CES “News from Europe” collects interesting and timely news articles from around Europe. You can get an overview from the recaps or click the link to see the full article. Be sure to check back weekly for the next installment.
Week of November 11, 2024
- European fake art network involving Banksys, Warhols, Modiglianis uncovered in Italy
In a nearly €200 million bust, authorities have dismantled a network of art forgers across Spain, France, Belgium, and Italy. The operation uncovered 2,100 forgeries of work from over 30 artists. The works were issued certificates and stamps of authenticity from auction houses in Italy before being exhibited in Mestre and Cortona, Italy. Those involved will be charged with conspiracy to forge and deal in contemporary art. - Political turmoil rocks the Netherlands after Amsterdam violence
Tensions continue in Amsterdam following bouts of violence surrounding the match between Dutch team Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv. The game was marked by both pro-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Semitic gatherings, chants, and violence. Most recently, the secretary for benefits from the center-right New Social Contract (NSC) party resigned over alleged racist remarks in a closed door meeting about the violence. In an attempt to address the ongoing violence, the Dutch capital has adopted a motion calling for immediate action to address the “real and imminent” risk of genocide in Gaza. - Protesters storm Abkhazia parliament over Russian investment deal
In opposition to a law encouraging Russian development in the region, residents of Abkhazia stormed parliament and took control of the presidential administration building. Abkhazia has been largely autonomous since 2008, when a separatists group gained control of the region during Georgia’s short war with Russia. Although Abkhazia is formally recognized by Russia as a state, some residents are concerned with their Northern neighbor’s potential influence. In opposition to the same bill, residents blocked bridges and gathered at the security services headquarters earlier this week. - Italy’s Albania asylum deal has become a political disaster for Giorgia Meloni
Italy’s €1bn plan to house incoming migrants in detention centers in Albania has been blocked for breaking international law. The agreement was initially hailed as an innovative solution to Italy’s large number of arrivals, but has quickly turned into a national embarrassment. Italian judges determined it was unlawful to detain them in Albania prior to repatriation to countries considered “safe” by Rome, referencing a ruling by the European Union’s court of justice (ECJ) that a country outside the EU can not be declared safe unless its entire territory is deemed safe. Although 24 men were transferred to the facilities earlier this month, none stayed for longer than 48 hours and none remain there now. Critics raised concerns of the scheme’s legality prior to its implementation, and now point out the financial drain on Italy’s already struggling finances. - Austria says Russia’s Gazprom will cut off natural gas supply this weekend
The Russian state-owned natural gas company Gazprom will end supply to Austria’s OMV utility on November 16. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has assured residents that this will not cause an energy shortage and they should not worry about going cold as winter approaches. This move will cost Gazprom around $2.5 billion a year in annual revenue, a potentially damning amount as natural gas exports account for a large portion of the Kremlin’s financing and exports to the rest of Europe were slashed at the outset of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.
Week of November 4, 2024
- Scholz sets stage for German snap election as government collapses
German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner on Wednesday night, removing the Free Democratic Party from the governing coalition. This was due to differences on economic policies, especially in regards to funding to Ukraine and climate policies. This will lead to a vote of confidence on January 15th, and snap elections in March if Scholz’s government does not survive. - Trial begins over beheading of teacher who showed Prophet Muhammed Cartoon
Eight people in Paris have gone on trial for encouraging the murder of Samul Paty, the teacher who was beheaded on the street outside his school four years ago for showing a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammed. The murderer of Samuel Paty, a young man of Chechen origin named Abdoullakh Anzorov, was shot dead minutes after his attack on Paty, so the trial is about the circumstances that led to the crime rather than the crime itself. The trial will showcase how social media influenced Anzorov to commit his murder as well as all of his accomplices, including students, he paid off to identify Paty outside the school before his murder. The trial will take place in December. - Dutch school bars parents from marks-sharing app in push to lower pupil-stress
A secondary school in the Netherlands is blocking parental access to student’s grades for a term to reduce the stress put on pupils to perform. Like other nations, the Netherlands has a system where students must obtain a certain grade average to advance to the following year. Still, Jordan Montessori Lyceum Utrecht found that constantly sharing results with parents increased stress in children. The school took action after the economics teacher studied 500 pupils and found that when parents regularly checked the app, children rated their stress at 2.7 out of five, compared to without regular checking, which was 2. The story of this school reflects a more prominent call in the Netherlands for less pressure and grade obsession for students, especially in a time of declining results in math and language, an urgent teacher shortage, and a growing number of dropouts - Belgian comic book withdrawn amid outrage over racist depictions
A Belgian comic book that received backlash for its racist depictions of black people and “hyper-sexualized” images of women has been withdrawn from sale. The graphic novel Spirou and the Blue Gorgon was first published in September 2023 and had little controversy. That changed last month when a TikTok video went viral, condemning its portrayal of black people and women, triggering a great deal of criticism. One internet user noted that all the white characters were human beings. In contrast, black characters were depicted as monkeys, and women were drawn as “hyper-sexualized” with plunging cleavage and tiny waists. The cartoonist behind the Blue Gorgon, Daniel Henrotin has denied any racist or misogynist intentions and issued an apology. - Fighting cross-border crime: Council adopts EU Law about transfer of proceedings
Fueled by an increase in cross-border crimes in the European Union, the European Council has officially approved an EU law that regulates the conditions under which proceedings in a criminal case initiated in one member state may be transferred to another member state. This law will ensure criminal cases are prosecuted and investigated in the optimal member state, prevent unnecessary parallel proceedings (of the same suspect) in different EU member states, and, therefore, help to fight cross-border crime more effectively. The regulation will enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. - Putin praises Trump, says he’s ready for dialogue
President Vladimir Putin of Russia congratulated Donald Trump on winning the U.S. election and praised him for acting like a “real man” when he was shot while speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 14. Furthermore, Putin stated he was open and ready to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war with Trump. Trump said during campaigning that he could bring peace to Ukraine within 24 hours if he were elected but has given few details on how he would seek to end the most significant land war in Europe since World War Two. Putin awaits the Trump administration’s call to establish a dialogue between him and Trump.
Week of October 28, 2024
- UK D-Day veteran George Chandler, who escorted American troops to Normandy beaches, dies at 99
World War II veteran George Chandler died October 19th of pneumonia. He spent the end of his life sharing the horrors of war and participated in the Remembrance Sunday ceremonies each year, this year his granddaughters plan to march in his place. Chandler escorted troops across the English Channel to land on Normandy’s beaches on D-Day. Chandler’s torpedo crew escorted U.S. army soldiers to Omaha and Utah beaches and served in the Adriatic before being sunk. His family plans to scatter some of his ashes there, so he may rest with his crewmates who are buried at sea. - Japan and EU announce a security and defense partnership as regional tensions rise
Japan and the European Union have announced a new partnership focused on mutual security and defense. This is the first security partnership between the EU and an Indo-Pacific country and comes amidst rising tensions in the region. Japan has been bolstering their security and defense industries over the last several years as China and North Korea have strengthened their respective militaries and their military relationship with Russia. Japan and the EU have committed to maintaining a regular security and defense dialogue, joint naval exercises, and cooperation on cybersecurity and space defense. - Sweden abolishes tax on plastic bags despite warnings usage could rise
Sweden’s government has abolished its tax on plastic bags following reports that the 3 kroner tax has reduced plastic bag consumption by more than 75% in the last four years. Environmentalists warn that abolishing the tax will increase plastic bag consumption, but government officials have claimed that the levy is no longer necessary as the country’s plastic bag consumption is already below the EU target. - Spain flood death toll expected to rise amid anger over lack of preparedness
At least 95 people are dead and more are still missing following extreme rains in Spain. The torrential rains were the result of a phenomenon called ‘gota fría’ in which cold air moves over the warm Mediterranean, this is expected to become more frequent and more devastating as sea temperatures continue to rise. As communities begin to recover, questions about the region’s emergency response are at the fore. Survivors report seeing the floods and becoming trapped in their cars before receiving issued warnings. - UK urged to break with France, North Korea and Russia on UN nuclear war resolution
Ireland and New Zealand have drafted a resolution to the UN to create a panel of experts to analyze the global impact of different nuclear war scenarios. Proponents of the resolution say that the last study of this kind, done in 1988, is outdated. The UK is expected to vote ‘no’ on the resolution, with North Korea, Russia, and France, though it is still expected to pass. Despite this, the UK is being urged to about-face on the issue, as a ‘no’ vote could negatively impact their reputation when it comes to nuclear proliferation issues.
Week of October 21, 2024
- Funding cuts could mean death of Sámi languages, say Indigenous parliaments
Sweden and Finland plan to withdraw over £ 400,000 of funding to safeguard nine Indigenous languages that UNESCO has declared endangered. Indigenous parliaments in Sweden, Finland, and Norway warn that the removal of funding could lead to the disappearance of said languages. Sámi Giellagáldu was a program created to safeguard, promote, and strengthen the use of the nine Sámi languages across the Nordics. Still, just two years after Sámi Giellagáldu was established, funding cuts were announced because the respective governments of Sweden and Finland claimed the funding was only supposed to be temporary. Mika Saijets, the director general of Sámi Giellagáldu, accused the government of “cutting the heart out of the language,” and others have compared this withdrawal of funding to past attempts at the Swedification, Finlandisation, and Norwegianisation of Indigenous people. - Around 40,000 litres of illegal alcohol beverages seized under OLAF’s lead
EU member states and Norwegian customs seized around 40,000 liters of illegal alcoholic beverages, coordinated under the European Anti-Fraud Office. The action is part of an initiative dubbed OPSON XIII, which is coordinated alongside Europol to tackle food fraud and ensure the safety of food and beverages across Europe. The initiative’s overall goal is to identify and remove counterfeit and substandard food and drinks while curtailing the criminal groups peddling these items. - Moldova voters narrowly approve referendum on joining the EU
Moldovans, by a razor-thin majority of 50.39%, voted “yes” in a referendum about joining the European Union. This decision puts Moldova on a path towards European Union membership; a loss of the vote would have been disastrous for the pro-Western government that strongly advocated for the campaign. Although pro-Western and pro-European Union ideals prevailed, many claim that corruption and foreign interference influenced the vote, and Moscow is at the center of those claims. - Russian lawmakers ratify pact with North Korea as US confirms Pyongyang sent troops to Russia
Russian lawmakers have ratified a pact with North Korea envisioning mutual military assistance, as the U.S. confirms the deployment of 3,000 North Korean troops to Russia. The “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty was signed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader King Jong Un on a June visit to Pyongyang. The pact forces Russia and North Korea to immediately provide military assistance using “all means” if either is attacked; it is the strongest link between Moscow and Pyongyang since the end of the Cold War. - ‘Unprecedented’ Norman coin hoard bought by UK for over € 5 million
An exceptional collection of 2,584 silver pennies dating back to the Norman Conquest has been acquired for €5 million, setting a record as the most valuable treasure ever discovered in the UK. The collection of coins, known as the Chew Valley hoard, was unearthed by seven friends on January 26th, 2019, during a metal-detecting outing. The Southwest Heritage Trust purchased the coin hoard, with proceeds going to the metal detectorists alongside the person who owned the land where the treasure was uncovered. The coins from the hoard will be displayed at the British Museum on November 26th, then go on a short tour, but will eventually find a permanent home at the Museum of Somerset. The coins reveal a unique insight into British history.
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