Sunday, December 16, 2018

Migrant crisis 2: Electric Boogaloo?



Just when you think the year can't end with any more violent semi-political motivated protests, Brussels staying true to its unique bizarre nature gives us just that today but this time it has fewer yellow jackets.
"Flemish right-wing parties called the march, which took place near major EU institutions, amid fears the pact could lead to an increase in immigration." A reported 5500 protesters marched in Brussels today condemning their country's participation in the UN migration pact. The migrant pact is based on the recognition that the entire world needs to cooperate if current and future massive migration flows are to be managed in a humane manner, while still taking account of the values of state sovereignty.
Some of its objectives include: minimizing "adverse drivers and structural factors" that force people to leave their home countries, ensuring that all migrants have adequate documentation and identity papers, making objective information available on all stages of migration, promoting an "evidence-based public discourse", saving lives and coordinating international efforts for missing migrants, creating conditions to allow migrants to contribute to sustainable development in all countries and cooperation on a safe return and readmission of migrants to their home countries if necessary.

"It was signed by 164 countries in Marrakech last week, with the US and a number of European states - including Austria, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Slovakia - refusing to formally adopt the agreement."

While the pact is legally non-binding meaning states are not required to implement these objectives into their laws, like flies to french cheese protesters couldn't resist causing carnage to voice their concerns about such a touchy topic.
Their main concerns are that "the pact could lead to an increase in immigration" which could possibly result in a second migrant crisis.
It however remains uncertain if this pact will lead to a second crisis or if this was just a mob throwing a hissy fit.

Monday, December 10, 2018

Protesters or Criminals?

Four weeks have passed since protests have blown up in Paris and what were the results? Complete Chaos is the answer. The protest had started due to a tax increase on fuel but was quickly hijacked by far-right, far-left, anarchist and libertarian gangs.
Since the protesters have presented themselves by putting on yellow vests, these hijackers found it easy to impersonate them while going on their rampage of vandalisation and violence with the authorities.
All this resulted in an environment of pure anarchy and chaos, the initial message has become obscured and all of this was the result of a politician actually taking charge against climate change. This has made ending the chaos much more difficult as know the main group has lost complete control and so cannot calm the protest leaving the government with the only option of using police force to calm the situation but it is unsure however if this method will be as efficient in the long tun.
France has also opened an inquiry into possible Russian interference in the gilets jaunes movement following reports that Moscow-based social media accounts have targeted protesters.
"The aftermath of these 'protests' is unknown as the physical damages on their own shall be a large burden for the French government to bear. The finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, said the civil unrest was a “catastrophe for our business and a catastrophe for our economy”. He spoke of a “social crisis, a democratic crisis and a crisis for the nation”. - From the Guardian article
Macron now seems to be walking on thin ice as European parliament elections are near and far-right and far-left parties gathering more and more support, he must not only safe his career but also the possible democratic future of the European Union. The French president truly has a lot of work to do and if God permit, I hope he succeeds.