Anti-cultism is back in France. Media around the world have covered President Macron’s announcement of a new law against “separatism,” explaining it as a measure against radical Islam. It is surely true that Islam is targeted but, not for the first time, a law introduced to fight Islamic radical groups is then used against other religious movements. The Russian law against extremism is an obvious example.
The “general concept” of the law has been unveiled by the French Minister of Internal Affairs, Gérald Darmanin, on Twitter, as it is now increasingly common on world politics. We publish the document tweeted by Darmanin, to make it more easily accessible.
The draft announces the “end of home schooling” in general, “except in cases justified by medical conditions.” Obviously, this provision will target a number of Christian communities and not the Muslims only.
The draft also explains that places of worship will be put under increasing surveillance and “preserved […] from the diffusion of ideas and statements hostile to the laws of the Republic.” Again, the law cannot target Muslims only for obvious constitutional reasons. What about a priest or pastor criticizing abortion or same-sex marriage, which are part of the laws of the French Republic, but also claiming that certain “laws of the Republic” penalize the poor and the immigrants?
Hidden in a law ostensibly aimed at Islamic radicalization is a provision that allows religious and other associations to be dissolved (the Russian word “liquidated” is not used, but the substance is very much the same) in case of “attacks on personal dignity” and “use of psychological or physical pressures.”
When reading this, and considering the French anti-cult tradition, I immediately suspected that the provision will be used against groups labeled as “cults,” and “psychological pressures” is reminiscent of the old idea of “brainwashing.” In Darmanin’s tweet the Minister of Citizenship, Marlène Schiappa, was copied.
On October 10, Schiappa gave an interview to Le Parisien confirming that “we will use the same measures against the cults and against radical Islam.” Last year, the official French anti-cult mission MIVILUDES was moved from being an independent structure under the Prime Minister to becoming a part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ anti-radicalization system. Anti-cultists protested that this may lead to the demise of the MIVILUDES, but Schiappa now explains that with the new law it will be reinforced and move from mere “analysis” to a more active role. The former politician and anti-cult activist Georges Fenech and the president of the largest French anti-cult organization, UNADFI, Joséphine Lindgren-Cesbron, will become members of the MIVILUDES. Anti-cult propaganda will be further promoted. Among the main aims indicated by Schiappa is identifying the “cults” that could be legally dissolved and banned because of “attacks on personal dignity” and “use of psychological or physical pressures.”
Much in the new draft law is constitutionally problematic, not to mention possible interventions of the European Court of Human Rights. These developments confirm, however, that anti-cultism is alive and well in France and that, as in happened in other countries, what is introduced as “a law against radical Islam” may end up targeting a wide variety of religious organizations.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressing the gathering of Mongolian sangha at the annual debate ceremony organised by Gaden Tegcheling monastery. Photo/Screengrab
His Holiness the Dalai Lama today addressed an assembly of Buddhist monks at Gaden Tegcheling monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
His Holiness said that Buddhism was not the primary bridge of Tibet and Mongolia’s relations as both their relations is said to have begun even before the spread of Buddhism to Tibet from India. Both being neighbours, they developed a longstanding historical and civilizational affinity.
“Buddhism gradually spread in Tibet and as an old saying goes, Buddhism is said to have travelled from north to north. From northern India, Buddhism originated and it spread northward to Tibet, Mongolia, and China, etc” said His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
His Holiness accounted that while he was in Tibet, he has met with many influential Mongolian Buddhist scholars and teachers. Among them, His Holiness mentioned that the best and most influential was a teacher named Ngodup Tsognyi from Sera Je.
Despite going through a difficult course of history, His Holiness commended the Mongolian for effectively preserving the faith and Buddhist heritage of Mongolia and advised them to benefit others through the Buddhist teachings.
Recounting one of his Mongolia visits in 1979, His Holiness explained that it was a difficult period for religious freedom, yet the Buddhist tradition had survived. “Despite everything, the Mongolian followers showed such zeal and dedication in preserving their faith that it brought me in tears”.
His Holiness asked the devotees especially the religious figures to pay more attention to studying Buddhist texts in the light of reason and logic and not studying it simply out of faith. He clarified that even the great scholars of Nalanda tradition analyzed and examined Buddhist teachings and a few times they refuted some of the teachings because it contradicted their logical analysis.
“Do not take the teachings of Buddha on faith alone but examine and confirm them using logical analysis” said His Holiness. He added that Buddhist teachings have a wider scope for benefitting others if it is evolved from a study of religion and faith.
His Holiness was invited by the Gaden Tegcheling monastery in Mongolia to address the assembled Mongolian monks at the Battsagaan Grand Assembly Hall.
Monks from both Sera Je and Deprung monasteries led by Mongolian Geshe Lharampas participated in the annual debate. The purpose of the debate is to maintain the studies of those Mongolian monks who had temporarily returned to Mongolia from their respective monasteries in South India due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Khen Rinpoche making a mandala offering to His Holiness the Dalai Lama at beginning of the ceremony via the teleconference.
Mongolian monks present a Buddhist dialectic debate in front of His Holiness the Dalai Lama via the teleconference.
Due to the serious public health situation in Belgium and France, the President, in agreement with EP group leaders, has decided that the October II session will take place remotely.
Following the report from the European Parliament’s Medical Service and the information received from the Belgian and French authorities on the evolution of COVID-19, the risk to public health is considered to have increased significantly. On the basis of this evaluation, it was decided that the necessary security conditions have not been met to allow the European Parliament to convene in full in person for the plenary session next week.
To ensure Parliament remains operational, and in particular its legislative and budgetary activity, while avoiding additional risks, Members will be advised to participate remotely. Many plenary interventions will be made from the European Parliament’s Liaison Offices in the member states, while taking into account the national measures in place.
The French and Belgian authorities have been informed of this decision. The European Parliament reiterates its wish to return to its Strasbourg seat as soon as possible and to convene in person, as soon as the situation allows for it.
By: Reuters | Brussels |
October 15, 2020 4:03:16 pm
Months of talks between the estranged allies have narrowed gaps on issues from energy to welfare for 2021 when Britain’s transition period after leaving the bloc ends.
But the three most contentious areas have so far prevented a deal, with businesses and markets increasingly jittery as the year-end deadline nears for agreement between the world’s sixth-biggest economy and its largest trading bloc.
Last month, Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson set Oct. 15 as the deadline for a deal and on Wednesday said he would decide what to do after reflecting on the conclusions of this week’s EU summit. A wall mural is seen near the EU Commission and Council buildings in Brussels, Belgium, October 17, 2018. (Reuters)
“The European Council invites the Union’s chief negotiator to continue negotiations in the coming weeks, and calls on the UK to make the necessary moves to make an agreement possible,” the latest draft of the EU summit conclusions said.
Many on financial markets expect a thin deal by early November, though after several more weeks of drama.
The 27 EU heads of state will also want an acceleration of contingency plans for an abrupt split if no agreement emerges in time on trading with Britain without tariffs or quotas.
But, keen to avoid being blamed, the bloc will continue negotiations for as long as possible, a German government source said, adding: “The European Union will not be the ones getting up from the table.”
The EU says a deal must come in early November at the latest to allow time for ratification by its parliament and some national chambers. Britain’s junior business minister Nadhim Zahawi said London also could not wait much longer as it needed to tell businesses to prepare if talks fail.
‘EAT YOUR VEGGIES’
In a call on Wednesday, senior EU officials pushed Johnson for progress.
With fisheries crucial to France, President Emmanuel Macron is expected to take a hard line on Thursday.
The EU has warned it will not leave the matter to last and that it could only be part of a wider deal together with issues like energy ties or financial services where London has a weaker bargaining position than on fishing rights.
The sides are also far apart on the so-called level playing field guarantees of fair competition. They cover social, labour and environment standards, as well as state aid.
If both sides follow the same rules, they can trade without any barriers. But Britain wants to be able to regulate its own corporate subsidies freely in the future, while the EU seeks to lock in joint principles.
Otherwise, the EU says Britain cannot have open access to the bloc’s cherished single market of 450 million people as it could offer its goods for sale at artificially low prices resulting from substandard production.
“It’s a bit like one of your children not wanting to eat their veggies,” an EU diplomat said of Britain’s reluctance to accept the bloc’s position.
“What do you do? Do you force it into their mouth or do you try to mix it up another way?”
The need for social protection safety nets has been further highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a new report, launched on Thursday.
“Comprehensive social protection creates the foundation for healthy societies and vibrant economies,” Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of ESCAP, said in a news release, on Thursday, announcing the findings.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought this imperative into sharp focus, by demonstrating the stabilizing effect well-functioning social protection systems have and how their absence exacerbates inequality and poverty,” she added.
The economic and employment shock countries are facing due to pandemic means that social protection will remain a critical policy tool in the recovery, it added, underscoring that social protection programmes should form an integral component of any recovery plans.
Excluding health, many countries in the region spend less than 2 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on social protection, a “stark contrast” from the global average of 11 per cent, said the report.
Across the region, about 46 per cent of the population is protected in at least one area of social protection, with South East and South Asia subregions lagging with 33 per cent and 24 per cent, respectively.
In many countries, there are no schemes for numerous social protection contingencies, and responsibility for provisions such as maternity, sickness, and employment injury benefits, falling on employers.
“These arrangements can create perverse incentives for employers. For example, employer-liability arrangements for maternity benefits can lead to discrimination against women of reproductive age,” warned the report.
Informal employment
Alongside underinvestment in social protection schemes, another key reason for the coverage gap is high prevalence of informal employment in the region, representing close to 70 per cent of all workers, according to the report.
Though national and subregional differences exist, informal employment prevails in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, such as construction, wholesale and retail trade, accommodation, and restaurants, the report added. Women are particularly impacted as they are most often engaged in the informal economy, working in more vulnerable jobs.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the precarious situation of both women and men in the informal economy, explained Chihoko Asada-Miyakawa, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at ILO.
“There is a clear need for further investment in public social protection systems if we are to avoid the stagnation of social and economic progress made across the region in recent decades,” she said.
Recommendations
The report identified seven key actions governments in the region can take to improve social protection.
These include: integrating social protection as a core strategy for socio-economic development; political commitment and stepping up investments in social protection for all; closing existing social protection coverage gaps; promoting transition from the informal to the formal economy; and embedding social dialogue at all steps from design and implementation to follow-up and evaluation.
The report also calls for strengthening gender-responsiveness of social protection systems by ensuring that schemes address the specific vulnerabilities faced by women, men, girls, and boys; and leveraging new technologies to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and accessibility of social protection.
By stepping up their commitments to universal social protection, countries in Asia and the Pacific would “also be taking a critical step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while being better prepared to deal with current and emerging challenges,” added the report.
The European Parliament will hold next week’s plenary session by videoconference as a precaution against coronavirus, European Parliament President Davide Sassoli said Thursday (15 October), despite French insistence on resuming the assembly’s monthly Strasbourg sessions.
“I regret to announce that next week’s plenary will not take place in Strasbourg, but will be remote,” Sassoli wrote on Twitter.
“The situation in France and Belgium is very serious. Traveling is a danger,” he added.
But, in a likely gesture to Macron, Sassoli also added that “Strasbourg remains the seat of the Parliament and we will do our utmost to return.”
I regret to announce that next week’s plenary will not take place in Strasbourg, but will be held remotely.
The situation in France and Belgium is very serious and travelling is not advised.
Strasbourg remains the home of @Europarl_EN and we will do everything we can to return.
The decision follows a standoff between the EU institution and French President Emmanuel Macron, who demanded the parliament should return to Strasbourg as soon as possible, saying that the EU would be “screwed” if it met only in Brussels.
In a letter obtained by EURACTIV on Tuesday, Sassoli informed European Parliament staff about stricter measures to be applied within the institution, further reducing physical presence in the EP buildings.
He asked MEPs to do at least 80% of monthly working time in telework in the near future.
With that, the European Parliament is preparing, slowly but surely, for a possible second lockdown.
The announcement followed after several S&D MEPs, including Sassoli’s own team, had to quarantine after coming in contact with a staff member who tested positive for COVID-19.
France itself on Wednesday announced stricter coronavirus measures to combat a surge in infections across the country, with curfews in nine cities, although Strasbourg, in the country’s east, is not affected.
Since March, when the pandemic arrived in Europe, the European Parliament has met exclusively in Brussels, with many members connecting by video link to allow social distancing. There has also been a system put in place for MEPs to vote remotely.
Macron will have the chance to make his views known to Sassoli face to face on Thursday when they meet at an EU summit in Brussels, which the European Parliament president traditionally attends.
The costly and time-consuming travel to Strasbourg for MEPs and their thousands of staff between the two cities has in recent years led to increased demands for a single seat in Brussels for the institution.
However, France vehemently insists on its right – currently enshrined in the EU treaties – to host the plenary sessions.
Unprecedented work has been undertaken in the Republic of Moldova to ensure that adolescents can access sexual and reproductive health services, following a systematic process outlined by WHO.
WHO/Europe carried out an assessment of sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in the context of universal health coverage in 6 countries of the WHO European Region. This assessment identified broad health system challenges that must be addressed to achieve universal health coverage in the area of sexual and reproductive health. It also pinpointed key interventions for countries to prioritize, including sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents.
During 20 and 22 October 2020 WHO and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will organize a sub-regional consultation on sexual and reproductive health in Central Asian countries. The outcomes of the country assessments on sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health as well as how to ensure access to sexual and reproductive services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic will be key topics of discussion during this online event.
The Republic of Moldova was the only country included in the WHO/Europe assessment that offers comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services for young people. It established youth-friendly clinics in every district and municipality between 2002 and 2017.
These 41 clinics offer free counselling services to young people aged 10–24, and are staffed with multidisciplinary teams of specialists including gynaecologists, urologists/andrologists, internists, dermato-venereologists, midwives, nurses, psychologists and social workers. Adolescents also receive free contraceptives and HIV testing.
In addition to the network of clinics, efforts are underway to set up mobile teams to provide clinical outreach services to adolescents in villages.
Dr Galina Leșco, Head of the National Resource Centre on Youth-friendly Health Services Neovita in Chisinau, coordinates the national youth-friendly clinic network. She says that the Ministry of Health’s commitment along with donor support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and WHO have been decisive in strengthening services specifically for teenagers.
“The first 3 pilot centres were opened with the financial support of UNICEF Moldova. The SDC played an essential role in extending the network during the past decade. Thanks to WHO’s technical support, a scaling-up concept for youth-friendly services was established,” explains Dr Leșco.
“We receive extraordinary support from WHO and appreciate how we are continuously guided in the development of service-quality standards and in implementing innovative approaches, such as collaborative learning.”
Positive trends, legislative challenges
According to the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study in the Republic of Moldova, in the last 5 years the fertility rate of those aged 15–19 has decreased by 25%, and abortions in this age group have decreased by 20%. The number of abortions among minors has nearly halved in the last 3 years, from 243 in 2016 to 141 in 2018.
Another positive development is seen in several studies indicating that the proportion of 15-year-olds who have started having sex decreased from 18% in 2014 to 13.3% in 2018. Also, the use of the contraceptive pill among sexually active 15-year-olds increased from 6% in 2014 to 10% in 2018.
However, several challenges remain. The incidence of HIV among young people has stayed the same in recent years, and condom use among sexually active young people aged 15–17 is inconsistent. Insufficient financial support for youth clinics is an additional concern.
“Every year we have significant personnel losses due to the poor financial situation in the country,” says Dr Leșco. Many health workers from the Republic of Moldova migrate to other countries with the hope of securing higher pay and improved working conditions.
Dr Leșco is keen to review Moldovan legislation related to the age of consent to access health services. The current legislation requires parental consent for those aged 16 years and under. “The criteria for assessing the decision-making capacities of a young person should change so that, under certain conditions, young people can have easier access to quality services,” she says.
The WHO assessment also showed that not all health providers know about the relevant regulations or how to apply them in young people’s best interests. One of the assessment’s policy recommendations is that legislation on adolescents’ right to access to sexual and reproductive health services without parental consent be clearly communicated to all health workers to ensure that it is understood and applied uniformly across different levels of care. It is also essential that young people know their rights and entitlements.
Reaching every young person, in every village
“A big problem right now is that young people from small, remote villages are embarrassed to ask for the help they need in the regular local health services,” adds Dr Leșco. The plan to create mobile teams will address this issue and ensure privacy and confidentiality in small communities.
“The teams will consist of nurses and volunteers who regularly visit the communities based on an established programme. Like this, young people will benefit from more confidential services, for free,” she explains.
Ms Alina Racu, a young woman from Criuleni in the central part of the country, confirms that a lot of work remains to inform young people in small villages about sexual and reproductive health and the possibility of accessing services in the youth-friendly clinics.
“Many young people in villages don’t know about the basic methods of contraception and don’t know where to go for help,” she says. “Most of them look for solutions on social networks, like Facebook, Odnoklassniki or other sites. It’s totally different when you go to a qualified specialist, who explains in detail the risks, challenges and ways of protecting yourself. It’s very important for teens to know about these centres and not be afraid to ask for qualified help on time.”
Making a difference in young lives
Many health professionals at the youth-friendly clinics have modest working conditions and low salaries. Despite such challenges, they find gratification and great value in their work.
“I will never forget when our centre, Neovita, celebrated its 10-year anniversary. A young girl came to the reception and I saw from her clothes and appearance that she probably lived on the streets. She wanted to make an appointment with a gynaecologist at the recommendation of her friend, who had visited the centre earlier. This friend had a mental health issue and had needed an abortion when she was 14 years old,” remembers Dr Leșco.
“I realized that if this young girl convinced a friend to visit us now, it means that when she was here, she felt safe with us, thought of us as friends and received the help she needed. This makes us proud of our achievements, no matter how small they may be.”
The outcomes of the assessment of sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in the context of universal health coverage in 6 countries, including the Republic of Moldova, are available through the link below.
A trial got underway on Wednesday morning at the Tribunal of the Vatican City State in a case involving two defendants: Fr. Gabriele Martinelli and Fr. Enrico Radice, the former rector of the St. Pius X Seminary.
Fr. Martinelli (who is represented by lawyer Rita Claudia Baffioni) is accused of sexual abuse allegedly committed between 2007 and 2012 against someone at the pre-seminary.
Fr. Radice (who is represented by lawyer Agnese Camilli Carissimi) is accused of obstructing the investigation into these matters.
The hearing began at 9:35 AM with the reading of the charges, and was adjourned until Tuesday, 27 October at 2:00 PM.
At that session, according to Giuseppe Pignatone, president of the Tribunal, the reservation on some evidence presented by the defense will be lifted, and the accused will be questioned.
According to new estimates from UNICEF, 40 per cent of the world’s population – or 3 billion people – do not have a handwashing facility with water and soap at home. The number is much higher in least developed countries, where nearly three-quarters of the population lack such facilities.
Kelly Ann Naylor, Associate Director of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene at UNICEF, said that it is “unacceptable” that the most vulnerable communities are unable to use the simplest of methods to protect themselves and their loved ones.
“The pandemic has highlighted the critical role of hand hygiene in disease prevention. It has also stressed a pre-existing problem for many: Handwashing with soap remains out of reach for millions of children where they’re born, live and learn.”
“We must take immediate action to make handwashing with soap accessible to everyone, everywhere – now and in the future,” she urged.
The situation is also alarming at schools: 43 per cent of schools globally (70 per cent in least developed countries) lack a handwashing facility with water and soap, affecting hundreds of millions of school-age children, according to the estimates.
Against this backdrop, UNICEF, along with the UN World Health Organization launched the “Hand Hygiene for All” initiative to support the development of national roadmaps to accelerate and sustain progress towards making hand hygiene a mainstay in public health interventions.
This means rapidly improving access to handwashing facilities, water, soap and hand sanitizer in all settings, as well as promoting behavioural change interventions for optimal hand hygiene practices, said UNICEF.
The initiative brings together international, national, and local partners, to ensure affordable products and services are available and sustainable, especially in vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.
The estimates were released on Thursday, coinciding with Global Handwashing Day, which serves as a platform to raise awareness on the importance of handwashing with soap.
Ahead of October 31 2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia, hierarchs from the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) are taking a visible role in political campaigning, while politicians have also increased their visits to churches and meetings with religious figures.
Although in theory church and state are independent, according to the Caucasus Barometer’s 2019 survey, 90 per cent of Georgians consider religion important in their lives, with the GOC the most trusted public institution. This means that Georgian politicians have long courted the GOC to gain votes and legitimacy.
During previous election periods, both Transparency International and the Tbilisi-based Tolerance & Diversity Institute have reported cases of increased funding and the gifting of land to the GOC.
Levan Sutidze – editor in chief of Georgian political journal Tabula and a religious affairs analyst – told IWPR that the church’s privileged position in public life did not always support democratic processes.
IWPR: Do the 2020 elections stand out from previous ones concerning the involvement of religious actors in political processes?
Sutidze: During each election period, the GOC always dedicates special attention and energy to the country’s ruling party, unless it realises that the party is losing power. Consequently, every election period in Georgia is a shockingly anti-secular process. The 2020 elections stand out from the rest, however, with the massive participation of hierarchs of the GOC in Georgian Dream’s campaign presentations. Representatives of the GOC actively attend Georgian Dream’s campaign presentations, whereas they don’t attend the presentations of other political parties. This makes it crystal clear that, at this point, the GOC supports the current government. The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy watch-dog has made a statement about this, urging religious actors to restrain from attending political campaign presentations.
How does this benefit both politicians and religious actors?
Both sides look for short-term rather than long-term gains and results. The GOC has mercantilist goals… [and] similarly, for the current politicians, short-term votes are more tangible than their long-term achievements – especially in the 2020 elections [the country’s first with proportional elections and a one per cent threshold] when every vote counts. When our political class cannot solve economic problems, or when they are unable to make any realistic changes, they offer people the unrealistic and the irrational. In a way, this is pragmatic – on the one side, they have virologists in white coats and on the other priests in robes, to create a perception that these two important authorities in our society support them.
How effective is this relationship for the political class?
If we look at research from the NDI, we can see that the rating of the GOC has fallen by 25 per cent in the past five years. Although the GOC is still significant, it should be less pragmatic for the political class to capitalise on it as much as they did before.
In general, people make their choice based on what is inside their fridge rather than what’s inside the heart of a specific politician. Elene Khoshtaria’s campaign [an opposition candidate known for supporting minority rights] for example, is proof that you can openly and freely defend transgender rights and still not have a low rating. This reflects on the attitude of at least a part of our voters.
Still, I assume that the involvement of religious actors in politics works for around 15 per cent of the voters – those who weekly attend religious services. Some people still need this explicit demonstration of proximity between the two institutions.
How do religious actors justify their participation in politics?
They have used two justifications for the involvement in campaign presentations – firstly, that attendance does not mean endorsement and secondly that by attending, they are showing their respect to the state. To begin with the latter, it is saddening that the GOC cannot differentiate between the state and the party, which partly points to their Soviet mentality. The former argument that attendance does not mean endorsement is clearly absurd.
Do the close church-state relations break the principle of secularism guaranteed by the Georgian constitution?
In general, Georgia is more or less a secular state. It would be far-fetched to say otherwise.
Legally, the attendance of political campaign presentations by religious actors breaks the electoral code according to which religious organisations cannot take part in pre-election “agitation”. Still, since we don’t want aggressive secularism where religious actors cannot demonstrate any sympathy or support, I wouldn’t call this specific involvement unconstitutional or not secular.
I would say, however, that the secularism principle is broken when the GOC has informal veto power over certain laws that are not essential [for the government’s pro-West direction]… In addition, the church is obviously privileged in comparison to other religious institutions with exemption from certain taxes, not being bound to the rule of law [over Covid-19 restrictions] and so on. This clearly breaks with the principle of secularism.
Although the attendance of political campaigns by religious actors per se may not be unconstitutional, it fits into this puzzle of a privileged and empowered GOC that gives us a picture of a very ugly relationship – judicially speaking – between the church and the state.
How can this change?
I believe the solution is for the public to be completely informed about what the GOC represents and why the current relationship between church and state is harmful for both sides. The media should become much more active in this, and I salute the fact that there is progress in that direction, especially in the opposition media. An informed public will lead to the political class getting a firm signal that they can no longer get away with close relations with the GOC. I do not believe that the situation is too pessimistic. It is tough but not hopeless, and we can clearly see that the wind is blowing in the right direction. Also, in five to ten years, change will naturally come to the GOC when a change of Patriarch [who is now elderly] may halve the GOC’s authority.
Will the political class ever risk breaking this “marriage” with the Georgian Orthodox Church?
It is obvious that they are already risking it. The current opposition is different from the previous government’s opposition since they do not capitalise on the GOC as much – although attempts, of course, remain from some parties.
Today, it is important to have the liberal class on your side in order to be considered a good politician – supporting the involvement of the GOC in politics and being on the [anti-secular] side is relatively harder than it was. It is also important for politicians to get positive attitudes from the people/sources who have influence on the electorate – ie liberal media, NGOs, and donor organizations. These groups do not represent a small percentage and being positively perceived by them is important and instrumental for many.
