European Politics
- Thread starter Forostar
- Start date
The Sami aren't Finnish, Swedish, or Norwegian. They live in Sweden, Finland, and Norway, but they aren't a unifying cultural factor. That's like saying the Netherlands and Egypt are the same place because they were once part of the Roman Empire.
We have as many views as your previous post has edits.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
At the moment a disgraceful, stigmatic website raises lots of anger...
EU anger at ‘xenophobic’ Dutch website
A Europe-wide row has broken out over a website launched by the populist Freedom Party. On the site, people are asked to “tell their stories” about trouble caused by East European migrants to the Netherlands. The European Union has branded the site “an open call for intolerance”. Ten ambassadors from East European countries have sent a letter of protest to the Dutch parliament. The government declines to comment, but the anger is growing.
The Netherlands has once again some international explaining to do about Geert Wilders’ right-wing Freedom Party (PVV). The release in 2008 of his anti-Islam film Fitna caused outrage, and now the party’s website for complaints about East Europeans in the Netherlands has sparked another controversy.
The website invites people to register complaints about nuisance and job losses caused by Poles, Romanians, Hungarians and other East Europeans in the Netherlands. Respondents can also level accusations of crime, alcohol and drug abuse and prostitution at the group.
The PVV says people have in the past been reluctant to make official complaints about East Europeans because they thought nothing would be done about it. The party has undertaken to collate information from the website and present it to the Dutch government.
Hard working Poles The website has elicited anger, especially in East and Central Europe. As early as last week, the Polish ambassador to the Netherlands gave vent to his outrage. “The picture sketched by Mr Wilders’ of hard working Poles contaminating the Dutch jobs market is an insult,” he said.
The European Commission also slammed the PVV move. Viviane Reding, the European Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship commissioner, called the site “an open call for intolerance”. She went on: “In Europe we support freedom. We solve our problems by showing more solidarity, not by telling tales on fellow citizens.”
Humorous protests In the Netherlands, the left-wing opposition has been quick to exploit the situation. At least four websites were immediately launched to poke fun at the PVV. One invited people to complain about people from the southern Dutch province of Limburg – where Geert Wilders was born. Another, calling itself the Valuable Conviviality Hotline, was launched by the Polish-Dutch rapper, Mr Polska: “Have you had a wild night out with some Poles? Let us know.”
...
The PM is still sticking to the position he adopted last week when the PVV launched the website. He refused to comment, saying that the site was operated by a political party and not by the government: “If Geert Wilders goes too far, I’ll say something about it; but it’s not for me to comment on everything the PVV does.”
more: http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/eu-anger-‘xenophobic’-dutch-website
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http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/dutch-pm-under-pressure-over-wilders-website
. . . . . . .
:/ I think the Prime Minister needs to say something about this. The problem is that he is very careful because the government needs the support from Wilders' party. But I guess in Europe Rutte will get less cooperation from certain countries... this becomes a political chess game.
EU anger at ‘xenophobic’ Dutch website
A Europe-wide row has broken out over a website launched by the populist Freedom Party. On the site, people are asked to “tell their stories” about trouble caused by East European migrants to the Netherlands. The European Union has branded the site “an open call for intolerance”. Ten ambassadors from East European countries have sent a letter of protest to the Dutch parliament. The government declines to comment, but the anger is growing.
The Netherlands has once again some international explaining to do about Geert Wilders’ right-wing Freedom Party (PVV). The release in 2008 of his anti-Islam film Fitna caused outrage, and now the party’s website for complaints about East Europeans in the Netherlands has sparked another controversy.
The website invites people to register complaints about nuisance and job losses caused by Poles, Romanians, Hungarians and other East Europeans in the Netherlands. Respondents can also level accusations of crime, alcohol and drug abuse and prostitution at the group.
The PVV says people have in the past been reluctant to make official complaints about East Europeans because they thought nothing would be done about it. The party has undertaken to collate information from the website and present it to the Dutch government.
Hard working Poles The website has elicited anger, especially in East and Central Europe. As early as last week, the Polish ambassador to the Netherlands gave vent to his outrage. “The picture sketched by Mr Wilders’ of hard working Poles contaminating the Dutch jobs market is an insult,” he said.
The European Commission also slammed the PVV move. Viviane Reding, the European Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship commissioner, called the site “an open call for intolerance”. She went on: “In Europe we support freedom. We solve our problems by showing more solidarity, not by telling tales on fellow citizens.”
Humorous protests In the Netherlands, the left-wing opposition has been quick to exploit the situation. At least four websites were immediately launched to poke fun at the PVV. One invited people to complain about people from the southern Dutch province of Limburg – where Geert Wilders was born. Another, calling itself the Valuable Conviviality Hotline, was launched by the Polish-Dutch rapper, Mr Polska: “Have you had a wild night out with some Poles? Let us know.”
...
The PM is still sticking to the position he adopted last week when the PVV launched the website. He refused to comment, saying that the site was operated by a political party and not by the government: “If Geert Wilders goes too far, I’ll say something about it; but it’s not for me to comment on everything the PVV does.”
more: http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/eu-anger-‘xenophobic’-dutch-website
+
http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/dutch-pm-under-pressure-over-wilders-website
. . . . . . .
:/ I think the Prime Minister needs to say something about this. The problem is that he is very careful because the government needs the support from Wilders' party. But I guess in Europe Rutte will get less cooperation from certain countries... this becomes a political chess game.
Following the announcement by prosecutors that they would seek to lift his immunity, German President Christian Wulff announced Friday morning he would resign as the country's head of state. Chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed her deep regret and stated she would seek out a joint candidate supported by the major parties.
(link goes to a detailed article on the English version of Spiegel.de) I'm glad that he's gone. It took way, way too long and he was a disgrace for this country. His election was already a farce, and I didn't think it could go downhill from there - and that's where it went.
(link goes to a detailed article on the English version of Spiegel.de) I'm glad that he's gone. It took way, way too long and he was a disgrace for this country. His election was already a farce, and I didn't think it could go downhill from there - and that's where it went.
I hate her.
I know that outside of Germany, she's got an image of being a sort of iron lady, but that is at the expense of her domestic qualities, which are basically non-existent. She is a poor leader who has very little control over her cabinet, but nevertheless goes on to happily remove all politicians who might threaten to rival her within her party, which is in my opinion the sole reason why she's been in office for so long now.
If I hate Merkel, I absolutely loathe her cabinet. The individual ministers range from incompetent on the positive end of the scale to lethal on the negative. Since this government has been in power, it has been responsible for the most drastic cuts in domestic spending in the history of the republic, and for the first time, high level corruption is starting to become a problem.
I'm not going to get into individual issues just now, but let me tell you that virtually everything this government has done is, in my eyes, wrong, pathetic and dangerous.
I know that outside of Germany, she's got an image of being a sort of iron lady, but that is at the expense of her domestic qualities, which are basically non-existent. She is a poor leader who has very little control over her cabinet, but nevertheless goes on to happily remove all politicians who might threaten to rival her within her party, which is in my opinion the sole reason why she's been in office for so long now.
If I hate Merkel, I absolutely loathe her cabinet. The individual ministers range from incompetent on the positive end of the scale to lethal on the negative. Since this government has been in power, it has been responsible for the most drastic cuts in domestic spending in the history of the republic, and for the first time, high level corruption is starting to become a problem.
I'm not going to get into individual issues just now, but let me tell you that virtually everything this government has done is, in my eyes, wrong, pathetic and dangerous.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
The Ratko Mladić Trial has started today. Many witnesses will do their contribution.
It can be followed live -> http://www.icty.org/sid/10915
(Judgements and initial appearances - when the accused faces the court for the first time - are broadcast live. All other sessions are broadcast with a 30-minute delay as part of system to correct any confidential information that any party may accidentally provide the court.)
It can be followed live -> http://www.icty.org/sid/10915
(Judgements and initial appearances - when the accused faces the court for the first time - are broadcast live. All other sessions are broadcast with a 30-minute delay as part of system to correct any confidential information that any party may accidentally provide the court.)
D
Deleted member 7164
Guest
Italy is deploying armed forces to guard local elections in Genova.
Dr. Eddies Wingman
Brighter than thousand_suns
I have to side with Perun on this. Finland is certainly not part of Scandinavia in any meaningful context. It is pretty isolated between the Western countries and Russia - and their language is closely related to the language of Hungary. Culturally my impression is that it is more similar to Sweden than to Russia, but not really similar to Sweden either. Politically, they cooperate with the Scandinavian countries, but then within a Nordic context which also includes Iceland. I also doubt many Finns would see themselves as Scandinavian.
Regarding the Sami: They are not Finnish, Norwegian or Swedish, they are Sami (and, as far as I know, proud of it). They certainly do not unify the Nordic countries in any way.
Tomislav Nikolić is the new president of Serbia. Biggest embarassment in the history of Serbia IMO.
Luckily the bastard and his party probably won't be included in the government.
Luckily the bastard and his party probably won't be included in the government.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
I have started following the Pussy Riot incident in Russia, with the trial coming up shortly (they have some seriously speedy trials in Russia compared to the US), it will be interesting to see what happens if they get any kind of sentance, especially if it comes down to the max of 3 years.
I tend to think it will be a light term based on this
I tend to think it will be a light term based on this
What I would like to know is, how much of an interest does this generate in Russia? If there really is a public outcry to speak of, in European or American terms, it would really say a lot about the Russian society as opposed to the government.