EUROPEAN HEADLINES
FT Europe – Smog sparks Beijing’s first “red alert.” The declaration, which closed schools and curbed car use, came as Chinese negotiators at UN talks in Paris were accused of trying to weaken the global climate accord due to be finalised by Friday.
WSJE – EU Commission set to back Ukraine’s visa-free access bid.The European Union’s executive is set to back Ukraine’s campaign for visa-free access, a step that looks likely to trigger a prolonged debate.
INYT – US strategy tries to avoid fulfilling ISIS prophecy. Militants hope to drag America and allies into apocalyptic ground war.
BBC Europe –Paris attacks: Bataclan third attacker identified. Mr Valls did not name the man, but did not dispute reports naming him as French national Foued Mohamed-Aggad, 23, from Strasbourg.
BALTIC STATES
Baltic Times – Outgoing Latvian P.M. – Terror threat lowest in Poland and Baltics. “It is no secret that the Baltic states and Poland currently are among the countries with the lowest terror threat levels which is good, of course,” she said. At the same time, “the situation with refugees in many European countries and the terrorist threats are the factors that cause us to show extreme caution.”
BELGIUM
Le Soir – The father of the third kamikaze Bataclan “If I had known, I would have killed myself before “.
FRANCE
Le Monde – The right and the left are in denial about the FN. “I am not here to apologise”. After the rise of the FN Manuel Valls did not want to talk about the government being unable to reduce unemployment.
Les Echos – Climate: the financial tax’s mirage. The European financial transaction tax project is postponed for six months. In Paris, a first draft of the global climate accord should be unveiled today.
GERMANY
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) – Outrage over Trump’s demand of entry ban for Muslims. “This contradicts our values.” New insights into perpetrators of attack in San Bernardino.
Sudeutsche Zeitung – Oil prices plummet. Petrol and diesel reach a new low record. Reasons are the global oversupply and a weakening economy. The International Energy Agency warns against destructive competition.
HUNGARY
Budapest Times – Socialist leader sees Fidesz as ‘core problem’. Hungary’s “gravest problem” is its ruling Fidesz party, which has “manoeuvred the country into a dead end”, József Tóbiás, head of the opposition Socialist Party, told the party’s congress on Saturday.
ITALY
La Repubblica – Trump, like Le Pen: “no Muslims in the US.” Obama: shame. Closing the borders to Muslims and restricting internet access. Donald Trump continues to monopolise America’s attention.
Il Sole 24 Ore – Oil prices plummet and drag stock exchange down. Milan loses 2.26% as oil prices fall below $38/bbl.
IRELAND
Irish Independent –Floods feared to be ‘unstoppable’ over next 48 hours as Met Eireann issues new weather warning. Communities along the Shannon were last night bracing themselves for even worse flooding as the ESB released massive volumes of water from Parteen weir.
NETHERLANDS
De Telegraph – The Netherlands has a tough task ahead when it takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union on January 1 for six months, the EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Tuesday. Speaking after talks with Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders in The Hague, Mogherini said the Dutch presidency will be ‘crucial’ because of all the problems ‘such as refugees and terrorism’ which the EU is now dealing with
POLAND
Gazette Wyborcza – The Chairman’s President. President of Poland Andrzej Duda will not swear three Judges of the Constitutional Court elected by the Sejm of the previous term. President of Poland thinks he is above the law and entitled to follow his personal views of the Polish Constitution.
SPAIN
El Pais – Sanchez calls for a tactical voting from the Left in favour of the PSOE. Voting for Podemos “means offering one’s vote to Rajoy”, he says, in an attempt to reach Pablo Iglesias’ voters.
Expansion – This is the way economy will be in 2016. Many topics: a 3% growth objective, China’s slowdown, GDP figures, industrial growth, tourism, construction, real estate, banking and trade.
UK
The Times – Thousands of prisoners to have jail terms cut. Overcrowding crisis forces new Gove revolution.
The Guardian – Trump faces backlash over Muslim tirade. Presidential frontrunner disowned by Republican leaders as outrage grows.
©europeanunion2015 (part)
