Draghi warns of existential problems for EU ? Germany expands border controls ? Trump targeted in second assassination attempt
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Former ECB chief Mario Draghi warns of 'existential' problems for the EU??
A report led by Mario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank (ECB) and former Italian prime minister, warns that the European Union (EU) faces an ‘existential challenge’ and a ‘slow and agonising decline’ unless it significantly increases investment and reforms its industrial policy.? The report suggests that the EU must increase spending by €800 billion per year, equivalent to 5% of the EU's GDP, to avoid falling behind global competitors. It also argues that without investments and reforms, the EU risks being unable to finance its social model and may have to scale back its policies.?
The report identifies productivity as a particular problem for the EU, noting that EU growth had been persistently slower than that of the US in the past two decades. It also says that the EU is not innovative enough, with a significant number of European start-ups valued over €1 billion having moved abroad, primarily to the US, due to barriers in scaling up within Europe and enticed by less regulation. The report also highlights the threat posed by state-sponsored Chinese companies in industries such as electric vehicles and green technology, with China subsidising its industries to a level where they could out-compete EU firms. It contains 170 proposals aimed at cutting regulation, improving decision-making, and enhancing cooperation among EU countries.?
However, gaining political support for their implementation is likely to be challenging. EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has supported the findings, saying that there needs to be a common approach to accessing funds and hinting that the EU could borrow for the first time from the international bond markets. Nevertheless, while some business leaders and economists have acknowledged the validity of the findings, they argue for reforms that do not require additional funding. The proposals have also met with significant resistance from Germany, particularly from Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who said that joint debt will not address the EU's structural issues and argued that the main issues lie in EU bureaucracy and a planned economy.??
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Germany announces additional border controls amid rising immigration concerns?
On September 9th, 2024, Germany announced that it will reintroduce temporary controls to its land borders. The extended border controls are due to start from September 16th, 2024, and are initially scheduled to last for six months. Additionally, the country plans to toughen its implementation of European Union (EU) asylum rules, including detaining asylum seekers while determining if Germany is responsible for processing their cases, though the government dismissed proposals to automatically reject asylum seekers at the borders. The decision has been met with criticism from neighbouring countries, particularly Poland and Austria, while Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders have expressed their support, as the decision aligns with their long-standing calls for stricter migration controls.?
The decision is seen as both a response to increasing immigration – Germany received the majority of the more than 1.14 million asylum applications made to the EU in 2023 – and a political strategy to counter the rising popularity of the far-right and conservative parties ahead of upcoming elections. It marks a shift from Germany’s previous open-door policy, with migration having become a significant concern for voters, evidenced by the anti-migration Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) leading in polls in the eastern state of Brandenburg, and recently winning the local elections in the eastern state of Thuringia. Recent deadly incidents involving immigrants, such as the knife attack by a rejected Syrian asylum seeker in Solingen on August 23rd, 2024, have also increased public concerns. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, however, argues that more engagement in securing the EU’s external border is needed, calling Germany’s decision a ‘de facto suspension of the Schengen agreement.’?
The move also highlights the potential for a domino effect of border controls within the EU, which is likely to strain relations and complicate the free movement within the union. The European Commission reacted carefully, acknowledging that member states have the right to implement border controls when faced with threats to internal security, while stressing that any reintroduction of border controls should be temporary, proportionate to the threat, and should not undermine the integrity and functioning of the Schengen Area. Nevertheless, some observers have suggested that the move does not mean that Schengen Area is on the brink of collapse, though it could be threatened by ongoing security challenges and its future is likely to involve continued debates over the balance between national sovereignty and the free movement.?
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FBI investigates second suspected assassination attempt on Donald Trump in two months?
The FBI is investigating a suspected assassination attempt on Donald Trump on September 15th, 2024, at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. The suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, was armed with a scoped AK-47 rifle and got within a few hundred yards of Trump before fleeing the scene after being discovered by US Secret Service agents. Trump had no public events on his schedule for the day, and his golf game with his friend and Republican mega-donor Steve Witkoff was a last-minute addition to his diary. Trump’s campaign later issued a statement confirming that the former president was safe ‘following gunshots in his vicinity’. Shortly afterward, Trump also reassured his supporters of his safety in a fundraising email. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed on the incident and, according to a statement by the White House, were both ‘relieved to know that he is safe’. The incident comes two months after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13th, 2024.??
Routh has a criminal history that includes a 2002 conviction for possession of a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ and a 2010 conviction for possession of stolen goods. Routh also has a history of posting about politics on social media. According to some reporting, Routh voted for Trump in 2016 but has criticised the former president on social media in recent years. He has expressed strong support for Ukraine and, following the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, travelled to Kyiv to help recruit Afghan soldiers who had fled the Taliban to join the Ukrainian army. However, a representative of Ukraine’s foreign legion commented that Routh’s offers of a large number of recruits were ‘not realistic.’ The legion also said in a statement that Routh had never been part of or linked to the legion ‘in any capacity.’ Routh’s son has expressed disbelief over the allegations against his father, stating that his father had ‘delusional ideas’ about politics.?
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