President von der Leyen to present new EU emissions reduction target to international partners at ‘High Ambition Summit’
European Commission Factsheet Brussels, 11 Dec 2020 Higher Climate Ambition For Europe and the World
Today, EU Heads of State or Government approved a new and more ambitious net greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of at least 55% for 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The Commission had proposed this new target in September 2020, to put the EU on a balanced path towards climate neutrality by 2050. President Ursulavon der Leyen said: “I am delighted that, together with the German Presidency, we were able today to reach an agreement on the proposal for a new EU climate target. We will reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Today’s agreement puts us on a clear path towards climate neutrality in 2050. It gives certainty to investors, to businesses, to public authorities and to citizens. It future-proofs our Union. All EU countries should benefit from the transition – with economic growth, a cleaner environment, and healthier citizens. The European Green Deal will be our growth strategy.” Making Europe the first climate neutral continent by 2050 is the main objective of the European Green Deal, the EU’s new growth strategy which was adopted one year ago today. The new target EU leaders have committed to is a necessary step towards climate neutrality and provides much needed certainty to our economies. Following the EU’s leadership, governments around the world have made a number of important announcements to boost the fight against climate change in recent months. Tomorrow, President von der Leyen will present the new EU target to other global leaders, along with President Charles Michel and a few other European leaders, at the High Ambition Summit held to mark the five year anniversary of the Paris Agreement and the countdown to the COP26 in Glasgow next year. A factsheet on the Paris Agreement and EU climate diplomacy and a factsheet on the first anniversary of the European Green Deal are available online. The President’s full remarks following the European Council are available to read and watch back online. (For more information: Vivian Loonela – Tel.: +32 229 66712; Tim McPhie – Tel: +32 229 58602; Lynn Rietdorf – Tel: +32 229 74959; Ana Crespo Parrondo – Tel: +32 229 81325; Daniela Stoycheva – Tel.: +32 229 53664)
(Photo: REUTERS / Bobby Yip)Cardinal Joseph Zen (C), an outspoken critic of Beijing, along with other protesters takes part in a demonstration to demand religious freedom in China outside the China Liaison Office in Hong Kong July 11, 2012.
Hong Kong pro-democracy media magnate Jimmy Lai, a committed Catholic, has been charged under the territory’s controversial new national security law described as political intimidation by a prominent clerical critic of Beijing.
Lai appeared in court on Dec. 12 to faces charges of colluding with foreign forces, Aljazeera reported and he will have to stay in custody for the next four months as he was denied bail.
The 73-year-old Lai struggled to walk as he was led into the West Kowlood Court in handcuffs and chained, flanked by two police officers.
Lai, is accused of conspiring with foreign forces to endanger national security, and could face a lengthy jail term, the BBC reported.
Former Legislative Council members, Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen, as well as a few protesters, showed up in court to express their support for Lai.
Lai’s main charge is colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security when he called for sanctions against Hong Kong authorities and China from July to December this year.
Lai founded the Apple Daily newspaper and is an unflinching critic of the authorities in Beijing.
The Chinese authorities have said the new security law will return stability to the territory after a year of unrest, but critics say it has silenced dissent.
Retired Hong Kong bishop Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun warned that the recent arrest of Jimmy Lai shows a rise in “political intimidation” against journalists in Hong Kong.
He said it is part of a systematic erosion of basic freedoms, including religious freedom, by the Chinese government in recent months.
ZEN INTERVIEW
In an interview with Catholic News Agency (CNA) Zen said the arrest of Lai, a pro-democracy advocate and the founder of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily newspaper was the most recent example of Chinese Communist authorities attempting to stifle a free press.
Lai was charged Dec 2. with breaching the terms of a lease for his company, Next Digital Media.
Lai has previously been arrested and jailed for pro-democracy advocacy, under the terms of the new Hong Kong National Security Law, imposed on the territory in July.
Last week, Lai, along with two Next Digital executives, was arrested for allegedly breaching the terms of Next Digital’s land lease at its headquarters building. The other executives were released the following day, but Lai was denied bail.
“It’s obviously a case of political intimidation,” Cardinal Zen told CNA, noting that Lai’s treatment by local authorities was a public warning to others.
“Jimmy Lai is obviously the one who runs the only newspaper which is still completely free.
“You know many other papers are bought by people on the side of government, there may still be some respectable reporters working for them but at the right moment they can suppress everything,” said Zen.
“So, there is a clear policy direction: suppress the freedom of expression.”
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet was questioned about the situation in Hong Kong at a press conference in Geneva on Dec. 9
“I’m concerned about the rapidly shrinking civic and democratic space, especially since the passage of the National Security Law,” she said.
“A year ago, in the midst of mass protests in Hong Kong, I had called for a broad open, inclusive dialogue to resolve the situation. Regrettably, the space has been closing rather than opening. Recent convictions of activists for protests that took place last year risk causing a wider, chilling effect of the exercise of fundamental freedoms,
“The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has historically had a strong independent judiciary. I call on judicial authorities to apply laws in conformity with the Hong Kong’s human rights obligations,” said Bachelet.
BRUSSELS: European Union countries agreed a new climate change target for the bloc on Friday after haggling through the night in Brussels, pulling the political trigger on a policy revamp to make every sector greener.
Leaders of the 27 member states agreed to cut their net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels by 2030, substantially toughening an existing 40% target.
The EU wants to reach “net zero” emissions by 2050, a deadline that scientists say the world must meet to avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.
European Council President Charles Michel, who chaired the talks, called the EU the leader in the fight against climate change, and said the target had been hard-fought, but was “credible”.
The EU will present its target at a United Nations global virtual summit on Saturday.
The EU emissions trading market already seeks to put a price on the carbon emissions that drive climate change.
The price of permits rose to an all-time high above 31 euros a tonne on Friday, on expectations that the supply of permits would be cut, to force deeper emissions cuts.
The target is a compromise between wealthier, mostly western and Nordic EU countries that want more ambitious action and eastern states with coal-dependent power sectors and energy-intensive industries, which wanted specific conditions attached to emissions cuts.
Poorer countries’ fears
Poland held out alone until dawn for a guarantee that promised funding from the EU carbon market for poorer countries would not be reduced.
It also sought assurances that future national emissions-cutting targets, set by Brussels for certain sectors, would be based on gross domestic product – meaning that less prosperous states would be required to cut less.
A majority of countries had opposed these demands on grounds that they would pre-empt detailed proposals that the EU’s executive Commission will make next year.
The final deal gives a commitment to address “imbalances” in carbon market funding that could leave poorer countries worse off. The leaders agreed to meet again next year to tackle the question of GDP-based emissions targets.
The Commission’s proposals will speed a shift to electric vehicles and aim to mobilise investments in the huge low-carbon infrastructure that will now be needed – including a requirement for extra energy sector investments of 350 billion euros ($420 billion) a year this decade.
The “at least 55%” target is as good as final, but will need approval from the European Parliament, which supports a more ambitious 60% cut.
“They are setting us up for a tough negotiation,” said Jytte Guteland, parliament’s lead lawmaker on the issue.
Some campaigners also said the target was too weak.
“It won’t transform how we get around and how we produce our food fast enough to beat the climate emergency,” said Greenpeace policy adviser Sebastian Mang. ($1 = 0.8245 euros)
It’s true: Online alcohol sales skyrocketed during national stay-at-home orders, emphasizing an upward trend we’ve seen over the past few years, with wine capturing almost 70 percent of total online retail sales. And yet, there’s nothing quite like wandering into your local wine shop and talking to a knowledgeable salesperson about your tastes, what you’re cooking or looking for—something the online experience doesn’t come close to offering. And that’s all the more true for the ever-growing natural wine sector, with many customers eager to explore but without a whole lot of knowledge. While you might know what California cabs you like or what regions of French whites you dig, when it comes to orange wines from Croatia or pet nats from Austria, a lot of us are out to sea. Very willing to explore, mind you, but in need of a guiding hand.
We’ve rounded up a list of wine shops in the Hudson Valley and Catskills that are specializing in natural wines, so that you can keep getting that wino one-on-one. Most of these shops offer online or phone ordering and curbside pick-up, so the relationship doesn’t have to end—even if we go back into lockdown.
We’ll start with Kingston Wine Co., which at least from a retail perspective, gave natural wine its Hudson Valley foothold. Opened in 2013, the shop in Kingston’s Rondout District focused exclusively on natural, organic, and biodynamic wines from the beginning and catered to a curious local population and a growing pool of urban weekenders and second home owners. About the selection, co-owner Michael Drapkin says, “It is vast and diverse—from Georgia (the country) all the way to the Finger Lakes. We place a heavy emphasis on German, Austrian, and French natural wines. Beyond the range of flavors, which he loves, Drapkin has a soft spot for the makers of natural wine, whom he calls “often contrarian and idiosyncratic,” with an admirable dedication to thoughtful, OG low intervention farming. “Our customers both locally and out of state (we have an online store) are incredibly curious, open, and interested in learning about new wine regions, obscure grape varieties, and all there is to know about natural wine. The landscape compared to when I started in this business 15 years ago is dramatically different and better thanks to everyone’s eagerness to expand outside of the confines of convention.” His current favorite? A 2019 Fongoli Rossofongoli from Umbria, Italy, a blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano, made with hand-harvested and wild fermented in open vats sans temperature control. He calls it “lo-fi wine,” and says it’s “farmy and spicy—perfect for winter braised dishes.”
Elevated Wine & Spirits | Tannersville
7261 Route 23A, Hunter, NY 12442 | (518) 263-4184
One of the newest wine shops in the region is Elevated Wine & Spirits in Tannersville, opened by Mark Landsman, who runs the cocktail program at Silvia in Woodstock. While he jokes that his selection runs the gamut from Barefoot Chardonnay to Cru Beaujolais (plus liquor), he’s particularly excited about the natty options, which are all over the place. “It is important to us that we highlight how accessible natural wine can and should be,” Landsman says. “We strive to offer the funkiest of funky for the dedicated and adventurous natural wine drinker who comes in saying ‘GIVE. ME. CRAZY.,’ as well as wines that are naturally made yet recognizable on the palette for our customers who are looking for a good place to start.” He points out that “natural” is a process, meaning low or no intervention, not a wine style or flavor profile. When looking for wines to add to the portfolio, Landsman is on the wines that “spark some unexplainable, disproportionate sense of happiness. We think good wine can transport the drinker. A single sip of wine can situate us in the exciting path of uncharted waters, but it can also be so incredibly nostalgic, too.” Geographically, he is currently crushing on island wines from luxurious faraway places like Sardinia, Sicily, and the Canary Islands. While he’s always trying something new, an evergreen favorite of Landsman’s is No es Pituko 2020 Cabernet Franc from Chile. “The wine is just wild—black cherries, bell peppers…chocolate? An incredibly balanced and complex young wine,” he says. “If we had one chance to convince a sceptic that a natural wine wine is going to blow them away, this is the wine we’d give them.” Sold.
Bluebird Wine Shop | Accord
5059 Route 209, Accord, NY 12404 | (845) 626-0140
Bluebird Wine Shop recently breathed fresh life into the old location of Accord Wine Shop right on 209. Focused exclusively on natural wines and spirits, owner Aaron Lefkove is looking for wine producers with organic practices, if not the certification, and on the spirits side for smaller craft distilleries, including nearby Arrowood Farms. As for the natty wine selection, Lefkove is highlighting, “the more stable side of the spectrum—wines of high quality that have a classic structure to them and adhere to a certain mindset and ethos we are in tune with,” he says. “I’m staying away from the super wild and unstable side of things—beverages that are closer to kombucha for instance than wine in its classical definition—which doesn’t suit my palate personally. For those on the fence, Lefkove says, “I feel you need to look at it the same way you look at a tomato or a piece of beef or a chicken: wine is an agricultural product just like everything else and when you buy eggs or vegetables or meat, you don’t want something pumped full of hormones or pesticides or other unnecessary chemicals so why should that ethos not extend to the wines and liquors we drink? All time favorites (currently in stock!) include the wines of Fond Cypres, a couple in the Languedoc, who produce wines that are articulate expressions of terroir. “They just taste the way the area feels,” Lefkove says. He also likes the Quarterones Sancerre from Sebastian Riffault, an outlier in an area that is predominantly super industrial. “He uses grapes that have been affected by botrytis which is a fungus that actually gives the resulting wine way more depth and character,” he says. Ahh, fermentation.
Ester Wine & Spirits
57 N Front Street, Kingston, NY 12401 | (845) 331-1921
While they prioritize organic vineyards, Ester’s wine selection varies from conventional to low or no intervention. Due to a lack of international standards or certifications, natural is not an official wine term, Ester’s owner Robert Provenz, defines it this way: wine that is from tiny parcels of manually managed grapevines on organic and/or biodynamic soils, made with zero subtractions (such as filtering) and very minimal additions (only sulphur).” When Provenz and his team are choosing their new natural wines, they taste test for determine if the wine is “balanced, structured, and sans faults; such as reductiveness, volatile acidity (too close to vinegar), or the taste of ‘mousiness’, which can sometimes be issues with wines made in this manner,” he adds. They balance quality with price point to create an accessible selection across styles and flavor profiles. “The reds can be full-bodied dark with deep, brooding fruit to be had on a winter night by a fire, or super light-bodied with bright red fruits that shine with a variety of dishes. The white wines can see extended skin contact time, becoming orange wines, or simply crisp, dry with loads of mineral tones and race car acidity,” Provenz says. “What we love about all the natural wines is their honesty, and there is, at times, an exciting energy in the glass. The best way to find a good bottle for your mood is to ask. You can tell us the flavors you like and/or food you are having it with, and we can describe some options of wine for your needs and food pairing before investing in the bottle. When pressed for a current favorite, Provenz taps the wines from Ruth Lewandowski, saying, “His wines are always a fun adventure, and I believe it’s truly unique as a natural wine being produced in Utah!”
Upstream Wine & Spirits | Livingston Manor
34 Main Street, Livingston Manor, NY 12758 | (845) 439-1328
Livingston Manor’s upscale wine shop Upstream places sustainable practices and ethics at the center of their wine buying. In a recent post, they wrote, “Much of the labor in vineyards worldwide is done by undocumented workers who are more susceptible to unethical practices without the full protection of laws and local officials. We don’t often mention this labor force when we wax poetic about terroir, multi-generational winemaking families, and fermentation. We should. When we discuss farming, we leave out farm workers. Why? I pledge to ask better questions and demand more transparency and accountability from the companies I work with to source our wines moving forward…It’s simply not enough to buy/sell/drink natural and organic wine, whatever the hell that even means anymore—that won’t make any of us activists.” They have a large selection of natural wines, which they are refining and vetting all the time. Like Esther, Upstream is running their operation from a table outfront, where a masked employee will happily give you suggestions before ringing you up. But if you’re the longform browsing type, they recommend is by heading to their online shop, where you can scope all their labels at your leisure and order for curbside pickup, nationwide shipping, or Saturday pickup at La Salumina in Hurleyville.
Dirty Bacchus | Beacon
380 Main Street, Suite 100, Beacon | (508) 269-2994 Opened in June of this year, Beacon newcomer Dirty Bacchus focuses on low-intervention, organic or biodynamic, sustainably farmed, vegan wines, a well as a selection of organic ciders, meads and sake. The natural wine store conceives of itself as a farm stand for products sourced directly from small, independent farmers whenever possible. “Wine is an agricultural product first and foremost,” says owner Steven Ventura. “Wine made from organic or biodynamic grapes, and made simply, with few or zero additives, is more healthful, more healing and beneficial, than conventional industrial wines, and better for the planet and for humanity’s future overall.” The shop carries a wide range of wines from around the world, including Western Europe, the US, Australia, and a slew of under-explored winemaking countries like Croatia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, and Mexico. The shop is designed to be accessible to both new and seasonal natty wine drinks, and includes a section of skin-contact wines under $20 and another entitled “You’d Never Know,” of low and no-intervention wines that taste like their conventional counterparts. “I love the extraordinarily broad spectrum of aromas and flavors and styles that natural wine as a category encompasses,” Ventura says. “One can get so specific when pairing these wines to foods!” He had trouble picking a single favorite, but a top contender was Verre de Gris, a natural wine from Quebec produced by Pinard et Filles. “It smells and tastes of wild strawberries,” he says, “but there is also something about it that is reminiscent of waking up on a cool morning camping in the open deep in a north woods pine forest. Hard to put into words.” Sounds delightful.
Dixie’s | Delhi
Delhi, NY | (607) 746-3775
Opened at the tail end of 2017, Dixie’s is a highly curated outpost in the farthest reaches of the Western Catskills. They’ve got your Grey Gooses and Bacardis, but they also have an ever-rotating selection of natural wines, including pet nat proseccos from northern Italy, local Cabernets from Eminence Road Farm Winery, Alsatian pinot noirs, skin contact Teroldegos, and much more. Call ahead and place your order for curbside pickup.
354 Main Street, Catskill, NY 12414
OK, so Solo Vino does not offer solo vino. In addition to their natural, biodynamic, and organic wines, they also carry ciders and craft spirits, which is great ‘cause sometimes it’s cocktail hour. But back to the vin naturel, they bring new natural wines to the store every week. Recent picks include the Italian blend Muz Ver-Muz Natural, the biodynamic Austrian red Perspektive Rot, and a hazy Greek pet nat from Kamara Pure.
Grapefruit Wine Shop | Hudson (coming soon)
127 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534
Grapefruit, an all natural wine shop by the team behind Kitty’s Market and Cafe, will make its debut on Warren Street in January 2021, where it will no doubt attract a cult following, before it moves down the hill to the barn next to Kitty’s after renovations wrap up in 2021. “In the meantime, we have a natural wine selection at Kitty’s Market. During December, we plan to expand this selection of natural wines to include more holiday-geared wines, giftable bottles, aperitif and amaro,” says co-owner Anna Morris. “This sort of pop-up wine shop will expand from the market into the next room (that will one day house our restaurant!) and go through the new year.” They will also stock some beautiful vinegars made by natural winemakers, as well as salts, oils and other special culinary gifts. Follow Grapefruit and Kitty’s on Instagram for very cute branding and the latest updates.
Germany and Bulgaria were the most vocal among the EU countries who blocked sanctions against Turkey at the EU summit on Thursday (10 December), reports EURACTIV.
“German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov were the EU leaders who openly opposed sanctions against Ankara,” the sources said.
According to the summit conclusions on Turkey, the EU leaders condemned its aggressiveness and unilateral actions in the Eastern Mediterranean. However, in practice, they took a soft stance, granting Ankara another three-month grace period.
The EU leaders decided to add new names of individuals and companies to the blacklist that currently exists for Turkey’s “unauthorised” gas drillings off-Cyprus.
Other countries such as Spain, Italy, Malta and Hungary were also against sanctions, but did not express it openly.
Austria was supportive of sanctions while France, which was asking for a tough EU response, reportedly toned down its rhetoric at the summit.
Sanctions against Turkey that have been imposed so far have had little added value, considering that Turkey has not stopped the drillings off-Cyprus.
In addition, they called on the European Commission to come up with a report “at the latest in March 2021” regarding EU-Turkey relations overall, ranging from politics to trade, and explore “options and instruments on how to proceed”.
Germany, which currently holds the EU presidency, has always opposed sanctions and wanted to keep communication channels open with Ankara.
Bulgaria’s PM Borissov is a known friend of Erdoğan and his behaviour is unpredictable,” an EU diplomat reportedly told EURACTIV last week.
PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis presented his evaluation of the results of the EU Summit in Brussels in a press conference on Friday.
The Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction for the “unblocking” of the agreement for the Recovery Fund, saying that he “immediately unlocks” an amount of 32 billion euros for Greece.
Mitsotakis summed up his views by saying that Europe made a step forward regarding the Turkish matter. He said that the ‘philosophy’ between the EU and Turkey remains the same at its core, underlining that Turkey is being called upon to change its aggressive behaviour, adding that Europe supports Greece and Cyprus.
He added that if Turkey continued its provocative actions towards Greece more concrete sanctions would be decided in March.
The Greek PM made it clear that Greece would only sit down for preparatory talks with Turkey if the latter stopped its delinquent behaviour in the region.
Today the European Council endorsed a target for the European Union to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at least 55% by 2030 below 1990 levels and committed to updating its climate and energy policy framework to achieve this objective. The target will be reflected in the EU’s new climate commitment under the Paris Agreement.
In the conclusion to the European Council meetings, the body said that the European Union is raising its climate ambition to “spur sustainable economic growth, create jobs, deliver health and environmental benefits for EU citizens, and contribute to the long-term global competitiveness of the EU economy by promoting innovation in green technologies.”
Following is a statement from Helen Mountford, Vice President, Climate and Economics, World Resources Institute:
“The European Union is showing that there’s no time to wait in the fight against climate change. With this new target, the European Union has jumped ahead as a leader in the race to a net-zero future.
“The EU’s target to cut emissions at least 55% by 2030 is significantly stronger than its previous pledge. Indeed, the EU’s new climate plan will have greater impact on global emissions over the next decade than any new 2030 commitment under the Paris Agreement to date.
“Reaching agreement on this ambitious target was a major achievement. Members of the European Union are clearly embracing a new growth strategy that will create jobs, increase efficiencies and bolster the blocs’ competitiveness in the 21st century economy. The plan acknowledges the reality that countries are at different stages in the journey to a net-zero future and that substantial investments are necessary to help some communities transition away from fossil fuels.
“The European Union has come to recognize that addressing the climate crisis is not only essential for our collective survival but is also a huge economic opportunity. That’s why it’s putting climate action at the heart of its economic recovery. Research shows that ambitious climate action can offer a $26 trillion boost to the global economy between now and 2030 and deliver more than 65 million new, low-carbon jobs.
“Now the European Union faces the important task of strengthening its policies and investments to get on a clear path to achieve its 55% reduction target and lay the foundation to reach net-zero by 2050. Throughout this process, it will be essential for citizens to have their voices heard and hold their leaders accountable for pursuing a low-carbon transformation that is fair, improves people’s lives, and leaves no one behind.
“There is growing momentum behind stronger near-term targets. The world will be watching to see whether other major emitters like China and the United States will deliver ambitious 2030 emission reduction targets that set the pace to reach a safe and prosperous, net-zero future.”
It was predictable that Chancellor Angela Merkel would want to prevent the EU’s unity from being undermined under her watch during the last weeks of what has been a rough turn at the presidency of the Council of the European Union for Germany. Merkel’s first instinct is usually to keep the flock together.
And she managed the trick this time with a typical EU-style compromise: one that is not really good but not really bad, either. The result is the delayed implementation of the European Union’s Rule of Law Mechanism, which had been the product of years of bitter debate and was meant to finally be an effective weapon against the anti-democratic tendencies of the governments in Poland and Hungary.
DW’s Barbara Wesel
In summer, the Netherlands and other member states had agreed to take on joint debt to finance the coronavirus fund under the condition that governments such as those in Hungary and Poland could no longer use the European Union as a self-service store. For many years, the citizens of other EU member states had wondered why their taxes should be used to finance the corrupt clique surrounding Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban.
But even the governments of EU member states that had pushed for the Rule of Law Mechanism have now voted for the compromise because, without the budget, the European Union would have been unable to take the action needed during the coronavirus pandemic. With their veto threats, the autocrats in Hungary and Poland succeeded in putting a brake to the Rule of Law mechanism, which will continue to guarantee their impunity.
It was always clear that the only way to make any impression on Orban and his kindred spirits in Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party was to hit them in their pocketbooks. The European Court of Justice has handed down a series of verdicts against both governments, but they are simply ignored. The sole method of constraining them is to take away their EU subsidies.
Lies, homophobia, anti-Semitism
Why do we have to put up with someone like Orban, with his lying propaganda, insults and anti-Semitic attacks? He and the ever more autocratic Polish government have taken the European Union to its political limits.
Almost every country has problems in the transitional phase to democracy; corruption tends to be widespread, and the fight for an independent judiciary takes time to win. But Poland and Hungary are taking quite another path altogether: Their governments are on the way to becoming autocratic regimes.
They are getting rid of the free press and an independent justice system while systematically curtailing civil rights. In Poland, the government is targeting women and stirring up hostility toward LGBTQ+ communities. There is resistance — but the dramatic example of Belarus has shown us how difficult it is to hold protests when police have been ordered to disperse them by force.
The European Union cannot put up with such governments. It cannot continue to look the other way, or it will erode its common basis. Septicemia starts on one side and spreads to the remaining limbs. Liberal democracies are having a hard enough time of it anyway; we can’t let them be undermined from within.
At some stage, in about two years, the Rule of Law Mechanism might make it possible to indeed take money away from Orban and Poland’s PiS government. But the European Union could already have used long-existing mechanisms and threatened to take away their right to vote. However, cowardliness and a kind of wrongly understood EU esprit de corps among government leaders prevented this from happening.
The governments of Hungary and Poland have now gained time to continue with their dismantling of democracy. They will regularly be reprimanded and sued, but that is water off a duck’s back to them. As long as the European Union does not take serious action against them, Orban and Co. will go on unperturbed. And, in the end, the political debacle will be one that can barely be reined in. The compromise on the EU budget might have been necessary, but, unfortunately, it was a political mistake.
European leaders have hailed the breakthrough that saw the approval of the EU’s much-delayed €1.8 trillion budget and coronavirus recovery package.
It was held up for weeks because Poland and Hungary opposed a mechanism that would make some funds conditional on a country’s respect for core European values.
Warsaw and Budapest, frequently at odds with Brussels over values like rule of law and judicial independence, called it “political blackmail”.
But they have now agreed on a compromise with other European leaders.
It will see the mechanism suspended while Brussels draws up guidelines for how it should be used and what might trigger it.
Europe‘s top court, the European Court of Justice, is also expected to weigh in on its validity.
EU law expert Alberto Alemanno told Euronews that in compromising with Poland and Hungary, European leaders had “killed a mechanism that is supposed to guarantee the rule of law” by turning it into an “instrument of last resort”.
Alemanno, a professor at Paris’ HEC Business School, said the deal was “the fruit of a political choice made by European leaders” to keep Poland and Hungary “on board” with the budget.
“We have reached an agreement of a kind that, let me stress it, has accepted all of our preconditions that we have made,” said Poland’s prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
“We have a budget, together with the reconstruction fund, which means big funds for investment, big funds for supporting the development of Poland’s economy, for new technologies, for many goals that need to be implemented, especially now that we want to quickly come out of the pandemic. That’s important to us.”
Meanwhile, Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, was also in a celebratory mood.
“And we could say modestly, of course, that we saved the unity of the union. So don’t forget that this dispute was not only about the rule of law, regulation, financial issues, it was about the future of the European Union and the question: what is the power centre of the European Union, the European institutions like Parliament, Commission or the member states?
“And today we delivered evidence that the European Union is nothing else, just the community and alliance of the nations and the states. And nobody can circumvent the intentions and the will of the elected governments of any nation neither the European Parliament nor the Commission, nobody, because [the] European Union is the unity of the nations.”
‘Europe’s rule of law is in crisis’
A French official, who was not permitted to discuss the sensitive deliberations on the record, said that the steps taken against any country for failing to uphold the rule of law would apply retroactively from January 1, 2021.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that the leaders “adopted a robust agreement on the mechanism to put in place, in respect of the rule of law. Europe moves forward, united, and displays its values.”
While acknowledging that national governments are in dire need of coronavirus funds, some warned of the dangers of delaying action yet again against Hungary and Poland, whose nationalist governments have been accused of undermining judicial independence and media freedoms.
Daniel Freund, the Green group negotiator on the rule of law in the European Parliament, warned that the compromise being discussed would put the system “on hold for 1-2 years.”
“Europe’s rule of law is in crisis,” he said, adding that EU members should not be pressing the European Commission to avoid enforcing “existing laws while judicial independence is abolished in Poland or billions of EU funds end up with Orban’s family and friends.”
Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office said the delay “will allow for irreparable damage to the human rights of people in Poland and Hungary, and to the integrity of the rule of law across the EU.”
How did other EU leaders react?
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was a “great relief” that EU leaders passed the delayed €1.8 trillion budget and coronavirus recovery fund.
Charles Michel, president of the EU Council, made of up of leaders of European countries, broke the news of the budget agreement on Twitter on Thursday.
“Now we can start with the implementation and build back our economies,” he wrote. “Our landmark recovery package will drive forward our green and digital transitions.”
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the agreement “underlined indeed Europe’s ability to come together and act” in the face of the “worst crisis” the bloc has faced.
The package includes the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF), the EU’s seven-year budget, worth just under €1.1 trillion, and the €750 billion COVID-19 recovery fund, known as Next Generation EU.
