Coalition 'gambles' on making Austria carbon neutral by 2040

Yahoo – AFP, Julia ZAPPEI, January 2, 2020

People's Party (OeVP) leader Sebastian Kurz says his two-party coalition will
'protect the climate and borders' (AFP Photo/ALEX HALADA)

Vienna (AFP) - Austria's first coalition between conservatives and Greens announced Thursday that it would aim for carbon neutrality by 2040 to make the country a European "forerunner" in climate protection.

The two disparate parties have agreed to govern in what Greens leader Werner Kohler called a "gamble" after key election gains in September.

Their alliance means People's Party (Oe Vp) leader Sebastian Kur, 33, returns as chancellor after his previous coalition with the far-right broke apart earlier this year owing to a corruption scandal.

It marks the first time the Greens enter government on a national level though the Oe Vp holds on to controversial anti-immigration measures that have deeply divided Austrians.

"It's worth the gamble" to work with the conservatives, Kohler told reporters when presenting the government programme.

The carbon neutrality goal -- meaning greenhouse gas emissions are balanced with measures that absorb or eliminate carbon -- is ahead of Europe's 2050 ambition.

But the 300-page government programme also highlights security needs, the conservatives' main campaign platform.

"Migration will stay at the heart of my politics," said Kur, who has styled himself as a tough anti-immigration fighter, reiterating his view that the coalition's parties had "succeeded in uniting the best of both worlds".

'Daring experiment'

European Council President Charles Michel said 2020 began with "great news from Austria."

He tweeted: "25 years after its accession, Austria renews its commitment to the European project and is set to become a leader in the fight against climate change."

Observers say Germany and other nations could follow suit for the unlikely marriage of conservatives and ecologists as politicians seek to cater to voters' increasingly populist sentiments as well as worries about climate change.

But many have also warned that the alliance stands on thin ice as particularly the Greens have made key compromises.

A column in the left-leaning Standard on Thursday described the coalition as a "daring experiment" and a "political adventure". Tabloid Oesterreich billed the Oe Vp as "powerful as never before".

Kur announced his party would head 10 ministries, including the interior, foreign, defence and finance.

The Greens will have charge of an enlarged environment ministry, as well as hold the justice, social affairs and sports and culture portfolios with Kohler, 58, nominated as Kur’s vice-chancellor.

In September polls, the Greens gained 13.9 percent of the vote in their best-ever result as the environment replaced immigration as top concern.

The Oe Vp got 37.5 percent as disappointed voters of the scandal-tainted far-right Freedom Party (F Poe) flocked to Kur’s party.

It will now be up to the Greens' almost 280 delegates to give the final go-ahead to the agreement at a party congress on Saturday. The new government is then expected to be sworn in next week.

'50-50 survival chance'

Among a raft of proposals, the programme spells out that all energy should come from renewable resources by 2030 and for more to be invested in public transport.

Though renewable energies already account for about a third of Austria's consumption -- almost double the EU average -- the nation of 8.8 million people has been among few EU members that have seen their greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase between 1990 and 2017.

Regarding immigration and security, the coalition wants to introduce preventive detention and extend the headscarf ban for school girls -- clauses which will be hard to swallow for some Greens.

Political analyst Johannes Huber told AFP that the alliance had a "50-50 chance" of survival, depending on which topics came up in the next few years.

Standard daily columnist Eric Frey also wrote that Kur and Kohler would need a "skillfulness as few politicians before them" should tricky issues arise, such as a surge in the number of asylum seekers, worsening climate change or an economic downturn.

Opposition leaders have already criticised the new coalition, with the Social Democrats (Sope) saying the Greens have failed to make a mark, while F Poe leader Norbert Hofer said the programme contained "mainly hot air".

But both the Sope and the F Poe are weakened, with the Social Democrats suffering their worst-ever results in the September polls and the far-right tumbling after the "Ibiza-gate" graft scandal brought down their then-leader and vice-chancellor in May, causing the government to collapse.

EU changes title for migration commissioner after outcry

Yahoo – AFP, Marc BURLEIGH, November 13, 2019

EU Commission president-elect Ursula von der Leyen had dug in over the original title
'Protecting our European Way of Life' before finally ceding (AFP Photo/Tobias SCHWARZ)

Brussels (AFP) - The incoming European Commission chief has changed the title of her migration commissioner from "Protecting our European Way of Life" following criticism it had far-right connotations, an EU official said Wednesday.

Ursula von der Leyen agreed to modify the title to "Promoting the European Way of Life" for the commissioner, her spokesman told AFP. Her commission plans to take charge from next month.

The original name given to the portfolio had brewed up a storm, especially among left-wing MEPs who noted a similarity to rhetoric employed by anti-immigration politicians.

Outgoing Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said in September he believed the title would end up being changed, adding: "I don't like the idea that the European way of life is opposed to migration."

But his successor von der Leyen dug in for a long time, arguing that the title was grounded in the language of tolerance enshrined in the EU treaty.

Greece's Margaritis Schinas, who is set to take on the role, has avoided using the title though he has defended von der Leyen's position.

Delayed changeover

Von der Leyen's hopes of a smooth transition have taken a blow after MEPs blocked three picks for her team, deeming them unsuitable to become commissioners.

That has pushed back the date she hoped her Commission would take over, from November 1 to December 1 at the earliest.

Brexit turmoil and elections in Britain, still an EU member until at least the end of January, have compounded the commission conundrum, with London dodging her demands for the UK to also nominate a commissioner.

Von der Leyen still needs MEPs to confirm her replacement picks for commissioners, especially France's Thierry Breton, a multi-millionaire former minister who barely scraped through the parliament's legal affairs grilling.

The leftist Socialists and Democrats grouping in the European Parliament, which was among the most vocal against the "Protecting our European Way of Life" title, hailed the belated change.

Its leader, Iratxe Garcia, portrayed the modification as von der Leyen bending to pressure from her group.

"We all agree that the European way of life is an achievement we must preserve, but it doesn't have to be defended, rather promoted," Garcia said in a statement.

She added that von der Leyen had also agreed to change other job titles, with the jobs portfolio becoming "jobs and social rights" and the word fisheries being added to the title carried by the commissioner for environment and oceans.

A source in the left-wing bloc of MEPs told AFP the changes "take a bit of pressure off" the hearings for the commissioner candidates.

A spokesman for von der Leyen's commission, Eric Mamer, told reporters at a briefing that he was not yet fully informed on the change of titles for the migration portfolio, but he said it "puts a nuance that is probably a little more positive" than the original one.

Regretful Brexit backers lobby for another vote

Yahoo – AFP, Edouard GUIHAIRE, January 18, 2019

Supporters of a second EU referendum in Parliament Square (AFP Photo/
Oli SCARFF)

London (AFP) - Britons who have changed their minds since voting to leave the European Union in 2016 are among those uniting to call for another chance to reverse the decision.

These "Remainer now" voters, former Brexit supporters, are adding their voices to the chorus of calls for a second referendum amid political paralysis in Britain over the issue.

Gary Maylin, 38, from Norwich in eastern England, said he originally backed leaving the bloc after more than four decades of membership because he "wanted sovereignty for the UK".

He recalled facing a barrage of pro-Brexit sentiment at the time which influenced his choice.

"My MP was (pro-)Leave, all the arguments I heard were for Leave," he told AFP.

"So I decided the EU was to blame for a lot of the things that were going wrong -- the inability of our government to control our destiny."

British PM Theresa May said Thursday that could not rule out a potentially 

damaging "no-deal" split with the EU (AFP Photo/HO)

Political turmoil

The world's fifth-largest economy is in political turmoil and grasping for solutions that could smooth its planned departure from the bloc just 10 weeks from now.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is scrambling to put together a new Brexit strategy after MPs rejected her EU divorce deal, but admitted Thursday that she can not rule out a potentially damaging "no-deal" split.

Maylin was among 51.9 percent of voters to support leaving the bloc in the nationwide referendum two and-a-half years ago, trumping the 48.1 percent who went for Remain.

But he says he would now "absolutely" vote the other way.

"I've come to appreciate that we are not going to... succeed as a nation on our own," Maylin explained, adding "walking away isn't working for us".

"We really benefit from being strong as a united Europe rather than independent as a country," he said, pointing to everything from US President Donald Trump to the continued rise of China.

Calls for a second referendum

Earlier this week, Maylin joined a dozen or so other Brexit converts who headed to Westminster, the epicentre of political power, to tell British MPs why they now want another referendum.

The meeting was organised by "RemainerNow", an initiative launched by a Europhile, Andrew Davidson, in his spare time with a presence online.

The cry for a 'People's Vote' - a second Brexit referendum - is increasing (AFP 

Photo/Ben STANSALL)

Davidson was left "disturbed" by the 2016 result and spurred into action by meeting regretful Brexit voters.

"There was so many people both in my personal life but also I've seen on social media or TV that had regrets over their Leave vote," he said.

His movement is hopeful of seeing a second vote -- repeatedly rejected by the government -- as opinion polls show a majority would now support Remain.

A recent compilation of surveys by the non-partisan organisation "What UK Thinks: EU" found 54 percent now favour staying in.

Brexiteers have argued that such polls -- which showed Leave would narrowly lose in 2016 -- consistently ignores harder-to-reach Brexit supporters and are inaccurate.

But people's fears over the economic impact of leaving the bloc are real, according to pollsters.

"If you voted Leave but you now think that the economy will suffer as a result, your chances of voting leaving again come down to about 50 percent or so," John Curtice, one of Britain's leading survey experts, told AFP.

'Promises were broken'

Christopher Oram, from the southwestern English county of Dorset, is another former Brexit supporter who believes he was lulled into the wrong decision.

Many of those who voted in 2016 to leave the EU have not changed their 

minds (AFP Photo/Tolga AKMEN)

"We had the MPs who were saying that we could have our cake and eat it," Oram said, noting campaign promises of money saved, easy trade deals and a prosperous future.

"Then I heard that we were going to leave the single market and custom unions so, again, I'm in shock," added the 28-year-old.

"All the promises were broken."

Those who have lost faith in Brexit revealed it had not been easy sharing news of their switch with friends and family who have stayed loyal to the cause.

Maylin said he has been harassed on social media, while Oram quarrelled with his best friend over the issue.

"He still thinks that we should be leaving, so that causes a lot of tensions between myself and him," he said.

"Our partners have now said that we're not allowed to talk about Brexit over the dinner table any more."

Other friends have shunned Oram in response.

"I find upsetting that people don't accept... I have the right to change my mind," he added.

'Nothing to fear' as Austrian far-right enters government

Yahoo – AFP, Simon STURDEE, December 16, 2017

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen (left) receives Sebastian Kurz a
day after his People's Party reached a coalition deal with the far-right Freedom
Party, headed by headed by Heinz-Christian Strache (right) (AFP Photo/HANS PUNZ)

Vienna (AFP) - Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) secured Saturday its return to power in a coalition with the conservatives, capping a year of successes for Europe's nationalist movements.

The anti-immigration party obtained the interior, defence and foreign ministries, but the incoming interior minister Herbert Kickl insisted that "nobody has anything to fear".

The chancellor-elect, Sebastian Kurz of the conservative People's Party (OeVP), stressed also that the new government, to be sworn in next week, was pro-EU, although it would press for Brussels to have less say in national affairs.

"We have agreed a clear pro-EU stance with the aim of boosting subsidiarity in the EU," Kurz told a news conference, favouring an EU that is "stronger in big questions and which should step back on smaller issues".

In addition, while the new government favours more Swiss-style "direct democracy", there will be no British-style referendum on Austria's EU membership, FPOe chief and future vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache said.

"We stand by the European Union, we stand by the peace project of Europe. But we see various developments critically, and we will of course articulate this and seek partners," Strache told reporters.

Strache, 48, has in the past been ambivalent about EU membership, calling Brussels a "bureaucratic monster" and saying that Britain will "probably be better off" after it leaves the bloc.

'Whizz-kid'

Kurz, 31, who will become the world's youngest leader, took over the reins of the OeVP in May, and swiftly pulled the plug on its unhappy "grand coalition" with the Social Democrats.

Kurz -- dubbed "wunderwuzzi" or "whizz-kid" -- rebranded the party in turquoise as his own personal "movement" and secured first place in snap elections in October after yanking the party to the right.

The FPOe came third with 26 percent of the vote, which was double the stunning 13 percent notched up by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in elections the month before.

Both Kurz and Strache won over voters by stoking concerns about immigration following a record influx in 2015, mirroring elections elsewhere in Europe this year.

Geert Wilders' Freedom Party became the second-largest in the Netherlands, Marine Le Pen of France's National Front was in a runoff for the presidency in May and the AfD entered the Bundestag.

But the FPOe, which was last in government in the early 2000s, is rare in western Europe in having translated its ballot box success into real power. Last year it also came close to winning the largely ceremonial presidency.

Speaking at a far-right congress in Prague on Saturday, Wilders said the FPOe's entry into government was "an excellent result". Le Pen called it "very good news for Europe".

Strache's "electoral success shows that the future is of a Europe of peoples," Le Pen said. "Every election shows a form of rejection of the EU."

Tax cuts

The joint programme says that Austria will seek to stop illegal immigration and ensure that people whose asylum claims are rejected are quickly deported. Asylum is "temporary protection" only.

Those "refusing to integrate must expect sanctions" and "parallel societies" must be prevented, it says. Citizenship for people not born Austrian will only come "after a successful integration process".

There will also be a halt to people coming to Austria to claim benefits, the programme says. Monthly payments to those with asylum and subsidiary protection will be cut to 365 euros plus an "integration bonus" of 155 euros.

In addition, labour laws are to be loosened, taxes will be cut and bureaucracy slashed. Austria, the programme says, is "world champion when it comes to regulation and limiting freedom and personal responsibility".

"In my talks with Heinz-Christian Strache and the FPOe I experienced a willingness not just to work together but also to bring about real change in Austria," Kurz said, promising a "new style" of government.

Pope says some refugee centres 'concentration camps'

Yahoo – AFP, Angus MACKINNON, April 22, 2017

Pope Francis blesses the crowd as he leaves the Basilica of St. Bartholomew
 on Tiber Island after the Liturgy of the Word with the Community of Sant’Egidio
 in memory of the "New Martyrs" of the 20th and 21th century, on April 22,
 2017 in Rome (AFP Photo/Alberto PIZZOLI)

Rome (AFP) - Pope Francis on Saturday described some of Europe's refugee centres as "concentration camps" as he paid tribute to an unknown Christian woman slain for her faith in front of her Muslim husband.

"These refugee camps -- so many are concentration camps, crowded with people... because international accords seem more important than human rights," Francis said in impromptu remarks at a ceremony in memory of modern day Christian martyrs.

Departing from his prepared script and appearing unusually emotional as he spoke, the 80-year-old pontiff said he wanted the woman to be remembered along with all the other martyrs commemorated in Rome's Basilica of St Bartholomew.

He revealed that he had met the woman's husband during his visit to a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos last year.

"I do not know what happened to him, if he managed to get out of his concentration camp, and get to somewhere else" Francis said, describing the man as a father-of-three but not revealing his nationality.

"He looked at me and said 'Father, I am a Muslim and my wife was a Christian. In our country we were terrorised ... they saw her crucifix and they asked her to throw it away.

"When she refused they cut her throat in front of my eyes. We loved each other so much."

Saturday's service at the Basilica located on an island in the Tiber river that separates most of Rome from the Vatican, was also addressed movingly by Roselyne Hamel.

She is the sister of Jacques Hamel, the 85-year-old priest murdered by jihadists last year as he was celebrating mass in his church in Normandy in northern France.

"At his age, Jacques was frail but he was strong in his faith in Christ, strong in love for the Gospel," Roselyne Hamel said.

Describing her sibling as "a universal brother," she said she was certain his love for humanity would even have extended to his killers.

Other speakers included Francisco Hernandez, a friend of William Quijano, an organiser of "Schools for Peace" in El Salvador and a victim of gang violence in 2009, and Karl Schneider, son of Paul Schneider, a protestant pastor who died in the Nazi death camp at Buchenwald.

The Basilica where Saturday's service took place is home to a large collection of relics of Christian martyrs across the ages, including recently added momentoes of Schneider, Quijano and Hamel.

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Britain to start EU divorce by end of March

Yahoo –AFP, Katherine Haddon, October 2, 2016

Theresa May became British Prime Minister in July 2016 (AFP Photo/Oli Scarff)

Birmingham (United Kingdom) (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Sunday that her government will trigger Brexit negotiations by the end of March, putting the country on course to leave the European Union by early 2019.

The move will plunge Europe's second largest economy into two years of painful horsetrading with its EU partners, who have voiced deep frustration at the delay in setting a date to start divorce proceedings.

It was May's firmest commitment to a clear break with the EU since she became Conservative Party leader and premier in the political upheaval that followed June's shock referendum vote to quit.

"Britain is going to leave the European Union," May told the opening day of the Conservative Party conference in the central English city of Birmingham.

"There will be no unnecessary delays in invoking Article 50. We will invoke it when we are ready. And we will be ready soon," she said, referring to the article in the EU's Lisbon treaty setting out a two-year process to leave.

"We will invoke Article 50 no later than the end of March next year."

May said she would seek the best deal from the 27 other EU members, but told the conference she would not give a "blow by blow" account of her negotiating strategy, for fear of weakening Britain's hand.

European powers keen to dampen rising euroscepticism in their own backyards have taken a hard line with Britain, warning that informal negotiations cannot start before the two-year notification process is triggered.

May's announcement means the process will start before next year's crucial elections in Germany and France, with an uncertain impact on the polls in the EU's most powerful nations.

Article 50: the mechanism that will trigger the Brexit talks (AFP Photo/Kun 

Tian, Sophie Ramis, Alain Bommenel)

'Decide for ourselves'

May's government and party is divided over whether to go for a "hard" or "soft" withdrawal from the EU.

"Hard" Brexit would mean quickly severing all links with EU institutions and pulling out of the single market, relying instead on World Trade Organization rules to trade overseas.

"Soft" Brexit would retain access to the single market in some form, but EU leaders have made clear that this would require continued free movement for EU workers into Britain.

Uncontrolled mass immigration from the EU was a major factor in Britain's historic vote to become the first country to leave the bloc after four decades of membership.

Brussels has insisted that if Britain wants free trade with the EU, it must also accept freedom of movement.

But May took a hard line in her speech, signalling that while she wanted free trade in goods and services, she would be prepared to leave the single market if necessary.

"We are not leaving the European Union only to give up control of immigration again," she said. "We will decide for ourselves how we control immigration."

Anti-Conservative protesters with a placrads join others in Eastside City Park 

in Birmingham, central England, on October 2, 2016 (AFP Photo/Daniel Leal-Olivas)

'Welcome clarity'

In another act designed to reassure anti-EU figures in her party, May also announced Sunday that a "Great Repeal Bill" would be introduced to scrap the supremacy of EU laws in Britain on the day of exit from the bloc.

The announcements by May -- who campaigned quietly for Britain to remain in the EU -- were welcomed by European leaders and Conservative eurosceptics alike.

EU President Donald Tusk wrote on Twitter that it brought "welcome clarity", adding that once Article 50 was triggered, the EU would "engage to safeguard its interests".

Leading Conservative eurosceptic MP Bernard Jenkin called May's comments "pitch perfect".

Many Conservative activists in Birmingham also praised her.

"She's been respectful of both those who voted to leave and the feelings of those who voted to stay," said one, Rachel Joyce.

"Pragmatically it's about the right time. She needs to line all of the ducks up before she triggers Article 50."

But Conservative MP Anna Soubry, who campaigned to stay in the EU, warned May's government against a "gung-ho" approach to activating Article 50 ahead of the French and German elections.

"The government should be pressing for a deal that keeps Britain open and engaged with Europe, including keeping us in the single market," she added.

May -- who will give the keynote closing speech at the conference on Wednesday -- starts the party conference in a strong position.

Opinion polls put the Conservatives well ahead of the deeply divided main opposition Labour Party under socialist leader Jeremy Corbyn.

But she has ruled out a general election before the next one is due in 2020, telling this week's Sunday Times newspaper it would "introduce a note of instability".

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EU nations must not to refuse Muslim migrants: Merkel

Yahoo – AFP, August 28, 2016

German Chancellor Angela Merkel gives her summer interview with journalists of
German public TV chain ARD on August 28, 2016 in Berlin (AFP Photo/Rainer Jensen)

Berlin (AFP) - The refusal of some EU countries to accept Muslim refugees is "unacceptable", Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday as Germany called for quotas to divide the influx throughout the bloc.

"That's not right at all that some countries say: 'generally speaking, we don't want to have Muslims in our countries'," Merkel told German public television channel ARD.

Backing the idea of a quota system for taking in migrants, the German leader stressed that "everyone must do their part," and that "a common solution must be found."

A common European migration policy is a highly controversial issue, which will be on the agenda of an EU summit next month, with eastern members the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia refusing to take in refugees under an EU-wide quota system championed by Berlin.

Slovak President Robert Fico has vowed he would "never bring even a single Muslim" into his country.

In 2015, Germany took in around a million asylum seekers, most from Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan, and this year it expects up to 300,000 more to arrive, the Federal Office for Migrants and Refugees (BAMF) said Sunday.

"We can ensure optimal services for up to 300,000. Should more people arrive, it would put us under pressure, then we would go into so-called crisis mode. But even then we would not have conditions like last year," BAMF chief Frank-Juergen Weise told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper

Merkel's decision last September to open the doors to asylum seekers was seen in many European nations, notably those in the east, as an invitation for further mass migration.

Some, like the Slovak leader, voiced fears of the emergence of a significant Muslim community in their countries.

On Tuesday, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said he does not want a "large Muslim community... given the problems we are seeing" and that each EU member should be able to choose how many migrants to accept.

German public sentiment is sharply divided when it comes to Merkel, who has not yet said whether she will stand for a fourth term in a general election expected in September or October next year.

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Merkel wants migrant return deals with N.African states

Yahoo – AFP, August 23, 2016

Merkel also urged EU partners to step up to their responsibilities in taking in
refugees who had arrived in Greece (AFP Photo/Tobias Schwarz)

Berlin (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Tuesday on the EU and North African countries to do deals modelled on a controversial agreement with Turkey to stem migrant flows to Europe.

Under the EU-Turkey agreement, Ankara agreed to take back one Syrian who made it to Greece in return for being allowed to send one from its massive refugee camps to the bloc in a more orderly redistribution programme.

The deal also pledges billions of euros in EU aid for Turkey, visa-free European travel for Turkish citizens and accelerated EU membership talks.

"We must agree on similar deals with other countries, such as in North Africa, in order to get better control over the Mediterranean sea refugee routes," Merkel told regional daily Neue Passauer Zeitung.

"Such agreements are also in the interest of the refugees themselves," she said, pointing to the huge risks migrants take in crossing the Mediterranean in rickety vessels, as well as the large sums they have to pay smugglers for the perilous sea passage.

"It is safer for them and there are good reasons for them to remain in Turkey, close to their homeland, where the cultural and language barriers are lower," she said, defending the deal with Turkey as "correct, as before".

"We should work to ensure that it lasts," she said.

Before the EU-Turkey deal took effect, some 45,000 refugees had already 

arrived in Greece as Macedonia closed its borders to the migrants (AFP Photo/

Armin Weigel)

But fears are mounting in the EU that the pact with Turkey to curb migrant flows could collapse as a rift deepens over Ankara's crackdown following a failed coup.

Turkey angrily rejects EU criticism that its post-putsch purges might violate rights norms Ankara must meet under the agreement in return for visa-free travel for Turks and accelerated negotiations for bloc membership.

Meanwhile, Merkel also urged EU partners to step up to their responsibilities in taking in refugees who had arrived in Greece.

Before the EU-Turkey deal took effect, some 45,000 refugees had already arrived in Greece as Macedonia closed its borders to the migrants.

"That is, if one compares it to the number of residents, as if 360,000 refugees were to arrive in Germany over the course of a few weeks," she said.

"That shows what Greece has had to deal with," she said, noting that the 3,000 refugees distributed so far to other EU states falls below the expectations of what the member states should take on.

EU's top court rules foreigners can't be jailed for illegal entry

The EU's top court has ruled foreigners cannot be jailed simply for crossing into a country illegally. The ruling comes amid heated disputes within the EU over the mass influx of asylum seekers.

Deutsche Welle, 7 June 2016

The European Court of Justice's (ECJ) ruling on Tuesday refers to a case which predates the refugee debate dominating politics across the 28-nation bloc.

In 2013, before the current influx of migrants, a Ghanaian woman, Selina Affum, was apprehended in France as she was about to enter the Channel Tunnel while taking a bus from Belgium to the United Kingdom, which is not a member of the passport-free Schengen zone.

She presented only a Belgian passport with another name and photograph, upon which French authorities took her into custody for illegally entering the country.

Affum challenged the arrest and a French court asked the ECJ to rule whether she could be imprisoned based on EU return directives. The directives are designed to establish common standards and procedures for member states when removing non-EU nationals who are staying in their territory illegally.

"The Return Directive prevents a national of a non-EU country who has not yet been subject to the return procedure being imprisoned solely because he or she has entered the territory of a Member State illegally across an internal border of the Schengen area," the court said in a statement.

Detention undermines rules' effectiveness

The ECJ ruled that France could not imprison someone for entering its territory without permission because it undermined the effectiveness of EU rules and ultimately slowed down the return of illegal migrants to their country of origin or a country of transit.

The decision refers also to those who illegally cross the internal borders of the Schengen zone or those arrested trying to leave the zone, such as from France to the United Kingdom.

Bloc members can only imprison people who illegally entered their territory if they are suspected of or have committed a crime; they have stayed on after the process of deportation; they have returned after being deported; or if processing their legality could be "compromised."

Importantly, the court found that EU directives do not prevent non-EU nationals from being placed in "administrative detention" while authorities determine whether or not their stay is illegal. Some EU member states are either holding or considering holding migrants in temporary detention pending the processing of applications to stay.

Tuesday's ruling could have implications for how EU member states handle an influx of refugees and economic migrants both within the bloc and on its external borders. Many member states are clamping down on economic migrants with no chance of asylum in order to make room for those fleeing war and persecution.

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Pope Francis tells EU to tear down migrant walls

Yahoo – AFP, Angus MacKinnon, May 6, 2016

German Chancellor Angela Merkel talks with Pope Francis during a private
audience  at the Vatican on May 6, 2016 (AFP Photo/Alberto Pizzoli)

Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis said Friday he dreamed of a Europe in which "being a migrant is not a crime", as he urged EU leaders to "tear down the walls" and build a fairer society.

Invoking the memory of the EU founding fathers' pursuit of integration in the aftermath of World War II, the pontiff said they inspired because they had "dared to change radically the models" that had led to war.

"Today more than ever, their vision inspires us to build bridges and tear down walls," he told a Vatican audience including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has been at the centre of the EU's attempts to resolve its biggest refugee crisis since the war ended in 1945.

Pope Francis visits refugees living 

on the Greek island of Lesbos in April 

2016 (AFP Photo/Filippo Monteforte)

And in a rhetorical flourish with echoes of Martin Luther-King's legendary 'I have a dream' speech, the pope said he dreamed of a new European humanism that embraced the poor, the elderly, the young and the sick.

"I dream of a Europe where being a migrant is not a crime but a summons to greater commitment on behalf of the dignity of every human being," he said.

Francis's comments came in a speech as the 79-year-old pontiff was presented with the EU's Charlemagne Prize for his contribution to European unification.

Having unexpectedly decided to accept the award, Francis delivered a typically hard-hitting message to listeners that also included the heads of the EU's main institutions, the Council, the Commission, the Parliament and its central bank.

"What has happened to you, the Europe of humanism, the champion of human rights, democracy and freedom?" he asked. "What has happened to you, Europe, the home of poets, philosophers, artists, musicians, and men and women of letters?"

Francis has made the cause of migrants trying to reach Europe one of the defining themes of his papacy.

He has regularly railed against the "indifference" of western societies to their plight and last month he made a high-profile visit to Lesbos, the Greek island on the frontline of the crisis, returning to the Vatican with three Syrian families seeking asylum from the civil war ravaging their homeland.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker speaks during a news 

conference following a ceremony at the Vatican, during which Pope Francis was

awarded 2016 Charlemagne Prize, in Rome, Italy, May 5, 2016. Reuters/Max Rossi

A memory transfusion needed

He has also attacked what he says is an arbitrary division being made between asylum seekers and so-called economic migrants -- a distinction at the heart of Merkel and other EU leaders' vision of how to resolve the crisis.

Borrowing a phrase from writer and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, the Argentinian pontiff said Friday that Europe needed a "memory transfusion" to free itself from the temptation of "quick and easy short-term political gains."

And after that reference to the migrant crisis, Francis went on to say Europe had to fundamentally change its economic model to give the continent's youth the security they needed to build a new world.

"If we want to rethink our society, we need to create dignified and well-paying jobs, especially for our young people," he said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for the 2016 Charlemagne Prize ceremony, 

during which Pope Francis will be awarded, at the Vatican May 6, 2016. REUTERS/

Stefano Rellandini 

"To do so requires coming up with new, more inclusive and equitable economic models, aimed not at serving the few, but at benefiting ordinary people and society as a whole.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Parliament President Martin Schulz explained the decision to give the award to such a regular and prominent critic of the EU in a column for France's Le Monde.

"Some will joke that the European Union must be in a bad way if it is in need of papal assistance," they wrote.

"We are convinced that Pope Francis deserves this prize, however, simply because he has sent Europe a message of hope.

"Perhaps we needed an Argentinian to turn his outsider's gaze on the innermost values which bind us Europeans together, to remind us of our strengths.

"After all, at times when the words 'Europe' and 'crisis' are often uttered in the same breath it is easy to forget what Europe has achieved and what it is capable of."

Pope Francis welcomes a group of Syrian refugees after landing at Ciampino airport

 in Rome following a visit at the Moria refugee camp on April 16, 2016 in the Greek

island of Lesbos (AFP Photo/Filippo Monteforte)

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"New Systems" - Feb 27, 2016 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

"The New Human P1" - Sep 19-20, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)
"Return of the Masters" - Apr 11-12, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)


"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“… Human Nature is Changing

There's a new concept afoot, a change in Human nature. We've spoken about this before. How many of you studied European history? And in school, did your mind fill up with all of the dates you had to memorize? Who conquered whom and when? Over and over and over, every single country had their turn conquering another country. Borders moved constantly. As far back as you want to go, that's what Humans did. They separated, gathered, and conquered. But as little as 50 years ago, it all stopped.

We've said this before. Fifty years ago, a seed, an idea, was planted at the end of World War II. "Let's put these European countries together," they said. "Let's even drop the borders and eventually give them one currency." Do this and they'll never war again, they predicted, for countries with common economic sources don't go to war! And that's exactly what's happened. Did it work? It's fairly fresh, but their money is threatening to take over the strength of your money, did you notice? It's worth more than yours. They still struggle to make it work and balance it. But then again, you do the same in the United States, always fine tuning the unity.

South America is considering the same thing right now. The seeds are being planted in Brazil. Within a generation, they would love to see the borders dropped and one currency. Can they do it? Perhaps. Perhaps it will take longer. Why do it? Because they see the European Union with the strongest currency on Earth. We've said this before. Here is a prediction: Perhaps not in your time, but there'll come a day when there are only five currencies in the world, because continents will start understanding that unification creates peace and prosperity. Separation creates chaos. What a concept. …”

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“.   New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones. ...."