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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 13-Sep-2018
13-Sep-18 World View -- EU Parliament censures Hungary for breaching 'core EU values'

Web Log - September, 2018

13-Sep-18 World View -- EU Parliament censures Hungary for breaching 'core EU values'

EU proposes a new free trade agreement with Africa

by John J. Xenakis

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

EU Parliament censures Hungary for breaching 'core EU values'
EU proposes a new free trade agreement with Africa

EU Parliament censures Hungary for breaching 'core EU values'

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán points to a document during Tuesday's speech to European Parliament (EPA)

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán points to a document during Tuesday's speech to European Parliament (EPA)

In what some analysts are considering a historic action in the development of the European Union, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to pursue disciplinary action against Hungary over alleged breaches of the EU's core values. The phrase "core values" refers to values on which the EU was founded.

More than two-thirds of MEPs voted for the censure motion, the first in EU's history. A similar motion to censure Poland has not yet reached the European Parliament.

There were numerous charges leveled against Hungary's president Viktor Orbán, including the following:

modifying the constitution multiple times to remove checks and balances
corruption in elections, including intimidating and xenophobic rhetoric, media bias and opaque campaign financing
presidential control of the courts
court procedures violated rights to a fair trial
firing of judges for political reasons
no prohibitions for conflicts of interest in Hungary's parliament
restrictions on international monitoring of elections
insufficient legal guarantees against unlawful secret surveillance for national security purpose
changes to the definition of "illegal media content" that restrict freedom of the press, as well as freedome of opinion and expression
restrictions on academic freedom
harsh restrictions on freedom of religion, reducing the number of legally recognised churches in Hungary to 14, requiring deregistration process of hundreds of previously lawfully recognized churched
questioning the legitimacy of NGO work related to the exercise of fundamental freedoms, such as the rights to freedoms of opinion and expression, and of peaceful assembly and of association
adoption of a legislative package consisting of three draft laws, also known as the "Stop-Soros Package" targeting NGOs that work with migrants, alluding to the "survival of the nation" and linking the work of NGOs to an alleged international conspiracy.
patriarchal stereotyped attitudes still prevail in Hungary with respect to the position of women in society

However, the most divisive charge was Orbán's extremely hardline attitude toward migrants. Germany MEP Manfred Weber, who has announced his bid to become the next president of the European Commission, accused Orbán of running a hate campaign against Muslim migrants:

"One thing must be clear - if we say generally that you have to be afraid about Muslims, and attack a religion, then we do the job of jihadis, who want to create a clash in our societies. We have invented human rights and not Christian rights on this continent."

On Tuesday, Orbán spoke to the Parliament, and condemned the expected vote:

"I know that you have already made up your minds. I know that a majority will approve the report and I know that my speech here today will not manage to change your opinion.
But still I have come here today because you are not going to condemn a government but a country as well as a nation. You are going to denounce Hungary that has been a member of the family of Christian nations for a thousand years."

After the vote, Hungary's foreign minister called the vote fraudulent and vowed to challenge it.

As I've been writing for over ten years, almost every nation in the world is becoming increasingly nationalistic and xenophobic as the world goes deeper into a generational Crisis era. This is happening because the survivors of the horrors of World War II vowed never to allow anything so horrible to happen again, and they've spent their lives doing everything they could to prevent it. But those survivors continue to disappear, and people in younger generations, with no personal knowledge of the horrors of World War II, adopt increasingly xenophobic and nationalistic behaviors that will lead to a new world war.

Orbán's remark saying that Hungary "has been a member of the family of Christian nations for a thousand years" is interesting. Xenophobia, which is derived from a Greek word meaning "fear of strangers," really has nothing to do with religion, although for Orbán the issue is Christians versus Muslims.

But a big part of Britain's campaign has been xenophobia directed at Christians from countries like Poland and Hungary in Eastern Europe, and xenophobia in America has been directed at Christians from Mexico. The xenophobic "fear of strangers" can apply anyone, such as the mutual xenophobia between China and each of Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam.

From the point of view of Generational Dynamics, the way the world works is that population grows exponentially, growing faster than the resources such as food and water, resulting in mass migrations. Today we're seeing huge human migrations around the world, in the Mideast, Africa, South America, and Asia. These huge human migrants cause problems that can be resolved in only one way -- a new world war. A new world war will reduce the population 30%, 40%, 50% -- through nuclear war, ground war, starvation and disease. That will reduce the need for mass migrations, will solve the problem of insufficient food for everyone, and will even reduce the amount of "human activity," making climate change activists happy. European Commission and EU Observer and BBC and EU Observer and Daily Mail (London)

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EU proposes a new free trade agreement with Africa

Jean-Claude Jüncker, the outgoing president of the European Commission, announced in his State of the Union speech on Wednesday a proposal for a new "Africa – Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs."

The intent is to create "a comprehensive continent-to-continent free trade agreement between the EU and Africa." During the period 2021-27, overall funding will increase by €123 billion, creating 10 million new jobs in Africa.

The major motivation for this proposal is to try to slow the flow of migrants from Africa to Europe, by providing jobs in Africa that will reduce the motivation to migrate. According to press release:

"The joint efforts on jobs and growth under the Alliance, by African and European partners, will also contribute to address challenges and opportunities linked to mobility and migration. The efforts will address the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement, building resilience, providing jobs and enabling the integration and reintegration of some of the most vulnerable parts of the population. The proposal therefore supports and contributes to the implementation of the EU Agenda for Migration."

This proposal appears to be highly delusional. EU member states would object to the proposal, particularly in the area of opening agricultural markets, where Africa would have a price advantage.

Furthermore, Africa does not appear ready to negotiate as a 54 member bloc. There are existing negotiations for an African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) where the countries are unable to agree on ending tariffs among African nations. Reuters and European Commission and RFI

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(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 13-Sep-18 World View -- EU Parliament censures Hungary for breaching 'core EU values' thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (13-Sep-2018) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 13-Sep-2018 13-Sep-18 World View -- EU Parliament censures Hungary for breaching 'core EU values'

EU Parliament censures Hungary for breaching 'core EU values'

EU proposes a new free trade agreement with Africa

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 13-Sep-2018
13-Sep-18 World View -- EU Parliament censures Hungary for breaching 'core EU values'