Displaying items by tag: Europe

Not only does Europe continue to fragment as anti-migration views gain political force, but because of the migration crisis, the EU's internal border-free zone, Europe's most precious possession after World War II, ‘is in danger’, according to the Italian and Austrian governments. Recently the Austrian Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, joined the leaders of the four countries that make up the Visegrad Group (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia). When discussing the protection of borders he said, ‘We need a Europe that can defend us.’ According to a report by the Heritage Foundation, many believe that recent massive migration has created excessive problems for internal stability in Europe, and security has been compromised. Immigration also challenges ethnic and religious coexistence; quoting 10% of Jewish citizens in Paris being forced to move because they were no longer safe, calling it a silent ethnic cleansing. Statistics also show that the controversial quota system for migrants is failing.

Since 2011 intercessors from different backgrounds and nations come into the presence of God in the European Parliament every Friday. Some attend regularly; other individuals or groups join when they can. Every gathering looks different as the Holy Spirit leads. Afterwards they have a sharing time over lunch or coffee. Hundreds of people from across the world have prayed with them inside the EP. All have experienced God intervening in every meeting for every prayer topic. There have been deliverances, healings and visitations of the Holy Spirit. An intercessor writes, ‘We’ve already begun praying for the May 2019 elections for members of the European Parliament; for God to raise up people with godly values to represent the people of Europe. Key people at the top of the list in each political party, who will seek and have the Lord’s favour and grace. We also pray that those who are obstacles will resign or be moved out and for the “unknowns” to come forward.’

The Italian government recently closed its ports to rescue ships, arguing Italy had taken its fair share of refugees. This week Brussels announced plans to pay EU countries £5,350 to take a refugee, and the Italian foreign minister agreed to allow EU ships carrying rescued migrants to dock at Italian ports (but only for a five-week period). Unfortunately, the interior minister said, ‘If they want to give money to someone else they can do so - Italy doesn’t need charity.’ Italy demands a revision of EU’s anti-trafficking mission in the Mediterranean, as currently rescued migrants automatically disembark at Italian ports.

Gale-force winds tore through seaside communities close to Athens, fanning the flames which have left a trail of death and destruction. Coastguards saved 700+ people who fled to the sea during the night of 23/24 July. The region is popular with tourists, particularly pensioners and children at holiday camps. By 26 July the death toll from Greece’s forest fires had reached 83, expected to rise as rescuers search the disaster zone where dozens are still missing. ‘We all have pain’, sighed 67-year-old Maria who had lost her six-month-old grandson, two cousins, their children and all of her worldly possessions. Her daughter Margarita is fighting for her life. ‘My grandson hadn’t even been baptised. He died in Margarita’s arms, and now she is in intensive care.’ ‘God doesn’t give us the words to describe such things’, said one woman who survived the disaster because she was visiting doctors in Athens with her husband.

Jeremy Hunt began his European tour in Berlin as he and Theresa May started a summer plan to visit all 27 EU capitals. The new Foreign Secretary previewed his trip by warning, ‘Our European partners must show much more flexibility and creativity in negotiations if we are to avoid a no-deal by accident scenario’. The PM visited Austria, the Czech Republic and Estonia this week to sell the Chequers plan. The Financial Times reported Barnier telling colleagues that he couldn’t accept the plans for City of London access to European markets. He claimed that the proposals would rob the EU of its ‘decision-making autonomy’. Talks on the future UK-EU partnership deal will be fraught. Pray for new networks of trade and financial services to open up in London, as the City prepares for positive changes.

The Irish Senate has voted to approve a proposal to criminalise doing business with Jews in settlement areas, parts of Jerusalem and the Golan Heights - areas that came under Israel’s control after the 1967 Six-Day War. After the vote the Irish ambassador was summoned to a meeting at the Israeli foreign ministry’s office. If Eire officially approves the proposal, it will become the first country in the European Union to criminalise import of goods from Israel. The proposal’s initiator, Senator Frances Black, slammed Israeli settlements as ‘war crimes’ and compared her initiative to Ireland’s anti-apartheid actions against South Africa. Ireland’s government strongly opposes the initiative, which creates trade restrictions contrary to EU values and undermines Ireland’s influence in the region. EU law states that its members can only mark products coming from settlements - not boycott or impose sanctions on their imports.

Nazeri Zubair’s travelling companion crushed a pill, dissolved it in water, and fed it to her two-year-old daughter to make the baby sleep for over a day. It was a requirement of the smugglers who were guiding the group from Serbia across Croatia’s border then into Slovenia; opening up possibilities of travelling without passport checks within 26 countries on Europe’s mainland. Over 90% of undocumented immigrants who enter the EU illegally use people smugglers at one stage of their journey, according to Europol. Nazeri came into contact with dozens of smugglers while traversing 12 countries. Finding them was as easy as finding a regular travel agent, through recommendations or at notorious hot spots such as Victoria Square in Athens. One led him through a minefield, and another across treacherous Mediterranean waters. Nazeri said children aged under 4 were systematically spoon-fed sedatives to keep them quiet. Smugglers refuse to take young families who won't administer drugs.

President Trump’s seventh foreign trip of his presidency took him to Brussels NATO meetings, where he called members of the alliance ‘delinquent’ in their defence spending and insisting they increase it ‘immediately.’ The NATO summit focused on ‘Make Peace Great Again’, but Trump's provocative comments aimed at Germany amplified the unease and detracted from the summit's goal of projecting unity in the face of Russian aggression (see World article on Israel/Russia/Syria). However Trump and NATO leaders did agree to bolster their defence and deterrence capabilities to head off Russian threats. In both Brussels and the UK thousands have shown their negative opinions of president, stating, ‘He is not welcome because he predicts a world of war, detains children in cages, has discriminatory travel bans, and policies on women's rights and climate change. See

The UK's proposals for fishing in UK waters after Brexit was unveiled on 4 July. Michael Grove hopes that our fishing industry will get a larger share of domestic catch after Brexit, once the UK ‘decides access’  to its own waters. Currently 60% of fish caught in UK waters   goes to Europe. The environment secretary said the UK would be in the ‘driving seat’ in quota negotiations once the UK leaves the EU's Common Fisheries Policy but would not commit to a specific figure. UK fishing groups are pressing to keep more than 80% of domestic catch. There were protests earlier this year when it was revealed that the UK would continue to be bound by the Common Fisheries Policy during the post-Brexit transition that ends in 2020. Now the White Paper sets out a UK vision for an ‘independent coastal state’ from 2021 onwards.

Poland’s Supreme Court ruled against a print-shop owner who refused to create a banner for a homosexual group. He believed it would be wrong to promote something that God calls sin. The matter began in 2015 when Adam J., turned down the project for the LGBT Business Forum. The matter went to the regional court which ruled against Adam. While Polish law allows refusal for a ‘justified cause,’ his religious convictions were not a sufficient argument. Poland’s minister of justice, Zbigniew Ziobro, filed an appeal to the Supreme Court, which upheld the ruling on 14 June. Ziobro said the ruling violates the freedom of conscience enshrined in the constitution. ‘It’s about principles not prejudice. If a service provider refuses to carry out a service, the customer may turn to their competitors.’ Alliance Defending Freedom International has now filed an intervention with the Constitutional Tribunal of Poland decrying the outcome of Poland’s high court.