Alwaght- Europe's Christmas season this year has been overshadowed by attacks, mass anti-government protest and dehumanizing conditions of refugees.
Over the last few days there have been anti-government protests in Britain, Spain, France, Italy and Poland with terrorist attacks being reported in Switzerland where a mosque was attacked and in Germany where there was a truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin leaving 12 people dead.
Most of the protests in Europe are against capitalism and austerity measures with Spain and Italy facing economic crisis in the coming year. Thousands have marched through Madrid to demand an end to austerity measures in Spain. Protests in Italy are expected to plunge the country into chaos after the national government was forced to step in to save the country's oldest bank from going under. Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, who has only been in office for a week, will be forced to prop up the major European bank with a £17bn bailout. However, based on EU 'burden-sharing' rules, more than 40,000 small business owners in Italy will lose out in the rescue package.
In Poland protests have emerged after the government announced plans to curb media access to the country's lower house, the Sejm, the latest in moves by the Law and Justice (PiS) ruling party which is accused of drifting towards authoritarianism. Meanwhile, in Britain, workers union strikes over pay and safety standards is expected to bring widespread disruption to the railways, airports and post offices over the Christmas period.
Refugees Left in Cold during Christmas
Meanwhile, thousands of refugees in Europe are spending this Christmas season in freezing temperatures as states and international organizations fail to live up to their obligations of providing basic humanitarian assistance to refugees. While European countries claim to champion for human rights across the world, African and Asian refugees in the continent are living in deplorable and inhuman conditions amid a harsh winter this Christmas.
EU’s aid department and UNHCR have been blamed for mismanaging a multimillion-pound fund earmarked for the most vulnerable refugees in Europe, leaving thousands sleeping in freezing conditions in Greece. Aid workers have warned that children, the elderly and other vulnerable people may die on European soil this winter unless immediate action is taken. Authorities in Europe have been asked to move refugees currently living in inhuman shelters in Greece and Serbia to sites that are better prepared for freezing temperatures.
Sanctions Hurt EU Economy
The European Union, at the behest of the US, continues to impose sanctions on Russia and Iran thus inflicting damage to the continent's struggling economy.
The European Union extended economic sanctions against Russia by six months on Monday after completing the legislative process for a decision endorsed last week by national leaders at an EU summit.
Sanctions introduced in July 2014 in response to Russian action in Ukraine will now run until July 31, 2017, the European Council confirmed in a statement. US has also imposed sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile, Moscow responded to the sweeping sanctions by implementing counter-measures banning exports from the EU and the US. The stand-off has hit the European economies hardest, with the Austrian Institute of Economic Research estimating that the trade war will cost the EU over €100 billion in business and up to 2.5 million in jobs. By contrast, the US has scarcely felt a pinch from the trade impasse. EU economic sanctions on Iran have also backfired with several European countries especially Spain suffering immensely.
Europe's Power Declining Globally
The problems bedeviling Europe, especially a weakened economy, and failure by the continent's leaders to disentangle themselves from subservience to the US has led to gradual decline of EU power and influence globally.
Meanwhile, EU media coverage on terrorism especially the recent victory by Syrian army against terrorists in Aleppo has exposed double standards in the continents political and media centers. Indeed, Western coverage of Aleppo has been distressingly shallow and biased. Western media outlets have acted as the propaganda wings of ISIS and other deadly terrorist groups in Syria. Western politicians have also shown double standards regarding terrorist attacks in the continent and other parts of the world. Western politicians and leaders including US President-elect joined the Berlin attacks condemnation bandwagon while they continue to ignore and in fact support terrorist atrocities in Syria and Iraq. Western countries have also backed and endorsed acts of state sponsored terrorism by the Israeli regime and the Saudi monarchy. Europe's Christmas will be one filled with grim and gloom as the continent faces an increasingly turbulent future.
