Italian elections: Eurosceptic Italy in race to form majority government - by Stephanie Kirchgaessner and Daniel Boffey

The two populist parties that won major upsets in the Italian election – the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the League (La Liga) – are in a race to be the first to try to form a majority government after the election produced a hung parliament.

The decision will ultimately fall to Italy’s president, Sergio Mattarella, who could take weeks to determine whether the anti-establishment M5S, which took 32.6% of the vote, or a fragile centre-right alliance led by the League’s bombastic Matteo Salvini, with 35.7% of the vote, are better equipped to create a majority government.

As Italy and Europe digested the news on Monday that a majority of Italian voters had supported Eurosceptic candidates in the national election, both sides began jockeying for position, saying each had earned the right to lead. The Italian constitution gives Mattarella the power to give the mandate to any party, regardless of who has won the most votes.

While the former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi had been seen as leading the centre-right coalition, results showed he was beaten by his younger rival on the right, following a campaign in which Salvini emphasised support for radical immigration policies, including mass deportations of immigrants who are in Italy illegally.

Read more: Eurosceptic Italy in race to form majority government | World news | The Guardian

Germany: Social Democrats sign up to new Merkel-led German government - by Thomas Escritt, Michelle Martin

Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) decisively backed another coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives on Sunday, clearing the way for a new government in Europe’s largest economy after months of political uncertainty.

Two thirds of the membership voted“yes” to the deal in a ballot — a wider margin than many had expected. That means Merkel could be sworn in for a fourth term as early as the middle of the month, in a repeat of the grand coalition that has governed since 2013.

Read more: Germany Social Democrats sign up to new Merkel-led German government

Italy: Elections: Why the Italian elections are no test for the European Union - by Cas Mudde

This Sunday, more than 30 million Italians will go to the polls to elect a new legislature and, indirectly, a government. It will be the first major European election of 2018, after a somewhat confusing and inconsistent pattern of elections in 2017, and the international media is sparing few cliches.

Almost no journalist can resist making references to Italy’s almost inherent “political instability”, referring to the many “political crises” and national elections and governments the country has had in recent history – even though Italy had one government more and held one election less than the (allegedly stable) Netherlands in the 21st century.

In the runup to the 2018 Italian elections, the international coverage is dominated by stories that present the usual Italian tropes in all possible combinations. As always, Italy is “on the brink” of political chaos or worse. Article after article covers topics such as mafia and immigration, the rise of fascism, the risk of political violence, or the threat of populism to Italian democracy and the European Union. Don’t get me wrong, many stories are factually correct, even if they often overstate the relevance of their topic. 

Read more: Why the Italian elections are no test for the European Union | Cas Mudde | Opinion | The Guardian

3/2/18 Spain-Terrorism: Spain jails another rapper for praising terror groups

A court in Madrid has sentenced Spanish rapper Pablo Hasel to two years in prison for glorifying terrorism and insulting the Spanish royal family. The case has sparked a debate about free speech in Spain.

The Spanish National Court handed rapper Pablo Hasel a two year jail sentence and fined him €24,300 ($30,000) on Friday for praising terror groups, inciting violence and insulting the Spanish Crown and state institutions.

 The ruling said Hasel, whose real name is Pablo Rivadulla, made the offending statements on Twitter and in a song posted to YouTube.

It's the second time in as many weeks that a Spanish court has sent a rapper to prison.

Just a few days ago, the Supreme Court upheld the conviction of a rapper called Valtonyc, who was given a three-and-a-half year jail sentence for glorifying terrorism, insulting the Spanish royals and threatening politicians in his lyrics.

Note EU-Digest: the people who argue  that these sentences in Spain go against Free Speech should have their heads examined. Free Speech is not a free ticket to glorifying terror and murderers.

Read more: Spain jails another rapper for praising terror groups | News | DW | 02.03.2018

US Tariffs Announcement: EU says it will impose trade 'countermeasures' against US goods in retaliation to Donald Trump’s new tariffs - by Jon Stone

The European Union has said it will impose trade “countermeasures” against American goods in retaliation to Donald Trump’s new tariffs on imported steel and aluminium.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said retaliatory policies would be announced “in the next few days” in order to “rebalance” the trade situation between European and the US following the move by Mr Trump.

The US president said on Thursday he would introduce a 25 per cent import tariff on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium, claiming that the US had been suffering from “unfair trade”.

“We strongly regret this step, which appears to represent a blatant intervention to protect US domestic industry and not to be based on any national security justification. Protectionism cannot be the answer to our common problem in the steel sector,” Mr Juncker said on Thursday evening.

“Instead of providing a solution, this move can only aggravate matters. The EU has been a close security ally of the US for decades.

“We will not sit idly while our industry is hit with unfair measures that put thousands of European jobs at risk. I had the occasion to say that the EU would react adequately and that's what we will do.

“The EU will react firmly and commensurately to defend our interests. The Commission will bring forward in the next few days a proposal for WTO-compatible countermeasures to rebalance the situation.

Europe’s Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said the measures would “have a negative impact on transatlantic relations” and “will raise costs and reduce choice for US consumers of steel and aluminium, including industries that import these commodities”.

She said the EU would raise a dispute at the World Trade Organisation in Geneva over the tariffs “at the earliest opportunity”.

In what appears to be a veiled reference to Chinese steel production, the Commissioner added that “the root cause of problems in these two sectors is global overcapacity caused by non-market based production”.

During his presidential campaign Mr Trump claimed foreign countries were “dumping vast amounts of steel all over the United States, which essentially is killing our steelworkers and steel companies”.

Read more: EU says it will impose trade 'countermeasures' against US goods in retaliation to Donald Trump’s new tariffs | The Independent

Brexit - ""Britain can't have their cake and eat it also" - EU's Barnier warns time running out for Brexit deal - by Gabriela Baczynska, Jan Strupczewski

Michel Barnier:" Bitain has to renegotiate 700 Intl..Trade Agreements"

EU negotiator Michel Barnier accused the British government on Tuesday of clinging to “illusion” while time runs out for a Brexit deal to avoid massive disruption when Britain leaves the European Union next year.

Speaking after briefing ministers from the other 27 EU states and ahead of publication on Wednesday of a first draft of a withdrawal treaty that officials say will cross many British red lines, Barnier returned to a familiar mantra that had become muted after an interim deal with London two months ago. 

“The clock is ticking. I am worried by the time, which is short,” he told reporters, referring to an October target for agreeing a treaty, including a transition period, in time for it to be ratified before Brexit in March 2019. 

With British politics still in turmoil over Brexit, a mammoth project rejected by nearly half the country in a 2016 referendum, there has been a sharpening of tone on both sides.

British officials accuse Brussels of eschewing creative solutions to avoid trade disruption, while EU leaders complain that Prime Minister Theresa May’s divided government is failing to make its intentions clear. 

Asked about a comment by the EU summit chair last week that ideas for a future trade pact being floated ahead of a key May speech on Friday were “pure illusion”, 

EU Chief negotiator Barnier said he agreed with Donald Tusk. “It is illusory to imagine we will accept cherry-picking,” he said of the idea that Britain could maintain EU regulations in some sectors, while diverging in others. 

Note EU-Digest: In this mornings (February 28th Press conference Barnier also pointed out that after Britain leaves the EU, Britain will have to renegotiate some 700 trade deals they were a part of during the more than 40 years of membership in the EU.  "Britain can't have their cake and eat it also".

Read more: EU's Barnier warns time running out for Brexit deal

The Netherlands: Ice skating is a big deal in the Netherlands - by Mina Solanki

When you think of the Netherlands, you may not necessarily think of them as a nation of champion ice skaters, but that they certainly are. The Dutch are a bunch of ice skating fanatics and they are genuinely awesome at it!

It’s no wonder that as soon as it starts to freeze, you’ll hear Dutch people talking about “taking their skates out of the fat” and rumours of an Elfstedentocht. But, what is the Elfstedentocht actually?

The Elfstedentocht is, literally translated, the eleven cities tour. It is a 199-kilometre ice skating, and speed skating tour through eleven historical Frisian towns. The tour starts in Leeuwarden and journeys through the towns of Sneek, IJlst, Sloten, Stavoren, Hindeloopen, Workum, Bolsward, Harlingen, Franeker and Dokkum, before finishing again in Leeuwarden.

The route has participants skating on frozen lakes, canals and rivers. In order for the event to be held, the ice must be at least 15 cm thick- something that doesn’t happen very often.

Should the ice be satisfactory, a tour is announced and starts within 48 hours. The last Elfstedentocht was held in 1997 on January 4. This was the 15th ever Elfstedentocht, the first was held in 1909 on January 2.

The last two editions, in 1997 and 1986, were skated in temperatures of -3,6C and -6,9C respectively. It’s not something you just skate either; you first have to be a member of the Association of the Eleven Frisian Towns and pay for a starting permit and bib.

In the run-up to an Elfstedentocht, after a few days of freezing temperatures, speculations can be heard about whether or not the tour will be held, and the longer the freezing temperatures stay, the more excited people become about the possibility of the next edition. The Dutch even have the saying, “When it starts to freeze, the Frisians thaw”.

No one is sure when the next Elfstedentocht will be held, but one thing is for sure, if it starts freezing outside, you are sure to hear rumours of this legendary race.

Read more: Ice skating is a big deal in the Netherlands