Tag:

news hour

Europe Must Prepare for Trump’s Return

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com January 7, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

NieuwsuurDonald Trump and Joe Biden

Joe Biden kicked off the American election year on Friday, with a fierce speech about Donald Trump. “Trump’s campaign is about him, not about America, not about you. He is willing to sacrifice our democracy,” Biden said in his first campaign speech.

Biden’s words are not just election rhetoric. Partly it’s really how many Americans will experience this year’s election race for president, political experts say. And although the Republicans have yet to put forward a candidate, Biden now assumes that he will have to compete against Trump.

Concerns about Trump are justified, experts say. And not just in the US. Europe must also prepare seriously for his return and the possible consequences for European security. “We have to prepare ourselves mentally for this,” says political philosopher and professor of European Law Luuk van Middelaar (Leiden University). “Trump can really come back. We should not be surprised like in 2016.”

Radical plans

Eight years ago, no one would have seen Trump’s win coming. Political America now knows better. He has a loyal Republican following and his challengers in the primaries are miles behind in the polls. The general election is not until November and will be exciting, but also in the polls pitting Trump against Biden, is slightly ahead of Trump on average.

Trump already has far-reaching plans for when he is president again. Among other things, he says he wants more mass deportation of illegal migrants, a new entry ban for people from a number of Muslim countries, tax breaks and regulatory relief for fossil energy companies and the death penalty for drug traffickers. Most Republicans will support his policies, but certainly the more radical plans may be blocked by Congress or the Supreme Court.

NAVO-exit?

What Europe must especially take into account is Trump’s intention to leave NATO, or in any case no longer want to stand up for the principle of common defense: Article 5 of the NATO Charter. The fear is that Europe will be left alone in defending Ukraine and Eastern Europe against Russian aggression.

“The mindset of ‘it will be fine, he doesn’t mean it’ is the worst possible response,” said Jeremy Shapiro (European Council on Foreign Relations), an expert in Atlantic relations. “Europeans have a responsibility to listen to world leaders, whether it is Vladimir Putin or Donald Trump. And to take them seriously, even when they say things you would rather not hear.”

With his human skills, Rutte, as NATO boss, could bring Trump to reason.

Luuk van Middelaar, political philosopher

As president, Trump already threatened to withdraw America from NATO. He thought it was unfair that the Americans paid most of NATO’s budget and he called the alliance outdated.

The war in Ukraine has actually made NATO more relevant for the defense of Europe and keeping Russia in check, but Trump’s complaints have not disappeared. On the contrary, says Van Middelaar. “Trump has become even more convinced that it is not in America’s interest to be responsible for European security.”

AFPVan Middelaar (second from right) with German Chancellor Scholz (second from left), Prime Minister Rutte (third from right) and French President Macron (right) at an EU summit in October 2022

Europe must learn to think much more in terms of power and must act as one bloc in the world, says Van Middelaar. In 2022, he founded the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics for that purpose, with the support of, among others, the French, German and Dutch government leaders.

But those leaders are still too cautious, says Van Middelaar. While the decisions that Europe will have to make if Trump is re-elected go very far. “Such as strengthening the arms industry and even closer cooperation within NATO. Are we able to support Ukraine’s struggle without American help, or if Trump says: you have to pay for our soldiers and our information?”

Rutte as voice of Europe?

Shapiro also says that Europe must learn to speak with one voice. “You shouldn’t all call the White House. The leaders must send a joint message.” Van Middelaar: “Who is going to talk to Trump? Who is going to ensure that our security interests with regard to Russia remain intact?”

ANPP Prime Minister Rutte meets President Trump at the White House in 2018

That could be French President Emmanuel Macron, but also Mark Rutte, says Van Middelaar. He hears that name more and more often as a possible new NATO boss, especially in connection with a possible return of Trump. “In that context, Rutte can play a very important role. Because of his ability to calm Trump down with some charm and psychological ingenuity.”

When Rutte visited the White House in 2019, he contradicted Trump when he said that it would be “positive” if there was no solution to the trade conflict that was going on at the time. But he could also allow himself a joke, says Van Middelaar. “Trump liked Rutte and that will be incredibly important if Trump is re-elected and the future of NATO is at stake.

Trump’s rhetoric alone endangers the alliance, Shapiro says. “If Trump, as president, says that the US no longer supports NATO, NATO will essentially cease to exist. Because NATO essentially promises that the US will help Europe if a crisis arises.”

2024-01-07 06:00:01
#Europe #prepare #Trump #security #stake

January 7, 2024 0 comments

Business

Schiphol boss is disappointed with the cancellation of shrinkage plans: ‘Neighbors get the short end of the stick’

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com November 20, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Interim director of Schiphol Ruud Sondag

Schiphol boss Ruud Sondag is disappointed that the downsizing plans for the airport have been canceled. In News hour he says that the situation is not tenable for local residents, that the airport is in a legally shaky position and that Schiphol cannot handle 500,000 flights a year at all.

At the beginning of this week, outgoing Minister of Infrastructure Mark Harbers announced that the planned downsizing of the airport will not go ahead. Last summer it was determined that from November of this year, instead of 500,000 flights, 440,000 flights per year would be allowed to depart from the airport. That number was later adjusted slightly upwards, but now, under pressure from the European Union and the United States, the plan has been shelved for the time being.

Sondag actually supported the plans to downsize. He even wanted to go further than the cabinet by banning private jets and canceling night flights. Those plans were canceled last September. Sondag calls it disappointing that the maximum number of flights has now returned to 500,000. “Our neighbors are once again getting the short end of the stick.”

Sondag is referring to the noise pollution for residents of Schiphol, which he says has been increasing for years. “If you don’t have an answer for those people, if you actually ignore it a bit, then they get angrier and angrier. And I understand that.”

Legal quagmire

Moreover, Sondag fears he will end up in a “legal swamp” if the problems for local residents are not addressed. “The situation we are in is not very legally stable and we have known that for years. The Human Environment Inspectorate already told the minister in 2021: be careful, because I can no longer properly enforce this.”

Last Wednesday, a day after Minister Harbers’ announcement about the cancellation of the downsizing plans, it was announced that more than five thousand residents of Schiphol may sue the Dutch state for years of noise pollution. According to the judge, the residents’ collective claim is sufficiently well-founded to start a lawsuit.

500,000 flights not possible

What also plays a role, says Sondag, is that Schiphol cannot handle 500,000 flights per year at all. “We keep talking about shrinkage, but we are still growing. In 2023 we will reach 435,000 flights. I know that 460,000, which we had aimed for, was already asking a lot from our air traffic controllers and the airlines. That 500,000 is not possible at all.”

Sondag calls the fact that Minister Harbers has yielded to pressure from the European Commission and the United States a “decision he has had to make”. “But I find it special that this pressure actually undermines the interests of our neighbors, with whom we want to live in harmony.”

Heavy files

Sondag became Schiphol’s interim CEO a year ago after his predecessor, Dick Benschop, resigned due to the chaos at the airport. In the previous summer months, travelers had to deal with long queues and canceled flights. Sondag will leave as boss again on March 1, 2024.

Sondag says that in the meantime the long queues have been resolved and that a lot has been done about the working conditions of the staff. “But that noise problem – and I haven’t even mentioned CO2 emissions, because that is also coming – are heavy issues that will last for years.”

A year ago, NOS and Nieuwsuur conducted research into the working conditions of baggage handlers at Schiphol:

2023-11-19 22:16:58
#Schiphol #boss #disappointed #cancellation #shrinkage #plans #Neighbors #short #stick

November 20, 2023 0 comments

Business

ANPBBB Party Leader Caroline van der Plas: The Challenges, Successes, and Controversies of Governing in 10 Provinces

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com November 16, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

ANPBBB party leader Caroline van der Plas

The BoerCurgerBeweging became the largest party in all provinces at the Provincial Council elections in March, mainly thanks to a fierce campaign against the nitrogen policy. But the party itself is now implementing the national nitrogen law in ten provinces.

The BBB also appears to be unsteady on other issues, to the dismay of its supporters. Party leader Caroline van der Plas acknowledges News hour that it is not always possible to implement key points.

‘Touching the buttons is more important’

After the elections in March, the BBB became co-governor in ten of the twelve provinces, making the party partly responsible for implementing the nitrogen law. The law states that nitrogen emissions must be significantly reduced by 2035. In six provinces the BBB works together with its counterpart PvdA, and in three provinces also with GroenLinks.

According to Van der Plas, the provincial departments can now achieve more than if they had chosen a role in the opposition. “In the provincial government you can be at the controls and be more cautious in policy. We have prevented involuntary expropriation of farmers from happening in all coalition agreements.”

But there is criticism from the supporters. Angelique Knufing voted for BBB because of the nitrogen position, and is disappointed that the party is not fighting the nitrogen law in the provinces.

“Van der Plas must do what she promised. If you govern with GroenLinks, the nitrogen law will not be taken off the table,” she says:

‘The BBB likes to compromise the wine’

To the Ipsos statement ‘Leave the farmers alone, measures to reduce nitrogen in agriculture are not necessary at all’, 57 percent of potential BBB voters answer ‘agree’. 12 percent disagree. If News hour presents the statement to Van der Plas not give an unequivocal answer . “That’s too simplistic for me.”

She says she still wants to get rid of the nitrogen law. “The people who work for us in the provinces also think so. But you are dealing with a national law that provinces do not have to deal with. And as long as that law exists, you have to implement it.”

The question is whether it will be possible to tackle the nitrogen law at a national level. VVD, NSC and GroenLinks-PvdA, the largest parties in the polls, say – in contrast to BBB – that they want to significantly reduce nitrogen emissions.

Still wind turbines on land

There are also grumblings from the BBB supporters on another theme. While the party writes in the election manifesto that it does not want any new onshore wind projects, space is left in coalition agreements for new wind turbines in five provinces where the party co-governs: Zeeland, Limburg, North Holland, South Holland and Overijssel.

The village of Hoge Hexel in Overijssel became strongly divided by the possible arrival of such a wind project. Resident Joke Verhage, representative of the Tegenwind organization, says that farmers in the region accept money to have wind turbines installed on their yards. “Other citizens are experiencing inconvenience from this,” says resident Joke Verhage. “That subsidy is a perverse incentive. The entire community is affected by it.”

According to Verhage, “noabership”, which Van der Plas often advocates, is under pressure in her community. “People no longer want to come together for maternity visits.” Several BBB politicians made promises to Verhage to stop the arrival of the wind turbines, but then there was silence.

Van der Plas says in News hour that she knows these problems, but that she cannot stop the projects. “When you join a council, you have to deal with policy that has already been agreed and must be implemented. We stop all really new projects that are now getting off the ground.”

Migrant workers

In Deventer too, residents see that community is under pressure in some neighborhoods, but only because of the arrival of migrant workers. BBB voter Tom Boersma had expected more support from the BBB on this point. “Temporary agencies and slum landlords fill homes with migrant workers who work in the meat industry and distribution centers. This leads to a lot of nuisance: waste, honking vans at 5 a.m., drug use and prostitution.”

BBB wants a maximum on the number of asylum seekers who can come to the Netherlands, but not on the number of labor migrants. The party says that the Netherlands is dependent on labor migration and wants to build houses specifically for this group. In the Ipsos poll, 62 percent of BBB supporters say that the number of migrant workers should be significantly reduced, even if this is detrimental to some Dutch companies.

Van der Plas says he wants to prevent nuisance from migrant workers by allowing them to live close to their work. “Precisely to get them out of the cities where they are now often put into homes by unregistered employment agencies.”

2023-11-15 23:12:10
#BBB #making #concessions #provinces #dismay #supporters

November 16, 2023 0 comments

Business

SP Leader Marijnissen Defends Bill for Introduction of Binding Corrective Referendum in Senate

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com October 3, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

NieuwsuurMarijnissen (SP) defends the bill for the introduction of a binding corrective referendum in the Senate

It has been a topic of discussion in politics for decades, but this time it could easily continue: the introduction of a corrective binding referendum. The private member’s bill appears to have a large majority in the Senate today. However, this is not yet a settled matter.

A corrective binding referendum means that voters can still reject laws that have already been adopted. Because it concerns a constitutional amendment, the bill must pass the Senate and House of Representatives again after the elections. Then there must be a two-thirds majority in both Houses.

At the beginning of this year, SP MP Renske Leijten submitted a proposal for the introduction of a binding corrective referendum. At the time, Leijten called it a strengthening of democracy because “a growing group of people do not feel represented by politicians and policymakers”. The House of Representatives agreed in February. Today, SP leader Lilian Marijnissen defended the proposal in the Senate and a large majority also seems to vote in favor of it.

Paul Bovend’eert, professor of constitutional law at Radboud University, says that a referendum “can be a nice addition to the representative democracy we have in our country.”

Like Leijten, Bovend’eert thinks that a referendum can contribute to restoring confidence in politics. “By involving citizens more in government and politics, you gain more trust. You can at least offer voters the opportunity to oppose bills that the majority of them do not like at all.”

Night of Wiegel

In 1999, the introduction of a corrective referendum came very close, but it failed due to the unexpected vote against it in the Senate by VVD member Hans Wiegel. This event became known as the ‘Night of Wiegel’ and led to a cabinet crisis.

Since then, several consultative referendums have been organized. In 2005 on the European Constitution, in 2016 on the association agreement between the European Union and Ukraine and in 2018 on the Intelligence Act. In all cases a majority voted against.

Because these were advisory referenda, politicians in principle did not have to worry about the outcome. In the case of the referendum on the European Constitution, the government did so: the bill was withdrawn. After the other two referenda, the government parties decided to adjust the bills in order – in their view – to respect the outcome.

“Everyone found that very unsatisfactory. Rightly so,” says Bovend’eert. “That is why a binding referendum is now pending, in which the voters will actually make the final judgment on the bill.”

No race run

VVD and CDA have traditionally been against anchoring a referendum in the constitution. Other parties, such as PvdA, GroenLinks and D66, regularly changed their opinion. “The two-thirds majority needed for a constitutional amendment has never really been in sight,” said Bovend’eert.

Even now, the race is not yet over, but because the CDA has significantly fewer seats than 25 years ago, and parties such as BBB and NSC have said they are in favor of the referendum, the change in the law now seems to have a chance of success.

What may help is that the SP does not say anything about the precise details, such as politically sensitive matters such as the turnout percentage that must be achieved. This must be arranged at a later stage in another law.

2023-10-03 19:46:03
#referendum #law #decades #debate

October 3, 2023 0 comments

World

California Oil Companies Face Legal Consequences for Climate Change Impact

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com September 18, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

EPACalifornia is experiencing more frequent forest fires due to climate change

The American state of California is taking five major oil companies, including Shell, to court. The companies must contribute billions to the costs caused by climate change, the public prosecutor says.

The lawsuit could have major consequences. “If the judge rules in California, it will be the end of the profitability of oil companies,” said Mark van Baal, founder of Follow This, a group of investors that tries to force oil companies to reduce their emissions.

‘Oil companies are still misleading us’

The companies that have to answer before the court are Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, Shell and ExxonMobil. According to the indictment, the companies have known since the middle of the last century that their activities were warming the planet, but then lied about it. “Central to the case are reports from the companies themselves showing that they already knew in the 1970s that their products would lead to dangerous climate change,” says Dennis van Berkel, lawyer at climate organization Urgenda.

The oil companies misled the public about this, according to the prosecutor. Van Berkel: “They invested in advertisements and reports, all of which had the aim of sowing doubt about the science that they themselves had initially produced.”

Prosecutors say they spent billions of dollars spreading disinformation about climate change. And they still haven’t stopped doing that, Van Berkel sees. “The fossil industry says: trust us, we are going to zero emissions by 2050. While at the same time they indicate that they are doing their best to pump up as much oil as possible.”

Van Baal agrees. Shell will hardly increase its investments in sustainable energy this year. “They continue to mislead us by saying they are part of the solution, while they continue to invest massively in even more oil and gas.”

This case is a huge waste of taxpayers’ money.

American Petroleum Institute

A Shell spokesperson says otherwise News hour that the company “fully supports the need for society to transition to a low-carbon future.” But the courtroom is not the right place to tackle climate change, the company believes. The American Petroleum Institute even calls the case “a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars.” Climate policy is a matter for the legislator, and not for judges, the trade association says News hour.

But according to Van Berkel, these types of lawsuits are desperately needed. “The oil that companies still plan to pump is much more than we are allowed to emit. These companies are a major obstacle to the energy transition. That is why this case must be brought.”

With Urgenda, lawyer Van Berkel won an important case against the Dutch state, forcing the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more quickly. In California, it is the government that wants to tackle companies. “This case really goes a big step further. The Urgenda case was about the fact that the government has a responsibility to protect its citizens against the consequences of climate change. This case is about responsibility for the damage that has been caused.”

Einde Shell?

According to California, the concerns are responsible for, among other things, flooding, extreme heat and loss of biodiversity. If the judge agrees with the reasoning, it could have enormous consequences for the oil companies, says Van Baal. “The costs of the consequences of climate change are many times greater than the profits they make now.”

Investing in polluting energy is then no longer profitable. “They will finally invest in sustainable energy. They are now on the brakes while we really need their billions and their knowledge to invest in sustainable energy.”

California wants a fund into which fossil companies can deposit money for measures to deal with the impact of climate change. There is a chance that the damages will become so high that the groups will go bankrupt, says Van Baal. “That is a very big risk that they have brought upon themselves.”

In recent years, climate organizations have increasingly taken the legal route:

2023-09-17 20:02:02
#case #Shell #oil #companies #business #model

September 18, 2023 0 comments

Business

Niko Koffeman Calls for Investigation into Integrity Violations by Party Leader Esther Ouwehand

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com September 14, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

ANP

Niko Koffeman, co-founder of the Party for the Animals and faction leader in the Senate, wants the investigation into alleged integrity violations by party leader Esther Ouwehand to continue. Koffeman chimes in News hour not to choose a side in the argument between Ouwehand and the board, but does criticize the working methods of the faction chairman.

According to Koffeman, the innovation within the party is in danger of being reversed “if the party leader wants to take all the power back to himself”.

Fuss

Last Saturday, the board decided not to nominate Ouwehand as party leader. The reason for this was “recent reports of integrity violations”. The decision led to enormous commotion among the party’s rank and file. Local PvdD politicians lost confidence in the board and most party employees also continued to support Ouwehand. MP Leonie Vestering decided to leave the House of Representatives with immediate effect due to the party crisis.

“Solely because of the fuss”, the board decided on Wednesday to resign and to put Ouwehand on the list of candidates for the House of Representatives elections as party leader. But the directors emphasize that they still do not think Ouwehand has enough integrity to become party leader.

Integrity violations

Koffeman says he does not know what those integrity violations were. However, he says he is upset about the recent revelation of News hour, which showed that Ouwehand had drawn up a plan to get rid of a board member.

According to Koffeman, the letter that Ouwehand sent, in which she stated that “the board is holding back the development of the party”, is also a strategy that does not suit the party. “The moment you send an email in one mighty move, which you know will be in the newspaper the next day, and say that the founders of the party have too much influence on the board, then you are throwing people under the bus. .”

The document showed that an Ouwehand employee had drawn up a plan with ‘next steps’ to remove a board member from the party. According to Ouwehand, the woman in question had told ‘lies’ about her and the party board refused to intervene. The document proposes far-reaching actions. Ouwehand confirmed News hour the authenticity of the document.

“I don’t think it is ethical to make a plan of attack to smear the board,” says Koffeman. “This is a board of people who voluntarily made the party great in addition to their work. You should not make unjustified reproaches to that board and in this sense Ouwehand has done so.”

Research

And so, according to Koffeman, it is important that the investigation into Ouwehand continues, despite the forced departure of the board. “When the board has knowledge of the matter and does not consider it responsible to nominate someone, then you have to take it seriously.”

When asked whether he is not choosing the board’s side, Koffeman responds that that is not the case. “I am not distancing myself from Ouwehand. I think she is a great Member of Parliament. But I believe that she should have stood up for the ideals of our party together with the board, and I regret that that did not happen.”

Koffeman compares the situation to a bus driver who sees all the red lights flashing on his dashboard and decides to stop the bus, but all passengers demand that he continue. “It seems very unwise to me to pretend that we did not see those lights flashing. It is important that this is investigated.”

2023-09-13 20:32:57
#PvdD #founder #Koffeman #Investigation #Ouwehand #continue

September 14, 2023 0 comments

Newer Posts

Older Posts