uesday heralded a human rights victory when the European Parliament decided by 351 to 319 votes with 18 abstentions to refer the controversial ‘Estrela-Report’ (named after its author, the extreme left-wing MEP Edite Estrela from Portugal), back to the parliamentary committee that originated it. A resounding victory for the pro-life cause, given that there is a structural majority in the European Parliament of members belonging to socialist, communist, green, and liberal parties, who usually vote in favour of anything that presents to promote ‘women’s rights’. The vote still needs to be carefully analysed; however, many socialist and liberal members refused to go along with their official party line. Formally speaking, the result of today’s vote is not that the Estrela draft is dead - it has been referred back to the Committee and could resurface at a later stage. The task is now for the Committee to come back with something less controversial, and more worthy of consideration than Mrs Estrela’s draft.
Pray: for the proposed report to be permanently adjourned and receive a silent burial.
EU Parliament's President Martin Schulz has welcomed the outcome of presidential elections in Cyprus. Nicos Anastasiades captured 57.5 per cent of the vote in a run-off against communist rival Stavros Malas on Sunday. Anastasiades, the leader of Cyprus centre-right party, immediately vowed to resume talks quickly with international bailout lenders and finalise a €17bn rescue by the end of March. Anastasiades' victory is likely to come as a relief to most EU leaders, including Germany's Angela Merkel, who had wearied with outgoing president Demetris Christofias, who failed to secure a deal for more than a year to an EU and International Monetary Fund bailout. Anastasiades will also now aim to exploit massive natural gas finds off Cyprus' coast, bringing in badly needed income and energy, but risking escalating tensions with Turkey.
Pray: for the new government of Cyprus that it will bring stability to the country. (Pr.29:4)
The European Commission has indicated it is going to delve further into the employment, social and education policies of member states as it seeks to tackle the job crisis in the EU. The continued eurozone crisis, now in its third year, has seen the Commission make recommendations in policy areas that, pre-crisis, were considered an absolute taboo. OECD secretary general Angel Gurria at the same conference pointed out that for the EU to reach its 2020 goal of having 75 percent employment in the Union, then 17 million jobs will have to be created. Gurria referred to a ‘potentially lost generation’ of 7.8 million young people who neither have a job nor are in education or training. He added that policy-makers are facing a new phenomenon of ‘structural long-term unemployment’ where people are unemployed for over two years, and the longer they are unemployed, the harder it is to get a job when one is available. Employment Commissioner Laszlo Andor called it a ‘jobs crisis.’
Pray: that ways would be found to meet the needs of the many unemployed, especially the young. (Tit.3:14)
More: http://euobserver.com/economic/117458
The European Commission has asked the EU's 27 member states to submit national strategies by the end of this year aimed at raising the living standards of Roma (Gypsies). Roma are especially disadvantaged in education, healthcare, housing and access to jobs, the commission says. French deportations of Roma to Romania and Bulgaria last year triggered sharp criticism in the EU. One EU survey found that only 42% of Roma children completed primary school. The survey, in six EU countries, also estimated Roma attendance in secondary education to be only 10%. The EU's Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, Laszlo Andor, said ‘the persistent exclusion of Roma people is unacceptable in 21st Century Europe’. ‘The living conditions of the majority of Roma and their relations with mainstream society have just worsened in recent years.’ The Commission, which drafts EU laws, presented a blueprint on Tuesday to tackle social exclusion affecting Europe's 10-12 million Roma. (See Prayer Alert 4910) Pray: that this initiative to help the Roma across Europe would be successful in tackling their needs. (Pr.19:15)
Christian campaigners have delivered 10,000 calls to action on corruption to the European Union. Representatives of Micah Challenge, Mission-Net, Tearfund and Exposed presented the postcards to EU decision-makers in Brussels on Wednesday. The postcards had messages written on them from supporters across 22 member states urging the EU to pass strong laws that would force oil, gas and mining companies on the European Stock Exchanges to publish what they pay governments for access to the natural resources. Joel Edwards, the International Director of Micah Challenge, said: ‘This is a scandal of our times and EU leaders have a responsibility to ensure corruption does not blight the lives of the poor across the world.
Pray: that the EU would take action to pass strong laws against corruption.
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/eu.called.to.act.on.corruption/29517.htm
Plans to set up new European supervisors which would see Brussels have more influence over the way banking is carried out have stalled. MEPs accused EU member states of ‘dragging their feet’ on a series of reforms that would allow Brussels-based supervisors to oversee, and in some cases overrule, their national counterparts. The European Parliament has agreed to postpone the planned vote on a package of reforms to establish the new EU supervisors until September as question marks hang over whether member states and MEPs will be able to broker a workable compromise. The disagreement on financial supervision spans a number of reforms but in short they all present member states with the same question: more or less EU intervention for Europe's banks? ‘The body taking decisions should be the national supervisor,’an EU diplomat argued. His argument is shared by at least seven member states including several Central and Eastern European countries as well as the UK. Pray: that enhanced EU bureaucratic oversight will not hamper countries’ efforts to reduce their national deficits. (Mk.12:17)
Estonians were recently asked whether religion played an important part in their life, only 20% said yes. Suggesting the Baltic country is, statistically, the least religious country in the world. Spires decorate the old town, bells ring out Sundays as visitors walk in and out. A closer look reveals that many of these visitors are tourists. Tallinn's large Lutheran Church almost all of the 70 congregants turned out to have travelled from the Netherlands. A handful of people standing at the back - 15 at the most - were the sum total of regular Estonian church-goers. As the dean of the church, Arho Tuhkru, explains: ‘People believe, but they do not want to belong to the Church.’ The Lutheran Church accounts for only 13% of the population. Fewer than one in five Estonians say religion plays an important part in their lives. In schools religion does not feature on the curriculum.
Pray: for people of Estonia that God would send His Holy Spirit to reveal the fullness of the Gospel. (Eph.3:19)
Last week over a thousand Christians visited Tallinn in Estonia for a week-long series of events designed to share the love of Christ with old and young. They aimed to make the gospel relevant and attractive to those who have never heard the message, or considered it outdated and useless. About 50 projects took place, including serving the needs of the poor and marginalized, offering sports clinics, challenging teens in discussion of life's issues, concerts and seminars for professionals. Everything was bathed in 40 days of prayer as churches asked God to move in mighty and supernatural ways throughout the city.
Pray: for Estonians as they reach out with God's love, pray also for the Estonians organising the Polish Alpha Initiative which could revolutionize the spread of the gospel in Poland. (Ps.80:3)
More: http://prayeurope.com/interact/articles/heartbeat-tallinn-has-arrived/