The escalating situation between Israel and Gaza has caused several European countries to reevaluate their migration policies. Recent attacks in France and Belgium by suspected Islamic radicals haven't helped.
Germany has seen a recent surge in activity of far-right political groups. These groups often claim to be religious organizations but espouse racist and antisemitic views reminiscent of the views of the Nazi party. Publicly promoting these ideologies is illegal in Germany. Authorities are weary of the traction these groups are gaining, as a plot was recently discovered involving plans to overthrow the government by another far-right group.
As of September 30th, an estimated 100,000 people have left Nagorno-Karabakh and entered into Armenia. This large exodus comes in the wake of Azerbaijan’s military offensive in the contested region. Local forces in Karabakh have since disarmed and disbanded. Ethnic Armenians in the region, fearing persecution from the Azeri government, fled almost immediately after violent conflict erupted on September 20th. The Armenian separatist government in the region will cease to exist after January 1st, 2024.
Pope Francis recently made an unofficial visit to France to meet with religious figures and activists from around the Mediterranean to discuss the flow of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea. He is working to fight against policies implemented by European countries meant to discourage migrants from making the dangerous crossing.
On September 14th, the European Central Bank (ECB) raised Eurozone interest rates to a record high of 4% from 3.75%. This is the tenth consecutive increase in interest rates that the ECB has implemented with the goal of lowering inflation rates. The hope is that higher interest rates will cause people to buy less, which in turn will drive down the prices for individual items.
While some European countries are uniting against Russia, placing bans to make Russian transportation more difficult, others such as Belarus remain a staunch Russian ally.
On September 6, NATO member Romania reported that parts of a Russian drone fell within its territory. While Romanian officials said a drone crash was not a serious threat, President Klaus Iohannis said if drone parts were found it would be a “serious violation of Romania’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Along with instances of sexual harassment, the women’s team has also consistently received less pay and worse working conditions than the men’s soccer players. Other goals focus on issues such as better standards for maternity leave and increased access to sports wellness resources that their male counterparts have. The season will not continue until the federation and the players union come to adequate agreements on these issues.
Finland, joined NATO on April 4, 2023, making it the 31st NATO member state. The country recently broke ground on a new Russian border fence to reduce illegal migration from Russia.
April 10, 2023 Written by Ash Breedlove Five weeks after a general election in Estonia, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas reports her party, the Reform Party, has secured a deal with two other parties to form a coalition. Estonia’s Reform Party won the parliamentary election in March with 31.2% of the vote. The coalition has been formed... Continue Reading →
The Patterson Journal of International Affairs 