Tag: Diplomacy
What genocide? Volkswagen’s morally expensive bet on China – POLITICO
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BERLIN — The blowback came in the form of cake.
An annual meeting of Volkswagen shareholders in Berlin in May was disrupted by protesters, one of whom hurled the creamy confection at the assembled executives, forcing Chairman Hans Dieter Pötsch to flinch out of the way.
Among the subjects of their ire: A car plant some 3,500 miles away in the Chinese region of Xinjiang, where Beijing has carried
11 key Qatargate players — where are they now? – POLITICO
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BRUSSELS — On a Friday morning last December, Belgian police swooped in on top political figures in a cash-for-influence scandal that would quickly be dubbed Qatargate, unveiling a murky underworld of foreign interference operating at the European Union’s core.
The investigation, months in the making, represented the first strike in a high-stakes probe by Belgian prosecutors and carried all the hallmarks of a Hollywood crime caper.
There were spies,
King Charles’ missing diamond – POLITICO
LONDON — With its array of gleaming bracelets, crowns, orbs and scepters, King Charles III’s coronation was hardly short on bling.
But something was missing amid the procession of gilded artifacts and gemstones at Westminster Abbey. Perhaps the most historic jewel in the royal collection was nowhere to be seen.
The stunning Koh-i-Noor diamond — gifted to Charles’ great-great-great grandmother Queen Victoria in 1849, and one of the largest and oldest cut diamonds in the world — had once been
Why the king is still King – POLITICO
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LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II saw it all coming.
After seven decades as the United Kingdom’s head of state, her majesty knew better than perhaps anyone else the qualities that make for a good prime minister. Boris Johnson, she seemed to have decided, didn’t have them.
“It was such a remarkable event, to witness the eye roll of Queen Elizabeth II,” recalled Andrew Gwynne, a British member of parliament.
How Charles Michel lost the room – POLITICO
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BRUSSELS — Her patience finally exhausted, the Danish prime minister rounded on Charles Michel.
Mette Frederiksen had expected a certain amount of disorder. Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit that day to Brussels had upended the usual business of the European Council summit she was attending, along with the European Union’s 26 other national leaders.
But with evening falling, the Ukrainian president gone and the EU Quarter emptying out, the conversation in
AI Act delayed, digital diplomacy ambitions – EURACTIV.com
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Tech Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.
“‘Artificial Intelligence system’ (AI system) means an engineered or machine-based system that can, for a given set of objectives, generate output such as content, predictions, recommendations, or decisions influencing real or virtual environments. AI systems are designed to operate with varying levels of autonomy.”
-AI Shadow Meeting Agenda 10/02/2023
Story of the week: MEPs involved in the
Western powers pressure China’s UN food boss to grip global hunger crisis – POLITICO
ROME, Italy — The Chinese head of a crucial U.N. food agency has come under intense scrutiny by Western powers, who accuse him of failing to grip a global hunger crisis exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Qu Dongyu, director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization, has alienated the Western powers that are the agency’s main backers with his technocratic leadership style and connections to Beijing that, in their view, have damaged its credibility and capability to mitigate the
A Twitter-savvy US ambassador calling out conspiracies – POLITICO
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BUDAPEST — On an early morning drive from his residence to the U.S. Embassy, David Pressman kept a close eye on his surroundings.
Look, the new U.S. ambassador to Hungary said, pointing out the government-funded billboards dotting Budapest’s streets.
“The Brussels sanctions are ruining us!” they declared, the word “sanctions” emblazoned across a flying bomb.
One by one, the posters whizzed by, blaring the same ominous warning.
These types
The tripwires waiting for Liz Truss as Westminster returns – POLITICO
LONDON — Liz Truss’ inaugural conference as Conservative Party leader unfolded in shambolic fashion with a major policy U-turn and open dissent from senior ministers. But the hard work’s just getting started as restive MPs return to Westminster.
Fresh from reversing her plan to cut the top rate of tax, the U.K. prime minister is under pressure to guarantee that social security will keep pace with the cost of living — with major divisions in the party bursting into the
Ukrainian Independence Day — past, present and future – POLITICO
Every year, on August 24, Ukrainians celebrate breaking free of the Soviet Union in 1991. This year, the holiday falls on the six-month anniversary of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to roll back that freedom with tanks, soldiers and missiles.
In this installment of Refugee Diaries, POLITICO asked five Ukrainian refugees in Europe to reflect on past commemorations, share their hopes for the future, and write a letter to fellow refugees spending this year’s Independence Day away from home.