Brussels, my love? A democratic Syria - realistic or just a pipe dream?
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For the first time, a Syrian government representative participated in an international conference on the war-torn country. It happened in Brussels, where support for the new Syria was discussed. But the latest slide into violence prompted difficult questions about the EU's recent decisions to lift sanctions, making some EU member states uncomfortable. Are these political gestures premature? Is Syria ready for a new beginning or not?
A lot of questions for our panel in this edition: Richard Lewis, senior associate at the Brussels School of Governance, Sarah Wheaton, chief policy correspondent at Politico and Petras Auštrevičius, member of the European Parliament representing Renew Europe from Lithuania.
A new era is dawning in Syria. A few days ago, the new leader of the war-torn country signed a provisional constitution governing the five-year transition period.
This declaration came three months after the rebels unexpectedly toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad. This led to calls for a new inclusive Syria that respects individual rights, including those of women.
The new leadership faces a daunting task: 80% of the electricity grids, 60% of the water networks and almost half of the health infrastructure have been destroyed. 16.7 million people are in urgent need of aid - the highest number recorded since the conflict began 14 years ago.
But Syria continues to be rocked by violence. In early March, security forces killed almost 1,500 civilians, most of them members of the Alawite minority to which the Assad family belongs.
Is this the 'justice for the victims and survivors' promised by the new rulers? Is the process of healing and overcoming division realistic or just a pipe dream?
Second topic: This week marked the 11th anniversary of the day Vladimir Putin illegally annexed Crimea. A military operation that would directly lead to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine eight years later. That same Vladimir Putin spoke to Donald Trump on Tuesday in an apparent effort to end the fighting in Ukraine on his terms.
Carving up Ukraine among Trump and Putin smacks of the famous Yalta Conference where the presumptive victors of World War II divided Europe into spheres of influence. The difference? Back in 1945, there was a European at the table: Winston Churchill.
Finally, the panel discussed the bribery allegations against Huawei. Just two years after Qatargate rocked Europe, new allegations of bribery, this time linked to the Chinese telecoms giant, have once again sent shockwaves through the Brussels institutions. Belgian investigators are probing 'active corruption within the European Parliament'.
Police raided more than 20 addresses in Belgium and Portugal and several people were arrested. The whole case breathes new life into longstanding concerns over shady lobbying practices in Brussels. Is pay-to-play made too easy in the EU institutions? And what about those ethics lessons learned from the Qatargate scandal?
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Local France
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OPINION: Give up the search for loopholes - French bureaucracy always wins
To egregiously butcher William Goldman's classic line - 'There are no French admin loopholes, Highness, anyone who says differently is selling something'. France's complex admin means that foreign residents and future arrivals are often left looking for shortcuts, easy options and loopholes - an entirely understandable reaction when you consider the bureaucratic pain that France enjoys inflicting on its inhabitants. It's also a famously high tax country, which means that plenty of people are on the lookout for, shall we say, more forgiving tax arrangements. This one is perhaps less understandable - especially if it comes in the next breath after raptures of delight over France's excellent public services - but it's always going to be human nature to try. The thing is - there really are very few genuine loopholes when it comes to French residency and taxes, especially when it comes to non-EU nationals who come within the visa/residency card system. Advertisement Sure, you might think you've found a loophole - but these almost always end up causing you more problems down the line, especially if your goal is to make France your home. When it comes to people who just want to be here for a couple of years there is a little more wriggle room - but for those who intend to stay in France and will therefore eventually be seeking long-term residency and perhaps even citizenship, trying to exploit a loophole is almost always going to cause you further administrative pain in the future. In my experience the people who genuinely set out to cheat the French system are few and far between - a much more common scenario is people who have simply been given bad advice about a shortcut or loophole that they could take advantage of. At The Local we often get emails from readers who are experiencing problems with French systems - and the people stuck in the worst tangles are almost always those who have at one point been given bad advice. 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Because France is a popular destination to move to, attracting all groups from retirees to young families, students to workers, a whole industry has grown up around giving advice on navigating the French immigration and tax system. Advertisement There's an entire sector of 'relocation experts', 'hand-holders' or 'concierge services' which specialise in helping foreigners to move to France. Many of these services are great and offer sound advice and insight based on experience with French systems. The good ones should also explain future ramifications of your decisions. However, some give wildly differing advice and it's not always easy to know who is right and who to trust. There's no doubt some of these services can be very helpful when it comes to finding a place to live and setting up services like utilities - I used one when I first moved and they were worth every centime in helping to navigate the notoriously tricky Paris rental market. However, if emails from readers are anything to go by, there also seems to be an increasing trend of these services offering legal advice on issues such as residency, visas and tax status. Advertisement While many are very knowledgeable and diligent with their guidance, the reality is this sector is completely unregulated - meaning that you have absolutely no comeback if you are given incorrect advice. More importantly, you will be then one then left struggling to deal with your irregular residency or tax status while the hand-holder has banked the cheque and moved on. Take this one email we received from an American reader who wanted to warn others of the "pain and damage" one expat visa adviser caused them. He said: "We contacted a well-known expat who is regarded as an expert in visa related issues in France. "We paid them €5,000 to organise a passport talent visa. At first, all was fine, but they soon stopped responding to our emails. To make matters worse, they barely did any work for us. "It turned out that there are dozens of fellow expats in the same position." Advertisement So what can people do? The standard advice is to talk to a lawyer for anything related to residency, and an accountant for tax advice. But even here there are caveats - first you need to ensure that your expert is qualified and registered in both France and your home country, and that they specialise in advising expats/immigrants. Second is that you need to speak to both - a lawyer will undoubtedly give you good advice about visas, but will that leave you with tax problems? The lawyer might not flag that up, because its not their area of expertise, but that doesn't mean there won't be problems. And vice versa, your accountant's advice might be perfectly sound when it comes to tax but it might screw up your residency. 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It's because we have learned the greater truths - French admin always wins; there are no loopholes; liberté, égalité, bureaucratié . You can find more information on all things residency and tax related in our Moving to France section. Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section below
Euronews
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Graz holds Mass for victims of Austria's deadliest shooting since WWII
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Trump orders names restored to military bases honoring Confederates
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