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Euronews
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
New US Senate bill could wreck Russia, but also damage the EU economy
Spain failed on Monday to obtain the necessary unanimity to elevate Catalan, Galician and Basque into official languages of the European Union, as several member states raised concerns over the administrative and legal implications of such an unprecedented move. One of the main arguments against the proposal is that it could set a precedent, leading to similar demands from other countries with minority languages. Across Europe, between 40 and 50 million people speak around 60 regional and minority languages. However, only a handful of countries recognise these languages as co-official, allowing them to be used in government, administration, and public institutions on an equal footing with the majority spoken language. In Spain, Basque, Catalan and Galician, enjoy strong legal protections in their respective autonomous communities and are widely used in education, government, and media. Catalan is spoken by approximately 7.5 million people, primarily in Catalonia and it is one of the most widely spoken minority languages in Europe. It is also spoken, to a lesser extent, in parts of France and Italy. Around 1 million people speak Basque in the regions of the Basque Country and Navarra. It also has speakers in the French Basque country where it is not recognised as an official language, while around 2 million people speak Galician. While Dutch is the national language, the northern province of Friesland is home to Frisian, which is recognised as the region's second official language. Frisian comprises three branches across the Netherlands and Germany, West Frisian, East Frisian, and North Frisian, the latter being most prominent, spoken by an estimated 4,000 to 10,000 people. The German government, however, does not officially recognise Frisian as an administrative language. Portugal also has a regional co-official language: Mirandese. Spoken in the region of Miranda do Douro, it is officially recognised by the Portuguese government as one of the two languages of the country. A 2020 study by the University of Vigo estimated that around 3,500 people knew the language, with only about 1,500 actively using it. In the northernmost regions of Finland, approximately 2,000 people speak Sámi as their native language. This figure includes speakers of Northern Sámi, Inari Sámi, and Skolt Sámi. Sámi is also spoken in Sweden, where estimates suggest that between 7,000 and 9,000 people use some form of the language, although official language data is not recorded in population registers. Indigenous parliaments in Sweden, Finland, and Norway have raised concerns about the endangered status of several Sámi languages, including Pite Sámi and Ume Sámi, each with fewer than 50 speakers. French, German, Ladin, Slovene and Catalan are also recognised as co-official to Italian in certain regions or municipalities of Italy. Many are more widely spoken outside the country. French, German and Slovene are main languages in their respective countries and Catalan is mostly used in Spain. Ladin is mainly spoken in the Dolomite Mountains in Northern Italy in the provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, and Belluno, by the Ladin people. A bill rapidly making its way through the United States Senate and gathering impressive bipartisan support threatens to wreak untold havoc on Russia's economy in a bid to force Vladimir Putin into "good faith negotiations for a lasting peace in Ukraine". But the concerted push, jointly promoted by Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, also risks devastation for roughly half the European Union. "Our legislation will isolate Russia – putting it on a trade island by imposing stiff tariffs on other countries that support these atrocities," Graham and Blumenthal said last week as they announced the text had secured 81 signatures in the 100-seat Senate. Besides a wide range of primary sanctions and duties against the Kremlin, including sweeping prohibitions on financial transactions with Russian entities, the bill also foresees secondary tariffs on countries that still do business with Moscow. In particular, it zeroes in on Russia's energy exports, an indispensable source of revenue to maintain the costly full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The text drafted by Graham and Blumenthal proposes a tariff of "not less" than 500% on any country that "knowingly sells, supplies, transfers, or purchases oil, uranium, natural gas, petroleum products, or petrochemical products that originated in the Russian Federation." In other words, any nation on Earth that consumes Russian energy. According to the senators, the law is mainly intended to "hold China accountable for propping up Putin's war machine by buying cheap Russian oil from the shadow fleet." The critical assessment of Beijing's "no-limits" partnership with Moscow is widely shared in Brussels, where the "shadow fleet" has become a highly pressing concern. "Without China's economic support, Putin's war machine would come to a grinding halt," the two senators said. And yet, given the vast extraterritorial scope of the bill, the no-holds-barred offensive against Moscow and Beijing has the potential to spill over and inflict intense pain on disparate nations worldwide, also in Europe, at a time of sky-high trade tensions. Despite unprecedented efforts to wean the bloc off Russian energy, several member states remain hooked. Last year, the EU spent an estimated €23 billion on Russian fossil fuels, exceeding the military support provided to Ukraine. Gas, consistently spared from any sanctions due to a lack of unanimity, led the chart. Today, five coastal states – France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal – act as entry points for Russian-made liquefied natural gas (LNG), which last year saw a 9% uptick in purchases. Italy, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria receive flows of Russian gas through the pipelines that crisscross the continent. Hungary and Slovakia, meanwhile, get Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline, indefinitely spared from an EU-wide ban at Budapest's request. Additionally, five countries – Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Finland – operate Russian-made nuclear reactors that require specific Russian-made fuels. The European Commission has presented a roadmap to phase out all Russian energy by the end of 2027, but the action plan is still in early stages. Hungary and Slovakia have come out strongly against the roadmap, warning it would imperil competitiveness. The state of play means that, should the Graham-Blumenthal bill pass and apply as originally conceived, something far from guaranteed at this stage, up to 12 member states could be subject to a punitive 500% tariff when they sell to the American market. Both goods and services could be targeted, further spreading the pain across the many corners of the economy. The 500% tariff would come "in addition" to anti-subsidy and anti-dumping duties already in place. Primary and secondary sanctions should remain in place until "the Government of the Russian Federation has entered into a peace agreement with Ukraine", the law says. The offices of Graham Blumenthal did not reply to a request for comment. In Brussels, the Senate bill is seen as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is considered a welcome initiative to tighten the screws on the Kremlin, something that President Donald Trump has until now refused to do. On the other hand, it is an explosive gamble that could exacerbate transatlantic turmoil and ravage export-dependent sectors overnight. If introduced, the secondary tariffs would throw a grenade right into the ongoing trade talks between the Commission and the White House. Both sides have set a 9 July deadline to strike an agreement. Otherwise, Trump has threatened to slap an across-the-board 50% tariff on all EU-made goods. "We try to coordinate with the US on sanctions to the extent possible because the more we join on that front, the bigger impact we can have," a Commission spokesperson said when asked about the Graham-Blumenthal bill, without commenting on the devastating effects it could have on parts of the EU economy. "So coordination in that sense, in the various fora, does take place." But there is a glimmer of hope for Brussels: the draft law offers the possibility for the president to grant a 180-day exemption from the 500% tariff to a country, good or service – as long as doing so is justified for "national security interests". The one-time waiver would be left entirely at Trump's discretion: the president would be able to hand-pick whom he saves and whom he punishes. This would give individual member states a chance to visit the Oval Office and lobby for a reprieve, a ritual that Trump appears to enjoy, particularly when cameras are present. The question of enforcement might also dent the impact on the bloc. Maria Shagina, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), believes implementing the 500% tariffs would be logistically challenging, if not impossible, due to the numerous countries that regularly purchase Russian energy. The list of clients features some of America's strategic partners, like India and Turkey. "Would the US monitor exports of these fossil fuels, and if so, how? Would it impose blanket bans on all goods imported from countries that import Russian fossil fuels? How does this square with an all-out trade war against allies and adversaries alike?" she asked. The law, Shagina noted, should be seen in the context of American politics and Trump's much-publicised mission to achieve a settlement between Russia and Ukraine, which has made limited progress since his first phone call with Vladimir Putin in February. "The bill does not seek to put congressional pressure on Russia independently of Trump's actions regarding Russia," Shagina told Euronews. "Rather, it aims to support Trump's rhetoric on Russia." A document going around online alleges that the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to take back control of the Tombs of the Kings, a sacred site which is under French control in East Jerusalem. It's been circulating on social media and presents a decision allegedly made by Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister. It suggests that Israel's Foreign Ministry is looking into holding "diplomatic negotiations with the French government," in a bid to transfer the holy site to Israel. At the top of the document, "Jerusalem Day" is mentioned, an Israeli national holiday which marks the moment when Israeli forces took over East Jerusalem, following the 1967 six-day war. Jerusalem Day falls yearly in May or June, in line with the Hebrew calendar's month of Iyar. However, EuroVerify found no proof that the document is real. In a public statement shared on X, Israel's French embassy refuted the allegations and said it deplores such "fake news." "We urge everyone to be vigilant when it comes to unsourced information on social networks," it added. When approached by EuroVerify, France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "We are not aware of any official Israeli approach to this effect. The national domains are the property of the French State." "This ownership is recognised by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority through international agreements," it continued. "In Jerusalem, France has owned, since the 19th century, four national domains and religious Christian and Jewish sites, whose ownership was recognised by the State of Israel in 1948." In addition to various Christian and Jewish religious sites in the region, France owns four heritage sites in Jerusalem, under a treaty known as the Fischer-Chauvel agreement. These sites, including the Tombs of the Kings, are known as the French National Domain in the Holy Land, with some of France's claims over them dating back to the Ottoman era. The other three are the Church of the Pater Noster (also known as the Sanctuary of the Eleona), the Benedictine monastery in Abu Ghosh and the Church of Saint Anne. The Tombs of the Kings are believed to be the burial site of Queen Helene of Adiabene, who converted to Judaism around 30 AD and died sometime between 50 and 56 AD. They were originally thought to be the burial place of the kings of Judah. The French claims are based on the government's purchase of the site from a private owner in 1886. Jerusalem was part of the Ottoman Empire at the time and the Ottoman government officially recognised the sale as legal under its law. France continued to assert its ownership of the Tombs of the Kings and other sites during the British Mandate and later under Israeli rule. It and the newly-founded State of Israel drew up the Fischer-Chauvel agreement between 1948 and 1949 to formalise Paris' claim to the sites. However, while Israel acknowledges the existence of the agreement, it has never officially ratified it. Nevertheless, it has generally respected the privileges associated with the sites and given de facto recognition to French control. The tricolour flag flies over them, and they are administered by French authorities, but they conform to Israeli property law.
Euronews
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Spanish minority language question echoes across Europe
Spain failed on Monday to obtain the necessary unanimity to elevate Catalan, Galician and Basque into official languages of the European Union, as several member states raised concerns over the administrative and legal implications of such an unprecedented move. One of the main arguments against the proposal is that it could set a precedent, leading to similar demands from other countries with minority languages. Across Europe, between 40 and 50 million people speak around 60 regional and minority languages. However, only a handful of countries recognise these languages as co-official, allowing them to be used in government, administration, and public institutions on an equal footing with the majority spoken language. In Spain, Basque, Catalan and Galician, enjoy strong legal protections in their respective autonomous communities and are widely used in education, government, and media. Catalan is spoken by approximately 7.5 million people, primarily in Catalonia and it is one of the most widely spoken minority languages in Europe. It is also spoken, to a lesser extent, in parts of France and Italy. Around 1 million people speak Basque in the regions of the Basque Country and Navarra. It also has speakers in the French Basque country where it is not recognised as an official language, while around 2 million people speak Galician. While Dutch is the national language, the northern province of Friesland is home to Frisian, which is recognised as the region's second official language. Frisian comprises three branches across the Netherlands and Germany, West Frisian, East Frisian, and North Frisian, the latter being most prominent, spoken by an estimated 4,000 to 10,000 people. The German government, however, does not officially recognise Frisian as an administrative language. Portugal also has a regional co-official language: Mirandese. Spoken in the region of Miranda do Douro, it is officially recognised by the Portuguese government as one of the two languages of the country. A 2020 study by the University of Vigo estimated that around 3,500 people knew the language, with only about 1,500 actively using it. In the northernmost regions of Finland, approximately 2,000 people speak Sámi as their native language. This figure includes speakers of Northern Sámi, Inari Sámi, and Skolt Sámi. Sámi is also spoken in Sweden, where estimates suggest that between 7,000 and 9,000 people use some form of the language, although official language data is not recorded in population registers. Indigenous parliaments in Sweden, Finland, and Norway have raised concerns about the endangered status of several Sámi languages, including Pite Sámi and Ume Sámi, each with fewer than 50 speakers. French, German, Ladin, Slovene and Catalan are also recognised as co-official to Italian in certain regions or municipalities of Italy. Many are more widely spoken outside the country. French, German and Slovene are main languages in their respective countries and Catalan is mostly used in Spain. Ladin is mainly spoken in the Dolomite Mountains in Northern Italy in the provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, and Belluno, by the Ladin people.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany's electoral commission confirms parliamentary election result
Germany's Federal Electoral Commission on Friday confirmed the results of the parliamentary election on February 28 with no changes to the distribution of seats. According to the final results, the conservative bloc comprised of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) received 28.5% of the vote. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 20.8% and the Social Democrats (SPD) of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz took 16.4% of the vote. The Greens received 11.6% of the vote, while The Left party took 8.8%. The Free Democrats (FDP), which were part of the current government coalition until November, won 4.3% of the vote, failing to reach the 5% threshold typically needed to enter the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament. The populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) also narrowly missed out on entering the Bundestag, with 4.98% of the vote according to the final figures. The preliminary figures put the BSW at 4.972% of the vote. This leaves the distribution of seats unchanged from the preliminary figures, with 208 seats for the CDU/CSU, 152 for the AfD, 120 for the SPD, 85 for the Greens, 64 for The Left and one seat for the South Schleswig Voters' Association (SSW), a party which represents Danish and Frisian minorities and which benefits from a special provision in the electoral law.
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Iconic Dutch skating race on thin ice as fans forced to watch rerun
The Netherlands relived the glory of its iconic Elfstedentocht ice-skating race on Friday, even as climate change makes a real-life edition increasingly unlikely. The Dutch public broadcaster NOS marked the 40th anniversary of the 1985 race by re-airing the full 12-hour broadcast of the grueling 135-mile trek across frozen canals and lakes. The Elfstedentocht, or Eleven Cities Tour, captures the Dutch imagination like few other events. Thousands of skaters brave the pre-dawn cold, embarking on a demanding journey across the northern province of Friesland. While only a small fraction contend for victory, the majority simply strive to complete the course. The last race took place in 1997, and rising temperatures threaten the future of this cherished tradition. Ironically, as the nation revisited the icy spectacle of 1985, the temperature in Leeuwarden, the finishing city, reached a balmy 14C (57F). The prospect of the 1985 competition had the country in turmoil. Initially the race was set for Jan. 20 but was canceled after a thaw. After nearly a month of anticipation, and with only three days' notice, organizers announced the race was on for Feb. 21, with race chairperson Jan Sipkema announcing the famous words: 'It sil heve,' or 'It will happen' in the Frisian language. The 1985 edition was the first to be broadcast live on television. A dress rehearsal the day before failed spectacularly after equipment froze. Ultimately NOS, with 25 cameras including four motorcycles with sidecars borrowed from a Belgian broadcaster, pulled off the feat. Interest was so high that parliament suspended a debate about sick pay legislation so lawmakers could watch the competition. On Friday, Amsterdam 's Schiphol airport aired the race live in lounges, with other screens explaining the competition in English for international travelers and reminders not miss their flights. According to the organizers, 16,179 skaters entered the race and nearly 12,000 finished. Evert van Benthem won the men's race with a time of 6:47:44, which remains the Elfstedentocht record. That year was the first year that women were officially allowed to compete. Lennie van der Hoorn won with a time of 7:33:58. Friday's broadcast will air until 5:30 p.m., synced with the actual airing in 1985.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Missing the cold, the Dutch relive highs and lows of famed skating race 40 years on
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Climate change has put the prospect of an actual new edition of the iconic Elfstedentocht skating race over frozen canals and lakes on thin ice, but the Netherlands on Friday relished the drama of the competition from 1985 — on TV. The Dutch public broadcaster NOS was re-airing the 12-hour showing of the grueling 135-mile 11-cities tour in the northern province of Friesland on its 40th anniversary. The race involves thousands of ice skaters leaving in the pre-dawn cold, with perhaps only 100 with a shot at victory and the rest just hoping to finish. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The last time the Netherlands held the event was 1997, and as average temperatures rise, the likelihood of another Elfstedentocht melts. On Friday the noon temperature in the finishing town Leeuwarden stood at 14C (57F). The prospect of the 1985 competition had the country in turmoil. Initially the race was set for Jan. 20 but was canceled after a thaw. After nearly a month of anticipation, and with only three days' notice, organizers announced the race was on for Feb. 21, with race chairperson Jan Sipkema announcing the famous words: 'It sil heve,' or 'It will happen' in the Frisian language. The 1985 edition was the first to be broadcast live on television. A dress rehearsal the day before failed spectacularly after equipment froze. Ultimately NOS, with 25 cameras including four motorcycles with sidecars borrowed from a Belgian broadcaster, pulled off the feat. Interest was so high that parliament suspended a debate about sick pay legislation so lawmakers could watch the competition. On Friday, Amsterdam's Schiphol airport aired the race live in lounges, with other screens explaining the competition in English for international travelers and reminders not miss their flights. According to the organizers, 16,179 skaters entered the race and nearly 12,000 finished. Evert van Benthem won the men's race with a time of 6:47:44, which remains the Elfstedentocht record. That year was the first year that women were officially allowed to compete. Lennie van der Hoorn won with a time of 7:33:58. Friday's broadcast will air until 5:30 p.m., synced with the actual airing in 1985.
