

Do not let Russian officials or their supporters in the West fool you. Russia attacked Ukraine not because NATO expanded to the East, or because Ukraine wanted to join NATO. Russia attacked because it denies Ukraine's right to exist and wants to conquer our land and kill our people. It is through our shared strength that we can and must stop Russia and put an end to its aggressive plans for the rest of Europe.

For this to happen, keep supporting Ukraine and don't buy Russian lies.”

👉🏿 https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2014/11/06/did-nato-promise-not-to-enlarge-gorbachev-says-no/

👉🏿 https://www.tumblr.com/odinsblog/686191406300184576/appeasement-does-not-work-appeasement-didnt

👉🏿 https://www.tumblr.com/odinsblog/684530801484922880/believing-putins-reasons-for-invading-ukraine

👉🏿 https://www.tumblr.com/odinsblog/742088177664344064/violated-agreements-1991-russia-cosigns

[eeitonline]

Unlocking Capital: Overcoming the Challenge of Limited Access in the Black Sea Region by Eastern European Institute for Trade

by Eastern European Institute for Trade

Limited access to capital is a significant impediment to the growth of businesses and economies in the Black Sea region. The availability of financial resources is crucial for the establishment, expansion, and modernization of enterprises, as well as for the development of new industries and the fostering of innovation (Havrylchyk, 2018). This article examines the factors contributing to the challenge of limited access to capital in the Black Sea region, and explores potential strategies for overcoming this obstacle, drawing on lessons from regional and international experiences (Beck et al., 2014; Kutan & Vukšić, 2017).

The banking sector is the primary source of financing for businesses in the Black Sea region, but it often falls short in meeting their capital needs. High levels of non-performing loans, underdeveloped capital markets, and inadequate financial infrastructure are among the factors constraining the capacity of banks to extend credit to the private sector (Havrylchyk, 2018). Additionally, risk aversion and conservative lending practices, partly driven by the legacy of past financial crises, further limit the availability of bank financing for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (Beck et al., 2014).

Limited access to capital in the Black Sea region can also be attributed to the underdeveloped nature of alternative financing channels. Venture capital and private equity markets, which play a critical role in financing innovative and high-growth enterprises, are relatively nascent in the region (Kutan & Vukšić, 2017). Similarly, the region’s capital markets, including stock and bond markets, are often characterized by low levels of liquidity, limited investor base, and a lack of sophisticated financial instruments, which hampers their ability to channel resources to the private sector (Havrylchyk, 2018).

To address the challenge of limited access to capital in the Black Sea region, a multipronged approach is required. First, the banking sector needs to be strengthened through reforms aimed at improving its financial health, risk management practices, and regulatory environment (Beck et al., 2014). These reforms should include measures to reduce non-performing loans, enhance supervisory frameworks, and promote competition and innovation within the sector (Havrylchyk, 2018).

Second, alternative financing channels should be developed and diversified to provide businesses with a wider range of funding options. This includes fostering the growth of venture capital and private equity markets, as well as encouraging the development of innovative financing instruments, such as crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending platforms (Kutan & Vukšić, 2017). Additionally, efforts should be made to deepen and integrate the region’s capital markets, with a view to enhancing their efficiency and attractiveness to both domestic and foreign investors (Havrylchyk, 2018).

Finally, regional cooperation and integration can play a pivotal role in unlocking capital for businesses in the Black Sea region. Initiatives such as the European Union’s (EU) investment programs, and the involvement of international financial institutions, such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), can facilitate access to capital by providing financing, technical assistance, and capacity building support (Beck et al., 2014).

In conclusion, overcoming the challenge of limited access to capital is crucial for the growth and competitiveness of businesses in the Black Sea region. By implementing targeted reforms, diversifying financing channels, and promoting regional cooperation, the region can unlock capital and unleash its full economic potential.

References:

Beck, T., Demirgüç-Kunt, A., & Singer, D. (2014). Is Small Beautiful? Financial Structure, Size and Access to Finance. World Development, 52, 19–33.

Havrylchyk, O. (2018). Foreign Banks, Financial Crises, and Macroeconomic Fluctuations in the Black Sea Region. Comparative Economic Studies, 60(3), 386–410.

Kutan, A. M., & Vukšić, G. (2017). Financial Integration, Housing Markets, and Economic Policy Uncertainty in the Black Sea Region. Comparative Economic Studies, 59(4), 491–517.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). (2021). EBRD in the Black Sea Region. Sourced from https://www.ebrd.com/where-we-are/black-sea.html

International Finance Corporation (IFC). (2021). IFC in Europe and Central Asia. Sourced from https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/region__ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/europe+and+central+asia

Read more at European Institute for Trade.