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The solidification of the Russian ruble – a harbinger of economic collapse

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News desk
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According to experts, the country will suffer its worst recession since the early 1990s

Capital controls and rising interest rates have solidified the Russian ruble, but it is too early to say whether the country’s economy will recover after the global economy.

Russia is a country with rising inflation and a sharp contraction in the economy, mainly due to tough sanctions imposed by Western countries. Moscow has been facing heavy sanctions from the West since 2014, when it illegally seized the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. This time, however, it seems better prepared to deal with the initial economic collapse than it did 8 years ago.

In fact, the ruble surprised the world after recovering from initial Western sanctions, which plunged it to its lowest level of $ 150 in early March. By mid-May, its value had risen to around 61.25 – the highest level in 28 months.

According to some experts, this recovery is a sign of economic sustainability, but more and more economists are warning that things are not exactly as they seem. “We can’t talk about a sustainable Russian economy. The initial financial panic has really subsided, but this is not a guarantee that its economy is moving well,” Sergei Guriev, a Russian exiled economist and professor at Sciences Po in Paris, told the Daily Sabah.

In another exclusive interview with the Anatolian News Agency, Guriev said that the forecasts for the Russian economy are not promising at all and noted that the Russian Central Bank predicts that in 2022 the economy will experience a recession from 8% to 10%.

According to the professor, instead of the pre-war forecasts for an increase of 3%, the latest expectations of the Russian government are focused on a 12% drop in GDP in 2022. “This is the biggest recession in 30 years,” added the former rector of the New School of Economics. in Moscow, quoted by expert.bg.

The collapse has already begun

According to Guriev, the near future for the Russian economy is not prosperous, given that international organizations predict a contraction of 8% to 11%. According to the expert, this collapse has already begun: for example, all car factories have ceased operations, and the sector does not produce cars because no parts are imported.

According to Guriev, although imports from China may ease the situation, the Russian automotive sector will face difficult times. “The same goes for airplanes, as well as for the production of modern industrial goods that use semiconductors. There are some stocks that will immediately shock revenues. This will happen in the second quarter, when stocks run out,” said the economist.

However, there is no doubt that Russia will suffer its worst recession since the early 1990s.

As for how the ruble reached its pre-war levels, Guriev claims that the formula is very simple. According to him, because Russian industries are cut off from the global economy and can not import anything from the West except pharmaceuticals, Russia does not need dollars. For this reason, there is a huge surplus and therefore the ruble is becoming more expensive. He added that this was a natural economic result of sanctions against important foreign goods.

“And this is not a sign of the strength of the economy. This is a sign of weakness,” Guriev said. “Under normal circumstances, a stronger ruble would mean strength in the competitiveness of the economy.” According to him, the circumstances that led to the strong ruble are a side effect of the sanctions imposed on raw materials, the same ones that cause the great economic recession.

Drawing on Guriev’s views, Barry Eichengreen, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley, said it was important to distinguish between exchange rate stability and economic stability.

The expert noted that the International Monetary Fund expects the Russian economy to shrink by more than 8% in 2022, far more than the pre-war forecast of 3% and added that this will be a very serious recession. Eichengreen argues that the Central Bank can maintain the exchange rate by using dollars and euros derived from energy exports. Hence its recovery against the dollar and the euro. “However, this is not a sign of economic sustainability,” he said, adding that inflation was projected to reach 20% and living standards to deteriorate significantly.

Do you know why roosters crow?

By
Gaston de Persigny
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We are used to associating the crowing of roosters with the dawn and perceiving them as a natural alarm clock for people in the past. In reality, however, roosters are not crowing just to announce the morning and wake you up. Then why do roosters crow? You will probably be interested to know what scientists have recently discovered on this subject.

Why do roosters crow?

Contrary to popular belief that roosters crowing mostly in the morning at dawn, it turns out that these birds are very vocal and the reasons for crowing are different. They respond to stimuli associated with noise and light. Car headlights, lantern light or noise of any kind can stimulate the rooster to crow. That is, the theory that roosters react to light in the morning is not totally wrong, but the familiar corn can be heard when a lamp is lit or for a number of other reasons. However, ornithologists prove that roosters know when morning comes and croak because of it. Researchers from the University of Nagoya in Japan study the behavior of roosters, dividing them into two groups – one lives in conditions where the darkness of night naturally changes with the light of morning, and the other spends his time in 24-hour darkness. Scientists have proven that both groups of roosters crowing shortly before dawn.

That is, roosters in the morning do not just react to dawn and light, and their crowing is associated with a biological clock, which tells them that the morning is approaching, even if they live in complete darkness for days. The experiment continues with a third group of roosters, which suddenly ignited a light source – a lamp. When the light came on, no matter what time it was and whether morning was approaching or midnight, the roosters reacted and crowed. This proves that they also react to light. However, the experiment also proves something else that helps us answer why the roosters crow, namely – at dawn when the lamp lights up, the reaction of the roosters was the strongest. That is, roosters crowing both because of the dawn and because of the presence of a light source, one of which does not displace the other and does not necessarily overlap, and the presence of the brightest and strongest crowing at dawn and less when scientists trying to deceive birds with a light source, proves that the biological clock of roosters is stronger than other factors. Yet dawn is far from the only reason for crowing, as the old people thought.

Obviously, the answer to the question why roosters crow is not clear, the reasons may be: noise, light, presence of people or animals, guarding the territory, claiming supremacy, “marking” the territory, communicating with peers, after mating, during or after a meal, due to the approach of morning.

In 2019, a Swiss court sentenced a rooster not to crow at night

A resident of the canton of Zurich has filed a lawsuit over a rooster crowing at night, the Neue Zurich Zeitung reports. The owner of the rooster is obliged to ensure the “silence” of the bird from 22.00 to 8.00 in the morning on weekdays and Saturdays, and on Sunday – from 22.00 to 9.00. At the specified time the rooster is forbidden to leave the henhouse and he will sit there in complete darkness. The court also ordered to improve the sound insulation of the chicken coop.

Before filing the lawsuit against his neighbor, who set up a chicken coop in the garage next to his house, the plaintiff registered how many times the rooster crowed. He found that the bird and day and night corn on average between 14-44 times per hour. The sound it emits is heard at a distance of 15 meters and reaches 84 decibels. The court questioned the accuracy of this data, measured using a mobile phone. He accepted the evidence as “conditionally acceptable”. The applicant also complained about the smell. The applicant initially requested the complete demolition of the chicken coop, but the cantonal court rejected this request. Its decision stipulates that every citizen can pursue his hobby at home.

Addressing global challenges through international cooperation on crime prevention and criminal justice

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United Nations News
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31e session of the Commission of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ)
© UNODC - Thirty-first session of the Commission of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ)

Vienna (Austria), 20 May 2022 – Today brought the thirty-first session of the Commission of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) to a close, following five days of discussions that helped to shape multi-stakeholder crime prevention and criminal justice responses and strengthen cooperation.

In her opening remarks to the session, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Ghada Waly highlighted the Commission’s work as the world continues its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and absorbs the repercussions of conflict around the world on the international criminal justice system.

“This thirty-first session of the CCPCJ, once again taking place in a complex global context, can send a message that Member States will not abandon international efforts to deter crime and support its victims,” she said.

H.E. Ambassador Takeshi Hikihara, who chaired the session, commented: “We have confirmed our steady implementation of the Kyoto Declaration and our common will to further strengthen cooperation in crime prevention and criminal justice. Multilateralism works here.”

The work of the commission in its thirty-first session

On 7 March 2021, the United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice adopted by consensus the Kyoto Declaration. Member States recommitted to a multilateral approach in preventing and combating crimes, and promoting the rule of law. UNODC was reaffirmed as the leading United Nations entity supporting Member States in this regard.

As such, 2022’s thirty-first session of the CCPCJ included a thematic discussion on a topic that affects criminal justice responses at local, regional, international and global levels. The discussion placed special focus on the use of digital evidence in criminal justice and countering cybercrime, including the abuse and exploitation of minors in illegal activities via the internet.  

The session adopted three resolutions covering illicit trafficking in wildlife, reducing reoffending through rehabilitation and reintegration, and protecting children from sexual exploitation and abuse. In addition, a resolution following up on the Kyoto Declaration and preparing for the Fifteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice was also adopted.

CCPCJ side events

In the margins of the thirty-first session of the CCPCJ, over 80 side events were held online on topics including, but not limited to: implementation of the Kyoto Declaration; crimes that affect the environment; access to justice for women; human trafficking and migrant smuggling; and racial discrimination in the criminal justice system.

Moreover, the institutes of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Network (PNI) organized an interactive workshop where participants exchanged good practices and innovative approaches on improving criminal justice responses to internet-related crimes against children. Six presentations showcased research that explores different ways in which online child sexual abuse is being addressed.

** *** **

Around 1290 participants from 130 Member States, 11 intergovernmental organizations, 55 non-governmental organizations and several UN entities came together both online and in-person for this year’s CCPCJ, which convenes every year and is the UN’s foremost policymaking body on crime prevention and criminal justice issues. It plays a key role in advancing international efforts against national and transnational crime, while recommending measures to strengthen fair and effective criminal justice institutions.

The Netherlands celebrates 30 years of diplomatic relations with Slovenia and gives a bee house as a present

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Newsdesk
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The Netherlands celebrates 30 years of diplomatic relations with Slovenia and gives a bee house as a present

NETHERLANDS, May 19 – News item | 19-05-2022 | 15:17 – This year we celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations with Slovenia. To mark this, on 20 May – World Bee Day – the Netherlands will give Slovenia a bee house as a present. Dutch ambassador Johan Verboom talks about bee culture in Slovenia. ‘Bees are almost sacred here,’ he says. Many schools in Slovenia have a bee house, so from an early age children learn about the importance of bees. Besides producing honey, bees also pollinate many of the crops we eat. ‘We’re giving a bee house to a school in Duplek, which is two hours’ drive from the capital, Ljubljana,’ says Johan. ‘We’ve invited Belgium and Luxembourg to join us, so the presentation will be a Benelux event.’  

After conferring with the Slovenian embassy in The Hague, it was decided to celebrate this anniversary in both countries. The Slovenian embassy will therefore plant 30 rose bushes in Westbroek park in The Hague, because roses also depend on bees for pollination.

Close partner

Slovenia didn’t become an independent nation until 1991. Up to then, it was part of the former Yugoslavia. In 2004 it became the first country in the region to accede to the European Union.

As Johan points out, Slovenia and the Netherlands have been close partners since that time. They seek each other’s support within the EU and NATO and as Schengen countries. ‘We work closely together in many areas, and our bilateral relations are excellent,’ he says. ‘Trade between our countries totals €1.7 billion a year, and it’s still growing. All the flowers I see here come from the Netherlands, and there’s considerable interest in our innovative solutions for a circular economy. In our turn, we import pharmaceutical and agricultural products and machinery from Slovenia.’ 

The Netherlands is popular among Slovenians. ‘Dutch is taught at the University of Ljubljana and we now have 400 alumni in our database,’ says Johan. ‘Dutch books are being translated into Slovenian, and Dutch artists hold exhibitions here. This month, for instance, there is a photo exhibition and an exhibition on biodesign.’

World Bee Day

Bees are almost sacred in Slovenia, which has more beekeepers than any other country in the world – four Slovenians in every thousand keep bees. Everywhere ambassador Johan Verboom goes, he sees apiaries. ‘The fronts of the bee houses are painted in various bright colours and patterns,’ he says. ‘The main purpose is to help beekeepers keep the various bee families apart, but the houses are also works of art that brighten up the landscape.’ 

Because bees are so important to Slovenians, they lobbied the United Nations successfully for a World Bee Day. Starting in 2018, people all over the world celebrate the role of bees and other pollinators on 20 May. This is the date on which Anton Janša, a pioneer of modern beekeeping, was born. ‘Namesake of the Slovenian prime minister Janez Janša!’

‘Slovenians are experts in beekeeping,’ Johan continues. ‘Every year the country produces 25 tonnes of honey. There are around 170,000 bee colonies here, and 500 species of bees.’ Johan is particularly impressed that the honey is both produced and sold locally. ‘Beekeeping is the national sport.’

Protecting bees in the Netherlands and elsewhere

Bees don’t only produce honey, they also pollinate many food crops, especially fruit and vegetables. Without bees, we would lose these foods and our food security would be threatened.

In the Netherlands wild bees are threatened by urbanisation and intensive farming. The Netherlands has therefore drawn up an action plan to protect bees and other pollinators that are essential for our food supply.

At international level, the Netherlands has taken the initiative for countries to work more closely together to promote bees and other pollinators These countries form the Coalition of the Willing on Pollinators.

100 endangered animal species now safely stored in UK’s living biobank

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Newsdesk
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The endangered Owston’s civet (Chrotogale owstoni) living on the edge of extinction ©Klaus Rudloff

Nature’s SAFE celebrates banking 100th species in the Big Freeze

Nature’s SAFE, one of Europe’s largest living biobanks for preserving endangered animal species, and home to some of the planet’s most precious natural resources, is celebrating banking it’s 100th species. In a race against time, The Living Biobank began its work in late 2020, and acts as an insurance policy to preserve rare, and threatened animals, so they can be protected for generations to come.

Currently, 100 species are lost each day to extinction, and as the last few species die, their genetic blueprint is removed forever from our planet. Nature’s SAFE partners with accredited zoos to collect and process tissue and reproductive cell samples from threatened and endangered species, storing them in an indefinitely cryopreserved living state at -196oC. Once thawed, these stored living cells could one day be used in cell culture or assisted reproductive technologies to maintain genetic diversity in the species gene pool.

“With gene pools shrinking, cryopreservation is a critical piece of the conservation puzzle, providing a safeguard for animals the world is currently on track to lose.” said Dr Sue Walker Head of Science at Chester Zoo and Co-Founder of Nature’s SAFE.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== 100 endangered animal species now safely stored in UK's living biobank
Samples being immersed in liquid nitrogen for long-term storage by Tullis Matson– © Nature’s SAFE.

As a centre of excellence in reproductive science, Nature’s SAFE has to date cryo-preserved multiple cell types from many endangered animal species, including the critically endangered mountain chicken frog, Javan green magpie, pied tamarin, and jaguar. The 100th species to join The Living Biobank, is the Owston’s civet; a beguiling animal on the brink of extinction in the wild across South East Asia.

Dr Veronica Cowl, Reproductive Biology Coordinator for Chester Zoo and the European Association for Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) said “We’ve been working on understanding reproduction in the elusive Owston’s civet for more than three years, and it’s fantastic that we can now preserve the genes from the current zoo population in Nature’s SAFE, The Living Biobank. It’s a great step forward in our work to prevent the extinction of this beautiful species, and it’s a pleasure to work with such a passionate group of people”.

Nature’s SAFE has an ever-expanding, global network of expertise to enable cutting-edge reproductive and biobanking science to be delivered to zoological collections for free and invites queries from potential new biobank partners or supporters.

Tullis Matson, Chair and Founder said “Without Nature’s SAFE, for many species already so near the brink of extinction, there will be no return. With Nature’s SAFE and other biobanking partners – there is optimism. We know the 6th mass extinction on Earth is underway, and there will be rough times ahead. The question is what do we want to do about it? And our answer is: we want to secure future options for biodiversity, by acting now.”

To find out more about conservation charity Nature’s SAFE’s science and conservation work, head to www.natures-safe.com

Media Contact

Tullis Matson, Founder and Chair of Nature’s SAFE. Tel: 01948 666295 / 07801 592111 email: [email protected] Nature’s SAFE is a registered charity No 1192876.

Nature’s SAFE

Nature’s SAFE is a Living Biobank on a mission to save animals from extinction by collecting, indefinitely storing, and regenerating reproductive cells and cell lines from endangered animal species. Our science-led charity is setting the bar in cryoconservation technologies, uniting biotech with conservation management stakeholders to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. Our work is entirely funded by donations. Please visit www.natures-safe.com to find out more or get in touch via [email protected].

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Chester Zoo

  • Chester Zoo (www.chesterzoo.org) is a world-leading conservation and education charity that’s committed to preventing extinction and dedicated to raising awareness of key conservation and environmental challenges
  • The zoo works with more than 3,000 species globally, including 140 international animal conservation breeding programmes, which are working to ensure genetically viable safety-net populations of species in zoos. It’s also home to five national plant collections, comprising of more than 1,000 species
  • Experts from the zoo are recognised by governments and NGOs across the world as leaders within the global conservation community. Currently, the zoo is saving species on behalf of the Bermudan, Spanish and Portuguese governments, among others
  • The zoo works with over 100 partners in more than 20 countries to recover threatened wildlife and restore habitats, including orangutans in Bornean rainforests, elephants and tigers in Indian grasslands, lemurs and frogs in Malagasy forests, rare fish in Mexican lakes and various species here in the UK
  • It’s millions of annual visitors and huge online communities are part of the educational, scientific and conservation jigsaw, empowering them to be part of solutions for wildlife
  • The zoo influences policy both in the UK and internationally, forcing governments worldwide to take action to halt the biodiversity crisis
  • Chester Zoo is playing a vital role in inspiring and educating people about the natural world and the impact humans have on it – creating and nurturing the conservationist in us all.

Why is China buying Africa?

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Newsdesk
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More than one billion people live in Africa, and the continent is expected to be responsible for more than half of the world’s population growth by 2050. According to the European Parliament resolution of 25 March 2021 on a new strategy “EU-Africa: Partnership for Sustainable and Inclusive Development”, the 10 fastest growing economies in the world are located in Africa.

This rapid transition poses major challenges, but also offers great rewards for countries willing to risk billions in infrastructure. To date, no country has responded to the continent’s call as China. At the same time, Forbes predicts that the continent is on the verge of becoming an economy worth more than 5 trillion. dollars.

As early as 2013, China overtook the United States as the continent’s largest direct investor in foreign direct investment (FDI) flows, according to the Swiss-African Business Relations Status Quo 2021. Over the past decade, Chinese investment in Africa has On average, more than 18,000 jobs are created each year, making the country a leader in this regard, ahead of the United States, the report said.

According to the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, Chinese private enterprises account for 90% of the total number of Chinese enterprises investing directly in Africa and 70% of China’s total direct investment in Africa. But it is Chinese state-owned companies that are investing in large-scale projects, especially in infrastructure, energy and resources.

The Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China also points out that since 2010, one third of the network and energy infrastructure in Africa has been built by Chinese companies. Through investments from Chinese state-owned enterprises, China has also become the continent’s most important investment partner in energy infrastructure.

China’s rise as an economic power in Africa lies in the concept of “aid”. However, China’s investment does not correspond to the idea of ​​”aid” in the true sense of the word. These projects usually take the form of export credits, military aid or secured loans (with tempting conditions for forgiveness). Economic engagement with China leads to a greater level of political coordination between the world’s second largest economy and African countries.

In essence, China’s investment in Africa ensures that a global consensus on China’s interests is easily reached. As African countries become more dependent on economic commitment, their willingness to commit to China’s wishes, especially on international issues, is growing because of their inability to survive without external economic intervention, according to a report by the US Institute for Foreign Affairs politics.

Why do Chinese private companies invest in Africa?

Chinese financial media Sina Finance Global cites several important reasons.

Demographic problems

China’s population is aging. By 2050, the average age in China is expected to reach 51, compared to 43 in the United States and 47 in the EU. By 2060, one third of Chinese citizens will be over the age of 65, making China one of the oldest countries in the world. In Africa, the opposite trend is observed. By 2034, the continent’s workforce is expected to exceed that of China and India combined, as China’s population will fall below 1 billion by 2050. According to these figures, the young workforce in Africa is exactly what Chinese businesses need today.

China is no longer a cheap labor market

In 2020, China’s GDP per capita reached $ 11,000. According to the World Bank, China will soon join the group of high-income countries per capita, so the cost of labor will only increase. By comparison, the GDP per capita of sub-Saharan Africa is $ 1,500 in 2021, which is less than 1/7 of China’s GDP per capita.

The trend is for manufacturing companies to continue relocating production lines to the Southeast Asian Nations Association (ASEAN) and Africa.

China has turned from a long-standing agricultural power into an importing country

The rapid urbanization of China is leading to the erosion of fertile agricultural land. By 2030, the average income population is expected to grow from 400 million to 800 million, and meeting China’s structural agricultural needs will become an important national issue.

China imports all types of African agricultural products, from cereals, cane sugar to seafood and red wine. As geopolitical tensions between the United States and China intensify, China must relocate parts of its agricultural industrial and commercial chains outside the United States. Africa’s agricultural trade with China and China’s investment in agricultural technology in Africa meet the needs of the Far Eastern market.

China is transforming from a global factory to a global consumer market

Only by expanding production capacity on the supply side in Africa can China’s huge market demand be met. Since 2000, China-Africa trade has increased 20-fold, and Chinese foreign direct investment in Africa has increased 100-fold to meet growing Chinese consumer demand, Chinese companies need to invest in the African industrial chain to increase production and efficiency.

Africa is a fast growing consumer market

The rise of the middle class in Africa will lead to a series of consumer demands, such as growing demand for energy, consumption, education, entertainment, finance and health. Chinese private companies are entering these areas, while importing a digital economy model and technology platforms into Africa and China, according to Sina Finance.

Russia: spokeswoman claims trucks export food from Ukraine to Europe, so the fighters will have nothing to eat

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News desk
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The Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, has uploaded a video, which she claims was shot on the way from Nice to the Italian border.

Bulgarian trucks bring food from Ukraine, wrote on her Facebook account Maria Zakharova

“This have just been sent by acquaintances. This is what the road from Nice to the Italian border looks like. Entire trucks. The column stretches for 40 kilometers. Latvian, Lithuanian, Bulgarian numbers. What do they bring? Food from Ukraine, first of all – grain. “They are convinced that this is necessary in Europe, not for the unfortunate fighters of the Ukrainian armed forces, who were betrayed by everyone. And now there will be nothing to eat,” Zakharova wrote.

However, it should not be forgotten that before the beginning of the Russian military offensive, 90% of grain and oilseed exports passed through Ukrainian Black Sea ports, and due to the Russian naval blockade, millions of tons of grain are waiting to be transported.

More than 25 million tons of Ukrainian wheat could not be exported due to the war. The UN has warned that this will cause a global grain crisis, because before the invasion of Russian troops, Ukraine was the fourth largest exporter of wheat in the world.

The European Union has promised to help Ukraine export grain, which could explain this column of trucks that was filmed. This was announced by the Vice President of the European Commission and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell at a briefing after the meeting of the EU Council at the level of EU Foreign Ministers in Brussels a few days ago.

The EU has proposed an action plan to help Kiev export its raw materials. the EU will send Ukrainian production by train rather than by ship, but this poses a technical problem: the difference in rail gauge. This poses a technical problem, however: the difference in rail gauges. goods must therefore be transshipped at the border to trucks or wagons that meet European standards, which slows down their transport.

Press freedom: the European Parliament in support of journalists

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European Parliament
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Press freedom: the European Parliament in support of journalists | News | European Parliament

Press freedom is under pressure in the EU and across the world. Find out how the European Parliament supports the work of journalists.

Journalism is facing more and more challenges, as new digital channels are exploited to spread disinformation in an increasingly divided world. While Europe remains the most secure continent for journalists and media freedom, there have been attacks and intimidation in some countries while Russia’s war against Ukraine makes things even worse.

On the occasion of the Press Freedom Day on 3 May, MEPs held a plenary debate in Strasbourg where they expressed concern about the increasing attacks on journalists and stressed that free press is essential for democracy to function.

Parliament President Roberta Metsola said in a short statement before the debate: “Journalists should never have to choose between uncovering the truth and staying alive. They should never be forced to spend years and savings to argue against vexatious law-suits… A strong democracy needs a strong press.”

The role of the European Parliament in protecting free press

The European Parliament has repeatedly advocated for press freedom and media pluralism in the EU and beyond.

In November 2021, Parliament adopted a resolution on strengthening media freedom and pluralism in the EU and called for new rules to protect journalists from being silenced. MEPs acknowledge that the new digital environment has exacerbated the problem of the spread of disinformation.

In another report adopted in March 2022, Parliament’s special committee on foreign interference in the EU urged the EU to create a common strategy to face foreign interference and disinformation campaigns and called for more support to independent media, fact checkers and researchers.

On 27 April 2022, the European Commission announced a proposal to tackle malicious litigation against journalists and activists and has committed to present a European Media Freedom Act in autumn.

Recently MEPs have also denounced the increasing repression of critical voices and attacks against journalists in Mexico, Poland and Russia.

On 3 May 2022, Parliament launched the second edition of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism, in memory of the Maltese journalist killed in a bomb attack in 2017, to reward outstanding journalism reflecting EU values. In April, it announced a new scholarship scheme and training programmes for young journalists, expected to start by the end of the year.

Freedom of expression, media freedom and pluralism are enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as in the European Convention on Human Rights.

The challenges for journalism in Europe

The situation in most EU countries is good, however in a resolution on media freedom in 2020 MEPs expressed concern about the state of public service media in some EU countries, stressing that media freedom, pluralism, independence and the safety of journalists are crucial components of the right to freedom of expression and information, and are essential to the democratic functioning of the EU.

However, there have been attacks on journalists across the EU. Greek journalist George Karaivaz was shot dead in Athens in April 2021 and Dutch investigative journalist Peter R. de Vries was killed in Amsterdam in July 2021.

The war in Ukraine has also been deadly for journalists. UN data from early May shows that seven journalists were killed since Russia’s invasion in Ukraine in February 2022.

Pope Francis praises the Russian head of the Old believers for his “attitude of peace”

By
Jan Leonid Bornstein
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Pope-Francis-with-Leonid-Sevastianov and Svetlana Kasyan
Pope Francis with Leonid Sevastianov and Svetlana Kasyan

On May 7, Russian head of the Worldwide Union of Old Believers (Old believers are Eastern Orthodox Christians who maintain the liturgical and ritual practices of the Russian Orthodox Church as they were before the reforms of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow between 1652 and 1666) Leonid Sevastianov received a personal handwritten letter from Pope Francis.

The letter was addressed also to Svetlana Kasyan, a famous Russian opera singer and Leonid’s wife. The Pope thanked them for their “attitude of peace” adding “we Christians must be ambassadors of peace, carrying out peace, preaching peace, living in peace.”

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Pope Francis praises the Russian head of the Old believers for his "attitude of peace"
Letter from Pope Francis to Leonid Sebastianov

The two religious leaders Leonid and Francis know each other well, and it’s pretty obvious that the latter finds a more friendly ear with the first than with Patriarch of Moscow Kirill, in these times of war. Kirill has been using his position to help Kremlin’s propaganda justifying the war in Ukraine, whilst Leonid Sevastianov, still living in Moscow, has bravely voiced his opinion that Kirill was seriously erring, and that war was at least questionable: “We do not know why this war: for what reasons? For what objectives?” he said, not avoiding the term despite the Russian law forbidding the use of the word “war” when speaking about Ukraine invasion by Russian troops. And as regards Kirill: “Logic would have it that Easter be a moment of humanity, and not of politics. But Kirill’s statements indicate otherwise. And they denote heresy.”

Those are strong statements that echo those of Francis in Corriere della Sera after he spoke to Kirill: “The patriarch cannot transform himself into Putin’s altar boy.”

Francis is also a big fan of Svetlana Kasyan, and recently she released her first solo album which she called “Fratelli Tutti”, in homage to the Pope’s encyclique published a year before. The title and the concept of the album, heading for universal peace amongst people of any country and any faith, was kind of prophetic: there is more than ever a need for more understanding, more love, more brotherhood. That is also the message of Sevastianov, a message that he would love to get across to the political leaders of the country he lives in.

These last months, Kirill has been disavowed by hundreds of Orthodox leaders and priests all around the world, but also in Russia, despite the risk that anyone criticizing the war and its defenders takes. In the future, when this will be over, it might happen that the Russian Orthodox Church entirely loses its power even in Russia, and who knows who will be able to gain spiritual leadership then. In fact, it might be anyone but the current leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has already too much compromised itself into politics and warmongering.

Social Climate Fund to help those most affected by energy and mobility poverty

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European Parliament
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by Zhu Hongzhi - Unsplash

Parliament committees back setting up a new fund to help vulnerable citizens cope with the increased costs of the energy transition.

The committees on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) adopted today, with 107 votes in favour, 16 against and 15 abstentions, their position on the Commission proposal to establish a Social Climate Fund. The new fund will benefit households, micro-enterprises and transport users that are vulnerable and particularly affected by the impact of the transition towards climate neutrality.

Addressing energy and mobility poverty

EU member states will be required to submit “Social Climate Plans”, after consulting with local and regional authorities, economic and social partners as well as civil society. The plans should contain a coherent set of measures to address energy and mobility poverty.

Firstly, temporary direct income support measures would be funded (such as a reduction in energy taxes and fees) to tackle the increase in road transport and heating fuel prices. According to MEPs, such support would be limited to a maximum of 40% of the total estimated cost of each national plan for the period 2024-2027, and would be phased out by the end of 2032.

Secondly, the fund would cover investments in buildings renovation, renewable energy and a shift from private to public transport, car-pooling and car-sharing and using active modes of transport to get around, such as cycling. Measures may include fiscal incentives, vouchers, subsidies or zero-interest loans.

The report introduces a number of improvements to the Commission proposal, among which:

– a definition of “mobility poverty”, referring to households that have high transport costs or limited access to affordable public or alternative modes of transport required to meet essential socio-economic needs;

– specific focus in the plans on socio-economic challenges facing islands and the outermost regions;

– a reminder that the member states must respect fundamental rights, including the rule of law, in order to benefit from EU funds.

Quotes

Co-rapporteur Esther de LANGE (EPP, NL) said: “The energy transition should not become a transition for the ‘happy few’. That’s why we have ensured that the money from the fund actually reaches people who need the most support in the transition. Measures include, for instance, vouchers for the vulnerable to insulate their homes and developing a second-hand electric car market.”

Co-rapporteur David CASA (EPP, MT) said: “The Social Climate Fund is the EU’s answer to the challenge of making the green transition towards climate neutrality a social one. This fund will invest billions in energy efficiency for households and micro-enterprises, which will reduce energy demand and soften the impact of climate measures. All this makes it an essential component of securing European climate neutrality by 2050.”

Next steps

The proposal is scheduled to be adopted during Parliament’s plenary session in June, before negotiations with member states can begin.

Background

The Social Climate Fund is part of the “Fit for 55 in 2030 package”, which is the EU’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels in line with the European Climate Law.

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