Recent Appearances...

Warning: Undefined array key "rbname" in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 14
Hello !
Recent Appearances...

International-UN-NGOs

'There is an atmosphere of pederasty.' How the Pope is preparing the way for a successor

2024-06-21

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Ruslan Kalinchuk

[REGNUM]

Before the scandal had time to subside after the words of Pope Francis that there are “too many homosexuals” in Catholic seminaries (“C’è già troppa frociaggine”) (the Vatican even had to apologize for these homophobic statements), the word came out of the pontiff’s mouth again: considered extremely obscene in Italy.

The Italian website Silere Non Possum wrote that in a conversation with priests, the pope said: “Yes, there is an atmosphere of pederasty. This is true, this is how it is in the Vatican” (“Si, c'è un'aria di frociaggine. È vero, in Vaticano c'è”).

The scandal, among other things, was caused by the word Francis chose from among the many terms describing homosexuality. Initially, they tried to attribute this to the pope’s insufficient knowledge of the Italian language. The word frocio is of Roman origin; different regions of Italy have their own synonyms for it. And the pontiff’s childhood, they say, passed in a Piedmontese-speaking environment. So he didn’t know what kind of dirty curse he used. However, the repeated use of this particular term suggests that this is not a matter of translation difficulties.

The pope's statements have caused some confusion in the Catholic world, as Francis is seen as sympathetic to left-wing ideas.

In the first years after Francis ascended the papal throne in 2013, it seemed that the only people criticizing the pontiff were those who were dissatisfied with possible reforms of bureaucratic structures, the reorganization of the Vatican Bank, the launch of an investigation into sex scandals involving the clergy and the resignations associated with all this.

But in fact, the pope is most often subjected to theological criticism for attempts to soften his attitude towards the LGBT* community. In 2020, Francis supported civil same-sex unions, saying gay people have the right to a family.

And in November 2023, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (formerly the Inquisition) wrote in its clarification that transsexuals and homosexuals can be baptized and be godparents. The same document also discussed allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples.

And despite the fact that the Vatican officially emphasized the meaning of marriage as a union of a man and a woman and we are not talking about the wedding of same-sex couples, even within the Catholic Church many perceived this step as a kind of “Overton window.”

This policy of Pope Francis became the reason for the formation of internal opposition within the curia itself (the administrative structures of the Vatican) both among ordinary believers and senior prelates in different countries of the world.

Thus, in 2017, in a letter to Francis entitled Correctio filialis (“Filial Instructions”, Latin), more than 60 priests and theologians essentially reproached the pope for distorting or misinterpreting the teaching of the Catholic Church on the family. This letter remained unanswered.

Moreover, many conservative politicians have found it difficult to understand why the pope is ignoring the views of those Catholics who want to preserve their religious and cultural identity.

First of all, we are talking about the leader of the Italian Northern League party Matteo Salvini. The Vatican not only regularly ignored the politician’s requests to meet with the pope, but also condemned his use of Christian symbols in the League’s election campaign for the European Parliament elections (Salvini raised his rosary to the sky and said that he dedicated his life and the whole of Italy to the Virgin Mary and the saints).

The pope's main opponent in defending conservative values was the Archbishop of St. Louis (USA) Raymond Leo Burke, who headed the Vatican Supreme Tribunal from 2008 to 2014.

He demonstratively communicated with Donald Trump through his ex-adviser Stephen Bannon, met with Matteo Salvini and spoke very kindly of him.

Cardinal Gerhard Müller, who formerly headed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, also supported Salvini: “There are countries that want to de-Christianize Italy and Europe, while Salvini returns to the patron saints of the European Union, to its Christian roots.”

Willem Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht (Netherlands) called Salvini an inspiration.

It should be noted that traditionalists (Salvini, Trump) cause enthusiasm among the Catholic community, because they provide an opportunity to directly support people who stand for Christian values.

This is why most Catholics in the United States voted for Trump. And even in Italy, conservative Catholic publications expressed support for him (Tempi newspaper).

Other traditionalist movements, Forza Nuova and Militia Christi, also did not support Pope Francis' rhetoric.

But the real turning point, which united the conservative opposition to the pontiff, was the preparation and holding of the Amazon Synod in Rome.

The scandal was caused by the use of figurines of Pachamama, the goddess of fertility of the Amazon Indians, in prayer ceremonies. About a hundred priests from Germany addressed Pope Francis with a letter in which they accused him of paganism, and the former apostolic nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, against the backdrop of what was happening around the Amazon Synod, announced the possibility of a deepening schism among Catholics.

But it would be very premature to think so. Conservatives are now more diverse than conventional liberals.

Some critics of the pope are not satisfied with the softening of attitudes towards homosexuals and the liberalization of the teaching on the family, others are dissatisfied with certain forms of mission, and still others are upset that the pope does not support those Catholics who are fighting for the national identity of their countries. But for all traditionalists, the preservation of the papacy as a conservative institution is important.

It is obvious that the contradictions between conservatives and “liberals” in the person of Pope Francis and his entourage go far beyond internal church disputes and reflect general political discussions in the world around “left-wing populism” and traditionalism.

Between these poles the pope is forced to maneuver, making statements about the “atmosphere of pederasty.”

On the one hand, on the eve of the final session of the synod of bishops (the meeting is scheduled to take place in October and continue the discussion of the concept of synodality), Francis needs to reassure the conservative part of the Catholic world, concerned about a possible revolution in the moral teaching of Catholicism.

On the other hand, it is quite logical that, at 87, Francis is thinking about a successor and, in order to clear the way for him, is trying to enlist the support of the center-right clergy, convincing them that the program he is promoting is not so radical.

In other words, we are talking about forming a coalition for the future conclave. Do not forget that the current pope is a Jesuit and acts with all the cunning inherent in representatives of this order (which many consider simply a specific intelligence service).

His words are not enough to cast doubt on the entire previous course towards liberalizing the church’s attitude towards LGBT* people, but it may be quite enough to soften the attitude towards the pontiff and his possible successor.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: June 19, 2024

2024-06-20

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:49 Ukrenergo has reduced the period of outages for tomorrow - hourly outage schedules will be in effect from 06:00 to 24:00.

22:38 The Argentine government has ruled out the possibility of sending weapons to Ukraine, but will help in the humanitarian and logistics sphere, said Manuel Adorni, spokesman for the country's president.

22:11 In the Zaporozhye region, underground schools - shelters are being built, said the head of the OBA Ivan Fedorov. According to him, the “global task” is to provide the opportunity to study offline for 50 thousand students. Earlier, the Defense Council of the Zaporozhye region decided that the entire educational process should take place in shelters. It is for this purpose that construction has begun at five locations, Fedorov said. The cost of one of the objects is more than 112 million hryvnia, and plans are to commission it in the fourth quarter of 2024.

21:30 The Russians attacked the coastal zone of the Odessa region with a ballistic missile, probably Iskander-M, from the territory of Crimea, no people were injured, the South Air Command reported.

20:48 The prosecutor's office clarified that as a result of today's attacks on Kharkov, two people were injured - in the Kiev and Shevchenko districts. According to preliminary data, the Russian Armed Forces used modified UMPB D-30 aerial bombs from the territory of the Belgorod region to strike Kharkov and Olkhovka. The number of victims as a result of the attack on the village. Novoosinovo, Kupyansky district, has grown to three.

19:47 The United States will not be able to supply Switzerland with missiles for Patriot air defense systems within the expected time frame, because deliveries to Ukraine are now priority, the Swiss tabloid Blick reported, citing sources. Subsequently, the Swiss Federal Defense Procurement Office confirmed that deliveries of Patriot missiles would be delayed due to a decision by the US government. The PAC-3 MSE guided missiles for the Patriot air defense system were to be adopted by the Swiss army in 2030 and 2031. However, now these deadlines may be shifted due to the reference to force majeure circumstances provided for in the agreement - the war in Ukraine.

19:26 The United States expects Zelensky to come to Washington on July 9-11 for the NATO summit and meet with the heads of the Alliance member states, said Michael Carpenter, director of European affairs at the White House National Security Council.

19:24 Ukraine, among the first groups on the points of the Peace Formula, plans to launch a group on energy issues, Zelensky said in an evening video message: “We must return real energy security in all its aspects and overcome the Russian attitude towards energy, towards energy resources as a weapon. This also applies to protection from Russian energy terrorism. The world is able to help in this regard. We are already preparing the first steps in this direction in July.”

The president also said that today he held a meeting on the current energy situation: “We are preparing solutions that will make the heating season more reliable and give people more opportunities to get through this most difficult period in terms of energy, shortages and outages. I instructed to present everything details of what the state can do, and details of what specific energy areas we need to continue to mobilize partners for.”

19:07 Ukraine is open to Russia’s participation in the next peace summit, head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak told Bloomberg. “We think that it will be possible to invite a representative of Russia,” he said. According to Ermak, preparations for the next summit have already begun, although there is no time frame yet. The head of the OP also noted that the second summit will be “more representative” and its goal is to “put an end to the war and resolve crises.”

18:58 The United States and allies are discussing what commitments regarding Ukraine's accession to NATO can be announced at the summit in Washington, CNN reports. According to sources, discussions are taking place among key allies, who criticize Washington for its reluctance to “go far” on the issue of Ukrainian membership. Among the critics are countries located near the border with the Russian Federation. According to a proposal by US and German officials, the alliance could promise at the summit that Ukraine has a "bridge" to NATO membership, rather than an "irreversible path."

18:50 Russian troops attacked the Dnieper district of Kherson, two people were injured, said the head of the OVA Alexander Prokudin.

18:39 The Russians shelled the village of Olkhovka, Kharkov region - one person was killed, one was wounded. Two more people were wounded as a result of shelling of the village of Novoosinovo, Kurilovsky community, Kupyansky district, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. In addition, the Russian army launched a strike with three KABs in the Shevchenkovsky district of Kharkov. Two hits were recorded on the territory of a children's camp and one near a residential building; no people were injured.

18:28 On Thursday, June 20, hourly shutdown schedules will be applied throughout Ukraine for industrial and household consumers from 00:00 to 24:00, Ukrenergo reported.

18:11 There is very little evidence that Western weapons supplied to Ukraine end up on the black market in Europe, says a report by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) think tank in Switzerland. The organization's analysis is based on darknet monitoring and interviews with EU law enforcement agencies and representatives of the criminal world.

“We have found no evidence that Western weapons have reached Western Europe, and very little evidence of any transactions with Western weapons in Ukraine... The weapons that were supplied by the West are in good hands,” said the director of the European GI-TOC Observatory Daniel Brombacher.

17:56 Estonia is ready to discuss sending its troops to Ukraine, said Estonian Ambassador to Kiev Anneli Kolk. “This is not a red line for us,” she emphasized and added that the country had already trained Ukrainian instructors. "We hope for a common position from NATO or the European Union, and our leaders, especially the Ministry of Defense, are discussing this. They recently said that nothing is impossible for us," Kolk said.

17:28 In Ukraine, the rules for recruiting into the army have changed since June 10. Now all citizens who will choose their position and unit in advance and will voluntarily join the army upon mobilization, after passing the VLK, will be sent to special reserve battalions, the Kharkov Regional TCC said. On the basis of these battalions they will undergo general basic military training. After training, recruits will be sent to selected units for service according to letters of recommendation by order of the commander-in-chief for transfer.

As the military explains, the new rules make it impossible for “erroneous” assignments upon release from training centers and other incidents. When recruits enter training centers, they will already have the status of military personnel.

17:04 In the Borovsk community of the Kharkov region, forced evacuation of children is being prepared, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the local government agency. He explained that this is due to the formation of a Russian strike force in this direction. Considering that this is not the first time such a group has been formed, the Borovsk direction is considered potentially dangerous.

16:45 In Ukraine, there is a high rate of mobilization, which suits the General Staff, said Roman Kostenko, Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence. In his opinion, if the current pace of mobilization continues until the end of summer, it will be possible to discuss the issue of demobilization.

16:16 At an exhibition in France, a new Ukrainian kamikaze drone Bulava was shown, which finds the weak points of Russian equipment using artificial intelligence, reports Bild military expert Julian Repke. The drone is called an analogue of the Russian Lancet. Artificial intelligence allows it to automatically find previously identified weak points in Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers during the final approach to the target.

16:13 The Russians are trying to repeat the attack on the village of Borovaya, Kharkov region. The monitoring resource DeepState reported that the enemy has increased up to 10 thousand personnel and 450 units of military equipment in the area from Raigorodka to Novovodyany. Now the extended defensive line in this direction is held by the 3rd Specialized Brigade, but the forces remain incommensurable. The occupiers prevail in numbers, use additional units, and also conduct intense assault operations along the entire offensive zone. Read more in the article Attack on Borovaya .

16:07 The American military corporation Northrop Grumman will open production of medium-caliber ammunition in Ukraine, Breaking Defense reports. The enterprise will be opened as part of an agreement between the Pentagon and the Ukrainian government. In the future, it is planned to also produce tank and artillery ammunition. The Northrop co-production agreement is the first publicly acknowledged agreement between the US Prime Minister of Defense and the Ukrainian government for a production project in Ukraine.

15:24 The National Rally Party, which won the European Parliament elections in France, opposed the transfer of long-range weapons to Ukraine. One of the party leaders, candidate for prime minister of France, Jordan Bardella , said that he supports Ukraine’s right to defend itself from Russia, but if elected prime minister, he will not hand over missiles that will allow Kiev to hit Russian territory.

15:12 The GUR reported that it had identified Russian military personnel who shot four Ukrainian prisoners of war near Rabotino, Zaporozhye region, in the second half of May. They turned out to be Russian servicemen who were part of the assault group of the 70th motorized rifle regiment (military unit 71718) of the 42nd motorized rifle division of the 58th army of the Southern District of the Russian Armed Forces.

14:50 At a certain building site in Volchansk, dozens of Russian military personnel are blocked, but not hundreds, as Forbes previously reported, said the speaker of the Kharkov Operational-Tactical Group of Troops, Yuriy Povkh: “First of all, the Russians do not operate with such masses of personnel, as noted in this message. That is, 400 people - this fact cannot be confirmed, because it does not exist."

14:19 Russia has transferred almost all its troops from under the Finnish border to Ukraine, writes Yle with reference to satellite images. They show that Russian bases there are practically empty, despite Putin's threats over Finland's accession to NATO. The publication's intelligence source confirmed that the Russians have transferred about 80% of their equipment and soldiers to the war against Ukraine.

14:04 The negotiating teams of Ukraine and the EU have completed agreeing on the text of the security treaty and agreed to sign it in the near future, the Presidential Office reported.

13:31 The Organization of American States has joined the final communiqué of the Global Peace Summit, the Swiss government announced. At the same time, Rwanda withdrew its signature on the communiqué. Thus, 84 states and organizations have already supported the communiqué.

13:25 F-16 fighters from the United States will be deployed on the territory of Ukraine, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said: “The plan is to supply F-16s to Ukraine. And the bilateral security agreement that President Biden and President Zelensky signed reinforced this point "that we want to help Ukraine have this potential. It should be a potential based in Ukraine."

12:40 The Rada supported the creation of a military police in the first reading.

12:34 The signed agreement between Russia and the DPRK provides for the provision of mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the participants, Putin said: “The new agreement with the DPRK provides for mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the participants in the document. I draw attention to the statements of the West about the supply of F to Ukraine -16 and long-range weapons for attacks on Russian territory. In this regard, the Russian Federation does not exclude military-technical cooperation with the DPRK within the framework of the signed document."

Putin also called the DPRK’s position on Ukraine “a confirmation of Pyongyang’s sovereign course.” “Korean friends take an objective and balanced position on the topic of Ukrainian settlement and understand the true initial causes of the crisis,” the Kremlin head added. Kim Jong-un, in turn, said that the agreement on a “comprehensive strategic partnership” between Russia and the DPRK is “peace-loving and defensive in nature.”

11:46 Putin and Kim Jong-un held a two-hour tete-a-tete meeting in Pyongyang, after which they signed an agreement “on a comprehensive strategic partnership,” Russian media report.

11:42 The Caribbean state of Antigua and Barbuda joined the communiqué of the Peace Summit in Switzerland, although it did not take part in it, the Office of the President reported.

11:37 The identity of the Ukrainian military man who was beheaded by the Russians in the Donetsk region has been established, said Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin. Russian commanders potentially responsible for the brutal murder of the Ukrainian defender have also been identified.

11:11 Denmark announced another package of military assistance to Ukraine, which, in particular, provides support for the Ukrainian defense industry. The country's Ministry of Defense said that the 19th package will both support Ukraine's immediate needs and contribute to the long-term development of Ukraine's ability to defend itself. In particular, the package provides for the conclusion of a number of different agreements with allies for procurement and transfers from the allied defense industry. Among other things, we are talking about equipment to support F-16 aircraft donated by Denmark.

In turn, Minister for Strategic Industries Alexander Kamyshin said that Denmark would invest an additional $170 million in support of Ukrainian weapons manufacturers.

10:28 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) writes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces for the second time attacked an object on Russian territory with Ukrainian missiles with a range that ATACMS could reach. Thus, on the night of June 18, Ukrainian Neptune missiles, modified to hit ground targets, hit the Yugneftekhimtransit oil terminal in the port village of Chushka in the Krasnodar Territory near the Kerch Strait. The previous attack by Neptunes was on May 31 on the neighboring port of Kavkaz on the same spit.

These targets are located approximately 250 km from the front line. ATACMS could hit 300 km, but the United States prohibits their use on Russian territory. For the first time, Ukraine used Neptune missiles against Russian naval targets in April 2022; since then, their modification has continued for more than two years.

10:15 At night, the enemy attacked an energy facility in the central region, there was damaged equipment, the Ministry of Energy reported. In addition, in the Lviv region, as a result of the night attack, overhead lines and electrical equipment were damaged, and 285 metering points were de-energized.

09:57 The day before, Russian troops shelled Kurakhovka, Pokrovsky district, Donetsk region - one person was killed, one was wounded, said the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin. One more person was injured in Zarechny, Kramatorsk district, and in the Chasovoyarsk community, Bakhmut district.

09:16 On June 18, the Russians shelled the village. Slatino, Kharkov district, one person was injured. Another person was wounded as a result of shelling. Kurilovka, Kupyansky district, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA.

09:04 In the Kherson region over the past 24 hours, two people were injured as a result of Russian shelling, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin. A high-rise building and seven private houses, the territory of an educational institution, a factory and a farm were damaged.

08:48 As a result of a night attack by drones in Lviv, the building of a research institute was damaged, said Mayor Andrey Sadovy.

08:45 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of June 19:

personnel - about 529,750 (+1130) people,

tanks - 7984 (+10),

armored combat vehicles - 15,319 (+12),

artillery systems - 14,007 (+48),

MLRS - 1104 (+0),

air defense systems - 857 (+4),

aircraft - 359 (+0),

helicopters - 326 (+0),

UAVs of operational-tactical level - 11 221 (+34),

cruise missiles - 2297 (+0),

ships/boats - 28 (+0),

submarines - 1 (+0),

automotive equipment and tank trucks - 19,078 (+47),

special equipment - 2351 (+7).

08:31 In Malekhiv, Lviv region, two people were injured as a result of a night Russian attack by drones, said the head of the OVA, Maxim Kozitsky. In total, the area was attacked by five Shahed-type UAVs, all of which were shot down.

08:19 Air defense at night destroyed 19 out of 21 attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type, which Russia attacked from Primorsko-Akhtarsk and from the Crimean Cape Chauda, the Air Force reported. Drones were shot down in Kherson, Nikolaev, Dnepropetrovsk, Kirovograd, Khmelnytsky and Lvov regions. In addition, over the past 24 hours, four Orlan-10 drones were shot down in the Nikolaev direction, two Lancets and one Supercam within the Kherson region.

03:43 The United States is ready to impose new sanctions against China for supporting Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “We are looking at countries that support the Russian defense industrial base, which allows Russia to continue its war, in particular China. As President Biden has made clear, we "The real concern is not that China is supplying weapons to Russia - that's not what they're doing."

Beijing provides critical support to Russia's defense industrial base, he said. Thus, about 70% of machine tools imported by Russia come from China, as well as 90% of microelectronics. “This needs to end. And we are doing and will do everything for this,” Blinken emphasized.

He also said that the NATO summit, which will take place in early July in Washington, will focus on strengthening Ukraine and its victory in the long term.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Political scientist Shapovalov: genocide of the Soviet people is the largest crime in history

2024-06-19

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The genocide of the Soviet people is the largest crime in the history of mankind, and the West has been rapidly trying to rewrite history in recent years,political scientist, board member of the Russian Association of Political Science, and head of EISI projects Vladimir Shapovalov told IA Regnum.

On July 18, a bill was introduced to the State Duma to perpetuate the memory of the victims of the genocide of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War. The initiative is designed to eliminate historical injustice by establishing provisions for perpetuating the memory of civilians who suffered from genocide, along with the defenders of the Fatherland.

“It is important to understand that the genocide of the Soviet people is the largest crime in human history. Many people forget that the majority of dead Soviet citizens were not military personnel, they were civilians killed by the Nazis,” the political scientist emphasized in an interview with Regnum news agency.

He recalled that Russia is faced with a large-scale campaign to falsify history and distort historical truth, which is actively carried out by the West and in which literally the truth becomes a lie and everything is interpreted absolutely based on false premises.

“There is a resolution of the European Parliament dated September 19, 2019, which actually equates the Soviet Union to fascist Germany. There are many words said, including by leaders of the Western community, as well as famous scientists, experts, and politicians, which actually neutralize the feat of the Soviet soldier and the innumerable sacrifices that the Soviet people made. The Western European community is making every effort to whitewash the Nazis and their accomplices, which is generally not surprising, since Nazis of all stripes attacked the Soviet Union and committed war crimes. Not only German fascists, but also representatives of all other European countries committed war crimes en masse,” Shapovalov said.

He also recalled that just recently Finnish President Alexander Stubb announced a Russian “invasion” of the country during World War II, completely forgetting about the policies of segregation, racial segregation and the creation of concentration camps that were characteristic of Finland in 1941. The French division "Charlemagne" on the outskirts of Moscow, the Spanish "Blue Division" on the outskirts of Leningrad, the SS division "Galicia" and others, all representatives of these countries have stained themselves with crimes against humanity, the political scientist pointed out.

In this regard, it is very important not just to preserve historical memory, but to punish criminals, Shapovalov believes.

“The actions that were committed by the Nazis and their accomplices are genocide, this is how the Russian court categorizes these actions absolutely lawfully. At the moment, over 10 rulings and decisions of individual courts in Russia have already been adopted in relation to specific crimes of the fascists and their accomplices. Obviously, there is a need to give this process a general legal, systemic form,” added Vladimir Shapovalov.

In Russia, 19 court decisions have already been made recognizing the crimes of the Nazis and their allies against the civilian Soviet population as genocide, as a result of which about 4 million people suffered. The trials are still ongoing.

Link

Europe

AfD's Maximilian Krah on Europe's political quake

2024-06-17

[AsiaTimes] Maximilian Krah was the Alternative for Germany’s lead candidate for European Parliament, and is one of the most controversial and charismatic personalities in German politics. The AfD (Alternative fur Deutschland) took 16% of German votes in the June 9 election, more than any party in Germany’s present governing coalition, and is expected to poll first in three state elections in September. Born in 1977, Krah left the Christian Democrats in 2016 and was first elected to the European Parliament in 2019. He spoke to Asia Times Editor Uwe Parpart and Deputy Editor David Goldman on June 13. Below is a lightly edited transcript of their discussion.

Q: Maximilian Krah, that was a significant victory — an earthquake, even. It has set off and continues to set off shockwaves. How did it happen? Specifically, what did German voters, your voters, vote for and against?

A: The game changer was the young people. The youngsters made the difference. We saw a 12% increase among voters younger than 24. The left allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to vote, thinking they would support leftist candidates. However, within that group, aged 16 to 24, we gained 12%. We are now the strongest political force among the under-24 demographic, with a total of 17%. This is the game changer because it shows that the future is ours, provided we don’t make mistakes again. We could have done much better if we had adopted more of Donald Trump’s style. During the campaign, I was a victim of some intelligence attacks.

Link

Europe

Ex-French Prez Hollande to Run in Election for Far-Left Popular Front

2024-06-16

[Breitbart] Former French President François Hollande said he will run as a candidate in the snap legislative elections after throwing his support behind the far-left-led “New Popular Front” alliance.

Seven years after leaving office from a presidency mired by Islamic terrorism and economic hardship, François Hollande has returned to the frontlines of French politics, throwing his hat in the ring to once again serve as a deputy in the National Assembly.

Hollande, a longtime member of the Socialist Party, was nominated by the leftist party to represent the so-called “New Popular Front” in the constituency of Corrèze, Le Figaro reports.

“In an exceptional situation, I had to make an exceptional decision,” Hollande said on Saturday, adding: “If I made this decision, it is because I felt that the situation was serious. The danger represented by the extreme right is now proven. How can we remain indifferent?”

While the far-left has been deeply divided over the past several months, particularly in the wake of the October 7th terror attacks on Israel and the rise of antisemitism in France, the Socialist Party, the green Les Écologists, and the French Communist Party announced this week they would partner with the far-left La France Insoumise (France Unbowed/LFI) party of radical leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

The move of partnering with Mélenchon — the leading leftist in the country who is often compared to Bernie Sanders in the U.S. or Jeremy Corbyn in the UK and who has been accused of antisemitism and cosying up to radical Islamists — explained by the more centrist elements of the “New Popular Front” as being necessary to confront the rise of the populist right-wing National Rally of Marine Le Pen, which is predicted to win the snap elections called by President Emmanuel Macron after being trounced by the Le Pen party in the European Parliament elections earlier this month.

Although the New Popular Front — named after the alliance of French leftist parties in 1936 led by Socialist Prime Minister Léon Blum — has won the backing of leading left-wing figures such as former President Hollande, there have been many on the left who have criticised the new alliance.

Former Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who served as François Hollande’s second in command from 2014 to 2016, described the alliance with LFI as a “miserable electoral agreement” and a “moral mistake”.

“The fact that social-democratic and environmentalist parties are signing an agreement with La France Insoumise, whose anti-Semitic remarks, pro-Hamas and long-time pro-Putin positions are known to everyone, outrages me. The mobilisation of the left in the face of the peril of the extreme right, the use of hackneyed historical concepts like the Popular Front – not everyone can be Léon Blum – in no way justify crossing this red line,” Valls told Le Point.

“There is no reason to sign a pact with Jean-Luc Mélenchon and his friends. Everyone has been able to see the political and ethical abyss that should separate the other parties on the left from these people. Mélenchon considered the rise of anti-Semitism in France to be ‘residual’. This should disqualify him forever… It is a sad day for the left.”

Hollande’s decision to join the far-left alliance came as leading critics of Mélenchon were “purged” on Friday from the various leftist parties that comprise the New Popular Front.

Commenting on the cutthroat political manoeuvring, the centre-left Le Monde newspaper wrote: “This has created dissidence from the outset. The move, condemned by Mélenchon’s partners, is yet another sign of the authoritarian and sectarian practices that prevail within LFI. This settling of scores was the worst possible message to send at the dawn of this new union.”

Link

Home Front: Politix

Bill Maher predicts immigration will cause Democrats to lose like in Europe

2024-06-16

[Washington Examiner] Talk show host Bill Maher revealed his own political prediction that the Democratic Party will lose this November due to the border crisis.

Maher’s prediction came after the European Union election results, which showed a wave of major victories for right-wing parties across the continent. France’s National Rally party, Germany’s Alternative for Deutschland party, Spain’s People’s Party, and Italy’s Brothers of Italy party all beat their respective opponents while running on platforms that called for stricter immigration regulations.

"Voters again for the European Parliament said we do not like this much immigration," Maher said on Friday’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher.

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden issued an asylum ban on all immigrants caught crossing the border. The talk show host mocked the criticisms the president received from members of his own party.

"And then they all stand back and go, ’We don’t want to be called a racist. So we will not make a move on to immigration.’ It’s going to get them f***ed on Election Day," Maher said. "It’s happening. It’s happening in Europe right now. That proves it in Europe, and it’s going to happen here in America. It happened with Brexit. It’s going to happen again."

Link

Europe

French protesters denounce far-right ahead of elections; some chant ‘Free Palestine’

2024-06-16

[IsraelTimes] 250,000 people turn out to demonstrate amid fears the vote will produce France’s first far-right government since World War II

Anti-racism groups joined French unions and a brand-new left-wing coalition in protests in Gay Paree and across La Belle France on Saturday against the surging nationalist far right, as frenzied campaigning is underway ahead of snap parliamentary elections.

The French Interior Ministry said 250,000 people turned out to protest, 75,000 of them in Gay Paree. Despite rainy and windy weather, those who fear that the elections will produce La Belle France’s first far-right government since World War II gathered at Place de la Republique before marching through eastern Gay Paree. Up to 21,000 police and gendarmes were deployed.

The protesters held placards reading "Liberty for all, Equality for all and Fraternity with all" — a reference to La Belle France’s national motto — and "Let’s break frontiers, documents for all, no to the immigration bill."

Some chanted "Free Paleostine, viva Paleostina," and wore keffiyeh scarves. Among them was Nour Cekar, a 16-year-old high school student from the Gay Paree region, who has French and Algerian parents and wears the hijab.

"To me, the extreme right is a danger because it supports an ideology based on the fear of the other, whereas we are all French citizens despite our differences," she told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named.

Cekar said she will vote for the left-wing coalition because "it is the only political party that addresses racism and Islamophobia
...the irrational fear that Moslems will act the way they usually do...
."

Police in Gay Paree reported "numerous attempts at damage" by protesters. They said that nine protesters were arrested and three officers were maimed. An AP journalist said police used tear gas against demonstrators who tried to vandalize a bus stop and advertising boards.

In the French Riviera city of Nice, protesters marched down Jean Médecin Avenue, the city’s main shopping street, chanting against the National Rally, its leader Jordan Bardella as well as against President Emmanuel Macron. Local police said 2,500 people took part.

Nice is traditionally a conservative stronghold, but has over the past decade turned firmly in favor of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and her far-right rival Eric Zemmour.

Crowds have been gathering daily ever since the anti-immigration National Rally made historic gains in the European Parliament elections on Sunday, crushing Macron’s pro-business moderates and prompting him to dissolve the National Assembly.

New elections for the lower house of parliament were set in two rounds, for June 30 and July 7. Macron remains president until 2027 and in charge of foreign policy and defense, but his presidency would be weakened if the National Rally wins and takes power of the government and domestic policy.

To prevent the National Rally party from winning the upcoming elections, left-wing parties finally agreed Friday to set aside differences over the wars in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
and Ukraine and form a coalition. They urged French citizens to defeat the far right.

French opinion polls suggest the National Rally — whose founder has been repeatedly convicted of racism and antisemitism — is expected to be ahead in the first round of the parliamentary elections. The party came out on top in the European elections, garnering more than 30% of the vote cast in La Belle France, almost twice as many votes as Macron’s party Renaissance.

Macron’s term is still on for three more years, and he would retain control over foreign affairs and defense regardless of the result of the French parliamentary elections.

But his presidency would be weakened if the National Rally wins, which could put its 28-year-old party leader Bardella on track to become the next prime minister, with authority over domestic and economic affairs.

Link

Europe

Choice of the Euro-poor: she promised to catch Zelensky and got into the European Parliament

2024-06-14

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Igor Ivanenko

[REGNUM] Bulgaria and Romania are the poorest states of the European Union, very dependent on the benevolence of European institutions. And this turns them into an object of manipulation for European politicians of the first magnitude. Predictably, the June 9 elections to the European Parliament in the Lower Danube countries were not without such manipulations.

Link

Europe

Macron's problems and the happiness of bureaucrats. What did the elections to the European Parliament show?

2024-06-13

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Oleg Khavich

[REGNUM] The elections of the European Parliament (EP), which took place in the member countries of the European Union on June 6–9, showed the ability of a kind of “European deep state,” or EU deepstate, to maintain and even strengthen its influence in the face of deteriorating quality of life and rising costs of living for ordinary Europeans.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: June 10, 2024

2024-06-11

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:58 The next meeting in the Ramstein format will take place in person on June 13 at NATO headquarters in Brussels. According to the published program, both the Ramstein meeting and the meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council at the ministerial level will take place on June 13. And on June 15, NATO defense ministers will hold a meeting of the North Atlantic Council and the Nuclear Planning Group.

21:53 Colonel Vadim Sukharevsky has been appointed commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the General Staff reported.

21:44 The Russian anti-submarine ship Admiral Levchenko caught fire in the Barents Sea, said OK Pivden speaker Dmitry Pletenchuk.

21:40 On June 5, the defense forces attacked the Novoshakhtinsky oil products plant in the Rostov region with Ukrainian-made equipment, the General Staff reported. According to intelligence data, as a result of the fire defeat, the enemy lost 1.5 million tons of oil and petroleum products, which is equivalent to about $540 million.

20:37 In Kharkov, the number of victims as a result of today’s Russian shelling by KABs has increased to eight, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. In the Kiev and Saltovsky districts of the city, 70 garages and 22 cars were damaged. One of the munitions did not explode, so people are temporarily evicted from the house for detonation.

20:34 In the Mirgorod district of the Poltava region, one person was injured as a result of a Russian attack, said the head of the OVA, Philip Pronin.

20:28 The Russians hit the village of Tsvetkovo in the Zaporozhye region with four KABs - three people were wounded, several houses were destroyed, said the head of the OVA, Ivan Fedorov.

19:05 The Russian offensive in the Kharkov region has finally fizzled out. The window for a Russian breakthrough is narrowing, Bloomberg writes. Most of Volchansk, which suffered the main blow of the invaders, is controlled by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. For more details, see the article Failure of the Russian attack in the Kharkov region.

18:37 The head of the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands, Kaisa Ollongren, arrived in Kiev on an unannounced visit. “I thanked for the support in strengthening Ukrainian air defense. I noted the initiative of the Netherlands in terms of jointly with partners supplying Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. We also expect the speedy transfer of F-16 aircraft, which will help protect people and infrastructure,” Shmygal said.

18:31 The Russians hit Kharkov with KABs - damage to residential buildings, garages and cars was recorded at different addresses, six people were injured, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. He also noted that the intensity of rocket attacks in Kharkov has generally decreased. According to him, this is a consequence of “a number of comprehensive decisions to protect the city of Kharkov and the region.” At the same time, Sinegubov emphasized that “threats remain, and there is no point in losing vigilance.”

18:19 In the battle for Bakhmut, every third Russian prisoner who was recruited by PMC Wagner died, journalists from the Russian Air Force Service and Mediazona found out. Thus, Prigozhin’s structure recruited at least 48,366 prisoners for the war against Ukraine. During the 327 days of fighting for the city, at least 19,547 fighters died, of whom 17,175 were prisoners and the remaining 2,372 were mercenaries. Journalists received a complete list with personal data of the dead Wagnerites.

18:13 On Tuesday, June 11, hourly power outage schedules will be applied throughout Ukraine from 14:00 to 19:00, Ukrenergo reported.

18:10 A Russian drone attacked Nikopol, Dnepropetrovsk region, one person was injured, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak.

17:58 Switzerland is recording an increase in the number of cyber attacks and disinformation ahead of the Peace Summit, which will take place on June 15-16. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said there was a clear "interest" in disrupting the talks, but avoided answering when asked whether Russia was involved in the attacks.

17:17 A drone hit the occupation administration in Kakhovka, Kherson region, said advisor to the mayor of Mariupol Pyotr Andryushchenko. According to him, there is significant damage to the building, there is no information about the liquidated Russians.

16:30 Putin will visit North Korea and Vietnam in the coming weeks, Russian media write.

15:49 As a result of a night missile attack on Crimea, two S-300 systems and four radar stations were damaged, the opposition Russian publication Astra reports, citing sources in the emergency services of Crimea. One Russian serviceman was killed and six more were wounded.

According to the publication's sources, at least ten ATACMS missiles attacked Crimea at night, none of them were shot down. Four missiles hit the location of the 31st Air Defense Division of the Russian Ministry of Defense in the Dzhankoy region, two radar stations were damaged, and one serviceman was wounded. Another four missiles hit the location of the same division in the Saki region, military equipment was damaged there, its quantity and extent of damage are being established, and another serviceman was wounded.

Two more missiles hit the location of the 31st Air Defense Division of the Russian Ministry of Defense in the Black Sea region, a few kilometers from the village of Gromovo. Two more radars and two S-300 systems were damaged there, one serviceman was killed and four were wounded.

In addition, according to Astra, at the Akhtubinsk military airfield, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces hit the Su-57 multirole fighter on June 8, three employees of the Russian Ministry of Defense were wounded.

14:57 In Shebekino, Belgorod region, four people were blown up by a mine - three “self-defense” fighters and an employee of the propaganda TV channel Russia 24, said Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

14:29 F-16 fighters and their airfields outside Ukraine will become a “legitimate target” for the Russian military if they participate in combat missions, said the head of the defense committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Andrei Kartapolov.

13:38 The Russians hit the KAB in the Dergachiv community of the Kharkov region - one person was killed, two were injured, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov.

13:02 The Russians have deployed barrage detachments from Kadyrov’s men in the Kharkov region, said Nazar Voloshin, speaker of the OSGV Khortitsa: “The enemy adheres to the tactic of deploying barrage detachments, from among the personnel of this Akhmat unit. Of course, they will be placed somewhere on the borders or near the borders with the north Kharkov region". Voloshin added that the Russian Army suffered serious losses in this direction and is now forced to maneuver reserves, move units and replenish its forces with reserves from the Airborne Forces, as well as the 11th and 44th Army Corps of the Russian Federation.

12:55 Tonight, the Defense Forces attacked the S-400 anti-aircraft missile division in the Dzhankoy area, as well as two enemy S-300 anti-aircraft missile divisions near Chernomorskoye and Yevpatoria, the General Staff reported. Not a single one of the missiles fired was intercepted by Russian air defense, according to the General Staff. In particular, in the indicated areas after the strikes, an immediate cessation of operation of the radars of the S-300/S-400 complexes was recorded. In addition, further detonation of ammunition was noted in all three areas of the starting positions of anti-aircraft missile battalions of the Russian Federation.

12:41 90 states have registered for the peace summit in Switzerland, President Viola Amherd said: “As of today, 90 states have registered, half of which are from Europe and North America, the other half from South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.”

12:33 The Ukrainian Navy does not confirm the information about the defeat of a Russian large landing ship in the Sea of Azov, said speaker Dmitry Pletenchuk. “There was a report about the defeat of a large landing ship in the Sea of Azov, but we do not confirm this information,” he noted.

Earlier, information appeared in the media that a Russian landing ship was allegedly attacked in the Sea of Azov on June 8.

11:58 Relatives of prisoners of war will receive notifications from the Coordination Headquarters in Dii, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mikhail Fedorov. He emphasized that the families of prisoners of war and civilians held captive by Russia, as well as the families of missing persons, are vulnerable, and Russians often take advantage of this and send incriminating messages asking for money in exchange for “release from captivity.” Spammers also speculate on this topic.

Now, in the event of the disappearance of a military man, relatives must leave a statement in their personal account on the website of the Coordination Headquarters, after which Diya will receive notifications from this office that the statement has been confirmed, information has been added to the case, and the person has been released from captivity.

11:52 In the Sumy region, the Defense Forces are completely in control of the situation, Zelensky said following a conversation with Syrsky. According to the president, the activity of Russian sabotage groups continues, and in Ryzhevka the Russians tried to carry out a “propaganda operation.” As of this morning, the Russian flag in the village was destroyed, there is no enemy presence.

Counterstrike operations continue in the Kharkov region. It is most difficult in the Donetsk region - the Ukrainian Defense Forces are doing everything to stabilize and protect positions. In the southern directions, the situation is generally unchanged; the Defense Forces continue to strengthen their positions.

10:44 Some F-16 fighters will be based at air bases not in Ukraine, Sergei Golubtsov, head of aviation at the Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said in an interview with Radio Liberty. According to him, this will be done to ensure that planes, in particular, do not become targets at Ukrainian bases. In addition, it will be a reserve for replacing faulty aircraft and during routine maintenance. Golubtsov also said that Ukraine will be presented with modernized F-16 fighters for the use of precision weapons.

10:35 The situation in the Sumy region is not the beginning of a Russian offensive, said the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council Andrey Kovalenko. According to him, the Russians tried to test the defense in the direction of Ryzhevka, which is a “satellite” of the Russian Tetkino. There are no active actions in the border areas yet; the Defense Forces are monitoring the situation.

10:28 After winning the elections to the European Parliament, the European People's Party will build a “broad majority for a strong Europe” with pro-European and pro-Ukrainian forces, said the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. According to her, the EPP will begin negotiations on forming a coalition with the European Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and the Renew Europe party. “With these forces, the EPP political group has worked well over the past five years and looks forward to continuing the constructive and already proven good relationship,” she added.

09:59 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has calculated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces can hit only 16% of Russian territory with Western weapons. Analysts note that most of the enemy rear is still in the safe zone: this will not be able to reduce the scale of further Russian attacks on border Ukraine.

09:34 In the Donetsk region over the past 24 hours, one person was killed as a result of Russian shelling - in Chasovoy Yar, said the head of the OBA Vadim Filashkin.

09:22 The Russians fired at the village of Kupyansk-Uzlovoy, Kharkov region, at night, one person was wounded, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA.

08:56 In the Kherson region over the past 24 hours, as a result of Russian shelling, two people were injured and two private houses were damaged, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin.

08:27 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of June 10:

personnel - about 519,750 (+1190) people,

tanks - 7879 (+10),

armored combat vehicles - 15,144 (+13),

artillery systems - 13,644 (+51),

MLRS - 1098 (+1),

air defense systems - 837 (+1),

aircraft - 358 (+1),

helicopters - 326 (+0),

UAV of operational-tactical level - 11 010 (+28),

cruise missiles - 2278 (+1),

ships/boats - 28 (+0),

submarines - 1 (+0),

automotive equipment and tank trucks - 18,618 (+56),

special equipment - 2267 (+14).

07:39 In Nikopol, Dnepropetrovsk region, one person was injured as a result of one of yesterday’s Russian attacks. Two infrastructure facilities and two private houses were damaged, said the head of the OVA, Sergei Lysak.

07:24 Ukrainian Armed Forces drones attacked a tugboat and a barge in the Taganrog Bay, writes the Russian telegram channel Baza. According to him, the attack on the tug Engineer Smirnov and the barge Section-179 took place on the evening of June 8. The tug's captain reported that as a result of the attack, the barge had minor damage above the waterline, and the tug's windows were broken. Two crew members received minor shrapnel wounds. The tug's performance was not lost, and the captain decided to return to the port of Azov in the Rostov region.

01:18 The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, allegedly announced the seizure of the village of Ryzhevka, Sumy region, which is located near the border, next to the Russian village of Tetkino. The head of the Belopol community, Yuri Zarko, said that there are no Russian troops in Ryzhevka.

DeepState analysts write that from 2022 to the present day, the situation in the village of Ryzhevka has remained unchanged - there was practically no Ukrainian Armed Forces there, and the village is a gray zone where Russian DRGs regularly entered. “Ryzhevka’s problem is geographical. The village is across the river and was actually a satellite of the village of Tetkino. There is no great practicality in sending forces there, because in this case it is necessary to control Tetkino as well,” says the DeepState message.

Link

Europe

Four Musketeers. Who really rules France and dissolved parliament?

2024-06-11

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Oleysa Orlenko

[REGNUM] Emmanuel Macron's decision to dissolve the National Assembly after his party's defeat in the European Parliament elections sounded like a bolt from the blue. Questions naturally arise about when exactly the president made this decision and why now. In the European Parliament elections held on June 9, the leading party from France was the National Rally, which received twice as many votes as President Macron’s Renaissance.

Link

Europe

Far-right scores big gains in the EU election in Germany

2024-06-10

[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

The far-right scores big gains in the EU election in #Germany, according to an exit poll, as initial estimates start trickling in for a ballot likely to shift the European parliament rightwards and boost the numbers of eurosceptics. https://t.co/ltZRmbAwPJ
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) June 9, 2024

Far-right parties made striking gains in European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
elections on Sunday, while the ultimate losers were French President Emmanuel Macron and the Greens.

Here are five takeaways from the vote which saw Europe’s centrist political groups emerge relatively unscathed and higher turnout than in 2019 among the bloc’s 27 states.

FAR RIGHT AHEAD
Europe’s far-right parties were winners in many places, coming out on top in La Belle France, Italia and Austria, while Germany’s AfD came second -- but still ahead of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD party -- and the hard-right also did well in the Netherlands.

But experts warned against reading too much into their success.

"The far right did well but not excellent -- let’s not forget these are second order elections," said La Belle Francesco Nicoli, a visiting fellow at Bruegel think tank.

"We cannot say that this is a very, very significant push as things stand," Christine Verger, vice chair of Jacques Delors think tank said. "There may be movements within the political groups. We don’t know where some MEPs will end up."

A big question being raised is whether two main far-right groups in the parliament -- Identity and Democracy (ID) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) -- can unite, creating a supergroup.

Verger dismissed that notion out of hand.

"I absolutely do not believe in a unification, it is out of the question for ID and ECR to merge," she told AFP.

The ECR includes Italian far-right prime minister Giorgia Meloni, whose Brothers of Italia party came top in the elections.

As to the far right’s likely impact on lawmaking in the European Parliament, experts appeared sanguine.

"The rising number of far right MEPs will likely have only a limited impact on the EU," predicted expert Marta Lorimer. "They do not form a blocking minority."

WEAKER MACRON
The biggest single loser of the elections was Macron after his liberal party received a drubbing by La Belle France’s National Rally led by Marine Le Pen.

The French president responded by swiftly dissolving La Belle France’s national parliament and calling for snap elections.

"La Belle France remains a large country with a president who has a lot of power," Verger said.

As the head of a major EU member state, Macron will remain an important player on the European stage.

But she said the poor election performance of his Renaissance party would see it "lose some influence" within the Renew grouping that it belongs to, and the parliament in general.

RETURN OF VON DER LEYEN
Analysts agreed it was a pretty good night for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who hopes to secure a second five-year mandate after the vote.

She will need the support of both the EU’s 27 leaders and the new parliament -- and in the latter respect the data suggests von der Leyen can breathe a sigh of relief.

Her party, the European People’s Party (EPP), remains the parliament’s biggest grouping and experts predicted she would be able to get the extra votes she needs.

Based on preliminary results, Nicoli said she could rely on the support of the Socialists and Democrats

...every time you hear the phrase white people, white supremacy, white anything but paint, you're listening to a Democrat. Ask him/her/it to reimagine something for you; they do that a lot, though not well. They can hear a dog whistle a mile or two away. They invented the spoils system and Tammany Hall, and inspired the addition of the word (Thomas) Nasty to the English language. They want to stop continental drift and repeal the law of unintended side effects...
"with a choice between liberals, ECR and Greens as junior partner" -- and could deal with 20 defections or more in each scenario.

"I think the elections could have been worse for her."

WILTING GREENS
It was a disappointing night for the Greens political group, which is on course to lose around 20 EU politicians -- in a result that came as little surprise.

"Greens are the clear losers, and so is Macron, but again these were trends clearly evident before," Nicoli said.

European concerns about security and the cost of living following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022, and other issues including migration, displaced the environement as a voter concern.

"The Greens have not been very well placed to answer those demands," Nicoli added.

And all across Europe, right-wing opponents have successfully channelled discontent into anger at the EU’s environmental push of recent years.

But Greens’ EU politician Bas Eickhout saw the results as a "mixed bag" -- and "a bit more nuanced than just saying it’s a big loss".

He pointed to the Greens’ success in the Netherlands and Spain as well as smaller countries in the north and Baltics, including Denmark and Lithuania.

HIGHER TURNOUT
Around 360 million people could vote in the elections and in welcome news, turnout was the highest in 20 years at around 51 percent, according to provisional EU data.

"The good news for democracy is that the turnout looks likely to be above half of the electorate, although that is still below participation rates for national elections, and very low in countries such as Slovakia and Lithuania," said Heather Grabbe, a senior fellow at Bruegel.

Link

Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$T in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 132
-12 More