Europe at aglance NEWS 710 August 2019 THE WEEKBerlin
Racial tensions:
Germany’s
interior minister,
Horst Seehofer,
called for restraint
after the far-right
AfD party sought
to make political
capital from a
series of high-
profile murders
committed by
foreigners. Inacase that has horrified
Germany, an eight-year-old boy was killed
last week after he was pushed onto the
tracks at Frankfurt railway station; the
suspect is an Eritrean man, resident in
Switzerland, with psychiatric problems. In
Stuttgart last week,aman was killed with
asword by another recent arrival. “What
else needs to happen?” tweeted the AfD’s
Alice Weidel (pictured). “How many
citizens have to be offered up on the altar
of this boundless welcome culture?”
Moscow
Navalny under pressure:The Kremlin has
escalated its campaign to silence one of its
most prominent critics, the anti-corruption
campaigner Alexei Navalny, by accusing
him of money-laundering. Last week, a
criminal investigation was announced into
alleged laundering by Navalny’s Anti-
corruption Foundation (FBK). The charges
could carryaprison sentence of seven
years. Navalny, 43, is currently serving a
short jail sentence–the latest of many –
for his part in recent mass protests against
the Kremlin (see page 19). One of his FBK
colleagues, Lyubov Sobol, is currently on
hunger strike in protest. During the latest
marches, last Saturday, police arrested at
least 600 people, in addition to some
1,000 or so the previous week.Amsterdam
Burqa ban:The Netherlands’ burqa ban
appeared to have been undermined on the
day it came into effect last week, as both
the police and Dutch transport companies
signalled that they had no interest in
enforcing it. The law prohibits the wearing
of face coverings such as niqabs or burqas
–aswell as ski masks and full helmets–in
schools, government offices and hospitals,
and on public transport. Wearers are given
the option of removing the garment, or
being fined betweens150 ands415 (£
to £380). The measure was passed in 2016
by Mark Rutte’s coalition government, in
response to the popularity of Geert
Wilders’ anti-Islam Party for Freedom.
However, last week Dutch police warned
that enforcing the ban wasalow priority,
while transport bosses said it was not their
job to implement such rules. It is estimated
that onlyafew hundred women in the
country wearafull-face veil.
Warsaw
Tax scrapped:Poland has abolished
income tax for more than two million
young adults, inadrastic attempt to
halt the flow of young workers to richer
countries, such as Germany, the UK
and Ireland. Around 1.5 million Poles,
including hundreds of thousands of
university graduates, have left for work
abroad since Poland,anation of 38
million, joined the EU in 2004. But while
wages in the country are still far lower
than in western Europe, the economy is
growing fast, at around 4.5%ayear, and
unemployment is relatively low, at less
than 6%. The resulting labour shortage
has attracted some two million Ukrainian
workers into Poland, replacing the Poles
who have left. Under the new law, which
took effect last week, Poles aged up to 26,
and earning less than £18,200ayear (the
average income is about £5,500), will be
exempt from income tax, of 18%.
Palermo, Italy
Asylum granted:
Italy has granted
asylum to an
Eritrean man
who was
mistaken for a
leading human
trafficker,
extradited from
Sudan and
held in custody for three years. When
Medhanie Tesfamariam Berhe (pictured)
was arrested in Sudan in 2016, his capture
was hailed asajoint coup for Italian and
British authorities, who thought they had
detained one of the most wanted human
traffickers in the region–anEritrean
named Medhanie Yehdego Mered, also
known as “The General”. Afteralong
legal process, Berhe’s identity was
definitively proved, and last month
aPalermo court ordered his release.Istanbul
Syrian refugees deported:Turkish
authorities have reportedly rounded up
hundreds of Syrian refugees over the past
month and deported them to their home
country. Rights groups say at least 300 of
Turkey’s 3.6 million Syrian refugees have
been illegally deported so far. Large
numbers of Syrians in Istanbul have, they
say, been stopped by police demanding
identity cards; those who are not registered
as living in the city have then been forced
to sign “voluntary” repatriation
agreements, before being driven to Syria.
Technically even those without ID are
protected by international law from being
returned toaplace where their life is in
danger. The push comes amid growing
anti-Syrian sentiment in Turkey, where
the national currency has slumped; many
blame refugees for the downturn. Two
Turkish mayors have banned Syrians from
using their cities’ public beaches.Catch up with daily news at theweek.co.uk
Eskilstuna, Sweden
Begging permits:In anational first, a
Swedish town has introduced an official
begging permit. Anyone who wants to
beg on the street in the small town of
Eskilstuna, west of Stockholm, must first
acquirealicence costing 250 Swedish
krona (£21). The permits, valid for three
months, can be obtained via an online
form or atapolice station, and require
avalid ID. Beggars without one faceafine
of up to 4,000 krona (£343). The scheme,
according to Jimmy Jansson,alocal Social
Democrat councillor, is aimed at
“bureaucratising” begging to “make
it more difficult”, as well as bringing
vulnerable people into contact with social
services. It came into force last week after
ayear of legal delays. Begging in Sweden
has beenasubject of controversy for years;
many beggars are Roma people from
eastern Europe. In recent months,
several Swedish towns have
outlawed it altogether.