Economic downturn, communication problems about terrorism and Lukashenko / Article / LSM.lv

TOP3 European eventsUģis Lībietis00:00 / 00:00

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Fluctuations in the EU economy due to Covid-19 constraints

According to Paolo Gentiloni, Commissioner for Economic Affairs, in the latest EU Autumn Economic Report, although the European Union’s economy grew at an unprecedented rate of 12.7% between July and September, its overall GDP will fall by around 7 this year, 4%, but in the euro area this figure is even slightly higher – 7.8%.

However, the forecasts give an optimistic look to future growth, which will be slightly above 4% in 2021 and slightly above 3% a year later. These forecasts are several percent lower than expected in July this year. Gentiloni therefore stresses the need to agree on the European Union’s Covid-19 recovery fund as soon as possible so that it can become operational as early as next year. At the same time, the commissioner warns that if the pandemic deepens, the situation could become much more complicated, leading to new corporate bankruptcies, disruptions in supply chains and long-term unemployment.

“The pandemic in the first half of 2020 has caused the biggest recession in the history of the European Union, ahead of even the great financial crisis.

This decline, which was uneven across Member States, was followed by a strong rebound in the third quarter. And all this thanks to restrictive measures. In recent weeks, we have seen an intensification of the pandemic and also new restrictions. “The economic momentum has stopped and growth will stop in the fourth quarter to pick up again early next year,” Gentiloni said.

Weaknesses in EU cooperation in the fight against terrorism

Terrorists are returning to the streets of the European Union with some regularity, killing people. Initially France, then Austria have become the last victims. During this week, flags were also lowered at the European Union’s buildings in Brussels, expressing solidarity with the dead.

“The security of those living in the European Union is, of course, a priority for the European Commission. It is one of the most important elements in building trust and cohesion in our society. The fight against terrorism is one of the priorities of the European Union’s new security strategy for 2020-2025. “We have already taken steps to combat terrorism in all its forms, both by preventing radicalization and by reducing terrorists’ access to weapons, as well as by promoting the exchange of information and police cooperation,” said Vigands.

Although Christian Vigand, a spokesman for the European Commission, says that the European Union, for its part, has made considerable efforts to improve communication between Member States, it is the case of Vienna that has crystallized the shortcomings of this system.

It turned out that the Austrian security authorities had ignored or missed the warnings issued by Slovakia in the summer about the Viennese attacker’s attempts to buy ammunition in Slovakia.

The terrorist attacks in Paris in 2017 also revealed similar shortcomings among French and Belgian law enforcement agencies. And this only shows that much remains to be done at European Union level in terms of security.

Lukashenko – harsh on doctors who go abroad

“Following your principles – we will not hold anyone. But it must be understood – if you leave, you will not return! You will stay there and you will continue to earn the big money you went for.

They are not a threat, they are an order to the government. Everyone has to be put in place! We do not deny anyone anything if he already wants the big ruble, or if he has green eyes on the currency, “said Alexander Lukashenko, the current leader of Belarus, whose presidency would have ended yesterday if he had not secretly held his inauguration.

Lukashenko’s message was dedicated to Belarusian doctors who went abroad to work during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in Poland. According to Lukashenko, the fight against the pandemic in Belarus itself is serious enough, there are no free doctors. It is the epidemiological, not the political, considerations that are the real reason why Belarus’s borders with its neighbors have been closed. Similar harsh statements have been made more frequently by both doctors and protesters as the current regime seeks to demonstrate its strength.

Meanwhile, the ambassadors of the European Union member states have agreed that Alexander Lukashenko and 14 other officials will also be subject to European Union sanctions from Friday. The freezing of funds and travel ban will also apply to Lukashenko’s spokesman, head of administration, head of the State Security Committee, Lukashenko’s son and National Security Adviser Viktor Lukashenko and others.

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