Monday, May 26, 2014
EUROPE – The European Parliament elections end with ambiguous results. In France and the UK, these elections declared the victory of the euro-skeptic parties: In fact, Marie Le Pen’s Front National gained 25% of suffrages while Farage’s UKIP 27%. Danish anti-European party also polled strongly meanwhile in Italy Grillo’s Movement got only 26%. In fact, Italy was the only country where the government party got the majority of suffrages, with the Democratic Party obtaining around 40%. In Germany, the CDU scored 35% .(European Parliament)
EGYPT – The polls are opened for the election of the new President of Egypt and 53 million people are expected to cast their ballot for the purpose. The race is between general Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who is widely considered to be the favorite, against the left-wing candidate Hamdeen Sabahi. While the oppositions supported the boycott-option, Sabahi’s office complained early on Monday that police and soldiers were refusing his representatives access to polling stations .(Al Jazeera)
ISRAEL – On the last day of his tour in the Middle East, Pope Francis visited all the most relevant sites in Jerusalem for Muslims and Jews like the Western Wall, the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City and the Dome of the Rock, from where Islamic tradition says the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. Furthermore, he invited both Presidents Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas at the Vatican for ‘praying together for peace’ in the Middle East. Both presidents accepted the invitation which is scheduled for June, 8th. (BBC and NY Daily News)
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
EUROPE – President Holland asks for reforms to reduce EU’s power as following the rise of euro-skeptic and far-right parties in last elections for the European Parliament. According to the French President, Europe is becoming too ‘remote and complex’ (BBC).
Today and tomorrow the European Council will meet in order to appoint the President of The European Commission. The elections of the European Parliament are meant to be a point of reference for defining the composition of the Commission. Therefore, It is likely to be a taught reunion if considering the rise of euro-skeptics and far-leftist parties in the elections of Sunday. Concerns have been expressed about the weak position of president Francois Holland in the reunion of the Heads of State due to the FN’s victory. (Il Sole 24 Ore)
EGYPT – During the second and last day of elections for Egypt’s next President , the affluence of people to the polling stations turned out to be lower than the day before, when the monitored percentage was 12%. Therefore, General Al-Sisi declared a national holiday on Tuesday in an effort to get more voters to the polling stations (Al Jazeera).
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
EUROPE – After the ‘strong message’ that European voters sent on last Sunday consultations, the European Council’s president, Herman Van Rompuy, launched consultations over who would run the European Commission. Moreover, he said that the result of the elections denounced the necessity for the defeated parties of reforming against the dangers of populism and far-right parties’ remount. (EU News)
LYBIA – US citizens are summoned by Libyan authorities to live the country immediately owing to the instability and unpredictability of the situation in the country. A US battleship with thousand marines was deployed along the Libyan coast in order to help the evacuation of American functionaries (BBC).
SPAIN – Around one thousand migrants tried to cross the frontier from Morocco to Sevilla, by managing to scale the fence in Spain’s North African coastal enclave of Melilla. The police managed to stop many while at around 500 people finally made it to pass the frontier. (Al Jazeera)
Thursday, May 29, 2014
ISRAEL – Two Israelian soldiers have been suspended after that CCTV footage demonstrated that the murder of two young Palestinians during past clashes in West Bank was not motivated. The accident happened on May, 15th , the day which Palestinians remember as “Nakba”, or catastrophe, of Israel’s establishment in 1948. (Al Jazeera)
EUROPE – After the elections on sudnay, Euro-skeptic parties meet in Brussels trying to attract new potential allies. In particular, the FN and the UKIP contend over possible allegiance with the Italian Movimento 5 Stelle (il Sole 24 Ore)
PALESTINE – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday asked Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah to head a new national unity government which will bring together the feuding Hamas and Fatah parties. The announcement satisfies a five-week deadline following the groups’ reconciliation pact on April 23, but the two sides have yet to publish a list of ministers drawn from independent technocrats. The main issue centers around who will become Foreign Minister. (Haaretz)
Friday, May 30, 2014
EGYPT – General Al- Sisi wins the elections with 95% of preferences. However, despite the additional day that was given to permit more people to vote, the percentage of voters decreased to 44% with respect to 2012, when President Morsi was elected.(The Post Internazionale)
LIBYA – It is the second week of rallies in support of General Khalifa Haftar’s military campaign against hardline and armed religious groups in the East of the country. The protesters convened in Tripoli where they shouted their motto “The army of dignity is coming” in front of the Parliament. (Al Jazeera)
EGYPT – Hundreds of protesters gathered in different cities of Egypt against the landslide and – mostly- expected victory of General Al-Sisi. Anyway, the election was defined by EU observers as “in line with the law”. (Al Jazeera)
