On Sunday 5 July, ALDE reports on its newsletter, Croatians headed to polls in the country’s snap parliamentary elections, with five ALDE member parties running: Croatian’s People Party (HNS), Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Civic-Liberal Alliance (GLAS) and Pametno (P).
The governing centre-right party Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) ran together with ALDE member HSLS, reaching a total of 66 seats out of 151 seats. One of these seats will belong to HSLS. While this is the biggest win for HDZ since 1990s, the party still needs a coalition partner to reach majority.
The biggest opposition force, the Restart Coalition led by the Social Democrats (SDP) got a total of 41 seats. Supporting this coalition, three of these seats will go to ALDE member IDS and one to GLAS. The new populist right-wing party led by Miroslav Škoro came third, totalling up to 16 seats.
ALDE members Pametno and HNS will also hold one seat each. This means that liberals will be represented in the new parliament by all ALDE member parties.
The voter turnout of 46.90% is the lowest turnout ever in the Croatian parliamentary history. Possible reason to this include the COVID-19 outbreak as well as the timing of the elections – for the first time, the country held elections at the beginning of summer.
Danius Puras – HRC 44 – Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
Madam President,
The European Union would like to thank the Special Rapporteur for his report on “the elements that are needed to set a rights-based global agenda for advancing the right to mental health”. This being your last dialogue with the Council in your current capacity, the EU would like to thank you for your very valuable contributions to the promotion and protection of the right to health and, in particular, for the much needed attention you dedicated to the right to mental health.
The EU agrees that it is essential to adopt and implement a human rights-based approach to mental health. As you rightly point out, there is a need to move towards more humane, compassionate and indeed rights-based support for those experiencing serious psychosocial distress.
At the centre of such an approach are the dignity, autonomy, will and preferences of those persons accessing and using mental health services, as well as core values such as social inclusion, participation, equality and non-discrimination.
In your report you mention the impact on mental health of global challenges such as climate change, the use of digital surveillance technologies and social credit systems, and health crises such as the one related to COVID-19 which the world is currently experiencing.
The EU shares your opinion that solidarity, collective activism and shared commitments help to set up adequate responses to these challenges and that states should take all measures to ensure that the civic space needed for these collective voices to be heard is protected.
Mr. Special Rapporteur,
Could you further elaborate on how best to integrate public health evidence, lived experience and rights-based research to guide decision-making on global and national public policy strategies?
40th anniversary of the Organic Law on Religious Freedom
Delta Publicaciones, a well-known publishing house, has just launched in Spanish their latest “Law and Religion” magazine, the number XV, commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Spanish Religious Freedom Law.
The magazine, which contains articles by the top full professors of Religious Freedom has been coordinated by Prof. Miguel Rodríguez Blanco and Prof. Marcos González Sánchez, both awardees of the Spanish granted “Religious Freedom Awards” on 2018 and 2019 respectively. The Organic Law 7/1980 of July 5, 1980 on Religious Freedom has reached forty years of validity. This law has contributed to the recognition of the right to religious freedom by all citizens and the absence of serious conflicts or confrontations in this area.
The LOLR was a key element in the transition and consolidation of a democratic state in Spain. It introduced into our legal system a series of novelties that constitute the content in this field of the Constitution in force today: it guarantees and develops equally the rights of all denominations, within the framework of the recognition of the religious freedom of all citizens, of the non-denominational nature of the State, and of the cooperation of the public authorities with religious denominations. 40 years after the entry into force of the LOLR, it is appropriate to analyze its positive and negative aspects.
The analysis and defense of the LOLR is the best tribute we can make in this 40th anniversary of its approval. We thank the professors of the Ecclesiastical Law of the State who with their better availability and dedication have wanted to collaborate to its realization. The result is a very complete volume, which refers to almost all the questions raised by the articles of the LOLR.
Introduction by Prof. Rodríguez Blanco & Prof. González Sánchez
It was clear to the democratic people of Spain 40 years ago that they wanted to live together in peace and that is why the current Spanish Constitution of 1978 sealed “religious peace”. The new constitutional framework demanded a rapid change in the regulation of religious freedom established by the Franco regime, hence the change from a law that established a system of mere religious tolerance – Law 44/1967 of 28 June on Religious Freedom – to the current Organic Law 7/1980 of 5 July on Religious Freedom [LOLR], which has helped to make the religious transition in Spain. It is one of the first laws to be enacted in development of a fundamental right and was approved with great consensus. It consists of eight articles, two transitional provisions, one derogatory and one final. It is a very valid and effective text for the purposes of achieving the proposed goal, a reference for other European and American laws, and which continues to be as useful as it was four decades ago.
The LOLR provides a good service to coexistence, in accordance with the principle of the secularity of the State, by helping to guarantee the effective exercise of the right to religious freedom. This fundamental right is equally held by all individuals and all religious denominations. In general terms, the content of the Law can be summarized as follows: guarantees religious freedom and points out the reporting principles on the regulation of the religious social factor; sets the content of religious freedom and establishes the limits to its exercise and the aspects that fall outside its scope of protection; regulates the judicial protection of recognized rights; creates the Register of Religious Entities – a register that shows that religious entities are a phenomenon distinct from associations and constitutes their main meeting point; recognizes full autonomy for denominations and the capacity for them to establish their own rules of organization, internal rules and staff rules; the possibility for denominations to have access to the signing of cooperation agreements with the State – which create a special legal framework, a specific framework of rights adapted to their own characteristics – and creates the Advisory Commission on Religious Freedom.
The defence and guarantee of religious diversity only goes through the defence and guarantee of religious freedom. Diversity helps progress and societies without diversity are further behind. The LOLR offers solutions to such pressing problems as the very ordering of society, strengthens and develops the religious beliefs of individuals and denominations and, in short, prevents intransigent policies that have characterized authoritarian and anti-democratic regimes throughout history and that today are far from the scope of our freedoms. Freedom requires laws and the LOLR fulfils its objective.
The monographic XV of the Law and Religion Magazine is dedicated to the LOLR when turning 40 years of validity. When a norm lasts so long it is a sign that it is good and has overcome oblivion. In any case, given the time that has passed we consider that it is the opportune moment to make an evaluation of its application and to analyze those questions that possibly require a development, modification or incorporation to the text of the Law. For years there has been talk of its possible reform and it is clear that, like any legal text, it can be modified. However, if the change is not to make it better, it is preferable that it remains as it is. Perhaps, as most representatives of religious denominations claim, what should be done is to comply with its content and apply it fully. In any case, any reform or replacement of the LOLR should be very consensual as it is a norm that develops a particularly sensitive fundamental right in every society.
The analysis and defense of the LOLR is the best tribute we can make in this fortieth anniversary of its approval. We are grateful to the professors of Ecclesiastical Law of the State that with their better availability and dedication have wanted to collaborate to its realization. The result is a very complete volume, which refers to almost all the questions raised by the articles of the LOLR. Likewise, we would like to point out that the Department of Private Law of the University of the Balearic Islands has collaborated in this publication and has been financed by the Research Project “40th Anniversary of the Organic Law of Religious Freedom. Critical analysis” (L3-2019) of the Foundation Pluralism and Coexistence of the Ministry of the Presidency, Relations with the Courts and Democratic Memory. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
EURONEWS – With over 20 million followers, Alex Hirschi, better known as Supercar Blondie, is an online sensation and one of the most successful car influencers in the world.
“I have used the opportunity of living in Dubai to create an account like this,” Hirschi says. “It’s amazing to live in a city where supercars are seen on a daily basis. I realised that if I loved seeing them, then there must be people elsewhere who’d love to see them as well, so I started documenting it.”
Despite her experience with some of the top supercars in the world, one thing was missing from Supercar Blondie’s bucket list: driving an F1 car.
Until now.
The price tag to buy one of these incredible machines is several million euros, out of reach for the majority of people. But a few places around the world now offer the opportunity for members of the public to get the F1 experience. Hirschi joined Euronews’s Evan Bourke at one of them: The Dubai Autodrome, where all you need is a driver’s license, a spare €5000, and nerves of steel.
Learning to drive an F1 race car
Every part of an F1 car has been designed and engineered for optimum performance. It is ultra-light, weighing just over 500kg, and powered by a high-octane engine that has over 500Hp and can propel the driver from 0-200km/h in just 4.5 seconds. So understandably, before you are allowed to drive one, there’s some training involved.
The first step is for Hirschi to do a lap of the track at a snail’s pace to check out each and every bend and straight. An instructor drives her in an Abarth sports car, showing the best racing lines, and where to jump on the brakes.
On the second lap, she upgrades from the air-conditioned sports car and heads into the desert heat in a machine that lives up to its name: the Radical. The Radical has a 2 seater cockpit and an impressive 226bhp. And this time, Supercar Blondie is behind the wheel.
From the passenger seat, the instructor pushes Hirschi to her limits. Once he’s confident she knows what she’s doing, it’s back to the pit to prepare to go solo.
“I don’t know what you’ve roped me into here,” says Hirschi as a team of assistants strap her down into the tight space, “this is insane.”
The instructor shows the button to get the car into first gear. Novice drivers often stall the F1 car as all the previous advice goes out the window with the mounting excitement.
The engine starts. The commotion of the pit team is overpowered by the roar of the V10 mammoth. All systems get the green light.
Exiting the pit lane Supercar Blondie’s head is pinned against the seat from the force of the acceleration. Within moments she enters the first corner, braking at a rate so quick that she floats out of the seat, only held in by the 5 point harness.
Pulling into the pitlane after her second lap Hirschi says: “I have just never experienced anything quite like that. I will be running on adrenaline for a week!”
F1 fans around the world will know that restrictions and regulations on the cars are becoming ever more stringent, year on year. As a result, the F1 cars competing for a podium finish today are dramatically different from the V10 Hirschi is driving, which dates from 2000.
Many of today’s top drivers have asked for the return of famously loud V10 engines which were dominating the tracks 10 years ago.
Tourism ministers from Spain, Italy, Malta and Portugal today signed a joint declaration calling for a coordinated relaunch of European tourism which boosts the industry and guarantees the health and safety of tourists and local populations.
The ministers resolved to safeguard the future of European tourism, calling for the new recovery instrument – Next Generation EU – to support the sector and the communities and regions affected by this crisis.
After adopting the declaration, Maria Reyes Maroto Illera, Spain’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism and Chair of the PES Tourism Ministerial Network, said:
“The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to have serious social-economic consequences for the tourism sector. It is time to ensure that this industry, its businesses and its workers receive the support needed for the safe and sustainable recovery of European tourism. This is particularly true for the countries, islands and other peripheral areas, whose economic survival often depends on tourism revenues.
“With the opening of borders and the start of the summer holidays period, we must ensure that all citizens have the opportunity to safely travel and enjoy their well-deserved summer break. In this endeavour, we need a coordinated approach with common European rules guaranteeing the safety of both workers and tourists. This how we will succeed in regaining public trust in the tourism sector to deliver quality and safe services.”
The declaration backs a non-discriminatory approach to reopening borders based on a common European process, rather than bilateral agreements. This is now especially pertinent considering the opening of borders for third-country nationals.
For citizens, the declaration backs harmonised safety rules at European level to regain public trust in quality and safe tourism. It calls for strong consumer protection and the move towards a more uniform scheme across Europe. A large communication and promotion campaign aimed at increasing the visibility of Europe as a tourist destination is also needed.
For tourism workers, the ministers strongly back the Commission’s Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE), spearheaded by Commissioners Paolo Gentiloni and Nicolas Schmit, and call for it to be implemented as soon as possible. Training must be offered to workers who either lost their job or cannot find seasonal work because of the crisis.
Tourism plays a central role in European societies. It is a driver for citizens’ wellbeing, contributing to social cohesion, employment and economic growth. Tourism accounts for more than 10% of the EU’s GDP and provides 12% of its jobs. It is one of Europe’s strongest ambassadors, promoting European culture and identity at home and abroad.
The declaration has been signed by:
Maria Reyes Maroto Illera, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Spain and Chair of the PES Tourism Ministerial Network
Dario Franceschini, Minister for Cultural Assets and Activities and Tourism, Italy
Julia Farrugia Portelli, Minister for Tourism & Consumer Protection, Malta
Rita Marques, Secretary of State for Tourism, Portugal
A likely link between processed and fried foods containing so-called “transfats” and ovarian cancer has been identified by UN scientists, they said on Thursday on a press release, of which The Social News in EU is informing.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) issued the announcement at the end of a study of nearly 1,500 patients suffering from the disease, which is the eighth most common cause of cancer death in women.
New #IARCpaper published today in @CEBP_AACR suggests that higher intakes & circulating levels of some trans fatty acids from industrial processed foods and from deep-frying fat may be associated with a greater risk of developing #ovarian#cancerhttps://t.co/DvaQU8DTVu
Previous, smaller studies have suggested a link between these industrially manufactured fatty foods and ovarian cancer, but the evidence has been “inconclusive” until now, said IARC’s Dr Inge Huybrechts.
“This is the first Europe-wide prospective study showing a relationship between intake of industrial trans fatty acids and development of ovarian cancer,” added the scientist from IARC, which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Although there is limited research into the effect of transfatty acids on cancer development, previous studies have suggested that industrial trans fatty acids affect obesity and inflammation.
These are “known risk factors” for ovarian cancer according to IARC scientist and study co-author Dr Véronique Chajès.
This could explain, “at least partly, the positive association between these fatty acids and ovarian cancer”, she added.
There were nearly 300,000 new cases of ovarian cancer in 2018 and more than 184,000 deaths worldwide.
It is eighth most common cancer type and the eighth most common cause of cancer death in women.
Prevention strategies
Because the incidence of ovarian cancer is rising worldwide, prevention strategies are urgently needed; however, few preventable factors have been identified.
“These new findings are in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation to eliminate industrial trans fatty acids from foods”, said Dr Marc Gunter, head of the Section of Nutrition and Metabolism at IARC.
“This study provides new evidence that reduction in the consumption of industrially processed foods, including fast food, could help reduce the risk of ovarian cancer and many other chronic diseases, including other cancer types, that are related to higher consumption of industrial trans fatty acids.”
RenewEurope organizes online event with top officials of the EU institutions
Rural areas must play a more prominent role in the Covid-19 recovery and reconstruction plan. With the right vision and appropriate policies in place, rural communities have the potential to drive the transition to a greener and more resilient Europe, to the benefit of both urban and rural dwellers.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank, Michel Barnier, Head of the European Commission Task Force on future relations with the United Kingdom and former European Commissioner for Regional Development and Iratxe García Pérez, President of the S&D Group in the European Parliament will share with you their vision for harnessing the potential of rural areas.
The future is not just urban. Learning from the experiences of the Common Strategic Framework, engaging directly with stakeholders and anticipating the post-Brexit and new enlargement challenges, we must give a fresh new impetus to our vision for rural areas.
At a moment when the European Union is ready to take decisive steps to draw up its strategy for the 2021-2027 period, this seminar aims to set out a “one Europe” concept, closing the divide between rural and urban areas, East, West, North and South and establishing a roadmap for successful, sustainable and prosperous rural areas across our Continent.
*** Event interpretation will be offered in EN RO FR DE ES ****
Event Agenda
?14.30 – 15.00 – Opening session ▪️ Welcoming words by Dacian Cioloș, President of Renew Europe ▪️ Keynote address by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission ▪️ Opening remarks by Werner Hoyer, President of the EIB
?15.00 – 15.30 – Placing rural areas at the top of EU recovery’s agenda Chaired by Dacian Cioloș, with: ▪️ Michel Barnier, Head of Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom, former European Commissioner for regional policy and former French Minister ▪️ Iratxe Garcia Perez, President of the S&D group in the European Parliament ▪️ Andrew McDowell, Vice-President of the EIB
?15.30 – 16.00 – Mobilising rural communities Chaired by Hannes Lorenzen, Rural Networker, with: ▪️ Ilaria Signoriello, Farmer, National Forum for Social Agriculture, Italy ▪️ Katrina Idu, Latvian Rural Forum, European Rural Youth Parliament, Latvia ▪️ Petar Gjorgievski Balkan Rural Development Network, North Macedonia ▪️ Emilija Stojmenova-Duh University of Ljubljana, Slovenia ▪️ Francesca Whitlock, Farmer, European network for community-led initiatives on climate change and sustainability, (ECOLISE), Spain
?16.00 – 16.30 – Debate and questions from the floor
?16.30 – 17.00 – Closing session and conclusions by ▪️ Norbert Lins, Chair of the EP Agriculture Committee ▪️ Pascal Canfin Chair of the EP Environment Committee
▪️ Final remarks by Dacian Cioloș, President of Renew Europe ▪️
The International Association of Religion Journalists (IARJ) and Fscire are pleased to announce that Italian journalist Federica Tourn was awarded the first edition of the Piazza Grande Religion Journalism Award for her coverage about religious discrimination in Italian prisons Dio dietro le sbarre / God behind bars.
The international jury also awarded three special mentions to journalists Gerald Drißner (Austria) forKolossale Ambitionen einer kleinen Stadt / The colossal ambitions of a little town; László Szőcs (Hungary) forMegtalált jegygyűrű / A wedding ring recovered; and Chiara Zappa (Italy), forPapa Francesco ad Abu Dhabi: La Chiesa in terra araba / Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi: The Church on Arab soil.
The Piazza Grande Religion Journalism Award was launched by the IARJ and Fscire in Bologna in March 2019 during the annual conference of the European Academy of Religion (EuARe) to honour the work of journalists covering faith and religion in Europe, including Iceland and Russia, and the countries surrounding the Mediterranean basin. The award program is run by the IARJ and funded by Fscire.
In its first edition, it received 71 entries. The entries came from journalists based in countries including Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. The IARJ and the FSCIRE thank all of the participants in the contest for entering their stories to the first edition of the Piazza Grande Religion Journalism Award.
Many older people in care homes fell victim to COVID-19. Many also faced months of isolation and restrictions often harsher than those enforced for other parts of the population. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) looks at how the pandemic affected the rights of older people. It highlights the need for a rights-based approach as governments shape their exit strategies.
“Everyone has the same rights, no matter how old they are,” stressed FRA director, Michael O’Flaherty. “As we transition to the ‘new normal’, governments must pay special attention to the needs of older people and ensure they are treated equally. Only then, will older people be able to regain their lives in dignity and respect.”
“As we transition to the ‘new normal’, governments must pay special attention to the needs of older people and ensure they are treated equally. Only then, will older people be able to regain their lives in dignity and respect.”
Michael O’Flaherty
FRA’s third Coronavirus pandemic in the EU: fundamental rights implications looks at the measures EU Member States took to address the pandemic between 1 May – 31 May 2020. This edition focuses on the impact on older people.While governments aim to protect the most vulnerable in our societies, some COVID-19 measures raise concerns about the rights of older people:
Right to life – the death rate among older people was much higher than among other age groups – particularly in institutional settings, which serves to underline the vulnerability and need for close monitoring of older people in such settings.
Access to healthcare – as national healthcare systems came under pressure, doctors were forced to decide who to treat. In some EU countries, authorities or healthcare bodies issued guidance suggesting a patient’s age as a criterion for prioritising treatment.
Lack of testing – testing of care home residents and staff was lacking. By the end of May, testing was planned or underway only in a third of EU countries.
Stricter restrictions – many EU countries had stricter rules for older people than for the general population. At the same time, all countries introduced specific measures to help older people access services or use public transport.
Isolation – lack of social contacts took a toll on the physical and mental well-being of older people. Many local initiatives supported people in care homes.
Healthcare delays – many countries suspended non-urgent treatments, which affected many older people who have existing health conditions requiring treatment. EU countries need better data to understand how the pandemic affected older people to help them make evidence-based decisions for the future.
As our societies reopen, governments should take care of the needs of older people as the passage to the ‘new normal’ will likely be slower and more difficult for them.
The bulletin also looks at other fundamental rights implications of government measures to fight the pandemic:states of emergency;measures to contain the virus and mitigate its impact on social life, education, work, the justice system and travel to and within the EU;
the impact of the virus on other vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities, detainees, homeless people and victims of domestic violence.FRA will continue to monitor the situation and publish regular updates, drawing on evidence collected across all EU countries
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on all aspects of European societies. The pandemic has not affected all population groups equally, as FRA’s regular bulletins on the fundamental rights implications of COVID-19 show. In particular, responses to COVID-19 have illustrated and exacerbated existing patterns of discrimination, prejudice and intolerance.
The rapid spread of massive protests and mobilisations internationally in response to the killing of George Perry Floyd during a police stop have underlined the urgent need to timely address institutionalised manifestations of racism and discrimination, also in the EU.
This Webinar, co-organised between CEPS and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), will highlight and critically explore some of these patterns, and discuss the significance of responses to the pandemic for fundamental rights and what this implies for EU and national policy makers, with particular attention to the necessity to properly implement fundamental rights protections in the EU.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:Helena Dalli, Commissioner for Equality, European Commission
MODERATOR:Sergio Carrera, Senior Research Fellow and Head of Justice and Home Affairs Unit, CEPS
DISCUSSANTS:Michael O’Flaherty, Director of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) Dr. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, MEP, European Parliament Karen Taylor, Chair of Board of the European Network against Racism and Xenophobia, (ENAR) Dora Kostakopoulou, Member of the Scientific Committee FRA and Professor of European Law at the University of Warwick
EVENT DETAILS: Date: 03.07.2020, Friday Time: 13:00 – 14:30 (Brussels time, CET) The event will be hosted via Zoom. Open to all public. Once registered, the zoom link + password will be shared with you nearer to the event. Event page: HERE
