When the French Prime Minister starts talking of the "end of Europe" and Germany announces indefinite border controls amid the growing refugee crisis - it is time to get concerned. The crisis is not new, so why the sudden panic?
The answer lies in the fact that next year – 2017 – the French will go to the polls to elect its president and Germany votes-in a new Bundestag. With the European refugee crisis showing no signs of abating, both French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel know they have only a few months to get the situation under control or they will be the losers.
France and Germany are at the heart of Europe, having both been founding fathers of the European Union with its central dream of the freedom of movement of goods, workers, services and capital. Any threat to those freedoms spells doom for the union.
EU External Action
#BBCWorldDebate @FedericaMog "National solutions not a way out of #refugeecrisis. We have to make work EU solution"
With the refugee crisis causing chaos in the Schengen zone of borderless Europe, leading to Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Slovenia and others all imposing border controls – completely against the values of the four freedoms – the European dream is hanging on a gossamer thread.
Why So Scared?
For Merkel, the situation is looking dire. She is seen as the strong woman of Europe and yet has caused controversy over her 'open doors' policy to refugees that has come back to bite her at home and abroad. Greece is still smarting – with sympathy from other Mediterranean nations – from Merkel’s insistence on harsh austerity in return from its bailouts.
Supporters of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) demonstrate against the German government's new policy for migrants, in Erfurt, Germany October 21, 2015
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière has stated that the "temporary" border controls announced early January will be maintained indefinitely, meaning that Germany – at the heart of the European project – is itself breaking the one of the fundamental principles of the union.
For Hollande, the situation is different. He has been unpopular for a long time for his poor handling of the French economy, which is struggling.
At 25.7 percent, France’s youth unemployment is increasingly problematic, particularly in marginalized suburbs that are predominantly Muslim and face growing social instability. 
But more importantly, he has been able to spin the terror attacks – notably Charlie Hebdo and November 13 – to improve his image – taking a tough stance on counter-terrorism.
French President Francois Hollande addressing nation after Paris terrorist attacks
But Hollande has a problem with increasing racism and – just as in Germany and elsewhere – growing nationalism, Euroskepticism and the rise of the right wing.
The Fight Against Daesh
But what precipitated the refugee crisis? The rise of Daesh and the chaos in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Afghanistan, leading to the biggest movement of people since World War 2.
Both France – and, since December 2015 – Germany are now part of the coalition of powers taking military action against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. 
As the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said at the World Economic Forum in Davos Friday: "We cannot say – nor can we accept that Europe can take in all the refugees, all of those fleeing those terrible wars in Iraq or Syria, otherwise our societies will be totally destabilized. It’s a crisis that puts even the European project at risk. It means that you have to find solutions in Syria and Iraq".
"Europe had forgotten that it needs borders. It’s Europe that could die – not the Schengen area. If Europe can’t protect its own borders, it’s the very idea of Europe that will be thrown into doubt. It could disappear of course – the European project – not Europe itself, not our values, but the concept we have of Europe that the founding fathers had of Europe."
Merkel has said that Europe is "vulnerable" and that the fate of the euro is "directly linked" to resolving the migration crisis. If the migration crisis continues and borders remain closed, it is not just the freedom of movement of people that is in danger.
It is European trade as well, endangering the future of the already flawed single currency concept. A single currency requires fiscal unity, which in turn requires political union. If the union splits, so does the currency.
As Merkel and Hollande awoke on January 1, 2016 they both realized they only have a matter of months to take control ahead of their elections next year, as opponents step up their campaigns.
They urgently need action against Daesh that will lead to a solution to the refugee crisis, which – in turn – could prevent the collapse of the European Union. Both know they only have months, which is why they are turning up the volume now.
Read more: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160122/1033556228/france-germany-europe-panic.html#ixzz3y9hbbRzf
6 opmerkingen:
Stan van Houcke, ik beschouw het als een zwaktebod mijn berichten hier op uw weblog te verwijderen. Dat recht heeft u natuurlijk, het is uw blog. Maar voor mij zakt u definitief door de mand. Uw blog is een kanaal voor Kremlin propaganda, en u plaatst kritiekloos Kremlinpropaganda zonder de feiten te checken. Voor feiten over MH17 kunt u zich wenden tot de site van Berlingcat. De mensen achter de site staan open voor kritiek en u kunt met gerust hart daar vragen stellen als u denkt dat hun onderzoek niet klopt, geen censuur geen plotseling verdwenen berichtjes. U begint al aardig op de poseur te lijken die u meent in anderen te zien. Haal dit bericht ook maar weer weg, ik post hier niet meer.
https://www.bellingcat.com/contributors/
Berlingcat met bijdragen van diverse mensen als Aaron Stein ,an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).
RUSI met hier een interessante lijst: supported/funded by dozens of (arms industry) multinationals ,ministeries of defence etc https://rusi.org/inside-rusi/rusi-funding .
Ron, waarom werp je nu weer een rookgordijn op. Even een minuutje googelen en huppa, weer een leuk linkje. Ga je eens verdiepen in het onderzoek van Berlingcat, probeer eventuele fouten die ze gemaakt hebben te achterhalen. Onderzoek het eens. Wat anders kan ik verwachten van onderzoeksjournalistiek.
Met bijdrage van diverse anderen werkzaam in de corporate intelligence consultancy e.d.
Terwijl nu de nabestaanden van de slachtoffers nog steeds alle optie open laten en de radarbeelden opeisen van de VS ,staat er al in september 2014 op bellingcat.com : Images Show the Buk that Downed Flight MH17, Inside Russia, Controlled by Russian Troops
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2014/09/08/images-show-the-buk-that-downed-flight-mh17-inside-russia-controlled-by-russian-troops/
......zomaar een willekeurig artikel aangevinkt......
Dat krijg je ervan als je achter moordenaarsregimes aan
de andere kant van twee zeeën aanloopt.
Guess Who, 1.
geef allereerst je naam, en probeer je niet anoniem te houden. wat is de reden daarvoor? heb je iets te verbergen?
2. ik blijf je reacties verwijderen zolang je niet serieus ingaat op de informatie, en niet onmiddellijk denigrerend begint te reageren op informatie die jou niet aanstaat. kom met feiten.
stan van houcke
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