Pam!
Fireworks have been going off in Brussels in recent days.
It is not a spontaneous public celebration after the corruption suspicions of the European Parliament (you move to another service) are revealed – yes, now they are nailed! – but football.
The people of Moroccan background took to the streets when Morocco made history in the Qatari lifestyle marketing event and became the first African country to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Even in Brussels, Moroccans have been driving taxis at night and cleaning middle-class offices for decades. Now it was their turn to be in the limelight, as winners.
Some used the opportunity to disrupt, but also at the latka World Cup gold party last spring, Finnish latkä fans destroyed (move to another service) the terrace furniture and windows of the newly renovated restaurant Kappel.
Fireworks are coming new year and a resolution to a European crazy year like 2022.
Yesterday, the last European Council of the year was held in Brussels, and the topics were pitch black: war, the energy crisis and the threat of a transatlantic trade war (switch to another service).
Sometimes it has been lighter.
On the other hand, the year has forced us to notice where Europe is still united: in opposing war and dictatorships.
In return for Russia’s war of aggression, a bunch of sanctions have been slapped on. They are not a quick pill but a long-acting medicine. For the Kremlin, time is now the enemy: credibility and Western relations have been sacrificed, and sanctions are tightening the screw bit by bit.
A crazy year exposed Russia as a rotten apple, but another similar one is developing inside the EU.
Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán gladly acknowledges the benefits of the Union (read: money), but barks in Budapest about “Brussels decisions”, which he makes himself.
In April, Orbán won the elections, which were free but not fair (transfers to another service). Thanks to the electoral system he changed, Orbán got an exceptionally large majority in the parliament.
In the middle of Europe, there is now an EU country where the opposition has been swept aside, the activities of the free media are history, and the leader is willingly ready to cooperate with Russia regardless of the neighboring countries.
At the latest this year, Hungary became a real problem for the EU.
We are this year learned a lot about the geography of Ukraine. The new words of the year are Javelin and Himars.
The Russian bear did not become toothless, even though the EU tried for years to bind it to itself with oil and gas trade.
The energy crisis caused by Russia’s attack now binds the EU strongly to the countries from which it receives natural gas. The new besties can be found in the Middle East and Aasi, including the football country Qatar (you will switch to another service).
It has been speculated in Brussels this week that the piles of banknotes found in the MEPs’ hotels and linked to Qatar are probably only the tip of the iceberg.
Among other things, Qatar wants visa freedom and influence. It also gains influence because the EU is in trouble.
Merry Christmas everyone,
Tendon
P.S This is ‘s last letter to Europe.
The EU Parliament and the Commission face the last year before the spring 2024 European elections. There are exceptionally big things going on, such as the climate package and the war in Ukraine, and we journalists who write about EU affairs are now focusing on reporting and developing a new kind of journalism for the next European elections.
Ex-correspondent Petri Raivion the first Europe letter written by (you switch to another service) hit the e-mails three weeks before the European elections in May 2019. The number of subscribers to the letter increased to 10,000, and now it’s time to thank you all for joining.
See you at the EU news! We welcome thoughts and ideas.
PPS And finally, a colleague Alina Mäkynen takeaways from the week’s talking points.
FACT OF THE WEEK: Russia sanctions get support
THIS WEEK according to the published Eurobarometer (switch to another service), about 73 percent of EU citizens say they support the Union’s sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine. The greatest support is in Finland and Sweden, where 96 percent of respondents support the EU’s activities.
According to the survey, many Europeans also seem to be aware of the wide-ranging effects of the Russian war of aggression. Almost two out of three believe that their lives will not continue the same because of the war. In addition, 72 percent of respondents think that EU membership has been beneficial at home. As the number one advantage, the respondents raised the EU’s role in maintaining peace.
Citizens’ opinions were asked on 12.10. and 7.11. in the period between, so the possible changes of the very last weeks are not reflected in the survey.
#QATARGATE: Who has the biggest fault?
EU PARLIAMENT the shaken corruption scandal (you move to another service) sparked a discussion on social media about how EU institutions could improve corruption control and transparency. Some considered the raised doubts to be isolated cases and indications of the effectiveness of supervision. Others believed that there will be many more cases.
President of the Parliament Roberta Metsola framed the event (you switch to another service) as an attack on Parliament and European democracy. Many pointed out in response that Parliament itself has been reluctant to change its rules or complex structures that enable corrupt practices.
NEXT WEEK: Environment ministers discuss restoration
BRUSSELS meeting calendars are slowly starting to empty towards Christmas. Two more ministerial meetings are planned for next week. The energy ministers will meet on Monday, and they will have plenty of current topics to talk about in the middle of the energy crisis. On Tuesday, it’s the turn of the environment ministers, who have on their desk the restoration decree that has caused controversy in Finland (you will move to another service).
TO BE CONTINUED upcoming EU meetings and events can be watched, for example, on the official channels of the Union. In Uutishuone (you switch to another service) you can find all EU news releases and recordings. Here (you go to another service) there is information about the meetings of the member countries’ councils of ministers and here (you go to another service) there are the calendars of MEPs. You can follow what the commissars are doing here (you will go to another service).
Did the letter make you think? You can discuss them until Saturday at 23:00.