Europe at aglance NEWS 722 February 2020 THE WEEKDublin
Coalitiontalks:Ireland’sTaoiseachLeo
Varadkarhasrejectedtheideaofa“grand
coalition”betweenhisFineGaelpartyand
FiannaFáil,itshistoricrival,inorderto
keepSinnFéinoutofgovernment.Instead,
hesaidhewould“relish”thechanceto
rebuildhispartyinopposition.Irish
politicshasbeenupendedbytheshock
electionresultafortnightago,inwhich
SinnFéin–theleft-wingpartythatwas
once thepoliticalwingoftheIRA,andis
stillregardedwithdistrustbymanyvoters
–tookthelargestshareofthepopularvote
(24.5%).FiannaFáiltook 38 seats,Sinn
Féin37,andFineGael 35 ,leavingno
obviousroutetoastablecoalitionmajority
inthe160-seatlowerhouse.UnlessTDs
(membersofthelowerhouse)canforma
majorityinsupportofanewleader–seen
asunlikely–Irelandfacesmonthsof
coalitiontalks,withVaradkarascaretaker
Taoiseach,andthepossibilityofanew
election(seepage 22 ).
Minden,Germany
Anti-Muslimterrorplot:TheGerman
authoritiessaytheyhavebrokenupa
far-rightterroristgroupthatwasallegedly
plottingdeadlyattacksontenmosques
acrossthecountry.Policesaythegroup,
callingitself“TheHardCore”,was
inspiredbytheatrocityinChristchurch,
NewZealandlastyear,andwasplanning
tomurderpoliticiansandMuslimasylum
seekersinthehopeofprovokingacivil
war.Twelvesuspectswerearrestedinraids
acrossGermanylastFriday;arangeof
weaponswereseized.Policehadbeen
monitoringthegroupforfivemonthsand
hadinfiltratedit.Theymadethearrests
followingameetinglastweekinthetown
ofMinden,whenitbecameclearthatthe
groupwasreadyingforanattack.Paris
Filmacademy quits:Theentire governing
boardofthe CésarAcademy,the film
industrybodywhichawards France’s
equivalentof theOscars,resigneden
massejust weeksbefore this year’s
ceremony on28 February.Morethan
400 actors, producers,directors and
movie personalitieshaddenouncedthe
“dysfunction”within the academyand
demanded“profoundreform”after
Roman Polanski’slatest film,AnOfficer
andaSpy,toppeditslistofnominations
forthisyear’sCésars.The French-Polish
directorhasbeenwantedinthe USsince
1978,when hefledthe country rather than
faceprison afterpleadingguiltyto having
sexwitha13-year-oldgirl.Theheadof
theacademy,AlainTerzian,hadinsisted
that theCésars “shouldnottakemoral
positions”. However,followingthe
backlash,theacademysaid itwouldwork
with France’scultureministryto bring
about“rootandbranchreform”.
Milan,Italy
Nunonthe run:AnItalian woman onthe
runfrompolice managedtoevadearrest
fortwo years by posing asanun and
enjoyingfree stays at convents across
northern Italy.The case hassimilarities to
the 1990 comedycaperNuns on theRun,
starringEricIdleand Robbie Coltrane.But
ratherthanfleeingfrom vengeful criminals,
the47-year-oldItalian–identifiedby
policeonlyby her initials, R.T. –was
tryingtoescapeaconviction forfraud and
theft; sh ehad beensentencedinSicilyto
28 monthsinprison. Oneofher ruses was
to ringupaconvent posing asamother
superiorand ask if her“niece” could
stay at the convent forawhile. Atother
conventsshesimplyturned up dressedas
anun andwas allowedto stay. Her luck
ran out earlier this month whenanun at
aBenedictineconvent in Gallarate, in
Lombardy,grewsuspicio us about her
identity andrangthe police.
Rome
Salvini faces
trial:Matteo
Salvini, the
leader of Italy’s
anti-immigrant
Leagueparty
and the
formerinterior
minister,faces
trialon
charges of kidnapping. He has been
accused of abusing hispowerswhen, as
interiorministerlast year, he prevented
131 rescuedmigrants from disembarking
fromacoastguard boat.Last week, Italy’s
Senatevotedto lift Salvini’s parliamentary
immunityin thecase, meaninghecould
face 15year sinprison (and bebanned
from politics) if convicted. Salvini said he
remained proud ofwhat he haddone –
“and I’ll do it again as soon asIget back
into government”, headded.Athens
Refugeecampson hold:The Greek
government has suspended plans tobuild
new refugee campson severalislands in
the Aegean, in theface of fierce opposition
from residents.Currently, the islands of
Lesbos,Chios,Samos, Kosand Leros
arehometomorethan50,000 refugees,
housedinovercrowdedandinsanitary
makeshiftcamps. Ministerswanted to
requisitionand clearhuge areas of land
to buildmore suitable accommodation.
However,local people fear the camps
would bepermanent,damaging tourism
in the islands: manyhotels andrestaurants
have alreadyseentheirtakingscut in half.
Thegovernmenthaswarned that itwill
reactivatetheplan unlessabetter solution
can be found. KostasMoutzouris,the
regionalgovernor, welcomedthe
suspensionof constructionplans, but said
that “ultimately it’s back to square one,
with no clearsolution in sight”.Paris
Sex tape:
Benjamin
Griveaux
(pictured),
President
Macron’s
candidatefor
Parismayor,
quittherace
lastweek,when
imagesfroma
video ofhim masturbatingwerepublished
onlinebyPetr Pavlensky,aRussian
performanceartist.Thewomanto whom
Griveaux sentthe material(alongwith
explicittextmessages),29-year-oldstudent
AlexandradeTaddeo,isnowtheartist’s
girlfriend.Pavlenskyhasbeenarrest edand
could facetwo yearsin prison for violating
privacylaws.Macron’sallieshave
speculatedthat theoperationto
humiliatehis candidatecouldhave
had Kremlin involvement.Catch up with daily news at theweek.co.uk