Portugal Moves to the Center After Election

Paul Collier March 12, 2024

A new center-right coalition is expected to take over the government of Portugal after elections saw center-right and far-right parties win the majority of the seats. The highlight of the evening came from the right-wing Chega party which, after being formed in 2019, saw its vote shares grom from 1.3 percent in 2019, to 7 percent in 2022, to now 18 percent in 2024.

The election highlights populist surges not just in Portugal, but also in other EU member states, causing some to either hope or fear a possible populist domination in this year’s EU elections.

Excerpt from europeanconservative.com

Portugal, 85.8% of freguesias counted:

AD-EPP|ECR: 30% (-1)
PS-S&D: 29%
CH-ID: 19%
IL-RE: 4% (+1)
BE-LEFT: 4% (+1)
CDU-LEFT|G/EFA: 3%
L-G/EFA: 2%
ADN-*: 2%
PAN-G/EFA: 2%

+/- vs. 68.4% of freguesias counted pic.twitter.com/6mW4nGlUV4

— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) March 10, 2024

Portugal veered rightwards following November’s grift scandal that toppled the ruling socialists (PS), with Chega securing approximately 45 seats in the 230-seat parliament, unprecedented for a party founded only in 2019 in a historically left-wing state.

While the centre-right effectively retained its electoral base under the umbrella of the AD alliance, upstarts Chega appear to have eaten into one-third of the PS vote share.

Biden Wants to Build Port for Hamas

Paul Collier March 8, 2024

President Joe Biden is announcing plans to build an aid relief port on the Gaza port in a move that some see as ultimately benefitting Hamas in a military way. The port will be run by the U.S. military, meaning this war could potentially see both combatants of the war being served in some capacity by the same “ally,” America.

Canada Looks to Make Offensive Comments a Criminal Offense

Paul Collier March 8, 2024

The Canadian government, under the far-left extremist government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is looking to pass legislation called the Online Harms Act, which will make “harmful content” a criminal offense. Harmful content includes content that “foments hatred.”

Excerpt from www.fasken.com:

The Act targets seven types of online harms that it deems to be “harmful content”:

intimate content communicated without consent;

content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor;

content that induces a child to harm themselves;

content used to bully a child;

content that foments hatred

content that incites violence; and

content that incites violent extremism or terrorism.

“Intimate content communicated without consent” means a visual recording where a person is nude, exposes sexual organs or particular regions, or is engaged in explicit sexual activity, where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, and the person does not consent to the recording being communicated. Such content also includes a visual recording that falsely presents a person in the above manners, including deepfakes, if it is reasonable to suspect that the person does not consent to the recording being communicated.

Notably, the Act does not define hate, but does clarify that content does not incite hatred solely because it “expresses disdain or dislike or it discredits, humiliates, hurts or offends”.

Sweden Becomes a NATO Member

Paul Collier March 8, 2024

At long last, after holdouts Turkey and Hungary finally acquiesced and removed their opposition, Sweden is officially a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, which recently experienced a revival after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, perhaps characterized the nature of Sweden’s radical switch from neutrality to joining NATO, stating “one more country in Europe has become more protected from Russian evil.”

It remains a debated point as to the veracity of such claims, but, nonetheless, Europe’s perception of that “truthfulness” is largely the reason Sweden is now a member of NATO.

Zelensky Dodges Russian Missiles, Along with Greek PM

Paul Collier March 7, 2024

Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, survived an assassination attempt by Russia that saw his convoy struck by a Russian missile. In that convoy was the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The missile struck outside of Odessa less than 800 meters from the two world leaders.

Zelensky survives ASSASSINATION attempt after deadly Russian airstrike while touring Odessa with Greek PM – Irish Sun

Excerpt:

UKRAINE’S President Volodymyr Zelensky has survived an alleged attempt on his life while touring the Black Sea port of Odessa.

He claimed other people died and were injured when a Russian missile struck near his motorcade.

The attack was launched at his line of cars while he was with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Both delegates were a mere 500 to 800 metres from the strike which killed five people, according to a Ukrainian navy spokesperson.

Zelensky told reporters soon afterwards: “Do you see who we are dealing with? It doesn’t matter where you hit.

“I know that there were victims today. I don’t know what other details, but I know there were victims.

“I know there are dead and wounded. This is a blow. My condolences.”

The delegation heard sirens and a big explosion as they headed towards their cars, Mitsotakis said.

Zelensky continued: “It doesn’t matter whether they are military or civilians.

“Whoever they are, there are international guests [the Greek premier]. These people [the Russians] don’t care.

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After Election Loss, Pakistan’s Military Still in Charge

Paul Collier March 1, 2024

Despite the fact that the opposition party led by the former PM, imprisoned Imram Khan, won the most seats in parliament, the military’s ruling party is holding on to power thanks to a tenuous coalition. Shehbaz Sharif is expected to become the next PM, but most view him as a puppet of the real power, the military.

Pakistan’s Army still firmly in command despite election rebuke – m.economictimes.com

Excerpt:

Pakistan’s voters expressed their disillusionment with the nation’s powerful military in a surprising election result earlier this month. But the army is still poised to have more control from behind the scenes than ever — and reviving the economy will be its ultimate test.The military, which has ruled Pakistan directly or indirectly for most of its modern history, is set to make all important decisions on foreign policy and security for the country’s new government and have a more expanded role in running the nation’s economy, a person familiar with the matter said. Shehbaz Sharif, who’s expected to become prime minister, is likely to be only a figurehead, the person said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.

The army is consolidating power as Pakistan faces the worst inflation in Asia, a crippling debt load and the need to negotiate another bailout from the International Monetary Fund. Observers are largely pessimistic that a weak coalition propped up by the military will fare any better than similar governments in the past.

While the army “definitely has more credibility” than politicians, “it has not shown historically a strong grasp or understanding of what needs to be done,” said Yousuf Nazar, a former Citigroup Inc. banker and author of The Gathering Storm: Pakistan.

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Did Ukraine Try to Kill Tucker Carlson?

Paul Collier February 27, 2024

The former Fox News host, Tucker Carlson, appears to have been the target of an assassination attempt when he was visiting Moscow to interview Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin. The claim was made by Today News Africa that Ukrainian operatives attempted to attach a bomb to Tucker Carlson’s vehicle, hoping to detonate it when Tucker got in.

The report claimed “A man has just been arrested in Moscow, accused of being paid by Ukrainian intelligence to plant an explosive device on Tucker Carlson’s vehicle and assassinate the prominent American journalist while he was there to interview Putin.”

Tucker Carlson assassination attempted in Russia: Report – americanmilitarynews.com

Excerpt:

A new report claims that a native Russian has been arrested for the attempted assassination of Tucker Carlson, a former Fox News host who traveled to Moscow earlier this month to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin. The report also claims that Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence offered to pay the man $4,000.

In a Monday afternoon post on X, formerly Twitter, Simon Ateba, the chief White House correspondent for Today News Africa, wrote, “A man has just been arrested in Moscow, accused of being paid by Ukrainian intelligence to plant an explosive device on Tucker Carlson’s vehicle and assassinate the prominent American journalist while he was there to interview Putin.”

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Sweden All But Ready to Become Newest NATO Member

Paul Collier February 27, 2024

After Hungary announced plans to approve Sweden’s membership into NATO, the only thing that stands in their way is their own commitment to see the process through to the end. Sweden’s PM Ulf Kristersson referred to the decision by Hungary as an “historic day,” while also rejecting France’s call to potentially send NATO troops to Ukraine to fight Russia.

Sweden rules out sending troops to Ukraine after Nato membership agreed | Sweden – www.theguardian.com

Excerpt:

Sweden’s prime minister has ruled out sending troops to Ukraine for now – saying the subject is “not relevant at all” – putting down a clear marker between himself and Emmanuel Macron as he prepares for his historically neutral country to imminently join Nato.

Ulf Kristersson, who on Monday hailed a “historic day” as Sweden’s Nato membership was finally approved by Hungary, clearing the Nordic country’s path to join the western military alliance, said that while he respected “France’s will to help Ukraine”, Sweden would be following its own path.

Macron can discuss whether France will send troops to Ukraine, but not Nato, he said. “If a country sends troops somewhere else in the world it doesn’t affect Nato.”

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Macron Hints at Western Troop Deployment to Ukraine

Paul Collier February 27, 2024

France’s President Emmanuel Macron has stated that he will not rule out the use of Western troops to halt the Russian invasion of Ukraine, though other members of NATO expressed no interest in such a scenario.

Still, the introduction of the concept might be intended to either prepare the ground politically for such a move or to test the waters to see how the public reacts to such a scenario.

Macron says Western troops on ground in Ukraine not ‘ruled out’ – National – globalnews.ca

Excerpt:

French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that sending Western troops on the ground in Ukraine is not “ruled out” in the future after the issue was debated at a gathering of European leaders in Paris, as Russia’s full-scale invasion grinds into a third year.

The French leader said that “we will do everything needed so Russia cannot win the war” after the meeting of over 20 European heads of state and government and other Western officials.

“There’s no consensus today to send in an official, endorsed manner troops on the ground. But in terms of dynamics, nothing can be ruled out,” Macron said in a news conference at the Elysee presidential palace.

Macron declined to provide details about which nations were considering sending troops, saying he prefers to maintain some “strategic ambiguity.”

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NATO countries refuse to back Macron’s talk of sending troops to Ukraine — RT World News – www.rt.com

Excerpt:

There are no plans for Western boots on the ground, multiple leaders have insisted

The UK, Poland, Czech Republic, Finland, and Sweden all spoke up on Tuesday against French President Emmanuel Macron’s suggestion that Western troops could be deployed to Ukraine.

While there was no consensus about sending ground forces, Macron said on Monday following a pro-Ukraine summit in Paris that “in terms of dynamics, we cannot exclude anything” in the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

There are “no plans for NATO combat troops on the ground in Ukraine,” the secretary-general of the US-led bloc, Jens Stoltenberg, told AP in response to Macron’s remarks.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did not rule out sending troops in principle, but his spokesperson told reporters that “beyond the small number of personnel in [the] country supporting the armed forces [of Ukraine], we do not have any plans to make a large-scale deployment.”

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NATO Sends Message to Russia with War Games on Polish-Russian Border

Paul Collier February 23, 2024

NATO has begun war game exercises along the Polish-Russian border in a move that seems intended to send Russia a warning should it have ambitions to invade Poland. 10,000 U.S. troops are involved in the ongoing drills.

NATO conducts drills near Russian border in Poland – www.cbsnews.com

Excerpt:

NATO forces are conducting drills in Poland near the border with Russia as fears grow the ongoing invasion of Ukraine could spill over into NATO territory. The drills include some 10,000 U.S. troops.

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