Putin´s ban list: forget!

The Russian government has issued a list with the names of those barred from travelling to Russia.

I have reviewed it with some detail. It is a mixed bag of second rate EU personalities, nothing more. It pulls together members of parliament, a few politicians, including local ones, another couple of opinion makers, and a handful of senior civil servants from different EU countries.

It is obviously a list to retaliate. Most of those on the list have little power to decide about the European relations with Moscow. They might be vocal, in a few cases, but I am not even sure the EU leaders listen to them.

The best approach to the Putin list is to ignore it. 

My wild neighbours

It is not easy to survive in the park next to my house. The wild birds have many enemies, including the crows and the neighbourhood cats, and the rabbits keep hiding from the dogs. I haven´t seen many rabbits this spring, by the way.

Even the ducks, who are always ready for a fight, have their own problems. This year, meaning now, this is the season, only one couple has been able to bring a single duckling to life.

In view of this, you can imagine my joy when I saw this morning that the moorhen – also known as the swamp hen – that had been sitting on her eggs for many weeks in the middle of pond was now proudly looking after a brood of four little chicks.

I had feared the local turtles had eaten the eggs before hatching. It did not happen. And I thought that in the end, there is always a small victory on the side of renewal.

Blatter is no fool, Mugabe would say

Sepp Blatter got a new term as president of FIFA. His victory made me recall a comment another life leader shared with me over a decade ago. I was at the end of my assignment in Zimbabwe, ready to go to West Africa. I had then a final meeting with President Robert Mugabe to take leave from him and his country, after four years of work and many encounters. As we reviewed the African scene, as it was at the time, he said – I can´t remember whom he was referring to – that an incumbent president that loses the elections has to be a fool.

Now, Blatter has shown that he can be accused of many things but that nobody is in a position to say he is a fool. 

The ugly face of FIFA

In addition to everything that has already been said by many in the media about the corruption scandal at FIFA, I would add a little question tonight: how can the Swiss authorities explain their want of investigative action against the FIFA´s leadership?

It is a bit difficult to see the US judicial system moving, and striking, and notice, at the same time, that there was no real investigation by the Swiss, notwithstanding the fact that this world football association has its headquarters in Switzerland.

I can´t believe the Swiss prosecutors were not aware of the strong stench coming from the FIFA building. 

Let´s be clear and respectful

In today´s world, when everyone has access to many sources of information and opinion, the leaders cannot continue to believe they will be able to deceive the population. Leadership is indeed about clarity and respect. And not too many words, because lengthy sentences can be seen as hiding places for deceit and weakness.

More on the strategy against the terrorists of the Islamic State

We usually emphasise that each national crisis should have a political response and end up with an agreement between the parties. In the case of Syria, it would be, at this stage, a serious mistake to insist on a political solution. The situation has reached such a dramatic level that the only way forward, for the moment, is through a military approach. Politics and diplomacy have to wait. They will come later.

The goals to be achieved are clear: to destroy the self-proclaimed Islamic State and protect the civilian population from further violence. These objectives do call for a major allied armed offensive and also for a change of tactics when it comes to the Assad regime.

On the military side, my writing of yesterday is clear. I can only add that we just have to make sure that those who will take the decision to go for the force option have the support of the popular opinion in their countries. And then ask those leaders to move fast.

On Assad, it is time to make a difference between the man and his people. The headman will have to go. The key criminals that have directly supported him must be brought to justice as well. But we need to find ways of bringing his ethnic group, the Alawites, and all those who are around the administrative and security machineries on board, on our side, as long as they have no real crimes in their hands. They should be part of the solution. If they are not they will be, soon enough, because Assad´s collapse is getting closer, the next mass victims of the brutes that only conceive death as the appropriate punishment  for those who are different.

It is indeed time to think strategically. And be strong.

Revise the strategy to destroy the Islamic State

The daily reports are clear. They point to a recent succession of military gains by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS), both in Syria and Iraq. As I see it, that terrorist group is stronger today than some weeks back. Its ongoing offensives on different fronts show vitality which can only result from new resources, including fresh money and weapons as well as a mass of additional recruits.

The other side of the coin is about weakness. Those opposing IS are today weaker.

The moderate groups in both countries first. They are losing ground and credibility. They have demonstrated they do not have enough vigour to take care of this major challenge. More than ever it is now obvious they necessitate a great amount of external support.

The raids also show that the Western strategy against the terrorist organisation is not working. It has to be revised immediately. Its revision has to focus on a much stronger involvement in the region, through additional deployment of special force units and better coordination among them, more effective and better shared intelligence, and a closer alliance with the Middle Eastern States that oppose IS.

I recognise that a deeper military engagement in Iraq and Syria is a complex and costly matter. But political hesitation is no longer a solution in this case. Public opinion is prepared, in our part of the world, for a serious increase of our military assistance to those who can be our regional and local allies in this combat. We just have to ensure that the alliances are clear and strategic, meaning, they should aim, above everything all, at destroying the IS threat.

Rich and poor in Europe

Brusssels is number three in the EU in terms of income per capita. The data show that its residents’ income is twice the European average. Inner London and the Luxembourg Duchy are number one and two. The former –Inner London – is a pretty rich corner of Europe. The average Londoner has an income that is more than three times the European average. In Luxembourg, the equivalent figure is about 2.5 times.

Bulgaria and Romania, on the other hand, remain at the bottom of the list. They are indeed very poor countries by European standards. The gap between them and the top three is abysmal. And it keeps growing for now.

Criminal banking

Six major international banks have been fined by the US authorities over huge criminal manipulations of the foreign exchange markets. The banks caught in this huge fraud and well thought-out conspiracy to steal from the clients are: Barclays, Citigroup, JP Morgan, Royal Bank of Scotland, Union des Banques Suisses (UBS), and Bank of America. The overall fines amount to USD $5.6 billion.

Since 2008 a number of very serious malpractices and criminal actions have been uncovered in some international banks. The crisis and a closer scrutiny of the banking system have shown that many of these institutions have been unethical and unlawful. Violations of the law and the interests of the customers have been common practice. The Financial Times reports that in the last seven years banks have been fine over USD $160 billion because of their illegal activities.

It is a matter of huge concern. It is also a major worry that no top banking executive has yet faced a court of justice and be personally sanctioned with a prison term for his or her actions. The system fines the banks and lets the bankers enjoy their bonus. And by the way, the bonus paid during the last seven years or so by the banks the US has just punished come to a total very similar to the combined amount of today´s fines.

Europe in the Far East: a weekly review

My weekly commentary on Radio Macau, aired every Tuesday under the title of Magazine Europa, focused today on three topics: Greece and its immediate, and most pressing financial challenges; mass illegal immigration into the EU across the Mediterranean Sea routes; and educational success in East Asian countries and the lessons Europe´s education systems could draw from that part of the world. 

The topics show the image – and concerns – Europe projected during the last week in Macau and vicinity.