This is a very good analysis of the state of the EU, but it's far too opitmistic.
Where, outside of Sweden and Norway, is this "rightward turn on immigration" in the EU actually visible in policy? Peter Magyar talked a good game about Orban being "too lax on immigration" but he's governing firmly within Brussels open-borders agenda. Muslim assaults on women (crotch grabbing, pussy-pointing, etc...) were reported just this week; that didn't happen under Orban.
The press makes a big deal about weakening of the EU's cordone sanitaire, but they're just a few scratches on the wall, not even chinks yet.
How can RN in France and Meloni in Italy be "far-right" when their only real political threat is further to the right? Le Pen will (once again) make the 2nd round but will not win. The French press will ensure that, and absent that, there's always the Romania solution. (As Queen Ursala says: "we have tools.")
"The test will come in upcoming national elections in Germany and Austria" Yes, it will. Nationalist parties will win and will still be locked out of government by a grand coalition that agrees on nothing except "everyone to our right is a Nazi!"
I don't mean to be negative, but I've been hearing for 10 years, "this year is the one". I'll believe it when I see it. There's lots of words still but no evidence of a rightward immigration shift in actual policy.
Great info. There is much discussion of failed immigration policy in Europe and little discussion of what is very quietly working. In Northern Norway, on a few hours long horse ride we were surprised as our guide, a German college student, recounted what was required for her summer job. To shepherd adults and children on Icelandic Pony trail rides, she had to speak either fluent Norwegian or English and prove her experience with the horses, before she could enter the country.
Virtually, any Norwegian non tourist visa also requires an employment contract, that demonstrates economically self sufficiency, before arrival. Alternatively, she could have deposited enough money in a Norwegian account to proveshe would not be a financial drain on Norway, before she arrived. As she was a temporary employee, she also had to show proof of medical insurance.
According to her, her visa was specifically tied to her job contract. It allowed her a little time to sight see before and after, but if she did not exit Norway on time, she would be fined, her employer would be fined, and she would never be allowed to work in Norway again. She was not sure she would ever be allowed to return, even as a tourist.
The experience was lovely, but it was a glorified pony ride most 12 year old Texas ranch kids could have easily led. Yet Norway still required fluent language skills, specialized experience, and an employment contract with a departure date, set in stone.
Norway also now requires any asylum seekers that have set foot elsewhere in Europe, to return to their entry point, to await Norway's adjudication of their asylum claim. The vast majority of both Norwegian immigrants and asylum seekers must now possess fluent Norwegian or English language skills and economically self sufficient employment, before they enter Norway.
Norwegians are convinced their $2 trillion dollar sovereign wealth fund will only survive to provide a safety net and medical care for Norwegians, if everyone works at a job that pays enough to be economically self sufficient, which nearly always requires fluent language skills.
As immigration is very restricted, Norwegians have begun to embrace automation, like few other nations. We encountered an unmanned convenience store. Literally, no one was minding the store. Customers utilized self checkouts and paid via card or cash. Another shopper noted the owners opened the store in the morning, stocked it with fresh self serve coffee, pastry, and prepared lunch items, along with groceries and camping necessities, because a campground was nearby. They returned at night to dispose of the unsold prepared food and to lock up.
When I asked about theft, the local customer that helped us at check out, laughed. It wan't an issue and he did not believe there was a security system. The store simply functioned on the honor system. What a concept. Progressives obsessed with Scandinavian healthcare, might consider how sane Immigration policy, is part and parcel of delivering healthcare. Of course, a couple of trillion dollars in North Sea oil revenue, doesn't hurt either.
Nobody in Europe ever voted for mass immigration. It was foisted on them by their rulers. The Euro elites ignored the dissent because they were so much more enlightened than the knuckle draggers who lacked the right credentials. Also, their daughters weren’t being raped and let’s be honest, some Europeans are more equal than others.
European leadership has been removing the pressure relief valves in the system for years now, that it is going to blow was obvious at least a decade ago. Democracy doesn’t work if the winners are committed to defying their voters.
Sigh... analysis of this caliber was de-riguer at the NYT.
Sigh sigh...
This is NOT the first time I've laid laurels at the feet of this author. Great job, man. Really good job. I have a better understanding of the political dynamics across the pond now.
Your description of what's happening in the EU Parliament could not have been easy to write: there's sooo many moving parts! But ya did.
This is a very good analysis of the state of the EU, but it's far too opitmistic.
Where, outside of Sweden and Norway, is this "rightward turn on immigration" in the EU actually visible in policy? Peter Magyar talked a good game about Orban being "too lax on immigration" but he's governing firmly within Brussels open-borders agenda. Muslim assaults on women (crotch grabbing, pussy-pointing, etc...) were reported just this week; that didn't happen under Orban.
The press makes a big deal about weakening of the EU's cordone sanitaire, but they're just a few scratches on the wall, not even chinks yet.
How can RN in France and Meloni in Italy be "far-right" when their only real political threat is further to the right? Le Pen will (once again) make the 2nd round but will not win. The French press will ensure that, and absent that, there's always the Romania solution. (As Queen Ursala says: "we have tools.")
"The test will come in upcoming national elections in Germany and Austria" Yes, it will. Nationalist parties will win and will still be locked out of government by a grand coalition that agrees on nothing except "everyone to our right is a Nazi!"
I don't mean to be negative, but I've been hearing for 10 years, "this year is the one". I'll believe it when I see it. There's lots of words still but no evidence of a rightward immigration shift in actual policy.
Great info. There is much discussion of failed immigration policy in Europe and little discussion of what is very quietly working. In Northern Norway, on a few hours long horse ride we were surprised as our guide, a German college student, recounted what was required for her summer job. To shepherd adults and children on Icelandic Pony trail rides, she had to speak either fluent Norwegian or English and prove her experience with the horses, before she could enter the country.
Virtually, any Norwegian non tourist visa also requires an employment contract, that demonstrates economically self sufficiency, before arrival. Alternatively, she could have deposited enough money in a Norwegian account to proveshe would not be a financial drain on Norway, before she arrived. As she was a temporary employee, she also had to show proof of medical insurance.
According to her, her visa was specifically tied to her job contract. It allowed her a little time to sight see before and after, but if she did not exit Norway on time, she would be fined, her employer would be fined, and she would never be allowed to work in Norway again. She was not sure she would ever be allowed to return, even as a tourist.
The experience was lovely, but it was a glorified pony ride most 12 year old Texas ranch kids could have easily led. Yet Norway still required fluent language skills, specialized experience, and an employment contract with a departure date, set in stone.
Norway also now requires any asylum seekers that have set foot elsewhere in Europe, to return to their entry point, to await Norway's adjudication of their asylum claim. The vast majority of both Norwegian immigrants and asylum seekers must now possess fluent Norwegian or English language skills and economically self sufficient employment, before they enter Norway.
Norwegians are convinced their $2 trillion dollar sovereign wealth fund will only survive to provide a safety net and medical care for Norwegians, if everyone works at a job that pays enough to be economically self sufficient, which nearly always requires fluent language skills.
As immigration is very restricted, Norwegians have begun to embrace automation, like few other nations. We encountered an unmanned convenience store. Literally, no one was minding the store. Customers utilized self checkouts and paid via card or cash. Another shopper noted the owners opened the store in the morning, stocked it with fresh self serve coffee, pastry, and prepared lunch items, along with groceries and camping necessities, because a campground was nearby. They returned at night to dispose of the unsold prepared food and to lock up.
When I asked about theft, the local customer that helped us at check out, laughed. It wan't an issue and he did not believe there was a security system. The store simply functioned on the honor system. What a concept. Progressives obsessed with Scandinavian healthcare, might consider how sane Immigration policy, is part and parcel of delivering healthcare. Of course, a couple of trillion dollars in North Sea oil revenue, doesn't hurt either.
Nobody in Europe ever voted for mass immigration. It was foisted on them by their rulers. The Euro elites ignored the dissent because they were so much more enlightened than the knuckle draggers who lacked the right credentials. Also, their daughters weren’t being raped and let’s be honest, some Europeans are more equal than others.
European leadership has been removing the pressure relief valves in the system for years now, that it is going to blow was obvious at least a decade ago. Democracy doesn’t work if the winners are committed to defying their voters.
Wow. Well said.
Sigh... analysis of this caliber was de-riguer at the NYT.
Sigh sigh...
This is NOT the first time I've laid laurels at the feet of this author. Great job, man. Really good job. I have a better understanding of the political dynamics across the pond now.
Your description of what's happening in the EU Parliament could not have been easy to write: there's sooo many moving parts! But ya did.
Thanks.