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Artificial fingertip with \u2018human-like\u2019 sense of touch could improve robots and prosthetics<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>How does it work?<\/h2><p>Researchers are optimistic about the possible applications of the third thumb, extending them to highly skilled professional environments.<\/p>\n<p>\"This is a technology that is specifically designed for able-bodied people, people with two hands, five fingers, to allow them to do more with their hands,\u201d Makin said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe're trying to break beyond the flesh and blood limitations of our own body and allow you to interact with the world in a completely new way,\" he added.<\/p>\n<p>The research team says the third thumb is controlled by a pressure sensor placed under each big toe or foot.<\/p>\n<p>Pressure from the right toe pulls the third thumb across the hand, while the pressure exerted with the left toe pulls the thumb up toward the fingers.<\/p>\n<p>The extent of the third thumb's movement is proportional to the pressure applied.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8471004\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//31//countries-unprepared-for-voters-with-disabilities-says-report/">Countries unprepared for voters with disabilities, says report <\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Dani Clode, the developer of the third thumb, says the device is easy to use.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAny tool that we learn to use in our daily lives requires a little bit of training and experience within the context of our day. The thumb is no different but what's really exciting about the thumb is that it seems really complex from the beginning and it's really no,\u201d said Clode.<\/p>\n<p>She added that people can use it in a minute, without it taking years to learn.<\/p>\n<p>The research team says the robotic device could also offer support to those who need it.<\/p>\n<p>\"Even though the thumb is designed for able-bodied people, we can easily envisage situations where people with disabilities could enjoy or benefit from the extra help of the thumb so we're trying to build the thumb as an alternative to traditional assistive technology,\" said Makin.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers hope that with further testing, the third thumb could redefine human capabilities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For more on this story, watch the video in the media player above.<\/strong><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717156919,"updatedAt":1717328705,"publishedAt":1717160431,"firstPublishedAt":1717160435,"lastPublishedAt":1717160431,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"DANI CLODE DESIGN\/THE PLASTICITY LAB","altText":"Third thumb attached to Dani Clode's hand","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Third thumb attached to Dani Clode's hand","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/16\/16\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0c5fc902-b209-5e35-9052-f441e996326a-8471616.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"min","twitter":"@MinRoselyne","title":"Roselyne Min"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[{"urlSafeValue":"min","twitter":"@MinRoselyne","title":"Roselyne Min"}]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"robotic","titleRaw":"Robotic","id":10937,"title":"Robotic","slug":"robotic"},{"urlSafeValue":"new-technologies","titleRaw":"New 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Kingdom","url":"\/news\/europe\/united-kingdom"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_health','gs_science_misc','gt_positive','neg_facebook_q4','gs_tech','client_easports_sporting_gaming','neg_facebook','gt_positive_happiness','gs_hobby','gt_positive_curiosity'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/next\/2024\/05\/31\/this-robotic-thumb-is-designed-to-help-you-enhance-productivity-at-work","lastModified":1717160431},{"id":2553854,"cid":8471562,"versionId":5,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240531_E3SU_55679148","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"GERMANY STABBING","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Far-right activist and others hurt in stabbing in Mannheim","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Far-right activist and others hurt in stabbing in Mannheim","titleListing2":"Far-right activist and others hurt in stabbing in Mannheim","leadin":"Police say several people, including a far-right anti-Islam activist, were injured in the incident.","summary":"Police say several people, including a far-right anti-Islam activist, were injured in the incident.","keySentence":"","url":"far-right-activist-and-others-hurt-in-stabbing-in-mannheim-germany","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/2024\/05\/31\/far-right-activist-and-others-hurt-in-stabbing-in-mannheim-germany","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"An assailant with a knife attacked and wounded several people in a central square in the southwestern German city of Mannheim on Friday, police said.\n\nOfficers shot at the attacker, who was also injured.\n\nEuronews understands that German far-right activist and anti-Islam critic Michael St\u00fcrzenberger was injured in the attack while taking part in a Citizens' Movement Pax Europa (BPE) party rally, of which St\u00fcrzenberger is a member.\n\nWhile BPE self-describes as \"neutral\", it has become known in radical circles for its vocal opposition to Islam and Muslims in Germany, including demands for a ban on mosques.\n\nThe Bavarian branch of BPE and St\u00fcrzenberger have been previously linked to Pegida, a xenophobic extreme-right group with a strong neo-Nazi following, prompting an investigation by the German federal state's Office for the Protection of the Constitution.\n\nA police officer is also among the injured. \n\nThe incident took place shortly after 11:30 am. Authorities have confirmed there is no continued danger to the public. \n\nThe motive for the crime is currently unclear and is subject to investigation. Rescue workers are on duty and have cordoned off the square, authorities saidd.\n\nThe Marktplatz, or Market Square \u2014 where the stabbing took place \u2014 is located in the historic city centre. \n\nA city of 300,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the cultural and economic centre of the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region in the north of Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg.\n\nOur journalists are working on this story and will bring you more as it develops.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>An assailant with a knife attacked and wounded several people in a central square in the southwestern German city of Mannheim on Friday, police said.<\/p>\n<p>Officers shot at the attacker, who was also injured.<\/p>\n<p>Euronews understands that German far-right activist and anti-Islam critic Michael St\u00fcrzenberger was injured in the attack while taking part in a Citizens' Movement Pax Europa (BPE) party rally, of which St\u00fcrzenberger is a member.<\/p>\n<p>While BPE self-describes as \"neutral\", it has become known in radical circles for its vocal opposition to Islam and Muslims in Germany, including demands for a ban on mosques.<\/p>\n<p>The Bavarian branch of BPE and St\u00fcrzenberger have been previously linked to Pegida, a xenophobic extreme-right group with a strong neo-Nazi following, prompting an investigation by the German federal state's Office for the Protection of the Constitution.<\/p>\n<p>A police officer is also among the injured. <\/p>\n<p>The incident took place shortly after 11:30 am. Authorities have confirmed there is no continued danger to the public. <\/p>\n<p>The motive for the crime is currently unclear and is subject to investigation. Rescue workers are on duty and have cordoned off the square, authorities saidd.<\/p>\n<p>The Marktplatz, or Market Square \u2014 where the stabbing took place \u2014 is located in the historic city centre. <\/p>\n<p>A city of 300,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the cultural and economic centre of the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region in the north of Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Our journalists are working on this story and will bring you more as it develops.<\/strong><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717154293,"updatedAt":1717181465,"publishedAt":1717154724,"firstPublishedAt":1717154777,"lastPublishedAt":1717154724,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Associated Press","altText":"Police in Mannheim, Germany","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Police in Mannheim, Germany","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/15\/76\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_149d2f89-4e94-5e86-a1a9-4fa91696af7f-8471576.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":682}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"attack","titleRaw":"Attack","id":7815,"title":"Attack","slug":"attack"},{"urlSafeValue":"far-right","titleRaw":"Far-right","id":11378,"title":"Far-right","slug":"far-right"},{"urlSafeValue":"islam","titleRaw":"Islam","id":4875,"title":"Islam","slug":"islam"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2552772},{"id":2551386},{"id":2553688}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"bVun0cl2VXI","dailymotionId":"x8zfcnu"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":31160,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":4028947,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/E3\/SU\/24\/05\/31\/en\/240531_E3SU_55679148_55679201_31160_204446_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":31160,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":6156307,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/E3\/SU\/24\/05\/31\/en\/240531_E3SU_55679148_55679201_31160_204446_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Eloise Hardy","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news\/europe-news"},"vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"my-europe","id":2,"title":"My Europe","slug":"my-europe"},{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","id":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news"},{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":56,"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":125,"urlSafeValue":"germany","title":"Germany","url":"\/news\/europe\/germany"},"town":{"id":3450,"urlSafeValue":"mannheim","title":"Mannheim"},"grapeshot":"'gv_crime','gb_arms_high','gb_arms_high_med','gb_arms_high_med_low','gb_arms_serious','gv_arms','gv_death_injury','gb_crime_high_med','gb_crime_high_med_low','gb_crime_news-ent','gb_crime_high','gb_crime_serious','gb_death_injury_edu','gb_death_injury_high_med_low','gb_death_injury_high_med','gb_death_injury_news-ent'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/far-right-activist-and-others-hurt-in-stabbing-in-mannheim-germany","lastModified":1717154724},{"id":2553782,"cid":8471348,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240531_BUSU_55678632","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"Business Golden Goose listing","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Trainer brand popular with Taylor Swift and Chris Hemsworth planning Milan IPO","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Golden goose brand worn by Taylor Swift planning Milan IPO","titleListing2":"Italian firm Golden Goose, famous for its \"shabby chic\" trainers, announced on Thursday its intentions to list on the Milan stock exchange in June.","leadin":"Italian firm Golden Goose, famous for its \"shabby chic\" trainers, announced on Thursday its intentions to list on the Milan stock exchange in June.","summary":"Italian firm Golden Goose, famous for its \"shabby chic\" trainers, announced on Thursday its intentions to list on the Milan stock exchange in June.","keySentence":"","url":"trainer-brand-popular-with-taylor-swift-and-chris-hemsworth-planning-milan-ipo","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/business\/2024\/05\/31\/trainer-brand-popular-with-taylor-swift-and-chris-hemsworth-planning-milan-ipo","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The Venice-based brand, owned by British private equity group Permira, plans to raise \u20ac100 million by floating at least 25% of the company.\n\nAn unspecified amount of existing shares will also be sold.\n\nThe offering could value Golden Goose at \u20ac3 billion, including debt, and many are hoping that the move will breathe new life into Europe's recovering IPO market.\n\nIn recent years, market instability has halted a number of listings, with firms spooked by inflation, pandemic-era lockdowns, and geopolitical tensions.\n\n\"For the second year in a row, the European IPO market remained quiet with IPO proceeds raised in 2023 falling to \u20ac10.2 billion,\" noted PwC at the end of last year.\n\nThis was a drop of 35% compared to 2022 and the lowest level seen in more than 10 years.\n\nSince the start of this year, Europe's IPO market has nonetheless been on an upward trajectory\n\nMajor firms CVC, Galderma and Puig have all listed.\n\nGolden Goose\u2019s announcement comes during a slowdown for the luxury sector worldwide as consumers curb post-pandemic spending.\n\nThe Italian brand is known for its intentionally distressed-looking trainers, many of which cost around \u20ac500.\n\nThe shoes have also become associated with a host of A-listers. Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, and Chris Hemsworth have all been spotted in Golden Gooses.\n\nAccording to the firm's most recent earnings report, net revenues for 2023 came to \u20ac587 million, an increase of around 17% from \u20ac501 million a year earlier.\n\nCEO Silvio Campara told Bloomberg that Golden Goose would use proceeds from the IPO to reduce debt and expand into markets with a younger demographic, such as South America, Africa, the Middle East and India.\n\nMany hope the listing will be more successful than the London IPO launched by footwear brand Dr. Martens in 2021.\n\nWhile sales grew in the months following the listing, the British shoemaker has issued a string of profit warnings in recent years.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>The Venice-based brand, owned by British private equity group Permira, plans to raise \u20ac100 million by floating at least 25% of the company.<\/p>\n<p>An unspecified amount of existing shares will also be sold.<\/p>\n<p>The offering could value Golden Goose at \u20ac3 billion, including debt, and many are hoping that the move will breathe new life into Europe's recovering IPO market.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, market instability has halted a number of listings, with firms spooked by inflation, pandemic-era lockdowns, and geopolitical tensions.<\/p>\n<p>\"For the second year in a row, the European IPO market remained quiet with IPO proceeds raised in 2023 falling to \u20ac10.2 billion,\" noted PwC at the end of last year.<\/p>\n<p>This was a drop of 35% compared to 2022 and the lowest level seen in more than 10 years.<\/p>\n<p>Since the start of this year, Europe's IPO market has nonetheless been on an upward trajectory<\/p>\n<p>Major firms CVC, Galderma and Puig have all listed.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8359010,8437244\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//business//2024//04//08//beauty-group-puig-hopes-to-raise-more-than-25bn-by-going-public/">Paco Rabanne owner Puig aims to raise more than \u20ac2.5bn by going public<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//business//2024//05//15//decline-in-luxury-spending-spells-trouble-for-burberrys-bottom-line/"> Decline in luxury spending spells trouble for Burberry's bottom line<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Golden Goose\u2019s announcement comes during a slowdown for the luxury sector worldwide as consumers curb post-pandemic spending.<\/p>\n<p>The Italian brand is known for its intentionally distressed-looking trainers, many of which cost around \u20ac500.<\/p>\n<p>The shoes have also become associated with a host of A-listers. Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, and Chris Hemsworth have all been spotted in Golden Gooses.<\/p>\n<p>According to the firm's most recent earnings report, net revenues for 2023 came to \u20ac587 million, an increase of around 17% from \u20ac501 million a year earlier.<\/p>\n<p>CEO Silvio Campara told Bloomberg that Golden Goose would use proceeds from the IPO to reduce debt and expand into markets with a younger demographic, such as South America, Africa, the Middle East and India.<\/p>\n<p>Many hope the listing will be more successful than the London IPO launched by footwear brand Dr. Martens in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>While sales grew in the months following the listing, the British shoemaker has issued a string of profit warnings in recent years.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717150186,"updatedAt":1717151431,"publishedAt":1717151426,"firstPublishedAt":1717151431,"lastPublishedAt":1717151426,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/13\/48\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b6f61225-6a2a-575b-b13d-73ab8dc985a1-8471348.jpg","altText":"Golden Goose.","caption":"Golden Goose.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Golden Goose.","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1200,"height":720}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"butler","title":"Eleanor Butler","twitter":"@eleanorfbutler"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":22502,"slug":"ipo","urlSafeValue":"ipo","title":"IPO","titleRaw":"IPO"},{"id":11045,"slug":"shares","urlSafeValue":"shares","title":"Shares","titleRaw":"Shares"},{"id":18260,"slug":"taylor-swift","urlSafeValue":"taylor-swift","title":"Taylor Swift","titleRaw":"Taylor Swift"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2552576},{"id":2553150},{"id":2553054}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"business","urlSafeValue":"business","title":"Business","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/business\/business\/business"},"vertical":"business","verticals":[{"id":11,"slug":"business","urlSafeValue":"business","title":"Business"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":11,"slug":"business","urlSafeValue":"business","title":"Business"},"themes":[{"id":"business","urlSafeValue":"business","title":"Business","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/business\/business"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":7,"urlSafeValue":"business","title":"Business"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":158,"urlSafeValue":"italy","title":"Italy","url":"\/news\/europe\/italy"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_popculture','gs_busfin','gs_popculture_celebstyle','gs_economy','gs_science_geography','gs_busfin_economy_markets','gs_economy_markets','gs_busfin_economy','custom_investment','gt_negative','italy_eng','neg_mobkoi_feb2023'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/business\/2024\/05\/31\/trainer-brand-popular-with-taylor-swift-and-chris-hemsworth-planning-milan-ipo","lastModified":1717151426},{"id":2553776,"cid":8471330,"versionId":4,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240531_ECSU_55678556","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"Business Eurozone inflation tops expectations in May","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Eurozone inflation accelerates in May: Are ECB rate cuts in doubt?","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Eurozone inflation accelerates in May: Are ECB rate cuts in doubt?","titleListing2":"Eurozone inflation accelerates in May: Are ECB rate cuts in doubt?","leadin":"The harmonised index of consumer prices rose by 2.6% year-on-year in May, surpassing forecasts. Core inflation also increased to 2.9%. This comes as the European Central Bank (ECB) prepares for a potential rate cut on June 6.","summary":"The harmonised index of consumer prices rose by 2.6% year-on-year in May, surpassing forecasts. Core inflation also increased to 2.9%. This comes as the European Central Bank (ECB) prepares for a potential rate cut on June 6.","keySentence":"","url":"eurozone-inflation-accelerates-in-may-are-ecb-rate-cuts-in-doubt","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/business\/2024\/05\/31\/eurozone-inflation-accelerates-in-may-are-ecb-rate-cuts-in-doubt","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Eurozone inflation surged in May, surpassing economists' expectations just days before the European Central Bank (ECB) is set to convene to announce the first interest rate cut in four years.\n\nAccording to preliminary data from Eurostat, the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) in the eurozone rose by 2.6% year-on-year in May, up from 2.4% in April and exceeding the forecast of 2.5%. This marks the first increase in the annual inflation rate since December 2023. On a monthly basis, the HICP climbed by 0.2%, a slowdown from April\u2019s 0.6%.\n\nNotably, energy inflation turned positive at 0.3% year-on-year for the first time since April 2023. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, also rose in May, ending nine months of disinflation. The core inflation rate increased from 2.7% in April to 2.9% in May, surpassing the 2.8% expectation. Monthly core inflation edged up by 0.4%, decelerating from April\u2019s 0.6%.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAmong member states, the highest annual inflation rates in May were observed in Belgium (4.9%), Croatia (4.3%), and Portugal (3.9%). The latter, recorded its highest annual inflation rate in a year.\u00a0\n\nConversely, Finland (0.5%), Italy (0.8%), and Lithuania (0.8%) had the lowest annual inflation rates.\n\nWill the ECB refrain from cutting interest rates next week?\n\nThe May flash inflation data is one of the last critical inputs before the ECB's meeting on June 6, where a 25-basis-point cut is widely expected.\u00a0\n\nSeveral ECB policymakers have recently indicated a preference for a rate cut in June, which should suggest that a slight upside surprise in inflation is unlikely to alter their plans.\n\nBy not cutting interest rates, the ECB could send a worrying signal to market participants that they believe inflationary pressures are re-emerging and that maintaining restrictive interest rates is necessary.\u00a0\n\nIt is highly anticipated that they will proceed with the rate cut in June without committing to further reductions, as Chief Economist Philip Lane outlined in his May 27 speech.\n\nLane emphasised that the pace of future rate cuts will be slower if there are upward surprises in underlying inflation, particularly in domestic and services sectors.\n\nThe ECB forecasted an average core inflation rate of 2.5% year-on-year for the second quarter of 2024.\n\nGiven the 2.7% reading in April and 2.9% in May, the June reading would need to be between 2% and 2.1% to align with the prior ECB's forecast, which seems unlikely.\u00a0\n\nThe cut-off date for the ECB\u2019s June macroeconomic projections has passed, suggesting that a slight upward revision to second-quarter core inflation estimates will be on the cards.\u00a0\n\nPresident Christine Lagarde could also communicate during the press conference that the return to the 2% target for core inflation might be slightly slower than previously forecasted.\n\nMoney markets are currently pricing in 61 basis points of ECB rate cuts by year-end, implying only one additional 25-basis-point cut for 2024 after June's expected cut.\n\nMarket reactions\n\nFollowing the inflation report, the euro edged slightly higher against the dollar, with the EUR\/USD exchange rate rising to 1.0840.\u00a0\n\nBond yields among major European countries increased, with Germany\u2019s 10-year Bund yield climbing to 2.7%, potentially reaching the highest daily close since mid-November 2023.\u00a0\n\nItalian and French yields also rose by about 4 basis points.\u00a0\n\nMajor European indices inched lower, with the DAX and CAC 40 down 0.2%, and the broader Euro Stoxx 50 falling by 0.1%.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Eurozone inflation surged in May, surpassing economists' expectations just days before the European Central Bank (ECB) is set to convene to announce the first interest rate cut in four years.<\/p>\n<p>According to preliminary data from Eurostat, the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) in the eurozone rose by 2.6% year-on-year in May, up from 2.4% in April and exceeding the forecast of 2.5%. This marks the first increase in the annual inflation rate since December 2023. On a monthly basis, the HICP climbed by 0.2%, a slowdown from April\u2019s 0.6%.<\/p>\n<p>Notably, energy inflation turned positive at 0.3% year-on-year for the first time since April 2023. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, also rose in May, ending nine months of disinflation. The core inflation rate increased from 2.7% in April to 2.9% in May, surpassing the 2.8% expectation. Monthly core inflation edged up by 0.4%, decelerating from April\u2019s 0.6%.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-flourish widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart u-min-height-375\" data-src=\"visualisation\/17406087?92060\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Among member states, the highest annual inflation rates in May were observed in Belgium (4.9%), Croatia (4.3%), and Portugal (3.9%). The latter, recorded its highest annual inflation rate in a year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, Finland (0.5%), Italy (0.8%), and Lithuania (0.8%) had the lowest annual inflation rates.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-flourish widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart u-min-height-375\" data-src=\"visualisation\/18187489?92060\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2><strong>Will the ECB refrain from cutting interest rates next week?<\/strong><\/h2><p>The May flash inflation data is one of the last critical inputs before the ECB's meeting on June 6, where a 25-basis-point cut is widely expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Several ECB policymakers have recently indicated a preference for a rate cut in June, which should suggest that a slight upside surprise in inflation is unlikely to alter their plans.<\/p>\n<p>By not cutting interest rates, the ECB could send a worrying signal to market participants that they believe inflationary pressures are re-emerging and that maintaining restrictive interest rates is necessary.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It is highly anticipated that they will proceed with the rate cut in June without committing to further reductions, as Chief Economist Philip Lane outlined in his May 27 speech.<\/p>\n<p>Lane emphasised that the pace of future rate cuts will be slower if there are upward surprises in underlying inflation, particularly in domestic and services sectors.<\/p>\n<p>The ECB forecasted an average core inflation rate of 2.5% year-on-year for the second quarter of 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Given the 2.7% reading in April and 2.9% in May, the June reading would need to be between 2% and 2.1% to align with the prior ECB's forecast, which seems unlikely.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The cut-off date for the ECB\u2019s June macroeconomic projections has passed, suggesting that a slight upward revision to second-quarter core inflation estimates will be on the cards.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>President Christine Lagarde could also communicate during the press conference that the return to the 2% target for core inflation might be slightly slower than previously forecasted.<\/p>\n<p>Money markets are currently pricing in 61 basis points of ECB rate cuts by year-end, implying only one additional 25-basis-point cut for 2024 after June's expected cut.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Market reactions<\/strong><\/h2><p>Following the inflation report, the euro edged slightly higher against the dollar, with the EUR\/USD exchange rate rising to 1.0840.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bond yields among major European countries increased, with Germany\u2019s 10-year Bund yield climbing to 2.7%, potentially reaching the highest daily close since mid-November 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Italian and French yields also rose by about 4 basis points.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Major European indices inched lower, with the DAX and CAC 40 down 0.2%, and the broader Euro Stoxx 50 falling by 0.1%.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717149570,"updatedAt":1717153171,"publishedAt":1717150913,"firstPublishedAt":1717150920,"lastPublishedAt":1717150913,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Martin Meissner\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"People walking the main shopping street in Dortmund, Germany.","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"People walking the main shopping street in Dortmund, Germany.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/13\/30\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e9d81e1d-ea74-5c72-85d0-6f38bd5860ab-8471330.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1213}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"inflation","titleRaw":"Inflation","id":150,"title":"Inflation","slug":"inflation"},{"urlSafeValue":"interest-rates","titleRaw":"Interest rates","id":7967,"title":"Interest rates","slug":"interest-rates"},{"urlSafeValue":"consumer-confidence","titleRaw":"Consumer Confidence","id":55,"title":"Consumer Confidence","slug":"consumer-confidence"}],"widgets":[{"count":2,"slug":"flourish"}],"related":[{"id":2553054},{"id":2552576},{"id":2553140}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Piero Cingari","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"economy","urlSafeValue":"economy","title":"Economy","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/business\/economy\/economy"},"vertical":"business","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"business","id":11,"title":"Business","slug":"business"},{"urlSafeValue":"business","id":11,"title":"Business","slug":"business"},{"urlSafeValue":"business","id":11,"title":"Business","slug":"business"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":11,"slug":"business","urlSafeValue":"business","title":"Business"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"economy","id":"economy","title":"Economy","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/business\/economy"},{"urlSafeValue":"business","id":"business","title":"Business","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/business\/business"},{"urlSafeValue":"markets","id":"markets","title":"Markets","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/business\/markets"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":72,"urlSafeValue":"economy","title":"Economy"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":[],"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_economy','gs_busfin','gs_busfin_economy','gs_economy_misc','gs_busfin_economy_rates','gs_busfin_economy_markets','gs_economy_markets','gs_politics','gt_mixed','neg_facebook','eu_brussels_politics_eng','custom_investment','neg_bucherer'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/business\/2024\/05\/31\/eurozone-inflation-accelerates-in-may-are-ecb-rate-cuts-in-doubt","lastModified":1717150913},{"id":2553636,"cid":8470820,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240531_E3SU_55676695","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"ROBERT FICO RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Slovakia's PM Robert Fico moved to home care in Bratislava","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Slovakia's prime minister moved to home care in Bratislava","titleListing2":"Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico released from hospital into care at home","leadin":"Fico will recuperate in the capital after being seriously wounded in an assassination attempt in the central town of Handlova earlier this month.","summary":"Fico will recuperate in the capital after being seriously wounded in an assassination attempt in the central town of Handlova earlier this month.","keySentence":"","url":"slovakian-prime-minister-robert-fico-released-from-hospital-into-care-at-home","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/slovakian-prime-minister-robert-fico-released-from-hospital-into-care-at-home","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Slovakia\u2019s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has been airlifted from a Bansk\u00e1 Bystrica hospital where he was treated after an assassination attempt in the central town of Handlov\u00e1.\n\nFico was transported early on Thursday to his home in Bratislava, where he will receive nursing care, reports say.\n\nThe Slovakian PM was shot in the abdomen at close range as he greeted supporters in Handlov\u00e1 earlier this month.\n\nVideos showed him approach people gathered at barricades and reach out to shake hands as a man stepped forward, extended his arm and fired five rounds before being tackled and arrested.\n\nFico immediately underwent a five-hour surgery to treat multiple wounds he suffered in the shooting, followed by another two-hour surgery two days later to remove dead tissue from his gunshot wounds.\n\nThe country\u2019s Specialised Criminal Court in the town of Pezinok ordered the suspect, who is charged with attempted murder, to remain in custody.\n\nProsecutors told police not to publicly identify the suspect or release details about the case.\n\nGovernment officials originally said they believed it was a politically motivated attack committed by a \u201clone wolf,\u201d but later announced that a \u201cthird party\u201d might have been involved in \u201cacting for the benefit of the perpetrator\u201d.\n\nMultiple protests have taken place in Slovakia against Fico\u2019s government after he made efforts to overhaul public broadcasting, a move critics said would give the government full control of public television and radio. \n\nThat, along with his plans to amend the penal code to eliminate a special anti-graft prosecutor, has led opponents to worry that he would lead Slovakia down a more autocratic path.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Slovakia\u2019s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has been airlifted from a Bansk\u00e1 Bystrica hospital where he was treated after an assassination attempt in the central town of Handlov\u00e1.<\/p>\n<p>Fico was transported early on Thursday to his home in Bratislava, where he will receive nursing care, reports say.<\/p>\n<p>The Slovakian PM was shot in the abdomen at close range as he greeted supporters in Handlov\u00e1 earlier this month.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//43//77//92//808x539_cmsv2_de076e17-eabd-54eb-bd8e-9d295fb6beb2-8437792.jpg/" alt=\"Robert Fico greets people before the cabinet's away-from-home session in the town of Handlova.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/77\/92\/384x256_cmsv2_de076e17-eabd-54eb-bd8e-9d295fb6beb2-8437792.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/77\/92\/640x427_cmsv2_de076e17-eabd-54eb-bd8e-9d295fb6beb2-8437792.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/77\/92\/750x500_cmsv2_de076e17-eabd-54eb-bd8e-9d295fb6beb2-8437792.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/77\/92\/828x552_cmsv2_de076e17-eabd-54eb-bd8e-9d295fb6beb2-8437792.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/77\/92\/1080x720_cmsv2_de076e17-eabd-54eb-bd8e-9d295fb6beb2-8437792.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/77\/92\/1200x800_cmsv2_de076e17-eabd-54eb-bd8e-9d295fb6beb2-8437792.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/77\/92\/1920x1281_cmsv2_de076e17-eabd-54eb-bd8e-9d295fb6beb2-8437792.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Robert Fico greets people before the cabinet's away-from-home session in the town of Handlova.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Radovan Stoklasa\/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Videos showed him approach people gathered at barricades and reach out to shake hands as a man stepped forward, extended his arm and fired five rounds before being tackled and arrested.<\/p>\n<p>Fico immediately underwent a five-hour surgery to treat multiple wounds he suffered in the shooting, followed by another two-hour surgery two days later to remove dead tissue from his gunshot wounds.<\/p>\n<p>The country\u2019s Specialised Criminal Court in the town of Pezinok ordered the suspect, who is charged with attempted murder, to remain in custody.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors told police not to publicly identify the suspect or release details about the case.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.66796875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//43//82//62//808x539_cmsv2_64ca1228-3fd2-5f2a-b307-072f17b28834-8438262.jpg/" alt=\"Robert Fico shooting suspect is arrested by police\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/82\/62\/384x257_cmsv2_64ca1228-3fd2-5f2a-b307-072f17b28834-8438262.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/82\/62\/640x428_cmsv2_64ca1228-3fd2-5f2a-b307-072f17b28834-8438262.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/82\/62\/750x501_cmsv2_64ca1228-3fd2-5f2a-b307-072f17b28834-8438262.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/82\/62\/828x553_cmsv2_64ca1228-3fd2-5f2a-b307-072f17b28834-8438262.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/82\/62\/1080x721_cmsv2_64ca1228-3fd2-5f2a-b307-072f17b28834-8438262.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/82\/62\/1200x802_cmsv2_64ca1228-3fd2-5f2a-b307-072f17b28834-8438262.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/82\/62\/1920x1283_cmsv2_64ca1228-3fd2-5f2a-b307-072f17b28834-8438262.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Robert Fico shooting suspect is arrested by police<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Radovan Stoklasa\/Tlacova agentura SR<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Government officials originally said they believed it was a politically motivated attack committed by a \u201clone wolf,\u201d but later announced that a \u201cthird party\u201d might have been involved in \u201cacting for the benefit of the perpetrator\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Multiple protests have taken place in Slovakia against Fico\u2019s government after he made efforts to overhaul public broadcasting, a move critics said would give the government full control of public television and radio. <\/p>\n<p>That, along with his plans to amend the penal code to eliminate a special anti-graft prosecutor, has led opponents to worry that he would lead Slovakia down a more autocratic path.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717141075,"updatedAt":1717149784,"publishedAt":1717149367,"firstPublishedAt":1717149370,"lastPublishedAt":1717149367,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Geert Vanden Wijngaert","altText":"Slovakia's prime minister, Robert Fico.","callToActionText":null,"width":5000,"caption":"Slovakia's prime minister, Robert Fico.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/08\/20\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_460bd76b-2090-56c3-bdc7-7b542cccdfe7-8470820.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":2813},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Bundas Engler\/AP","altText":"Slovakia's Prime Minister has been released into at home care after being shot earlier this month.","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Slovakia's Prime Minister has been released into at home care after being shot earlier this month.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/08\/20\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_8c6ce7ab-5870-5623-abbd-8f83e986115f-8470820.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":685},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":null,"altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/82\/62\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_64ca1228-3fd2-5f2a-b307-072f17b28834-8438262.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":684},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Jan Kroslak\/Tlacova agentura SR","altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/80\/90\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_cc95dd23-8498-50aa-9c99-38219fee34f3-8438090.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":null,"altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/43\/77\/92\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_de076e17-eabd-54eb-bd8e-9d295fb6beb2-8437792.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"chitty","twitter":null,"title":"Abby Chitty"}],"producers":[{"urlSafeValue":"chitty","twitter":null,"title":"Abby Chitty"}],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"slovakia-politics","titleRaw":"Slovakia politics","id":10645,"title":"Slovakia politics","slug":"slovakia-politics"},{"urlSafeValue":"attack","titleRaw":"Attack","id":7815,"title":"Attack","slug":"attack"},{"urlSafeValue":"prime-minister","titleRaw":"Prime Minister","id":4671,"title":"Prime Minister","slug":"prime-minister"},{"urlSafeValue":"robert-fico","titleRaw":"Robert Fico","id":29192,"title":"Robert 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News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":252,"urlSafeValue":"slovakia","title":"Slovakia","url":"\/news\/europe\/slovakia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','gs_politics','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc','gs_science','gs_science_geography'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/slovakian-prime-minister-robert-fico-released-from-hospital-into-care-at-home","lastModified":1717149367},{"id":2553734,"cid":8471206,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240531_BZSU_55678185","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"INCLUSIVE BRAINS MACRON TWEET","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"France\u2019s answer to Neuralink sends message to Macron using movement and brainwaves in world first","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"French start-up Inclusive Brains sends post to Macron via brainwaves","titleListing2":"France\u2019s answer to Neuralink sends message to Macron using movement and brainwaves in world first","leadin":"The demonstrator raised his hands in the air to show how the message to the French president was sent with mental and physiological commands.","summary":"The demonstrator raised his hands in the air to show how the message to the French president was sent with mental and physiological commands.","keySentence":"","url":"frances-answer-to-neuralink-sends-message-to-macron-using-movement-and-brainwaves-in-world","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2024\/05\/31\/frances-answer-to-neuralink-sends-message-to-macron-using-movement-and-brainwaves-in-world","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"France's answer to Neuralink sent a message to President Emmanuel Macron on the social media platform X on Friday using only a device controlled by movement and the mind.\n\nUsing a non-invasive brain-computer interface powered by multimodal generative artificial intelligence (AI), the technology created by the Marseille-based company Inclusive Brains was demonstrated to a live audience at the UN's \"AI for Good\" Summit in Geneva.\u00a0\n\nThe demonstrator raised his hands in the air to show how the message to the French president was sent with mental and physiological commands.\n\nHead movement controlled the cursor and the brainwaves were used to click the computer mouse through a small headset device.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nIt took a couple of minutes to write and send the tweet, which read \u201cHello UN! World premiere made in France Fiert\u00e9 Fran\u00e7aise! cc Emmanuel Macron,\u201d which included emojis and a photo.\u00a0\n\nThe company\u2019s co-founder and CTO Paul Barbaste said it could have been quicker if not for being in a live environment.\u00a0\n\n\u201cIt was quite stressful the level of concentration. From what I know about the technology, if I hadn't been in such a stressful environment, I might have clicked faster,\u201d he told Euronews Next.\n\nMacron responded in a post on X, stating it was the \u201cfirst tweet in history written and published only by thought\u201d.\n\nThe European Neuralink?\n\nThe company, which only has a team of four people, has set its sights high.\u00a0\n\n\u201cDo we want to be at least the European Neuralink? We are, but with a positive twist to it,\u201d Inclusive Brain\u2019s founder and CEO Olivier Oullier told Euronews Next.\n\n\u201cWe really want to be able to leverage AI and neurotechnology in order to improve inclusion in the workplace, to allow people also to have the physical and mental health being assisted thanks to this technology\u201d.\u00a0\n\nInclusivity is also central to the company.\n\n\u201cIf we can do it here in this non-friendly environment [at the AI for Good Summit], in a sense, people will be able to leverage this at home. Some people are isolated,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cAnd if you can't communicate with the world you cannot study, if you cannot study, you cannot work. If you cannot work, you're excluded from society\u201d.\u00a0\n\nHowever, sending posts via X is not the only feat achieved by the company.\u00a0\n\nLast month in Marseille, Nathalie Labr\u00e9g\u00e8re, a 34-year-old woman with physical and cognitive disabilities participated in a relay and was able to hold the Olympic torch thanks to the technology, which was used in a mind-controlled exoskeleton.\u00a0\n\nShe could control the arm by opening her mouth or kissing the air.\u00a0\n\nThe company hopes that it can scale up and enjoy the success of other French start-ups.\u00a0\n\n\u201cWe saw Mistral AI being supported by and funded and being able to basically develop products that, can challenge OpenAI,\u201d said Oullier.\u00a0\n\n\u201cWe've been able to do this with very little money. We're already doing amazing things\u201d.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>France's answer to Neuralink sent a message to President Emmanuel Macron on the social media platform X on Friday using only a device controlled by movement and the mind.<\/p>\n<p>Using a non-invasive brain-computer interface powered by multimodal generative artificial intelligence (AI), the technology created by the Marseille-based company Inclusive Brains was demonstrated to a live audience at the UN's \"AI for Good\" Summit in Geneva.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The demonstrator raised his hands in the air to show how the message to the French president was sent with mental and physiological commands.<\/p>\n<p>Head movement controlled the cursor and the brainwaves were used to click the computer mouse through a small headset device.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It took a couple of minutes to write and send the tweet, which read \u201cHello UN! World premiere made in France Fiert\u00e9 Fran\u00e7aise! cc Emmanuel Macron,\u201d which included emojis and a photo.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The company\u2019s co-founder and CTO Paul Barbaste said it could have been quicker if not for being in a live environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was quite stressful the level of concentration. From what I know about the technology, if I hadn't been in such a stressful environment, I might have clicked faster,\u201d he told Euronews Next.<\/p>\n<p>Macron responded in a post on X, stating it was the \u201cfirst tweet in history written and published only by thought\u201d.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1796459059069247620\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>The European Neuralink?<\/h2><p>The company, which only has a team of four people, has set its sights high.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo we want to be at least the European Neuralink? We are, but with a positive twist to it,\u201d Inclusive Brain\u2019s founder and CEO Olivier Oullier told Euronews Next.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe really want to be able to leverage AI and neurotechnology in order to improve inclusion in the workplace, to allow people also to have the physical and mental health being assisted thanks to this technology\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Inclusivity is also central to the company.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we can do it here in this non-friendly environment [at the AI for Good Summit], in a sense, people will be able to leverage this at home. Some people are isolated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd if you can't communicate with the world you cannot study, if you cannot study, you cannot work. If you cannot work, you're excluded from society\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, sending posts via X is not the only feat achieved by the company.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Last month in Marseille, Nathalie Labr\u00e9g\u00e8re, a 34-year-old woman with physical and cognitive disabilities participated in a relay and was able to hold the Olympic torch thanks to the technology, which was used in a mind-controlled exoskeleton.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She could control the arm by opening her mouth or kissing the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The company hopes that it can scale up and enjoy the success of other French start-ups.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe saw Mistral AI being supported by and funded and being able to basically develop products that, can challenge OpenAI,\u201d said Oullier.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe've been able to do this with very little money. We're already doing amazing things\u201d.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717146638,"updatedAt":1717148681,"publishedAt":1717148250,"firstPublishedAt":1717148252,"lastPublishedAt":1717148250,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews\/Pascale Davies","altText":"Inclusive Brains sends a message using a brain-computer headset","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Inclusive Brains sends a message using a brain-computer headset","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/12\/06\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_4c4baef5-4617-5e31-90b2-390714a4eacb-8471206.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews\/Pascale Davies","altText":"Inclusive Brains sends a message using a brain-computer headset","callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"caption":"Inclusive Brains sends a message using a brain-computer headset","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/12\/06\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d5a12ec0-7186-5b58-a768-ab1f1522e254-8471206.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":920}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"davies-p","twitter":null,"title":"Pascale Davies"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"technology","titleRaw":"Technology","id":389,"title":"Technology","slug":"technology"},{"urlSafeValue":"emmanuel-macron","titleRaw":"Emmanuel Macron","id":12357,"title":"Emmanuel 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News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":117,"urlSafeValue":"france","title":"France","url":"\/news\/europe\/france"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_tech','gs_tech_compute','gs_tech_compute_net','gs_tech_computing','gs_tech_compute_net_social','progressivemedia','gs_busfin','gs_science','gt_positive','gs_tech_social','bespoke_kaspersky','client_easports_sporting_gaming'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/next\/2024\/05\/31\/frances-answer-to-neuralink-sends-message-to-macron-using-movement-and-brainwaves-in-world","lastModified":1717148250},{"id":2553672,"cid":8470904,"versionId":9,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240531_E3SU_55676985","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NATO MEETING FRIDAY UPDATE","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Germany says Ukraine can use its weapons to strike Russian territory","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Germany says Ukraine can use its weapons to strike Russian territory","titleListing2":"Germany says Ukraine can use its weapons to strike Russian territory","leadin":"Several NATO countries have relaxed their boundaries on Ukraine's use of their military hardware \u2013 but some are still not budging.","summary":"Several NATO countries have relaxed their boundaries on Ukraine's use of their military hardware \u2013 but some are still not budging.","keySentence":"","url":"germany-says-ukraine-can-use-its-weapons-against-russia","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/2024\/05\/31\/germany-says-ukraine-can-use-its-weapons-against-russia","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Germany has announced it will allow Ukraine to use German weapons to attack targets within Russia's borders, joining several other NATO members in relaxing its limits on what Ukraine can do with donated military hardware.\n\nThe news comes as several NATO member states, including the US, are one-by-one easing their restrictions on the extent to which Kyiv can use western-supplied weaponry to combat Russia\u2019s invasion.\n\nHowever, not all members are on board with the move. Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani ruled out both sending troops to Ukraine and the use of Italian weapons to hit targets inside Russia.\u00a0\n\n\"It's impossible for Italy to send soldiers to Ukraine also to use our weapons in Russia,\" Tajani told reporters in Prague.\n\nTajani did stress Italy's support of Ukraine, but said that under the country's constitution, it would be impossible to allow the use of its weapons to hit inside Russia and deploy troops to Ukraine.\n\n\"We are not fighting against Russia. We are defending Ukraine, (it) is not the same,\" he added.\n\nNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also dismissed renewed Russian threats of escalation. \n\n\u201cThere is nothing new,\" he said. \"This is part of President Putin's efforts to prevent NATO allies from supporting Ukraine.\"\n\nNATO foreign ministers are meeting in the Czech capital on Friday to prepare for this summer\u2019s full leaders' summit as the alliance boosts support for Ukraine.\n\nA day after US President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the go-ahead to use American munitions to strike inside Russia for the limited purpose of defending Kharkiv, numerous ministers, including those from the Netherlands, Finland and Poland expressed their approval of the decision, saying that Ukraine has the absolute right to defend itself from attacks originating on Russian soil.\n\nThe chorus of allied voices giving greater leeway for Ukraine to use their weapons grew louder in recent weeks after Russia launched artillery strikes on Kharkiv from its territory, prompting appeals for help from Kyiv.\n\n\u201cThis is a matter of upholding international law \u2013 Ukraine\u2019s right to self-defence,\u201d Stoltenberg said. \u201cRussia has attacked Ukraine, (who have) the right to defend themselves. And that includes also attacking military legitimate targets inside Russia.\u201d\n\n\u201cIf you look at the battlefield now, Russia is launching attacks on Ukraine\u2019s soil from Russian soil with artillery, missiles, and massing troops,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd, of course, it makes it very hard for Ukraine to defend themselves if they are not allowed to use advanced weapons to repel those attacks.\u201d\n\nUkrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have been increasingly vocal in arguing that the restriction was putting Ukrainian forces in an untenable position as Russia intensified attacks around Kharkiv, which lies just 20 kilometres from the Russian border.\n\nRussia has exploited a lengthy delay in the replenishment of US military aid and Western Europe\u2019s inadequate military production that has slowed crucial deliveries to the battlefield for Ukraine.\n\nNATO is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and leaders will meet in Washington in July to reaffirm their support for the Ukrainian effort. Stoltenberg said he expects to be able to announce at the summit that at least two-thirds of members are meeting their commitment to spend 2% of their gross domestic product on defence.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Germany has announced it will allow Ukraine to use German weapons to attack targets within Russia's borders, joining several other NATO members in relaxing its limits on what Ukraine can do with donated military hardware.<\/p>\n<p>The news comes as several NATO member states, including the US, are one-by-one easing their restrictions on the extent to which Kyiv can use western-supplied weaponry to combat Russia\u2019s invasion.<\/p>\n<p>However, not all members are on board with the move. Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani ruled out both sending troops to Ukraine and the use of Italian weapons to hit targets inside Russia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"It's impossible for Italy to send soldiers to Ukraine also to use our weapons in Russia,\" Tajani told reporters in Prague.<\/p>\n<p>Tajani did stress Italy's support of Ukraine, but said that under the country's constitution, it would be impossible to allow the use of its weapons to hit inside Russia and deploy troops to Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>\"We are not fighting against Russia. We are defending Ukraine, (it) is not the same,\" he added.<\/p>\n<p>NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also dismissed renewed Russian threats of escalation. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is nothing new,\" he said. \"This is part of President Putin's efforts to prevent NATO allies from supporting Ukraine.\"<\/p>\n<p>NATO foreign ministers are meeting in the Czech capital on Friday to prepare for this summer\u2019s full leaders' summit as the alliance <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//30//nato-foreign-ministers-discuss-restrictions-on-ukraine-using-their-weapons-to-attack-russi/">boosts support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//47//09//04//808x539_cmsv2_b966d7fc-1e92-57c5-80fe-1840481f0a2a-8470904.jpg/" alt=\"A German army main battle tank Leopard 2A7V takes part in a Lithuanian-German international military exercise.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/09\/04\/384x256_cmsv2_b966d7fc-1e92-57c5-80fe-1840481f0a2a-8470904.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/09\/04\/640x427_cmsv2_b966d7fc-1e92-57c5-80fe-1840481f0a2a-8470904.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/09\/04\/750x500_cmsv2_b966d7fc-1e92-57c5-80fe-1840481f0a2a-8470904.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/09\/04\/828x552_cmsv2_b966d7fc-1e92-57c5-80fe-1840481f0a2a-8470904.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/09\/04\/1080x720_cmsv2_b966d7fc-1e92-57c5-80fe-1840481f0a2a-8470904.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/09\/04\/1200x800_cmsv2_b966d7fc-1e92-57c5-80fe-1840481f0a2a-8470904.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/09\/04\/1920x1281_cmsv2_b966d7fc-1e92-57c5-80fe-1840481f0a2a-8470904.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A German army main battle tank Leopard 2A7V takes part in a Lithuanian-German international military exercise.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Mindaugas Kulbis\/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved.<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A day after US President Joe Biden <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//05//30//ukraine-warns-of-new-russian-reinforcements-as-nato-members-soften-red-lines-on-weapons-us/">gave Ukraine the go-ahead to use American munitions to strike inside Russia for the limited purpose of defending Kharkiv,** numerous ministers, including those from the Netherlands, Finland and Poland expressed their approval of the decision, saying that Ukraine has the absolute right to defend itself from attacks originating on Russian soil.<\/p>\n<p>The chorus of allied voices giving greater leeway for Ukraine to use their weapons grew louder in recent weeks after Russia launched artillery strikes on Kharkiv from its territory, prompting appeals for help from Kyiv.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a matter of upholding international law \u2013 Ukraine\u2019s right to self-defence,\u201d Stoltenberg said. \u201cRussia has attacked Ukraine, (who have) the right to defend themselves. And that includes also attacking military legitimate targets inside Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you look at the battlefield now, Russia is launching attacks on Ukraine\u2019s soil from Russian soil with artillery, missiles, and massing troops,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd, of course, it makes it very hard for Ukraine to defend themselves if they are not allowed to use advanced weapons to repel those attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have been increasingly vocal in arguing that the restriction was putting Ukrainian forces in an untenable position as <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////apnews.com//article//russia-ukraine-war-kharkiv-attacks-5023c3e67af30fc95b954a6f044112dc/">Russia intensified attacks<\/strong><\/a> around Kharkiv, which lies just 20 kilometres from the Russian border.<\/p>\n<p>Russia has exploited a lengthy delay in the replenishment of US military aid and Western Europe\u2019s inadequate military production that has slowed crucial deliveries to the battlefield for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>NATO is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and leaders will meet in Washington in July to reaffirm their support for the Ukrainian effort. Stoltenberg said he expects to be able to announce at the summit that at least two-thirds of members are meeting their commitment to spend 2% of their gross domestic product on defence.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717141852,"updatedAt":1717158429,"publishedAt":1717146996,"firstPublishedAt":1717147036,"lastPublishedAt":1717146996,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Markus Schreiber","altText":"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.","callToActionText":null,"width":5831,"caption":"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/09\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_27900401-0b78-540f-9c4e-cbd955ca8657-8470904.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3281},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":null,"altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/09\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b966d7fc-1e92-57c5-80fe-1840481f0a2a-8470904.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Mindaugas Kulbis","altText":"A German army main battle tank Leopard 2A7V takes part in the Lithuanian-German military exercise north of Vilnius, 29 May 2024","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"A German army main battle tank Leopard 2A7V takes part in the Lithuanian-German military exercise north of Vilnius, 29 May 2024","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/09\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_12d1ede2-10da-5bda-bfd9-be59b44000e6-8470904.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Associated Press","altText":"United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg address the media in Prague, Friday, May 31, 2024.","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg address the media in Prague, Friday, May 31, 2024.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/09\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d457ce91-2520-5ff9-9ac3-d59e25e8dd72-8470904.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"nato","titleRaw":"NATO","id":205,"title":"NATO","slug":"nato"},{"urlSafeValue":"jens-stoltenberg","titleRaw":"Jens Stoltenberg","id":11738,"title":"Jens Stoltenberg","slug":"jens-stoltenberg"},{"urlSafeValue":"war-in-ukraine","titleRaw":"Ukraine war","id":26692,"title":"Ukraine 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News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":67,"urlSafeValue":"czech-republic","title":"Czech 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to fight rise of far right","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"French socialist candidate vows to fight rise of far right","titleListing2":"EU election: French Socialist Party candidate promises to be the new face of social democrats","leadin":"During a major campaign meeting in Paris, MEP Rapha\u00ebl Glucksmann rallied a surprising alliance of young voters and the older left-wing generation to push back against the rising far right in Europe.","summary":"During a major campaign meeting in Paris, MEP Rapha\u00ebl Glucksmann rallied a surprising alliance of young voters and the older left-wing generation to push back against the rising far right in Europe.","keySentence":"","url":"european-elections-french-socialist-party-candidate-vows-to-fight-rise-of-far-right","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/european-elections-french-socialist-party-candidate-vows-to-fight-rise-of-far-right","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The legendary red room of the Z\u00e9nith concert hall in Paris, which has welcomed the likes of AC\/DC, Lady Gaga, and David Bowie, is starting to fill up slowly.\u00a0\n\nBetween 3,000 and 4,000 people gathered on Thursday evening to see the European elections candidate representing the French Socialist Party (PS-PP), 44-year-old essayist Rapha\u00ebl Glucksmann.\u00a0\n\nThe young and old intermingled, waving European flags against the vivid backdrop of the French Socialist Party's pink and yellow colours. The slogans \u201cTax the Rich\u201d and \"Waking up Europe\" appeared almost everywhere.\u00a0\n\nAt the foot of the stage, a star-studded crowd of elected officials is present, including Anne Hidalgo, the Socialist mayor of Paris, Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, and the German Socialist MEP Mathias Ecke, who was violently attacked by far-right sympathisers early May while putting up campaign posters in Dresden. \n\nFor many, Glucksmann is their only \u201crealistic hope against the rise of the far right\u201d in France during the upcoming 9 June vote, said Hidalgo as she took to the stage to introduce the candidate.\u00a0\n\nGrabbing votes from undecided and youth\n\nFive years after obtaining 6% in the last European elections, the Socialist Party MEP is now neck-and-neck with French President Emmanuel Macron\u2019s Renaissance, headed by Val\u00e9rie Hayer. Hayer is currently ahead of Glucksmann by just 0.5% of voting intentions at 15%, according to the latest polls. \n\nHowever, the two are still trailing the far-right candidate Jordan Bardella of the National Rally, who currently holds 34% of voting intentions. \n\nWithin the last ten days of the election, the goal is to nab votes from the younger voters, the undecided, and Macron\u2019s centre-right party.\u00a0\n\nAfter over an hour of introductory speeches, Glucksmann was welcomed like a rockstar, taking time for multiple selfies and handshakes with the public.\u00a0\n\nOn stage, the MEP repeated that \u201cEurope is threatened and democracy is fragile\u201d, denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and insisting on increased support to Kyiv.\u00a0\n\nIn the crowd, 19-year-old law student Olympe told Euronews she is convinced by the candidate. \n\nUp until then, she was hesitating between voting for the Socialists and the Green party headed by Marie Toussaint.\u00a0\n\nAlthough she disagrees with Glucksmann\u2019s proposal to accelerate Ukraine\u2019s accession to the bloc, she said she was charmed by his proposal to reform the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and tax the richest incomes in Europe.\u00a0\n\nGlucksmann\u2019s campaign is centred around a \u201csovereign and powerful Europe\u201d, a common theme shared by multiple candidates this year on the left and right of the political spectrum. \n\nThe head of the Socialist Party also called for an \u201cenergy revolution\u201d by introducing a larger share of nuclear power \u2014 a stark difference from his other left-wing competitors such as the far-left LFI party (La France Insoumise) and the Green party (EELV).\u00a0\n\nGlucksmann also said his first move if he were re-elected would be to push for a \u201cMost Favoured European Clause\u201d to cover women's rights, which would extend national legislation beneficial to women to the rest of the bloc\u2019s countries.\n\nThe feminist pledge was appreciated by old-school socialists such as Nicole and Danielle, both 86-year-old retired nurses, who told Euronews that they were scared of the rise of \"antifeminist movements\" in Europe.\u00a0\n\nGlucksmann concluded his hour-long speech by claiming he is \"the efficient vote, the vote of the heart, the vote that is going to wake Europe up,\" as the crowd gave him a standing ovation. \n\nMany of the older voters in the crowd who are nostalgic for the golden age of French socialism told Euronews that the candidate represents a breath of fresh air for the traditional left-wing party. \n\n\"I found Rapha\u00ebl Glucksmann likeable, sincere, and dynamic. Finally, we have a charismatic left-wing politician,\" said Mathieu, a 49-year-old comic book artist. \n\n\"It's been a long time since the left has had a clear message,\u201d Michel, 65, an employee of the culture ministry, told Euronews.\n\n\"He represents the new face of the social democratic left combined with realistic ambitions.\"\n\n","htmlText":"<p>The legendary red room of the Z\u00e9nith concert hall in Paris, which has welcomed the likes of AC\/DC, Lady Gaga, and David Bowie, is starting to fill up slowly.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Between 3,000 and 4,000 people gathered on Thursday evening to see the European elections candidate representing the French Socialist Party (PS-PP), <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//05//16//eu-elections-french-socialist-candidate-raphael-glucksmann-launches-campaign/">44-year-old essayist Rapha\u00ebl Glucksmann.<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The young and old intermingled, waving European flags against the vivid backdrop of the French Socialist Party's pink and yellow colours. The slogans \u201cTax the Rich\u201d and \"Waking up Europe\" appeared almost everywhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At the foot of the stage, a star-studded crowd of elected officials is present, including Anne Hidalgo, the Socialist mayor of Paris, Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, and the German Socialist MEP Mathias Ecke, who was <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//04//german-socialist-candidate-attacked-before-eu-elections/">violently attacked<\/strong><\/a> by far-right sympathisers early May while putting up campaign posters in Dresden. <\/p>\n<p>For many, Glucksmann is their only \u201crealistic hope against the rise of the far right\u201d in France during the upcoming 9 June vote, said Hidalgo as she took to the stage to introduce the candidate.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Grabbing votes from undecided and youth<\/h2><p>Five years after obtaining 6% in the last European elections, the Socialist Party MEP is now neck-and-neck with French President Emmanuel Macron\u2019s Renaissance, headed by Val\u00e9rie Hayer. Hayer is currently ahead of Glucksmann by just 0.5% of voting intentions at 15%, according to the latest polls. <\/p>\n<p>However, the two are still trailing the far-right candidate Jordan Bardella of the National Rally, who currently holds 34% of voting intentions. <\/p>\n<p>Within the last ten days of the election, the goal is to nab votes from the younger voters, the undecided, and Macron\u2019s centre-right party.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After over an hour of introductory speeches, Glucksmann was welcomed like a rockstar, taking time for multiple selfies and handshakes with the public.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On stage, the MEP repeated that \u201cEurope is threatened and democracy is fragile\u201d, denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and insisting on increased support to Kyiv.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the crowd, 19-year-old law student Olympe told Euronews she is convinced by the candidate. <\/p>\n<p>Up until then, she was hesitating between voting for the Socialists and the Green party headed by Marie Toussaint.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Although she disagrees with Glucksmann\u2019s proposal to accelerate Ukraine\u2019s accession to the bloc, she said she was charmed by his proposal to reform the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and tax the richest incomes in Europe.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Glucksmann\u2019s campaign is centred around a \u201csovereign and powerful Europe\u201d, <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//15//eu-election-french-right-wing-party-launches-its-eu-electio-campaign/">a common theme<\/strong><\/a> shared by multiple candidates this year on the left and right of the political spectrum. <\/p>\n<p>The head of the Socialist Party also called for an \u201cenergy revolution\u201d by introducing a larger share of nuclear power \u2014 a stark difference from his other left-wing competitors such as the far-left LFI party (La France Insoumise) and the Green party (EELV).\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1796268503361610161\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Glucksmann also said his first move if he were re-elected would be to push for a \u201cMost Favoured European Clause\u201d to cover women's rights, which would extend national legislation beneficial to women to the rest of the bloc\u2019s countries.<\/p>\n<p>The feminist pledge was appreciated by old-school socialists such as Nicole and Danielle, both 86-year-old retired nurses, who told Euronews that they were scared of the rise of \"antifeminist movements\" in Europe.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Glucksmann concluded his hour-long speech by claiming he is \"the efficient vote, the vote of the heart, the vote that is going to wake Europe up,\" as the crowd gave him a standing ovation. <\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8439936,8412688\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//05//15//nicolas-schmit-socialists-and-democrats-wont-do-deals-with-the-far-right-after-eu-election/">Nicolas Schmit: Socialists and Democrats won't do deals with far right after European elections <\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//05//16//eu-elections-french-socialist-candidate-raphael-glucksmann-launches-campaign/">EU Elections: French Socialist candidate Rapha\u00ebl Glucksmann launches campaign<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Many of the older voters in the crowd who are nostalgic for the golden age of French socialism told Euronews that the candidate represents a breath of fresh air for the traditional left-wing party. <\/p>\n<p>\"I found Rapha\u00ebl Glucksmann likeable, sincere, and dynamic. Finally, we have a charismatic left-wing politician,\" said Mathieu, a 49-year-old comic book artist. <\/p>\n<p>\"It's been a long time since the left has had a clear message,\u201d Michel, 65, an employee of the culture ministry, told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>\"He represents the new face of the social democratic left combined with realistic ambitions.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717136989,"updatedAt":1717145570,"publishedAt":1717145568,"firstPublishedAt":1717145570,"lastPublishedAt":1717145568,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/07\/44\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_cadd072a-894e-5607-b463-28ecf3ffcff6-8470744.jpg","altText":"Raphael Glucksmann lead candidate of the French Socialist Party for the upcoming European election, arrives onstage during a meeting in Paris, Thursday, May 30, 2024. ","caption":"Raphael Glucksmann lead candidate of the French Socialist Party for the upcoming European election, arrives onstage during a meeting in Paris, Thursday, May 30, 2024. ","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Michel Euler\/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved.","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"khatsenkova","title":"Sophia Khatsenkova","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":7954,"slug":"socialist-party","urlSafeValue":"socialist-party","title":"Socialist party","titleRaw":"Socialist party"},{"id":29340,"slug":"european-elections-2024","urlSafeValue":"european-elections-2024","title":"European elections 2024","titleRaw":"European elections 2024"},{"id":9347,"slug":"french-politics","urlSafeValue":"french-politics","title":"French politics","titleRaw":"French politics"},{"id":13844,"slug":"european-parliament","urlSafeValue":"european-parliament","title":"European Parliament","titleRaw":"European Parliament"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"twitter","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2543634},{"id":2552768},{"id":2553236}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news\/europe-news"},"vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"},"themes":[{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":56,"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":117,"urlSafeValue":"france","title":"France","url":"\/news\/europe\/france"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','gs_politics','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc','custom_politics_brussels','gt_mixed','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','neg_intel_mobkoi','neg_ukraine_russia_war','shadow9hu7_pos_ukraine-russia','gs_business','neg_facebook_q4','gs_busfin','neg_facebook','gs_politics_elections','gs_busfin_indus','gt_negative_anger','gs_politics_civicaffairs'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/european-elections-french-socialist-party-candidate-vows-to-fight-rise-of-far-right","lastModified":1717145568},{"id":2553240,"cid":8469660,"versionId":3,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240530_E3SU_55672309","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"GERMANY VIOLENCE EU ELEX","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Right-wing violence is rising at an alarming rate, warn German victim support groups","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Racist violence in Germany reaches record highs, support groups warn","titleListing2":"Right-wing violence is rising at an alarming rate, warn German victim support groups","leadin":"Violence against politicians has been dominating the headlines, but instances of everyday racism and antisemitic attacks are causing German victim advice centres to sound the alarm. Euronews travelled to Thuringia, a right-wing hotspot, to speak with a victim of neo-Nazi violence.","summary":"Violence against politicians has been dominating the headlines, but instances of everyday racism and antisemitic attacks are causing German victim advice centres to sound the alarm. Euronews travelled to Thuringia, a right-wing hotspot, to speak with a victim of neo-Nazi violence.","keySentence":"","url":"right-wing-violence-is-rising-at-an-alarming-rate-warn-german-victim-support-groups","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/right-wing-violence-is-rising-at-an-alarming-rate-warn-german-victim-support-groups","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Germany has witnessed a surge in far-right, racist, and antisemitic violence, reaching unprecedented levels in over a decade. \n\nMayar, a 20-year-old nurse who fled Syria during the war and has lived in Germany for nearly nine years, feels a strong sense of German identity, having grown up there. He recounted the moment of the attack in vivid detail.\n\n\"He (perpetrator) insulted me and then hit me. He choked me and pushed me against the train, and then he was strangling me with his thumbs pressed into my throat.\"\n\n\"His actions were inhumane; his intent was clearly not just to hurt me, but to cause severe harm,\" Mayar told Euronews.\n\nMayar says the perpetrator is a \"known neo-Nazi, known for his crimes\". Despite this being neither the first nor the last time the perpetrator committed a violent crime, the verdict was a suspended sentence. \n\nMayar said the crime had a big impact on him.\n\n\"During the day, things can be normal. I can still live my life, but it's actually hard for me to leave the house late at night. Especially where I live, at that location,\" he explained.\n\nAccording to Mayar, his area is \"very well-known for right-wing extremists\". \"I can't just go out whenever I want. Or I'm very cautious about such things myself. And the word 'security' is missing for me when it comes to going out at night.\" \n\nMayar witnesses the rise of racism firsthand.\n\n\"It's gotten worse since before. For about a year, I've noticed that it's become much, much more common. So, on the street, you see it very often by now. For me, on average, every two weeks, (or) one to two weeks, I myself either am part of such cases on the street or I'm a witness to them. Also on the internet, it's become every day for me to simply see racism,\" he said.\n\nHe blamed the rise in support for the AfD, which has been designated as \"suspected extremist\" by a German court since 2021.\n\n\"Whenever I think that sometime in the future, I could be deported just because I come from a different country, even though I grew up here, it's sad, it scares me, and it makes me feel like a stranger. Now and then, I wonder, do I belong to the Arabs? Am I too German? And to the Germans, am I too much Arab? It's not a nice feeling, definitely not.\"\n\nThere is a direct link between the increase in right-wing violence and support for the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), currently polling second nationwide and expected to make sweeping gains in the upcoming elections in three eastern states, Victim support group Ezra told Euronews.\n\nCountry-wide mass protests were triggered in January when it emerged that AfD members held a secret meeting with German and Austrian far-right figures, including the neo-Nazi leader of the Identitarian movement Martin Sellner, to discuss a \"remigration\" plan. Those present are said to have discussed deporting hundreds of thousands, sometimes naturalised German citizens, back to their countries of origin.\n\nWhilst figures released by the Association of Counselling Centres for Victims of Right-Wing, Racist, and Anti-Semitic Violence e.V. (VBRG) put the number of attacks at a record high of 3,384, this number is only the tip of the iceberg. \n\nNot all crimes are reported to police and victim support centres, and the figures are only tallied from 11 out of 16 federal states.\n\nConvictions 'can take years'\n\nSpokesperson of Ezra, Franz Zobel, said there is a direct link between the increase in violence and AfD support.\n\n\"Here, we had a strong increase, especially in the Sonneberg district. This is the district where an AfD politician was elected district administrator for the first time. And there we experienced a massive increase in right-wing violence,\" he told Euronews.\n\nZobel pointed to a representative study by Prof Dr Dancygier from Princeton University that suggests between 38.7% and 42.5% of hate crime supporters would vote for AfD.\n\nBut Zobel also said the increase in attacks isn't just limited to Thuringia or even Germany.\n\n\"The AfD and other extreme right-wing parties in Europe are very well connected and they are therefore also the greatest threat to the European Union and also to the idea of Europe and to the people because they experience this. This strengthening is not only in Germany or in East Germany, but we see this throughout Europe.\"\n\nZobel also said that many AfD supporters \"simply feel legitimised to strike\" and underlined the cases of AfD politicians who have attacked people themselves.\n\nAccording to investigative outlet Correctiv, \"48 AfD representatives and employees at district, state and federal level have recently been involved in violent acts\". \n\n28 of these politicians have reportedly been convicted by a court or had penal orders issued against them \u2014 and 14 are still politically active.\n\nAt least five other AfD representatives are under investigation, with some of the cases involving physical attacks and incitement to hatred.\n\n\"Here (perpetrators) know that no consequences threaten them. If there are any, it\u2019s only after years and with mild sentences. And then they don\u2019t have to answer for the political motive behind their inhumanity,\" Zobel said.\n\nZobel said Thuringia especially has a problem with the judiciary, and many of the sentences are very mild.\n\n\"We have trials that take eight years until there is a conviction in the end. There are further problems that the motives are very, very rarely recognised. So in the judgments, you rarely find again that it is, for example, a racist offense.\" \n\nFor example, in the case of Mayar, the conviction took several years.\n\n\"In the case here, for example, it concerns an organised neo-Nazi, so he (perpetrator) is part of the organised neo-Nazi scene. He has already been noticed with over ten offenses before, he has repeatedly been fined, and now, in the end, there is again a suspended sentence,\" the spokesperson says. \n\n\"This encourages perpetrators to commit far-right and racist violence, because without consequences, the perpetrators feel safe.\"\n\nAccording to the German newspaper TAZ, judges in the Thuringia district of Gera share close ties with AfD politicians, both locally and nationally, quoting statistics of judges deciding in favour of asylum seekers in single-digit percentages. The judges have denied having any right-wing-leaning biases.\n\n \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Germany has witnessed a surge in far-right, racist, and antisemitic violence, reaching unprecedented levels in over a decade. <\/p>\n<p>Mayar, a 20-year-old nurse who fled Syria during the war and has lived in Germany for nearly nine years, feels a strong sense of German identity, having grown up there. He recounted the moment of the attack in vivid detail.<\/p>\n<p>\"He (perpetrator) insulted me and then hit me. He choked me and pushed me against the train, and then he was strangling me with his thumbs pressed into my throat.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"His actions were inhumane; his intent was clearly not just to hurt me, but to cause severe harm,\" Mayar told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>Mayar says the perpetrator is a \"known neo-Nazi, known for his crimes\". Despite this being neither the first nor the last time the perpetrator committed a violent crime, the verdict was a suspended sentence. <\/p>\n<p>Mayar said the crime had a big impact on him.<\/p>\n<p>\"During the day, things can be normal. I can still live my life, but it's actually hard for me to leave the house late at night. Especially where I live, at that location,\" he explained.<\/p>\n<p>According to Mayar, his area is \"very well-known for right-wing extremists\". \"I can't just go out whenever I want. Or I'm very cautious about such things myself. And the word 'security' is missing for me when it comes to going out at night.\" <\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8463314\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//28//why-is-german-youth-so-easily-seduced-by-afds-ideas/">Why are German young people so easily seduced by AfD's ideas?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Mayar witnesses the rise of racism firsthand.<\/p>\n<p>\"It's gotten worse since before. For about a year, I've noticed that it's become much, much more common. So, on the street, you see it very often by now. For me, on average, every two weeks, (or) one to two weeks, I myself either am part of such cases on the street or I'm a witness to them. Also on the internet, it's become every day for me to simply see racism,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>He blamed the rise in support for the AfD, which has been designated as \"suspected <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//05//13//afd-classified-as-suspected-extremist-organisation-after-court-defeat/">extremist/" by a German court since 2021.<\/p>\n<p>\"Whenever I think that sometime in the future, I could be deported just because I come from a different country, even though I grew up here, it's sad, it scares me, and it makes me feel like a stranger. Now and then, I wonder, do I belong to the Arabs? Am I too German? And to the Germans, am I too much Arab? It's not a nice feeling, definitely not.\"<\/p>\n<p>There is a direct link between the increase in right-wing violence and <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//27//could-germanys-new-left-wing-conservative-party-seduce-afds-voters-in-european-elections/">support for the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), currently polling second nationwide and expected to make sweeping gains in the upcoming elections in three eastern states, Victim support group Ezra told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>Country-wide mass protests were triggered in January when it emerged that <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//tag//afd/">AfD members held a secret meeting with German and Austrian far-right figures, including the neo-Nazi leader of the Identitarian movement Martin Sellner, to discuss a \"remigration\" plan. Those present are said to have discussed deporting hundreds of thousands, sometimes naturalised German citizens, back to their countries of origin.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-freeform\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-top: 75.0000%;<cms-n \/> padding-bottom: 0; box-shadow: 0 2px 8px 0 rgba(63,69,81,0.16); margin-top: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; overflow: hidden;<cms-n \/> border-radius: 8px; will-change: transform;\"><cms-n \/> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0; border: none; padding: 0;margin: 0;\"<cms-n \/> src=https://www.euronews.com/"https://www.canva.com/design/DAGGt496cdo/RVzmRds_HoqLmKIARjwVhQ/view?embed\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" allow=\"fullscreen\"><cms-n \/> <\/iframe><cms-n \/><\/div><cms-n \/><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https://www.canva.com/design/DAGGt496cdo/RVzmRds_HoqLmKIARjwVhQ/view?utm_content=DAGGt496cdo&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=embeds&utm_source=link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">by Liv Stroud<\/a> \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Whilst figures released by the Association of Counselling Centres for Victims of Right-Wing, Racist, and Anti-Semitic Violence e.V. (VBRG) put the number of attacks at a record high of 3,384, this number is only the tip of the iceberg. <\/p>\n<p>Not all crimes are reported to police and victim support centres, and the figures are only tallied from 11 out of 16 federal states.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Convictions 'can take years'<\/strong><\/h2><p>Spokesperson of Ezra, Franz Zobel, said there is a direct link between the increase in violence and AfD support.<\/p>\n<p>\"Here, we had a strong increase, especially in the Sonneberg district. This is the district where an AfD politician was elected district administrator for the first time. And there we experienced a massive increase in right-wing violence,\" he told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>Zobel pointed to a representative study by Prof Dr Dancygier from Princeton University that suggests between 38.7% and 42.5% of hate crime supporters would vote for AfD.<\/p>\n<p>But Zobel also said the increase in attacks isn't just limited to Thuringia or even Germany.<\/p>\n<p>\"The AfD and other extreme right-wing parties in Europe are very well connected and they are therefore also the greatest threat to the European Union and also to the idea of Europe and to the people because they experience this. This strengthening is not only in Germany or in East Germany, but we see this throughout Europe.\"<\/p>\n<p>Zobel also said that many AfD supporters \"simply feel legitimised to strike\" and underlined the cases of AfD politicians who have attacked people themselves.<\/p>\n<p>According to investigative outlet <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//01//19//german-far-right-party-criticised-over-report-of-extremist-meeting/">Correctiv, \"48 AfD representatives and employees at district, state and federal level have recently been involved in violent acts\". <\/p>\n<p>28 of these politicians have reportedly been convicted by a court or had penal orders issued against them \u2014 and 14 are still politically active.<\/p>\n<p>At least five other AfD representatives are under investigation, with some of the cases involving physical attacks and incitement to hatred.<\/p>\n<p>\"Here (perpetrators) know that no consequences threaten them. If there are any, it\u2019s only after years and with mild sentences. And then they don\u2019t have to answer for the political motive behind their inhumanity,\" Zobel said.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8435888,8468110\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//14//co-leader-of-germanys-far-right-afd-party-fined-for-using-nazi-slogan/">Co-leader of Germany's far-right AfD party fined for using Nazi slogan<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//30//afd-fears-voters-losing-patience-over-latest-russia-and-china-spy-scandals/">AfD fears losing voters over latest Russia and China spy scandals<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Zobel said Thuringia especially has a problem with the judiciary, and many of the sentences are very mild.<\/p>\n<p>\"We have trials that take eight years until there is a conviction in the end. There are further problems that the motives are very, very rarely recognised. So in the judgments, you rarely find again that it is, for example, a racist offense.\" <\/p>\n<p>For example, in the case of Mayar, the conviction took several years.<\/p>\n<p>\"In the case here, for example, it concerns an organised neo-Nazi, so he (perpetrator) is part of the organised neo-Nazi scene. He has already been noticed with over ten offenses before, he has repeatedly been fined, and now, in the end, there is again a suspended sentence,\" the spokesperson says. <\/p>\n<p>\"This encourages perpetrators to commit far-right and racist violence, because without consequences, the perpetrators feel safe.\"<\/p>\n<p>According to the German newspaper TAZ, judges in the Thuringia district of Gera share close ties with AfD politicians, both locally and nationally, quoting statistics of judges deciding in favour of asylum seekers in single-digit percentages. The judges have denied having any right-wing-leaning biases.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717080802,"updatedAt":1717146693,"publishedAt":1717145365,"firstPublishedAt":1717145371,"lastPublishedAt":1717145365,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Markus Schreiber","altText":"A sticker against Nazis and racism is displayed on a lamp pole near a school in Burg (Spreewald), 18 July 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"A sticker against Nazis and racism is displayed on a lamp pole near a school in Burg (Spreewald), 18 July 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/96\/60\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5c5ba3b6-e13d-5606-ba27-10840cf2367b-8469660.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews","altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/96\/66\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b8dc2244-31e4-5d21-b350-7176c8d5ac45-8469666.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Liv Stroud","altText":"Damaged AfD campaign poster","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Damaged AfD campaign poster","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/84\/50\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f82a5443-78e3-5f73-9015-bc2075912d4c-8468450.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"germany","titleRaw":"Germany","id":125,"title":"Germany","slug":"germany"},{"urlSafeValue":"european-elections-2024","titleRaw":"European elections 2024","id":29340,"title":"European elections 2024","slug":"european-elections-2024"},{"urlSafeValue":"european-union","titleRaw":"European Union","id":105,"title":"European Union","slug":"european-union"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"html"},{"count":2,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2551386},{"id":2550658},{"id":2544526}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":117680,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":14697548,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/E3\/SU\/24\/05\/30\/en\/240530_E3SU_55672309_55672392_117680_180652_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":117680,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":21943372,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/E3\/SU\/24\/05\/30\/en\/240530_E3SU_55672309_55672392_117680_180652_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Liv Stroud","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news\/europe-news"},"vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"my-europe","id":2,"title":"My Europe","slug":"my-europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","id":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":56,"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":125,"urlSafeValue":"germany","title":"Germany","url":"\/news\/europe\/germany"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_crime','gb_safe_from_high','gs_society_misc','gs_society','eu_brussels_politics_pt','gs_politics_misc','gb_crime_high_med','gb_crime_high_med_low','gb_crime_news-ent'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/right-wing-violence-is-rising-at-an-alarming-rate-warn-german-victim-support-groups","lastModified":1717145365},{"id":2553218,"cid":8470566,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240530_NWSU_55671922","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"TV DEBATE AND RALLY IN BUDAPEST","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Hungarian TV broadcasts first political debate in 18 years","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Hungarian TV broadcasts first political debate in 18 years","titleListing2":"Hungarian TV broadcasts first political debate in 18 years","leadin":"While welcomed by many viewers, the event was criticised by opponents of the ruling Fidesz government and ridiculed by others.","summary":"While welcomed by many viewers, the event was criticised by opponents of the ruling Fidesz government and ridiculed by others.","keySentence":"","url":"hungarian-tv-broadcasts-first-political-debate-in-18-years","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2024\/05\/31\/hungarian-tv-broadcasts-first-political-debate-in-18-years","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Nearly a dozen politicians took to a debate stage in Hungary's capital on Thursday to make their pitch to Hungarian voters ahead of European Parliament elections.\n\nThe debate, which featured the leaders of 11 party lists running in the 9 June elections, is the first to be broadcast by Hungary's public media since 2006, when Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n last appeared face-to-face with an opponent to appeal for voters' support.\n\nOutside, protesters demonstrated against the public broadcaster that hosted the event.\n\nOrb\u00e1n, who has been accused by critics of cracking down on Hungary's media and violating democratic norms, later lost that election to the Socialist incumbent before winning the next ballot in 2010. He has been in power ever since.\n\nThe path to holding the first debate on public television in 18 years was fraught with controversy. Orb\u00e1n\u2019s opponents criticise the public broadcaster as subservient to his governing Fidesz party, while some participants disagreed with the decision to allow all 11 party list leaders to appear on stage, as well as with the narrow topics the broadcaster allowed to be discussed.\n\nOne of the most vocal critics of the public media and its organisation of the debate was P\u00e9ter Magyar, a new arrival in Hungarian politics whose sudden rise has him poised to become the country\u2019s largest opposition force.\n\nMagyar is a former Fidesz ally and ex-husband of former Fidesz Justice Minister Judit Varga. Before the event, Magyar told several thousand supporters outside the debate venue in Budapest that the public broadcaster \u201chas lied morning, noon and night for 14 years\u201d.\n\n\u201cHow can it be that there is a political party, a community already supported by millions of Hungarians whose taxes support the public broadcaster, and it hasn't invited me onto public television for a single minute?\u201d he said.\n\nPolls show that Magyar's new party, Respect and Freedom, could take around 25% of the vote in the EU elections, while Orb\u00e1n's Fidesz appears poised to take the most votes.\n\nThe public broadcaster earlier announced that the topics to be discussed during the debate would be limited to EU defence and security, migration and asylum, agriculture and\/or democracy and the rule of law \u2013 something Magyar and other candidates disputed.\n\nP\u00e9ter Ember, one of the demonstrators outside the venue, said he believes the candidates should be able to \u201cclash their positions\u201d to better inform voters of their choices in the election.\n\n\u201cThere is finally a debate, but the circumstances are not what we would have liked,\" he said. \"We feel that the parties and the people have not been given a say in how the debate should be. They defined what they could talk about. I hope there\u2019s someone who will be brave and talk about more important things.\u201d\n\nThe satirical Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party, whose main activity is to parody Hungary's political elite, also sent a comedian to the debate. Imre \"Bruti\" Szab\u00f3 spent the event poking fun at the political right and ridiculing the broadcaster's restrictive conditions.\n\nFor more on last night's debate, listen to today's episode of Radio Schuman here for full analysis.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Nearly a dozen politicians took to a debate stage in Hungary's capital on Thursday to make their pitch to Hungarian voters ahead of European Parliament elections.<\/p>\n<p>The debate, which featured the leaders of 11 party lists running in the 9 June elections, is the first to be broadcast by Hungary's public media since 2006, when Prime Minister <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"http:////cmsv2.euronews.lan//story//8470680/">Viktor Orb\u00e1n<\/strong><\/a> last appeared face-to-face with an opponent to appeal for voters' support.<\/p>\n<p>Outside, protesters demonstrated against the public broadcaster that hosted the event.<\/p>\n<p>Orb\u00e1n, who has been accused by critics of cracking down on Hungary's media and violating democratic norms, later lost that election to the Socialist incumbent before winning the next ballot in 2010. He has been in power ever since.<\/p>\n<p>The path to holding the first debate on public television in 18 years was fraught with controversy. Orb\u00e1n\u2019s opponents criticise the public broadcaster as subservient to his governing Fidesz party, while some participants disagreed with the decision to allow all 11 party list leaders to appear on stage, as well as with the narrow topics the broadcaster allowed to be discussed.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most vocal critics of the public media and its organisation of the debate was P\u00e9ter Magyar, a new arrival in Hungarian politics whose <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////apnews.com//article//hungary-orban-eu-election-magyar-fidesz-russia-f53cd35e52a9f91c34b00d8dd6f85694/">sudden rise<\/strong><\/a> has him poised to become the country\u2019s largest opposition force.<\/p>\n<p>Magyar is a former Fidesz ally and ex-husband of former Fidesz Justice Minister Judit Varga. Before the event, Magyar told several thousand supporters outside the debate venue in Budapest that the public broadcaster \u201chas lied morning, noon and night for 14 years\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow can it be that there is a political party, a community already supported by millions of Hungarians whose taxes support the public broadcaster, and it hasn't invited me onto public television for a single minute?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Polls show that Magyar's new party, Respect and Freedom, could take around 25% of the vote in the EU elections, while Orb\u00e1n's Fidesz appears poised to take the most votes.<\/p>\n<p>The public broadcaster earlier announced that the topics to be discussed during the debate would be limited to EU defence and security, migration and asylum, agriculture and\/or democracy and the rule of law \u2013 something Magyar and other candidates disputed.<\/p>\n<p>P\u00e9ter Ember, one of the demonstrators outside the venue, said he believes the candidates should be able to \u201cclash their positions\u201d to better inform voters of their choices in the election.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is finally a debate, but the circumstances are not what we would have liked,\" he said. \"We feel that the parties and the people have not been given a say in how the debate should be. They defined what they could talk about. I hope there\u2019s someone who will be brave and talk about more important things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The satirical Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party, whose main activity is to parody Hungary's political elite, also sent a comedian to the debate. Imre \"Bruti\" Szab\u00f3 spent the event poking fun at the political right and ridiculing the broadcaster's restrictive conditions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For more on last night's debate, listen to today's episode of Radio Schuman <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//31//hungarian-tv-election-debate-and-euro-satire-radio-schuman-podcast/">here <\/a>for full analysis.<\/strong><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717132942,"updatedAt":1717169044,"publishedAt":1717144023,"firstPublishedAt":1717144027,"lastPublishedAt":1717144023,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/05\/66\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_1efd2cb2-2872-51d5-9f08-4a14df6b4114-8470566.jpg","altText":"People listen to the speech of Peter Magyar during the debate in Budapest, Thursday May 30, 2024, ahead of the European Parliament elections,","caption":"People listen to the speech of Peter Magyar during the debate in Budapest, Thursday May 30, 2024, ahead of the European Parliament elections,","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Associated Press","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":143,"slug":"hungary","urlSafeValue":"hungary","title":"Hungary","titleRaw":"Hungary"},{"id":4828,"slug":"television","urlSafeValue":"television","title":"Television","titleRaw":"Television"},{"id":29340,"slug":"european-elections-2024","urlSafeValue":"european-elections-2024","title":"European elections 2024","titleRaw":"European elections 2024"},{"id":13844,"slug":"european-parliament","urlSafeValue":"european-parliament","title":"European Parliament","titleRaw":"European Parliament"},{"id":10409,"slug":"viktor-orban","urlSafeValue":"viktor-orban","title":"Viktor Orb\u00e1n","titleRaw":"Viktor Orb\u00e1n"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2550670},{"id":2548926},{"id":2541524}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"fsDuR2R4fUs","dailymotionId":"x8ze4qy"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":105160,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":13627956,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/24\/05\/30\/en\/240530_NWSU_55671922_55681328_105160_165502_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":105160,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":20639284,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/24\/05\/30\/en\/240530_NWSU_55671922_55681328_105160_165502_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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EU CHINA DERISKING DECOUPLING MEPS","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"When it comes to genomics, de-risking with China is not enough","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"When it comes to genomics, de-risking with China is not enough","titleListing2":"Opinion | This is not about stoking the flames of techno-protectionism, but about safeguarding the fundamental rights to privacy, security, and ethical governance in the face of real and present dangers, five MEPs write.","leadin":"This is not about stoking the flames of techno-protectionism, but about safeguarding the fundamental rights to privacy, security, and ethical governance in the face of real and present dangers, five MEPs write.","summary":"This is not about stoking the flames of techno-protectionism, but about safeguarding the fundamental rights to privacy, security, and ethical governance in the face of real and present dangers, five MEPs write.","keySentence":"","url":"when-it-comes-to-genomics-de-risking-with-china-is-not-enough","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/when-it-comes-to-genomics-de-risking-with-china-is-not-enough","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"\u00a0\n\nIn the landscape of EU-China relations, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's doctrine of \"de-risking, not decoupling\" has become a central tenet. \n\nThis approach underscores the European Union's lack of coherent strategy towards China \u2014 attempts to balance between engagement and safeguarding its interests while failing to address more comprehensively the scale of threats and challenges posed by the totalitarian regime. \n\nFurthermore, while de-risking itself seeks to foster a pragmatic stance on economic and diplomatic fronts, it's imperative to recognise certain sectors necessitate more definitive action. \n\nThe field of genomics, with its profound implications for privacy, security, and ethical standards, exemplifies where decoupling is overdue.\n\nHow much do you know about genetic data harvesting?\n\nThe involvement of Chinese state-linked entities in the global genomics arena, particularly the gene giant BGI Group, has raised significant concerns.\u00a0Revelations\u00a0about genetic data harvesting have highlighted the intricate web of privacy, ethical, and security risks associated with the collection and analysis of DNA by entities tied to the Chinese government.\u00a0\n\nChinese companies like BGI are required to share any data with Beijing\u2019s authorities when requested\u00a0under its National Intelligence Law. There is no oversight or mechanism for companies to fight such a request. \n\nSuch an obligation also applies to Mindray, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer of medical equipment and patient monitoring that already services\u00a0more than 660 European hospitals and 60% of all medical institutions. Much like BGI, it harvests sensitive healthcare and biological data of European citizens.\u00a0\n\nSuch apprehensions are grounded in well-documented\u00a0warnings\u00a0from intelligence and security experts detailing how genetic data, under the guise of research and development, could be utilised for purposes which starkly contrast with the EU\u2019s values and security interests. \n\nChinese authorities\u2019 specific interest in genomic profiling of ethnic groups to advance state surveillance goals and policy against vulnerable populations was already revealed. \n\nAdditionally, there are well-founded concerns about whether China\u2019s \u201cgenomic policy fulfil the basic ethical requirements for non-maleficence, beneficence, justice and veracity\u201d. We\u2019re falling behind. \n\nRecent moves by the United States, including President Biden's initiative to tighten controls on US data flows to China and Russia and the bipartisan\u00a0BIOSECURE Act\u00a0that would ban Chinese genomics companies from federal contracts, exemplify a growing recognition of the risks associated with unfettered access to sensitive data.\u00a0\n\nGenetic data is 'the new gold'\n\nEurope has experienced consequences of overdependence on external entities, especially in areas critical to national security and public welfare. Just as the EU seeks alternatives to Russian energy to ensure security and autonomy, a similar recalibration is needed in the realm of genomics. \n\nThe potential misuse of genetic data by adversarial states poses a stark reminder of the risks associated with reliance on high-risk vendors and expertise in areas of strategic importance.\n\nIn this context, the EU must reassess its stance on de-risking, phase out high-risk vendors from its critical infrastructure, including the health and genomics sector, and consider the merits of decoupling the genomics sector completely. \n\nThe stakes are exceedingly high; genetic and health data, by its very nature, holds the key to understanding the most intimate aspects of human, animal, and plant biology. Genomics will boost personalised medicine and lead to breakthroughs in new disease treatment.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nFor foreign adversaries, DNA data is \u201cthe new gold\u201d, and Beijing directly supports its\u00a0\"national champions\",\u00a0BGI and MGI, with the aim of reaching global\u00a0industrial dominance\u00a0by 2049. \n\nNotwithstanding the health and economic dependencies Europe would face once China dominates this sector, the potential misuse of such data could have far-reaching consequences, from surveillance and targeting individuals based on their genetic profile to genetically enhanced individuals or engineered viruses.\u00a0\n\nHuman dignity, privacy and rule of law are all on the line\n\nReports from China\u00a0show Beijing is already trying, and BGI\u2019s complicity in mass surveillance of Chinese citizens and enabling the Uyghur genocide has been\u00a0tirelessly exposed.\n\nLabelled by\u00a0The Pentagon\u00a0as a \"Chinese military company\", BGI\u2019s ongoing presence across Europe should heighten the urgency for the Europeans to adopt a more cautious approach. This is not about stoking the flames of techno-protectionism, but about safeguarding the fundamental rights to privacy, security, and ethical governance in the face of real and present dangers.\u00a0\n\nThe EU\u2019s recommendation last year for a risk assessment on biotechnology or NATO\u2019s recently published first-ever strategy on Biotechnology and Human Enhancement Technology are good first steps, but researchers, businesses and citizens across the genomics sector remain exposed.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nTo this end, the EU, guided by its commitment to human dignity, privacy, and the rule of law, must establish robust regulatory frameworks and security controls specifically tailored to the genomics sector. \n\nThis may include stringent vetting processes, limitations on data export, on-site audits on companies\u00a0headquartered in foreign adversaries, and the fostering of EU-based alternatives for genomic research and analysis. \n\nThe EU can also follow the Canadian example to tighten research security by barring funding for sensitive research projects linked to one of the 103 foreign entities that pose a risk to its national security.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nWe must protect our citizens\n\nGiven that genomics spans multiple areas, we must also ensure alignment between the public and private sectors to protect EU citizens and businesses. \n\nMore stringent restrictions for Mindray, BGI and MGI in our public sector will be toothless if these same entities can access the European market through the private sector. We must warn major European industry players such as Eurofins and Oxford Nanopore who partner with MGI Tech and BGI Group about the national security risks of working with Chinese state-linked genomics companies. \n\nIt also underlines the urgent need for the European Commission to ramp up its Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity to acquire better intelligence, map dependencies and intervene against threats to the Union\u2019s economic security.\n\nThe path forward is undoubtedly complex, fraught with diplomatic nuances and economic considerations. However, in the realm of genomics, the EU and its member states must prioritise the protection of their citizens and their health and genetic information. \n\nDecoupling, in this context, is not only a matter of security but also about upholding the values upon which the EU is built.\n\nMiriam Lexmann (EPP, Slovakia), Juozas Olekas (S&D, Lithuania), Bart Groothuis MEP (Renew, Netherlands), Reinhard\u00a0B\u00fctikofer (Greens\/EFA, Germany), Anna Fotyga (ECR, Poland) are Members of the European Parliament.\n\nAt Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the landscape of EU-China relations, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's doctrine of \"de-risking, not decoupling\" has become a central tenet. <\/p>\n<p>This approach underscores the European Union's lack of coherent strategy towards China \u2014 attempts to balance between engagement and safeguarding its interests while failing to address more comprehensively the scale of threats and challenges posed by the totalitarian regime. <\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, while de-risking itself seeks to foster a pragmatic stance on economic and diplomatic fronts, it's imperative to recognise certain sectors necessitate more definitive action. <\/p>\n<p>The field of genomics, with its profound implications for privacy, security, and ethical standards, exemplifies where decoupling is overdue.<\/p>\n<h2>How much do you know about genetic data harvesting?<\/h2><p>The involvement of Chinese state-linked entities in the global genomics arena, particularly the gene giant BGI Group, has raised significant concerns.\u00a0Revelations\u00a0about genetic data harvesting have highlighted the intricate web of privacy, ethical, and security risks associated with the collection and analysis of DNA by entities tied to the Chinese government.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Chinese companies like BGI are required to share any data with Beijing\u2019s authorities when requested\u00a0under its National Intelligence Law. There is no oversight or mechanism for companies to fight such a request. <\/p>\n<p>Such an obligation also applies to Mindray, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer of medical equipment and patient monitoring that already services\u00a0more than 660 European hospitals and 60% of all medical institutions. Much like BGI, it harvests sensitive healthcare and biological data of European citizens.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">Well-documented\u00a0warnings\u00a0from intelligence and security experts [have detailed] how genetic data, under the guise of research and development, could be utilised for purposes which starkly contrast with the EU\u2019s values and security interests. <\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//46//93//34//808x539_cmsv2_e8c4e153-eba8-563f-ad8a-2c1eb47a8a97-8469334.jpg/" alt=\"A traveler pushes his luggage beneath large Chinese flags on hanging from the ceiling in Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in Shenzhen, October 2018\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/384x256_cmsv2_e8c4e153-eba8-563f-ad8a-2c1eb47a8a97-8469334.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/640x427_cmsv2_e8c4e153-eba8-563f-ad8a-2c1eb47a8a97-8469334.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/750x500_cmsv2_e8c4e153-eba8-563f-ad8a-2c1eb47a8a97-8469334.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/828x552_cmsv2_e8c4e153-eba8-563f-ad8a-2c1eb47a8a97-8469334.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/1080x720_cmsv2_e8c4e153-eba8-563f-ad8a-2c1eb47a8a97-8469334.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/1200x800_cmsv2_e8c4e153-eba8-563f-ad8a-2c1eb47a8a97-8469334.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/1920x1281_cmsv2_e8c4e153-eba8-563f-ad8a-2c1eb47a8a97-8469334.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A traveler pushes his luggage beneath large Chinese flags on hanging from the ceiling in Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in Shenzhen, October 2018<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Such apprehensions are grounded in well-documented\u00a0warnings\u00a0from intelligence and security experts detailing how genetic data, under the guise of research and development, could be utilised for purposes which starkly contrast with the EU\u2019s values and security interests. <\/p>\n<p>Chinese authorities\u2019 specific interest in genomic profiling of ethnic groups to advance state surveillance goals and policy against vulnerable populations was already revealed. <\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8454576,5095996\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//health//2024//05//23//from-genomics-to-big-data-the-evolution-of-precision-healthcare/">From genomics to big data: the evolution of precision healthcare<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2020//11//09//how-genetics-can-help-predict-risks-of-cancer-recurrence-and-improve-treatment/">How genetics can help predict risks of cancer recurrence and improve treatment<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Additionally, there are well-founded concerns about whether China\u2019s \u201cgenomic policy fulfil the basic ethical requirements for non-maleficence, beneficence, justice and veracity\u201d. We\u2019re falling behind. <\/p>\n<p>Recent moves by the United States, including President Biden's initiative to tighten controls on US data flows to China and Russia and the bipartisan\u00a0BIOSECURE Act\u00a0that would ban Chinese genomics companies from federal contracts, exemplify a growing recognition of the risks associated with unfettered access to sensitive data.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Genetic data is 'the new gold'<\/h2><p>Europe has experienced consequences of overdependence on external entities, especially in areas critical to national security and public welfare. Just as the EU seeks alternatives to Russian energy to ensure security and autonomy, a similar recalibration is needed in the realm of genomics. <\/p>\n<p>The potential misuse of genetic data by adversarial states poses a stark reminder of the risks associated with reliance on high-risk vendors and expertise in areas of strategic importance.<\/p>\n<p>In this context, the EU must reassess its stance on de-risking, phase out high-risk vendors from its critical infrastructure, including the health and genomics sector, and consider the merits of decoupling the genomics sector completely. <\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">For foreign adversaries, DNA data is \u201cthe new gold\u201d, and Beijing directly supports its\u00a0"national champions",\u00a0BGI and MGI, with the aim of reaching global\u00a0industrial dominance\u00a0by 2049. <\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6962890625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//46//93//34//808x561_cmsv2_8779f3d2-0450-5351-90c8-afc2326ec74b-8469334.jpg/" alt=\"The output from a DNA sequencer, undated\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/384x267_cmsv2_8779f3d2-0450-5351-90c8-afc2326ec74b-8469334.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/640x446_cmsv2_8779f3d2-0450-5351-90c8-afc2326ec74b-8469334.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/750x522_cmsv2_8779f3d2-0450-5351-90c8-afc2326ec74b-8469334.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/828x577_cmsv2_8779f3d2-0450-5351-90c8-afc2326ec74b-8469334.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/1080x752_cmsv2_8779f3d2-0450-5351-90c8-afc2326ec74b-8469334.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/1200x836_cmsv2_8779f3d2-0450-5351-90c8-afc2326ec74b-8469334.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/1920x1337_cmsv2_8779f3d2-0450-5351-90c8-afc2326ec74b-8469334.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The output from a DNA sequencer, undated<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The stakes are exceedingly high; genetic and health data, by its very nature, holds the key to understanding the most intimate aspects of human, animal, and plant biology. Genomics will boost personalised medicine and lead to breakthroughs in new disease treatment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For foreign adversaries, DNA data is \u201cthe new gold\u201d, and Beijing directly supports its\u00a0\"national champions\",\u00a0BGI and MGI, with the aim of reaching global\u00a0industrial dominance\u00a0by 2049. <\/p>\n<p>Notwithstanding the health and economic dependencies Europe would face once China dominates this sector, the potential misuse of such data could have far-reaching consequences, from surveillance and targeting individuals based on their genetic profile to genetically enhanced individuals or engineered viruses.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Human dignity, privacy and rule of law are all on the line<\/h2><p>Reports from China\u00a0show Beijing is already trying, and BGI\u2019s complicity in mass surveillance of Chinese citizens and enabling the Uyghur genocide has been\u00a0tirelessly exposed.<\/p>\n<p>Labelled by\u00a0The Pentagon\u00a0as a \"Chinese military company\", BGI\u2019s ongoing presence across Europe should heighten the urgency for the Europeans to adopt a more cautious approach. This is not about stoking the flames of techno-protectionism, but about safeguarding the fundamental rights to privacy, security, and ethical governance in the face of real and present dangers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">The EU, guided by its commitment to human dignity, privacy, and the rule of law, must establish robust regulatory frameworks and security controls specifically tailored to the genomics sector. <\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//46//93//34//808x539_cmsv2_3a70a56f-4f99-59ec-987c-64f7c5dfa54e-8469334.jpg/" alt=\"A lab dish containing embryos that have been injected with Cas9 protein and PCSK9 sgRNA is seen in a laboratory in Shenzhen, October 2018\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/384x256_cmsv2_3a70a56f-4f99-59ec-987c-64f7c5dfa54e-8469334.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/640x427_cmsv2_3a70a56f-4f99-59ec-987c-64f7c5dfa54e-8469334.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/750x500_cmsv2_3a70a56f-4f99-59ec-987c-64f7c5dfa54e-8469334.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/828x552_cmsv2_3a70a56f-4f99-59ec-987c-64f7c5dfa54e-8469334.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/1080x720_cmsv2_3a70a56f-4f99-59ec-987c-64f7c5dfa54e-8469334.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/1200x800_cmsv2_3a70a56f-4f99-59ec-987c-64f7c5dfa54e-8469334.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/1920x1281_cmsv2_3a70a56f-4f99-59ec-987c-64f7c5dfa54e-8469334.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A lab dish containing embryos that have been injected with Cas9 protein and PCSK9 sgRNA is seen in a laboratory in Shenzhen, October 2018<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The EU\u2019s recommendation last year for a risk assessment on biotechnology or NATO\u2019s recently published first-ever strategy on Biotechnology and Human Enhancement Technology are good first steps, but researchers, businesses and citizens across the genomics sector remain exposed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To this end, the EU, guided by its commitment to human dignity, privacy, and the rule of law, must establish robust regulatory frameworks and security controls specifically tailored to the genomics sector. <\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8468568,8465570\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//05//29//the-bonds-that-bind-our-adversarial-sovereign-bond-habit/">The bonds that bind: Our adversarial sovereign bond habit<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//30//china-wont-sit-back-and-watch-if-the-eu-slaps-tariffs-on-electric-vehicles/">China won't 'sit back and watch' if the EU slaps tariffs on electric vehicles<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This may include stringent vetting processes, limitations on data export, on-site audits on companies\u00a0headquartered in foreign adversaries, and the fostering of EU-based alternatives for genomic research and analysis. <\/p>\n<p>The EU can also follow the Canadian example to tighten research security by barring funding for sensitive research projects linked to one of the 103 foreign entities that pose a risk to its national security.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>We must protect our citizens<\/h2><p>Given that genomics spans multiple areas, we must also ensure alignment between the public and private sectors to protect EU citizens and businesses. <\/p>\n<p>More stringent restrictions for Mindray, BGI and MGI in our public sector will be toothless if these same entities can access the European market through the private sector. We must warn major European industry players such as Eurofins and Oxford Nanopore who partner with MGI Tech and BGI Group about the national security risks of working with Chinese state-linked genomics companies. <\/p>\n<p>It also underlines the urgent need for the European Commission to ramp up its Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity to acquire better intelligence, map dependencies and intervene against threats to the Union\u2019s economic security.<\/p>\n<p>The path forward is undoubtedly complex, fraught with diplomatic nuances and economic considerations. However, in the realm of genomics, the EU and its member states must prioritise the protection of their citizens and their health and genetic information. <\/p>\n<p>Decoupling, in this context, is not only a matter of security but also about upholding the values upon which the EU is built.<\/p>\n<p><em>Miriam Lexmann (EPP, Slovakia), Juozas Olekas (S&D, Lithuania), Bart Groothuis MEP (Renew, Netherlands), Reinhard\u00a0B\u00fctikofer (Greens\/EFA, Germany), Anna Fotyga (ECR, Poland) are Members of the European Parliament.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/\"mailto:view@euronews.com\">view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717075388,"updatedAt":1717143931,"publishedAt":1717143928,"firstPublishedAt":1717143931,"lastPublishedAt":1717143928,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_4a00d35e-154c-5e89-96bc-f970116b5cf7-8469334.jpg","altText":"A medical professional removes the cryostorage sheath from a container for an embryo at a laboratory in Shenzhen, October 2018","caption":"A medical professional removes the cryostorage sheath from a container for an embryo at a laboratory in Shenzhen, October 2018","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_3a70a56f-4f99-59ec-987c-64f7c5dfa54e-8469334.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e8c4e153-eba8-563f-ad8a-2c1eb47a8a97-8469334.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/93\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_8779f3d2-0450-5351-90c8-afc2326ec74b-8469334.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":713}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":105,"slug":"european-union","urlSafeValue":"european-union","title":"European Union","titleRaw":"European Union"},{"id":99,"slug":"eu-china","urlSafeValue":"eu-china","title":"EU-China","titleRaw":"EU-China"},{"id":311,"slug":"china","urlSafeValue":"china","title":"China","titleRaw":"China"},{"id":13844,"slug":"european-parliament","urlSafeValue":"european-parliament","title":"European Parliament","titleRaw":"European Parliament"},{"id":22480,"slug":"euroviews","urlSafeValue":"euroviews","title":"Euroviews","titleRaw":"Euroviews"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":3},{"slug":"quotation","count":3},{"slug":"related","count":2}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Miriam Lexmann, Juozas Olekas, Bart Groothuis, Reinhard\u00a0B\u00fctikofer, Anna Fotyga, MEPs","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"europe-decoded","urlSafeValue":"europe-decoded","title":"Europe Decoded","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-decoded\/europe-decoded"},"vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"},"themes":[{"id":"europe-decoded","urlSafeValue":"europe-decoded","title":"Europe Decoded","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-decoded"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":58,"urlSafeValue":"europe-decoded","title":"Europe Decoded"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":[],"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','gs_science','gt_mixed','gs_busfin','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_science_misc','neg_tiktok_q1_2024_eng','gs_politics','gs_science_biology','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc','neg_facebook_q4','gt_positive_curiosity','gs_science_genetics','neg_audi_list2','gt_negative_fear','eu_brussels_politics_eng','neg_facebook'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":1,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/when-it-comes-to-genomics-de-risking-with-china-is-not-enough","lastModified":1717143928},{"id":2552382,"cid":8466672,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240529_E3WB_55661400","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"Finland Sweden Nato Arctic Competition","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"What does Finland and Sweden\u2019s membership to NATO mean for race to arm the Arctic?","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"What does Finland and Sweden's NATO accession mean for race in Arctic?","titleListing2":"What does Finland and Sweden\u2019s membership to NATO mean for race to arm the Arctic?","leadin":"Following Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO, seven of the eight Arctic Council members will be fighting Russia's threat in the Far North, which has had a significant military advantage for the past decades.","summary":"Following Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO, seven of the eight Arctic Council members will be fighting Russia's threat in the Far North, which has had a significant military advantage for the past decades.","keySentence":"","url":"what-does-finland-and-swedens-membership-to-nato-mean-for-race-to-arm-the-arctic","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/what-does-finland-and-swedens-membership-to-nato-mean-for-race-to-arm-the-arctic","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Russia has had the military advantage in the Arctic for decades but NATO hopes that Sweden and Finland\u2019s recent accession could help the military alliance catch up quickly.\n\nAccording to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Moscow has \u201csignificant\u201d long-range defence capabilities that \u201ccertainly challenge\u201d NATO in the Arctic. Eight of the 11 submarines Russia has that are capable of launching long-range nuclear weapons are based in the Arctic Kola Peninsula, according to a report from Reuters and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).\n\nRussia is ahead of the rest of the Arctic countries in terms of the militarisation of the region, a research associate at the Arctic Institute, Nima Khorrami, told Euronews. Yet, NATO is closing this gap, he added.\n\nAs key players in the Arctic Circle, Sweden and Finland have been developing their military and defence capabilities against the threats presented by neighbouring Russia there. Their accession into NATO \u2014 in March 2024 for Stockholm and April 2023 for Helsinki \u2014 means seven of the eight members of the Arctic Council, the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation in the Arctic, are in the military alliance. These include Canada, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.\n\nNATO has yet to draft a plan to include its two newest members in its Arctic strategy but \u201cRussia finds itself at a disadvantage as a result of the seven Arctic states\u2019 NATO membership,\u201d Khorrami said.\n\n\u201cThis membership enables them to develop shared threat perceptions in the Arctic, which, in turn, facilitates better and quicker coordination,\u201d he added. \u201cNATO can enhance its stance and deploy its resources more swiftly, thereby becoming a significant security presence in the Arctic.\u201d\n\nSweden, Finland: two assets for NATO in the Arctic\n\nSweden and Finland have developed \u201cimportant Arctic capabilities,\u201d Sophie Arts, the programme officer for the German Marshall Fund for the United States, told Euronews. Stockholm has been increasing its defence budget and thinking about how to escalate its personnel numbers due to Russia\u2019s threat in the region, Arts said. Before they had even joined NATO, the two countries had been working with allies such as Norway for their development in the Arctic, she added.\n\nIn 2022, Sweden, Finland, and Norway signed a defence cooperation agreement with a special focus on the Arctic. Under the deal, the countries agreed to strengthen joint operational processes in the Far North and further allow their Armed Forces to cooperate.\n\nThe Arctic region of Sweden has been key for Europe\u2019s development. The state-owned mining company LKAB is responsible for about 80 per cent of the iron ore in Europe. Sweden also has the EU\u2019s only orbital satellite launch complex, Esrange, which brings the European bloc closer to competing in the space race between the United States, China, and Russia. Sweden is creating a major data centre hub in the northern part of the country. Facebook has had a data centre in Lulea since 2017.\n\nYet, one of NATO\u2019s main challenges moving forward is the lack of situational awareness in the Arctic that leaves the alliance exposed to potential threats, Arts said. One of the big questions is \u201chow NATO can integrate its forces and defence plans across different theatres and domains to make sure it creates a 360 security approach,\u201d she said.\n\nNATO \u2018vigilant\u2019 against Russian and Chinese threats in Arctic\n\nIn October 2023, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, warned against the imminent threat posed by Russia and China in the Arctic region and urged the alliance to remain \u201cvigilant\u201d for unexpected rival moves.\n\n\u201cThe increased competition and militarisation in the Arctic region, especially by Russia and China, is concerning. The melting ice in the Arctic is creating new sea routes that would facilitate the movement of large vessels and shorten navigation times. We cannot be naive and ignore the potentially nefarious intentions of some actors in the region,\u201d Admiral Bauer said during the Arctic Circle Assembly.\n\nIn addition to Russia\u2019s threats, China has been seeking influence in the Far North. Beijing has called itself a near-Arctic state and has been cozying up to Moscow to expand its access. The allies announced last year a partnership to promote development in the Northern Sea Route, which is one of the primary shipping lanes in the Arctic.\n\nChina and Russia have also launched joint natural gas production projects in the Arctic, giving Beijing\u2019s liquefied natural gas (LNG) giant market a new gas source. In 2022, warships from the two countries conducted a joint exercise in the Bering Sea, which separates Alaska and Russia.\n\nIn October of that year, Norway raised its military alert level.\n\nFor Liselotte Odgaard, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, Finland and Sweden\u2019s accession into NATO will benefit the Baltic Sea more than the Arctic. Due to geographical factors, other countries such as Norway and Denmark have \u201clegitimate patrolling responsibilities\u201d in areas where Russians could expand their influence.\n\n\u201cThe Russian nuclear missiles that are stationed in the Arctic, will most likely be fired through Greenlandic airspace because there\u2019s such little surveillance of that airspace. Meaning Denmark should have more surveillance capabilities,\u201d Odgaard told Euronews.\n\nAccording to Odgaard, no NATO country has ice-strengthened ships with anti-aircraft and anti-submarine capabilities. Russia\u2019s nuclear submarines, which are able to launch an attack that reaches North America, can travel from the Barents Sea to Greenland without being detected. \u201cThis leaves big gaps in NATO\u2019s defence posture,\u201d Odgaard said.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Russia has had the military advantage in the Arctic for decades but NATO hopes that Sweden and Finland\u2019s recent accession could help the military alliance catch up quickly.<\/p>\n<p>According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Moscow <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.iiss.org//globalassets//media-library---content--migration//files//research-papers//2021//security-and-the-arctic_.pdf/">has \u201csignificant\u201d long-range defence capabilities that \u201ccertainly challenge\u201d NATO in the Arctic. Eight of the 11 submarines Russia has that are capable of launching long-range nuclear weapons are based in the Arctic Kola Peninsula, according to a <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.reuters.com//graphics//ARCTIC-SECURITY//zgvobmblrpd///">report from Reuters and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).<\/p>\n<p>Russia is ahead of the rest of the Arctic countries in terms of the militarisation of the region, a research associate at the Arctic Institute, Nima Khorrami, told Euronews. Yet, NATO is closing this gap, he added.<\/p>\n<p>As key players in the Arctic Circle, Sweden and Finland have been developing their military and defence capabilities against the threats presented by neighbouring Russia there. Their accession into NATO \u2014 in March 2024 for <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//03//07//sweden-officially-joins-nato#:~:text=Sweden%20has%20formally%20joined%20as,following%20Russia's%20invasion%20of%20Ukraine.\"><strong>Stockholm<\/strong><\/a> and April 2023 for <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//04//04//finland-joins-nato-in-the-alliances-fastest-ever-accession-process#:~:text=Finland%20joins%20NATO%20in%20the%20alliance's%20fastest%2Dever%20accession%20process,-NATO%20headquarters%20%2D%20Copyright&text=When%20Finland%20becomes%20the%20military,at%20NATO%20headquarters%20in%20Brussels.\"><strong>Helsinki<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 means seven of the eight members of the Arctic Council, the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation in the Arctic, are in the military alliance. These include Canada, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//46//66//72//808x539_cmsv2_9fa5e674-ecf9-517f-a200-6bb7bec786ba-8466672.jpg/" alt=\"US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod visit the Black Ridge Viewing site in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, May 20, 2021.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/66\/72\/384x256_cmsv2_9fa5e674-ecf9-517f-a200-6bb7bec786ba-8466672.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/66\/72\/640x427_cmsv2_9fa5e674-ecf9-517f-a200-6bb7bec786ba-8466672.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/66\/72\/750x500_cmsv2_9fa5e674-ecf9-517f-a200-6bb7bec786ba-8466672.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/66\/72\/828x552_cmsv2_9fa5e674-ecf9-517f-a200-6bb7bec786ba-8466672.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/66\/72\/1080x720_cmsv2_9fa5e674-ecf9-517f-a200-6bb7bec786ba-8466672.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/66\/72\/1200x800_cmsv2_9fa5e674-ecf9-517f-a200-6bb7bec786ba-8466672.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/66\/72\/1920x1281_cmsv2_9fa5e674-ecf9-517f-a200-6bb7bec786ba-8466672.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod visit the Black Ridge Viewing site in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, May 20, 2021.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>NATO has yet to draft a plan to include its two newest members in its Arctic strategy but \u201cRussia finds itself at a disadvantage as a result of the seven Arctic states\u2019 NATO membership,\u201d Khorrami said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis membership enables them to develop shared threat perceptions in the Arctic, which, in turn, facilitates better and quicker coordination,\u201d he added. \u201cNATO can enhance its stance and deploy its resources more swiftly, thereby becoming a significant security presence in the Arctic.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Sweden, Finland: two assets for NATO in the Arctic<\/h3><p>Sweden and Finland have developed \u201cimportant Arctic capabilities,\u201d Sophie Arts, the programme officer for the German Marshall Fund for the United States, told Euronews. Stockholm has been increasing its defence budget and thinking about how to escalate its personnel numbers due to Russia\u2019s threat in the region, Arts said. Before they had even joined NATO, the two countries had been working with allies such as Norway for their development in the Arctic, she added.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, Sweden, Finland, and Norway <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.government.se//contentassets//b83319c0b1124396b8336c2608476db4//soi_senofi_22112022_for_signature_final.pdf/">signed a defence cooperation agreement with a special focus on the Arctic. Under the deal, the countries agreed to strengthen joint operational processes in the Far North and further allow their Armed Forces to cooperate.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1768322763289133325\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The Arctic region of Sweden has been key for Europe\u2019s development. The state-owned mining company LKAB is <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////lkab.com//en//news//lkabs-four-considerations-for-the-critical-raw-materials-act///">responsible for about 80 per cent of the iron ore in Europe. Sweden also <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////sscspace.com//mainlan-eu-first-orbital-launch-site-inaugurated///">has the EU\u2019s only orbital satellite launch complex, Esrange, which brings the European bloc closer to competing in the space race between the United States, China, and Russia. Sweden is creating a major data centre hub in the northern part of the country. Facebook has had a data <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.investinnorrbotten.se//more-business-opportunities//data-center///">centre in Lulea since 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, one of NATO\u2019s main challenges moving forward is the lack of situational awareness in the Arctic that leaves the alliance exposed to potential threats, Arts said. One of the big questions is \u201chow NATO can integrate its forces and defence plans across different theatres and domains to make sure it creates a 360 security approach,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<h3>NATO \u2018vigilant\u2019 against Russian and Chinese threats in Arctic<\/h3><p>In October 2023, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, warned against the imminent threat posed by Russia and China in the Arctic region and urged the alliance to remain \u201cvigilant\u201d for unexpected rival moves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe increased competition and militarisation in the Arctic region, especially by Russia and China, is concerning. The melting ice in the Arctic is creating new sea routes that would facilitate the movement of large vessels and shorten navigation times. We cannot be naive and ignore the potentially nefarious intentions of some actors in the region,\u201d Admiral Bauer said during the Arctic Circle Assembly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1715736849480651040\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In addition to Russia\u2019s threats, China has been seeking influence in the Far North. Beijing has called itself a near-Arctic state and has been cozying up to Moscow to expand its access. The allies <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"http:////www.kremlin.ru//events//president//news//70748/">announced last year a partnership to promote development in the Northern Sea Route, which is one of the primary shipping lanes in the Arctic.<\/p>\n<p>China and Russia have also launched joint natural gas production projects in the Arctic, giving Beijing\u2019s liquefied natural gas (LNG) giant market a new gas source. In 2022, warships from the two countries conducted a joint exercise in the Bering Sea, which separates Alaska and Russia.<\/p>\n<p>In October of that year, Norway <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//10//31//norway-raises-military-alert-level-after-suspicious-drone-sightings/">raised its military alert level.<\/p>\n<p>For Liselotte Odgaard, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, Finland and Sweden\u2019s accession into NATO will benefit the Baltic Sea more than the Arctic. Due to geographical factors, other countries such as Norway and Denmark have \u201clegitimate patrolling responsibilities\u201d in areas where Russians could expand their influence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Russian nuclear missiles that are stationed in the Arctic, will most likely be fired through Greenlandic airspace because there\u2019s such little surveillance of that airspace. Meaning Denmark should have more surveillance capabilities,\u201d Odgaard told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>According to Odgaard, no NATO country has ice-strengthened <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////foreignpolicy.com//2024//04//01//nato-russia-arctic-steadfast-defender-2024///">ships with anti-aircraft and anti-submarine capabilities. Russia\u2019s nuclear submarines, which are able to launch an attack that reaches North America, can travel from the Barents Sea to Greenland without being detected. \u201cThis leaves big gaps in NATO\u2019s defence posture,\u201d Odgaard said.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1716987289,"updatedAt":1717140684,"publishedAt":1717140554,"firstPublishedAt":1717140684,"lastPublishedAt":1717140554,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/66\/72\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_1d72caa4-44ed-5aea-aa16-e46b8243d9b2-8466672.jpg","altText":"A French sailor sits at the bow of the French navy frigate Normandie during a patrol in a Norwegian fjord, north of the Arctic circle, Friday March 8, 2024.","caption":"A French sailor sits at the bow of the French navy frigate Normandie during a patrol in a Norwegian fjord, north of the Arctic circle, Friday March 8, 2024.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/66\/72\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_9fa5e674-ecf9-517f-a200-6bb7bec786ba-8466672.jpg","altText":"US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod visit the Black Ridge Viewing site in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, May 20, 2021.","caption":"US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod visit the Black Ridge Viewing site in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, May 20, 2021.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"preve","title":"Clara Preve","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":4199,"slug":"arctic","urlSafeValue":"arctic","title":"Arctic","titleRaw":"Arctic"},{"id":205,"slug":"nato","urlSafeValue":"nato","title":"NATO","titleRaw":"NATO"},{"id":29136,"slug":"russian-navy","urlSafeValue":"russian-navy","title":"russian navy","titleRaw":"russian navy"},{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1},{"slug":"twitter","count":2}],"related":[{"id":2493138},{"id":2457878},{"id":2539804}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news\/europe-news"},"vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"},"themes":[{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":56,"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":[],"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_military','gt_negative_fear','gt_negative','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','gs_science','gs_busfin_indus_defense','gs_busfin','gs_busfin_indus','gt_positive_curiosity','gs_tech_compute_apps_prod','gs_tech'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/what-does-finland-and-swedens-membership-to-nato-mean-for-race-to-arm-the-arctic","lastModified":1717140554},{"id":2553578,"cid":8470680,"versionId":3,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240531_E3SU_55676254","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"ITALY MIGRATION DEATHS","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"'Squalid and chaotic': Reality of Italian migrant jails","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"'Squalid and chaotic': Reality of Italian migrant jails","titleListing2":"'Squalid and chaotic': The reality of Italian migrant jails","leadin":"The death of a detainee at a detention and deportation centre on the outskirts of Rome in February shone a spotlight on the conditions inside these de-facto jails for migrants, and raised serious questions about Italy's migration policy.","summary":"The death of a detainee at a detention and deportation centre on the outskirts of Rome in February shone a spotlight on the conditions inside these de-facto jails for migrants, and raised serious questions about Italy's migration policy.","keySentence":"","url":"squalid-and-chaotic-the-reality-of-italian-migrant-jails","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/2024\/05\/31\/squalid-and-chaotic-the-reality-of-italian-migrant-jails","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"It was still dark and quiet outside when Ousmane Sylla had his last prayer in the courtyard of an Italian migrant jail.\n\nA few moments later, the silence of dawn was shattered. Chaos took over the detention and deportation centre of Ponte Galeria on the outskirts of Rome. The 21-year-old Guinean had been found dead in an apparent suicide.\n\nFellow detainees who discovered his body screamed for help and frantically tried to resuscitate him. When paramedics finally arrived, Sylla was gone. \n\nEnraged by his death, migrants set mattresses on fire, broke down doors and threw stones at security forces inside the prison. The riots led to the arrest of 13 people.\n\nSylla\u2019s death in February shined a spotlight on the conditions inside these de-facto jails for migrants, raising questions about Italy\u2019s migration policy as its government, led by far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, vowed to build more such facilities across the country as well as abroad.\n\nThe detention and deportation centres were established in 1999 and have been described as \u201cblack holes for human rights,\u201d by lawyers and activists. The Italian government says they are essential to deterring migrants like Sylla from crossing the Mediterranean on smuggler\u2019s boats.\n\nSylla\u2019s journey from the West African nation of Guinea to Italy began in 2022. One of seven children, he dropped out of school during the COVID-19 pandemic. He learned masonry, but his real passion was singing. Sylla posted videos of himself on TikTok rhyming and gesturing his hands like a rapper.\n\n\u201cHis dream was to become a big star, that everyone would say his name, and he would sing for everyone,\u201d his older sister, Mariama Sylla, said from the family\u2019s modest house in the outskirts of the capital, Conakry.\n\nEuropean Dream turns sour\n\nTo get to Europe, Sylla crossed the Sahara through Mali, Algeria and Tunisia. He made his way to the Tunisian coast, where smugglers move thousands of migrants from northern Africa to Europe on rickety boats. \n\nThis Central Mediterranean route is known as one of the deadliest migration crossings in the world; more than 2,500 people died or went missing last year alone.\n\nAfter nearly drowning in the Mediterranean, Sylla finally reached the Italian island of Lampedusa on 29 July 2023.\n\nSylla was trying to join his older brother, who lives in France. But when he reached the border town of Ventimiglia on 9 August 2023, he was rejected by French authorities. After lying about his age in the hopes it would increase his chance of getting residency, Sylla was sent south, to a centre for underage migrants in the town of Cassino.\n\nBut the place was violent and dysfunctional, his brother and witnesses told AP. During his time in Cassino, Sylla told them he was repeatedly beaten up by other migrants.\n\nAccording to witnesses working at the centre, the facility lacked basic services such as proper clothing, psychological support, and translators. Food deliveries, pocket money, and mobile data cards were also scarce.\n\nOn 13 October, Sylla received an order expelling him from the country. One day later, he was transferred to a detention and deportation centre in Trapani, the first of two migrant jails where he would spend the last four months of his life, according to Dario Asta, a lawyer who assisted Sylla.\n\nGiuseppe Caradonna, another lawyer who tried to help Sylla, said that\u2019s when a psychologist first flagged his mental health issues.\n\nCaradonna informed local authorities on 14 November that Sylla\u2019s mental and physical conditions made him unfit for detention and requested his transfer to a specialised facility.\n\nHowever, the transfer request was denied, and on 5 January, a judge ordered him to be held for three more months.\n\n'They abandoned him' \n\nA fellow migrant detainee from Guinea-Bissau said that Sylla was taking daily medication provided by a doctor at the Trapani facility. \n\nIn late January, when a riot broke out in the centre, burning most of it, both of them were transferred to the Ponte Galeria detention centre near Rome.\n\nAs Sylla boarded the bus that would transfer him, a doctor handed him his case file, urging him to show it to staff at the new centre so he could get proper care.\n\nBut there is no evidence that the file was ever seen by any professional at the Rome detention centre and Sylla was never seen by the centre's psychologist. The centre, managed by an international detention and reception company called ORS, wouldn't comment on Sylla's treatment, but the contract confirmed they had a responsibility to provide psychological care to detainees.\n\nFour days later, the young man took his own life.\n\nItaly currently has 10 such migrant jails across the country, with a capacity to hold 700 foreigners under administrative detention at any one time. Two of them, including Trapani\u2019s, are closed for upgrades.\n\nIn theory, the aim of the centres is deportation. However, according to Interior Ministry data, only 52% of migrants in detention centres are successfully expelled. The rest are eventually released with a self-expulsion order, unable to work or regularise their situation. Many fall into the underground economy or become prey to criminal groups.\n\nRights groups and human rights lawyers have for years denounced and documented squalid conditions inside the migrant prisons, including the lack of adequate health services, over-prescription of psychiatric drugs to keep detainees sedated, and limited access for their lawyers and relatives.\n\nFrom 2019 to 2024, 13 people had died \u2014 five by suicide \u2014 inside Italy\u2019s detention centres, which also registered hundreds of suicide attempts and self-harm episodes.\n\nSylla\u2019s relatives blame the Italian government for his death.\n\n\u201cI am so, so angry at them,\" Mariama told AP shortly after his burial in Conakry. \u201cWhat they\u2019ve done to my little brother, they abandoned him like he\u2019s not a human being. I\u2019m furious.\u201d\n\n","htmlText":"<p>It was still dark and quiet outside when Ousmane Sylla had his last prayer in the courtyard of an Italian migrant jail.<\/p>\n<p>A few moments later, the silence of dawn was shattered. Chaos took over the detention and deportation centre of Ponte Galeria on the outskirts of Rome. The 21-year-old Guinean had been found dead in an apparent suicide.<\/p>\n<p>Fellow detainees who discovered his body screamed for help and frantically tried to resuscitate him. When paramedics finally arrived, Sylla was gone. <\/p>\n<p>Enraged by his death, migrants set mattresses on fire, broke down doors and threw stones at security forces inside the prison. The riots led to the arrest of 13 people.**<\/p>\n<p>Sylla\u2019s death in February shined a spotlight on the conditions inside these de-facto jails for migrants, raising questions about Italy\u2019s migration policy as its government, led by far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, vowed to build more such facilities across the country as well as abroad.<\/p>\n<p>The detention and deportation centres were established in 1999 and have been described as \u201cblack holes for human rights,\u201d by lawyers and activists. The Italian government says they are essential to deterring migrants like Sylla from crossing the Mediterranean on smuggler\u2019s boats.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//47//06//80//808x539_cmsv2_c16d2962-25f9-5f17-af45-5396ebf9579e-8470680.jpg/" alt=\"The mother and siblings of the late Ousmane Sylla gather for a photograph at their house after his funeral in Matoto Bonagui, a suburb in Conakry, Guinea, Tuesday, April 9, 20\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/384x256_cmsv2_c16d2962-25f9-5f17-af45-5396ebf9579e-8470680.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/640x427_cmsv2_c16d2962-25f9-5f17-af45-5396ebf9579e-8470680.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/750x500_cmsv2_c16d2962-25f9-5f17-af45-5396ebf9579e-8470680.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/828x552_cmsv2_c16d2962-25f9-5f17-af45-5396ebf9579e-8470680.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/1080x720_cmsv2_c16d2962-25f9-5f17-af45-5396ebf9579e-8470680.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/1200x800_cmsv2_c16d2962-25f9-5f17-af45-5396ebf9579e-8470680.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/1920x1281_cmsv2_c16d2962-25f9-5f17-af45-5396ebf9579e-8470680.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The mother and siblings of the late Ousmane Sylla gather for a photograph at their house after his funeral in Matoto Bonagui, a suburb in Conakry, Guinea, Tuesday, April 9, 20<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Associated Press<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Sylla\u2019s journey from the West African nation of Guinea to Italy began in 2022. One of seven children, he dropped out of school during the COVID-19 pandemic. He learned masonry, but his real passion was singing. Sylla posted videos of himself on TikTok rhyming and gesturing his hands like a rapper.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis dream was to become a big star, that everyone would say his name, and he would sing for everyone,\u201d his older sister, Mariama Sylla, said from the family\u2019s modest house in the outskirts of the capital, Conakry.<\/p>\n<h2>European Dream turns sour<\/h2><p>To get to Europe, Sylla crossed the Sahara through Mali, Algeria and Tunisia. He made his way to the Tunisian coast, where smugglers move thousands of migrants from northern Africa to Europe on rickety boats. <\/p>\n<p>This Central Mediterranean route is known as one of the deadliest migration crossings in the world; more than 2,500 people died or went missing last year alone.<\/p>\n<p>After nearly drowning in the Mediterranean, Sylla finally reached the Italian island of Lampedusa on 29 July 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Sylla was trying to join his older brother, who lives in France. But when he reached the border town of Ventimiglia on 9 August 2023, he was rejected by French authorities. After lying about his age in the hopes it would increase his chance of getting residency, Sylla was sent south, to a centre for underage migrants in the town of Cassino.<\/p>\n<p>But the place was violent and dysfunctional, his brother and witnesses told AP. During his time in Cassino, Sylla told them he was repeatedly beaten up by other migrants.<\/p>\n<p>According to witnesses working at the centre, the facility lacked basic services such as proper clothing, psychological support, and translators. Food deliveries, pocket money, and mobile data cards were also scarce.<\/p>\n<p>On 13 October, Sylla received an order expelling him from the country. One day later, he was transferred to a detention and deportation centre in Trapani, the first of two migrant jails where he would spend the last four months of his life, according to Dario Asta, a lawyer who assisted Sylla.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8467290,8413768\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//06//far-right-lead-in-italy-ahead-of-european-parliamentary-elections-euronews-poll/">Far right leads in Italy ahead of European parliamentary elections: Euronews poll<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//news//2024//05//30//migration-remains-a-hot-topic-in-italy-ahead-of-european-elections/">Migration splinters Italy ahead of European elections<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Giuseppe Caradonna, another lawyer who tried to help Sylla, said that\u2019s when a psychologist first flagged his mental health issues.<\/p>\n<p>Caradonna informed local authorities on 14 November that Sylla\u2019s mental and physical conditions made him unfit for detention and requested his transfer to a specialised facility.<\/p>\n<p>However, the transfer request was denied, and on 5 January, a judge ordered him to be held for three more months.<\/p>\n<h2>'They abandoned him'<\/h2><p>A fellow migrant detainee from Guinea-Bissau said that Sylla was taking daily medication provided by a doctor at the Trapani facility. <\/p>\n<p>In late January, when a riot broke out in the centre, burning most of it, both of them were transferred to the Ponte Galeria detention centre near Rome.<\/p>\n<p>As Sylla boarded the bus that would transfer him, a doctor handed him his case file, urging him to show it to staff at the new centre so he could get proper care.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//47//06//80//808x539_cmsv2_0ddb0b13-8d20-506c-b0ff-9c6b9d4b5f1f-8470680.jpg/" alt=\"Detainees gather in an open area of the Ponte Galeria center, one of the facilities created in Italy to hold migrants ahead of their repatriation, in Rome, March 19, 2024.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/384x256_cmsv2_0ddb0b13-8d20-506c-b0ff-9c6b9d4b5f1f-8470680.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/640x427_cmsv2_0ddb0b13-8d20-506c-b0ff-9c6b9d4b5f1f-8470680.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/750x500_cmsv2_0ddb0b13-8d20-506c-b0ff-9c6b9d4b5f1f-8470680.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/828x552_cmsv2_0ddb0b13-8d20-506c-b0ff-9c6b9d4b5f1f-8470680.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/1080x720_cmsv2_0ddb0b13-8d20-506c-b0ff-9c6b9d4b5f1f-8470680.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/1200x800_cmsv2_0ddb0b13-8d20-506c-b0ff-9c6b9d4b5f1f-8470680.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/1920x1281_cmsv2_0ddb0b13-8d20-506c-b0ff-9c6b9d4b5f1f-8470680.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Detainees gather in an open area of the Ponte Galeria center, one of the facilities created in Italy to hold migrants ahead of their repatriation, in Rome, March 19, 2024.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Associated Press<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>But there is no evidence that the file was ever seen by any professional at the Rome detention centre and Sylla was never seen by the centre's psychologist. The centre, managed by an international detention and reception company called ORS, wouldn't comment on Sylla's treatment, but the contract confirmed they had a responsibility to provide psychological care to detainees.<\/p>\n<p>Four days later, the young man took his own life.<\/p>\n<p>Italy currently has 10 such migrant jails across the country, with a capacity to hold 700 foreigners under administrative detention at any one time. Two of them, including Trapani\u2019s, are closed for upgrades.<\/p>\n<p>In theory, the aim of the centres is deportation. However, according to Interior Ministry data, only 52% of migrants in detention centres are successfully expelled. The rest are eventually released with a self-expulsion order, unable to work or regularise their situation. Many fall into the underground economy or become prey to criminal groups.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8258858,8238216\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//02//14//the-italy-albania-migration-deal-is-costly-cruel-and-counterproductive/">The Italy-Albania migration deal is costly, cruel and counterproductive<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//02//22//albanian-parliament-approves-controversial-deal-to-hold-migrants-for-italy/">Albanian parliament approves controversial deal to hold migrants for Italy<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Rights groups and human rights lawyers have for years denounced and documented squalid conditions inside the migrant prisons, including the lack of adequate health services, over-prescription of psychiatric drugs to keep detainees sedated, and limited access for their lawyers and relatives.<\/p>\n<p>From 2019 to 2024, 13 people had died \u2014 five by suicide \u2014 inside Italy\u2019s detention centres, which also registered hundreds of suicide attempts and self-harm episodes.<\/p>\n<p>Sylla\u2019s relatives blame the Italian government for his death.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am so, so angry at them,\" Mariama told AP shortly after his burial in Conakry. \u201cWhat they\u2019ve done to my little brother, they abandoned him like he\u2019s not a human being. I\u2019m furious.\u201d<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717135630,"updatedAt":1717139657,"publishedAt":1717139182,"firstPublishedAt":1717139186,"lastPublishedAt":1717139182,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Associated Press","altText":"Mariama Sylla, sister of Ousmane Sylla, holds photos of him in their house at Matoto Bonagui, a suburb of Conakry, Guinea, Monday, April 8, 2024.","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Mariama Sylla, sister of Ousmane Sylla, holds photos of him in their house at Matoto Bonagui, a suburb of Conakry, Guinea, Monday, April 8, 2024.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_09567a11-4009-5cff-9f36-094346b0da39-8470680.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":null,"altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0ddb0b13-8d20-506c-b0ff-9c6b9d4b5f1f-8470680.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":null,"altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/06\/80\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c16d2962-25f9-5f17-af45-5396ebf9579e-8470680.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"migration","titleRaw":"migration","id":13450,"title":"migration","slug":"migration"},{"urlSafeValue":"migration-policy","titleRaw":"Migration 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News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":158,"urlSafeValue":"italy","title":"Italy","url":"\/news\/europe\/italy"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'neg_mobkoi_castrol','gb_safe_from_high','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_law','gt_negative','gv_death_injury','gs_science','gs_science_geography','gs_health','gb_crime_edu','gb_crime_high_med_low','neg_facebook','neg_intel_en','neg_saudiaramco','neg_bucherer','gb_death_injury_high_med','gb_death_injury_high_med_low','gb_death_injury_news-ent','italy_eng','gb_sensitive_high_med','gb_sensitive_high_med_low','gb_sensitive_news-ent','gt_negative_anger','gv_crime','gb_death_injury_edu','gs_society_misc','gs_health_misc','gs_law_misc'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/squalid-and-chaotic-the-reality-of-italian-migrant-jails","lastModified":1717139182},{"id":2553548,"cid":8470588,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240531_RSSU_55676065","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"With DG MEME on promoting the EU through satire | Radio Schuman","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Hungarian TV election debate and euro-satire | Radio Schuman podcast","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Hungarian TV election debate and euro-satire","titleListing2":"Hungarian TV election debate and euro-satire | Listen to #RadioSchuman on your favourite podcast app","leadin":"Radio Schuman is your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news, insights, and behind-the-scenes stories from Brussels and beyond","summary":"Radio Schuman is your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news, insights, and behind-the-scenes stories from Brussels and beyond","keySentence":"","url":"hungarian-tv-election-debate-and-euro-satire-radio-schuman-podcast","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2024\/05\/31\/hungarian-tv-election-debate-and-euro-satire-radio-schuman-podcast","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"n this podcast, we\u2019ll focus on one particular closing event. One that might feel more exciting than Eurovision : The first EU election debate taking place in Hungary since 2006, with eleven parties, including the opposition, invited to take part. Since many of us do not speak Hungarian and will not follow the debate, We\u2019ll give you some insights with our own Hungarian journalist Sandor Sziros in a moment. [Generic] Pre-recorded voice + music: Good morning, this is Radio Schuman \u2013your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings. I am your host, Maia de La Baume. This week-end, temperatures are set to reach 17 degrees, with mostly clouds and rain. There might be sun though, but only on Sunday afternoon\u2026 here\u2019s hoping. Coming up on this podcast, we\u2019ll go to Hungary and explore tonight\u2019s election debate there\u2026 since it\u2019s Friday today, we have a special gift for you : we\u2019ll talk about the joys of making fun of the EU institutions with Fabio Mauri, the man behind the satirical DG Meme and its more than 100,000 followers on X. Finally, we\u2019ll look at the last election poll on Poland with the conservative Law and Justice surpassing the governing Civic Platform party.\n\nWith six days to go to the EU elections, we discuss the debate among Hungary's leading candidates for the European elections, the first such debate in 18 years, with our journalist Sandor Zsiros.\n\nWe talked with Fabio Mauri, the creator of DG MEME, looking behind-the-scenes at the popular EU satire account.\n\nLooking at the polls, we discuss the race in Poland between the Civic Coalition, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and Law and Justice (PiS).\n\nRadio Schuman is hosted and produced by Ma\u00efa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Elenora Vasques and audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron. The music is by Alexandre Jas.\n\n","htmlText":"<div class=\"widget widget--type-freeform\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <iframe src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////embed.acast.com//66435f391ec45a00127feb2f//6658f749144c73001226eddf/" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"190px\"><\/iframe>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-freeform\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/'https:////podcasts.apple.com//fr//podcast//radio-schuman//id1748993321'_blank'>blog post<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Instead, it has produced false answers like telling a user to glue cheese to pizza if it gets unstuck, to eat rocks to help with your health, or that former US President Barack Obama is Muslim, which is a conspiracy theory that has been debunked.<\/p>\n<p>The AI Overview answers are the latest in a series of examples of where chatbot models respond incorrectly.<\/p>\n<p>One <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////vectara.com//blog//cut-the-bull-detecting-hallucinations-in-large-language-models///">study by Vectara<\/strong><\/a>, a generative AI startup, found that AI chatbots invented information anywhere from three to 27 per cent of the time.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What are AI hallucinations?<\/strong><\/h2><p>Large language models (LLMs), which power chatbots such as OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT and Google\u2019s Gemini, learn to predict a response based on the patterns they observe.<\/p>\n<p>The model calculates the most likely next word to answer your question based on what\u2019s in their database, according to Hanan Ouazan, partner and generative AI lead at Artefact.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s exactly how we work as human beings, we think before we talk,\u201d he told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>But sometimes, the model\u2019s training data can be incomplete or biased, leading to incorrect answers or \u201challucinations\u201d being made by the chatbot.<\/p>\n<p>To Alexander Sukharevsky, a senior partner at QuantumBlack at McKinsey, it\u2019s more accurate to call AI \u201chybrid technology\u201d because the chatbot answers provided are \u201cmathematically calculated\u201d based on the data that they observe.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no one reason why hallucinations happen, according to Google: it could be insufficient training data used by the model, incorrect assumptions, or hidden biases in the information the chatbot is using.<\/p>\n<p>{{related align=\"center\" size=\"fullwidth\" ratio=\"auto\" storyIdList=\"8461182\" data=https://www.euronews.com/news/'
Google's new AI summaries tool causes concern after producing misleading responses<\/a> <\/li>' }}<\/p>\n<p>Google identified several types of AI hallucinations, like incorrect predictions of events that might not actually happen, false positives by identifying non-existent threats, and false negatives that might not accurately detect a cancerous tumour.<\/p>\n<p>But Google acknowledges there can be significant consequences to hallucinations, such as a healthcare AI model incorrectly identifying a benign skin model as malignant, leading to \u201cunnecessary medical interventions\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Not all hallucinations are bad, according to Igor Sevo, the head of AI at HTEC Group, a global product development firm. It just depends on what the AI is being used for.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn creative situations, hallucinating is good,\u201d Sevo said, noting that AI models can write new passages of text or emails in a certain voice or style. \u201cThe question now is how to get the models to understand creative vs truthful,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>{{related align=\"center\" size=\"fullwidth\" ratio=\"auto\" storyIdList=\"8437058\" data=https://www.euronews.com/news/'
Google to roll out AI-generated summaries at top of search engine<\/a> <\/li>' }}<\/p>\n<h2><strong>It\u2019s all about the data<\/strong><\/h2><p>Ouazan said the accuracy of a chatbot comes down to the quality of the dataset that it\u2019s being fed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf one [data] source is not 100 per cent\u2026 [the chatbot] might say something that is not right,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is the main reason why we have hallucination.\"<\/p>\n<p>For now, Ouazan said AI models are using a lot of web and open source data to train their models.<\/p>\n<p>{{quotation_v2 align=\"center\" size=\"fullwidth\" ratio=\"auto\" quote=\"\"At the end of the day, it's a journey. Businesses don't have good customer service from day one either.\"\" author=\"Alexander Sukharevsky, senior partner at QuantumBlack at McKinsey\" }}<\/p>\n<p>OpenAI, in particular, is also striking agreements with mass media organisations such as Axel Springer and News Corp and publications such as Le Monde to license their content so they can train their models on more reliable data.<\/p>\n<p>To Ouazan, it\u2019s not that AI needs more data to formulate accurate responses, it's that models need quality source data.<\/p>\n<p>Sukharevsky said he\u2019s not surprised that AI chatbots are making mistakes - they have to, in order for the humans running them to refine the technology and its datasets as they go.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think at the end of the day, it's a journey,\u201d Sukharevsky said. \u201cBusinesses don\u2019t have good customer service from day one either,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>{{related align=\"center\" size=\"fullwidth\" ratio=\"auto\" storyIdList=\"8433946\" data=https://www.euronews.com/news/'
OpenAI rival Anthropic launches chatbot Claude in Europe to give users more choice<\/a> <\/li>' }}<\/p>\n<p>A Google spokesperson told Euronews Next that its AI Overviews received many \u201cuncommon queries\u201d that were either doctored or that couldn\u2019t accurately be reproduced, leading to false or hallucinated answers.<\/p>\n<p>They maintain the company did \u201cextensive testing\u201d before launching AI Overviews and are taking \u201cswift action\u201d to improve their systems.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How can AI companies stop hallucinations?<\/strong><\/h2><p>There are a few techniques Google recommends to slow this problem down, like regularisation, which penalises the model for making extreme predictions.<\/p>\n<p>The way to do this is to limit the number of possible outcomes that the AI model is able to predict, Google continued. Trainers can also give their model feedback, telling them what was liked and disliked about the answer so it will help the chatbot learn what users are looking for.<\/p>\n<p>AI should also be trained with information that is \"relevant\" to what it will be doing, like using a dataset of medical images for an AI that will assist with diagnosing patients.<\/p>\n<p>Companies with AI language models could record the most common queries and then bring a team together with individuals with different skills to figure out how to refine their answers, Sukharevksy said.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Sukharevsky said that English language experts could be well suited to do the AI\u2019s fine-tuning depending on what the most popular questions are.<\/p>\n<p>{{quotation_v2 align=\"center\" size=\"fullwidth\" ratio=\"auto\" quote=\"\u201cI think it\u2019s going to be solved, because if you don\u2019t make [AI chatbots] more reliable, nobody\u2019s going to use them.\"\" author=\"Igor Sevo, head of AI at HTEC Group\" }}<\/p>\n<p>Large companies with major computing power could also take a chance at creating their own evolutionary algorithms to improve the reliability of their models, according to Sevo.<\/p>\n<p>This is where AI models would hallucinate or make up training data for other models with truthful information that\u2019s already been identified by mathematical equations, Sevo continued.<\/p>\n<p>If thousands of models are competing against each other to find truthfulness, the produced models will be less prone to hallucinations, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s going to be solved, because if you don\u2019t make [AI chatbots] more reliable, nobody\u2019s going to use them,\u201d Sevo said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s in everyone\u2019s interest that these things will be used.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Smaller companies can give a shot at manually fine-tuning what data their models consider reliable or truthful based on their own set of standards, Sevo said, but that solution is more labour-intensive and expensive.<\/p>\n<p>Users should also be aware that hallucinations can happen, AI experts say.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would educate myself about what [AI chatbots] are, what they are not, so I have a basic understanding of its limitations as a user,\u201d Sukharevksy said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I see that things aren\u2019t working, I would let the tool evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717057544,"updatedAt":1717133512,"publishedAt":1717133450,"firstPublishedAt":1717079700,"lastPublishedAt":1717133450,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/85\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_bee383ef-49e8-5a72-9229-9385e5252d38-8468504.jpg","altText":"A Google employee gives a demonstration on artificial intelligence at the Google I\/O conference in Mountain View, California.","caption":"A Google employee gives a demonstration on artificial intelligence at the Google I\/O conference in Mountain View, California.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu, File","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":3278,"height":2191}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"desmarais","title":"Anna Desmarais","twitter":"anna_desmarais"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":12661,"slug":"artificial-intelligence","urlSafeValue":"artificial-intelligence","title":"Artificial intelligence","titleRaw":"Artificial intelligence"},{"id":24812,"slug":"misinformation","urlSafeValue":"misinformation","title":"misinformation","titleRaw":"misinformation"},{"id":29194,"slug":"open-ai","urlSafeValue":"open-ai","title":"Open AI","titleRaw":"Open AI"},{"id":8391,"slug":"google","urlSafeValue":"google","title":"Google","titleRaw":"Google"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"quotation","count":2},{"slug":"related","count":3}],"related":[{"id":2552208},{"id":2488830}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"tech-news","urlSafeValue":"tech-news","title":"Tech News","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/tech-news\/tech-news"},"vertical":"next","verticals":[{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"},{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My 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News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":24,"urlSafeValue":"belgium","title":"Belgium","url":"\/news\/europe\/belgium"},"town":{"id":4129,"urlSafeValue":"brussels","title":"Brussels"},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_tech','gs_tech_computing','gs_busfin','gs_busfin_business','gs_tech_compute','gs_fooddrink','gt_negative','gt_negative_mistrust','gs_tech_compute_net','gs_politics_american','bespoke_kaspersky','neg_facebook'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/next\/2024\/05\/31\/hallucinations-why-do-ai-chatbots-sometimes-show-false-or-misleading-information","lastModified":1717133450},{"id":2553054,"cid":8468958,"versionId":4,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240530_BUWB_55669643","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"pensions in europe","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Pensions in Europe: Which countries are best and worst for retirement?","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Pensions in Europe: Which countries are best and worst for retirement?","titleListing2":"Average pensions across Europe: Which countries pay the highest old-age pension?","leadin":"There are significant pension disparities across Europe. Euronews Business has found a strong positive correlation between financial confidence in retirement and the level of monthly pensions.","summary":"There are significant pension disparities across Europe. Euronews Business has found a strong positive correlation between financial confidence in retirement and the level of monthly pensions.","keySentence":"","url":"pensions-in-europe-which-countries-are-best-and-worst-for-retirement","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/business\/2024\/05\/31\/pensions-in-europe-which-countries-are-best-and-worst-for-retirement","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Earnings-related pensions overwhelmingly constitute the primary source of income for Europeans aged 65 and older. However, less than half of EU consumers are confident that they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement. In several countries, this confidence level falls to 30% or even less. This raises concerns about pension adequacy.\n\nProtecting older people against poverty is a key function of pension systems. Old-age pension is periodic payments intended to:\u00a0\n\n1. Maintain the income of the beneficiary after retirement from paid employment at the legal or standard age;\u00a0or\n\n2. Support the income of elderly persons (excluding where payments are made for a limited period only).\n\nHuge disparities in pensions across Europe\n\nAccording to Eurostat, old-age pensions across Europe vary significantly in both nominal terms and purchasing power standards (PPS). To simplify the data, Euronews Business has converted annual pension incomes into monthly amounts by dividing them by 12 months.\n\nIn 2021, the average gross monthly old-age pension expenditure per beneficiary within the EU varied widely, from as high as \u20ac2,575 in Luxembourg to as low as \u20ac226 in Bulgaria, with the EU average standing at \u20ac1,224.\n\nIncluding the broader European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and EU candidate countries, Iceland reported the highest average at \u20ac2,762, while Albania had the lowest at \u20ac131.\n\n'Big Four of EU' and Nordic countries above EU pension average\n\nThe old-age pension per recipient exceeded the EU average in all of the EU's \"Big Four\" countries. Italy reported the highest pension at \u20ac1,561, while France, Spain, and Germany showed nearly identical figures, each around \u20ac1,450.\n\nThe Nordic countries also performed strongly, with average old-age pensions exceeding those of the \"Big Four\".\n\nBalkan countries record the lowest pensions\n\nThe lowest seven rankings are all held by Balkan countries. The average expenditure on old-age pensions in Luxembourg was nearly 11 times higher than that in Bulgaria, highlighting significant disparities. Even discounting Luxembourg as an outlier, the EU average still remained almost six times higher than that recorded in Bulgaria.\n\nSome of these pension disparities can be attributed to varying price levels across EU member states, as Eurostat notes that the overall cost of living significantly differs throughout the region.\n\nPension disparities narrow significantly in PPS terms\n\nIn purchasing power standards (PPS), an artificial currency unit which adjusts for price level differences between countries, the disparities significantly decrease.\n\nIn PPS terms, the average old-age pension ranges from 437 in Bulgaria to 1,681 in Luxembourg. This means a pension recipient in Luxembourg received a gross pension nearly four times as high as one in Bulgaria.\u00a0\n\nAccording to the 2023 Eurobarometer survey by the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), only 42% of EU consumers feel confident that they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement.\n\nConfidence levels show significant variation among countries, with Luxembourg (61%), the Netherlands (59%), and Denmark (58%) reporting the highest confidence. Conversely, the lowest confidence levels are seen in Latvia (23%), Slovenia (27%), and Poland (28%).\n\nStrong correlation: Pensions vs retirement confidence\n\nEuronews Business has found a strong positive correlation between the level of financial confidence in living comfortably during retirement and the amount of the monthly old-age pension.\u00a0\n\nThis correlation indicates that higher confidence levels are prevalent in countries with higher pensions, while confidence tends to decrease in places with lower pension amounts.\n\nEuropean Parliament highlights the risk of old-age poverty\n\nExpert groups and stakeholders have put forward a number of recommendations to strengthen both the sustainability and the adequacy of EU pension systems according to the European Parliament\u2019s briefing. \n\n\"The way pension systems are currently designed leaves growing numbers of people at risk of old-age poverty. This trend runs contrary to EU efforts to reduce poverty\", the briefing warned.\n\nChallenges in international pension comparison\n\nComparing international pension levels is challenging due to significant differences in pension systems. These comparisons often overlook the impact of taxation and social contributions on the final pension amounts. The figures are calculated from Eurostat\u2019s database by dividing the total expenditure on old-age pensions by the number of recipients.\n\n\"It is important to reiterate that these figures on pension expenditure per beneficiary do not necessarily reflect the level or adequacy of individual old-age pensions in different countries\", Eurostat reminds.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Earnings-related pensions overwhelmingly constitute the primary source of income for Europeans aged 65 and older. However, less than half of EU consumers are confident that they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement. In several countries, this confidence level falls to 30% or even less. This raises concerns about pension adequacy.<\/p>\n<p>Protecting older people against poverty is a key function of pension systems. Old-age pension is periodic payments intended to:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>1. Maintain the income of the beneficiary after retirement from paid employment at the legal or standard age;\u00a0or<\/p>\n<p>2. Support the income of elderly persons (excluding where payments are made for a limited period only).<\/p>\n<h2>Huge disparities in pensions across Europe<\/h2><p>According to Eurostat, old-age pensions across Europe vary significantly in both nominal terms and purchasing power standards (PPS). To simplify the data, Euronews Business has converted annual pension incomes into monthly amounts by dividing them by 12 months.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, the average gross monthly old-age pension expenditure per beneficiary within the EU varied widely, from as high as \u20ac2,575 in Luxembourg to as low as \u20ac226 in Bulgaria, with the EU average standing at \u20ac1,224.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-flourish widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart u-min-height-375\" data-src=\"visualisation\/18140313?92060\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Including the broader European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and EU candidate countries, Iceland reported the highest average at \u20ac2,762, while Albania had the lowest at \u20ac131.<\/p>\n<h2>'Big Four of EU' and Nordic countries above EU pension average<\/h2><p>The old-age pension per recipient exceeded the EU average in all of the EU's \"Big Four\" countries. Italy reported the highest pension at \u20ac1,561, while France, Spain, and Germany showed nearly identical figures, each around \u20ac1,450.<\/p>\n<p>The Nordic countries also performed strongly, with average old-age pensions exceeding those of the \"Big Four\".<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8469502\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//business//2024//06//03//ai-will-help-small-businesses-compete-with-retail-giants-says-shopify-president/">AI will help small businesses compete with retail giants, says Shopify President<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Balkan countries record the lowest pensions<\/h2><p>The lowest seven rankings are all held by Balkan countries. The average expenditure on old-age pensions in Luxembourg was nearly 11 times higher than that in Bulgaria, highlighting significant disparities. Even discounting Luxembourg as an outlier, the EU average still remained almost six times higher than that recorded in Bulgaria.<\/p>\n<p>Some of these pension disparities can be attributed to varying price levels across EU member states, as Eurostat notes that the overall cost of living significantly differs throughout the region.<\/p>\n<h2>Pension disparities narrow significantly in PPS terms<\/h2><p>In purchasing power standards (PPS), an artificial currency unit which adjusts for price level differences between countries, the disparities significantly decrease.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-flourish widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart u-min-height-375\" data-src=\"visualisation\/18140330?92060\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In PPS terms, the average old-age pension ranges from 437 in Bulgaria to 1,681 in Luxembourg. This means a pension recipient in Luxembourg received a gross pension nearly four times as high as one in Bulgaria.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>According to the 2023 Eurobarometer survey by the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), only 42% of EU consumers feel confident that they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-flourish widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart u-min-height-375\" data-src=\"visualisation\/18155825?92060\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Confidence levels show significant variation among countries, with Luxembourg (61%), the Netherlands (59%), and Denmark (58%) reporting the highest confidence. Conversely, the lowest confidence levels are seen in Latvia (23%), Slovenia (27%), and Poland (28%).<\/p>\n<h2>Strong correlation: Pensions vs retirement confidence<\/h2><p>Euronews Business has found a strong positive correlation between the level of financial confidence in living comfortably during retirement and the amount of the monthly old-age pension.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This correlation indicates that higher confidence levels are prevalent in countries with higher pensions, while confidence tends to decrease in places with lower pension amounts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-flourish widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart u-min-height-375\" data-src=\"visualisation\/18170126?92060\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>European Parliament highlights the risk of old-age poverty<\/h2><p>Expert groups and stakeholders have put forward a number of recommendations to strengthen both the sustainability and the adequacy of EU pension systems according to the European Parliament\u2019s briefing. <\/p>\n<p>\"The way pension systems are currently designed leaves growing numbers of people at risk of old-age poverty. This trend runs contrary to EU efforts to reduce poverty\", the briefing warned.<\/p>\n<h2>Challenges in international pension comparison<\/h2><p>Comparing international pension levels is challenging due to significant differences in pension systems. These comparisons often overlook the impact of taxation and social contributions on the final pension amounts. The figures are calculated from Eurostat\u2019s database by dividing the total expenditure on old-age pensions by the number of recipients.<\/p>\n<p>\"It is important to reiterate that these figures on pension expenditure per beneficiary do not necessarily reflect the level or adequacy of individual old-age pensions in different countries\", Eurostat reminds.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717067787,"updatedAt":1717411965,"publishedAt":1717132543,"firstPublishedAt":1717079350,"lastPublishedAt":1717132543,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Martin Meissner\/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"An elderly couple sits on a bench in a park in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"An elderly couple sits on a bench in a park in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/89\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0333dc81-7411-52b1-b89b-4f421bf3ff4a-8468958.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1473}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"yanatma","twitter":null,"title":"Servet Yanatma"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"pensions","titleRaw":"Pensions","id":14198,"title":"Pensions","slug":"pensions"},{"urlSafeValue":"pension-fund","titleRaw":"pension fund","id":28166,"title":"pension fund","slug":"pension-fund"},{"urlSafeValue":"pensioners","titleRaw":"Pensioners","id":12744,"title":"Pensioners","slug":"pensioners"},{"urlSafeValue":"retirement","titleRaw":"Retirement","id":12346,"title":"Retirement","slug":"retirement"},{"urlSafeValue":"average-salary","titleRaw":"average salary","id":29420,"title":"average salary","slug":"average-salary"},{"urlSafeValue":"65-age-older","titleRaw":"65 age older","id":23036,"title":"65 age older","slug":"65-age-older"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"related"},{"count":4,"slug":"flourish"}],"related":[{"id":2553694},{"id":2553782}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"business","urlSafeValue":"business","title":"Business","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/business\/business\/business"},"vertical":"business","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"business","id":11,"title":"Business","slug":"business"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":11,"slug":"business","urlSafeValue":"business","title":"Business"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"business","id":"business","title":"Business","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/business\/business"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":7,"urlSafeValue":"business","title":"Business"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":[],"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','gs_personalfin','gs_personalfin_retirement','gs_science','gs_science_geography','gt_mixed'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/business\/2024\/05\/31\/pensions-in-europe-which-countries-are-best-and-worst-for-retirement","lastModified":1717132543},{"id":2553468,"cid":8470358,"versionId":3,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240531_E3SU_55674617","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"GERMANY ARMS UKRAINE","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"German defence minister announces \u20ac500m military support package for Ukraine","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Germany announces \u20ac500-million military aid package for Ukraine","titleListing2":"German Defence Minister announces \u20ac500 million military support package for Ukraine","leadin":"Russia launched a fresh offensive in Kharkiv earlier this month, and Ukrainian military commanders reported a renewed build-up of Moscow troops in the north of the region on Thursday.","summary":"Russia launched a fresh offensive in Kharkiv earlier this month, and Ukrainian military commanders reported a renewed build-up of Moscow troops in the north of the region on Thursday.","keySentence":"","url":"german-defence-minister-announces-500-million-military-support-package-for-ukraine","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/german-defence-minister-announces-500-million-military-support-package-for-ukraine","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has announced a \u20ac500 million military support package for Ukraine.\n\nHe made the announcement during a trip to the southern port city of Odesa, which had been kept secret until the evening for security reasons.\n\n\"Ukraine is under pressure because the Russian forces are doing everything they can to extend the length of the front and tie up Ukrainian forces. But they are succeeding,\" he said.\n\n\"At the same time, no really significant and sustainable breakthroughs are being made. The situation is therefore naturally one of pressure, but not one that Ukraine seems unable to cope with at the moment.\"\n\nThis was Pistorius' third visit to Ukraine since the 2022 Russian invasion.\n\nThe military aid package includes ammunition for Ukraine\u2019s medium-range air defence system and shorter-range SLS missiles.\u00a0It also includes spare parts and barrels for artillery systems and around one million rounds of small ammunition.\n\nGermany is the second-largest provider of arms to Ukraine after the US and Pistorius said some of the items are about to be delivered.\n\nUkraine's frontline troops continue to face ammunition shortages in the face of a renewed Russian offensive in the northern region of Kharkiv.\n\nRussia launched a fresh offensive in Kharkiv earlier this month, and Ukrainian military commanders reported a renewed build-up of Russian troops in the north of the region.\n\nRussia has made some territorial gains but Ukraine's ability to hold back Moscow's forces has been hampered by a lengthy delay in US military aid and Western Europe's inadequate military production which has slowed crucial deliveries to the battlefield.\n\nUkraine's army chief has warned that Russia is increasing its troop concentration in the Kharkiv region, where Moscow's forces have made significant advances in a spring offensive.\n\nOleksandr Syrskyi said on his Facebook page on Thursday that Russia is bringing army units from other parts of Ukraine into the Kharkiv region to supplement forces in the two main focuses of fighting, the towns of Vovchansk and Lyptsi.\n\nSyrskyi said Ukraine has also moved reserve troops into the area.\n\nIn his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that new agreements with partners on air defences and drone production are on the horizon.\n\n\"We already have some confirmations from leaders about enhancing our air defence capabilities, and the key is to implement them in full and add more relevant agreements,\" he said.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has announced a \u20ac500 million military support package for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>He made the announcement during a trip to the southern port city of Odesa, which had been kept secret until the evening for security reasons.<\/p>\n<p>\"Ukraine is under pressure because the Russian forces are doing everything they can to extend the length of the front and tie up Ukrainian forces. But they are succeeding,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>\"At the same time, no really significant and sustainable breakthroughs are being made. The situation is therefore naturally one of pressure, but not one that Ukraine seems unable to cope with at the moment.\"<\/p>\n<p>This was Pistorius' third visit to Ukraine since the 2022 Russian invasion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.587334247828075\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//47//03//58//808x475_cmsv2_5fb2c214-d1e9-59d6-8a9a-9c15364144bf-8470358.jpg/" alt=\"German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius visits the Air Defence Missile Group 21 at a military training area in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, May 29, 2024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/03\/58\/384x226_cmsv2_5fb2c214-d1e9-59d6-8a9a-9c15364144bf-8470358.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/03\/58\/640x376_cmsv2_5fb2c214-d1e9-59d6-8a9a-9c15364144bf-8470358.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/03\/58\/750x441_cmsv2_5fb2c214-d1e9-59d6-8a9a-9c15364144bf-8470358.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/03\/58\/828x486_cmsv2_5fb2c214-d1e9-59d6-8a9a-9c15364144bf-8470358.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/03\/58\/1080x634_cmsv2_5fb2c214-d1e9-59d6-8a9a-9c15364144bf-8470358.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/03\/58\/1200x705_cmsv2_5fb2c214-d1e9-59d6-8a9a-9c15364144bf-8470358.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/03\/58\/1920x1128_cmsv2_5fb2c214-d1e9-59d6-8a9a-9c15364144bf-8470358.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius visits the Air Defence Missile Group 21 at a military training area in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, May 29, 2024<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Bernd Wuestneck\/(c) Copyright 2024, dpa (www.dpa.de). Alle Rechte vorbehalten<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The military aid package includes ammunition for Ukraine\u2019s medium-range air defence system and shorter-range SLS missiles.\u00a0It also includes spare parts and barrels for artillery systems and around one million rounds of small ammunition.<\/p>\n<p>Germany is the second-largest provider of arms to Ukraine after the US and Pistorius said some of the items are about to be delivered.<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine's frontline troops continue to face ammunition shortages in the face of a renewed Russian offensive in the northern region of Kharkiv.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-large widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1796207302581584376\"><\/div>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Volodymyr Zelenskiy comments on recent security agreements with international partners<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Russia launched a fresh offensive in Kharkiv earlier this month, and Ukrainian military commanders reported a renewed build-up of Russian troops in the north of the region.<\/p>\n<p>Russia has made some territorial gains but Ukraine's ability to hold back Moscow's forces has been hampered by a lengthy delay in US military aid and Western Europe's inadequate military production which has slowed crucial deliveries to the battlefield.<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine's army chief has warned that Russia is increasing its troop concentration in the Kharkiv region, where Moscow's forces have made significant advances in a spring offensive.<\/p>\n<p>Oleksandr Syrskyi said on his Facebook page on Thursday that Russia is bringing army units from other parts of Ukraine into the Kharkiv region to supplement forces in the two main focuses of fighting, the towns of Vovchansk and Lyptsi.<\/p>\n<p>Syrskyi said Ukraine has also moved reserve troops into the area.<\/p>\n<p>In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that new agreements with partners on air defences and drone production are on the horizon.<\/p>\n<p>\"We already have some confirmations from leaders about enhancing our air defence capabilities, and the key is to implement them in full and add more relevant agreements,\" he said.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717101904,"updatedAt":1717139091,"publishedAt":1717132025,"firstPublishedAt":1717131915,"lastPublishedAt":1717132025,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Andrii Marienko\/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved","altText":"Firefighters put out a fire after a Russian missile hit a large printing house in Kharkiv, May 23, 2024","callToActionText":null,"width":5200,"caption":"Firefighters put out a fire after a Russian missile hit a large printing house in Kharkiv, May 23, 2024","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/03\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_19923375-d053-5098-9853-08ed732565e5-8470358.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3466},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":null,"altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":4374,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/47\/03\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5fb2c214-d1e9-59d6-8a9a-9c15364144bf-8470358.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":2569}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"war-in-ukraine","titleRaw":"Ukraine war","id":26692,"title":"Ukraine war","slug":"war-in-ukraine"},{"urlSafeValue":"russia-ukraine-invasion","titleRaw":"Russia-Ukraine invasion","id":26698,"title":"Russia-Ukraine invasion","slug":"russia-ukraine-invasion"},{"urlSafeValue":"kharkiv","titleRaw":"Kharkiv","id":4267,"title":"Kharkiv","slug":"kharkiv"},{"urlSafeValue":"germany","titleRaw":"Germany","id":125,"title":"Germany","slug":"germany"},{"urlSafeValue":"joe-biden","titleRaw":"Joe Biden","id":6005,"title":"Joe Biden","slug":"joe-biden"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"image"},{"count":1,"slug":"twitter"}],"related":[{"id":2552876},{"id":2553064},{"id":2552462}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"gk-4-1Dtcp0","dailymotionId":"x8zdtpw"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":106000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":13286216,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/E3\/SU\/24\/05\/31\/en\/240531_E3SU_55674617_55674684_106000_005637_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":106000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":19871048,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/E3\/SU\/24\/05\/31\/en\/240531_E3SU_55674617_55674684_106000_005637_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP, EBU","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news\/europe-news"},"vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"my-europe","id":2,"title":"My Europe","slug":"my-europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","id":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":56,"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":288,"urlSafeValue":"ukraine","title":"Ukraine","url":"\/news\/europe\/ukraine"},"town":{"id":4267,"urlSafeValue":"kharkiv","title":"Kharkiv"},"grapeshot":"'gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','gs_science','gs_science_geography','gs_politics','gv_military','gt_negative'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/german-defence-minister-announces-500-million-military-support-package-for-ukraine","lastModified":1717132025},{"id":2553250,"cid":8469720,"versionId":5,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240530_CMSU_55672536","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"GREEN_Belgian teenager who lost a friend to floods holds Total accountable","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Meet the climate catastrophe victim filing a criminal case against the bosses of oil firm Total","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Belgian teenager who lost a friend to floods holds Total responsible","titleListing2":"Benjamin lost a friend to deadly flooding. Now he\u2019s holding the bosses of oil firm Total accountable","leadin":"Eight people have launched a criminal case against TotalEnergies' leaders, who they hold responsible for their climate tragedies.","summary":"Eight people have launched a criminal case against TotalEnergies' leaders, who they hold responsible for their climate tragedies.","keySentence":"","url":"benjamin-lost-a-friend-to-deadly-flooding-now-hes-holding-the-bosses-of-oil-firm-total-acc","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/2024\/05\/31\/benjamin-lost-a-friend-to-deadly-flooding-now-hes-holding-the-bosses-of-oil-firm-total-acc","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"After his friend Rosa was swept away, 14-year-old Benjamin Van Bunderen Robberechts sat watching the treetops sway left to right outside the window.\n\nHe slouched in the chair because if he sat up, he could still see the raging stream that had taken her as they tried to reach their campsite base in Marcourt, Belgium.\n\n\u201cI thought then this is a moment I\u2019m going to remember for the rest of my life,\u201d he says. \u201cI could hear the water and I could see the flashes of sirens through the window - police, ambulance, fire. But I was just sitting there looking at the trees.\u201d\n\nRosa Reichel, 15, was one of more than 200 people who died in Western Europe\u2019s July 2021 floods, which scientists say were made 20 times more intense by the climate crisis.\n\nDespite the oily fingerprints of climate change, extreme weather disasters like this are usually framed as crimes without a perpetrator. But Benjamin, now 17, thinks he knows who the chief culprits are.\n\nAlongside eight other climate victims and three NGOs, the teenager has launched a criminal case in Paris against the CEO, directors and main shareholders of TotalEnergies - the world\u2019s sixth-biggest fossil fuel company.\n\nFiled on 21 May, it is the first criminal complaint of its kind from victims and NGOs against the individuals running an oil and gas major. It comes after a surge in successful civil climate cases.\n\n\u201cWhat Total is doing is criminal, what they're doing is hurting people. It's killing people. So they have to be stopped,\u201d Benjamin tells Euronews Green from his home in Brussels. \u201cAnd it's clear that they're not going to do it on their own, or the politicians aren't going to stop them. So the last person to go to then is a judge.\u201d\n\nHow climate tragedy struck a summer camp in Belgium\n\nBenjamin has been attending climate marches since he was 10 years old. His desire to make a difference brought him to the United World Colleges summer camp on 10 July 2021.\n\nAfter months of COVID lockdown, he was eager to make friends - and that wish was quickly granted. \u201cI met an amazing girl there, Rosa,\u201d he says, beginning a story he has told many times.\u00a0\n\nTheir conversations ranged from the near future - plans to visit a beautiful forest in Brussels, where Rosa also lived - to their adult dreams; putting the world to rights via wide-ranging chats about climate, Black Lives Matter and gender equality.\n\nIt rained all day on 13 July and heavier still on 14 July. They watched the Ruisseau de Quartes - a two-metre wide, five centimetre deep stream which cut through the campsite on route to the Ourthe river - rise up and turn brown.\n\nAt around 5pm, concerned that it would flood their dormitory, Rosa, Benjamin and other friends decided to cross the field to the main building where the camp leaders were.\n\nThe pair set out first towards the bridge, he recalls, \u201cbut suddenly the field flooded and we couldn't see where we were standing anymore.\u201d\n\nRosa was taken by the water, says Benjamin, who jumped in after her. He managed to hold her with one arm, grasping at branches as they were pulled into the tumult, grabbing a fence pole sticking out of the bank. \u201cBut then an even bigger wave came and she slipped out of my hands.\u201d\n\nHe crawled out of the river but lost sight of his friend. Rosa\u2019s body was found by rescuers three days later, six kilometres downstream.\n\nWhat is the criminal case against Total?\u00a0\n\n\u201cThere were a lot of other things that went wrong,\u201d says Benjamin, referring to the accident and the wider tragedy in Belgium - 38 other people died in the floods. \u201cBut the thing that started the chain reaction was the climate crisis.\u201d\n\nSince TotalEnergies was founded a century ago, its fossil fuel production has unleashed as much CO2 (15 billion tonnes) as the world\u2019s 120 least emitting countries, according to NGO BLOOM.\n\nRecords show that the company has known about the climate consequences of burning fossil fuels since at least 1971. But instead of changing course, the French oil major overtly denied the science until the early 1990s, researchers say.\u00a0\n\nAs the scientific consensus around anthropogenic climate change became undeniable, Total and other fossil fuel giants resorted to \u201cferocious lobbying\u201d against EU policies to reign them in, observers said.\u00a0\n\nAfter the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5C in 2015, Total refashioned itself as a renewable energy investor and announced a slew of climate targets. But as of 2023, Greenpeace calculates that 98 per cent of its energy production still comes from fossil fuels.\u00a0\n\nDespite the IEA\u2019s 2021 warning that no new oil and gas fields can be developed if the world is to stick to this (relatively) safe limit, Total has announced 30 new projects in the last three years, making it the second biggest company in terms of planned expansion.\n\nAs a result, the case seeks to establish criminal liability at Total on four grounds: deliberately engaging the lives of others, involuntary manslaughter, neglecting to address a disaster, and damaging biodiversity.\n\n\u201cWhat is specific about the time we live in and what our litigation is trying to bridge is the gap that exists between the absolute scientific certainty of who bears the responsibility for the destruction of the world by climate change and the absence of clear sentencing by courts against climate crimes,\u201d says Hadrien Goux, fossil fuel campaign officer at BLOOM, one of the three NGOs bringing the case.\n\nWho else is involved in the Total climate case?\n\nBLOOM has united with another French NGO, Sant\u00e9 Plan\u00e9taire, and Mexico\u2019s Nuestro Futuro. The seven other plaintiffs - all victims or survivors of climate-related catastrophes - come from Australia, France, Greece, Pakistan, the Philippines and Zimbabwe.\n\nThe French plaintiffs, known as Elisa and William C-R, lost their mother when Storm Alex caused sudden massive floods to tear through her home in the V\u00e9subie Valley in 2020.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m here to defend the honour of my mother, who died because of a climate disaster,\u201d says William, who found her body 13 days later.\n\nTotal is already facing at least eight other climate lawsuits. This new criminal case, however, is unusual in that particular individuals and entities are named: CEO Patrick Pouyann\u00e9; members of Total\u2019s Board of Directors; and the main shareholders who have voted for strategies incompatible with limiting warming to 2C, including Blackrock and Norges Bank.\u00a0\n\nUnder the French legal system, complaints can be filed \u201cagainst X\u201d, leaving it open to the prosecutor to decide who among these groups to prosecute.\u00a0\n\nThey have three months to dismiss the complaint or open a judicial investigation - which could lead to an unprecedented trial. Each of the four offences is punishable by at least one year of imprisonment and tens of thousands of euros in fines.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nTotal declined to comment, as it says it has not been officially informed of the complaint.\n\nClimate activist, diplomat and plaintiff: How one teenager is fighting back\u00a0\n\nThree days after the case was filed, Total held its AGM in Paris and Benjamin was arrested for the first time while protesting outside.\n\nHis style of activism isn\u2019t the kind that tends to get you handcuffed. Benjamin calls himself a \u201cclimate diplomat\u201d, frequently addressing world leaders at high-level events like COP28. As part of his Climate Justice for Rosa campaign, he persuaded the European Parliament to make 15 July a day of remembrance for the global victims of the climate crisis.\u00a0\n\nBut that didn\u2019t stop him being hauled onto a police bus with dozens of others last Friday, stripped and put in a cell alone without a clock.\u00a0\n\nThe isolation was particularly distressing, he says, because he suffers from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Another reason he avoids big climate marches is because of the sound of helicopters - which takes him back to the constant noise of the police search in the days after Rosa disappeared.\u00a0\n\nThe protest charges were dropped at 7pm, but as a minor Benjamin had to wait for his mum to collect him. He passed that time in another holding area, among the high and bloodstained youth of Paris who had also landed on the wrong side of the law that night. \n\nAfterwards, one of his first calls was to the victim support officer who helped him after Rosa\u2019s death.\u00a0\n\nPTSD makes everyday life difficult for Benjamin. Water is his biggest trigger: \u201cIt\u2019s horrible to be next to a stream.\u201d He used to cycle into Brussels by the canal, and now takes a 30-minute detour through the forest.\u00a0\n\n\u201cI can\u2019t be a normal teenager, I can\u2019t just live without worry,\u201d he says. He homeschools himself now, which at least has the benefit of enabling him to be a full-time activist too.\n\n\u201cI feel like my activism is the thing that helps me the most,\u201d he says. \u201cI wouldn't really know what I would do otherwise because I'm really just trying to stop this from happening over and over again.\u201d\n\n","htmlText":"<p>After his friend Rosa was swept away, 14-year-old Benjamin Van Bunderen Robberechts sat watching the treetops sway left to right outside the window.<\/p>\n<p>He slouched in the chair because if he sat up, he could still see the raging stream that had taken her as they tried to reach their campsite base in Marcourt, Belgium.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought then this is a moment I\u2019m going to remember for the rest of my life,\u201d he says. \u201cI could hear the water and I could see the flashes of sirens through the window - police, ambulance, fire. But I was just sitting there looking at the trees.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rosa Reichel, 15, was one of more than 200 people who died in Western Europe\u2019s <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.worldweatherattribution.org//heavy-rainfall-which-led-to-severe-flooding-in-western-europe-made-more-likely-by-climate-change///">July 2021 floods<\/strong><\/a>, which scientists say were made 20 times more intense by the climate crisis.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the oily fingerprints of climate change, extreme weather disasters like this are usually framed as crimes without a perpetrator. But Benjamin, now 17, thinks he knows who the chief culprits are.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside eight other climate victims and three NGOs, the teenager has launched a criminal case in Paris against the CEO, directors and main shareholders of TotalEnergies - the world\u2019s sixth-biggest fossil fuel company.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8469638,8456984\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2024//05//27//hottest-summer-ever-experts-reveal-what-could-be-in-store-for-europe-in-the-next-few-month/">Hottest summer ever? Experts reveal what could be in store for Europe in the next few months<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2024//05//30//young-green-and-european-meet-the-new-generation-of-eco-activists-running-in-the-eu-electi/">Young, green and European: Meet the new generation of eco-activists running in the EU elections<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Filed on 21 May, it is the first criminal complaint of its kind from victims and NGOs against the individuals running an oil and gas major. It comes after a surge in successful civil <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2024//04//10//what-does-the-echrs-landmark-ruling-mean-for-human-rights-and-climate-change/">climate cases<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat Total is doing is criminal, what they're doing is hurting people. It's killing people. So they have to be stopped,\u201d Benjamin tells Euronews Green from his home in Brussels. \u201cAnd it's clear that they're not going to do it on their own, or the politicians aren't going to stop them. So the last person to go to then is a judge.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>How climate tragedy struck a summer camp in Belgium<\/h2><p>Benjamin has been attending climate marches since he was 10 years old. His desire to make a difference brought him to the United World Colleges summer camp on 10 July 2021.<\/p>\n<p>After months of COVID lockdown, he was eager to make friends - and that wish was quickly granted. \u201cI met an amazing girl there, Rosa,\u201d he says, beginning a story he has told many times.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Their conversations ranged from the near future - plans to visit a beautiful forest in Brussels, where Rosa also lived - to their adult dreams; putting the world to rights via wide-ranging chats about <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//climate/">climate, Black Lives Matter and gender equality.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-freeform\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CpNgs9OqXul\/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.instagram.com//p//CpNgs9OqXul//?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\%22 style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Benjamin Van Bunderen Robberechts (@benjaminvbr)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=https://www.euronews.com/"////www.instagram.com//embed.js/">/n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It rained all day on 13 July and heavier still on 14 July. They watched the Ruisseau de Quartes - a two-metre wide, five centimetre deep stream which cut through the campsite on route to the Ourthe <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2024//04//22//glomma-loire-rhine-which-european-rivers-experienced-record-flooding-in-2023/">river - rise up and turn brown.<\/p>\n<p>At around 5pm, concerned that it would flood their dormitory, Rosa, Benjamin and other friends decided to cross the field to the main building where the camp leaders were.<\/p>\n<p>The pair set out first towards the bridge, he recalls, \u201cbut suddenly the field flooded and we couldn't see where we were standing anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rosa was taken by the water, says Benjamin, who jumped in after her. He managed to hold her with one arm, grasping at branches as they were pulled into the tumult, grabbing a fence pole sticking out of the bank. \u201cBut then an even bigger wave came and she slipped out of my hands.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He crawled out of the river but lost sight of his friend. Rosa\u2019s body was found by rescuers three days later, six kilometres downstream.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"4524554\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2022//12//28//how-a-deadly-storm-turned-a-french-resort-into-a-climate-change-laboratory-chapter-1/">How a deadly storm turned a French resort into a climate change laboratory<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>What is the criminal case against Total?<\/h2><div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-ease-in-up widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//08//46//97//20//808x454_cmsv2_ad6e5c66-2127-5586-a733-6069566c683d-8469720.jpg/" alt=\"Cars submerged in floodwaters after the Meuse River broke its banks during heavy flooding in Liege, Belgium, 15 July, 2021.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/97\/20\/384x216_cmsv2_ad6e5c66-2127-5586-a733-6069566c683d-8469720.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/97\/20\/640x360_cmsv2_ad6e5c66-2127-5586-a733-6069566c683d-8469720.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/97\/20\/750x422_cmsv2_ad6e5c66-2127-5586-a733-6069566c683d-8469720.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/97\/20\/828x466_cmsv2_ad6e5c66-2127-5586-a733-6069566c683d-8469720.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/97\/20\/1080x608_cmsv2_ad6e5c66-2127-5586-a733-6069566c683d-8469720.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/97\/20\/1200x675_cmsv2_ad6e5c66-2127-5586-a733-6069566c683d-8469720.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/97\/20\/1920x1080_cmsv2_ad6e5c66-2127-5586-a733-6069566c683d-8469720.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Cars submerged in floodwaters after the Meuse River broke its banks during heavy flooding in Liege, Belgium, 15 July, 2021.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Valentin Bianchi<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere were a lot of other things that went wrong,\u201d says Benjamin, referring to the accident and the wider tragedy in Belgium - 38 other people died in the floods. \u201cBut the thing that started the chain reaction was the climate crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since TotalEnergies was founded a century ago, its fossil fuel production has unleashed as much CO2 (15 billion tonnes) as the world\u2019s 120 least emitting countries, according to NGO BLOOM.<\/p>\n<p>Records show that the company has <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2021//10//20//fossil-fuel-giant-total-has-known-about-climate-threat-since-1971-say-scientists/">known about the climate consequences of burning fossil fuels since at least 1971. But instead of changing course, the French oil major overtly denied the science until the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.sciencedirect.com//science//article//pii//S0959378021001655/">early 1990s<\/strong><\/a>, researchers say.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As the scientific consensus around anthropogenic climate change became undeniable, Total and other fossil fuel giants resorted to \u201c<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.torrossa.com//en//resources//an//5246331?digital=true#\"><strong>ferocious lobbying<\/strong><\/a>\u201d against EU policies to reign them in, observers said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5C in 2015, Total refashioned itself as a renewable energy investor and announced a slew of climate targets. But as of 2023, Greenpeace <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.greenpeace.fr//espace-presse//resultats-financiers-de-totalenergies-nouveaux-records-pour-un-business-model-cramponne-a-lextraction-fossile///">calculates that 98 per cent of its energy production still comes from fossil fuels.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Despite the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2021//05//18//scrap-fossil-fuel-projects-now-to-limit-global-warming-says-international-energy-agency/">IEA/u2019s 2021 warning that no new oil and gas fields can be developed if the world is to stick to this (relatively) safe limit, Total has announced 30 new projects in the last three years, making it the second biggest company in terms of planned expansion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-freeform\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C7WtBUUijho\/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.instagram.com//p//C7WtBUUijho//?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\%22 style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.instagram.com//p//C7WtBUUijho//?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\%22 style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Euronews Green (@euronewsgreen)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=https://www.euronews.com/"////www.instagram.com//embed.js/">/n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>As a result, the case seeks to establish criminal liability at Total on four grounds: deliberately engaging the lives of others, involuntary manslaughter, neglecting to address a disaster, and damaging biodiversity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is specific about the time we live in and what our litigation is trying to bridge is the gap that exists between the absolute scientific certainty of who bears the responsibility for the destruction of the world by climate change and the absence of clear sentencing by <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2024//04//09//top-european-human-rights-court-could-rule-that-governments-have-to-protect-people-from-cl/">courts against climate crimes,\u201d says Hadrien Goux, fossil fuel campaign officer at BLOOM, one of the three NGOs bringing the case.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8451866\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2024//05//22//more-than-20-of-shareholders-vote-against-shells-climate-strategy-at-tense-agm/">More than 20% of shareholders vote against Shell\u2019s climate strategy at tense AGM<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Who else is involved in the Total climate case?<\/h2><p>BLOOM has united with another French NGO, Sant\u00e9 Plan\u00e9taire, and Mexico\u2019s Nuestro Futuro. The seven other plaintiffs - all victims or survivors of climate-related catastrophes - come from Australia, France, Greece, <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2024//05//28//pakistan-heatwave-hundreds-treated-for-heatstroke-as-temperatures-soar-to-over-50c/">Pakistan, the Philippines and Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n<p>The French plaintiffs, known as Elisa and William C-R, lost their mother when <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////link.springer.com//article//10.1007//s00382-022-06565-x/">Storm Alex<\/strong><\/a> caused sudden massive floods to tear through her home in the V\u00e9subie Valley in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m here to defend the honour of my mother, who died because of a climate disaster,\u201d says William, who found her body 13 days later.<\/p>\n<p><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2022//11//03//shocking-greenpeace-accuses-totalenergies-of-hugely-underreporting-carbon-emissions/">Total is already facing at least eight other climate lawsuits. This new criminal case, however, is unusual in that particular individuals and entities are named: CEO Patrick Pouyann\u00e9; members of Total\u2019s Board of Directors; and the main shareholders who have voted for strategies incompatible with limiting warming to 2C, including Blackrock and Norges Bank.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Under the French legal system, complaints can be filed \u201cagainst X\u201d, leaving it open to the prosecutor to decide who among these groups to prosecute.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They have three months to dismiss the complaint or open a judicial investigation - which could lead to an unprecedented trial. Each of the four offences is punishable by at least one year of imprisonment and tens of thousands of euros in fines.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Total declined to comment, as it says it has not been officially informed of the complaint.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8171602\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2024//05//15//positive-environmental-stories-from-2024/">Renewable records and green awards: Positive environmental stories from 2024<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Climate activist, diplomat and plaintiff: How one teenager is fighting back<\/h2><p>Three days after the case was filed, Total held its AGM in Paris and Benjamin was arrested for the first time while protesting outside.<\/p>\n<p>His style of activism isn\u2019t the kind that tends to get you handcuffed. Benjamin calls himself a \u201cclimate diplomat\u201d, frequently addressing world leaders at high-level events like <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//12//09//cop28-exciting-language-on-fossil-fuels-and-a-march-for-justice-on-day-9-of-the-un-climate/">COP28. As part of his Climate Justice for Rosa campaign, he persuaded the European Parliament to make 15 July a day of remembrance for the global victims of the climate crisis.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But that didn\u2019t stop him being hauled onto a police bus with dozens of others last Friday, stripped and put in a cell alone without a clock.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1794015449048363257\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The isolation was particularly distressing, he says, because he suffers from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Another reason he avoids big climate marches is because of the sound of helicopters - which takes him back to the constant noise of the police search in the days after Rosa disappeared.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The protest charges were dropped at 7pm, but as a minor Benjamin had to wait for his mum to collect him. He passed that time in another holding area, among the high and bloodstained youth of Paris who had also landed on the wrong side of the law that night. <\/p>\n<p>Afterwards, one of his first calls was to the victim support officer who helped him after Rosa\u2019s death.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>PTSD makes everyday life difficult for Benjamin. Water is his biggest trigger: \u201cIt\u2019s horrible to be next to a stream.\u201d He used to cycle into Brussels by the canal, and now takes a 30-minute detour through the forest.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t be a normal teenager, I can\u2019t just live without worry,\u201d he says. He homeschools himself now, which at least has the benefit of enabling him to be a full-time <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2024//04//14//climate-activists-reflect-on-eu-climate-action-amid-green-backlash/">activist too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like my activism is the thing that helps me the most,\u201d he says. \u201cI wouldn't really know what I would do otherwise because I'm really just trying to stop this from happening over and over again.\u201d<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717081042,"updatedAt":1717143649,"publishedAt":1717131651,"firstPublishedAt":1717083062,"lastPublishedAt":1717131651,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Benjamin Van Bunderen Robberechts","altText":"Benjamin risked his life trying to save his 15-year-old friend Rosa from climate-driven floods in 2021.","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Benjamin risked his life trying to save his 15-year-old friend Rosa from climate-driven floods in 2021.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/97\/20\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a88a9721-d784-5de0-b4e5-fac7515ae5a7-8469720.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Supplied\/Benjamin Van Bunderen Robberechts","altText":"Benjamin is now a climate diplomat, frequently addressing world leaders at high-level events like COP28.","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Benjamin is now a climate diplomat, frequently addressing world leaders at high-level events like COP28.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/97\/20\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_6bef7ed2-45a6-5f9e-b1fe-1d0cb09584d9-8469720.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":null,"altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/97\/20\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ad6e5c66-2127-5586-a733-6069566c683d-8469720.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"BLOOM\/Basile Barjon","altText":"Eight people harmed by extreme weather and three NGOs have filed a criminal case against Total in Paris.","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Eight people harmed by extreme weather and three NGOs have filed a criminal case against Total in Paris.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/97\/20\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_4360af75-90ee-5676-b3f6-0f30c01b05ec-8469720.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"limb","twitter":null,"title":"Lottie Limb"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"total","titleRaw":"TotalEnergies","id":11201,"title":"TotalEnergies","slug":"total"},{"urlSafeValue":"climate-crisis","titleRaw":"Climate crisis","id":20218,"title":"Climate crisis","slug":"climate-crisis"},{"urlSafeValue":"lethal-floods","titleRaw":"Lethal floods","id":13282,"title":"Lethal floods","slug":"lethal-floods"},{"urlSafeValue":"belgium","titleRaw":"Belgium","id":24,"title":"Belgium","slug":"belgium"},{"urlSafeValue":"france","titleRaw":"France","id":117,"title":"France","slug":"france"},{"urlSafeValue":"climate-activst","titleRaw":"climate activst","id":24346,"title":"climate 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GERMANY VOID BALLOT","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"No, an oversized cross won\u2019t void your ballot in Germany","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"No, an oversized cross won\u2019t void your ballot in Germany","titleListing2":"No, an oversized cross won\u2019t void your ballot in Germany","leadin":"Rumours on German social media are spreading false claims about ways you can supposedly invalidate your vote in the European elections by accident.","summary":"Rumours on German social media are spreading false claims about ways you can supposedly invalidate your vote in the European elections by accident.","keySentence":"","url":"no-an-oversized-cross-wont-void-your-ballot-in-germany","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/no-an-oversized-cross-wont-void-your-ballot-in-germany","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Pictures posted on TikTok are instructing German voters on how to mark their ballots when casting their votes in the EU elections.\n\nThe posts warn that a cross that fits neatly inside the circle is correct and will be counted, while a cross that extends beyond its edges is wrong and will be disqualified.\n\nThe claim is that this is a plot against Germany\u2019s far-right AfD party.\n\nAccording to the posts, electoral officers have been instructed to ensure that any votes in favour of AfD alone fit within the circle and don\u2019t exceed the margins; otherwise, they\u2019ll be considered void.\n\nHowever, the claims are baseless.\n\nThe text of Germany\u2019s MEP elections law, which covers how citizens vote in the European elections, says that voters can mark their ballots by putting a cross in the circle or \u201cby some other way\u201d.\n\nThis could be a dot or a tick, according to the Federal Returning Officer, whose rules also outline some of the ways a vote will be discounted.\n\nThese include not clearly indicating who you\u2019re voting for, using ambiguous symbols such as smiley faces, or writing extra words \u2013 including write-in candidates \u2013 on the ballot paper.\n\nThere\u2019s no mention that a cross that goes outside the circle will invalidate the vote. In fact, it\u2019s the opposite: the Federal Returning Officer says that marking outside the circle doesn\u2019t necessarily void a vote, as long as it\u2019s clear who\u2019s being voted for.\n\nElsewhere on social media, certain posts on X say that postal votes are at risk of manipulation.\n\nSome claim that ballot papers with holes punched into them or with the corners cut off are invalid, but this is wrong.\n\nIn the section related to postal voting, Germany\u2019s Federal Election Code explicitly states that postal votes have holes in them or corners cut off to accommodate visually impaired people.\n\nThey use braille overlays when casting their vote, and the holes enable them to correctly line up the overlay with the ballot.\n\nHowever, it\u2019s worth noting that alterations to any official ID used for voting, such as passports or ID cards, can render them invalid.\n\nThis includes the corners being cut off. This is why you might receive your old passport back with a missing corner after you use it to apply for a new one.\n\nMake sure you\u2019re up to speed with how you can vote in your country, as the EU and UK elections draw ever closer \u2013 along with other elections across Europe.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Pictures posted on TikTok are instructing German voters on how to mark their ballots when casting their votes in the EU elections.<\/p>\n<p>The posts warn that a cross that fits neatly inside the circle is correct and will be counted, while a cross that extends beyond its edges is wrong and will be disqualified.<\/p>\n<p>The claim is that this is a plot against Germany\u2019s far-right <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//30//afd-fears-voters-losing-patience-over-latest-russia-and-china-spy-scandals/">AfD party<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>According to the posts, electoral officers have been instructed to ensure that any votes in favour of AfD alone fit within the circle and don\u2019t exceed the margins; otherwise, they\u2019ll be considered void.<\/p>\n<p>However, the claims are baseless.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8461670,8449248,8442262\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//29//fact-check-is-the-eu-setting-up-a-european-army/">Fact-check: Is the EU setting up a European army?<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//22//why-is-central-europe-at-a-heightened-risk-of-fake-news-ahead-of-the-european-elections/">Why is Central Europe at heightened risk of fake news ahead of European elections?<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//20//fake-news-on-the-rise-as-the-european-elections-draw-near/">Fake news on the rise as the European elections draw near<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The text of Germany\u2019s <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.gesetze-im-internet.de//euwg//__16.html/">MEP elections law<\/strong><\/a>, which covers how citizens vote in the European elections, says that voters can mark their ballots by putting a cross in the circle or \u201cby some other way\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>This could be a dot or a tick, according to the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.bundeswahlleiterin.de//service//glossar//u//ungueltiger-stimmzettel.html/">Federal Returning Officer<\/strong><\/a>, whose rules also outline some of the ways a vote will be discounted.<\/p>\n<p>These include not clearly indicating who you\u2019re voting for, using ambiguous symbols such as smiley faces, or writing extra words \u2013 including write-in candidates \u2013 on the ballot paper.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no mention that a cross that goes outside the circle will invalidate the vote. In fact, it\u2019s the opposite: the Federal Returning Officer says that marking outside the circle doesn\u2019t necessarily void a vote, as long as it\u2019s clear who\u2019s being voted for.<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere on social media, certain posts on X say that postal votes are at risk of manipulation.<\/p>\n<p>Some claim that ballot papers with holes punched into them or with the corners cut off are invalid, but this is wrong.<\/p>\n<p>In the section related to postal voting, Germany\u2019s <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.gesetze-im-internet.de//bwo_1985//__45.html/">Federal Election Code<\/strong><\/a> explicitly states that postal votes have holes in them or corners cut off to accommodate visually impaired people.<\/p>\n<p>They use braille overlays when casting their vote, and the holes enable them to correctly line up the overlay with the ballot.<\/p>\n<p>However, it\u2019s worth noting that alterations to any official ID used for voting, such as passports or ID cards, can render them invalid.<\/p>\n<p>This includes the corners being cut off. This is why you might receive your old passport back with a missing corner after you use it to apply for a new one.<\/p>\n<p>Make sure you\u2019re up to speed with how you can vote in your country, as the EU and UK elections draw ever closer \u2013 along with other elections across Europe.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717053926,"updatedAt":1717131648,"publishedAt":1717131616,"firstPublishedAt":1717074025,"lastPublishedAt":1717131616,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/82\/36\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_177ff737-a2d3-57a0-aa7a-48ed6f9916fb-8468236.jpg","altText":"Ballots in Germany can't be voided by going over the circle","caption":"Ballots in Germany can't be voided by going over the circle","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1218,"height":686}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"thomas-ja","title":"James Thomas","twitter":"@jwjthomas"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":29340,"slug":"european-elections-2024","urlSafeValue":"european-elections-2024","title":"European elections 2024","titleRaw":"European elections 2024"},{"id":26642,"slug":"fact-checking","urlSafeValue":"fact-checking","title":"Fact checking","titleRaw":"Fact checking"},{"id":15332,"slug":"thecube","urlSafeValue":"thecube","title":"TheCube","titleRaw":"TheCube"},{"id":7992,"slug":"german-elections","urlSafeValue":"german-elections","title":"German election","titleRaw":"German election"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"k9VasbnZ-N4"},"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/CE\/SU\/24\/05\/31\/en\/240531_CESU_55667347_55667371_150760_142640_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":150760,"filesizeBytes":19128495,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/CE\/SU\/24\/05\/31\/en\/240531_CESU_55667347_55667371_150760_142640_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":150760,"filesizeBytes":28626607,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"the-cube","urlSafeValue":"the-cube","title":"The Cube","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-decoded\/the-cube"},"vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"},"themes":[{"id":"europe-decoded","urlSafeValue":"europe-decoded","title":"Europe Decoded","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-decoded"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":58,"urlSafeValue":"europe-decoded","title":"Europe Decoded"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":125,"urlSafeValue":"germany","title":"Germany","url":"\/news\/europe\/germany"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','gs_politics','gt_negative','gt_negative_mistrust','gs_politics_elections','eu_brussels_politics_es'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/31\/no-an-oversized-cross-wont-void-your-ballot-in-germany","lastModified":1717131616},{"id":2552904,"cid":8468450,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240530_E3SU_55667917","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"VICTIM VIOLENCE GERMANY","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Right-wing violence is rising at an alarming rate, warn German victim support groups","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Right-wing violence in Germany reaches record highs over past decade","titleListing2":"Right-wing violence is rising at an alarming rate, warn German victim support groups","leadin":"Violence against politicians has been dominating the headlines, but instances of everyday racism and anti-Semitic attacks are causing German victim advice centres to sound the alarm. Euronews travelled to Thuringia, a right-wing hotspot, to speak with a victim of neo-Nazi violence.","summary":"Violence against politicians has been dominating the headlines, but instances of everyday racism and anti-Semitic attacks are causing German victim advice centres to sound the alarm. Euronews travelled to Thuringia, a right-wing hotspot, to speak with a victim of neo-Nazi violence.","keySentence":"","url":"right-wing-violence-is-rising-at-an-alarming-rate-warn-german-victim-support-groups","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/30\/right-wing-violence-is-rising-at-an-alarming-rate-warn-german-victim-support-groups","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Germany has witnessed a surge in right-wing, racist, and anti-Semitic violence, reaching unprecedented levels, since 2013. \n\nVictim support group Ezra says there is a direct link between the increase in right-wing violence and support for the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), currently polling second nationwide and expected to make sweeping gains in the upcoming elections in three eastern states.\n\nMayar, a 20-year-old nurse who fled Syria during the war and has lived in Germany for nearly nine years, feels a strong sense of German identity, having grown up there. He recounts the moment of the attack:\n\n\"He (perpetrator) insulted me and then hit me. He then choked me and pushed me against the train, and then strangled me. strangling me with his thumbs pressed into my throat. His actions were inhumane; his intent was clearly not just to hurt me, but to cause severe harm\".\n\nMayar says the perpetrator is a \"known neo-Nazi, known for his crimes\". Despite this being neither the first nor the last time the perpetrator committed a violent crime, the verdict was a suspended sentence. \n\nMayar says the crime had a big impact on him.\n\n\"During the day, things can be normal. I can still live my life, but it's actually hard for me to leave the house late at night. Especially where I live, at that location,\" he says.\n\nAccording to Mayar, his area is \"very well-known for right-wing extremists,\" and adds, \"I can't just go out whenever I want. Or I'm very cautious about such things myself. And the word 'security' is missing for me when it comes to going out at night.\" \n\nMayar witnesses the rise of racism firsthand.\n\n\"It's gotten worse since before. For about a year, I've noticed that it's become much, much more common. So, on the street, you see it very often by now. For me, on average, every two weeks, 1 to 2 weeks, I myself either am part of such cases on the street or I'm a witness to them. Also on the internet, it's become everyday for me to simply see racism.\" he says.\n\nHe blames the rise in support for the AfD, which has been designated as extremist by a German court.\n\n\"Whenever I think that sometime in the future, I could be deported just because I come from a different country, even though I grew up here, it's sad, it scares me, and it makes me feel like a stranger. Now and then, I wonder, do I belong to the Arabs? Am I too German? And to the Germans, am I too much Arab? It's not a nice feeling, definitely not.\"\n\nCountry-wide mass protests were triggered in January when it emerged that AfD members held a secret meeting with German and Austrian far-right figures, including neo-Nazi leader of the Identitarian movement Martin Sellner, to discuss a \"remigration\" plan. Figures discussed deporting hundreds of thousands, sometimes naturalised German citizens, back to their countries of origin.\n\nWhilst figures released by the Association of Counselling Centres for Victims of Right-Wing, Racist, and Anti-Semitic Violence e.V. (VBRG) put the number of attacks at a record high of 3,384, this number is only the tip of the iceberg. Not all crimes are reported to police and victim support centres and the figures are only taken from 11 out of 16 federal states.\n\nSome convictions can take years, according to support groups\n\nSpokesperson of Ezra, Franz Zobel, says there is a direct link between the increase in violence and AfD support.\n\n\"Here we had a strong increase especially in the Sonneberg district. This is the district where an AfD politician was elected district administrator for the first time. And there we experienced a massive increase in right-wing violence,\" he says.\n\nZobel points to a representative study by Prof Dr Dancygier from Princeton University that suggests between 38.7% and 42.5% of hate crime supporters would vote for AfD.\n\nBut Zobel also says the increase in attacks isn't just limited to Thuringia, or even Germany.\n\n\"The AfD and other extreme right-wing parties in Europe are very well connected and they are therefore also the greatest threat to the European Union and also to the idea of Europe and to the people because they experience this. This strengthening is not only in Germany or in East Germany, but we see this throughout Europe.\"\n\nZobel also says that many AfD supporters \"simply feel legitimised to strike,\" and underlines the cases of AfD politicians who have attacked people themselves.\n\nAccording to investigative outlet Correctiv, \"48 AfD representatives and employees at district, state and federal level have recently been involved in violent acts\". \n\n28 of these politicians have reportedly been convicted by a court or penal orders have been issued against them - and 14 are still politically active.\n\nAt least five other AfD representatives are under investigation, with some of the cases involving physical attacks and incitement to hatred.\n\n\"Here,\" Zobel says, perpetrators \"know that no consequences threaten them. If there are any, it\u2019s only after years and with mild sentences. And then they don\u2019t have to answer for the political motive behind their inhumanity.\"\n\nZobel says Thuringia especially has a problem with the judiciary and many of the sentences are very mild.\n\n\"We have trials that take eight years until there is a conviction in the end. There are further problems that the motives are very, very rarely recognised. So in the judgments, you rarely find again that it is, for example, a racist offense.\" \n\nIn the case of Mayar, for example, the conviction took several years.\n\n\"In the case here, for example, it concerns an organised neo-Nazi, so he (perpetrator) is part of the organised neo-Nazi scene. He has already been noticed with over ten offenses before, he has repeatedly been fined, and now, in the end, there is again a suspended sentence,\" the spokesperson says. \n\n\"This encourages perpetrators to commit right-wing and racist violence, because without consequences, the perpetrators feel safe.\"\n\nAccording to Taz newspaper, judges in the Thuringia district of Gera share close ties with AfD politicians, both on a local and national level, and quote statistics where judges decide in favour of asylum seekers in single digit percentages. The judges deny being right-wing biased.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Germany has witnessed a surge in right-wing, racist, and anti-Semitic violence, reaching unprecedented levels, since 2013. <\/p>\n<p>Victim support group Ezra says there is a direct link between the increase in right-wing violence and <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//27//could-germanys-new-left-wing-conservative-party-seduce-afds-voters-in-european-elections/">support for the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), currently polling second nationwide and expected to make sweeping gains in the upcoming elections in three eastern states.<\/p>\n<p>Mayar, a 20-year-old nurse who fled Syria during the war and has lived in Germany for nearly nine years, feels a strong sense of German identity, having grown up there. He recounts the moment of the attack:<\/p>\n<p>\"He (perpetrator) insulted me and then hit me. He then choked me and pushed me against the train, and then strangled me. strangling me with his thumbs pressed into my throat. His actions were inhumane; his intent was clearly not just to hurt me, but to cause severe harm\".<\/p>\n<p>Mayar says the perpetrator is a \"known neo-Nazi, known for his crimes\". Despite this being neither the first nor the last time the perpetrator committed a violent crime, the verdict was a suspended sentence. <\/p>\n<p>Mayar says the crime had a big impact on him.<\/p>\n<p>\"During the day, things can be normal. I can still live my life, but it's actually hard for me to leave the house late at night. Especially where I live, at that location,\" he says.<\/p>\n<p>According to Mayar, his area is \"very well-known for right-wing extremists,\" and adds, \"I can't just go out whenever I want. Or I'm very cautious about such things myself. And the word 'security' is missing for me when it comes to going out at night.\" <\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8463314\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//28//why-is-german-youth-so-easily-seduced-by-afds-ideas/">Why are German young people so easily seduced by AfD's ideas?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Mayar witnesses the rise of racism firsthand.<\/p>\n<p>\"It's gotten worse since before. For about a year, I've noticed that it's become much, much more common. So, on the street, you see it very often by now. For me, on average, every two weeks, 1 to 2 weeks, I myself either am part of such cases on the street or I'm a witness to them. Also on the internet, it's become everyday for me to simply see racism.\" he says.<\/p>\n<p>He blames the rise in support for the AfD, which has been designated as <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//05//13//afd-classified-as-suspected-extremist-organisation-after-court-defeat/">extremist by a German court.<\/p>\n<p>\"Whenever I think that sometime in the future, I could be deported just because I come from a different country, even though I grew up here, it's sad, it scares me, and it makes me feel like a stranger. Now and then, I wonder, do I belong to the Arabs? Am I too German? And to the Germans, am I too much Arab? It's not a nice feeling, definitely not.\"<\/p>\n<p>Country-wide mass protests were triggered in January when it emerged that <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//tag//afd/">AfD members held a secret meeting with German and Austrian far-right figures, including neo-Nazi leader of the Identitarian movement Martin Sellner, to discuss a \"remigration\" plan. Figures discussed deporting hundreds of thousands, sometimes naturalised German citizens, back to their countries of origin.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-freeform\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-top: 75.0000%;\n padding-bottom: 0; box-shadow: 0 2px 8px 0 rgba(63,69,81,0.16); margin-top: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; overflow: hidden;\n border-radius: 8px; will-change: transform;\">\n <iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0; border: none; padding: 0;margin: 0;\"\n src=https://www.euronews.com/"https://www.canva.com/design/DAGGt496cdo/RVzmRds_HoqLmKIARjwVhQ/view?embed\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" allow=\"fullscreen\">\n <\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https://www.canva.com/design/DAGGt496cdo/RVzmRds_HoqLmKIARjwVhQ/view?utm_content=DAGGt496cdo&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=embeds&utm_source=link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">by Liv Stroud<\/a> \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Whilst figures released by the Association of Counselling Centres for Victims of Right-Wing, Racist, and Anti-Semitic Violence e.V. (VBRG) put the number of attacks at a record high of 3,384, this number is only the tip of the iceberg. Not all crimes are reported to police and victim support centres and the figures are only taken from 11 out of 16 federal states.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Some convictions can take years, according to support groups<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Spokesperson of Ezra, Franz Zobel, says there is a direct link between the increase in violence and AfD support.<\/p>\n<p>\"Here we had a strong increase especially in the Sonneberg district. This is the district where an AfD politician was elected district administrator for the first time. And there we experienced a massive increase in right-wing violence,\" he says.<\/p>\n<p>Zobel points to a representative study by Prof Dr Dancygier from Princeton University that suggests between 38.7% and 42.5% of hate crime supporters would vote for AfD.<\/p>\n<p>But Zobel also says the increase in attacks isn't just limited to Thuringia, or even Germany.<\/p>\n<p>\"The AfD and other extreme right-wing parties in Europe are very well connected and they are therefore also the greatest threat to the European Union and also to the idea of Europe and to the people because they experience this. This strengthening is not only in Germany or in East Germany, but we see this throughout Europe.\"<\/p>\n<p>Zobel also says that many AfD supporters \"simply feel legitimised to strike,\" and underlines the cases of AfD politicians who have attacked people themselves.<\/p>\n<p>According to investigative outlet <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//01//19//german-far-right-party-criticised-over-report-of-extremist-meeting/">Correctiv, \"48 AfD representatives and employees at district, state and federal level have recently been involved in violent acts\". <\/p>\n<p>28 of these politicians have reportedly been convicted by a court or penal orders have been issued against them - and 14 are still politically active.<\/p>\n<p>At least five other AfD representatives are under investigation, with some of the cases involving physical attacks and incitement to hatred.<\/p>\n<p>\"Here,\" Zobel says, perpetrators \"know that no consequences threaten them. If there are any, it\u2019s only after years and with mild sentences. And then they don\u2019t have to answer for the political motive behind their inhumanity.\"<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8435888\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//05//14//co-leader-of-germanys-far-right-afd-party-fined-for-using-nazi-slogan/">Co-leader of Germany's far-right AfD party fined for using Nazi slogan<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Zobel says Thuringia especially has a problem with the judiciary and many of the sentences are very mild.<\/p>\n<p>\"We have trials that take eight years until there is a conviction in the end. There are further problems that the motives are very, very rarely recognised. So in the judgments, you rarely find again that it is, for example, a racist offense.\" <\/p>\n<p>In the case of Mayar, for example, the conviction took several years.<\/p>\n<p>\"In the case here, for example, it concerns an organised neo-Nazi, so he (perpetrator) is part of the organised neo-Nazi scene. He has already been noticed with over ten offenses before, he has repeatedly been fined, and now, in the end, there is again a suspended sentence,\" the spokesperson says. <\/p>\n<p>\"This encourages perpetrators to commit right-wing and racist violence, because without consequences, the perpetrators feel safe.\"<\/p>\n<p>According to Taz newspaper, judges in the Thuringia district of Gera share close ties with AfD politicians, both on a local and national level, and quote statistics where judges decide in favour of asylum seekers in single digit percentages. The judges deny being right-wing biased.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717056560,"updatedAt":1717091464,"publishedAt":1717090802,"firstPublishedAt":1717090806,"lastPublishedAt":1717090802,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Liv Stroud","altText":"Damaged AfD vote poster in Berlin reading (German): \"Those who have no arguments destroy posters\"","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Damaged AfD vote poster in Berlin reading (German): \"Those who have no arguments destroy posters\"","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/84\/50\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f82a5443-78e3-5f73-9015-bc2075912d4c-8468450.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"afd-alternative-fur-deutschland","titleRaw":"AfD Alternative f\u00fcr Deutschland","id":17832,"title":"AfD Alternative f\u00fcr Deutschland","slug":"afd-alternative-fur-deutschland"},{"urlSafeValue":"afd","titleRaw":"Alternative for Germany","id":17206,"title":"Alternative for Germany","slug":"afd"},{"urlSafeValue":"european-elections-2024","titleRaw":"European elections 2024","id":29340,"title":"European elections 2024","slug":"european-elections-2024"},{"urlSafeValue":"germany","titleRaw":"Germany","id":125,"title":"Germany","slug":"germany"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"html"},{"count":2,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2551386},{"id":2550658},{"id":2530446}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"8Xv96WAKYvY"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":20000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":0,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/E3\/SU\/24\/05\/30\/en\/240530_E3SU_55672309_55672392_117680_180652_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":20000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":0,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/E3\/SU\/24\/05\/30\/en\/240530_E3SU_55672309_55672392_117680_180652_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Liv Stroud","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news\/europe-news"},"vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"my-europe","id":2,"title":"My Europe","slug":"my-europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","id":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":56,"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":125,"urlSafeValue":"germany","title":"Germany","url":"\/news\/europe\/germany"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'neg_mobkoi_castrol','gb_safe_from_high','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_politics','neg_facebook_q4','gt_negative','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc','neg_saudiaramco','gv_crime','neg_facebook_neg1','neg_facebook','gs_law','gb_crime_high_med','gb_crime_high_med_low','gb_crime_news-ent','gb_hatespeech_high_med','gb_hatespeech_high_med_low','gb_hatespeech_news-ent','gv_hatespeech','gb_hatespeech_edu','gb_sensitive_high_med','gb_sensitive_high_med_low','gb_sensitive_news-ent','gb_terrorism_high_med','gb_terrorism_high_med_low','gb_terrorism_news-ent','gv_terrorism','gb_crime_edu','gt_negative_dislike','gt_negative_anger','gt_negative_sadness','gt_positive_curiosity'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/30\/right-wing-violence-is-rising-at-an-alarming-rate-warn-german-victim-support-groups","lastModified":1717090802},{"id":2553252,"cid":8469734,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240530_NCSU_55672445","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NC 7 - BE ISRAELI EMBASSY PROTESTERS","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"WATCH: Police disperse pro-Palestinian protest outside Belgian Embassy","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"WATCH: Police disperse pro-Palestinian protest outside Belgian Embass","titleListing2":"Despite lacking authorization, over 500 individuals gathered outside the Israeli embassy in Uccle for a pro-Palestinian demonstration. ","leadin":"Despite lacking authorization, over 500 individuals gathered outside the Israeli embassy in Uccle for a pro-Palestinian demonstration.","summary":"Despite lacking authorization, over 500 individuals gathered outside the Israeli embassy in Uccle for a pro-Palestinian demonstration.","keySentence":"","url":"watch-police-disperse-pro-palestinian-protest-outside-belgian-embassy","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2024\/05\/30\/watch-police-disperse-pro-palestinian-protest-outside-belgian-embassy","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Blocked by police, clashes ensued, leading to tear gas use and dispersal efforts. Some demonstrators redirected towards Ixelles, swelling in numbers unexpectedly. \n\nThe Belgian League of Human Rights condemned police actions from the previous day, while Amnesty International calls for a thorough investigation into the incident's legality.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Blocked by police, clashes ensued, leading to tear gas use and dispersal efforts. Some demonstrators redirected towards Ixelles, swelling in numbers unexpectedly. <\/p>\n<p>The Belgian League of Human Rights condemned police actions from the previous day, while Amnesty International calls for a thorough investigation into the incident's legality.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717081127,"updatedAt":1717087685,"publishedAt":1717087203,"firstPublishedAt":1717087217,"lastPublishedAt":1717087203,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/97\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_9949dfbf-3ef2-592f-ae4e-b5705e598e28-8469734.jpg","altText":"Pro-Palestinian organisations and student movements gathered in front of the Israeli embassy","caption":"Pro-Palestinian organisations and student movements gathered in front of the Israeli embassy","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"RTBF","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"caraco","title":"Alexis Caraco","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[{"urlSafeValue":"mauduit","title":"Frederique Mauduit","twitter":null}]},"keywords":[{"id":29226,"slug":"israel-hamas-war","urlSafeValue":"israel-hamas-war","title":"Israel Hamas war","titleRaw":"Israel Hamas war"},{"id":24,"slug":"belgium","urlSafeValue":"belgium","title":"Belgium","titleRaw":"Belgium"},{"id":4378,"slug":"protest","urlSafeValue":"protest","title":"Protest","titleRaw":"Protest"},{"id":14470,"slug":"israeli-palestinian-conflict","urlSafeValue":"israeli-palestinian-conflict","title":"Israeli-Palestinian conflict","titleRaw":"Israeli-Palestinian conflict"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2544438},{"id":2551932},{"id":2547716}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"7-zAGqWIevI","dailymotionId":"x8zcn9c"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":120000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":15392099,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NC\/SU\/24\/05\/30\/en\/240530_NCSU_55672445_55672873_120000_173520_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":120000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":23887715,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NC\/SU\/24\/05\/30\/en\/240530_NCSU_55672445_55672873_120000_173520_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"AP","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"no comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":24,"urlSafeValue":"belgium","title":"Belgium","url":"\/news\/europe\/belgium"},"town":{"id":4129,"urlSafeValue":"brussels","title":"Brussels"},"grapeshot":"'neg_mobkoi_castrol','gb_safe_from_high','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_law','neg_facebook','neg_facebook_q4','neg_tiktok_q1_2024_eng','neg_intel_en','gs_society','gt_mixed','gs_law_misc','gb_sensitive_high_med','gb_sensitive_high_med_low','gb_sensitive_news-ent'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/video\/2024\/05\/30\/watch-police-disperse-pro-palestinian-protest-outside-belgian-embassy","lastModified":1717087203},{"id":2553290,"cid":8469894,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240530_BZWB_55673049","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NEXT: Meta using data to train AI","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Meta will soon use your public posts to train its AI. Can you prevent it? ","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"European users alerted that Meta will use public posts to train AI","titleListing2":"Meta will soon use your public posts to train its AI. Can you prevent it? ","leadin":"Facebook and Instagram\u2019s parent company will soon use public posts \u201cto help develop and improve AI,\u201d European users were told.","summary":"Facebook and Instagram\u2019s parent company will soon use public posts \u201cto help develop and improve AI,\u201d European users were told.","keySentence":"","url":"meta-will-soon-use-your-public-posts-to-train-its-ai-can-you-prevent-it","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2024\/05\/30\/meta-will-soon-use-your-public-posts-to-train-its-ai-can-you-prevent-it","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A new message appeared for European users of Instagram and Facebook mobile applications this month, informing them that their public posts could be used to train artificial intelligence (AI) from June 26.\u00a0\n\nThe information used could include posts, photos, captions and messages sent to an AI but not the content of private messages, Instagram\u2019s help centre said.\n\nParent company Meta said in a statement last week that they would begin notifying people in the UK and EU about how they will use \"public information they have shared on Meta's products and services to develop and improve AI at Meta within their respective privacy laws\u201d.\n\nIs this GDPR compliant?\u00a0\n\nA company or an organisation can process personal data when it has grounds of \u201clegitimate interest,\u201d according to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).\n\nMeta mentioned this legal basis, adding the data would be used \u201cto develop and improve AI\u201d.\n\nIt is possible to opt-out of having your data used this way by filing a form with Facebook - which is currently unavailable - or Instagram.\u00a0\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ll review objection requests in accordance with relevant data protection laws. If your request is honoured, it will be applied going forward,\u201d the forms stated.\n\nDespite the possibility of opting out, your data could still be used by Meta if you appear in an image someone shared or are mentioned in another user\u2019s posts or captions.\n\nThe Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) told Euronews Next that \u201cMeta delayed the launch following a number [of] enquiries from the DPC which have been addressed\u201d.\u00a0\n\nMeta gave users four weeks' notice ahead of the initial training, the DPC said.\n\nThe tech company also advised the DPC that \u201conly that personal data (posts not comments) shared by users based in the EU to a public audience on Instagram and Facebook at the time of training will be used and that this will not include personal data from accounts belonging to users under 18\u201d.\n\nPush for AI\n\nMeta has said it is investing \u201caggressively\u201d to support AI research and product development efforts, according to a press release from last month.\n\nThe company has its own large language model (LLM) called Llama, the latest version of which (Llama 3) was released in April and is used to power its assistant Meta AI which isn\u2019t available in Europe yet.\u00a0\n\nMeta already used Instagram and Facebook posts - from public profiles - to train the assistant, according to Reuters.\n\nHowever, this information wasn\u2019t included in the dataset which fueled Llama 2.\n\nThe company is also working on the infrastructure necessary for AI workloads and introduced last month its custom-made chips.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>A new message appeared for European users of Instagram and Facebook mobile applications this month, informing them that their public posts could be used to train artificial intelligence (AI) from June 26.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The information used could include posts, photos, captions and messages sent to an AI but not the content of private messages, Instagram\u2019s help centre said.<\/p>\n<p>Parent company Meta said in a statement last week that they would begin notifying people in the UK and EU about how they will use \"public information they have shared on Meta's products and services to develop and improve AI at Meta within their respective privacy laws\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2>Is this GDPR compliant?<\/h2><p>A company or an organisation can process personal data when it has grounds of \u201clegitimate interest,\u201d according to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).<\/p>\n<p>Meta mentioned this legal basis, adding the data would be used \u201cto develop and improve AI\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>It is possible to opt-out of having your data used this way by filing a form with <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.facebook.com//help//contact//712876720715583/">Facebook - which is currently unavailable - or <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////help.instagram.com//contact//233964459562201/">Instagram./u00a0/n
/u201cWe/u2019ll review objection requests in accordance with relevant data protection laws. If your request is honoured, it will be applied going forward,\u201d the forms stated.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the possibility of opting out, your data could still be used by Meta if you appear in an image someone shared or are mentioned in another user\u2019s posts or captions.<\/p>\n<p>The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) told Euronews Next that \u201cMeta delayed the launch following a number [of] enquiries from the DPC which have been addressed\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Meta gave users four weeks' notice ahead of the initial training, the DPC said.<\/p>\n<p>The tech company also advised the DPC that \u201conly that personal data (posts not comments) shared by users based in the EU to a public audience on Instagram and Facebook at the time of training will be used and that this will not include personal data from accounts belonging to users under 18\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2>Push for AI<\/h2><p>Meta has said it is investing \u201caggressively\u201d to support AI research and product development efforts, according to a press release from last month.<\/p>\n<p>The company has its own large language model (LLM) called Llama, the latest version of which (Llama 3) was released in April and is used to power its assistant Meta AI which isn\u2019t available in Europe yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Meta already used Instagram and Facebook posts - from public profiles - to train the assistant, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n<p>However, this information wasn\u2019t included in the dataset which fueled Llama 2.<\/p>\n<p>The company is also working on the infrastructure necessary for AI workloads and introduced last month its custom-made chips.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717084980,"updatedAt":1717085573,"publishedAt":1717085571,"firstPublishedAt":1717085573,"lastPublishedAt":1717085571,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/98\/94\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5f113b54-8396-5989-9826-6f9c5b3c5d91-8469894.jpg","altText":"Meta will soon use your public photos and posts to train its AI. Can you prevent it? ","caption":"Meta will soon use your public photos and posts to train its AI. Can you prevent it? ","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Canva","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"duboust","title":"Oceane Duboust","twitter":"@Oceane_Duboust"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":26440,"slug":"meta","urlSafeValue":"meta","title":"Meta","titleRaw":"Meta"},{"id":8413,"slug":"facebook","urlSafeValue":"facebook","title":"Facebook","titleRaw":"Facebook"},{"id":12427,"slug":"instagram","urlSafeValue":"instagram","title":"Instagram","titleRaw":"Instagram"},{"id":12661,"slug":"artificial-intelligence","urlSafeValue":"artificial-intelligence","title":"Artificial intelligence","titleRaw":"Artificial intelligence"},{"id":27518,"slug":"machine-learning","urlSafeValue":"machine-learning","title":"machine learning","titleRaw":"machine learning"},{"id":13280,"slug":"data-protection","urlSafeValue":"data-protection","title":"Data protection","titleRaw":"Data protection"}],"widgets":[],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"tech-news","urlSafeValue":"tech-news","title":"Tech News","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/tech-news\/tech-news"},"vertical":"next","verticals":[{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"},"themes":[{"id":"tech-news","urlSafeValue":"tech-news","title":"Tech News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/tech-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":40,"urlSafeValue":"tech-news","title":"Tech News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":[],"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_tech','gs_tech_compute','gs_tech_computing','gs_tech_compute_net_social','gs_tech_compute_net','bespoke_kaspersky','gs_busfin','gs_tech_social','neg_facebook','neg_tiktok_q1_2024_eng','shadow9hu7_pos_facebook','neg_mobkoi_datacompliance','gt_positive','neg_facebook_q4'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/next\/2024\/05\/30\/meta-will-soon-use-your-public-posts-to-train-its-ai-can-you-prevent-it","lastModified":1717085571},{"id":2552872,"cid":8468326,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240530_E3BX_55663586","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"EU GREEN WEEK WATER QUALITY","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Forever chemicals: Report finds 'alarming' levels of groundwater contamination in Europe","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Report finds 'alarming' levels of European groundwater contamination","titleListing2":"Forever chemicals: Report finds 'alarming' levels of groundwater contamination in Europe","leadin":"Samples have revealed high levels of Trifluoroacetic acid in ten European countries' water supplies.","summary":"Samples have revealed high levels of Trifluoroacetic acid in ten European countries' water supplies.","keySentence":"","url":"forever-chemicals-report-finds-alarming-levels-of-groundwater-contamination-in-europe","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/30\/forever-chemicals-report-finds-alarming-levels-of-groundwater-contamination-in-europe","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A joint survey of 23 surface and six groundwater samples from ten EU countries has unearthed high levels of a largely unknown and unregulated \"forever chemical\".\n\nThe concerning levels of Trifluoroacetic acid, or TFA, were detected in Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Sweden.\n\nThe survey was conducted by member organisations of the European Pesticide Action Network (PAN), who called for swift political action to tackle the problem.\n\nIt is currently not strictly regulated, as it is categorised as \"non-relevant\" by European authorities. \n\nTFA is a type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), a group of man-made chemicals used in consumer products that don't break down for thousands of years. It has been thought to damage both fertility and child development.\n\nThe concentrations found in the water samples were 70 times higher than the average contamination of all of examined PFAS combined, according to analysis conducted by the Karlsruhe Water Technology Centre.\n\nAccording to PAN Europe, the EU Water Framework Directive, which came into force in 2000, should have prevented this contamination. The directive's article 4 requires member states to take necessary measures to reverse the concentration of pollutants that are a result of human activity.\n\nHelmut Burtscher-Schaden, biochemist at the environmental organisation GLOBAL 2000 said it was highly concerning to find a \"forever chemicals\" spread so widely.\n\n\"Comparable high concentrations of more prominent PFAS are usually only encountered at contamination hot spots,\" he explained.\n\n\"The PFAS problem, which for 25 years has primarily been understood as a problem of highly contaminated but localised hotspots, has now spread to all bodies of water.\"\n\nBased on the 23 samples taken from ground and surface water, the highest levels of TFA were found in Belgium's Mehaigne river, Germany's Elbe and the Seine in France.\n\nThe issue of water quality is one of the themes of European Green Week, which runs until Thursday in Brussels.\n\nThe Brussels Minister for Climate Transition Alain Maron has said, \"We need to move towards other ways of marketing them. Quite frankly, I don't see how we can get rid of PFAS other than by stopping releasing them into nature.\"\n\n","htmlText":"<p>A joint survey of 23 surface and six groundwater samples from ten EU countries has unearthed high levels of a largely unknown and unregulated \"forever chemical\".<\/p>\n<p>The concerning levels of Trifluoroacetic acid, or TFA, were detected in Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Sweden.<\/p>\n<p>The survey was conducted by member organisations of the European Pesticide Action Network (PAN), who called for swift political action to tackle the problem.<\/p>\n<p>It is currently not strictly regulated, as it is categorised as \"non-relevant\" by European authorities. <\/p>\n<p>TFA is a type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), a group of man-made chemicals used in consumer products that don't break down for thousands of years. It has been thought to damage both fertility and child development.<\/p>\n<p>The concentrations found in the water samples were 70 times higher than the average contamination of all of examined PFAS combined, according to analysis conducted by the Karlsruhe Water Technology Centre.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1795024369074180204\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>According to PAN Europe, the EU Water Framework Directive, which came into force in 2000, should have prevented this contamination. The directive's article 4 requires member states to take necessary measures to reverse the concentration of pollutants that are a result of human activity.<\/p>\n<p>Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, biochemist at the environmental organisation GLOBAL 2000 said it was highly concerning to find a \"forever chemicals\" spread so widely.<\/p>\n<p>\"Comparable high concentrations of more prominent PFAS are usually only encountered at contamination hot spots,\" he explained.<\/p>\n<p>\"The PFAS problem, which for 25 years has primarily been understood as a problem of highly contaminated but localised hotspots, has now spread to all bodies of water.\"<\/p>\n<p>Based on the 23 samples taken from ground and surface water, the highest levels of TFA were found in Belgium's Mehaigne river, Germany's Elbe and the Seine in France.<\/p>\n<p>The issue of water quality is one of the themes of European Green Week, which runs until Thursday in Brussels.<\/p>\n<p>The Brussels Minister for Climate Transition Alain Maron has said, \"We need to move towards other ways of marketing them. Quite frankly, I don't see how we can get rid of PFAS other than by stopping releasing them into nature.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717054815,"updatedAt":1717086976,"publishedAt":1717084842,"firstPublishedAt":1717084844,"lastPublishedAt":1717084842,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/83\/26\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_73e6b788-50a0-51cc-8ce3-168396f6dee0-8468326.jpg","altText":"A caravan park is flooded after heavy rains in Geraardsbergen, Belgium, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.","caption":"A caravan park is flooded after heavy rains in Geraardsbergen, Belgium, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Virginia Mayo\/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"lory","title":"Gregoire Lory","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":13928,"slug":"pesticides","urlSafeValue":"pesticides","title":"pesticides","titleRaw":"pesticides"},{"id":9239,"slug":"europe","urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe","titleRaw":"Europe"},{"id":12169,"slug":"water","urlSafeValue":"water","title":"Water","titleRaw":"Water"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"twitter","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2552106},{"id":2531754},{"id":2411728}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"DubQQ4YvHFw","dailymotionId":"x8zcm5a"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":162000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":21061446,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/E3\/BX\/24\/05\/30\/en\/240530_E3BX_55663586_55667608_162000_183025_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":162000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":31918918,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/E3\/BX\/24\/05\/30\/en\/240530_E3BX_55663586_55667608_162000_183025_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news\/europe-news"},"vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"},"themes":[{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":56,"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":[],"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','gs_science','gt_negative','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','gs_science_geography','gt_positive_curiosity','gs_travel_locations_europe','gs_travel','gs_travel_locations'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-brussels","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/30\/forever-chemicals-report-finds-alarming-levels-of-groundwater-contamination-in-europe","lastModified":1717084842},{"id":2485604,"cid":8262754,"versionId":3,"archive":0,"housenumber":"240530_OCWB_54884067","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":1,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"OC-05-Who are the ocean\u2019s invisible workers? - PODCAST","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"The seldom-heard stories of the people who put the fish on your plate ","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Meet the people working in Europe's small-scale fisheries","titleListing2":"We hear the seldom-heard stories of the people who put the fish on your plate, and ask whether small-scale fishing communities around Europe can resist the shift to a powerful industrial fishing fleet. ","leadin":"In this episode of Ocean Calls, we hear from the people behind the fish on your plate. They are often overlooked, but play a crucial role in Europe's fishing industry.","summary":"In this episode of Ocean Calls, we hear from the people behind the fish on your plate. They are often overlooked, but play a crucial role in Europe's fishing industry.","keySentence":"","url":"the-seldom-heard-stories-of-the-people-who-put-the-fish-on-your-plate","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2024\/05\/30\/the-seldom-heard-stories-of-the-people-who-put-the-fish-on-your-plate","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"At Ocean Calls, we often focus on how improving fisheries policies and sustainable aquaculture can help us take better care of the ocean.\n\nHowever, how often do you think about the men and women whose working lives are interwoven with the tides and waves of the sea?\n\nAcross Europe, you\u2019ll often see small boats of less than 12 metres in length.\n\nOnboard, you\u2019ll find the owners of these vessels, many of them at the helm of their own small-scale fishing operations.\n\nIn a world where overfishing is seen as far too prevalent, some experts say these small boats could hold the key to that issue.\n\nWhile they currently represent 80% of the fishing fleet in Europe, the sector is in danger of disappearing, replaced by industrial vessels.\n\n\u201cI can understand why from a government, from an administrative perspective, it's much easier to deal with a smaller number of people in suits and ties who speak the same language.... rather than the sort of disorderly, very numerous bunch of noisy, opinionated fishermen,\u201d Jeremy Percy says, \"but they deserve to be heard\".\n\nPercy is the Executive Director at Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE).\n\nCreated in 2012, it now combines dozens of grassroots organisations from 15 European countries.\n\nPercy and his fellow LIFE workers often hear stories from these small fisheries.\n\nOne of the main systemic issues they highlight is the EU\u2019s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).\n\nAdopted back in the 1980s, it established rules for the management of marine resources in the EU.\n\nIt encouraged investments and increased employment in the sector - but, on the flip side, saw industrial fleets ravage fish stocks.\n\nIn 2014, the CFP took that damage on board and was reformed.\n\nA decade ago, it added rules for sustainability and fairer distribution of resources.\n\nLIFE does admit that many of the new rules are an improvement, they ultimately believe the organisation believes that the reform failed to deliver.\n\n\u201cThe Common Fisheries Policy has generally failed,\u201d Percy says.\n\nWhat are the issues facing small-scale fisheries and their workers?\n\nOverfishing and climate change are two of the - perhaps obvious - reasons there is tension within these small-scale fisheries, but there\u2019s something else behind it too: where they are able to fish.\n\nSmall boats tend only to be able to travel to inshore waters, which tend to be shallower, and these days, home to fewer fish. Big boats, in contrast, can go further out to sea and catch a variety of maritime creatures.\n\nThat issue, as well as hard working conditions and low wages are increasingly driving young people away from their family businesses - a trend LIFE wants to reverse.\n\n\u201cSo much of the knowledge and skills that small scale inshore fishermen possess are being lost,\u201d Percy explains, \u201cyou shouldn't underestimate just how long it takes to learn these. And once you've lost them, it's extremely difficult to get them back.\u201d\n\nThat extends not just to people but boat building too.\n\nHow does boat building build Denmark's coastal fishing communities?\n\nThomas Hojrup is a Danish ethnologist who is actively working to restore the art of building traditonal fishing vessels.\n\nHe\u2019s an expert in the creation of traditional Danish clinker-built boats, a style adapted to the harsh sailing conditions of Denmark\u2019s northern coast, where the currents are so strong that they are constantly reshaping the sea bed and the shoreline - meaning ports and havens are few and far between. Boats there are often forced to land directly on the sand.\n\n\u201cIt's a very special kind of boat and it also has to be able to surf on a wave. When you are landing, you find a big wave and then you can surf on it, until you reach the land. So it demands that you have a very special shape in the hull,\u201d Hojrup explains.\n\nThe reason behind the increased building of these boats? Small-scale fisheries in the Nordic nation are nearing extinction.\n\nDenmark is a large seafood producer and exporter, with the industry contributing hundreds of millions of euros to the economy.\n\nHowever, most of the fish is caught by large pelagic vessels, excluding small family businesses.\n\nTo combat this - and encourage young people to become fishers in a rapidly changing world - Hojrup took action.\n\nAs the head of the Thorupstrand Guild, an organisation which represents the fishing community in Thorupstrand, in northern Jutland, he was determined to support the dying industry.\n\nThorupstrand is one of the few examples of small-scale fishing still surviving after Denmark privatised fishing quotas a decade ago.\n\nThere, he recruited two boat builders in their 50s and 60s to teach the Guild\u2019s 400 members how to build the clinkers.\n\nThorupstrand may have found a way to save their small-scale fisheries and attract young people into the industry - but many of Europe\u2019s coastal communities still struggle.\n\nThe average age of fishermen in Europe is increasing. Only 10% of them are younger than 35.\n\nIn France, for example, around half of the fishing workforce is over 50 years old.\n\nAcross the continent, the overwhelming majority of these small-scale fisheries are family businesses - meaning it\u2019s notoriously hard to get into from the outside.\n\nThat\u2019s especially true for women.\n\nWhy is the European fishing industry a difficult one for women to work in?\n\nAnna Carlson is the Fishery Officer for Livelihoods at the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation.\n\nData estimates that women represent about 28% of the workforce in European fisheries.\n\nMost of them work on the shore, with many doing accounting for their fisher husbands.\n\nOnly 3% of women actually work on board vessels.\n\nOne of Carlson\u2019s aims is to study the role of women in fisheries and advise on improving their working conditions.\n\n\u201cEven if we we tend to think of fisheries as a male dominated sector, you find women in all facets of the fishing sector, from helping to prepare boats and preparing nets to actually fishing themselves, going on board, vessels of all sizes to then also the post-harvest sector cleaning, catches, selling catches and processing catches,\u201d she explains.\n\nWomen are, Carlson believes, victims of the stereotype that fishing is a sector exclusively for men. Frequently, they are excluded due to arbitrary issues, like sorting tables on boats being too high.\n\nIn less equal parts of Europe, too, women are likely to be less financially independent than their male counterparts, as well as being settled into \u2018traditional\u2019 roles within the home.\n\n\u201cMaybe a woman fisher cannot travel to attend training,\u201d Carlson says. However, she has a solution.\n\n\u201cI'm bringing training to a location that is more convenient to them or more compatible with their household duties - and I\u2019m also working on financial inclusion for women.\u201d\n\nMaking women in the fisheries visible is crucial for the sector, Carlson says, although \u201cit's not necessarily an issue of trying to ensure that 50% of the workforce in fisheries are women. It's a question of trying to ensure that if women want to participate in the sector, they have equal opportunities and are given the opportunities to be able to engage.\u201d\n\nRegardless of gender imbalance or other restrictions, small-scale fisheries across the board can all struggle.\n\nPercy, though, believes that the only way to improve the situation is to make sure the fishers are heard.\n\n\u201cWe're facing an uphill struggle, but it is absolutely vital that the public get behind us and maintain the sort of the benefits that bring social and economic and environmental [prosperity] to coastal communities,\u201d he explains.\n\nIf you want to learn more about the hidden faces of the fishing industry, listen to the full episode of Ocean Calls in the player above.\n\nIn this episode of Ocean Calls, we're exploring the lives of some of these small-scale fishers.\n\nWe\u2019ll learn about the importance of these often family-run businesses from Jeremy Percy, the Executive Director at Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE), as well as the role of women in the industry from Anna Carlson is the Fishery Officer for Livelihoods at the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions of the Food and Agriculture Organisation.\n\nWe\u2019ll also hear from Thomas Hojrup, a Danish ethnologist, who\u2019s battling to save small-scale fisheries in the Nordic nation from extinction - via the medium of traditional boat building.\n\nAt the end of this episode, you\u2019ll learn about Jasmine Harrison\u2019s experience who made an unusual friend while swimming the full length of the British isles from Lands End to John o\u2019Groats in 2022. She\u2019s a British adventurer with a couple of world records on her mantlepiece who, somehow, managed to befriend a whale.\n\nOcean Calls is produced in partnership with the European Commission\u2019s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>At Ocean Calls, we often focus on how improving fisheries policies and sustainable aquaculture can help us take better care of the ocean.<\/p>\n<p>However, how often do you think about the men and women whose working lives are interwoven with the tides and waves of the sea?<\/p>\n<p>Across Europe, you\u2019ll often see small boats of less than 12 metres in length.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-freeform\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <iframe src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////embed.acast.com//6297799fb39db100125db785//664f38c5ed6e4b0012f827a5/" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"190px\"><\/iframe>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Onboard, you\u2019ll find the owners of these vessels, many of them at the helm of their own small-scale fishing operations.<\/p>\n<p>In a world where <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2024//04//30//is-hakes-remarkable-recovery-in-the-atlantic-a-sign-of-hope-for-our-oceans/">overfishing is seen as far too prevalent, some experts say these small boats could hold the key to that issue.<\/p>\n<p>While they currently represent 80% of the fishing fleet in Europe, the sector is in danger of disappearing, replaced by industrial vessels.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can understand why from a government, from an administrative perspective, it's much easier to deal with a smaller number of people in suits and ties who speak the same language.... rather than the sort of disorderly, very numerous bunch of noisy, opinionated fishermen,\u201d <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////fisherynation.com//archives//tag//jeremy-percy/">Jeremy Percy<\/strong><\/a> says, \"but they deserve to be heard\".<\/p>\n<p>Percy is the Executive Director at <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////lifeplatform.eu///">Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE)<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Created in 2012, it now combines dozens of grassroots organisations from 15 European countries.<\/p>\n<p>Percy and his fellow LIFE workers often hear stories from these small fisheries.<\/p>\n<p>One of the main systemic issues they highlight is the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu//policy//common-fisheries-policy-cfp_en/">EU/u2019s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Adopted back in the 1980s, it established rules for the management of marine resources in the EU.<\/p>\n<p>It encouraged investments and increased employment in the sector - but, on the flip side, saw industrial fleets ravage <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//01//22//we-have-to-find-a-solution-french-react-to-fishing-ban-in-the-bay-of-biscay/">fish stocks<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In 2014, the CFP took that damage on board and was reformed.<\/p>\n<p>A decade ago, it added rules for sustainability and fairer distribution of resources.<\/p>\n<p>LIFE does admit that many of the new rules are an improvement, they ultimately believe the organisation believes that the reform failed to deliver.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Common Fisheries Policy has generally failed,\u201d Percy says.<\/p>\n<h2>What are the issues facing small-scale fisheries and their workers?<\/h2><p>Overfishing and climate change are two of the - perhaps obvious - reasons there is tension within these <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//12//07//fishing-villages-in-naples-ditch-polystyrene-in-microplastic-u-turn/">small-scale fisheries<\/strong><\/a>, but there\u2019s something else behind it too: where they are able to fish.<\/p>\n<p>Small boats tend only to be able to travel to inshore waters, which tend to be shallower, and these days, home to fewer fish. Big boats, in contrast, can go further out to sea and catch a variety of maritime creatures.<\/p>\n<p>That issue, as well as hard working conditions and low wages are increasingly driving young people away from their family businesses - a trend LIFE wants to reverse.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo much of the knowledge and skills that small scale inshore fishermen possess are being lost,\u201d Percy explains, \u201cyou shouldn't underestimate just how long it takes to learn these. And once you've lost them, it's extremely difficult to get them back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That extends not just to people but boat building too.<\/p>\n<h2>How does boat building build Denmark's coastal fishing communities?<\/h2><p><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////independent.academia.edu//ThomasHøjrup/">Thomas Hojrup<\/strong><\/a> is a Danish ethnologist who is actively working to restore the art of building traditonal fishing vessels.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s an expert in the creation of traditional Danish clinker-built boats, a style adapted to the harsh sailing conditions of Denmark\u2019s northern coast, where the currents are so strong that they are constantly reshaping the sea bed and the shoreline - meaning ports and havens are few and far between. Boats there are often forced to land directly on the sand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt's a very special kind of boat and it also has to be able to surf on a wave. When you are landing, you find a big wave and then you can surf on it, until you reach the land. So it demands that you have a very special shape in the hull,\u201d Hojrup explains.<\/p>\n<p>The reason behind the increased building of these boats? Small-scale fisheries in the Nordic nation are nearing extinction.<\/p>\n<p>Denmark is a large seafood producer and exporter, with the industry contributing hundreds of millions of euros to the economy.<\/p>\n<p>However, most of the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//10//31//how-european-collaboration-is-closing-gaps-in-fishery-control/">fish is caught by large pelagic vessels, excluding small family businesses.<\/p>\n<p>To combat this - and encourage young people to become fishers in a rapidly changing world - Hojrup took action.<\/p>\n<p>As the head of the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.thorupstrandfisk.dk///">Thorupstrand Guild<\/strong><\/a>, an organisation which represents the fishing community in Thorupstrand, in northern Jutland, he was determined to support the dying industry.<\/p>\n<p>Thorupstrand is one of the few examples of small-scale fishing still surviving after Denmark privatised fishing quotas a decade ago.<\/p>\n<p>There, he recruited two boat builders in their 50s and 60s to teach the Guild\u2019s 400 members how to build the clinkers.<\/p>\n<p><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2019//05//17//danish-fisheries-take-back-control/">Thorupstrand may have found a way to save their small-scale fisheries and attract young people into the industry - but many of Europe\u2019s coastal communities still struggle.<\/p>\n<p>The average age of fishermen in Europe is increasing. Only 10% of them are younger than 35.<\/p>\n<p>In France, for example, around half of the fishing workforce is over 50 years old.<\/p>\n<p>Across the continent, the overwhelming majority of these small-scale fisheries are family businesses - meaning it\u2019s notoriously hard to get into from the outside.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s especially true for women.<\/p>\n<h2>Why is the European fishing industry a difficult one for women to work in?<\/h2><p><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.fao.org//family-farming//detail//fr//c//1634743///">Anna Carlson<\/strong><\/a> is the Fishery Officer for Livelihoods at the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.fao.org//gfcm//en///">General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions<\/strong><\/a> of the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.fao.org//home//en/">UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Data estimates that women represent about 28% of the workforce in European fisheries.<\/p>\n<p>Most of them work on the shore, with many doing accounting for their fisher husbands.<\/p>\n<p><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//video//2023//06//29//watch-women-in-venezuela-are-working-on-fishing-boats-to-feed-their-families/">Only 3% of women<\/strong><\/a> actually work on board vessels.<\/p>\n<p>One of Carlson\u2019s aims is to study the role of women in fisheries and advise on improving their working conditions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven if we we tend to think of fisheries as a male dominated sector, you find women in all facets of the fishing sector, from helping to prepare boats and preparing nets to actually fishing themselves, going on board, vessels of all sizes to then also the post-harvest sector cleaning, catches, selling catches and processing catches,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n<p>Women are, Carlson believes, victims of the stereotype that fishing is a sector exclusively for men. Frequently, they are excluded due to arbitrary issues, like sorting tables on boats being too high.<\/p>\n<p>In less equal parts of Europe, too, women are likely to be less financially independent than their male counterparts, as well as being settled into \u2018traditional\u2019 roles within the home.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe a woman fisher cannot travel to attend training,\u201d Carlson says. However, she has a solution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI'm bringing training to a location that is more convenient to them or more compatible with their household duties - and I\u2019m also working on financial inclusion for women.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Making women in the fisheries visible is crucial for the sector, Carlson says, although \u201cit's not necessarily an issue of trying to ensure that 50% of the workforce in fisheries are women. It's a question of trying to ensure that if women want to participate in the sector, they have equal opportunities and are given the opportunities to be able to engage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of gender imbalance or other restrictions, small-scale fisheries across the board can all struggle.<\/p>\n<p>Percy, though, believes that the only way to improve the situation is to make sure the fishers are heard.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe're facing an uphill struggle, but it is absolutely vital that the public get behind us and maintain the sort of the benefits that bring social and economic and environmental [prosperity] to coastal communities,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you want to learn more about the hidden faces of the fishing industry, listen to the full episode of Ocean Calls in the player above.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-freeform\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/'https:////podcasts.apple.com//podcast//id1627435533' target='_blank'><img style='max-width:200px;padding-top:1rem;' src=https://www.euronews.com/news/'https:////static.euronews.com//website//images//special//apple_podcast.png' width='30%' \/><\/a> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/'https:////open.spotify.com//show//4jlWDK5e2jmhqe163Dfq27' target='_blank'><img style='max-width:200px;padding-top:1rem;' src=https://www.euronews.com/news/'https:////static.euronews.com//website//images//special//spotify.png' width='30%' \/><\/a> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/'https:////castbox.fm//channel//id4959712?' target='_blank'><img style='max-width:200px;padding-top:1rem;' src=https://www.euronews.com/news/'https:////static.euronews.com//website//images//special//castbox.png' width='30%' \/><\/a> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/'https:////www.deezer.com//fr//show//3765757' target='_blank'><img style='max-width:200px;padding-top:1rem;' src=https://www.euronews.com/news/'https:////static.euronews.com//website//images//special//deezer.png' width='30%' \/><\/a> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/'https:////podcasts.google.com//feed//aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzL29jZWFuLWNhbGxz?hl=en' target='_blank'><img style='max-width:200px;padding-top:1rem;' src=https://www.euronews.com/news/'https:////static.euronews.com//website//images//special//Google_podcast_EN.png' width='30%' \/><\/a> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/'https:////www.stitcher.com//show//ocean-calls' target='_blank'><img style='max-width:200px;padding-top:1rem;' src=https://www.euronews.com/news/'https:////static.euronews.com//website//images//special//stitcher.png' width='30%' \/><\/a> \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>In this episode of Ocean Calls, we're exploring the lives of some of these small-scale fishers.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>We\u2019ll learn about the importance of these often family-run businesses from Jeremy Percy, the Executive Director at Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE), as well as the role of women in the industry from Anna Carlson is the Fishery Officer for Livelihoods at the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions of the Food and Agriculture Organisation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>We\u2019ll also hear from Thomas Hojrup, a Danish ethnologist, who\u2019s battling to save small-scale fisheries in the Nordic nation from extinction - via the medium of traditional boat building.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>At the end of this episode, you\u2019ll learn about Jasmine Harrison\u2019s experience who made an unusual friend while swimming the full length of the British isles from Lands End to John o\u2019Groats in 2022. She\u2019s a British adventurer with a couple of world records on her mantlepiece who, somehow, managed to befriend a whale.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Ocean Calls is produced in partnership with the European Commission\u2019s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1708695938,"updatedAt":1717164642,"publishedAt":1717084835,"firstPublishedAt":1717082457,"lastPublishedAt":1717084835,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews","altText":"Ocean Calls. Season 3. Episode 5.","callToActionText":null,"width":2080,"caption":"Ocean Calls. Season 3. Episode 5.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/26\/27\/54\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_016b2700-70aa-56f4-b9b8-e7f2f71d7f76-8262754.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1170}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"odonoghue","twitter":null,"title":"Saskia O'Donoghue"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"ocean-calls","titleRaw":"Ocean Calls","id":26908,"title":"Ocean Calls","slug":"ocean-calls"},{"urlSafeValue":"overfishing","titleRaw":"overfishing","id":28690,"title":"overfishing","slug":"overfishing"},{"urlSafeValue":"bal-kc-l-k-sektoru","titleRaw":"fish industry","id":16816,"title":"fish industry","slug":"bal-kc-l-k-sektoru"},{"urlSafeValue":"feminism","titleRaw":"Feminism","id":13335,"title":"Feminism","slug":"feminism"},{"urlSafeValue":"boat","titleRaw":"boat","id":17556,"title":"boat","slug":"boat"},{"urlSafeValue":"fishery","titleRaw":"Fishery","id":115,"title":"Fishery","slug":"fishery"}],"widgets":[{"count":2,"slug":"html"}],"related":[{"id":2537430},{"id":2485602},{"id":2522896}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"yfhm8jT26qE"},"video":1,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Naira Davlashyan & Jeremy WIlks","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"ocean-calls","urlSafeValue":"ocean-calls","title":"Ocean 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RECOGNISE PALESTINE","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Slovenian government recognises Palestinian state pending parliament approval","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Slovenian government recognises Palestine pending parliament approval","titleListing2":"Slovenian government recognises Palestinian state pending parliament approval","leadin":"The small Alpine country's parliament must still ratify the decision, but it's widely seen as a formality, as none of the parliamentary parties in the 90-seat National Assembly are expected to oppose it.","summary":"The small Alpine country's parliament must still ratify the decision, but it's widely seen as a formality, as none of the parliamentary parties in the 90-seat National Assembly are expected to oppose it.","keySentence":"","url":"slovenian-government-recognises-palestinian-state-pending-parliament-approval","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/30\/slovenian-government-recognises-palestinian-state-pending-parliament-approval","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Slovenia has become the latest European country to recognise Palestine after its government approved Prime Minister Robert Golob's proposal on Thursday.\n\n\"The government has made a decision to recognise the State of Palestine as an independent and sovereign state within the borders from 1967, or the borders that the parties involved should agree on in a future peace agreement,\" Golob said at a press conference after the government meeting in Ljubljana.\n\nAlthough the question of Palestine's recognition was not on the government's agenda on Thursday, Golob said he pushed for a swift decision due to recent developments in Rafah, where Israel conducted several deadly attacks over the past couple of days.\n\nHowever, the prime minister stated that the resolution was not aimed against the state of Israel.\n\n\"The message of recognition is not directed against anyone,\" Golob said, \"It is a message of peace. \n\n\"We believe that today the moment has come when we all \u2014 the whole world \u2014 must act ... in a manner that brings lasting peace in the Middle East.\"\n\nThe small Alpine country's parliament still has to ratify the decision before it can come into full effect. However, this is considered a mere formality as none of the parliamentary parties in the 90-seat National Assembly are expected to oppose the motion.\n\nSlovenian President Nata\u0161a Pirc Musar and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon also supported the decision.\n\n\"I see no reason for further delays. The war is escalating, there are no negotiations (over) Gaza,\" Fajon said before the government's meeting on Thursday.\n\nWho is expected to be next?\n\nThe path for the recognition and participation of the Palestinian state in international institutions has been challenging, and marred by obstacles.\n\nAlthough recognised by 145 UN member states, Western countries have largely refrained from formalising relations with the Palestinian state. EU countries remain divided on the issue, and some have changed their position dramatically over the years.\n\nFollowing Spain, Ireland, and Norway's formal recognition of Palestine on Tuesday, Slovenia aimed to announce its recognition alongside other EU member states, with Malta mentioned as one of the potential co-recognisers. However, the Maltese government has since said it would do so \"when the circumstances are right\".\n\nOther European countries, nominally supportive of the idea, have yet to set a clear date for their decision on the issue. \n\nBelgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said on Monday her country is looking for \"a useful recognition\" and that it will continue to work for a two-state solution. Luxembourg\u2019s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel echoed Lahbib's words, saying that Luxembourg \"will do it\" but prefers to \"wait a bit more\".\n\nOn Tuesday, the Danish parliament rejected a bill on the recognition proposed by four left-wing parties. MPs who opposed the motion cited a lack of preconditions for doing so.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Slovenia has become the latest European country to recognise Palestine after its government approved Prime Minister Robert Golob's proposal on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>\"The government has made a decision to recognise the State of Palestine as an independent and sovereign state within the borders from 1967, or the borders that the parties involved should agree on in a future peace agreement,\" Golob said at a press conference after the government meeting in Ljubljana.<\/p>\n<p>Although the question of Palestine's recognition was not on the government's agenda on Thursday, Golob said he pushed for a swift decision due to recent developments in Rafah, where Israel conducted several deadly attacks over the past couple of days.<\/p>\n<p>However, the prime minister stated that the resolution was not aimed against the state of Israel.<\/p>\n<p>\"The message of recognition is not directed against anyone,\" Golob said, \"It is a message of peace. <\/p>\n<p>\"We believe that today the moment has come when we all \u2014 the whole world \u2014 must act ... in a manner that brings lasting peace in the Middle East.\"<\/p>\n<p>The small Alpine country's parliament still has to ratify the decision before it can come into full effect. However, this is considered a mere formality as none of the parliamentary parties in the 90-seat National Assembly are expected to oppose the motion.<\/p>\n<p>Slovenian President Nata\u0161a Pirc Musar and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon also supported the decision.<\/p>\n<p>\"I see no reason for further delays. The war is escalating, there are no negotiations (over) Gaza,\" Fajon said before the government's meeting on Thursday.<\/p>\n<h2>Who is expected to be next?<\/h2><p>The path for the recognition and participation of the Palestinian state in international institutions has been challenging, and marred by obstacles.<\/p>\n<p>Although recognised by 145 UN member states, Western countries have largely refrained from formalising relations with the Palestinian state. EU countries remain divided on the issue, and some have changed their position dramatically over the years.<\/p>\n<p>Following Spain, Ireland, and Norway's formal recognition of Palestine on Tuesday, Slovenia aimed to announce its recognition alongside other EU member states, with Malta mentioned as one of the potential co-recognisers. However, the Maltese government has since said it would do so \"when the circumstances are right\".<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"8451380,8428670\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//05//10//un-assembly-approves-resolution-granting-palestine-new-rights/">UN assembly approves resolution granting Palestine new rights<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2024//05//22//timeline-which-countries-have-recognised-palestinian-state-when-and-why/">Timeline: Which countries have recognised Palestinian state? When and why?<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Other European countries, nominally supportive of the idea, have yet to set a clear date for their decision on the issue. <\/p>\n<p>Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said on Monday her country is looking for \"a useful recognition\" and that it will continue to work for a two-state solution. Luxembourg\u2019s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel echoed Lahbib's words, saying that Luxembourg \"will do it\" but prefers to \"wait a bit more\".<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, the Danish parliament rejected a bill on the recognition proposed by four left-wing parties. MPs who opposed the motion cited a lack of preconditions for doing so.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1717078697,"updatedAt":1717096147,"publishedAt":1717083689,"firstPublishedAt":1717083692,"lastPublishedAt":1717083689,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/95\/46\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_97769fb2-64f8-5c33-8ae6-78bc64035aff-8469546.jpg","altText":"Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob arrives for an EU summit in Brussels, 18 April 2024","caption":"Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob arrives for an EU summit in Brussels, 18 April 2024","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Darko Bandic","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/46\/95\/60\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e2bc623d-9e80-5240-aceb-bb2b7de10c4b-8469560.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Darko Bandic\/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"brezar","title":"Aleksandar Brezar","twitter":"@brezaleksandar"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":13122,"slug":"palestine","urlSafeValue":"palestine","title":"Palestine","titleRaw":"Palestine"},{"id":7796,"slug":"slovenia","urlSafeValue":"slovenia","title":"Slovenia","titleRaw":"Slovenia"},{"id":29226,"slug":"israel-hamas-war","urlSafeValue":"israel-hamas-war","title":"Israel Hamas war","titleRaw":"Israel Hamas war"},{"id":27060,"slug":"robert-golob","urlSafeValue":"robert-golob","title":"Robert Golob","titleRaw":"Robert Golob"},{"id":105,"slug":"european-union","urlSafeValue":"european-union","title":"European Union","titleRaw":"European Union"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2551644},{"id":2551514},{"id":2550354}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"e19KJFwWt88","dailymotionId":"x8zd4la"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":50120,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":6477568,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/E3\/SU\/24\/05\/30\/en\/240530_E3SU_55671819_55671923_50120_210204_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":50120,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":9625856,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/E3\/SU\/24\/05\/30\/en\/240530_E3SU_55671819_55671923_50120_210204_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news\/europe-news"},"vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"My Europe"},"themes":[{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":56,"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":253,"urlSafeValue":"slovenia","title":"Slovenia","url":"\/news\/europe\/slovenia"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','gs_politics','gs_busfin','gs_busfin_indus','gs_politics_misc','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_busfin_indus_healthcare','gs_busfin_indus_pharma','gs_travel'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/my-europe\/2024\/05\/30\/slovenian-government-recognises-palestinian-state-pending-parliament-approval","lastModified":1717083689}]" data-api-url="/api/continent/europe">
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