Displaying items by tag: Europe

Italy has refused to back down over its expansionary 2019 budget, which EU chiefs claim breaches previous spending agreements. The indebted nation at first unveiled plans for a deficit budget of 2.4% of GDP, three times the previous administration's target. The European Commission rejected the draft and demanded it be revised to a more realistic level. But the Italian government has so far refused to budge, saying the spending plans are in the best interest of the Italian people. Prime minister Salvini has even threatened to veto the next proposed eurozone budget, in retaliation. However, that budget will be available only to those countries which abide by EU rules about budget deficits and debt; so Italy could be left out in the cold if the dispute is not resolved.

Greetings and blessings from Bulgaria.

I’m writing this e-mail with a bit of a sadness since after many of our prayer efforts and political activities, we are heading straight back towards communistic regime regarding out religious freedom!

We expresses concerns over the current draft law put forward by Bulgaria’s parliament aiming at amending the Religious Denominations Act. If approved in its current form, it threatens to force evangelical churches and institutions to close or face unbearable and discriminatory administrative burdens.

The draft law which passed in first reading in parliament on October 11, 2018 has implications on the funding and financial management of religious communities as well as on the training and appointing of clergy. Should the law pass, existing theological seminaries are at risk of shutting down, evangelical church pastors may no longer be able to conduct worship services, and the acceptance and use of donations will be subject to government approval and limitations.

It puts unjustified and disproportionate restrictions on the right to freedom of religion or belief and is in direct violations of the democratic principles enshrined in Bulgaria’s constitution and in the legislation of the European Union, of which Bulgaria is a member since 2007.

Here is a summary of the main problems with the proposed legislation:

Only Bulgarian citizens will be able to carry out liturgical activity if they have had theological training in Bulgaria or their foreign school is approved.

Only Eastern Orthodox & Muslim believers will be able to train clergy and run schools.

A foreigner will only be able to preach if doing so with a Bulgarian ordained minister.

Foreign donations will only be allowed for building construction or social aid and will need government approval. No salaries of pastors for example could be paid from abroad.

No religious activities can take place outside of buildings designated for them.

Only religious groups with +300 people will have legal status.

We would like to ask you urgently to pray and encourage others to pray. There are other things that you can also do to help. All of this should be done in the next few days.

Contact the Bulgarian embassy in your nation and write to the politicians in Sofia. Write a short letter/email explaining the main problems in the proposed legislation as outlined above. Politely but firmly ask why Bulgaria would introduce legislation that is so excessive and also harmful to all faith communities. Demand that the legislative proposal be scrapped.

For those in EU Member States, write a short letter to the MEPs of your nation, explaining the main problems in the proposed legislation and asking them to speak urgently to their Bulgarian colleagues to ask why Bulgaria would introduce legislation that is so excessively controlling and would cause great difficulties for all faiths

External links with more information:

https://www.worldea.org/news/4905/wea-expresses-concern-over-bulgaria-draft-law-jeopardizing-religious-freedom
http://www.europeanea.org/index.php/press-release-new-religion-law-in-bulgaria/
http://evangelicalfocus.com/

Please Pray:

Pray: for Bulgarian Christians to have a voice
Pray: for the legislation to be voted down
Pray: for better relations between Church and Government
Pray: for the Spirit of Antichrist to be bound

Christians in Bulgaria are facing the prospect of a new law that will severely restrict the freedoms currently enjoyed. The Religious Denominations Act was presented to parliament on 4 October 2018 and is due to be considered again on Friday 16 November. In a show of unity, thousands of Christians across towns and cities in Bulgaria have taken to the streets in peaceful protest and public prayer. Transform Europe Network’s partners in Bulgaria are urging fellow-Christians from the UK, across Europe, and beyond to pray and make written representations to their MEPs, ambassadors, and Bulgarian government officials.

Klaus Iohannis, Romania's president, does not believe his country is ready to take over the rotating leadership of the EU on 1 January 2019. He said that 'things have gone off the rails' and there is a 'political necessity to replace the government', which he called an 'accident of democracy'. With the country facing political turmoil, Mr Iohannis has called for the Romanian government to step down instead. His remarks came after the European affairs minister Victor Negrescu, who was tasked with preparing for the EU presidency, unexpectedly resigned last week. Viorica Dancila is Romania's prime minister, but has little executive power. Liviu Dragnea, chairman of the ruling Social Democratic Party, effectively runs the government, but cannot be prime minister because of his previous convictions for fraud and election rigging.

The UK will join Italy next year as the slowest-growing economy in Europe, before holding that title alone in 2020, according to a European Commission forecast. These gloomy predictions are based on a soft Brexit - meaning that Britain is expected to lag behind all its EU peers even if Theresa May can reach a deal with Brussels before 29 March.  The commission expects consumer spending growth to remain weak, continuing a poor performance since the June 2016 referendum. The result will be GDP growth of only 1.2% in 2019 and 2020. The forecast came as the IMF sounded the alarm over the mounting risks to the European economy from a no-deal Brexit, the escalation of trade disputes around the world, and high levels of Italian government debt.

Following the death of activist Kateryna Handziuk on Sunday, Ukraine’s leaders face mounting demands to protect its civil society and end the impunity of powerful criminals. In August someone poured sulphuric acid over Ms Handziuk (33) outside her home in the southern city of Kherson, where she was an adviser to the mayor and campaigned against police and political corruption. From her hospital bed in Kiev, she had called for urgent action over the assaults on more than forty Ukrainian activists in the past year, and expressed doubts about whether five men arrested for the acid attack were actually responsible. Out of more than 140 attacks on journalists since the start of 2017, only 14 have gone to court;  police and officials seem unable or unwilling to defend those who expose the lucrative links between politics, business, and crime in the country. The US ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch, urged Ukraine to ‘bring the perpetrators to justice, including those who ordered the attack’.

The European Intervention Initiative (EII), a military coalition ready to react to crises near the continent's borders, was launched in Paris on 7 November amid calls by French president Emmanuel Macron for a ‘real European army’. The French-led initiative would not conflict with the almost 70-year-old US-dominated NATO alliance, proponents say, but reflects concerns about a more isolationist USA under President Trump. The EII took official shape in Paris after months of negotiations with Germany, which France wants at the centre of the force. It will see members collaborate on planning, the analysis of new military and humanitarian crises, and eventual military responses to those crises. ‘In an environment where threats and upheavals nature are multiplying, the EII must send the message that Europe is ready and capable’, a French defence ministry official said.

Campaigners in Ireland celebrated the end of a ‘medieval’ ban on blasphemy after voters backed removing the offence from the constitution in a referendum. The decision is the latest in a ‘quiet revolution’ of seismic social and political changes in the country. Until recently, Ireland was conservative and dominated by the Catholic Church. Recently Ireland has legalised gay marriage and abortion in popular votes, and is now led by an openly gay Taoiseach. Reflecting the speed of changes, four in five voters under 35 backed the change, while over-65s only approved it by a narrow margin.

Six years after the first episode of ‘Reading the Bible with Ulrich Parzany’ went on air, the Christian TV station Bibel TV will broadcast a new devotional section, starting on Sunday 4 November. In it, Pastor Ulrich Parzany deals with Matthew's Gospel in 164 episodes. Viewers will get to know the clarity of the Bible and the relevance of the biblical word for us today. The programme’s content and language is carefully chosen to reflect the fact that it is watched both by Christians and non-Christians. Other books available on Bibel TV’s website are Luke, Acts, and Romans.

Violent storms battered Italy, killing at least 11 people. Venice’s St Mark’s Square was inundated and the adjacent basilica had its baptistry totally flooded and its mosaic floors covered by 35 inches (89 cm) of water. ‘The basilica has aged twenty years in just one day, and perhaps I am being overly optimistic about that,’ said the church’s chief administrator. ‘It is becoming ever more difficult for us, and indeed could become impossible for us to repair the damage, especially in an age of climate change.’ Meanwhile, heavy snow in parts of Spain left two mountain hikers missing, and a tornado ravaged Menorca,leaving 38,000 people without power. See