Feed aggregator

According to Defense Ministry, Russia will show off its latest designs in military unmanned ground and aerial vehicles at the inaugural Army-2015 international forum.

The spectre of a British exit from the European Union has begun to recede, although it has far from vanished.

The surprise result of the UK general election that is returning the governing Conservative party to power for another five years suggests that Britain’s voters prefer the devil they know to the devil they don’t. That may well apply to EU membership too.

The question-mark over the UK’s future within the EU had been widely seen throughout continental Europe as key to this election, yet it figured hardly at all as an issue. It posed too many awkward issues for the country’s mainstream political parties, and was therefore pushed aside by their focus on domestic economic and social problems.

The main message of the UK election result is that British voters do not welcome the fragmentation of the political system and the birth of smaller parties leading to a new era of coalition governments. That doesn’t mean that the debate over shifting to some form of proportional representation is over, but it does suggest that the British electorate favours the stability of its traditional ‘first past the post’ system that favours the Conservative and Labour parties.

The clear loser in this election has been UKIP, the anti-EU ‘independence’ party that within only a few years has been threatening to alter the British political landscape. Despite gaining some 12-13% of the overall vote, its representation in the House of Commons has been halved to just a single MP. Nigel Farage, UKIP’s charismatic leader, has been denied the parliamentary seat he so desperately sought, and the party’s bandwagon appears to be slowing and perhaps going into reverse.

None of this should be taken as an end to the ‘Brexit’ threat. The next major political test for prime minister David Cameron will be the ‘in-out’ referendum on EU membership that he has pledged by, or before, 2017. The number of votes cast yesterday for UKIP candidates still points to a hard fight by the government to keep Britain in Europe.

Cameron’s first reaction to exit polls indicating that the Conservatives would be able to govern without a coalition partner was to call for a return of his Tory party to the ‘One Nation’ policies of 50 years ago that emphasised the reduction of social and economic inequalities. The major issue, though, is whether his party will also embrace a ‘One Europe’ policy.

David Cameron has long insisted that he and his government will campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote when the British people take part in a referendum on whether to stay in the EU. But the rank-and-file of his MPs seem increasingly eurosceptic, and there are now reckoned to be at least 60 die-hard anti-European MPs out of the Conservatives’ total of 300-plus seats.

This parliamentary arithmetic suggests that while Cameron’s personal stature and authority will have received a strong boost, he will be very vulnerable to pressure from his own eurosceptic MPs. Unless he agrees to water down the new government’s pro-EU stance, runs the argument, he could very well suffer a rebellion and even the collapse of his majority.

Because the Europe issue figured so little in the UK’s pre-election campaigns, it’s hard to gauge the country’s mood on EU membership. Business leaders have of late swung belatedly into action with warnings of the serious economic consequences of a ‘Brexit’, but voting intentions – as this general election has plainly demonstrated – are opaque.

Cameron sees himself as an internationalist who is at odds with the ‘Little Englanders’ who are a force to be reckoned with in the Tory party. His best policy now will be to capitalise on his surprise election victory and set a very early date for the referendum. He has been repeatedly advised that his promised “re-negotiation” of Britain’s UK membership cannot yield any substantial results, so he should opt for a vote before the end of this year that would pre-empt the humiliation of Britain’s demands being rejected by almost all the other EU governments.

For British voters, this election was all about Britain; whether the sacrifices of tough austerity measures are now being rewarded by economic growth that outstrips the eurozone has been a constant theme, and the outcome has endorsed that view. But the view of many European politicians and commentators that this election was about much more than the UK is also true.

Europe can heave a sigh of relief that the UK’s membership of the EU will not be a political football to be kicked around in an unruly melée of coalitions, and that British voters apparently favour the status quo rather than the unknown. But David Cameron will still face a tough fight over Britain’s future in Europe.

 

IMAGE CREDITS: CC / FLICKR – UK Ministry of Defence

The post Europe can heave a sigh of relief as ‘Brexit’ recedes appeared first on Europe’s World.

LONDON, 8 May 2015 – The 7 May General Elections in the United Kingdom provided an opportunity for a thorough debate on challenges facing the country, and voters could freely cast their ballots in a strong demonstration of democratic processes, observers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly concluded. They noted that several aspects of the system were based on a culture of trust, some of which might benefit from additional safeguards. Extensive and critical coverage of political campaigns by the media permitted voters to inform themselves about their options.
 
“This has been an exciting and highly contested election, showing that the democratic spirit remains strong in the United Kingdom,” said George Tsereteli, leader of the observer team. “We were pleased to see the United Kingdom deliver on their OSCE commitments to hold democratic elections of a high standard. We wish the new government success in carrying out their important responsibilities in the coming years.”
 
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) deployed an election observation mission to the United Kingdom following an invitation by the United Kingdom Government. The invitation to observe was in line with OSCE commitments. The mission included parliamentarians from 17 OSCE countries, headed by OSCE PA Vice-President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia), who was also appointed by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office as Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission. Observers visited nearly 200 polling stations in several cities and regions.
 
In a vibrant campaign, voters had a wide range of both political parties and independent candidates to choose from. Some 3,900 candidates representing more than 100 parties contested the elections, offering genuine political alternatives. A strong regional component came into play in the election, with regionally-based parties competing with the traditional country-wide parties. Contestants conducted extensive door-to-door campaigning, and campaigns by leading candidates were also covered extensively by the broadcast media. Parties engaged in substantive debates on many of the significant questions facing the United Kingdom, with health issues and the future relationship with the European Union among the main issues addressed on the campaign trail.
 
Extensive and critical news coverage of the campaign ensured that voters were able to weigh their options. Broadcast media is carefully regulated, requiring impartial reporting on the elections. Print media is pluralistic and tends to be more biased, with newspapers often endorsing parties and candidates. While paid political advertising is not allowed on television, as in most OSCE countries, this does not appear to have been a hindrance on candidates’ abilities to convey their messages to voters. These restrictions may be an effective way of limiting the impact that money has on political campaigns, which the OSCE PA has commented on negatively in other countries.
 
The legal framework, while complex, is well understood by the contestants and overall was effectively implemented by election administrators. Interlocutors expressed confidence in the legislative basis for elections, but noted that it could benefit from consolidation and simplification. Recent changes enabling voters in line at the time of closing to cast their ballots, as well as safeguards for postal voting, were welcome improvements. Some interlocutors expressed their hope that more rigorous identification requirements might be implemented. The presentation of some form of identification document is a generally accepted practice in many countries to counter the potential for fraud, and could be considered within the ongoing electoral reform process, noted the observers.
 
“We were pleased to see that the authorities responded to our recommendation following the 2010 elections to enable voters in line at the time of closing to cast their ballots,” said Tsereteli. “This, and other aspects of electoral reform being discussed show that democracy and democratic processes are dynamic and need constant attention, also here in the world’s oldest parliamentary system.”
 
Voter registration procedures have been adapted since the previous elections to move from household to individual registration. While the switch to individual registration is a welcome change, some interlocutors expressed concern regarding the possible under-registration of some parts of the population including first time voters and students. The observers encouraged a broad and inclusive approach to the registration of voters. The United Kingdom has committed itself to guaranteeing universal and equal suffrage to all adult citizens. The lack of voting rights for prisoners is at odds with this commitment.
 
Unlike most other electoral systems in the OSCE, the first-past-the-post system allows for a distribution of seats in parliament which does not necessarily reflect the preference of the general electorate in the United Kingdom, but the observers noted that a 2011 referendum proposing a more proportional electoral system was defeated. The significant variation between the populations of some constituencies also somewhat undermines the equality of the vote.

 
The Electoral Commission played an important and useful role, providing guidance materials to ensure consistent management of the elections by election administrators. Local government offices around the country have long experience in running elections, and contestants expressed confidence in a smooth process. In all regions visited on polling day, observers found the elections to be exceptionally well administered.
 
“I applaud the professionalism of election administrators and their dedication to their work. The Electoral Commission, Returning Officers, and several hundred thousand poll workers and counting agents made an essential and valuable contribution to the process and should be proud of their efforts,” said Tsereteli.
 

###

 

The election observation mission of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly included parliamentarians from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, Sweden. Following briefings with electoral authorities, political party representatives, journalists and analysts, on election day the observers visited a limited number of polling stations in several cities in the United Kingdom. The observers thank the authorities and people for their hospitality and co-operation.
 
For further information please contact: Director of Elections Andreas Baker, Tel: +45 60108126.

This statement is available in PDF format here. 

Related Stories

• Special Representative Cardin visits sites of deadly anti-Semitic attacks in Paris and Copenhagen
• OSCE parliamentarians to observe general elections in United Kingdom
• On human rights and humanitarian questions, ‘business as usual’ in OSCE will not do, says Parliamentary Assembly’s Santos

Mint ahogy arról lapunkon már többször is beszámoltunk, 2015. május 9-én ismét Győzelem napi parádé lesz Moszkvában, a Vörös téren. Idén jubileumi, 70. évfordulót ünnepelnek, melynek keretein belül földön és égen egyaránt lesz látnivaló és újdonság. A jól megszokott típusok mellett látható lesz többek között az új Jak-130-as kötelék, illetve az orosz haderő következő generációs harckocsija, a T-14 Armata is. Olvasóinknak összegyűjtöttünk pár linket, melyeken a holnapi nap reggelétől élőben nézhetik a parádét!

Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Office in Tajikistan

A half-day roundtable expert discussion to enhance the technical capacity on dam safety of the newly-established “State Service for Supervision over Hydro Technical Facilities” under the Government of Tajikistan was supported by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan on 6 May 2015. This activity was jointly conducted with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

The event brought together some 50 participants from the Agency of Irrigation and Land Reclamation, Ministry of Water Resources and Energy, State Committee for National Security, State Committee for Safety in Industry and Mining, Tajik Hydrometeorology Agency as well as participants from Kairakum, Vakhsh, Sangtuda-1, Sangtuda-2, Nurek, and Varzob hydropower plants. Representatives from Tajik electricity utilities such as “Pamir Energy” and the state owned “Barki Tojik”, and international organizations also took part in the event.

“The water sector reform in Tajikistan changed the organisational setup of state institutions for increasing management efficiency and it is planned to endow the new State Service with the help of experts from the Russian Federation and Tajikistan with the necessary know how that the agency will be able to conduct its work in line with the latest international standards,” said Tajikistan’s First Deputy Minister of Water Resources and Energy, Sulton Rahimzoda

Martin Rossmann, Head of the Economic and Environmental Department at the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, said: “The regulations based on the new law on dam safety will enhance the security of the population living close to power or pump stations but will also maximise operational efficiency of the hydraulic infrastructure in the Republic of Tajikistan in case of disaster or accidents.”

Participants discussed the key ideas and best practices of dam safety laws and regulations both at national and international level, which has contributed to the identification of an activity plans for the State Service for the next five years.

Related Stories

• OSCE Office in Tajikistan trains government and civil society experts on anti-corruption strategies
• OSCE Office in Tajikistan facilitates training on crime scene examination and forensic recovery of evidence
• OSCE Office in Tajikistan supports training on world best practices in hazardous waste management

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Az átmeneti nemzeti anyatehéntartás, a termeléshez kötött anyatehéntartás és a termeléshez kötött tejhasznú tehéntartás támogatások egyik fontos feltétele, hogy a tenyészetben lévő állománynak gümőkór-, brucellózis- és leukózismentesnek kell lennie.

Political group and committee meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

On 6 June 1944 the armies of "Britain, the Empire, and America," supported by mighty naval and air forces, were hurled across the English Channel to exterminate Nazi tyranny. During the preceding night paratroopers and glider-borne assault troops had boldly landed behind the invasion beaches

President of ELIAMEP, Professor Loukas Tsoukalis gave an interview to Flashlight Europe of Bertelsmann Foundation of the Greek and European crisis. You can access the interview here.

Hatvanöt éve kezdte meg működését a magyar főváros új repülőtere. A történelmi esemény 1950. május 7-én, Budaörsről az első Li-2-es utasszállító repülőgép átrepülésével kezdődött Ferihegyen, ezzel indult el a polgári repülés a ma is működő repülőtéren. Az első évben 7 133 utas fordult meg a repülőtéren, 2014-ben ez a szám meghaladta a 9 milliót.

Cinéma au Kosovo : coup de blues pour les écrans noirs
Dokufest : Prizren, mon amour
Cinéma : « Le silence de Lorna », un succès artistique pour le Kosovo
Kosovo : « les querelles balkaniques empoisonnent même le cinéma »
Cinéma : L'histoire mouvementée du dessin animé kosovar
La renaissance du cinéma du réel dans les Balkans

/ Culture et éducation, Kosovo, Courrier des Balkans

« Opération Damas » : nouvelle vague d'arrestations dans les milieux islamistes radicaux de Bosnie
« Opération Damas » : la police de Bosnie s'attaque aux réseaux de l'islam radical
Islamisme et crime organisé en Bosnie : ces wahhabites qui partent « libérer la Syrie »
Bosnie : le wahhabisme, une menace bien réelle
Bosnie-Herzégovine : départs au jihad, la répression ne résout rien

/ Bosnie-Herzégovine, Défense, police et justice, Religions, Société, Balkans Syrie, Courrier des Balkans

Jorge Domecq, EDA’s Chief Executive, was invited to speak at the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security on Defence on 6 May. In the session on European defence capabilities, Mr Domecq explained his view on the Agency’s role in the future, the preparation of the June European Council and an update on EDA’s capability programmes.

Mr. Domecq explained that he saw EDA’s development along three main strands: as an enabler for Member States’ level of ambition in cooperatively developing capabilities; to support the European defence industry notably through stimulating R&T; and to act as an interface of military views in wider EU policies.

On the preparation of the June European Council on defence, the Chief Executive emphasised the need of the meeting to be more than a stockpiling exercise and the need to maintain sustained top-down impetus from the highest political level. 

He concluded his presentation with an update on the EDA’s key capability programmes on air-to-air refuelling, cyber defence, governmental satellite communications and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems. 

Members of Parliament showed support for the work of the Agency and called upon Heads of State and Government to fully use the June European Council in order to achieve maximum results. 

 

More information:

• Jorge Domecq’s speech is available for download here.
• The audiovisual recording of the SEDE meeting is available here. 

General : Celebrate Europe Day on 9 May by visiting the European Parliament in Brussels! As part of the Festival of Europe, the Parliament will organise quizzes, exhibitions, a debate with MEPs, mini-conferences and a film screening. Since 2015 is the European Year for Development, this year’s celebration of Europe is focused on what the EU does to reduce poverty in the developing world and many activities will be centred on development cooperation.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP