The most important story of the week? No, not the extramural activities of Professor Lockdown. Rather, it was a verdict handed down on Tuesday by the German Constitutional Court.

I know, that sounds deathly dull and the actual verdict (110 pages of Deutsche-legalese) was even duller. Who’s going pay attention to any of that when there’s bonking boffins to read about?

Except that this really matters. Wolfgang Munchau calls it “the German version of Brexit.” A slight exaggeration, perhaps — Germany isn’t quitting the EU just yet. But the ruling does appear to rewrite the relationship between the EU’s member states and its federal institutions — in particular, the European Central Bank (ECB).

Authored by Soeren Kern via The Gatestone Institute

Australia and the United States are leading a campaign for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Senior officials in both countries are seeking to determine if the virus originated in nature or in a Chinese laboratory. They are also calling on the Chinese government to account for its handling of the initial outbreak in the city of Wuhan.

While Europeans cower in the face of Communist China, they have found time to issue threats against the only democracy in the Middle East. On April 30, eleven European ambassadors to Israel warned Jerusalem of "severe consequences" if it goes ahead with plans to annex parts of the West Bank.

In a lengthy essay published by Die Welt, Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer, Europe's largest publishing company, argued that the time has come for Europe to choose between the United States and China:

The European Union’s 27 leaders on Wednesday gave their “unequivocal support” for the six Balkan countries to eventually become members of the bloc and offered more financial support to help the region deal with the coronavirus crisis aftermath.

After a summit by video with the leaders of Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and North Macedonia, EU chiefs promised a “robust economic and investment plan for the region” in their final declaration.

While most of the world is engaged in the fight against the immediate fallout of the pandemic, analysts are trying to determine what the long-term consequences will look like and how to tackle them. The search for leaders of constructive reforms has been an important part of the conversation. At the same time, heads of government and leaders of international organizations have been undergoing intensive scrutiny.

The World Health Organization is generally considered to have failed the pandemic exam. The head of this UN agency is facing harsh accusations of tardiness, taking China’s side and spreading its narrative. The United States has already reacted and put on hold its financial support of WHO. Similar calls have started to emerge in Europe.

NATO’s self-described mission as an expression of the Transatlantic community’s “common democratic values” has always provoked eye-rolling in Moscow. Now a former US ambassador to the alliance has confirmed Russian assumptions.

While Russia has always contended that the most important quality for European members is that they are willing to subjugate themselves to Washington’s control, NATO styles itself as a protector and promoter of democracy and freedom. An alliance of like-minded nations dedicated to upholding ‘Western values’ on both sides of the Atlantic. Meanwhile, in Eastern Europe, membership has been seen as a prerequisite for inclusion in the ‘Western family’ itself.

Alas, for NATO to exist, it needs an enemy, whether real or imagined, and Russia is the chosen adversary. This has created a bizarre situation where – due to the desire to join ‘the West’ – a number of states have signed up for the club despite having no ax to grind with Moscow.

Authored by Patrick Henningson via 21stCenturyWire.com,

As Europe and North America continue suffering their steady economic and social decline as a direct result of imposing "lockdown" on their populations, other countries have taken a different approach to dealing with the coronavirus threat. You wouldn’t know it by listening to western politicians or mainstream media stenographers, there are also non-lockdown countries. They are led by Sweden, Iceland, Belarus, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Surprisingly to some, their results have been as good or better than the lockdown countries, but without having to endure the socio-economic chaos we are now witnessing across the world. For this reason alone, Sweden and others like them, have already won the policy debate, as well as the scientific one too.

As EU top dogs attempt to agree on a Covid-19 rescue package for the worst-affected member states, including Italy and Spain, Dutch PM Mark Rutte publicly reaffirmed his view on the matter to a concerned voter: “No, no, no.”
Rutte was approached on Wednesday by a worker at a waste collection plant, who implored: “Please! Do not give the Italians and Spanish the money!”

“Oh! No, no, no,” Rutte responded in a comment captured by news cameras, adding that he would “take note” of the request, all while offering a thumbs up to the worker.

As EU top dogs attempt to agree on a Covid-19 rescue package for the worst-affected member states, including Italy and Spain, Dutch PM Mark Rutte publicly reaffirmed his view on the matter to a concerned voter: “No, no, no.”
Rutte was approached on Wednesday by a worker at a waste collection plant, who implored: “Please! Do not give the Italians and Spanish the money!”

“Oh! No, no, no,” Rutte responded in a comment captured by news cameras, adding that he would “take note” of the request, all while offering a thumbs up to the worker.

Bromopropylate found in Israeli oranges is a pesticide used in repelling ticks and mites found in citrus fruit. It has been banned throughout the EU since 2011.

Following intensified control of oranges imported from Israel, Finland has discovered the presence of bromopropylate, a pesticide banned in the EU, and blocked a 100-tonne load, national broadcaster Yle reported.

In total, eight of the 16 examined consignments were rejected by the Finnish Customs Authorities. The rest were confirmed as safe for consumers and were green-lit for sale.

“We examine the first consignments that arrive in Finland always at the start of a new harvest season. As we discovered problems with the consignments, we decided to continue with controls until the end of the orange harvest season in Israel. Most likely we will also conduct intensified controls during the next harvest season as well”, Jonna Neffing, head of product safety for Finnish Customs stated in a release on Wednesday.

Authored by Tom Luongo via Gold, Goats, 'n Guns blog,

So, this happened...

EU lead negotiator for the free trade agreement with the United Kingdom is complaining in the press again.

“The United Kingdom cannot refuse to extend the transition and at the same time slow down progress in important areas,” Barnier said, expressing concern that Britain has not presented concrete proposals for certain contentious issues, but did not name the areas, according to DPA news agency.

H/T TO FORT RUSS
For once someone is treating the EU the way it treats everyone else and they don’t like it. I guess Michel should change his name to Karen.

Except the problem here is there’s no manager to talk to because Prime Minister Boris Johnson isn’t listening.

The typical EU negotiations looks like this, according to former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis.

Crunched negotiations were shelved once again after just four hours with EU Council President Charles Michel unable to corral the bloc’s 27 heads of governments. European sources have warned a deal is unlikely while leaders are forced to hold talks over the EU’s recovery strategy via video link. Despite warnings of impending financial chaos, officials believe it will take a face-to-face meeting before genuine progress can be made.

Could Italexit be in the European Union’s near future? A new poll suggests that it is a distinct possibility.

As heated negotiations over financial aid for countries affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have dragged on in Brussels, anti-EU sentiment is rising in many countries. This is particularly apparent in Italy, which has been the hardest-hit member of the bloc during the crisis.

Belgium, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain have been pushing for the issuing of so-called “corona bonds,” which would distribute the debt among all countries in the bloc. The “Frugal Four,” however — Austria, Finland, Germany, and the Netherlands — are rejecting the suggestion, and have called for the activation of the European Stability Mechanism, which would allow member states to take out loans in the form of bond purchases from the European Central Bank.

Producers of illegal drugs in the Czech Republic are suffering due to border closures enacted due to the coronavirus crisis, according to Jakub Frydrych, head of the National Anti-Drug Central.

Illicit drug manufacturers do not have access to ingredients for methamphetamine, and there is a lack of heroin in Prague. On the other hand, marijuana supplies could exceed demand, says Frydrych.

The European Union has apparently backed off its threat to impose consequences on Israel if it moves to annex more occupied West Bank land.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz reached an agreement to form a coalition after a year of political stalemate and three general elections.

The coalition agreement includes a commitment that the Israeli government and parliament will, from July, proceed with votes to annex large parts of the West Bank.

Switzerland will not impose an obligation on citizens to wear protective masks, as the country starts relaxing its coronavirus restrictions next week. Rules on keeping distance and washing hands remain the best protective measures, the government said on Wednesday.

However, some areas may need masks, with one million masks a day being supplied to retailers for two weeks, according to the government. It repeated its guidance for residents to stay home to prevent the spread of the disease, which has killed 1,217 people there so far, Reuters reported.

The country is due to start relaxing restrictions on April 27, with the reopening of hairdressers and beauty salons.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte from his Facebook page on Monday evening, April 20, informed citizens about his government’s plans to rebuild one of the largest European economies, which suffered from the global pandemic of the coronavirus Covid-19. The government is finalizing a plan to gradually unlock the country’s economy starting May 4, he stressed.

However, Conte warned compatriots of the need to remain vigilant. According to him, this should be a gradual process, because “the immediate discovery of everything will be irresponsible and will increase the risk of infection.”

SOURCE: DC WHISPERS
“My God, did we destroy our economy and millions of businesses for nothing?”

So goes a now-increasingly common refrain from people wondering if coronavirus fears were vastly overblown and that the so-called “cure” of authoritarian social-distancing is now proving much more harmful than the virus itself.

That is not to say the loss of life isn’t important, but in the case of the coronavirus it seems the actual mortality rate is far lower than initial projections, and Covid-19 continues to pose almost no risk to those in good health under the age of 60.

And now we learn that in Sweden, which didn’t institute any nation-wide lockdown orders and kept its economy open for business, their new case and death numbers appear to have already flattened and the country’s overall mortality rate is comparable to the United States which all but closed its economy entirely in response to the virus and now faces the very real threat of a Great Depression.

Italy has been affected by the coronavirus more than any other European country, with over 168,000 confirmed cases and 22,000 deaths. Europe is mobilizing to help Italy but this has not always been the case, and rather was a reaction to the Russian, Chinese and Turkish assistance given to the Mediterranean country. In the early days of the crisis, in the face of a need for a common European response as would be expected from the European Union, too many, especially Germany, thought only of their own problems, making a mockery of Western liberalism.

Authored by Tom Luongo via The Strategic Culture Foundation,

No matter how hard I try to dig German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s political grave she proves more adept at staying alive than a cockroach in a woodpile. And the recent fight amongst European Union members over “Coronabonds” has proven yet another escape path for her to avoid political termination.

Thanks to Merkel holding the line on debt mutualization and EU fiscal integration, which is very unpopular in Germany, her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is now polling at levels it hasn’t enjoyed since before the last general election in 2017.

The Italian government is allowing tens of thousands of Italian firms to resume their operations due to the state’s inability to process the avalanche of requests that has inundated it.

Last week the government extended the closure of “non-essential” businesses until May 3rd, but it has also allowed firms that believe they form part of vital supply chains to essential businesses to apply for permission to reopen.

A gay couple walking hand-in-hand in Amsterdam were harassed, attacked, and spit on by a group of foreigners on Monday. Photos and video footage of the incident have surfaced on social media.

Denmark became one the first countries to emerge from strong Covid-19 restrictions, with schools and some businesses reopening. Are we right to do so, or are our children just test subjects in a mass public health experiment?

As I look out of my apartment window, a bus goes past with children inside. Elsewhere, I can see a toddler on the back of his mother’s bike and an older child cycling next to them with a rucksack on his back. The street is by no means busy but there is a small difference. Today is the first day of Denmark’s reopening.

All primary schools (6-12 year olds), all nurseries (0-3 year, approx) and kindergartens (about 3- 5/6 years) have been given permission to reopen, in the first step of the government’s “gradual, quiet and controlled opening.”

Sweden's relatively relaxed approach to controlling the spread of the coronavirus has come under fire in international media and from many locals in the capital Stockholm, where more than half the country's deaths have been recorded. Now, 22 researchers have publicly criticized the strategy and called on politicians to make changes.

The six-day Canadian-led multinational NATO military exercise Steel Brawler is scheduled to begin in Latvia at the Mza Mackevici training ground in the southeastern municipality of Daugavpils on Monday.

Some 600 troops and 100 military vehicles are expected to be deployed in the area, which is close to Latvia's borders with Lithuania and Belarus. The exercise is aimed at improving cooperation within the multinational alliance in a scenario where they need to protect Europe's eastern border.

'Non-essential' workers in Spain will go back to work today as the country's coronavirus death toll hit 16,972, an increase of 619 on Saturday.

The latest figures, announced by the Ministry of Heath on Sunday, bucks the downward trend in daily death rates.

Saturday's total of 16,353 saw a further 510 deaths - marking the lowest daily rise since March 23.

Yet the country on Sunday reported its lowest daily growth in confirmed coronavirus infections in three weeks.

Italians were deeply offended by the European Union. They believe that Brussels betrayed them and left them to their fate in the fight against the epidemic of the coronavirus Covid-19.

“Staying in the European Union is pointless”

While NATO countries are mostly being devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, a statement by the Alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg about deepening partnerships with Ukraine and Georgia demonstrates that pressure on Russia will continue unabated and remains a priority. Despite the provocative attitude of the NATO head, many European states such as Italy, France, Serbia are still taking steps to become closer with Russia, ignoring the frustrations of the U.S.

Polish borders will be closed until May 3 and the government will extend a lockdown for schools and businesses, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday. The decision means restrictions will be in place near the time of the presidential election planned for May 10.

The move also coincides with criticism of the government’s plans to press ahead with the presidential election by a postal ballot, which critics say risks not being free or fair, Reuters said. The parliament has backed a plan to conduct the election by postal ballot because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Businesses will remain locked down until April 19 and limits for schools, as well as rail and air transport, will be extended for another two weeks.

The Italian government won a confidence vote in the Senate on Thursday over an emergency decree that lays out measures worth €25 billion ($28 billion) to support an economy battered by a severe Covid-19 outbreak.

The ‘Heal Italy’ package, presented by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on March 16, suspends loan and mortgage repayments for hard-hit companies and families via state guarantees for banks. It also increases funds to help firms pay workers temporarily laid off as a result of a lockdown imposed by the government to try to curb the spread the coronavirus.

Italy’s ruling coalition, dominated by the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the center-left Democratic Party, won the Senate motion by 142 votes to 99.

GEORGE GALLOWAY has exposed the stark infighting inside the European Union during the coronavirus pandemic, after accusing Brussels of "literally stealing masks and equipment from member-states" and leaving Spain and Italy "to rot".

A LEADING expert on the European Union has warned that the entire bloc could crack under the pressure of the coronavirus crisis, after a shocking claim that French President Emmanuel Macron could lead a break-away group if the pandemic takes its toll on Brussels.

As the EU bloc is readying measures to aid governments, companies and individuals survive the deep recession that the coronavirus pandemic is anticipated to trigger in Europe, talks between the 19 finance ministers of the eurozone on a coronavirus economic rescue plan failed Wednesday amid splits over conditions on financial aid.

European Union governments were turning up the heat on the Netherlands on Thursday ahead of a meeting of finance ministers of the bloc to discuss an economic support package worth some half-a-trillion euros to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, reported Reuters.

A 16-hour video conference between the 19 finance ministers of the eurozone on a coronavirus economic rescue plan worth around €540bn (£476bn) fell through last Wednesday and had to be suspended until this Thursday amid a tough stance adopted by the Netherlands and differences over conditions that should be attached to credit issued by the eurozone bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism.

By anyone’s measure, Brussels has had a catastrophic 24 hours. The curtain has fallen away giving us a rare glimpse of the toxic political blend of careerism and arrogance that attacks the very heart of the EU like, well, a virus.
The departure of Europe’s top scientist, Mauro Ferrari, from his post as president of the European Research Commission (ERC) yesterday afternoon is bad enough. But the 1,000-word statement to the Financial Times was not just a withering assessment of politics at the highest echelons of European power, its timing could not have been worse.

Mauro Ferrari, who had only held the post since the start of this year, is clearly not a chap to be trifled with and when confronted with careerists, both political and administrative, was not prepared to compromise over what he saw as the best way of dealing with the pandemic.

NATO, struggling to justify its existence, has found a new role for itself — as an indefatigable fighter against the Covid-19 pandemic. But so far, it has contributed significantly less to this fight than its supposed rivals.
During a NATO foreign ministers meeting, held earlier this month by secure video conference, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared, “NATO was created to deal with crises. So we can help and our Alliance is playing its part.” NATO was on the case. But what exactly was it doing? Here Stoltenberg became vague: NATO would apparently offer “logistical, transport and medical help” to member-states fighting the pandemic.

Russia and China have of course been providing “logistical, transport and medical help” all over the world for weeks, but NATO makes it sound as if it alone is doing anything, and rushes to take credit for aid that in reality has nothing to do with the alliance.

ass surveillance is only ever in the news for two reasons—either because a whistleblower has exposed structural government overreach (as happened with Edward Snowden) or because nations are readying to fight a common threat. Over the past two decades, those threats have usually come either from migration or terrorism.

On March 30, Finland said it would extend its countrywide shutdown until May 13 from April 13. It appears strict social distancing and quarantines are working, but it comes at a massive economic cost. Now we're beginning to learn that the country's welfare system is cracking and cannot handle the influx of unemployed.

Finland has recorded 1,615 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 19 deaths, by far, some of the lowest numbers when compared to the rest of Europe.

There are signs that restrictions on civilian movement are working, Mika Salminen, the director of health security at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), told reporters at a government press conference on April 1.

Dunja Mijatovic, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, is demanding that the national governments of the European Union release migrants from detention and back into the general population as a coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention measure.

Last week, Mijatovic said in a statement that EU member states should “release [migrants]to the maximum extent possible,” given that “immigration detention facilities generally provide poor opportunities for social distancing and other measures to protect against Covid-19 infection for migrants and staff.”

The Hungarian government says it will impose new taxes on multinational retail chains and banks to boost state budget revenues needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Feeling against the EU is rising in Italy, with Matteo Salvini ramping up his rhetoric against the organisation, blaming it for not helping – and even hindering – Italy’s Coronavirus response. Although no longer in Government, Salvini is riding ten points above his rival parties in the Italian opinion polls. When the next election comes, he’s more likely than not to become the next Prime Minister of Italy. That’s why this tweet really matters…

“Once the virus is defeated, the rediscussion of this Europe and of Italy’s role will be a must, at least in terms of public debate. Nothing came to the rescue of Italy from the EU and indeed blackmail, trade wars, blocking masks, agricultural products, truck drivers.”

THE CORONAVIRUS outbreak has exposed the EU's vulnerability to tackle unexpected crises as member states adopt their own agendas which go against the ‘European solidarity' framework it prides itself on.

There are now more than 500,000 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 virus across Europe, according to the latest tally by the AFP news agency.

The new count comes as the death toll from the virus has topped 10,000 in Spain, with confirmed cases there surging to over 110,000. French health officials confirmed 509 deaths from the virus yesterday, taking the country's death toll to more than 4,000.

AFP reported on Wednesday that 30,000 lives have been lost to the pandemic so far, with Italy accounting for more than a third of that number.

Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice has called for Hungary to be expelled from the European Union after the country passed emergency measures to combat the Wuhan coronavirus.

Ms Rice, who served as UN Ambassador and later National Security Advisor in the administration of former President Barack Obama, demanded that Hungary be removed from the European Union, stating: “Kick Hungary out of the EU.”

The comments were made in response to measures taken by the Hungarian government led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, labelled the “Coronavirus Protection Act”, which critics say allows the Hungarian government to rule by decree without the need for parliamentary consent.

The Hungarian government rebuffed claims about the new law stating that parliament is able to lift the state of emergency “at any time” and that the measures do not dissolve parliament either.