Diplomacy & Crisis News

Le Liban accueille 1,1 million de réfugiés syriens, l'équivalent d'un quart de sa population. Afin de désamorcer les tensions sur le terrain, les associations se mobilisent pour que les enfants ne reproduisent pas les préjugés de leurs parents. / Liban, Proche-Orient, Syrie, Action humanitaire, (...) / Liban, Proche-Orient, Syrie, Action humanitaire, Christianisme, Conflit, Immigrés, Islam, Jeunes, Migrations, ONG, Racisme, Réfugiés, Religion, Solidarité, Associations - 2015/11

L’hebdomadaire Réforme a récemment publié un article consacré aux primaires américaines, s’appuyant pour cela sur deux articles de Laurence Nardon : le premier, « Présidentielles américaines : ce que nous disent les primaires », paru dans le dernier numéro de Politique étrangère (4/2015) ; le second, « États-Unis : la démocratie est-elle soluble dans l’argent ? », publié dans le rapport annuel de l’Ifri, RAMSES 2016 .

« […] Dans un article publié dans la revue Politique étrangère et intitulé « Présidentielles américaines : ce que nous disent les primaires », Laurence Nardon, politologue à l’Institut français des relations internationales (Ifri), insiste sur la recherche d’« authenticité » des électeurs américains, qui explique en partie la popularité actuelle de Donald Trump et de Bernie Sanders. « Donald Trump, dans sa violence rhétorique, et Bernie Sanders, dans son idéalisme, refusent tout discours calculé », note la chercheuse, qui estime par ailleurs que la similitude entre ces deux candidats – tous deux se méfient des machines de campagnes, des déclarations soupesées et des donateurs qu’il faudra remercier – est révélatrice d’un « sentiment de fatigue » de l’électorat face à une politique perçue comme « trop prudente et calculatrice ». Cela dit, tant Trump que Sanders, si l’un ou l’autre était investi, peineraient à s’imposer face à un candidat plus centriste. Leur programme (pour Sanders) ou leur personnalité (pour Trump) leur assurent en effet l’inimitié d’une majorité de l’électorat. […] »

Pour lire l’article de Louis Fraysse en intégralité, cliquez ici.

(Own report) - Berlin is taking steps to possibly end sanctions against Russia. Today, almost one year after the signing of the Minsk II Agreement - whose full implementation is still considered as a prerequisite for ending the sanctions - the Bavarian Prime Minster, Horst Seehofer is expected to arrive in Moscow for talks on promoting the renewal of German-Russian business relations. Seehofer can build on decades of Bavarian-Russian cooperation. His visit to Moscow is closely coordinated with Germany's federal government. The EU and NATO are also involved in Berlin's cooperation efforts. Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel also increased pressure on Ukraine's President, Petro Poroshenko to finally obtain approval from Kiev's parliament for the constitutional amendment providing Eastern Ukraine's special status, as agreed upon in the Minsk II Agreement. Until now, nationalists and fascists have prevented this measure.

The outlook for many BRICS nations does not look positive in 2016. With the exception of India, Brazil and Russia’s commodities-based economies will fail to grow significantly as China’s once resource hungry economy continues to slow.

The effect of the 2014-15 oil crash has had a negative effect on many oil exporting countries, and along with the BRICS, slow growth seems to have become the norm in much of Latin America and many other developing nations.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics was seen as China’s festival that marked its return as a major player on the world stage. The Olympic Games were there to flaunt around its economic success, despite it not having any measurable factor in China’s growth.

FIFA and the Olympic Committee sought to bring crowds into Brazil in 2014 and now in 2016. Since 2014, corruption and scandals have turned Brazil’s once claimed economic miracle into a mess. Corruption within its national oil company executives with links to Brazil’s governing party has turned popular opinion against the current elected government.

The FIFA World Cup highlighted the rift between internationally oriented elites and average Brazilians. Although essential economic and social issues continue to plague the country, the Rio Olympics are still on schedule to happen this year, to the detriment of Brazil’s deep economic recession.

Organizing any sort of international event in the midst of corruption and economic troubles is an unacceptable decision that often leads to little benefit for the average citizens. While the Olympic Committee seeks to broaden its appeal and host events in developing nations, there is no justifiable or studied measure to plan or adjust the obligations on host nations that fall on bad economic times.

Brazilians do not ask for a party when the government is rapidly accumulating massive debt. If the political class and elites of a society seek such projects, it is a clear sign that international prestige takes precedence over local necessities.

No Olympics should be allowed to take place when local citizens lose their homes, their health care or their rights as citizens. If this basic moral obligation cannot be met by FIFA or the Olympic Committee, imposing costs locals while sending the benefits abroad, then the Olympic spirit may already be extinguished. The upcoming Rio 2016 Olympic Games makes this point excessively clear.

The post Meeting International Obligations at All Costs: Rio 2016 appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

Les intellectuels français sont-ils « néoréacs » ? A-t-on encore le droit de débattre ? A intervalles réguliers, des journalistes et essayistes transforment ce genre de questions creuses en controverses nationales. A mesure qu'ils perdent leurs moyens d'informer sous l'effet des concentrations (...) / France, Audiovisuel, Idées, Idéologie, Intellectuels, Médias, Presse - 2015/11

Dans cette tribune, le président du Secours populaire français rappelle les dix droits essentiels des enfants défendus par son association. / France, Action humanitaire, Droit international, Enfance, Jeunes, Loisirs, ONG, Solidarité, Associations, Droits de l'enfant, Droit international humanitaire (...) / France, Action humanitaire, Droit international, Enfance, Jeunes, Loisirs, ONG, Solidarité, Associations, Droits de l'enfant, Droit international humanitaire - 2015/11

Hay cosas que el Gobierno y las FARC no podrían hacer por sí solos, y esto justifica la presencia de Naciones Unidas. Pero quedan preguntas y asuntos por resolver en los próximos días.

The month saw an intensification of Yemen’s war, amid heightened regional rivalries between Saudi Arabia and Iran complicating prospects for peace. Political tensions increased in Haiti, Guinea-Bissau and Moldova, where protests over endemic corruption and a lack of confidence in the government could escalate. In Africa, Boko Haram’s deadly attacks increased in northern Cameroon, and Burkina Faso was hit by an unprecedented terror attack. On the nuclear front, in East Asia, North Korea’s announcement that it had carried out a successful hydrogen bomb test was roundly condemned, while nuclear-related sanctions on Iran were rolled back in accordance with the July 2015 deal.

Iowa Caucuses open. Argentina to introduce settlement offer. U.S. economy slows. Nations of TPP sign pact. Peace efforts in Syria continue. All in this Week’s Risk Outlook.

Iowa Caucuses Open Official 9-Month U.S. Presidential Election Season

Today, Iowa voters will head to schools, churches, and homes to cast their votes for the Democratic and Republican presidential Iowa caucus. Being the first state in the United States to hold the nominating contest for the presidential election, Iowa has always had an outsize influence in presidential elections and candidates in both parties have aggressively courted Iowa voters.

Donald Trump and Secretary Hillary Clinton, the respective frontrunners of the Republican and Democratic Party nominations, are both under significant pressure to eke out a victory in today’s caucuses. Should either of them fall short, the upstart challengers for both candidates (Senators Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders) would gain a significant media boost ahead of next week’s New Hampshire primary on February 9 and subsequent South Carolina primary and Nevada caucus.

Most recent polls have shown Donald Trump ahead of Senator Cruz in Iowa (although Senator Marco Rubio has risen in the polls too), with more moderate candidates occupying the next slots down. On the Democratic side, polls have been mixed: some have seen support for Senator Sanders exceed that of Secretary Clinton, while others have shown that she continues to maintain an edge. After the Iowa caucuses, however, Senator Cruz and Sanders face divergent paths. Although Sanders is the odds-on favorite to win the New Hampshire primary, Senator Cruz does not appear to be polling particularly well in the state, which tends to favor more moderate Republican candidates.

Some of the big questions to watch for as election results come in: will any Republican candidates drop out of the race following a poor showing? Will Senator Sanders be able to pick up sufficient support beyond the largely white states of New Hampshire and Iowa to create a broad coalition to gain the Democratic nomination? How will Secretary Clinton and Trump respond to their respective showings in the caucuses, and will this dent momentum for either of them?

Argentina to Introduce Settlement Offer to Holdout Creditors

On Monday, Argentina’s Secretary of Finance Luis Caputo will present a settlement offer to the holdout creditors of Argentina’s defaulted 2001 debts to the New York mediator between the Argentine government and major New York hedge funds. The holdout creditors may deliver their own offer, but were miffed during the last meeting when the Argentine government refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding the offers.

The offer by the Finance Ministry represents the first serious offer by the Argentine government to resolve this issue, following multiple failed attempts by the Kirchner administration to work around the U.S. court system to pay non-holdout creditors. Should the offer by the Argentine government be accepted or a compromise reached, Argentina will be able to access international credit that has been shut off since Judge Griesa’s order freezing market access until the holdout issue is resolved.

This could allow Argentina to avoid a slip into recession this year as President Macri moves quickly to reduce Argentina’s trade and tax barriers to advance investment and growth in the country. Key commodity prices (including soybeans) have fallen in value over the past 6 months and have constrained government finances and consumer spending. Additionally, Argentina’s two largest trade partners, Brazil and China, are both experiencing economic headwinds, further limiting Argentina’s growth potential. A deal with holdout creditors could bring Argentina back to sovereign debt markets and move South America’s third largest economy forward.

U.S. Data Could Dim Economic Prospects After Slow 4th Quarter Growth

On Monday, the U.S. Commerce Department will release consumer spending figures for households for December 2015, with many economists projecting a fall in growth momentum. This data will likely be paired with a further contraction in manufacturing in January for a third straight month, to be reported by the Institute for Supply Management.

Although a few world economies (including India and the UK) appear to be performing at or above economic expectations, the downwind forces affecting China, Brazil, Russia, Canada, and other major commodity producers has left the world economy in a relatively fragile position.

The strength of the U.S. economy is fundamentally important in preventing the world from descending into another major recession, making market reactions to such developments particularly important at this time. Stock markets have fallen precipitously over the past several months on continually falling oil prices and growth concerns in China.

Solid growth numbers (or at least numbers less pessimistic than estimates) could help bolster perceptions that the U.S. economy is improving following last week’s announcement that growth for the 4th quarter last year had been a disappointing 0.7%.

Otherwise, consumer spending and manufacturing statistics will support the argument that the world economy is slowing and may be headed for another recession.

Given the politically decisive timing (with presidential, congressional, gubernatorial and state legislative elections in November), poor economic figures could also have significant spillover effects into the U.S. political scene.

TPP Nations to Sign Pact, with Complex Ratification Path Ahead

On Thursday, representatives of the 12 countries that constitute the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) are slated to sign onto the accord in Auckland, New Zealand. Legislative ratification, however, could be a complex affair for many of the Pacific Rim countries.

Canada’s new government has not yet indicated whether it will fully support the agreement’s ratification. Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland has said the government would sign the agreement to move the process forward, but has been non-committal on ratification.

The United States has congressional elections in November, and most major candidates in both parties for President have come out against the trade pact.

Additionally, Peru is slated to have April presidential and Assembly elections and Japan’s upper house will have its own elections in June. Left-leaning political parties in New Zealand as well as Australia are pushing members to oppose ratification of the agreement, and Malaysia’s ruling government is undergoing an expanding corruption scandal.

Ultimately, this means 12 countries with extremely complex political and economic obstacles will need to ratify this agreement, although it may enter into force if a sufficient number of countries (85% of GDP, meaning at the very least Japan, the United States, and Canada) sign it first.

Negotiations on Syria Continue in Rome and Amsterdam

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Kerry, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and coalition partners will meet in Rome to discuss efforts to counter Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria. This will be followed by a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Friday in Amsterdam to discuss peace talks in Syria and Libya.

It is difficult to gauge whether any serious developments may unfold in the course of talks, particularly considering many major opposition groups are concerned that the United States and Russia may seek to impose peace terms on the rebels. Significant roadblocks in peace talks have hardened, while the humanitarian situation in Syria has gained significant international attention and criticism. The Assad government has received condemnation over the blockades of several rebel-held cities, which has led to widespread starvation and may be a sign of war crimes by the government.

This article was originally published by Global Risk Insights and written by GRI analyst Brian Daigle.

The post Weekly Risk Outlook appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

« La maison gothique où il vivait avec sa mère possédait plusieurs combles, et Joseph Skizzen avait décidé de consacrer l'un d'eux aux ouvrages et aux coupures de journaux qui composaient son autre passe-temps : le musée de l'Inhumanité. » Le musée de quoi ? Des rites barbares, des lynchages, des viols (...) / États-Unis, Culture, Idées, Littérature, Fiction - 2015/11

Le premier s'est éteint il y a vingt-cinq ans, mais son esprit demeure plus que jamais vivant. Comédien, metteur en scène, traducteur et pédagogue, directeur du Théâtre national de Chaillot puis administrateur de la Comédie-Française, homme d'intervention tant sur le plan théâtral que politique, (...) / Allemagne, France, Portugal, Culture, Idées, Personnalités, Théâtre - 2015/11

Nel corso dell’ultimo anno i movimenti estremisti violenti hanno ottenuto alcune impressionanti vittorie. Il gruppo Stato islamico (Is) ha consolidato il suo controllo su una larga porzione dell’Iraq e della Siria, attirando decine di migliaia di stranieri, affermandosi in altri territori ed effettuando attentati terroristici in Medio Oriente e altrove. Le succursali di Al Qaeda in luoghi come Yemen, Siria e Somalia si dimostrano resistenti e in certi casi più forti che mai.

Alors que s’ouvrent officiellement les primaires américaines avec le caucus de l’Iowa, aujourd’hui 1er février 2016, Laurence Nardon, responsable du programme « États-Unis » à l’Ifri et auteur de l’article « Présidentielles américaines : ce que nous disent les primaires » paru dans le numéro d’hiver 2015 de Politique étrangère (4/2015), a accepté de répondre à trois questions en exclusivité pour politique-etrangere.com.

Quels sont les principaux points à retenir du deuxième mandat de Barack Obama ?

Après avoir usé son capital politique de premier mandat à faire adopter une réforme de la santé, Barack Obama, peu intéressé et maladroit à gérer les questions partisanes avec le Congrès a préféré agir en politique intérieure pendant son second mandat en utilisant la voie exécutive. Il a ainsi pu prendre des mesures dans le domaine de l’immigration (pour l’instant bloquées par des recours juridiques), de l’environnement, et plus récemment dans le domaine du port d’arme.

En politique étrangère, Obama aura été un président très intellectuel, développant une analyse poussée des problèmes et élaborant des solutions idéales de façon abstraite. C’est ainsi que l’idée du pivot vers l’Asie est tout à fait rationnelle au début du XXIe siècle, mais se heurte dans les faits à la baisse des budgets militaires et à la permanence du chaos au Moyen-Orient.

Les négociations nucléaires avec l’Iran ont été conduites sur l’idée, là aussi très intéressante, de rééquilibrer l’opposition des forces sunnites et chiites au Moyen-Orient, en faisant de l’Iran un partenaire de nouveau fréquentable. Dans les faits, et même si l’accord approche de son « jour de mise en œuvre » (implementation day), il déstabilise pour l’instant l’Arabie Saoudite, ce qui ajoute au chaos général de la région, et inquiète Israël.

Dans la campagne actuelle, Donald Trump accapare l’attention des médias. Qui sont les autres candidats du côté républicain ?

Il reste encore douze candidats républicains en lice à l’heure où démarrent les primaires officielles. Les prétendants à l’investiture du Grand Old Party (GOP) se placent à différents niveaux sur l’échelle du conservatisme, entre candidats plutôt centristes (mainstream) et candidats radicaux – même si tous ont radicalisé leur discours pour tenter de coller aux outrances de Donald Trump, notamment sur l’immigration.

Derrière Trump, Ted Cruz et Marco Rubio semblent les mieux placés. Si Rubio est sur une ligne mainstream comparable à celle de Jeb Bush ou de Chris Christie, Ted Cruz est le plus conservateur de tous sur les questions de morale religieuse. Ben Carson, le neurochirurgien noir, était sur la même ligne. Ayant connu un moment de succès à l’automne, il est maintenant retombé dans les intentions de vote.

La candidature de Trump reste le phénomène de cette campagne. Il s’est maintenu en tête malgré les prédictions de tous les experts, grimpant dans les sondages à chaque nouvel éclat. Ses propositions restent floues, mais on peut voir qu’à part l’immigration, sur laquelle il se montre extrêmement xénophobe, ses idées sont en réalité assez modérées. Divorcé plusieurs fois et peu pratiquant, il n’est pas un conservateur moral. Sur la politique étrangère, il est sur une ligne pragmatique et peu interventionniste. Sur l’économie, enfin, certaines de ses propositions, fiscales notamment, sont plus favorables à la classe moyenne qu’à la finance. C’est sans doute l’une des raisons de son succès.

Hillary Clinton a-t-elle une réelle chance de devenir la première présidente des États-Unis ?

Il est toujours risqué de faire des prédictions.

Hillary Clinton est en effet bien placée, même si elle va connaître des moments difficiles au début des primaires : les deux premiers états à voter (Iowa et New Hampshire) sont en effet des États à majorité blanche, dans lesquels son challenger démocrate, le « socialiste » autoproclamé Bernie Sanders est favori. Les états suivants, Nevada et Caroline du Sud à forte communauté respectivement latino et noire, lui seront sans doute plus propices.

Dans l’élection nationale, à partir de l’été, elle serait bien placée face à un candidat républicain radical (Cruz) ou repoussoir (Trump). Marco Rubio ou Jeb Bush seraient plus difficiles à battre car ils sont sur le même terrain centriste qu’elle.

Reste la possibilité d’un effondrement de sa candidature, soit par un dérapage de la candidate, mal géré par sa communication, soit pour un souci de santé. C’est apparemment pour cette raison que Martin O’Malley, le troisième candidat à l’investiture démocrate, qui n’a jamais dépassé 3,5 % dans les sondages nationaux, ne jette pas l’éponge. On entend dire également que Joe Biden pourrait revenir dans la course s’il arrivait quelque chose à Hillary Clinton.

S’abonner à Politique étrangère.

(Own report) - Within the EU, the mounting pressure to ward off refugees, is intensifying the debate about a possible dismantling of the Schengen system. It is yet unclear, whether Berlin can reach its objective of stopping refugees at the external borders of Greece to be immediately deported to Turkey. Alternately, attempts are being made to turn Macedonia into a buffer state against refugees, while threatening Greece's exclusion from the Schengen system. The establishment of a "Mini-Schengen" is being considered as an emergency solution. Even while officially continuing to reject such a "Mini-Schengen," the German government is already involved in its planning, which the Netherlands is officially directing. Any option beyond effectively sealing off Greece's external borders, i.e. abandoning part of the Schengen-system, would be a first retreat - with unforeseeable consequences. According to observers, this could seriously weaken the EU.

« Vous voulez ressembler aux Muses/Inspirez, mais n'écrivez pas. » La phrase est de Ponce-Denis Ecouchard-Lebrun, homme de lettres sous la Révolution. Sa consœur Constance Pipelet (1767-1845) lui répond en 1797 avec son Epître aux femmes, qui affirme que « différence n'est pas infériorité ». Les femmes (...) / Argentine, France, Femmes, Histoire, Mouvement de contestation, Personnalités, Politique, Syndicalisme, Travail, Mouvement de libération - 2015/11

Les grands écrivains sont aussi de grands peintres : ils font jaillir les couleurs du néant. L'an passé, on avait découvert Paul Lynch, né à Limerick en 1977, avec son premier roman, Un ciel rouge, le matin (Albin Michel), une histoire de vengeance dans le nord-ouest rural de l'Irlande au début du (...) / République d'Irlande, Agriculture, Culture, Immigrés, Littérature, Fiction - 2015/11

Jean Douassot s'était depuis longtemps éclipsé ; Fred Deux, né en 1924, nous a quittés en septembre. Le premier était le pseudonyme qu'avait choisi le second à la demande de René Julliard, son éditeur, afin que l'écrivain se distingue du peintre. C'est donc sous le nom de Jean Douassot qu'est publié en (...) / France, Art, Culture, Littérature, Pauvreté, Personnalités, Violence, Peinture, Autobiographie - 2015/11

En rétablissant l'autorité et les finances de l'Etat russe, le président Vladimir Poutine a su gagner la confiance de la population, malgré les dérives autocratiques. Mais la question du chauffage urbain montre que la restauration des capacités d'investissement public ne s'accompagne pas d'une mise à (...) / Russie, Capitalisme, Écologie, Économie, Énergie, Politique, Matières premières, Privatisation - 2014/06

Talking with a Venezuelan seeking political asylum in the U.S., we asked her why she was leaving her country. “Venezuela does not offer a future anymore” she said. It once did.

Chavez’s 21st century socialism has failed and (sadly) has pushed Venezuela to the brink of one of the major humanitarian crisis in the region. There goes another lost decade for a Latin American country.

Between 2004 and 2008, Venezuela experienced an economic miracle. Its economy grew 10% per year on average, while GDP per capita expanded by 26%. Now Venezuela is going backwards. By 2018, the country is expected to return to the GDP levels of 2005, but with an additional 6 million people, a 20% population increase. Thus, GDP per capita will fall to 2000 levels by 2018, as if 18 years of economic activity had never occurred.

Venezuela’s economic crisis will have unprecedented consequences in terms of poverty. Encovi, a local survey on life conditions shows that in 2015, 76% of Venezuelans lived in poverty, up from 52% in 2014. The extremely poor increased by 9 million through 2015, or 25% of the population.[i] The local universities conducting the survey warn that this is a conservative estimate, for they are only assuming a 170% inflation.

Source: LATAM PM with data from IMF and ENCOVI 2015

On October 15 of 2014, surrounded by supporters of the PSUV and with a loud round of applause, President Maduro announced a 30% increase in the minimum wage bringing it in VEF$9,648.2 a month—or $9.95 taking the 968.8 USD/VEF exchange rate used in black market by most Venezuelans. The problem is that with the 205% inflation estimated for 2015 by the local think tank Ecoanalítica, a monthly food basket now costs eight times the minimum wage according to the NGO Center for Documentation and Social Analysis (CENDAS). The IMF estimates that inflation could reach 720% this year.

Venezuela based its economic model on public expenditure supported by oil revenues, which constituted 96% of the total country’s exports in 2014. According to ING Group, Venezuela needs a $125-dollar barrel to balance its budget, but its mix currently trades at around $24. Venezuela has no money; this is problematic in a country that imports pretty much everything. The port of Guaira, one of the main three trade ports in the country, now looks empty.

Source: LATAM PM with Google Earth images

Tariffs and price controls have also triggered shortages of food and essential products. CENDAS reported at the end of 2015 that 38% of the products that form the basic food basket are not available in the stores anymore. This includes milk, beef, poultry, sugar, wheat flour, pasta, sardines and canned tuna. Last year, the Venezuelan Pharmaceutical Federation reported that 70% of medicines are in short supply.

The drastic deterioration of life conditions is the reason why Venezuelans voted to end the hegemonic control of the PSUV, giving the opposition control of the National Assembly. However, in recent days, there has been an increasing confrontation between the two sides. The Assembly wants to pass an amnesty law for political prisoners. Maduro threatens to veto it. Following the initiative, Maduro declared a state of economic emergency—promptly blocked by the Assembly. The current political impasse has done little to provide any sign of relief for Venezuela’s economic implosion.

Now, the most important question is whether or not the opposition’s supermajority in the Assembly will call a referendum on Maduro’s continuity later this year. The opposition (MUD), formed by a coalition of more than 20 parties, is showing a lack of unity on the issue. Without the support of every single MUD’s deputy, the referendum will not be held. In the meantime, Maduro has threatened to take the fight to the streets, if necessary.

LATAM PM’s View: With or without referendum, the probability of a major social and political crisis will continue to grow, which in turn could have important implications for the region. Wealthy Venezuelans are already leaving their country in search of opportunities in Colombia and Ecuador. But as life conditions deteriorate fast, the risk of a mass exodus increases too.

[i] Extremely poor people are defined as those who do not have the income to eat 2,200 calories every day. Poor are those who cannot acquire that same basic basket plus essential services such as electricity and transport.

This article was originally published by LATAM PM

The post Going Backwards: The Crisis in Venezuela appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

The refugee crisis is morphing into one about the very nature of the European project. This is far more critical for the Union than the euro crisis, which, ultimately, could be resolved with a show of financial solidarity and money. The refugee issue, however, strikes at the heart of the values that underpin EU members’ core political solidarity.