Europe Comment
The Moscow News: Will EU grow via secession? ‘Five years ago, when Europe was debating whether to recognize Kosovo’s independence, Russia warned against opening a Pandora’s Box: revising one country’s borders would trigger the rise of more and more independent states. At the time, President Vladimir Putin reminded Europeans about their own restive regions, such as Flanders in Belgium and Catalonia and Basque Country in Spain. This raised a few eyebrows, because Flemish separatists – whatever their misgivings about sharing their wealth with Wallonia – still would never dream of comparing themselves to the militants in Kosovo.’
Finland
Deutsche Welle: Finnish PM in knife attack scare. ‘A man has confronted the Finnish prime minister with a knife at a rally, sending shockwaves through a country engaged in deep debate over austerity and about to take to the polls. The prime minister was not harmed. A man who pulled out a knife while talking to the Finnish Prime Minister, Jyrki Katainen, at a political event was detained on Monday, according to the prime minister’s office.’
France
Irish Times.com: Call for far-right group to be banned. ‘The French Muslim Council urged the government yesterday to ban a far-right group that occupied a mosque on Saturday and issued a “declaration of war” against what it called the Islamisation of France. Council president Mohammed Moussaoui said the organisation also wanted better protection for mosques and Muslim cemeteries against racist attacks, which he said jumped sharply in 2011 and continued to rise this year.’
Spain
Pravda: The Basques join the Catalans. ‘The Basque Country has an ancient tradition of separatism. This ancient isolated ethnic group has always paid special attention to its independence. The Basque Country will soon join Catalonia in the persistent quest for independence. The quest is based on both historical and economic reasons. The Basque Country -is one of the most developed regions of the country. Its GDP per capita makes up 31,288 euros per year, which is higher than the average in Spain and Europe, according to the National Statistics Institute (the research was conducted in 2011).’
