Austria’s new chancellor traveled to Brussels on Tuesday on his first foreign trip since being sworn in, aiming to dispel concerns that his coalition with the far right spells trouble for the European Union.

Responding to a letter on Monday from European Council President Donald Tusk that underlined EU worries, 31-year-old conservative leader Sebastian Kurz tweeted back that his new government would be “clear pro-European and committed to making a positive contribution to the future development of the EU.”

A day after he took office at the head of a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), Kurz delivered that message in person to Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, whose EU executive has responded to October’s election with little of the outrage that greeted the FPO’s first taste of government in Austria 17 years ago.

At a joint news conference in Brussels, Juncker said he would judge Kurz’s government by its deeds.

“This government has a clear pro-European stance. That is what is important for me,” Juncker said.

The FPO has distanced itself from its Nazi-apologist, anti-Semitic past, while surges in irregular immigration and militant attacks have pushed the European political mainstream rightward, leading to a much more muted reaction than in 2000.

But a French member of the Commission was wary: “Things are doubtless different from the previous time, in 2000,” tweeted Socialist former finance minister Pierre Moscovici. “But the presence of the far right in government is never without consequences.”

Confirmation of the FPO’s return to a share of power raises concern that small, wealthy Austria will be an intractable voice on EU asylum reform and efforts to increase the EU budget.

The bluntest criticism has been south of the Alps, where a plan to offer Austrian citizenship to people living in Italy’s German-speaking border region has rekindled worries over old territorial arguments.

“Iron Fist, Velvet Glove”

A junior foreign minister in Rome said the offer may be couched in a “velvet glove of Europeanism” but bore “a whiff of the ethno-nationalist iron fist.”

Kurz assured Italians on Tuesday that he would consult Rome on the plan, which is a long-standing FPO policy, adding he would speak to Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

For an EU battered by mounting nationalism that goes well beyond Brexit, there is concern too that criticism of Brussels in Vienna may help fuel the euroscepticism of former communist member states in Central Europe, including Poland, where the Commission is seriously considering imposing sanctions that were initially designed in response to the FPO’s rise early this century.

Speaking in Brussels, Kurz said he would make it Austria’s task to bridge the gap between EU member states in the east and the west, adding his country would fight to stop illegal immigration into the EU.

In a letter of congratulation to Kurz, Tusk made clear his concerns about the new coalition in Austria: “I trust that the Austrian government will continue to play a constructive and pro-European role in the European Union,” Tusk wrote, noting that Austria will from July enjoy six months of influence in Brussels as chair of EU ministerial councils.

Germany and France, the EU’s lead powers, also indicated a vigilance about Austria in their comments on Monday which highlighted Kurz’s pledges to foster European cooperation.

Kurz’s visit to Brussels comes on the eve of an important Commission meeting on Wednesday, where Juncker’s team will consider recommending sanctions on Poland for its continued defiance of warnings that its new laws on the judiciary are contrary to EU democratic standards.

“We are in a difficult process, which I hope will turn out to be a process of convergence. But not all bridges to Poland will be burnt tomorrow,” Juncker said.
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In the heart of Barcelona lies a foreboding reminder of Spain’s past. La Modelo prison is located just a few blocks from the Catalan capital’s main railway station and many of the city’s major tourist attractions. 

The jail housed political prisoners during the 40-year dictatorship under General Francisco Franco. More than 1,000 were executed.

Barcelona was the last bastion of republican resistance in the Spanish civil war, falling to Franco’s forces in 1939. In the four decades of dictatorship that followed, many continued the opposition fight underground. Among them was Felipe Moreno, who was eventually caught and jailed in 1975. He has watched the recent events with growing alarm.

The Spanish government arrested many leaders of the Catalan independence movement in October, following a disputed referendum on secession from Spain. Moreno says the government’s actions echo the repression of the Franco era.

“To think, in this day and age, that they can arrest you for political thoughts if you do not accept the state,” Moreno said. “The government says there are no political prisoners, but in the Franco era they said the same thing.  We were enemies of the regime and we were accused of terrorism.”

In the hills outside Barcelona lies the village of Vilarsar, yellow ribbons adorn almost every tree and lamppost — symbols of support for Catalonia’s jailed independence leaders.

History supports independence

The village is at the forefront of the independence campaign, led by Mayor Xavier Godàs, whose grandfathers fought for Catalan republicans against General Franco’s troops.  He said he feels the weight of history behind his independence campaign. 

“Keeping alive the flame of republican freedom.  By that I mean the fight against domination. That is something that goes beyond the 40 years of dictatorship.  It has been transmitted through generations, and is not only to do with national motives, but with principles of democracy,” said Godàs.

The Spanish government claims it is trying to uphold that democratic principle.  Catalonians will vote in regional elections Thursday, after Madrid dissolved the regional government following the October referendum.  Polls suggest the vote is evenly split between pro- and anti-independence parties.

Whatever the outcome, Vilasar Mayor Xavier Godas said he will continue the fight to break away from Spanish rule.
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The European Union’s executive may trigger a process on Wednesday to begin to strip Poland of its voting rights in the bloc, officials say, as months of tensions between Brussels and Warsaw come to a head.

In what would be an unprecedented move, the European Commission could invoke Article 7 of the European Union’s founding Lisbon Treaty to punish Warsaw for breaking its rules on human rights and democratic values.

“Unless the Polish government postpones these court reforms, we will have no choice but to trigger Article 7,” said a senior EU official before a Commission meeting on Wednesday, where Poland’s reforms are on the agenda.

Poland’s new prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in Brussels last week that “the decision has already been made.”

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The Commission’s deputy head Frans Timmermans warned in July that Poland was “perilously close” to facing sanctions.

Such a punishment could still be blocked. Hungary, Poland’s closest ally in the EU, is likely to argue strongly against it.

But the mere threat of it underlines the sharp deterioration in ties between Warsaw and Brussels since the socially conservative Law and Justice (PiS) won power in late 2015.

The Commission says Poland’s judicial reforms limit judges’ independence. Polish President Andrzej Duda has until Jan. 5 to sign them into law.

If all EU governments agree, Poland could have its voting rights in the EU suspended, and may also see cuts in billions of euros of EU aid.

The PiS government rejects accusations of undemocratic behaviour and says its reforms are needed because courts are slow, inefficient and steeped in a communist era-mentality.

Following a non-binding European Parliament vote last month calling for Article 7 to be invoked, the Commission appears to have little leeway to grant Warsaw more time to amend its legislation.

The reforms would give the PiS-controlled parliament de facto control over the selection of judges and end the terms of some Supreme Court judges early.

The Council of Europe, the continent’s human rights watchdog, has compared such measures to those of the Soviet system.

The Commission fears letting Poland off the hook could weaken its hand, especially in the ex-communist east, and risk damaging the EU’s single market and cross-border legal cooperation.
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Police say a British man who was arrested at an air base used by the U.S. Air Force in England has been detained for involuntary treatment under the Mental Health Act.

That means authorities believe he needs urgent treatment for a mental health problem and poses a risk to himself and others.

The 44-year-old man has not been charged in connection with an incident Monday that prompted a lockdown at the RAF Mildenhall base.

He was arrested on suspicion of criminal trespass after trying to enter the base. Police say the incident was not connected to terrorism.

Officials say American service personnel fired shots as it unfolded. The man suffered cuts and bruises, but no one else was hurt.

The military and police didn’t identify or provide further details on Tuesday.

 
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Turkey will take the resolution calling on the United States to withdraw its declaration of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital to the United Nations General Assembly, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

The resolution was introduced to the U.N. Security Council on Monday by Egypt, a non-permanent member, but was vetoed by the United States, despite the 14 other votes in favor.

“Now, God willing, we will carry the resolution to the U.N. General Assembly,” Erdogan a joint news conference with the Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh. “A two-thirds support in the General Assembly would actually mean the rejection of the decision made by the Security Council,” he added.

 
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Pope Francis and Jordan’s King Abdullah on Tuesday discussed U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a move that both say is dangerous to Middle East peace.

Abdullah and the pope spoke privately for about 20 minutes at the start of the king’s visit to the Vatican and France.

A Vatican statement said they discussed “the promotion of peace and stability in the Mideast, with particular reference to the question of Jerusalem and the role of the Hashemite Sovereign as Custodian of the Holy Places.”

King Abdullaha’s Hashemite dynasty is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, making Amman sensitive to any changes of status of the disputed city.

When Trump announced his decision on December 6, the pope responded by calling for the city’s “status quo” to be respected, saying new tension in the Middle East would further inflame world conflicts.

Among an outpouring of international criticism, Jordan also rejected the U.S. decision, calling it legally “null” because it consolidated Israel’s occupation of the eastern sector of the city.

The United States was further isolated over the issue on Monday when it blocked a U.N. Security Council call for the declaration to be withdrawn.

Both the Vatican and Jordan back a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with them agreeing on the status of Jerusalem as part of the peace process.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future independent state, whereas Israel has declared the whole city to be its “united and eternal” capital.

The statement said both sides wanted to encourage negotiations.

Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Alison Williams.
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Russia poses an increasing threat and is willing to use propaganda, subversion and cyberattacks to undermine Britain and the rest of Europe, Britain’s national security adviser said Monday.

Mark Sedwill, who is overseeing a review of Britain’s security services, told a parliamentary committee that Russia is attempting to “sow dissension” and undermine democracy in Britain and other western nations.

He said the threats from Russia included from unconventional warfare such as disinformation campaigns to the dangers posed from an increase in its military capability in the North Atlantic and in Eastern Europe.

“We know that the Russian threat is definitely intensifying and diversifying,” Sedwill said. “The Russian attitude has worsened more generally toward the West and that seems set to continue.”

Britain has been more vocal in recent weeks about the threat posed by Russia at a time when there is growing concern among some members of the ruling Conservative party about the impact of cuts to defense spending.

Prime Minister Theresa May last month in her most outspoken attack on Russia accused the country of meddling in elections and planting fake stories in the media.

The head of Britain’s armed forces said last week that trade and the internet are at risk of damage from any Russian attack on underwater communications cables that could disrupt trillions of dollars in financial transactions.

Sedwill accused Russia of planting fake stories in the media about the conduct of soldiers in Eastern Europe, where NATO troops are based, to undermine the legitimacy of them being there.

He also accused Russia of meddling in the recent French elections even though he said this had no chance of changing the outcome of the vote.

“It clearly was designed to undermine the citizen’s trust in their systems and we see quite a lot elsewhere,” he said.
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As the most serious challenger during Vladimir Putin’s 18 years in power, Alexei Navalny has endured arrests, show trials and facefuls of green antiseptic that damaged his vision.

But in an interview Monday with The Associated Press, he said the biggest thing keeping him from becoming Russia’s next president is a political system that punishes him for rallying support and conspires to keep his face off the airwaves.

Putin’s approval rating is astronomical and he is widely expected to win another term with ease, but the fact that he won’t even say Navalny’s name suggests the anti-corruption crusader has struck a nerve. Navalny’s criminal record will probably keep him off the ballot — a sign, he says, of how much he frightens the political class.

Navalny, in his first interview since the start of the presidential campaign, said he would win it “if I am allowed to run and if I’m allowed to use major media.” And he said the Kremlin knows it.

“It’s the main reason they don’t want me to run,” he said. “They understand perfectly how ephemeral the support for them is.”

Poll results

That support certainly looks strong: The latest independent poll, conducted this month by the Levada Center, suggests 75 percent of Russians would vote for Putin. People in much of Russia back Putin as a matter of course, and Navalny supporters are routinely heckled, arrested and fined when they try to spread their message.

But there are also signs that enthusiasm for Putin may be starting to wane. Another Levada poll, conducted in April, found that 51 percent of people are tired of waiting for Putin to bring “positive change” — 10 percentage points higher than a year ago. Both polls surveyed 1,600 people across Russia and had margins of error of 2.5 percentage points.

Navalny hopes to capitalize on that discontent.

“Putin has nothing to say,” Navalny said. “All he can promise is what he used to promise before, and you can check that these promises did not come true and cannot come true.”

Social media, not TV

Navalny gets out his message on social media, using Twitter and Telegram and broadcasting a weekly program on YouTube. But television — the main source of information for most Russians — remains off limits because it’s controlled by the government.

Other opposition candidates are expected to run, notably socialite Ksenia Sobchak, the daughter of Putin’s mentor — but there is wide speculation that her candidacy is a Kremlin plot to split Navalny’s support. The only other candidates who are critical of Putin have too little support for the Kremlin to view them as threats.

Putin himself has announced his re-election bid but so far refrained from any campaigning events. Even so, his face is everywhere — at his annual news conference last week, carried live for nearly four hours on Russian television, he touted his accomplishments and even taunted Navalny — but stuck to his practice of not saying his name.

Navalny was not a candidate during Russia’s last presidential election in 2012, but he spearheaded massive anti-government protests that rattled Putin. Amid dwindling popularity, Putin seized Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and threw support behind separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine, striking a chord with millions of Russians who felt like losers in the outcome of the Cold War. Now, people are tiring of the Ukrainian conflict and becoming more focused on their own economic woes, providing fertile ground for Navalny’s message.

Navalny published his full election platform last week, focusing on fighting corruption and funneling more money into education and health care. He calls for a windfall tax on oligarchs and huge cuts to Russia’s bloated bureaucracy. Unlike Putin’s focus on foreign policy, Navalny’s platform is almost entirely domestic, which he credits for growing support in places like Novosibirsk, Russia’s third-largest city, where he drew a large crowd in October.

“Our government is in the grip of illusions. They deal with Syria and they’re not interested in what’s happening in Novosibirsk, and people there feel it,” Navalny told the AP. “That translates into the fact that I’m receiving more support.”

Visibility, backlash

The blue-eyed Moscow lawyer first made his name in 2009 when he began publishing investigations into corruption at Russia’s biggest state-owned companies. When the AP first interviewed Navalny in 2010, he was a lone wolf, but he has since acquired allies and supporters who have made investigations into official corruption their full-time job.

With the visibility came the backlash: The 41-year-old Navalny has been convicted on two sets of unrelated charges, and his brother was sent to prison in what was largely viewed as political revenge. A conviction on one of the charges bars Navalny from running for public office without special dispensation — and the election official who will consider that request in the coming weeks has already said she sees no legal grounds for him to run.

In his only formal election campaign, Navalny ran for Moscow mayor in 2013 and got nearly 30 percent of the vote.

His presidential bid began a year ago, when he started to build a network of supporters across Russia. He currently counts over 190,000 volunteers, most of them young, from Russia’s western exclave of Kaliningrad to Vladivostok on the Pacific. His supporters have opened campaign offices in 83 cities and towns, including many where Putin is accustomed to winning by a landslide.

On his most recent visit to Putin’s heartland, 1,000 people braved temperatures of -15 Celsius (-5 Fahrenheit) to hear him speak in the industrial town of Novokuznetsk, where Putin got 77 percent of the vote in 2012.

Many of those in the crowd sounded weary of the president but said they saw no alternative. Asked about Navalny, many said they had heard very little about him.

While Navalny has captured the attention of a younger generation and the politically active via social media, he conceded he won’t be able to reach the broader population as long as he is barred from state television.

“We have won among the active political class despite the ban,” he said. “The politically active class will turn the politically dormant one in our favor. It’s going to happen in this election if I’m allowed to run.”
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European Union environment and energy ministers on Monday agreed on renewable energy targets for 2030 ahead of negotiations next year with the European Parliament, which has called for more ambitious green energy goals.

Ministers said they would aim to source at least 27 percent of the bloc’s energy from renewables by 2030 — up from a target of 20 percent by 2020.

In October, the European Parliament called for this target to be increased to 35 percent, a level also put forward by a group of big technology, industry and power companies last week.

As part of the package of measures, ministers also agreed on the share of renewable fuels to be used in transport, while setting a cap on first-generation biofuels, which critics say compete for agricultural land with food.

EU member states set a 14 percent renewables target for fuels used in road transport by 2030, with bonuses given for the use of renewable electricity in road and rail transport.

The inclusion of rail into the renewable transport targets was criticized by the European Commission, as large parts of the European rail network are already electrified.

“The level of ambition is clearly insufficient,” Europe’s climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete told ministers during negotiations.

The European Council and the European Parliament will need to find a compromise in talks over the final legal texts on these matters next year.

The EU’s renewables targets are part of a set of proposals to implement the bloc’s climate goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, in the wake of the Paris Agreement to limit further global warming to no more than 2 degrees.

Ministers also reached a common position on a set of rules for the internal electricity market, such as the roll out of more sophisticated electricity meters to consumers and allowing grid operators to run energy storage facilities.
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Hundreds of protesters clashed with police in Ukraine Sunday while trying to storm Kyiv’s October Palace following a rally against President Petro Poroshenko.

The crowd, which was dispersed with tear gas fired by police, is the latest in support of opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili, who was released from custody last week after having been detained and accused of trying to stage a Russia-sponsored coup.

No serious injuries were reported from the demonstration, and the situation was relatively calm after nightfall.

“You have to show them that you are brave, but very, very calm,” Saakashvili told the crowd Sunday. “I will stand by you to the very end.”

Clashes with police outside the cultural center known as the October Palace followed a more peaceful rally earlier in the day to call for the resignation of Poroshenko.

Ukrainian authorities decided last week to release Saakashvili from police custody for the duration of the probe into accusations of abetting an alleged “criminal group” led by former President Viktor Yanukovych — who was pushed from power in 2014 and fled to Russia — and staging protests as part of a Russian plot against Ukraine.

Saakashvili, 49, is also wanted in his native Georgia, where he served as president from 2004 until 2013, for alleged abuse of power.

Saakashvili became a regional governor in Ukraine in 2015 at the invitation of Poroshenko. However, the two men later had a falling out, with Saakashvili accusing the president of corruption and calling for his removal from office.

 
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An employee of Britain’s embassy in Lebanon was found murdered Sunday.

The body of Rebecca Dykes was reportedly found on the side of the road. Police sources told the British media that Dykes appeared to have been raped before she was killed but that the crime did not appear to be politically motivated.

A statement from Dykes’ family said they were “devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca.”

“We are doing all we can to understand what happened. We request that the media respect our privacy as we come together as a family at this very difficult time,” the family said.

Dykes had been working in Beirut for nearly a year as the program and policy manager for the Department for International Development, according to the BBC.

Local police say that an investigation, including a second post-mortem, is being carried out. British authorities said they were in contact with local police.

 
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