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Nigeria: Archbishop Martins calls for a return to the true spirit of Federation

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Nigeria: Archbishop Martins calls for a return to the true spirit of Federation - Vatican News

Catholic News Service of Nigeria – Lagos

The Archbishop made the call recently as Nigeria commemorated its Diamond Jubilee of independence from British colonial rule. The Archbishop also said that the year of the country’s Diamond Jubilee, 2020, has been the most challenging for all Nigerians due to COVID-19 and the high cost of living.

We all need to be on a path to peaceful coexistence

Addressing himself to the state of the nation, Archbishop Martins noted that “not enough has been done in practical terms by successive (Nigerian) leaders to foster a deep sense of patriotism and oneness among the various nationalities that make up the country.” He said that it was shameful that sixty years after gaining independence from the British, the country was yet to get its act together. “We still lack quality leadership needed to guide the country on the path of peaceful coexistence, economic prosperity and security of life and property,” said the prelate of Lagos.

Military governments distorted the growth of the country

Archbishop Martins advocated that the Diamond Jubilee year be used, by all, to reflect soberly on the reality and challenges facing Nigeria.

“A cursory reflection shows that we are far below where we ought to be if we take into consideration the human and natural resources with which the country is blessed.” He added, “The advent of the military into governance has remained an obstacle to the growth of the nation.“

Federal states reduced to begging from central govt

Archbishop Martins pointed out that in its current structure, governance in Nigeria gives too much power to the centre. At the same time, the states and local governments have been reduced to appendages that go cap in hand to Abuja to seek for their survival from the Federal Government. “We must return to true federalism in order to become the nation that we want to be,” he said.

Selfishness and disregard for the common good have made it impossible for the Federal Republic to function as it was meant to at independence, declared the Archbishop. He appealed for selfless leadership and patriotism.

The Grace of God has kept us together

Notwithstanding challenges, Archbishop Martins attributed the fact that the country has held together, for the past 60 years, to the grace of God and the resilience of its people. The people, said the Archbishop, have persevered under successive government leaders that have not had the best interests of the nation at heart.

“We thank God that we are alive to mark the Diamond Jubilee of our country’s independence. We are an independent country still searching for how to become a nation, where no one is oppressed, and everyone feels a sense of belonging. In spite of all odds, we have survived for 60 years, and so we must thank God and praise the resilience of Nigerians. However, this year of our Diamond Jubilee has turned out to be one of the most challenging for most Nigerians,” said the Archbishop as he alluded to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic hardships.

COVID-19 pandemic

Archbishop Martins noted that the country was still battling with the effects of insecurity in the country when COVID-19 struck and made life impossible for ordinary Nigerians. He called on the Government to ease the burdens on the people in the face of rising prices for food and essential commodities.

The winners of the ninth edition of the Social Innovation Tournament

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The winners of the ninth edition of the Social Innovation Tournament’s (SIT) General Category are Navilens with first prize and BeeOmonitoring with second prize, whereas Sponsh and PlasticFri were awarded first and second place in the Special Category, dedicated to projects focusing on the environment and with a strong focus on biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. Furthermore, HeraMobileApp was the winner of the Audience Choice Award, a new category this year where awards are assigned by the audience based on their votes. CloudCuddle and PlasticFri were selected to attend the INSEAD social entrepreneurship programme.

The Social Innovation Tournament, the flagship initiative of the EIB Group Institute’s Social Programme, recognises and supports the best European social entrepreneurs. 15 finalists had been selected for the 2020 edition out of an outstanding group of 216 candidates in 31 countries. SIT is normally organised in a different country every year and rewards European entrepreneurs whose primary purpose is to generate a social, ethical or environmental impact. This year’s tournament was scheduled to take place in Lisbon but – due to the COVID-19 pandemic spreading across the world – it had to be moved online.

EIB Vice-President Emma Navarro, responsible for the EIB Institute and for the Bank’s operations in Portugal stated: “We are proud to reward Europe’s best social entrepreneurs and, by doing so, to promote innovative startups in an early stage of development. The SIT tournament shows the EU bank’s firm commitment to improving their competitiveness and access to finance with a view to turning good ideas into meaningful social and environmental projects. Moreover, at the EIB, the EU climate bank and world’s largest multilateral provider of climate finance, we are particularly pleased to see so many amazing and disruptive ideas that aim to improve biodiversity and ecosystem conservation.”

General Category – Winners

Navilens, from Spain, wants to make cities smarter and more inclusive by empowering visually impaired people with a cutting-edge technology based on a proprietary computer vision algorithm. It replicates the concept of using the camera of any mobile phone to read signage information for visually impaired people and its technology is much more powerful than a QR code. Available in 24 languages, it helps visually impaired users to be more independent in unknown spaces.

BeeOmonitoring (BeeOdiversity), from Belgium, combines nature (bees acting as drones to collect billions of environmental samples on large surfaces) and technology (software processing the data). Through the analysis of samples, BeeOmonitoring can monitor industrial and agricultural pollution, assess the quality/diversity of plants, make targeted improvement decisions and involve local communities to enhance biodiversity.

Special Category – Winners

Sponsh, from the Netherlands, developed a temperature-sensitive smart material that produces water from air, using the natural cycles of day and night. Launched in 2018, Sponsh’s first products are water-producing tree guards for reforestation projects, to help young trees survive their first harsh summers. After 10 years, Sponsh will have planted 80 million trees, turned 174 000 ha of degraded land into forests and absorbed 68 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere.

PlasticFri, from Sweden, is a CleanTech startup with the vision to end the plastic pollution catastrophe. PlasticFri’s mission is to change that reality by transforming renewable resources (agricultural waste and specific non-edible plants) into a biomaterial that looks and works like conventional plastics, but it is 100% biodegradable, compostable and non-toxic. PlasticFri’s impact is not limited to saving CO2, but also contributes to reducing the impact of climate change, ocean toxicity, ecosystem disruption and habitat disruption while improving food chain quality and biodiversity.

Audience Choice Award – Winners

HeraMobileApp, from Turkey, aims to increase access to preventative health services, related to vaccine-preventable diseases and maternal health among Syrian refugees in Turkey. Before using the application, women are given a tutorial on recommended services and are taught about the risks and conditions during and after the pregnancy, the importance of vaccination for children and the situations that will occur if a child is not vaccinated according to guidelines. HERA currently serves 300 women between the ages of 20 and 49.

Background information

About the Social Innovation Tournament

The Social Innovation Tournament recognises and supports the best European social entrepreneurs. It promotes innovative ideas and rewards initiatives that contribute to creating social, ethical or environmental impact. Typically, it covers projects in the areas of education, healthcare, the environment, the circular economy, inclusion, job creation, ageing and many more.

All projects compete for the General Category and Special Category first and second Prizes of €50 000 and €20 000 respectively, as well as the Audience Choice Award of €10 000 for the project with the most audience votes. In 2020, the Special Category Prizes will go to projects focusing on the environment (with a special emphasis on biodiversity and ecosystem conservation). Two projects will be selected to attend INSEAD’s Social Entrepreneurship programme in Fontainebleau, France.

The prizes are awarded by a jury of specialists from the academic and business worlds. The Audience Choice is awarded by the audience, based on their votes.

About the EIB Institute

The EIB Institute was set up within the EIB Group (European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund) to promote and support social, cultural, and academic initiatives with European stakeholders and the public at large. It is a key pillar of the EIB Group’s community and citizenship engagement.

The EIB Institute supports social innovation and entrepreneurs who target social, ethical or environmental goals or seek to create and sustain social value. This is typically related to unemployment, equal opportunities, the marginalisation of disadvantaged groups and access to education and other basic social services.

Plenary highlights: Commission changes, EU budget and climate law | News | European Parliament

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Plenary highlights: Commission changes, EU budget and climate law | News | European Parliament

, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/eu-affairs/20201001STO88313/

World Community must take steps to ensure repealing of laws mandating death penalty for apostasy or blasphemy

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Robert Johnson
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This World Day Against Death Penalty The International Community must take immediate steps to ensure states repeal laws which mandate the death penalty for apostasy or blasphemy

As the World Day Against Death Penalty approaches over 10 countries still have the death penalty for apostasy or blasphemy.

Sixteen organisations, from different faiths and none, have submitted a letter to all UN member states urging them to take immediate steps to address this and to protect fundamental freedoms, including religious freedom, freedom of expression, and the right to adopt, leave or change their religion or belief.

In the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Brunei Darussalam, Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia,  the Republic of Maldives, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, several states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Federal Republic of Somalia, United Arab Emirates, and the Republic of Yemen[1] the courts can sentence an individual to death if they leave the state religion or express a dissenting opinion about the religion.

The death penalty, even when not applied, is used to pressure individuals to recant and to not practice publicly. One ex-Muslim described the laws as being a constant, “sword over our throats.” The UN Secretary General has noted this concern saying that even where a moratorium is in place the laws have, “a chilling effect on the legitimate exercise of human rights.”[2]

The death penalty for apostasy and blasphemy has also been shown to incite violence by non-state actors against those who leave or question the religion. The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief has said, “where domestic laws provide for the death penalty for religious offence, it is more likely that the existence of such laws will encourage vigilante mobs or zealots to murder those alleged to have violated those laws.” The most recent example was in July 2020, when a man shot dead Tahir Ahmed Naseem, who was on trial for blasphemy in Pakistan.

The hope is that this effort will increase the pressure on countries to repeal their laws on the death penalty for apostasy and blasphemy following Sudan’s repeal this year, and further expedite countries’ full compliance with international human rights standards including the freedom of expression, and the right to adopt, leave or change religion or belief.

[1] Global Legal Research Directorate Staff; Goitom, Hanibal. Laws Criminalizing Apostasy, 1 June 2014, www.loc.gov/law/help/apostasy/index.php. Some regions in Northern Nigeria also have the death penalty for apostasy and blasphemy.

[2] UN Human Rights Council, Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General, Capital punishment and the implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty, A/HRC/42/28 (28 August 2019), available from undocs.org/en/A/HRC/42/28.

10.08.2020.-World-Day-Against-Death-PenaltyDownload

The new religion of being ‘woke’

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The new religion of being ‘woke’

Julie Reeder
        <!-- content -->Critical race theory, including anti-racism and white fragility, is the new religion of the left. Its followers are “woke,” and to even question the theory is to commit heresy. Words are violence. Silence is violence.

Young people are “true believers” with a sense of purpose. Having a group identity of all variables involves a primacy that is contrary to the post-racist society that has been the nation’s goal for decades and, in turn, it does damage to the very problem it seeks to oppose.

Critical race theory teaches that every significant disparity in life between White and Black America, including crime, education, employment, etc., is only the result of White racism or systemic racism, and to question it or even think about it is to volunteer to be made out as another ignorant racist who doesn’t get it. This “advanced, higher reasoning” is the new faith, and people question the true elect in this religion at their peril. They may lose their job if they question its infallibility. In fact if someone does question it – that is a sign that they are not only ignorant, but guilty and racist.

It’s a foundation of moral ideas and impulses masquerading as knowledge.

It demands all of society be reprogrammed.

It’s the doctrine of a new religion. There is inequality, depending on whether the self-proclaimed prophets deem a person as oppressed or oppressor based solely on the color of their skin, and unlike other religions, there is no forgiveness, no grace and no redemption.

It’s pernicious and dangerous that they purport to possess actionable information by which other people should live their lives.

While it has the tenets of a religion, it rests in stark contrast to the Judeo-Christian religions and the principles on which the country was founded. In America, citizens are free to believe or not believe in God, but realize that many of the American freedoms, culture and prosperity they enjoy are a direct consequence of those ideas and philosophies.

Judeo-Christian principles call for the ideas of equality and liberty, separation of powers, basic laws that govern human behavior and checks and balances. It values debate and free speech to protect other freedoms. It values personal responsibility, charity and peace and the right to not believe in a religion.

It struck me recently that as I grew up, my Christian religion taught me that my problem was not primarily with others but was an inherent problem with me, as with all humanity. It wasn’t just racism, although racism would be one problem of many. I was taught “red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight,” and we are all made in the image of God.

I learned that the inherent consequence and proof of “sin” is why parents have to teach their children not to lie, cheat, steal or treat others badly. And, just like when someone breaks the law, there has to be restitution. That’s where Jesus dying in our place comes into play. Then there is forgiveness, liberation and freedom to serve and love others with the love we’ve been shown. In the Bible and New Testament, the foundation of Judeo-Christian thought is that people should love and treat others the way they want to be treated. They are to live their lives striving for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control – not power. If someone needs a coat, give him your shirt also. Take care of widows, the poor, people in prison, etc. And truth is to be sought after. It’s imperative.

Judeo-Christian teaching is not a White man’s teaching. It comes from the Jewish/Hebrew people of the Middle East. Again, believe in it or not, love it or hate it, it was the foundation of our country and the belief that everyone has inalienable rights given to them by God and not the government or a local group of any kind. People have the right to liberty and justice for everyone. It’s why after the Revolutionary War, which separated us from England and founded our new country in 1776, it was unconscionable for slavery to continue.

And while people are tearing down the statues of leaders they consider more morally deplorable than themselves, remember that history may not be kind to this generation either after people continue to be enlightened by science regarding many things including human development, abortion, the harmful chemicals and technology and diets imposed on our babies and families and sex trafficking. Are people really more moral today?

My Christian religious leader questioned, taught and reasoned with leaders in the temples. He broke the cultural, racist, patriarchal and sexist traditions of the time by treating women with respect, even prostitutes and Samaritans, which was not allowed. He gave attention to the outcasts. He healed the sick, dined with “sinners” and the most hated people in the culture. He railed against the religious leaders and called them “dead men’s bones in whitewashed tombs.” He chastised them for making money off the people. He was innocent. Rather than lording power over people, his example was to be a sacrifice.

So, contrast that with the young people who are learning that they have “moral authority.” Rather than looking inside themselves, the problem lies with literally everyone and every social construct and system outside them. They are taught the problem is with all those other people out there. They are victims and have to fight for power, subjugation, revolution and control. They have no control personally for their position in life. Everything is stacked against them, and rioting and burning down cities has become a “useful tool.”

What we need is more love, more understanding and more debate.

Julie Reeder can be reached by email at [email protected].

University applies lessons learned from COVID first wave

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University applies lessons learned from COVID first wave | BWNS

Bahá’í-inspired university in Bolivia draws on experiences from first wave of COVID-19 to support staff and students as academic year continues.

SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia — Despite the challenges facing all educational institutions, Nur University in Bolivia has been striving to cope with present circumstances and adapt quickly by drawing on lessons learned from the first wave of COVID-19.

The Bahá’í-inspired educational institution has found two aspects of the learning experience to be essential during this time. One is that students should be closely engaged and not left to themselves. Another is that thoughtful consideration should be given to identifying technologies suitable for present circumstances.

“All of the staff are being especially thoughtful—for instance, trying to call students and determine their needs, and recording every online class for those who could not connect to live online sessions,” says William Shoaie, the rector of the university.

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Established 38 years ago in Santa Cruz, Nur University has grown to become a significant center of education in Bolivia. The university offers a range of programs in the arts and sciences and emphasizes the development of moral capacities as an important aspect of all areas of study.

A special committee has been formed to look after the needs of students, speaking with them about their situation and helping them find accommodations where needed. Professional resources for medical advice and counselling have also been made available.

Conscious use of technology

With the move to online study, the university has been consciously selecting technologies for its operations. Mr. Shoaie says, “We are mindful that introducing any technology has implications for processes and relationships, because each technology favors certain kinds of interaction and can have long-lasting effects.”

In the first semester, which began in March, some teachers offered recorded lectures to students and interacted with them through group messages. Although this made lessons easily accessible, the collective experience of students learning together was lost. Some students were less engaged than those in classes that were held through group video discussions.

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With the move to online study, the university has been consciously selecting technologies for its operations.

In the vision of Nur, education entails much more than conveying information and knowledge. “A lot of the learning process is based on interaction among diverse students and faculty, which provides something that the content of a course alone does not. People who study by themselves can learn the same subject matter, but in terms of the underlying skills, attitudes, and moral and spiritual qualities that one needs in order to contribute more effectively to society, it is better to work and learn with many different people.

“So an important aspect of adapting has been to maintain as much interaction as possible among staff and students.”

An expanded understanding of education

Mr. Shoaie explains that although the pandemic has created many challenges, the university sees new possibilities for enhancing educational approaches. “We are not simply trying to replicate previous dynamics and patterns,” he explains, “but are being proactive in improving the educational experience in ways that we could not have imagined before.

“Because teachers and students have been open to discovering new modes of interaction through the use of certain technologies, learning is no longer confined to set hours or a place. For example, students communicate in messaging groups when they have questions; teachers and other students respond, providing supplementary materials. Our minds were structured around meeting in person, but now the dynamics are more organic. The teacher’s role is that of a facilitator rather than someone who stands in front of a class and conveys knowledge. We have had to reconceptualize some things, seeing the learning process as much more engaging and participatory than before.

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In the vision of Nur, education entails much more than conveying information and knowledge. “A lot of the learning process is based on interaction among diverse students and faculty, which provides something that the content of a course alone does not.”

A new vision by the students

One student named Romina reflects on the transition in the mode of education, saying: “Even though this situation with virtual classes has been difficult, we have been encouraged by the perseverance and care of the university to continue, and have been provided with the tools needed.”

A unique feature of Nur University’s approach is that it promotes service to society as a critical element in one’s life.

“The spirit of service that we develop at Nur University,” Romina continues, “has meant that we have not been passive during this crisis. Rather, we have been joining friends and others to help alleviate suffering.”

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All the changes that Nur University is making this year are allowing it not only to be a place where people are being educated, but to continue to serve as a body of people acting collectively to improve the condition of their society.

All the changes that Nur University is making this year are allowing it not only to be a place where people are being educated, but to continue to serve as a body of people acting collectively to improve the condition of their society.

Sassan, a final-year student, says, “You can feel that the university has a new spirit this year. You can see it in the conversations friends are having and their commitment to serving their fellow citizens with a greater sense of purpose.

“The pandemic has strengthened the identity of students at Nur University who, as part of their education, are learning to be attentive to the needs of their society, seeing each other through this difficult time.”

Established 38 years ago in Santa Cruz, Nur University has grown to become a significant center of education in Bolivia. The university offers a range of programs in the arts and sciences and emphasizes the development of moral capacities as an important aspect of all areas of study.

Brexit talks face moment of truth, says European Council president

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Brexit talks face moment of truth, says European Council president

Talks on a trade deal between Britain and the European Union face a moment of truth ahead of a meeting of EU leaders next week, European Council president Charles Michel said on Thursday.

                                                    <p class="no_name">Mr Michel was speaking in Dublin after talks with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, about the ongoing Brexit negotiations. He urged Britain to put its cards on the table, saying the EU needed clarity about their position.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">“The coming days are crucial. This is the moment of truth. There is only one week to go before the European Council,” Mr Michel told journalists.</p>
                                                                                                                                                                                        <p class="no_name">“This is a challenging situation. We think we need more clarity and we will see if it is possible to make real and concrete progress,” he said.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">“The EU is doing its utmost to find an agreement with the UK, but not at any cost.”</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name"> Mr Martin said “the mood appears to have changed”. </p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">“There has been more intensified engagement . . . but mood is one thing; it does need substance to follow the mood. One needs concrete outcomes from the negotiations, and positions need to change. I think Europe has given good indications over the last while and they need to be reciprocated,” he said. </p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">“I have been very consistent from the outset that the logical outcome of this in terms of the citizens that we represent is to have a comprehensive free trade agreement absent of quotas and tariffs.” </p>

Universal Health Coverage ‘more urgent than ever’ – UN chief

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Universal Health Coverage ‘more urgent than ever’ – UN chief

Painting a gloomy picture of under-investment in health, Secretary-General António Guterres said in his video message to senior ministers: “Universal Health Coverage is not only essential to end the pandemic, it will also drive progress across all health-related SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals]”.

“COVID-19 has made the need for Universal Health Coverage…more urgent than ever”, the UN chief upheld, reminding that it is also a major recommendation in the policy brief that he launched just a day earlier.

‘Global public good’

Other recommendations in the policy guidance include strengthening public health measures; coordinating a global pandemic response; and protecting other health services during the pandemic, including mental health and sexual and reproductive health programmes.

“We also call for funding for the groundbreaking ACT-Accelerator initiative to ensure everyone, everywhere, has access to future COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatment”, Mr. Guterres said, adding that it should be seen as “a global public good”.

The Secretary-General said he hoped the meeting would “build momentum for urgent action” to transform policies and systems to deliver health and human security for all.

‘Urgency, determination and innovation’

The World Health Organization (WHO) reiterated that COVID-19 has eroded decades of progress towards ensuring that everyone, everywhere can get the health care they need without experiencing financial hardship. 

Investing in stronger health systems is not only crucial in responding to the coronavirus but also to protect people from future health threats and make health for all a reality.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the pandemic has “exposed the geopolitical fault lines of our world” and strained the solidarity “so badly needed” to address the “shared global crisis”. 

But far from derailing efforts to achieving universal coverage, “the pandemic must drive us to forge ahead with even more urgency, determination and innovation”, he told the virtual meeting. 

The WHO chief reminded nations that investing in health is not optional, but instead “the foundation for stable, prosperous and peaceful foundations and economies”.

Promoting and protecting health also promotes and protects jobs, education, peace, sustainability and more, he stressed. 
While acknowledging the crises caused by COVID-19, Tedros said that it must be a turning point, “a catalyst for making universal health coverage a reality”. 

“The only way forward is together, working in solidarity for a healthier, safer and fairer world, as if it was a matter of life and death, because it is”, the top UN health official spelled out.

UN promotes greater universal health coverage investment – Vatican News

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By Robin Gomes

As part of the response to the pandemic, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres has been issuing a series of policy briefs to provide ideas to governments on how to address the consequences of this crisis, leaving no one out. He launched his latest policy brief entitled, “Covid-19 and Universal Health Coverage”, with a video message on Wednesday. 

He called for greater investments in universal health coverage saying the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of strong public healthcare systems and emergency preparedness for communities and economies globally. 

Hard lessons from Covid-19

Guterres called on everyone to draw “hard lessons” from the pandemic, for which the world was not prepared.  One of the lessons, he said, “is that under-investment in health can have a devastating impact on societies and economies.”

Nine months into the crisis, he pointed out, Covid-19 has claimed more than one million lives and infected more than 30 million people in 190 countries, with new waves of rising infections. It has cost the global economy $375 billion a month, about 500 million jobs have been lost so far, and decades of human development are going into reverse.

The pandemic has revealed utterly inadequate health systems, yawning gaps in social protection, and major structural inequalities within and between countries.

Healthcare for all

Even though health is a fundamental right and universal health coverage (UHC) a key target for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Guterres pointed out, at least half of the world’s population does not have full coverage of essential health services and over 800 million people spend at least 10 per cent of their household budgets to pay for health services.

The Secretary-General underlined the need for governments to invest in universal health coverage and to make public health programmes inclusive and equitable, without financial barriers.  “Health treatment should not depend on financial status,” he insisted.

Pope Francis on healthcare

As Guterres launched his policy brief entitled, “Covid-19 and Universal Health Coverage”, on Wednesday, Pope Francis in the Vatican called for more equitable and inclusive healthcare systems that leave no one out.  “Healthcare systems need to become much more inclusive and accessible to the disadvantaged and those living in low-income countries,” he said in a message to the virtual plenary meeting of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

“If anyone should be given preference,” the Pope said, “let it be the neediest and most vulnerable among us.” And when vaccines are available, there should be equitable access to them regardless of income, always starting with the least, he said.

The UN policy brief also made recommendations such as checking further transmission of Covid-19 through proven public health measures and a coordinated global response; protecting the delivery of other health services during the pandemic; ensuring that everyone, everywhere has access to future vaccines, tests and treatment; and strengthening preparedness. 

European Parliament adopts resolution on rule of law in Bulgaria

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European Parliament adopts resolution on rule of law in Bulgaria

With 358 votes in favour, 277 against and 56 abstentions, MEPs adopted the resolution on the rule of law in Bulgaria. The document calls for full and unconditional respect for European values, BNR reported.

The European Parliament regrets the significant deterioration in the compliance with the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights in Bulgaria, including the independence of the judiciary, the separation of powers, the fight against corruption and freedom of the media.
The continuing systemic problems in the judiciary have been criticized. The resolution expresses solidarity with the demands for justice, transparency and democracy, concerns about the process of constitutional reform and changes to the election law before the elections.
The resolution is not legally binding. Prior to the vote, Socialist and Green groups voted in favour of the resolution, while the European People’s Party voted against.

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