The Crises of the E.U.

[skyward]

Some current headlines...

Merkel Advisory Panel Urges ECB to Phase Out Easing Earlier

The European Central Bank should scale back or stop quantitative easing sooner than planned because governments alone can’t counter the side effects of its monetary policy, according to German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s council of economic advisers.

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Xenophobic protest in Warsaw



Tens of thousands of Polish nationalists have demonstrated on Independence against foreigners. At the march through Warsaw several rights organizations had "to Poland, Poland for Poland" is called under the slogan.

A massive police flanked the partly masked protesters, because there had been in recent years on Independence Day riots. This time there have been no incidents. The authorities estimated the number of participants to 25,000.

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Arson attacks on refugee camps 'polarize Swedish society'

Sweden is in turmoil over the refugee crisis. Dozens of facilities meant to house asylum seekers have been attacked by suspected arsonists...



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Sweden to introduce border controls at noon

The introduction of border controls means that refugees coming to Sweden face three choices: to return to the country they came from, seek asylum in Sweden or, for those just passing through Sweden, to choose a different route to their final destination.

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Nightclub bans refugees for 'harassing women'

A club in southern Germany has started ejecting refugees from its premises, leading to accusations of racism. But it says it is simply trying to protect its female clientèle.

The situation escalated when a couple of local guests saw what was happening and accused the bouncers of being "Nazis pigs", according to a version of the story given by the club on Facebook.

But in the Facebook post the club admits to blocking entry to refugees in order "to maintain well-being in the club..."

When refugees began to arrive in Bad Tölz early in 2015 the club had allowed them in just like any other customers, the post claims.

But young male asylum seekers began harassing women in the establishment, following them to the toilets or calling them "whores“ and offering them money for sex, according to the Facebook post.

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And in France:

Syrian Immigrant assaults French girl


First Greece, now Portugal – are we heading for another eurozone crisis?

The pace of Greek reform is moving too slowly for its creditors, who are delaying the release the first chunk of bailout cash.

Meanwhile, the idea that Europe’s uncompromising approach to Greece would deter other countries from making the same ‘mistake’ doesn’t seem to be working.

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Schäuble warns of refugee 'avalanche'

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has warned that the flow of refugees into Germany and Europe could turn into an "avalanche" if not managed properly.

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Germany can't impose its values on refugees

[Nunes'] claim that Germany “must insist on its own laws and values”, which, he implies, are at risk from Muslim refugees.

To support this broad claim he provides anecdotal evidence from the mouth of a Saarland politician who allegedly witnessed several newly arrived refugees at an asylum center insulting women, refusing to eat food they were offered, and cutting in line. Do try to contain your shock at these clear disavowals of German laws and values.

“The German government is so fearful of being labeled inhumane towards asylum seekers that it errs on the side of appeasement...”

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I don't agree with all of the various points being made, but am posting some headlines to give an overall idea of the scale of the problems facing the European project.

It's worth noting that while the British government did not have to hold a EU membership referendum before end 2017, but it is being held in 2016. But even by then the refugee crisis may be so hopelessly out of control that there is a real chance there will be a No vote.

So, what next for the E.U.? I can't imagine the project being viable absent a real economic recovery. I believe attempts to centralize power in Brussels within a context of increasing austerity and inequality, will ultimately fail. In the absence of growth, ways will have to be found to redistribute wealth more equitably.

 

[gb2000ie]

The current German government seems determined to snatch defeat from the jaws of mediocrity.

Because of the Germany government economic policy has been too weak to break this depression - NEEDLESSLY imposing suffering on millions. After things got real bad the Germans allowed the ECB to do a little of their job - too little and too late, but a lot better than continuing to do nothing.

Now, the Germans want to turn too little too late in to even less too late.

I REALLY hope the ECB have the stones to do their job, and not let Merkel destroy Europe.

Economic crisis breeds extremism.

Similar economic ineptitude in the 1930s gave us the fascism. The lessons of the 1930s were learned by competent economists, but now, for purly political reasons, this well founded knowledge is being dismissed in favour of extremists un-tested and un-proven eonommic theories like expansionary austerity and the confidence faries.

This whole crisis has gone just like the economics we learned after 1930 said it would. It has NOT gone the way those advocating the austerity or confidence have predicated AT ALL. Why then, do the ECB keep listening to the morons who have gotten everything wrong, and why are the continuing to ignore those who have been right for almost a decade now?

People will look back at this period in history with disgust as right-wing loonies were let needless destroy Europe while at all times preaching from what they thing is the high ground.

Lets hope sanity wins out, and we avoid a swing to the right and perpetual economic decline.

B.

 

[skyward]

We could well see numerous countries with left-wing parties or coalitions in power, that's what looks to be coming about right now in Portugal, and Spain might achieve this next.

What's happening in Poland is definitely some movement towards the right. We will have to see how their new government behaves, or what policies it adopts. In general I think the former Soviet States are more likely to see right-wing parties in power.

Not sure how useful the left vs. right labels are thought, unless they are applied in disciplined, specific ways. It's the norm in Europe for mainstream parties to endlessly highlight & promote some liberal policies (e.g. gay rights) with great gusto, while simultaneously pursuing economic neoliberalism, privitisation, austerity & wealth-inequality (sometimes in secrecy, e.g. TTIP). The word 'pinkwashing' comes to mind. Or 'champagne socialists'. I suspect that such forms of politics will be forever blamed if the EU project crumbles.