by fjallstrom
Sat Feb 25th, 2023 at 08:09:21 PM EST
Few may have missed that China is trying to broker peace in Ukraine.
In similar fashion to how the US government presented its position after world war one in idealistic fashion in Wilson's 14 points China has released China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis.
They are clearly written and while trying to apply principles on geopolitics may be a fool's errand, I think it is both interesting that they try and any attempt by a major power to broker peace must be welcomed at this point.
The application of the principles isn't as clear. Below the fold I will quote the principle's and my interpretation of how a peace based on them would look.
At last, a ray of light, Frontpaged - Frank Schnittger
by fjallstrom
Thu Feb 24th, 2022 at 08:47:47 AM EST
After months of US claiming that Russia was going to invade Ukraine, it appears to have happened tonight. There are reports of explosions and troops landing in many parts of Ukraine, including the capital.
This is an open thread, add your news and views.
Frontpaged - Bernard
by fjallstrom
Fri Nov 26th, 2021 at 08:33:29 AM EST
Swedish PM Löfven resigned earlier this fall, paving the way for the Social Democrats to enter next years election with a newly appointed PM.
Those with good memories remember that this summer Löfven was voted out and then returned as PM.
His successor, current finance minister Magdalena Andersson was today voted in and then resigned a few hours later. She will be back though.
Frontpaged - Bernard
by fjallstrom
Fri Jun 25th, 2021 at 12:54:26 PM EST
Monday the Swedish parliament vote against the current PM, starting a political crisis the end of which is still not clear.
The vote was a straight up vote of confidence. If a majority of parliament rejects the PM, the government falls. Sweden is right now in caretaker government, led by the same PM. The PM has until Monday to either call a new election (which would mean a special election this fall, and a regular election next fall) or the speaker will get three attempts at presenting an acceptable PM.
Frontpaged with minor edits - Bernard
by fjallstrom
Thu Dec 12th, 2019 at 10:17:09 AM EST
Election day! Vote! GOTV! Make sure votes are counted! All the fun and spectacle of democracy!
Or just comment from afar. That works too.
Frontpaged by Colman from behind the sofa
by fjallstrom
Wed Jan 16th, 2019 at 02:24:40 PM EST
In September, Sweden went to the polls, and the results were far from clear, leading to a drawn out government formation.
To recap, the left bloc got 144 seats and declared themselves winners. But so did the right bloc with 143, on account of the left bloc losing more. And of course the far right Sweden Democrats with 62 seats also declared themselves winners.
PM Löfven was voted down by the right and far right, but the cabinet has stayed in place as a care taker government.
Frontpaged - Frank Schnittger
by fjallstrom
Mon Nov 26th, 2018 at 03:20:17 PM EST
In todays news:
Tension escalates after Russia seizes Ukraine naval ships
Russia has fired on and seized three Ukrainian naval vessels off the Crimean Peninsula in a major escalation of tensions between the two countries.
Two gunboats and a tug were captured by Russian forces. A number of Ukrainian crew members were injured.
Each country blames the other for the incident. On Monday Ukrainian MPs are due to vote on declaring martial law.
(My bold)
If one is a bit conspirational minded, one might reflect on how this conflict and the declaration of martial law reflects on the upcoming Ukrainian elections. And then one starts checking the polls, and it gets interesting.
by fjallstrom
Wed Oct 31st, 2018 at 12:10:38 AM EST
When last we left of, the election night, things ended inconclusive. And not much has changed.
To recap, the left bloc got 144 seats and declared themselves winners. But so did the right bloc with 143, on account of the left bloc losing more. And of course the far right Sweden Democrats with 62 seats also declared themselves winners.
Front paged - Frank Schnittger
by fjallstrom
Sat Sep 8th, 2018 at 09:58:27 PM EST
Sweden goes to the polls today. With low unemployment, sinking murder rates and improving school results, if you believe statistics. However, a large portion of population, media and foreign media treats statistics as a foul conspiracy and is intending to make it about how immigration ruined Sweden.
frontpaged - Bjinse
by fjallstrom
Fri Sep 29th, 2017 at 12:29:37 PM EST
In the absence of a thread from someone more knowledgeable about Spain, an open thread to collect links and impressions.
First out, Eurointelligence from this morning:
Things are coming to a head in Catalonia
The Spanish government has disrupted the Catalan referendum, but is likely not to be able to stop millions of Catalans from casting votes anyway despite a massive police deployment;
this undermines the authority of the state and still leaves the initiative with the Catalan regional government and parliament, which will decide on Tuesday whether to declare independence;
Víctor Lapuente argues that the credibility of a democratic state depends on the predictablity of its enforcement actions, which has been absent in Spain, while Guillem Martínez writes that "Leviathan" and "midget Leviathan" are both unpredictable and so unsettling;
Andrés Boix i Palop reviews in Verfassungsblog the increasingly widespread opinion among Spanish legal experts that the Spanish government is violating the constitution in order to protect it;
Front paged - Frank Schnittger
by fjallstrom
Wed Jun 8th, 2016 at 05:49:50 AM EST
I recently came across this map of attacks, threats and arsons against migrants and the migrant authority. Both refugees and beggars - mostly romani with Rumanian citizenship - are included. Yellow are attacks, threats and arsons against minors. Red are attacks, threats and arsons against adults (also include families with children).
The Sweden Democrat inofficial facebook groups was shown last autumn to contain lots of encouragment for arson and other terror actions directed against refugees and romani. Hence the coloraion on the map with darker brown for more SD support in the last election.
by fjallstrom
Sat Apr 2nd, 2016 at 07:54:24 PM EST
Wikileaks has released transcripts of an IMF discussion of how to get Germany to accept IMFs proposal for austerity and debt relief for Greece. The method seems to be to create a crisis in April by threatening to pull out.
WikiLeaks - IMF Internal Meeting Predicts Greek 'Disaster', Threatens to Leave Troika
Thomsen said internally that the threat of an imminent financial catstrophe is needed to force the other players into a "decision point". For Germany, on debt relief, and In the case of Greece, to accept the IMF's austerity "measures," -- including raising taxes and cutting Greek pensions and working conditions. However the UK "Brexit" referendum in late June will paralyse European decision making at the critical moment.
Wikileak has the transcripts as
PDF or
HTML
Greece government is not amused according to
Greece demands IMF explanation over leaked debt transcript | ReutersGreece demanded an explanation from the International Monetary Fund on Saturday after an apparent leaked transcript suggested the IMF may threaten to pull out of the country's bailout as a tactic to force European lenders to more offer debt relief.
EU/IMF lenders will resume talks in Athens on Greece's fiscal and reform progress next week aiming to conclude a bailout review that will unlock further loans and pave the way for negotiations on long-desired debt restructuring.
The review has been adjourned twice since January due to a rift among the lenders over the estimated size of Greece's fiscal gap by 2018, as well as disagreements with Athens on pension reforms and the management of bad loans.
frontpaged - Bjinse
by fjallstrom
Mon Oct 12th, 2015 at 05:54:29 PM EST
Decemberöverenskommelsen (DÖ) - The December deal is being buried in Sweden. That is the name of the deal that prevented new elections in Sweden after last autumn's cabinet crisis in Sweden that followed the rather inconclusive elections. The deal that was supposed to last until 2022 did not last a year.
So is the crisis back on? Not at all.
Promoted by DoDo
by fjallstrom
Sat Feb 28th, 2015 at 04:23:41 AM EST
Considering the interest in alternative currencies, I did not want to leave the discoveries of this community sitting inside a long comment thread. In particular since a write-up I did in Swedish got some attention.
front-paged by afew
