Europe News Digest (16-30 November, 2024)

Pro-Ukraine Protests Take Place in European Capitals as 1000th Day of War Approaches

Protesters have been out on the streets of cities such to denounce the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which the UN estimates has killed or wounded more than 35,000 civilians since February 2022. Many protesters in Rome wore Ukrainian flags and held banners and placards calling for a stop to the invasion. They also held a religious ceremony and observed a moment of silence for fallen Ukrainian soldiers. There were similar scenes in Portugal with dual pro-Ukraine rallies in the capital Lisbon and in the city of Porto. Demonstrators held Ukrainian and European Union flags and demanded an immediate ceasefire in the country. Meanwhile in the Finnish capital Helsinki, it was Russian nationals on the street protesting against the war in Ukraine. Around a hundred protesters urged the governments of Finland and other European countries to continue supporting Ukraine, regardless of any potential change to US policy under incoming US President Donald Trump. Click here to read... [2]

PM Modi at VfB Stuttgart Summit: India, Germany Up Their Game in Europe

Narendra Modi gave a virtual keynote address at a summit co-hosted by Germany’s Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart, India’s TV9 Network, and supported by the state of Baden-Württemberg. Held in Stuttgart at the iconic football stadium, MHP Arena, from November 21 to 23, the theme of the event was ‘India-Germany: A road map to sustainable growth’. Along with Modi, others who addressed the summit include sportspersons, investors, climate change activists, political leaders, and German business and industry. While PM Modi will address the participants via a live broadcast, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology, as well as Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister for Communications and Development, were present in Stuttgart on behalf of the Indian government, accompanied by a delegation of top decision-makers from major Indian companies. Click here to read... [3]

Russian Opposition Figures March Against Putin in Berlin

Prominent Russian opposition figures led a march of at least 1,000 people in central Berlin on Sunday, against President Putin and his war in Ukraine, and calling for democracy in Russia. Behind a banner that read “No Putin. No War,” the protesters were led by Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of top Putin critic Alexei Navalny, as well as Ilya Yashin and Vladimir Kara-Murza, who were freed from Russian detention in a high-profile prisoner exchange this summer. Shouting “Russia without Putin” and other chants in Russian, the demonstrators held up signs with a wide array of messages on a red background, including “Putin = War” and “Putin is a murderer” in German. The march demanded the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, the trial of Vladimir Putin as a war criminal, and the release of all political prisoners in Russia. Click here to read... [4]

UK Backs Global Pledge to Ramp Up Energy Storage to 1,500GW Worldwide by 2030 at COP29

The UK has become one of the first nations to officially back a new collective target launched at COP29 to deliver a six-fold increase in energy storage capacity to reach 1500 GW worldwide by the end of 2030. This target is among flurry of energy initiatives officially unveiled in Baku as crunch UN climate talks moved into second week. Keir Strarmer announced a stringent new climate goal for the UK where the UK will pledge to cut emissions by 81% compared with 1990 levels by 2035, a target in line with the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee. The goal would be achieved by decarbonising the power sector and through a massive expansion of offshore wind, as well as through investments in carbon capture and storage and nuclear energy. Click here to read... [5]

Business France Announces French Clean Energy Days 2024: Advancing Indo-French Partnerships in Nuclear and Clean Energy Innovation

Business France (public institution) announced the commencement of the French Clean Energy Days, taking place from November 18 to 22, 2024. This much anticipated delegation of French companies to India, focusing on nuclear power, and energy efficiency solutions. As official country partner at the Nuclear Business Platform (NBP) event in Mumbai, France will display its leadership in nuclear energy, offering a platform for French and Indian businesses to explore collaboration and growth opportunities in these sectors. The event will include networking sessions, B2B meetings, and site visits to key players in the nuclear sector, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and technical insights to foster strategic partnerships that accelerate energy transition goals for both nations. Click here to read... [6]

Georgia Election Chief Doused in Paint as Protests Continue after Divisive Parliamentary Vote

The head of Georgia's Central Electoral Commission was doused with black paint by a commission member of the opposition United National Movement Party on November 16, at a meeting to confirm the results of the country's divisive October 26 parliamentary elections. Protesters gathered outside the commission's building in Tbilisi, where officials announced that the ruling Georgian Dream party had won 53.93% of the vote. Opposition supporters have rejected the results amid allegations that the vote was rigged, an accusation that Georgian Dream denies. Many Georgians viewed the vote as a pivotal referendum on the country's effort to join the European Union as the bloc suspended Georgia's membership application process indefinitely in June after the country's parliament passed a “foreign influence law” that critics say mimics Moscow's crackdown on civil society. Critics have accused the ruling Georgian Dream, established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia, of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow. Click here to read... [7]

Poland Signs Agreement with Domestic Companies to Manufacture Explosives

Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland has taken significant steps to bolster its defensive capabilities in the event of future conflict. The Polish government has signed a letter of intent with domestic companies to make the nitrocellulose and multi-base powders necessary for producing ammunition. Poland currently imports explosives from Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Finland, Switzerland and Canada. The Polish government announced “No one who observes the war in Ukraine and other conflicts in the world today can have any doubts about how important it is to have access to a large amount of ammunition for modern weapons,” Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said in a statement. Click here to read... [8]

Five Largest EU Countries Back Joint Defence Bonds to Stop Russia's 'Imperial Ambitions'

Five EU countries - Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland - have given their backing to a proposal on joint European defence bonds, which aim to bolster the bloc's defence industry. The development followed Putin's signing of a revised nuclear doctrine that declared a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on the country. Speaking during a joint news conference with his German, Italian, and French counterparts, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski described the development as "a big deal”. Sikorski, who hosted the meeting in Warsaw, said on Tuesday that “we have agreed that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security, and that includes a more balanced sharing of the burden among NATO members." Click here to read... [9]

Operation Deutschland for Doomsday Preparation: Europe Readies for World War III in case Russia Invades NATO Countries

Germany is reportedly preparing for a potential World War III scenario, as revealed by secret documents that surfaced on Wednesday. The plan, dubbed “Operation Deutschland,” outlines how Berlin could assist in deploying up to 800,000 NATO troops, including American forces, into Ukraine amid escalating nuclear threats from Russia. A 1,000-page classified report details specific infrastructure to be protected for military use and provides guidance for businesses and civilians on how to prepare for heightened threats, according to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. It suggests logistical plans for moving 200,000 military vehicles across German territory if needed. In light of these developments, Germany has advised its citizens to enhance self-sufficiency by installing diesel generators and wind turbines. The alarm is not limited to Germany; both Sweden and Norway have issued literature advising their citizens on preparedness in case the conflict spills over into their nations. Click here to read... [10]

UK Hires a New EU Negotiator to ‘Reset’ Relations

The UK government is hiring a new negotiator to help deliver a “reset” of relations with Europe. The job posting says the role will lead the government's relationship with the European Union and negotiations with the EU "on key UK interests", with mentions of trade, security, and border policy. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has committed to a “reset” of relations between the UK and EU, and previously said he would seek a better deal on trade than the one negotiated by Boris Johnson in late 2020. However, the prime minister has said that resetting does not mean reversing Brexit. Click here to read... [11]

EU Chief Launches a ‘Personal’ Initiative to Help Europe’s Troubled Car Industry

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen announced on 27 November that she will personally lead a new initiative to help Europe’s troubled car industry steer through “a deep and disruptive transition” that already has thousands of jobs on the line. The Commission listed salvaging Europe’s automotive sector among the priorities of her second term, which will focus on relaunching the European Union’s economic competitiveness. This will bring key sector players around the table “to design solutions together as this industry goes through a deep and disruptive transition”, the President said. Europe’s car industry has been plunged into crisis by high manufacturing costs, a stuttering switch to electric vehicles (EV) and increased competition in key market China. EV sales have been slower than expected at a time when carmakers are contending with tougher EU rules on carbon emissions. In this context, last month EU countries have approved the imposition of hefty import tariffs on Chinese-made EVs alleging that Beijing’s state aid to auto manufacturers undercut European carmakers. Click here to read... [12]