Framing The World, CXV Edition

Framing The World, CXV Edition

In the new issue of Framing we deal with the European Union, with the return of the topic of enlargement and the new protocol promoted by France and Germany. Furthermore, we will talk about the new Iranian law that imposes the obligation to wear the veil, and the rejection of the Marco Temporal in Brazil. All this and more in the 115th issue of Framing the World!

HUMAN RIGHTS

ECONOMICS AND INTERNATIONAL FINANCE

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

NORTH AMERICA

LATIN AMERICA

ASIA AND THE FAR EAST

WESTERN EUROPE AND EUROPEAN UNION

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE AND RUSSIA

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (MENA)

TERRORISM AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

HUMAN RIGHTS

France, journalist arrested for investigating military relations between France and Egypt. On September 19th, French journalist Ariane Lavrilleux was detained overnight and interrogated by the DGSI, France's national intelligence agency, regarding her 2021 report linking French intelligence to Egyptian civilian killings. The investigation, published by Disclose, an investigative journalism website, revealed that between 2016 and 2018, Egyptian forces carried out at least 19 bombings on civilian targets using information provided by France to Cairo. Lavrilleux also alleged that the French authorities, under Presidents François Hollande and Emmanuel Macron, were aware of these actions but chose to disregard concerns. After the report was published, the French Armed Forces Ministry filed a complaint for 'violation of national defence secrets'. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned Lavrilleux's arrest and called for the protection of journalists' confidential sources in national defence services.

(Lorenzo Franceschetti)

Iran, parliament approves “hijab bill”. On September 20th, Iran's parliament approved a new “hijab and chastity” bill, which increases penalties for women who do not wear the hijab. To enter into force, the bill will have to obtain final approval from the Council of Guardians of the Constitution, a body consisting of clerics and legal experts. The law considers the removal of the veil as 'nudity' and provides for fines of between 4,000 and 8,000 euro for women who do not wear the veil and up to 10 years in prison for any person who promotes violating the dress code "in an organised manner" or "in co-operation with foreign or hostile governments, media, groups or organisations". The current penalties are a fine of between 10 cents and 10 euro or 10 days to two months in prison. Eight independent UN human rights experts pointed out that the bill “violates fundamental rights and perpetuate systemic discrimination, with the intention of suppressing women and girls into total submission”.

(Lorenzo Franceschetti)

The European Union Advances in the Fight Against Workplace Violence. On September 18th, the European Union Council took a significant step by adopting a draft decision urging its member states to ratify the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention C190 on violence and harassment in the workplace. This treaty, adopted in 2019, establishes global standards for preventing and addressing workplace violence. The Convention, already ratified by seven EU member states, plays a crucial role in combating gender-based violence in the workplace. Now, it is up to the European Parliament to provide its consent to formalize this important decision.

(Sofia Ena)

Australia: Queensland State Suspends Queensland Human Rights Act. The government of the northeastern Australian state of Queensland has suspended, for the second time, the law that protected minors from being detained in adult prisons. Last month, the ruling Labor Party introduced a series of laws allowing minors under 18 to be held indefinitely in police watch houses due to changes in juvenile justice laws that led to insufficient space in youth detention centers. These actions have shocked Queensland's Human Rights Commissioner, Scott McDougall, who described human rights protection in Australia as "very fragile," with no applicable national laws.

(Sofia Ena)

Sofia Ena and Lorenzo Franceschetti




ECONOMICS AND INTERNATIONAL FINANCE

​​UK, a surprising decision. After 14 consecutive hikes, the Bank of England stopped raising interest rates and kept them at 5.25%, surprising analysts and markets, which had been expecting a 25 bps increase and even estimated a 50 point increase was possible. The decision came in a 5-4 vote, a symptom, according to analysts, that the BoE is more concerned about risks to growth than inflation. The latter, in fact, having fallen to +6.7% per year, although high in absolute terms is now at its lowest level in 18 months, while the growth rate, with the latest data being published this week, is expected to slow to +0.4% and could even enter recession between the end of the year and the beginning of 2024.

Russia, an export ban. Russia, the second largest exporter of Diesel (the US being the first), has temporarily banned fuel exports in an attempt to stabilize a domestic market where fuel prices have risen by almost 10% since the beginning of the year and where the political repercussions of this dynamic are worrying the Kremlin. The repercussions will be significant especially in Europe, a market dependent on Russian exports and where Diesel stocks were already at low levels. Currently exempt from the ban are the former Soviet republics, humanitarian supplies, and those already sold when it came into force. The decree has no expiry date, but analysts at JPMorgan and Citigroup believe it could be lifted at the end of the harvest in two weeks, when domestic demand will fall sharply.

EU, investigation into Chinese EVs. The European Union has launched an investigation into Chinese subsidies for electric vehicles in an attempt to avert a wave of cheap imports. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday ( 20th September) that the global market is flooded with cheap Chinese cars and that the bloc will take defensive measures. Last year the share of Chinese brand electric vehicles in the EU bloc was 8%, but with Chinese models around 20% cheaper, they are expected to control 15% of the market by 2025. The EV investigation against China is part of a broader EU effort to 'de-risk' relations without 'decoupling' the two economies, which has already materialized in several areas, including restricting sales of high-end semiconductors and implementing export controls on quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

EU, car sales are growing. In August 2023, the EU car market grew by 21% to 787,626 registered units, marking the 13th consecutive month of growth. Although August is generally a slower month for car sales, the double-digit increases indicate that the EU market is recovering from last year's component shortage. Most markets, including the three largest, recorded double-digit percentage increases: Germany (+37.3%), France (+24.3%) and Italy (+11.9%). From January to August 2023, new car registrations in the EU grew significantly (+17.9%), totalling 7.1 million units. Despite this improvement, however, the market is still far from the pre-COVID levels of 9 million units sold in 2019.

US, auto workers on strike. The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has launched a strike after failing to reach an agreement with General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. The strike is the first of its kind, as the UAW is striking against all three of the biggest American car manufacturers, known as the 'Big Three'. Currently, the work stoppage is limited to three assembly plants, in Missouri for GM, in Ohio for Stellantis and in Michigan for Ford. The UAW and the Big Three have been negotiating since union members voted to authorize the strike at the end of August, but were unable to complete negotiations before the deadline. The UAW is demanding higher wages and benefits, as well as a 32-hour work week over four days and a 40 per cent wage increase to be implemented over four years. Prior to the strike, Ford and General Motors had submitted offers to the union that were lower than the UAW's demands, going so far as to offer wage increases of around 20%. The strike costs the US economy about $500 million per day.

Leonardo Aldeghi

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have signed a military alliance. The military regimes of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have signed a defensive alliance, as announced by the ministerial delegations of the three countries in Bamako, Mali's capital. This "Liptako-Gourma Charter" establishes the "Alliance of Sahel States" (Aes), as stated by the head of Mali's junta, Assimi Goita. The goal is to set up a collective defense structure and mutual assistance. The Charter (art.6) specifies that any attack on the sovereignty or territorial integrity of one or more signatory countries will be viewed as an aggression against the others, triggering a duty of assistance and rescue by all parties, including the use of armed force to restore and ensure security within the alliance's area. This alliance will combine military and economic efforts among the three countries, said Mali's Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop. Their primary focus is combating terrorism in these nations.

Nigeria: 30 people kidnapped after raid on university. In Zamfara, north-west Nigeria, at least 30 individuals, including 24 female students, were abducted by an armed group during a raid at a university. The attackers stormed the village of Sabon Gida near the federal university outside the state capital, Gusau. They broke into three female hostels and took the occupants. This incident marks the first mass kidnapping in a college since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took office, vowing to address the country's security challenges. The bandits entered the village on motorcycles, broke into hostels by smashing windows, and abducted at least 24 female students and two males, one of whom is a university staff member. The attackers also kidnapped nine welders from a new building on the university premises. Soldiers engaged in a gunfight with the assailants, but the kidnappers managed to escape with the hostages.

Somalia: truck bomb kills at least 10 people. A truck bomb detonated at a checkpoint in Beledweyne, a central Somali town, on Saturday, resulting in the death of at least 10 individuals and causing significant destruction to nearby structures. While the perpetrators have not been identified, the Islamist group al Shabaab, known for frequent bombings in Somalia, is suspected. Police officers reported that the casualties included soldiers, civilians, and five police officers who tried unsuccessfully to prevent the truck from reaching the checkpoint. The explosion devastated nearby buildings, shops, and the checkpoint itself. Halima Nur, a witness, expressed her distress as she couldn't locate her niece who was in a shop near the explosion site. Al Shabaab, which has been in conflict with Somalia's central government for over ten years, seeks to impose its version of strict Islamic sharia law in the country.

Giulio Ciofini

NORTH AMERICA

Canada, Trudeau accused the Indian government. Unnamed Canadian government sources have informed the CBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, that the country's intelligence services have gathered evidence demonstrating the involvement of the Indian government in the killing of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, occurred on June 18th near Vancouver. Following these leaks, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, during a speech in the Canadian parliament, accused the Indian government of orchestrating the assassination. The government of Narendra Modi immediately responded by excluding Trudeau from the list of meetings to be held during the United Nations General Assembly, in addition to suspending visas for Canadian citizens. Meanwhile, the Trudeau government retaliated by suspending trade agreement negotiations with India.

United States of America, the spy balloon case “deflates”. The story of the "Chinese spy balloon," which had greatly scandalized the Americans and even led to the cancellation of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to China, comes to an unexpected end after seven months: the balloon was not transmitting or recording any data. The news was announced by General Mark Milley on "CBS News Sunday Morning," who also considered the possibility that the flying object had arrived over American territory purely by chance. Nevertheless, the diplomatic incident still had a significant impact on the Chinese government, as reported by CNN. It appears that they temporarily suspended their aerial balloon surveillance program in response to the incident, as confirmed by Chinese embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu, who told CNN that the incident was "unexpected" and "isolated."

Lorenzo Graziani

LATIN AMERICA

Brazil, the Supreme Court rejects the Marco Temporal. The news dated September 22nd was that the Brazilian Supreme Court decided to protect the rights of the original populations and vote against the Marco Temporal. This rule provided that indigenous peoples did not have the right to the assignment of territory on which they were not present in 1988, the year of ratification of the Constitution. In this way, numerous native tribes who in 1988 found themselves forcibly removed from their hitherto inhabited territories would have had no right to claim "ownership" of them. This was considered the greatest attack on indigenous rights and even President Lula opposed the measure.

(Ludovica Costantini)

Venezuela, security forces regain control of a prison run by inmates. On Wednesday 20, the government ordered an operation to clear the Tocoron prison centre that had fallen into the hands of one of the country's most powerful criminal groups, the “Tren de Aragua”. Having ousted the prison authorities, for years the narcos lived with their families inside the institution, using it as the organisation's headquarters. The group is known in the region for illegal activities such as drug dealing, prostitution, human trafficking, extortion and illegal gold mining. Upon entering the prison, the men of the “Bolivarian National Guard” discovered that the gang had built gambling halls, a swimming pool, a restaurant, a discotheque and even a zoo. President Nicolas Maduro said he was satisfied with the success of the operation and launched the operation to capture the criminals, who managed to escape.

(Alessandro Dowlatshahi)

Mexico, alleged discovery of extraterrestrial bodies. During a hearing at the Chamber of Deputies in Mexico City on Wednesday 13 September, journalist Jaime Maussan showed the assembly two specimens of 'non-humans', found six years ago in the area of the Nazca Lines in Peru. According to Maussan, who is known in the country for his pseudo-scientific theories, these millenary artefacts would be proof that we are not alone in the universe. This is not the first time, however, that the journalist has brought evidence of alien existence: in recent years, he had already made a similar revelation, later unmasked by the scientific authorities, who discovered that these were mummified human limbs. Maussan's, contrary to what one might think, is not an isolated case, but joins the declarations of David Grush, a former US intelligence officer, who in late July accused the government of hiding UFO relics.

(Alessandro Dowlatshahi)

Alessandro Dowlatshahi and Ludovica Costantini

ASIA AND THE FAR EAST

China, Hangzhou hosts the Asian Games for 2023. The 19th edition of the Asian Games will take place in Hangzhou from 23 September to 8 October. The four-yearly sporting event took place for the first time in 1951 and, gathering the continent's best athletes, it has become one of the most important sporting events in all of Asia, surpassing even the Olympic Games in terms of the number of participating athletes. The nineteenth edition promises to be particularly great, however. In fact, almost 12,500 athletes are expected in Hangzhou - the highest number of any other edition - coming from 45 countries who will compete in over 40 disciplines.

South Korea, opposition leader hospitalized after hunger strike. On Monday 18 September Lee Jae-Myung, leader of the Korean Democratic Party and main opposition leader, was hospitalized. The hospitalization comes following many days of hunger strike, which began on August 31st, to protest against government policies. According to the Democratic Party leader, the reasons for the protest include the government's economic mismanagement, threats to media freedom and the lack of opposition to the release of Fukushima wastewater. Lee is also the subject of a series of criminal investigations which would see him involved in a corruption case. Between 2019 and 2020 the man allegedly illegally transferred 8 million dollars to North Korea, with the aim of paving the way for a economic exchange program between Gyeonggi Province, where Lee was governor at the time, and the North

Alessandra Tamponi

WESTERN EUROPE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION

EU: Oxfam Accuses Funds Diverted for Border Control in Africa. Oxfam, the world's largest confederation of organizations dedicated to fighting global poverty, has raised serious concerns regarding the use of European Union (EU) funds. According to a recent report, a substantial €667 million from the "Neighbourhood, Development, and International Cooperation Instrument" budget has been allocated to initiatives that "endanger the human rights of migrants." Oxfam's primary criticism is directed at the management of the NDICI-Global Europe budget, amounting to €79.5 billion for the period 2021-2027. NDICI is considered the key instrument for eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development, prosperity, peace, and stability. However, according to Oxfam's investigation, a significant portion of these funds, totaling €667 million, has been used for projects unrelated to cooperation and development, particularly in countries where systematic human rights violations are prevalent. Oxfam's report appears to highlight that the European Commission is inadequately utilizing resources designated for humanitarian aid, outsourcing border control for the EU to countries of origin and transit for migrant flows.

(Sofia Ena)

Brexit: Labour Leader Starmer Aims to Expand the EU Agreement. In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Labour leader Keir Starmer has proposed a potential post-Brexit shift if his party returns to governing Downing Street. Starmer referred to the UK-EU trade and cooperation agreement, which was signed with difficulty on December 30, 2020, by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as "too limited" and in need of renegotiation. This commitment comes ahead of the anticipated elections in late 2024, where Starmer currently leads in the polls with a roughly 20-point advantage over the incumbent Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and his Conservative Party. The moderate leader assured that there are no plans for a return to the EU or the European single market. However, he believes that "we can secure a better trade deal because the one signed by Boris Johnson is detrimental and restrictive," promising that it will be "a priority once in office."

(Sofia Ena)

EU Court of Justice, France's internal border repatriations rejected. In a ruling after an appeal by French humanitarian associations, the Court of Justice of the European Union has overturned France's rejections of migrants at internal borders, stating that the EU Return Directive must always be applied, even in the case of new or re-established internal border controls. The Court also noted that irregular migrants must be allowed "a certain period of time to leave the territory voluntarily. Forced removal occurs only as a last resort".
Meanwhile, with the increase in the number of arrivals and the approach of the European elections, clashes between European countries on the migration issue have flared up again, and EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell stated that migration could be "a dissolving force for the European Union".

(Bianca Franzini)

EU enlargement to be resumed. During her State of the Union address on 13 September at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for the topic of EU enlargement to be taken up again. The last enlargement dates back to the accession of Croatia in 2013. The debate among European countries about enlargement had been rekindled following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ursula von der Leyen said she was in favour of the entry of Ukraine, which, together with Moldova, had received candidate country status in 2022.
Enlargement will be a central topic at the summit of the European Political Community on 5 October and at the European Council in December.

(Bianca Franzini)

EU, France and Germany present a new blueprint for union reform: Germany and France have proposed a reform of the European Union (EU) to coincide with the enlargement to include new countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans. The proposal suggests reforms in institutions, treaties and the EU budget. Stricter rules on the rule of law, new voting procedures in the European Council and a larger EU budget are mentioned. The European Commission will continue to support Ukraine with military assistance. The document proposes a concept of 'gradual integration' for candidate countries into the EU. The creation of a tiered bloc with an inner circle of countries inclined to further integration is also suggested. Furthermore, a potential 'supplementary reform treaty' is suggested to allow for treaty reforms without the unanimous support of the 27 member states. An increase in majority voting and changes to the qualified majority threshold are recommended. The European Parliament should be limited to 751 seats and European elections should be consistent across member states, with a possible reduction in the number of Commissioners.

(Francesca Pasqualino)

Bianca Franzini, Sofia Ena and Francesca Pasqualino

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE AND RUSSIA

Kosovo vs. Serbia, EU pushes for normalisation agreement: The European Union (EU) has strained relations between Kosovo and Serbia due to its ineffective approach in dealing with tensions. EU Head of State Josep Borrell criticised the lack of progress during a meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Borrell also urged Kosovo to organise local elections to reduce tensions and invited ethnic Serbs to participate in the electoral process. He stressed that Kosovo's recent actions were contrary to the rule of law and suggested that the EU could lift sanctions if progress was made. The agreement between Kurti and Vucic provides for the recognition of Kosovo as an independent state, but tensions between the two sides persist. The NATO presence in northern Kosovo has heightened tensions. The EU-led dialogue aims to normalise relations between Belgrade and Pristina, but Serbia has not recognised Kosovo as an independent country.

Poland stops sending arms to Ukraine because of grain dispute: Poland has stopped sending arms to Ukraine because of a grain trade dispute. The overabundance of Ukrainian grain on the Polish market has hurt local farmers and led to Warsaw's decision to ban grain imports from Ukraine. This move triggered tensions and led Ukraine, together with Hungary and Slovakia, to denounce Poland at the World Trade Organisation. The European Commission decided not to extend the import ban beyond 15 September, causing discontent in Poland. However, Poland has announced that it will continue to honour arms supplies already promised to Ukraine. Despite the rupture between Warsaw and Kiev, the EU continues to support Ukraine with military assistance, while Polish-Ukrainian relations may take time to be restored.

Francesca Pasqualino

MIDDLE-EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (MENA)

Libya, the tragedy of Derna: Cyclone Daniel hit the country causing death and destruction in the city of Derna, located on the coast of Cyrenaica, the eastern region of Libya. Due in part to lack of maintenance, the dam upstream of the city collapsed, causing more than ten thousand deaths and tens of thousands of displaced persons. This has also provoked a wave of indignation in the region and there have been many expressions of dissent and open criticism of the local leadership and politicians, including the legislative branch of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives. While formally promoting cooperation in aid management, there is a risk that the political establishment in the east and west may try to exploit this new tragedy to once again postpone elections sine die.

Michele Magistretti

TERRORISM AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Brazil, charges of attempted coup against Bolsonaro. According to reports in the two Brazilian newspapers O Globo and UOL, Colonel Mauro Cid accused former President Jair Bolsonaro of planning a coup d'état in the aftermath of Lula's victory at the polls. According to Cid's testimony, the coup was supported by the head of the Navy, Almir Garnier, while the Army opposed the plan. Bolsonaro denied the accusations through the words of his lawyers.

United Kingdom, 5 people suspected of spying. The British Crown Prosecution Service initiated the indictment of five Bulgarian citizens suspected of espionage on behalf of Russia. The spying allegedly took place both in the UK and in other European countries, in the period between 30 August 2020 and 8 February 2023. The persons involved include three men and two women, aged between 29 and 45. They are accused of conspiring to gather information to be passed on to Russia. This decision was based on an investigation conducted by the British police. Three of the five individuals involved, Orlin Roussev, Biser Dzhambazov and Katrin Ivanova, had already been indicted last February for possessing false identity documents.

Davide Shahhosseini

Framing The World is a project conceived and created by the collaboration between members of the team of Mondo Internazionale associates.

Alessandra Tamponi: Asia and the Far East

Andrea Ghilardi: Sub-Saharan Africa

Bianca Franzini: Western Europe and the European Union

Davide Shahhosseini: Terrorism and International Security

Francesco Lorenzini: Middle East and North Africa, Terrorism and International Security

Francesca Pasqualino: Western Europe and the European Union, Central and Eastern Europe and Russia

Giulio Cofini: Sub-Saharan Africa

Leonardo Aldeghi: Economics and International Finance

Lorenzo Franceschetti: Human Rights

Lorenzo Graziani: North America

Ludovica Costantini: Latin America

Michele Magistretti: Middle-East and North Africa

Rocco Salvadori: Asia and the Far East

Sara Oldani: Middle-East and North-Africa