The second summit of the month will be held in Brussels on Thursday, with Turkey expected to once again rank high on the agenda. The European Council meeting will start at 15:00 (Brussels time).
<p>Also high in the Council's priorities is the pandemic, with coronavirus outbreaks exceeding 38 million worldwide and six million in Europe. The 27 leaders of the member-states are expected to discuss both the coordination of their actions and the creation and distribution of vaccines against Covid-19.</p><aside><strong class="trendig-now-label">VIRAL ΕΙΔΗΣΕΙΣ</strong>
</aside><p>Turkey's continued unilateral actions will once again occupy the summit, just weeks after the special summit on EU-Turkey relations, following Ankara's latest moves. "The European Council will assess where we are, regarding the situation with Turkey," a European source told reporters, underlining the "EU's solidarity with Greece and Cyprus".
At the same time, the same source noted that “the president of the European Council is closely monitoring the situation.”
“Twice now in a short space of time, Ankara has reneged on its commitments. During his recent brief meeting with his Greek counterpart, the Turkish foreign minister had promised to propose a date for the 61st round of exploratory talks to be held in Turkey. But instead of an invitation, we had a provocation and, in fact, a double one,” government spokesperson Stelios Petsas said on Thursday during a press briefing.
<p>"[This is] a fact that proves Turkey's unreliability but also its contempt for the conclusions of the European Union summit on October 1-2," he added.</p><aside><strong class="trendig-now-label">VIRAL ΕΙΔΗΣΕΙΣ</strong>
</aside><p>"The European Council is meeting again today. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is already in Brussels, where both he and the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, will outline the latest challenges from Turkey to the leaders of the EU member states, with the opening of the Famagusta beach front and the sailing of the Uruc Reis in areas that overlap with parts of the Greek continental shelf. Especially the fact that both of these provocative moves by Ankara directly conflict with specific paragraphs of the conclusions of the recent summit," he said.
The government spokesman stressed: “Greece remains firmly committed to the position expressed by the prime minister since the first incident involving the Turkish research vessel and is summarised in the phrase: The challenges stop, the talks begin.”
He reiterated that exploratory talks with Turkey cannot be held under a regime of threats and blackmail. “There can be no exploratory talks as long as the Oruc Reis remains within the Greek continental shelf. Turkey can not pre-empt the discussion with a research vessel in the area that we are supposed to delineate. Greece confidently insists on diplomacy and continues its efforts to strengthen its strategic alliances. Our positions are already being adopted, not only by the EU but also by the United States, which has abandoned the tactic of equal distances and has denounced Turkey for unilaterally stoking tension in the region, calling on Ankara to end this pre-planned provocation and immediately begin exploratory talks with Greece.” He said, however, that “at the same time, Greece is doing on an operational level what it did the first time the Oruc Reis came out, what it should do.
The armed forces are acting in the framework of their mission to defend the nation’s interests. They have proven many times this year that they are capable of efficiently doing their job.” Continuing Thursday’s press briefing, government spokesperson Stelios Petsas referred to the government’s economic policy, stressing that “the budget for 2021 was drawn up in an environment of unprecedented uncertainty, globally, due to the indeterminable ending of the most serious health crisis of the last hundred years.
In addition to the uncertainty associated with the coronavirus pandemic, our country is facing the – also exogenous – challenges of Greek-Turkish relations and migration flows, as well as natural disasters affecting thousands of our fellow citizens, to whom the government has already demonstrated its support.” He underlined that: “In this unprecedented situation, the income of Greeks is projected in the basic fiscal scenario to remain almost unchanged for the two-year period 2020-2021. The government aims to overcome the crisis, with the economy and the society upright, while laying the groundwork for rapid recovery and high, sustainable, smart and inclusive growth.”
The MEPs say that needs to be done with a sufficient amount of staff and funding.
The European Times INFO has learned today about a letter that 48 MEPs from different groups requesting the European Commission to bring to a done the appointment of an EU Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, a role formerly tasked to Jan Figel:
“The appointment of a Special Envoy holding a permanent mandate focused primarily on freedom of religion or belief, with a multi-year term, full-time staff, and increased funding would send out the message that the EU is committed to protecting everywhere the victims of violence and persecution because of their religion or belief,” the letter said, which was lodged on Wednesday 14th of October.
The position has been vacant since over one year when the term of Figel finished and after some lack of action on the part of the European Commission and strong requests specially from civil society last july the EU announced that they would renew the mandate, but without giving a name, potential names nor a date.
You can read the full letter and list of MEPs sign it below here:
To: Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission & Margaritis Schinas. Vice-President of the European Commission
Re: Mandate of the Special Envoy for the promotion and protection of freedom of religion orbelief outside the EU
14/10/2020
Dear President von der Leyen, Dear Vice-President Schinas.
We, the undersigned Members of the European Parliament, write to welcome your decision in July of this year to renew the mandate of the Special Envoy for the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU. Taking note that the EU has not had a Special Envoy for almost one year, we urge you to renew the position as soon as possible.
The Pew Research Center’s study on global restrictions on religion found that in 2017, 83 countries experienced high or very high levels of restrictions. Moreover, persecution based on religion and belief is contributing to the migration crisis and related security challenges which threaten the EU. Promoting freedom of religion and belief, therefore, is not only in line with the values which guide EU external action, it is also essential in strengthening our role in addressing global challenges.
The appointment of a Special Envoy holding a permanent mandate focused primarily on freedom of religion or belief, with a multi-year term, full-time staff, and increased funding would send out the message that the EU is committed to protecting everywhere the victims of violence and persecution because of their religion or belief.
On numerous occasions, the European Parliament called for a stronger EU role in promoting freedom of religion or belief. In this spirit, and considering the commitments in the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, we recommend that the Special Envoy’s mandate is strengthened while remaining focused specifically on protecting freedom of religion or belief, since the targeted attacks on this freedom in recent years have proven the necessity of both a more targeted and urgent response. This is in line with the intent of the European Parliament, as expressed in the Resolution of 4 February 2016 on the systematic mass murder of religious minorities by the so-called ‘ISIS/Daesh’. and the Report on EU Guidelines and the mandate of the EU Special Envoy, adopted by the European Parliament on 16 January 2019 with overwhelming support.
We thank you for your commitment to working to protect this fundamental right and look forward to working with you and the Special Envoy in furthering the protection of freedom of religion and belief.
Yours sincerely.
Miriam Lexmann MEP (Slovakia) – Zeljana Zovko MEP (Croatia) – Gyorgy Holveny MEP (Hungary) – François-Xavier Bellamy (France) – Milan Zver MEP (Slovenia) – Antonio Tajani MEP (Italy) – Anna Fotyga MEP (Poland) – Lukas Mandl MEP (Austria) – Antonio Lopez-Isturiz White (Spain) – Liudas Mazylis MEP (Lithuania) – Ausra Maldeikicne MEP (Lithuania) – Isabel Benjumea MEP (Spain) – Karlo Rcssler MEP (Croatia) – Balazs Hidveghi MEP (Hungary) – Andrea Bocskor MEP (Hungary) – Ivan Stefanec MEP (Slovakia) – Radan Kanev (Bulgaria) – Leopoldo Lopez Gil MEP (Spain) – Rainer Wieland MEP (Germany) – Lorant Vincze MEP (Romania) – Tomislav Sokol MEP (Croatia) – Ryszard Legutko MEP (Poland) – TomaS Zdechovsky MEP (Czechia) – Michael Gahler MEP (Germany) – David Lega MEP (Sweden) – Roberta Metsola MEP (Malta) – Izabcla Kloc MEP (Poland) – Helmut Geuking MEP (Germany) – Margarita de la Pisa Carrion MEP (Spain) – Jorge Buxade Villalba MEP (Spain) – Salvatore De Meo MEP (Italy) – Adam Kosa MEP (Hungary) – Edina Toth MEP (Hungary) – Peter van Dalen MEP (Netherlands) – Rasa JukneviCiene MEP (Lithuania) – Romana Tome MEP (Slovenia) – Bert-Jan Ruissen MEP (Netherlands) – Markus Ferber MEP (Germany) – Eugen Jurzyca MEP (Slovakia) – Emmanouil Fragkos MEP (Greece) – Hermann Tertsch MEP (Spain) – Juan Ignacio Zoido Alvarez (Spain) – Anne Sander MEP (France) – Charlie Weimers MEP (Sweden) – Peter Poliak MEP (Slovakia) – Elzbieta Kruk MEP (Poland) – Cristian Terhes MEP (Romania) – Dominik Tarczynski (Poland)
Together with 48 colleagues, we have called on the @EU_Commission to renew the post of the EU Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief as soon as possible pic.twitter.com/yOPPOiSm1R
Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge said the tightening up of restrictions by governments is “absolutely necessary” as the disease continues to surge, with “exponential increases” in cases and deaths.
“The evolving epidemiological situation in Europe raises great concern: daily numbers of cases are up, hospital admissions are up, COVID-19 is now the fifth leading cause of death and the bar of 1,000 deaths per day has now been reached,” he reported.
Dr. Kluge said overall, Europe has recorded more than seven million cases of COVID-19, with the jump from six million taking just 10 days.
This past weekend, daily case totals surpassed 120,000 for the first time, and on both Saturday and Sunday, reaching new records.
However, he stressed that the region has not returned to the early days of the pandemic.
“Although we record two to three times more cases per day compared to the April peak, we still observe five times fewer deaths. The doubling time in hospital admissions is still two to three times longer,” he said, adding “in the meantime, the virus has not changed; it has not become more nor less dangerous.”
Potential worsening a reality
Dr. Kluge explained that one reason for the higher case rates is increased COVID-19 testing, including among younger people. This population also partly accounts for the decreased mortality rates.
“These figures say that the epidemiological curve rebound is so far higher, but the slope is lower and less fatal for now. But it has the realistic potential to worsen drastically if the disease spreads back into older age cohorts after more indoor social contacts across generations,” he warned.
Looking ahead, Dr. Kluge admitted that projections are “not optimistic”.
Reliable epidemiological models indicate that prolonged relaxing of policies could result in mortality levels four to five times higher than in April, with results visible by January 2021.
He stressed the importance of maintaining simple measures already in place, as the modelling shows how wearing masks, coupled with strict control of social gathering, may save up to 281,000 lives across the region by February.
This assumes a 95 per cent rate for mask use, up from the current rate, which is less than 60 per cent.
Restrictions ‘absolutely necessary’
“Under proportionately more stringent scenarios, the model is reliably much more optimistic, still with slightly higher levels of morbidity and mortality than in the first wave, but with a lower slope – as if we should rather expect a higher and longer swell instead of a sharp peak, giving us more reaction time,” said Dr. Kluge.
“These projections do nothing but confirm what we always said: the pandemic won’t reverse its course on its own, but we will.”
The WHO bureau chief underlined the importance of targeted national responses to contain COVID-19 spread.
“Measures are tightening up in many countries in Europe, and this is good because they are absolutely necessary,” he said. “They are appropriate and necessary responses to what the data is telling us: transmission and sources of contamination occur in homes and indoor public places, and within communities poorly complying with self-protection measures.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was overheard on a hot mic speaking about someone’s pro-life position — presumably that of Judge Amy Coney Barrett — stating she suspects the view is “deeply personal” and “comes with her religion.”
A clip, which surfaced Thursday, featured one side of a conversation featuring Feinstein, who could be heard speaking about an unnamed individual’s “long time” pro-life views.
“She’s been pro-life for a long time. So I suspect with her, it is deeply personal and comes with her religion,” Feinstein said:
?️ Sen. Feinstein hot mic talking about Judge Amy Coney Barrett: “She’s been pro-life for a long time. So I suspect with her, it is deeply personal and comes with her religion.” pic.twitter.com/5dUBhHLQsn
Notably, C-SPAN picked up some of the statement before cutting to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the hallway. The context of Feinstein’s conversation remains unclear, as does who she was specifically referring to. Nonetheless, Barrett’s personal pro-life views have remained a point of concern for radical feminists and Democrat lawmakers, including Feinstein.
In 2017, Democrats questioned Barrett, who had been nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, about her Catholic faith, wondering if it would disqualify her from carrying out her Supreme Court duties. Feinstein famously told Barrett that “the dogma lives loudly within you.”
“And that’s of concern when you come to big issues that large numbers of people have fought for for years in this country,” Feinstein said at the time.
On Tuesday, Barrett responded to Feinstein’s questions regarding the judge’s view on certain abortion cases and assured the lawmaker that she has no agenda.
“I follow the law,” Barrett said: Senate Judiciary Committee
Feinstein specifically asked Barrett if she agreed “with Justice Scalia’s view that Roe was wrongly decided.”
“Senator, I completely understand why you are asking the question,” Barrett said. “But, again, I can’t pre-commit or say, ‘Yes, I’m going in with some agenda’ because I’m not. I don’t have any agenda. I have no agenda to try to overrule Casey.”
“I have an agenda to stick to the rule of law and decide cases as they come,” she added.
While Feinstein pressed for Barrett’s views “as a person,” the nominee remained consistent:
Senator, what I will commit is that I will obey all the rules of stare decisis, that if a question comes before me about whether Casey (Planned Parenthood v. Casey), or any other case, would be overruled, that I will follow the law of stare decisis, applying it as the court has articulated it, applying all the factors, reliance, workability, being undermined by later facts and law, all the standard factors.
“And I promise to do that for any issue that comes up — abortion or anything else. I’ll follow the law,” Barrett added.
3. The European Council recalls that the transition period will end on 31 December 2020 and notes with concern that progress on the key issues of interest to the Union is still not sufficient for an agreement to be reached.
4. The European Council reaffirms the Union’s determination to have as close as possible a partnership with the United Kingdom on the basis of the negotiating directives of 25 February 2020, while respecting the previously agreed European Council guidelines, as well as statements and declarations, notably those of 25 November 2018, in particular as regards the level playing field, governance and fisheries.
5. Against this background, the European Council invites the Unionʼs chief negotiator to continue negotiations in the coming weeks, and calls on the UK to make the necessary moves to make an agreement possible.
6. As regards the Internal Market Bill tabled by the UK government, the European Council recalls that the Withdrawal Agreement and its Protocols must be fully and timely implemented.
7. The European Council calls upon Member States, Union institutions and all stakeholders to step up their work on preparedness and readiness at all levels and for all outcomes, including that of no agreement, and invites the Commission, in particular, to give timely consideration to unilateral and time-limited contingency measures that are in the EUʼs interest.
8. The European Council will remain seized of the matter.
Pope Francis on Thursday appointed Bishop Marcello Semeraro, currently Bishop of Albano, as the new Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. He succeeds Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who resigned his post on September 24.
Semeraro, who turns 73 in December, was born in Monteroni di Lecce, Puglia, in Italy. He was ordained priest in 1971 and was appointed Bishop of Oria by St. John Paul II in 1998. He was then transferred to the Suburbicarian Church of Albano on 1 October 2004. He is currently Apostolic Administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Exarchic Monastery of S. Maria di Grottaferrata and Pontifical Delegate of the Basilian Order of Italy.
He received his initial formation at the Pontifical Regional Seminary of Puglia, Pius XI of Molfetta, and, subsequently, he finished his theological studies at the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome where he obtained the academic degrees of Licentiate and Doctorate in Sacred Theology. He then began the ministry of teaching Dogmatic Theology at the Pugliese Theological Institute and then Ecclesiology at the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Lateral University. He has published several books, articles and dictionary entries on the themes of ecclesiology. After the call to the episcopate he published texts on pastoral and priestly spirituality, including a book with the “Preface” by Pope Francis.
He was Special Secretary of the 10th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Bishop: Servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the hope of the world. He participated in the XIV Ordinary General Assembly on The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world; in the XV Ordinary General Assembly on Youth, faith and vocational discernment and in the Special Assembly for the Panamazzonic Region in 2019, all by pontifical nomination.
Since 2013 he has been Secretary of the “Council of Cardinals”, helping the Holy Father in the government of the Universal Church, a role that the Pope has entrusted today to Bishop Marco Mellino, until now Deputy Secretary. Bishop Semeraro has been a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints since 2009. He is a member of the Dicastery for Communication and Consultor of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Finally, he is President for the Latium Episcopal Conference of the Regional Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith, Announcement and Catechesis, Member of the CEI Episcopal Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith, Announcement and Catechesis and President of the Board of Directors of the newspaper”Avvenire – Nuova Editrice SpA”.
Last September, Bishop Semeraro welcomed Pope Francis on a pastoral visit to Albano.
Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein reportedly got caught on a hot mic making a comment about Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s religion.
????️ Sen. Feinstein hot mic talking about Judge Amy Coney Barrett: “She’s been pro-life for a long time. So I suspect with her, it is deeply personal and comes with her religion.” pic.twitter.com/5dUBhHLQsn
“She’s been pro-life for a long time. So I suspect with her, it is deeply personal and comes with her religion,” Feinstein reportedly said.
Feinstein joined the other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in challenging Barrett on a number of issues over the past several days of hearings on Capitol Hill, but it was not the first time that she had suggested Barrett might allow her religious beliefs and personal views supersede her judgment on the court.
During Barrett’s 2017 confirmation hearings, prior to her taking a seat on the 7th Circuit, Feinstein suggested that it was “of concern” that “the dogma lives loudly” within her.
Feinstein and Barrett have a bit of a history. Feinstein told Barrett, a devout Catholic, that “the dogma lives loudly within you” during Barrett’s 2017 hearing for her seat on the 7th Circuit. The comment, seen as an attack on Barrett’s faith, helped make her a conservative star
