Sunday, 11 April 2021

POLITICO

POLITICO

Laschet urges quick decision on chancellor candidate as CDU/CSU leadership meets

Posted: 11 Apr 2021 04:14 AM PDT

The leadership of Germany’s governing CDU/CSU group gathered for talks Sunday, with new CDU head Armin Laschet urging it to decide “very quickly” on a chancellor candidate for September’s general election.

The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) “would do very well to make the decision together. And very promptly,” Laschet told the BILD am Sonntag weekly. He declined to give a precise date for the decision, but said: “If I take into account the mood across the CDU, the decision should come very quickly.”

The CDU/CSU alliance is facing internal pressure to decide swiftly on a lead candidate for the September 26 elections as its poll ratings plummet and the second-placed Green party is set to pick its lead candidate on April 19. Incumbent CDU Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she won’t run again in the elections.

Laschet’s comments come ahead of a closed-door meeting of the executive committee of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group on Sunday, in which Laschet, CSU leader Markus Söder and Merkel will participate to “discuss current and future issues,” according to an announcement. Laschet and Söder are the leading rivals for the candidate position.

Ralph Brinkhaus, the leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, said Sunday that there is “a great interest” in taking a decision on chancellor candidate “quickly.”

Yet Laschet denied speculation that a decision could come from Sunday’s meeting. “The meeting of the group’s closest leadership circle had been planned for months,” he said. “It’s about the corona crisis and the big tasks that we all have to deal with every day and that lie ahead of us.”

Söder told the German weekly Spiegel on Thursday that any decision on the candidate must take into account the contestants’ popularity — something that would benefit him as he enjoys much higher ratings than Laschet among German voters. Laschet downplayed his poor popularity ratings, telling Bild am Sonntag he had succeeded in bringing the party together since winning the party leadership in January and was “getting a lot of support.”

Poll support for the CDU/CSU has fallen from 36 percent in January to 27 percent, while the Greens improved their rating from 19 to 22 percent.

Laschet also said he stood for continuity with Merkel’s political objectives: “I have been in agreement with the chancellor for years on basic policy issues — from the euro rescue to refugee policy. Even when the conflict with the CSU escalated two years ago over a European refugee policy. Such a rift must never be repeated.”

Those comments were a broadside against Söder, who repeatedly rebelled against Merkel’s refugee policy and played a key role in an escalating political fight in June 2018 that threatened to bring the government down.

Speaking about the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, another divisive issue in German politics, Laschet advocated an early halt to age prioritization for vaccination, once the most elderly and vulnerable have been jabbed, to allow all interested adults to book an appointment for vaccination.

“When the big amounts of vaccines come in at the end of the spring, vaccination priorities should drop and vaccination should be opened to everyone,” he said. “That would be an important building block in building the bridge to a summer with a lot more freedom.”

England prepares to get drunk after nearly four months of lockdown

Posted: 10 Apr 2021 05:46 PM PDT

LONDON — People in England will flock to the pub this week after a dry spell of nearly four months — but many will discover that their hostelry of choice remains shut.

Pub-goers are allowed to drink outdoors in England from Monday, as long as they form groups of no more than six people from two different households. In Scotland and Wales, outdoor hospitality will resume from April 26.

Since Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his roadmap for lifting the lockdown restrictions, booking outdoor seating at English pubs and restaurants for the first few days after the reopening has become an impossible feat: hospitality businesses say bookings are at record levels.

But the British weather, cashflow problems and the lack of sufficient outdoor space to comply with the government requirements mean most pubs will not open until at least May 17, when indoor hospitality is expected to resume in England.

"We think roughly one third of pubs will open on Monday, and perhaps only a third of those will be profitable," said James Calder, chief executive of the Society of Independent Brewers, which represents 830 independent craft breweries across Britain. "The idea that 'the pubs are opening, therefore everything is now OK' couldn't be further from the truth."

JD Wetherspoon, which operates about 750 pubs in England, will reopen 396 of them on Monday. Another operator, Mitchells & Butlers, will reopen 270 of its 1,500 outlets in England, with a further 250 earmarked for later in the month. The group owns Browns, Nicholson's and Harvester pubs, restaurants and bars.

"These plans assume we will have normal April weather — needless to say we have all fingers crossed for a spell of fine weather, in which case we'd look to reopen even more of our businesses," a spokesperson for Mitchells & Butlers said.

About 2,000 pubs across the U.K. went bust in 2020 due to the coronavirus restrictions, according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) — about 5 percent of the total.

Al fresco only

Pubs that can convert pavement space into a drinking area are in a better position than others, but operators fear trade will be highly dependent on the capricious British weather. Businesses are investing tens of thousands of pounds in blankets, parasols, marquees, outdoor heating and furniture.

Pubs without beer gardens will be allowed to trade again from April 12 but will only be able to offer takeaway drinks — an option that has been off the menu from early January.

Calder said cashflow "remains incredibly difficult" and some pubs are still waiting to receive money from the government's £5 billion Restart Grant Scheme, launched to help them survive the lockdown restrictions.

According to Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA, pubs reopening this week won't operate at a profit until they can welcome customers indoors.

"It is a rather chilly spring that we seem to be having so it will be very difficult for our pubs. They won't be making profits at all … but they want to reconnect with their customers and hopefully be building up to a more successful reopening when they can reopen indoors on May 17," she said.

Pubs "don't want to be living off government handouts forever, they want to trade their way out, but the restrictions the government is putting in place hold them back from trading at viable levels, so nobody will be cash positive until June 21 when all the restrictions fade away," McClarkin added.

The Department for Health and Social Care said the government has supported the hospitality sector throughout the pandemic, through its Restart Grant Scheme, extending the furlough scheme and the VAT cut, and providing 750,000 businesses in hospitality and other sectors with business rates relief.

Lord vs. Hancock

Pub operators are pinning their hopes on a legal battle launched by Sacha Lord, nightclubs operator and night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, who is challenging the government's decision to open indoor hospitality weeks later than indoor retail.

Lord argues there is no scientific evidence for indoor hospitality businesses to remain shut for weeks longer than indoor shops. He said the industry has invested over half a billion pounds in measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus indoors, and pubs have become safer environments than many other places where people will gather as lockdown eases. On Tuesday, the High Court of England and Wales agreed to expedite his case.

"My argument is let's open these safe places, which are monitored and regulated, because if we don't, people are going to start mingling where there are no measures in place and that will be more dangerous than people being monitored," Lord said.

After winning previous judicial reviews against the government over the 10 p.m. curfew and the requirement to have a substantial meal alongside any alcohol drink, Lord feels optimistic he can win again. He's got the backing of Pizza Express founder Hugh Osmond and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who agrees it's harder to maintain distancing in shops than in pubs, and opening hospitality reduces gatherings in homes.

The Department of Health and Social Care declined to comment on legal proceedings, but stressed they have followed scientific advice throughout the pandemic. The department also declined to say whether it would have to postpone the lifting of other restrictions in order to compensate for the impact on the health indicators of bringing forward the reopening of indoor hospitality, in the event the judge upholds Lord's case.

"We have been clear that we want this lockdown to be the last and to achieve that our approach to cautiously easing restrictions is informed by the best available science and the latest clinical evidence," a spokesperson said.

Western countries ‘regret’ Russia’s rebuff of meeting on Ukraine

Posted: 10 Apr 2021 09:28 AM PDT

Western nations chided Russia for failing to turn up at talks in Vienna on Saturday aimed at defusing tension over Ukraine, where a Russian troop buildup close to the border between the two countries has sparked fears of renewed conflict.

“We regret that Russia did not avail itself of this opportunity to address concerns and reduce risks,” the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said in a tweet.

The talks at the OSCE were called by Ukraine after what France and Germany described as "unusual military activities" on the border causing "increasing concern." 

In a statement, France and Germany also expressed "regret" at the Russian rebuff. They urged Russia to "reconsider its approach and commit in good faith to live up to its political-military commitments towards the OSCE." 

French and German foreign ministers held talks Friday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the Ukraine situation. The three countries emphasised their support for Kyiv.

Several European nations added their disquiet over Russia’s refusal to attend the Vienna talks.

“This approach does not help in dispelling concerns about the massing of Russian troops along the Ukraine border and in occupied Crimea,” tweeted Poland’s delegation to the OSCE.

Austria said the meeting aimed to reduce risks and misperceptions between the countries involved.

The countries calling on Russia to explain itself, also expressed backing for Ukraine. Poland said that it would continue to "strongly support Ukraine in defending its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of its borders." 

Kurz: Austria concludes Sputnik V negotiations

Posted: 10 Apr 2021 07:01 AM PDT

Austria has wrapped up negotiations to acquire Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Saturday.

In a briefing to local media, Kurz said the talks had "de facto come to an end" making it possible for Austria to buy one million doses and provide an "additional turbo" to the country’s vaccination rollout. 

Kurz first revealed that he was in talks with Russia to purchase the vaccine in late March, following a February 26 phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

The European Medicines Agency is still carrying out a rolling review of the Sputnik V vaccine. Asked last week if Austria would wait for an EU license, Kurz's office said the licensing mechanism for Sputnik V is "still to be decided." 

Hungary and Slovakia are, so far, the only EU countries to order the Russian vaccine. Hungary said Friday it would help Slovakia assess the jab after a negative assessment by Slovakia's own drug regulator. 

France lifts caps on farm compensation after frost threatens harvest

Posted: 10 Apr 2021 06:14 AM PDT

France will immediately lift a cap on disaster compensation for farmers after several nights of exceptional frost, which has threatened crops around the country, Prime Minister Jean Castex said Saturday.

The government will use all the means at its disposal to provide "exceptional" funding, said Castex according to French news channel BFM Business. During a visit to a farm in southeast France, he said the government would also work with banks and insurers to help farmers. 

The unexpected frost has hit 80 percent of French vineyards, according to one estimate. Farmers growing fruit and field crops, such as rapeseed, are also facing bleak harvests, Minister of Agriculture Julien Denormandie told France Info. 

Denormandie described the situation as “completely exceptional,” explaining that earlier warm weather had brought crops into bud, but the overnight frosts led to a sudden freezing. “Once the bud freezes, the whole harvest is deeply damaged, sometimes even completely lost,” he said.

Sarajevo’s COVID nightmare

Posted: 10 Apr 2021 12:00 AM PDT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — COVID-19 is killing more civilians on a daily basis in Sarajevo than the Bosnian war in the 1990s, when the city experienced four years of shelling in the longest capital-city siege in modern warfare.

In March, the virus claimed over 18.5 lives per day, an average based on data from the Sarajevo public health agency. That compares to an average of 3.8 civilians slain every day during the 1,425 days of the siege.

On Tuesday, thousands of people braved the city's freezing springtime weather to protest what they see as a lackluster political response to the pandemic in front of government and parliament buildings.

"We joined the protests as a family," said Miranda Sidran, 51, who attended with her daughter, sister and brother. "We are here because we want our right to live to be respected."

Comparisons to the war are apt in a country whose current political problems have largely been carried over from 1992-1995 conflict.

When the war ended, a decentralized system was put in place to appease the three main belligerents, who each claimed to represent the interests of its Bosniak, Croat and Serb ethnic groups.

The system devolves power to 14 administrative units — largely divided along lines created by the armies and aggressors during the war — so they each have a sense of determining their own fate.

Yet in a crisis like this one, this creates a devastating deadlock.

"A month ago, perhaps a thousand more people would have attended this protest. But now these people are dead because of COVID," declared Sidran.

"When you see someone dying in front of you, you can't stop and think about whose mandate it is to provide vaccines."

Long lines form daily in front of funeral homes pushed to maximum capacity. Death notices for citizens of various ages, posted on walls and signposts all over the capital, are multiplying fast.

The explosion of cases is coupled with dismay over the government’s inability to secure enough vaccines.

“I have never been more ashamed of living in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Irma Plavčić, 38, a blogger and German language teacher. “Social networks are full of outbursts of anger at those who shape our destinies.”

Bosnian authorities decided to enter into direct negotiations with manufacturers once it became clear that deliveries from the global COVAX scheme would be significantly delayed.

However, in Bosnia, establishing precisely who is in power — and whose responsibility it is to lead negotiations — can be tough.

“Vaccine providers want to talk to governments,” said Damir Marjanović, professor of genetics and bioengineering at Sarajevo's International Burch University. “But according to the Bosnian system, if the government fails to do something, then the canton can step in. This has been a cause for massive confusion among suppliers.”

Bosnia does not have a state-level health ministry.

Instead, responsibility for health matters is divided between its two subnational entities, the Serb-majority Republika Srpska in the north and east, and the Bosniak and Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There's also an autonomous district in the north overseen by an internationally selected supervisor.

Adding to the complicated mix, the 10 cantons making up the Bosniak-Croat federation also have special powers on healthcare.

The convoluted system, based on the peace deal that ended the war, has long been blamed for holding back the country's economic and social progress. Now COVID-19 has laid bare the rigidities of the ethnically-based bureaucratic tangle.

“The crisis just became another source of daily political bickering between political leaders,” said Marjanović.

‘A farce’

At the Sarajevo General Hospital, one of two facilities bearing the brunt of the crisis in the capital, COVID patients are furious.

“This catastrophe revealed that our system of government is a farce and that people are left to their own devices,” said Vedad Zulić, 41, an electrical engineer who was bedridden in a medium-risk ward. “Medical workers are forced to compensate for all their mistakes.”

Health professionals have been pulled out of retirement or reassigned to COVID wards from other departments. Vacations for medical staff have long been suspended.

As of last Sunday, 656 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus in the Sarajevo canton of 400,000 people, including 79 receiving oxygen support.

“None of us complain about working hours, conditions or overtime," said Nihad Izmirlić, 36, a medical technician looking after COVID patients. "We are angry at the system for not securing vaccines. I put my health and the health of my family at risk to save the lives of as many citizens as possible, and we won’t give up even though we’re tired."

Since speaking to POLITICO, Izmirlić and his wife became infected with the virus for a second time. They are being treated at home.

Wartime echo

Meanwhile Serbia, Bosnia’s eastern neighbor, is leading one of Europe's fastest vaccination campaigns. It offers the BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines, plus China's Sinopharm and Russia's Sputnik V.

Its procurement has been so successful that President Aleksandar Vučić has been donating vaccines to North Macedonia, Montenegro, and even Bosnia, as a tool to strengthen his influence in the region.

Reports that raised concern of a link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and cases of fatal thrombosis led to Serbians eschewing those jabs for other options. With 25,000 AstraZeneca doses due to expire at the end of March, Vučić opened Serbia’s doors to anyone from the region who wanted a jab.

Bosnian citizens, including celebrities and politicians, drove en masse over the border to Belgrade and the northern city of Novi Sad. They are believed to make up most of the 22,000 foreigners who crossed into Serbia for jabs.

For many Bosnians, however, dependence on Vučić's goodwill is a source of anger and humiliation.

As a young journalist and a member of the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party, Vučić supported the Bosnian Serb Army, whose senior commanders have since been convicted for widespread atrocities during the war. Vučić visited their positions during the shelling of Sarajevo.

Vučić has since recast himself as a mainstream conservative and pro-EU reformer.

Plavčić, the German teacher, was one of the many Bosnians who drove to Serbia to get vaccinated.

“I spent my whole life in Bosnia and Herzegovina and clearly remember the atrocities of the war,” she said. “Yet I am sincerely happy and grateful to Serbia for giving me and many of my fellow citizens the opportunity to protect ourselves with vaccines and, at least to a small extent, get closer to going back to a normal life.”

Failed country?

Despite the inefficiencies of the country’s post-war system, Srđan Blagovčanin, chairman of Transparency International in Bosnia, says politicians always seem to make things work when it benefits them directly.

“When you observe the behavior of the leaders of the country, you see that they have been on a mind-numbing spending spree lately,” said Blagovčanin. “In a situation where they failed to secure vaccines and basic medical supplies, they have purchased luxury vehicles for themselves.”

Even the few COVID-related purchases that have gone through were “grossly mismanaged, to the level of caricature," he said. "Last year, they acquired face masks and respirators through a company that cultivates raspberries.”

The respirators in question are not even meant for COVID patients — they can only support patients in emergency cases for one hour, instead of providing the steady stream of oxygen critical patients need for hours. Local outlets report that many are faulty and do not work at all.

“All of this leads to the question – does Bosnia even have a government and institutions in the organizational or functional sense?" Blagovčanin asks. "Or is Bosnia a failed country that cannot provide elementary services for its citizens? Has it become lethal for its citizens?”

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