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No Exit Strategy - Dismantling of the European Union

by Oui Thu Oct 7th, 2021 at 06:59:01 PM EST

As Slovenia Summit extends invitation to expansion into the Western Balkans, key countries turn their backs on Brussels.

On all levels the EU has come up short to deliver policy ahead of crisis. The woes are added very few months and patience is running out. More nations are putting in a great effort to undermine the union, no need to look at exterior players like Russia and Putin or the United States and Trump/Biden. NATO and Stoltenberg adds fuel to the burning fires of discontent.

For two decades, the EU Commission and its president(s) have not effectively shown leadership for a stronger bond between EU countries. How to get rid of unwilling nations like Austria, Hungary and Poland. Threats just do not work and power of sanctions are quite limited. The Constitutional Court in Warsaw put a stake into the beating heart of Brussels.

Activists target Poland's constitutional court ahead of crucial ruling

More below the fold ...

Polish court rules EU laws incompatible with its constitution | The Guardian |

When the EU becomes a dysfunctioning entity similar to the United States of America divided into Red and Blue, the beginning of the end has passed a critical point.

Be wise, stop the expansion to please NATO and the US. Will the EU be able to stop the twist between Old and New Europe? I'm far from optimistic.

POLexit

More problems that need attention and a quick decision.

Refugees

NI Protocol

Russia long term gas deals

The 2 years delay in Nord Stream 2 has cost Russia billions and it was forced to invest in new Siberian pipelines to China. The higher gas price is quite welcome for Russia's Treasury. Putin promised to increase delivery to Europe, however this will not ease the pressure on price as there are too many uncertainties due to winter cold and low storage level in Europe. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Europe has lost crucial time to energy transition and investment in durable and sustainable solutions.

Green energy and sustainable options …

Free Market Rules set by the EU

Brussels speaks about consumer rights? Complete BS from politicians in their ivory tower of corporations, profit and wealth.  

Display:
No Exit Strategy - Dismantling of the European Union | 27 comments (27 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
NATO's Future Discussed at Pentagon (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Thu Oct 7th, 2021 at 10:38:27 PM EST
Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Journalists (none / 0)

Diary on Maria Ressa ...

Biggest Threat to Democracy Is Disinformation

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Fri Oct 8th, 2021 at 09:30:28 AM EST
Re: Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Journalists (none / 0)
Biggest Threat to Democracy Is Disinformation

yeah?

No.

The biggest "threat" to "one man, one vote" indoctrination is civil and economic inequity and iniquities defended by exclusive private property regimes and bourgeois status quo ante "aspirations" to dominate the hierarchical polity in every republic.

by Cat on Fri Oct 8th, 2021 at 03:20:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Vlad Loves to Play the Long Game (none / 0)
Leaving the EU and UK biting the dust. As Hungary has a 15 year deal of sustainability, reliability at a reasonable cost. Two year delay of Nord Stream 2 as Europe and Germany live under the yoke of US Congress and the White House. German sovereignty a fiction?

Moscow's great new gas game: Russia will become a bigger player - but in a bigger market | Energy Post - July 17, 2014 |

... Seven days later Malaysia flight MH17 crashed in the Ukraine.

(*) Prof. Emeritus Oliver Boyd-Barrett, Ph.D

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Fri Oct 8th, 2021 at 09:32:52 AM EST
Re: Vlad Loves to Play the Long Game (none / 0)
Living under the yoke of Russia and it's Tsar Putin is preferable?

Maybe. But I think it's Scylla and Charybdis.

by StillInTheWilderness on Sun Oct 17th, 2021 at 05:42:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: No Exit Strategy - Dismantling of the EU (none / 0)

Pologne : la remise en cause de la primauté du droit européen est « une attaque contre l'Union européenne », dénonce la France | Le Monde |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Fri Oct 8th, 2021 at 04:14:35 PM EST
Dismantling of the European Union (4.00 / 2)
Oui: How to get rid of unwilling nations like Austria, Hungary and Poland.

I would rather write Hungary, Poland and Slovenia: these countries "strong men" are busy dismantling the legal and judiciary systems so that they cannot be voted out. This is not the case (yet?) in Austria, else S.Kurz would be well on his way to be chancellor for life.

The biggest danger to the EU is effectively the rise of illiberal regimes within the 27, and the extreme-right overall throughout the continent.

This is aggravated by the institutional weakness of the EU, requiring unanimity for many decisions, including taking serious protective measures against Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. Each EU member, including the smallest one, can veto and block most practical measures - yet another reasons not to add a number of feuding small Balkan states until this institutional issue is solved, if ever. (Disclosure: I'm a citizen of a "large" EU country - >60 millions)

As we could all see: Poland is covering for Hungary and vice-versa: this means the Article 7 is not getting anywhere.

Polexit talks are ludicrous: of course, the last thing Orbán and Kaczyński is to get out of the EU. Hungary & Poland are the largest net receivers in the EU budget. In practice, they plan to carve out their own private dictatorships within the EU, while being subsidized by the EU taxpayers for doing so; what's not to like?

Adding, that the PPE (Merkel led) has tolerated Orbán and his authoritarian practices way too long, making letting the problem grow even worse.

Ultimately, the EU may find some mechanisms to get around these limitations, but these might run afoul of the EU law, and the rule of law in the EU would end up damaged anyway. It will be a long and hard slog to get out of this, if we can make it.

by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Oct 10th, 2021 at 01:05:57 PM EST
Nobel Prize Economics (none / 0)

Canadian-born David Card among 3 winners of Nobel in economics | CBC News |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Oct 11th, 2021 at 11:13:04 AM EST
Re: Nobel Prize Economics (none / 0)
American Media Lay Claim to All 3 ...

One is Canadian born and Guido Wilhelmus Imbens was born in Eindhoven, the home of Philips Electronics.


'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Oct 11th, 2021 at 11:20:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Nobel Prize Economics (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Oct 11th, 2021 at 12:03:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Nobel Prize Economics (none / 0)
Ahh ... and the third wasn't American either ... 😂

Israeli-American economist Joshua Angrist wins 2021 Nobel Prize in Economics | JPost |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Oct 11th, 2021 at 12:38:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Fossil Fuel Subsidies at $5.9tn In 2020 (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Tue Oct 12th, 2021 at 08:37:39 PM EST
Europe's Fringe: After Steve Bannon, Meet Ted Cruz (none / 0)
Be warned of the mighty Left and Antifa ... a decades long war of survival.

Bannon sets his eyes on Spain | ECFR - Oct. 24, 2018 |

Surprised to see US Republicans cozying up to the European far right? Don't be | The Guardian - Oct. 15, 2021 |

This weekend Texas senator Ted Cruz spoke about how "we all face the same challenges, including a bold and global left, that seeks to tear down cherished national and religious institutions". Nothing to see here, you might think - except that he was not addressing a local branch of the Republican party in Texas, or a conservative US media outlet. He was speaking on screen to an audience of thousands in Madrid, at a meeting of the Spanish far-right party Vox. It was one of many recent outreaches to the global far right by US rightwing figures, which seem to have increased since the ouster of Donald Trump.

Is the so-called "Populist International", so often foretold but never realized, finally taking shape? And will the US conservative movement play a leading role in it? Or is this more about domestic politics than global domination?

Unsurprisingly, given that the US conservative movement, like the Republican Party, covers a broad range of different shades of often far-right ideology, different people have spoken to different types of far-right groups. There are at least four major strands of far-right international networks in which US "conservatives" of all levels participate.

.... Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán. It was at the latter's invitation, at the bi-annual Budapest Demographic Summit in Budapest, that Mike Pence recently spoke, together with a broad variety of academics, church leaders and politicians from around the globe, including the French far-right maybe-presidential candidate Éric Zemmour.

Budapest has also been the new promised land for the second strand, the so-called "national conservatism" movement - the brainchild of the Israeli think-tanker Yoram Hazony.

Rise of Populism Based on Terror and Islamophobia

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Fri Oct 15th, 2021 at 08:38:49 PM EST
Far-right Leader Zemmour and Bataclan Tirade (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Nov 15th, 2021 at 05:33:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Far-right Leader Zemmour and Bataclan Tirade (none / 0)

Translation:
We have a President who unfortunately avoids the real subjects, the real problems ... Hence the success of a certain Zemmour

How France's 'great replacement' theory conquered the global far right | France24 |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Nov 15th, 2021 at 05:35:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
#moldova Shift to EU to Replace Gazprom (none / 0)

Final polls in Moldova point to huge win for President Maia Sandu's party | Emerging Europe - July 7, 2021 |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Wed Oct 27th, 2021 at 02:09:49 PM EST
Poland and Romania Supplying Gas (none / 0)

Third Energy Package by Ukraine in the gas sector not meeting reform goals

Ukraine as part of the European energy market | EU Energy - April 2015 |

US blame Russia for manipulating Europe gas prices, Moscow retorts the EU messed it up | EurActiv |

US and EU sanctions on Russia bite the consumer as gas prices surge ahead of winter.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Wed Oct 27th, 2021 at 02:10:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Poland and Romania Supplying Gas (none / 0)
Not as much the sanctions but the EU delaying Nord Stream 2 on purpose and of course the EU forcing Gazprom to use spot pricing (Think of the markets!) instead of long-term contracts.

Thank deities, in our working democracy we can easily change our hapless leaders. Right?

by pelgus on Wed Oct 27th, 2021 at 02:33:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
EU Commission Failed to Manage Energy Crisis (none / 0)
Unless it will frustrate Russian sourced gas ...



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Oct 27th, 2021 at 02:12:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Free Market Mechanism and Consumer Pricing (none / 0)

  • We will also assess how the gas, electricity and ETS markets function.
  • We need more renewables. They are cheaper, carbon-free and homegrown.
  • We also need a stable source, nuclear, and during the transition, gas.
  • This is why we will come forward with our taxonomy proposal.


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Thu Nov 11th, 2021 at 07:58:25 AM EST
Repubicans Aim Aborting Nord Stream 2 Supply (none / 0)
US Republicans renew push to sanction Nord Stream 2 pipeline | EurActiv |

Gazprom starts executing plan on gas pumping into European UGS facilities in November

Gazprom has approved and started executing the plan on gas pumping into five European underground gas storage facilities in November, the gas holding said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Gazprom has approved and started execution of the plan to pump gas into five European underground storage facilities in November. The volumes and routes of gas transportation have been defined," the statement said.

....
Direct gas supplies via the Yamal-Europe pipeline to Germany were also resumed late on Monday, November 8, whereas by Tuesday morning they more than doubled.

Moreover, requests for transit gas deliveries through Ukraine to Slovakia on November 9 went up to almost 83 mln cubic meters per day from 75 mln cubic meters, according to the data provided by the Slovakian gas transport operator Eustream.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Thu Nov 11th, 2021 at 08:00:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Repubicans Aim Aborting Nord Stream 2 Supply (none / 0)

Message delivered by Alexey Miller at 5th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum | Oct. 2015 |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Thu Nov 11th, 2021 at 08:01:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Spot Price Higher: Gas Jumps 10% (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Tue Nov 16th, 2021 at 05:10:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Nord Stream 2: Natural Gas Prices in Europe Soar (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Tue Nov 16th, 2021 at 08:48:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Free Market Mechanism and Consumer Pricing (none / 0)
Delaying certification of Nord Stream 2 AG is not in EU interests -- senator | Tass |

Germany's Federal Network Agency announced that it had suspended the certification of Nord Stream 2 AG as an independent transport operator due to formal legal issues.

"Another sharp jump in gas prices in Europe became the first visible result of today's decision, and the relevant negative costs will again be borne by consumers, by Europeans.

....
The construction of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was fully completed on September 10, 2021. Before pumping can commence, the operator of the project should be registered as an independent transport operator - the Federal Network Agency is to issue certification by January 8, 2022. The agency cannot prohibit commercial gas pumping, but if it starts before the registration is finalized the operator will be fined. This registration is obligatory for meeting the norms of the EU Gas Directive.

Gas Directive amendment: implications for Nord Stream 2 | Feb. 2019 |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Nov 16th, 2021 at 09:11:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
EU H2 Highway Ukraine-Germany (none / 0)



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Thu Nov 11th, 2021 at 08:02:56 AM EST
Corporate Profits Soar With Gas Price Increase (none / 0)

Last throes of fossil fuel while it still can ...

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Thu Nov 18th, 2021 at 05:23:06 PM EST
No Exit Strategy - Dismantling of the European Union | 27 comments (27 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)


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