The European Union: Migration debate, xenophobia, racism, religious hostilities, LGBTQIA+ hostilities, antisemitism and right-wing extremism

Sunday, 2 February 2020 - 04:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: Knut Wingsch
Category/Kategorie: General, Editorial, EU blog post series, European Union Reading Time: 1046 minutes

(Latest update: 23 August 2022) It is actually unbelievable: the wall fell, fortunately the Soviet Union failed in its own right, as a result of which most of the Eastern Bloc gained its freedom. There was great hope for democracy, freedom and the rule of law. Especially in the eastward expansion of the EU, which only knows freedom from history lessons, the hope for freedom and democracy was huge. It is all the more surprising that parts of the populations have once again been seduced by nationalist demagogues. From the east, this nationalistic nonsense finally arrived in East Germany, which was formerly part of the Eastern Bloc. Where the journey will eventually lead to remains open by now. It will certainly not be pleasing for a while. Overall, this blog can be understood as “counter medicine”, especially since it becomes clear that there can be “the best and most beautiful place in the world” individually, but that there is actually a very large number of “best and most beautiful places in the world”. One can hold monologues for hours on this or just let a lot of photos and films speak for themselves. In order to make clear that hatred and extremism are anything but the norm, on the contrary, they are abnormalities, this article was created, which bundles various forms of abnormalities on the one hand and thus on the other hand seperates them from normality shown in our other blog entries. The dramatically accumulating “individual cases”, which they are obviously not, were also reason enough to refute the myth of the “lone wolf” (individual perpetrator). It is much more a question of failure of society as a whole. Entire networks are behind the perpetrators, often enough in so-called “social media”, which, however, are anything but that.

Content

Introduction
German reunification
Globalization, consumption and capitalism
Islamophobia
Anti-Judaism/Antisemitism
Antiziganism
Persecution of Christians
Populism
Separatism
An antidote

Migration debate, refugees, xenophobia, racism, right-wing extremism and right-wing terrorism

“Let every man seek heaven in his own fashion.” – Frederick the Great

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“Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.” – Oscar Wilde

“Freedom is always the freedom of the one who thinks differently.” – Rosa Luxemburg

If everything else doesn’t seem feasible, than at least this one will work:

“Don’t be racist. Hate everyone equally.” – unknown ;-) Conservative Revolution

German reunification
Those who have actively experienced the German reunification process will have a deja vu experience given the current situation. At that time, as today, a significant portion of the population did not want to bring in “unqualified economic refugees (then the Ossis and people from other Eastern European countries moved to West Germany in droves), which in any case only cost money, doing nothing, lowering social standards through wage dumping, importing crime and causing the fall of the West”. The mechanisms are therefore unchanged, only the “target group” has changed. The Ossis benefited back then that the private use of the Internet was still in its infancy, so that the mobilization of like-minded people still had to be done by phone calls and not by postings in a Facebook group, so that the riots were limited. If todays state-of-the-art technology had been available during the reunification, West Germans would have beaten up or killed East Germans and set fire to their emergency shelters, as they do today jointly with refugees and their shelters (The New York Times, 29 August 2019: 30 Years After Reunification, Germany Is Still Two Countries, DW, 3 October 2019: Opinion: German unification — time for the next generation to step up, DW, 3 October 2019: German Unity Day: Reunification is ‘ongoing process’ says Merkel, Reuters, 3 October 2019: Merkel warns against racism on anniversary of German reunification, The Guardian, 30 October 2019: Democracy is under attack in post-Wall Europe – but the spirit of 1989 is fighting back, France24, 6 November 2019: Thirty years after its fall, part of the Berlin Wall still stands, The Guardian, 6 November 2019: The fall of the Berlin Wall did not end Germany’s deep divisions, Jerusalem Post, 7 November 2019: Anniversary of fall of Berlin Wall poses fresh challenges for German Jews, France24, 6 November 2019: The post-Wall, Cold War world of Hans Modrow, East Germany’s last leader, France24, 7 November 2019: The last East German, The New York Times, 8 November 2019: After the Fall: Looking Back on Berlin 30 Years Later, DW, 8 November 2019: Ronald Reagan statue unveiled in Berlin near site of Cold War speech (Tear down this wall!), The New York Times, 8 November 2019: President Reagan Returns to Berlin, This Time in Bronze, The New York Times, 8 November 2019: Germany Has Been Unified for 30 Years. Its Identity Still Is Not., CNN, 9 November 2019: Germany marks 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, France24, 9 November 2019: The fall of the Berlin Wall, 30 years on, CNN, 9 November 2019: The Berlin Wall fell 30 years ago. But an invisible barrier still divides Germany (Whether or not reunification is a “stroke of luck of history”, a two-state solution or an interim solution would have been the better choice is still being debated in Germany today. After all, the GDR, like all other states of the EU’s eastern enlargement, would have become a NATO and EU member state. The real stroke of luck was that the Soviet Union ruined itself and consequently decayed, because only then the people of the former Eastern bloc were given the freedoms to decide in which directions their countries shall be developed. The overwhelming majority opted against dictatorship and for freedom and democracy, although this has since become ignored in Poland and Hungary by the country’s rulers and even partially reversed), France24, 9 November 2019: Stories from East and West, 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Politico.eu, 9 November 2019: 30 years after Wall’s fall, Europe’s new divisions, CNN, 9 November 2019: East German kids were ‘taught to lie.’ Then the system came crashing down overnight, Arab News, 9 November 2019: From ruin to reigning Europe — how the Berlin Wall transformed Germany, Gulf Times, 9 November 2019: Germany celebrates 30th anniversary of fall of Berlin Wall, Jerusalem Post, 9 November 2019: Germany celebrates 30th anniversary of Berlin Wall’s fall, Times of Israel, 9 November 2019: On Berlin Wall anniversary, Merkel urges Europe to defend ‘democracy, freedom’, France24, 9 November 2019: Germany urges US to reject ‘egoism’ on anniversary of Berlin Wall’s fall, The Guardian, 10 November 2019: In place of Berlin’s Wall now stands a barrier of sullen resentment, France24, 15 November 2019: Thirty years later, spirit of 1989 lives on in eastern German city of Leipzig, DW, 2 October 2020: Everything you need to know about German reunification, DW, 3 October 2020: German Unity Day: Steinmeier hails ‘joy and courage’, The New York Times, 3 October 2020: Germany’s Far Right Reunified, Too, Making It Much Stronger, DW, 3 October 2020: Germany faces old problems 30 years after reunification, The New York Times, 3 October 2020: After 30 Years, East and West Germans Wonder: How United Are We?, DW, 3 October 2020: Germany before and after reunification, The National, 3 October 2020: German Unity Day: Celebrations 30 years after reunification, Economy of East Germany, Irish Times, 3 October 2020: Reunited Germany, 30 years on: ‘We have a permanent hullabaloo’, DW, 11 June 2021: Why young East German voters support the far-right AfD, DW, 12 August 2021: 60 years ago, the Berlin Wall went up, dividing the city — and more, Politico.eu, 28 September 2021: Germany’s far-right AfD loses nationally, but wins in the East, DW, 2 October 2021: How reunified is Germany?, DW, 3 October 2021: Unity goes beyond German reunification, DW, 3 October 2021: German reunification: Angela Merkel urges country to overcome East-West divide, DW, 27 May 2022: What’s behind eastern Germans’ empathy for Russia?).

Globalization, consumption and capitalism
Other varieties of xenophobia, racism and antisemitism can be globalization criticism, consumerism criticism or capitalism criticism. Without going into detail here, the futility can be illustrated with a very simple example: Imagine a menu consisting of a hamburger, a portion of french fries and a cola. Now you think away globalization, consumption and capitalism. From the above menu, there is little more than a puddle of water left, because the other ingredients were not originally from Western Europe or the US, but were imported from other continents – including glass. You don’t believe it? Then let’s take a look at the ingredients (Politico.eu, 5 June 2020: How Brussels wants to change your cheeseburger):

Cheeseburger:
Sesame on the burger bun: India
Cereals: Middle East
Cattle: Anatolia and Middle East
Salt: Mesopotamia and Babylon
Pepper: Southwest India
Tomatoes: Central and South America
Onions: Central Asia
Ketchup: East and Southeast Asia
Lettuce: Egypt
Cheese: Mesopotamia, Black Sea region, Asia Minor, Egypt and North Africa

French fries:
Potatoes: From the Andes from western Venezuela to Argentina
Salt: Mesopotamia and Babylon
Peppers: Central and South America
Paper plate: Egypt
Plastic chip fork: Malaysia and Brazil

Cola:
Sugar: Melanesia and Polynesia in the Pacific
Caffeine: Yemen
Glass: Mesopotamia

If you take away burgers, fries, pizza, steaks, cola, surf ‘n’ turf, seafood, wine, Champagne, beer and pasta (to name just a few) from the self-proclaimed “critics”, they too will understand that “criticism of globalization, consumption or capitalism” is above all gross nonsense. For the export nation Germany it is even life-threatening.

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Anti-Judaism, anti-Israeli, anti-Zionism and Antisemitism
Here is another aspect that has been cultivated since the Middle Ages in Europe: Jew-hatred, which was exported to the Middle East by the Crusades. Actually, a separate blog entry should be devoted to the topic of “Anti-Judaism, anti-Israeli, anti-Zionism and Antisemitism”, because it is not entirely unproblematic to place the topic under the title “Immigration debate, xenophobia, racism and right-wing extremism”. After all, Jews are usually not immigrants, foreigners, strangers or refugees (apart from the migration movements after the collapse of the Soviet Union), but were born in the countries in which they live today. Of course, this also applies to the so-called “Europeans with a migration background” who have been living in Europe for generations but are still exposed to xenophobia. Therefore, the topic complexes remain in this blog entry. But it is also clear that anti-Semitism has been the most steady and apparently ineradicable form of hatred of minorities since the Middle Ages. No other form has proven more consequent, vehement, long-lasting, and more deadly. Even if Muslims have been killing each other for centuries, as the Christians demonstrated to them in the previous centuries (if you look at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in East Jerusalem, then you might think that the war between the Christian groups isn’t over yet), clashes are within the respective religious group, i.e. not brought in from outside. This, too, makes Antisemitism unique among the forms of hatred. Without going further into the single aspects of European anti-Semitism, it is simply false to assert that the “new anti-Semitism” would be fueled by immigration, because it is a re-import only. In Europe, anti-Semitism, even after the Holocaust, was never gone, but “rested” in order to regroup in the past few years and to cowardly hide behind alleged “import anti-Semitism” from the Arab states. The greatest threat to European Jews continues to come from European anti-Semitic right-wing extremists (over 90% of all anti-Semitic offenses – Haaretz, 20 November 2018: Most European Jewish Leaders Expect to Face More anti-Semitism, New Survey Finds). The discussions about it are often diffuse here because they are not clearly identified, named or obfuscated – presumably so as not to scare away any voters. Just as European Jews can’t vote in Israel, like European Christians or European Muslims can’t vote in Israel either. By contrast, Israeli Jews, Christians and Muslims can – mostly (on the contrary, in the wake of the 2019 European Parliament election, the approximately 500,000 European Jews living in Israel are called on to participate actively in this process, supporting candidates and political parties working for Israel’s goals within the EU. After Netanyahu’s failed attempt to establish Israel as a potential EU member state, this is apparently an attempt to “have a say in the EU through the back door,” given the normally low voter turnouts during the European elections – Times of Israel, 14 February 2019: Israelis, vote! In the European elections). So it’s about definitions and affiliations. From a international point of view, it is often too understandable when the policy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is been seen as repugnant (which doesn’t even contradict the so-called German raison d’État – The Washington Post, 17 February 2019: The Democrats have an Israel problem – and it’s not Ilhan Omar). This is also the case for a large proportion of European Jews. How can it be, that there still is a growing number of people who try to blame them for it anyway? Even though the Netanyahu government claims that Israel would be the “home of all Jews” (which is legally limited anyway), large parts of the diaspora oppose this view, who are very fond of their home countries. There are a number of “anti-Semitism definitions”. The currently most recognized is this: HolocaustRemembrance.com – Working Definition of Antisemitism. When having a closer look at it, the result is that it’s about proportionality and against the “three Ds” (delegitimisation of Israel, demonisation of Israel and double standards for Israel, while the term “double standards” is somehow special: If Jews from the US or the EU were to ask: “Do you believe that people in the societies they are living in should not be discriminated against because of their ethnicity or religious affiliation and that all people should have equal access to all fundamental rights?” certainly almost all will reply “Yes!” If the same persons would be asked this question in relation to Israel, the majority would answer “Equal rights for all? Are you an enemy of Israel? Do you want to erase the country from the map?”). One can, shall and should criticize Israel and Jews to the same extent as one would criticize everyone else. What goes beyond that can be anti-Semitism (a sarcastic assessment of the topic from a conversation partner from Tel Aviv: “An anti-Semite used to be someone who disliked or hated Jews. Today, an anti-Semite is someone the Jews or the various pro-Israel groups and lobbys dislike or hate.”). For example, if you would put Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in line with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Poland’s Jaros?aw Kaczy?ski, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, because they would be politically dubious figures, then this wouldn’t be anti-Semitic, but very well justified criticism and even very accurate. If Netanyahu were put there just because he was a Jew, that would be anti-Semitism. The Federal Government recently appointed Dr. Felix Klein as “Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany” or shortened as “Anti-Semitism Commissioner”, whose tasks, however, are so far only vaguely defined. That anti-Semitism can’t be whitewashed is shown by the fact that many Jewish institutions in Germany, the EU and since the election of Donald Trump on 8 November 2016 even in the USA (The Economist, 3 January 2008: Germany’s Jews: Latkes and vodka, Der Spiegel, 4 January 2012: ‘We Can Resume Our Common History’: New Paper Covers Revival of German Jewish Life, deutschland.de, 24 January 2013: Jewish Life in Germany, Der Tagesspiegel, 28 May 2014: Berlin, it’s time to talk about the policing of your Jewish sites, The Guardian, 7 August 2014: Antisemitism on rise across Europe ‘in worst times since the Nazis’, The Atlantic, 15 August 2017: Why the Charlottesville Marchers Were Obsessed With Jews, Charlottesville riots, adl.org, 2 November 2017: ADL Data Shows Anti-Semitic Incidents Continue Surge in 2017 Compared to 2016, BBC, 23 March 2018: Jeremy Corbyn regrets comments about ‘anti-Semitic’ mural, Jewish Chronicle, 24 March 2018: There is only one word for Jeremy Corbyn, The Guardian, 28 March 2018: If you can’t see antisemitism, it’s time to open your eyes (Freedom for Humanity – this one really was an eye-opener for me personally. We were taught extensively about Antisemitism, Holocaust and so on in school, but not so much about contemporary Antisemitism, which is why it is still difficult for me to recognize Antisemitism at all. So it was here too. When I first saw the mural, I associated it with all sorts of things, but not with Antisemitism. Above I recognized the “all-seeing eye of God” of the at least Christian-oriented Freemasons. On the left is the typical pose of a socialist/communist who is apparently supposed to suggest that he is fighting for the enslaved masses and against the exploiters who split and distribute the world among themselves at the expense of the masses (criticism of globalization and capitalism). All in all, the usual nonsense that has been propagated by socialists and communists for decades. The statement on the “New World Order” on the socialist/communist’s poster might have told me something, but I even assigned that to the peace movement or right-wing extremists. Since there are so many of these images, that’s probably one of the reasons why I don’t look so closely at such works of art anymore. That said, I was taken by surprise, when the first accusations of Antisemitism surfaced in social networks. Therefore I asked if someone could tell me what was antisemitic on the mural, what nearly caused a veritable shit storm, so that I started my own research on the topic and this research is still going on today. It would certainly be helpful if there were online databases that can make research easier), The Times, 28 March 2018: Artist Mear One admits he was warned over antisemitic mural, The Times, 1 April 2018: David Baddiel: Am I stinking vermin or am I running the world? The racists think it’s both, Jerusalem Post, 5 July 2018: Jews of Turkey fear growing antisemitism, Der Spiegel, 26 July 2018: ‘Our Antennae Are Up’ – Rise in Anti-Semitism Unsettles Gemany’s Jews, CNN, 27 October 2018: Shooter identified in deadly shooting at Pittsburgh synagogue, The New York Times, 27 October 2018: Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting: At Least 11 Dead and Gunman Identified, The Guardian, 27 October 2018: Pittsburgh shooting: suspect railed against Jews and Muslims on site used by ‘alt-right’, HIAS, The New York Times, 27 October 2018: 11 Killed in Pittsburgh Massacre; Suspect Charged With 29 Counts, The Washington Post, 27 October 2018: For American Jews, Pittsburgh synagogue massacre is culmination of worst fears, The Guardian, 28 October 2018: The ADL warned of antisemitic harassment. Then Pittsburgh happened, The New York Times, 29 October 2018: ‘There Is Still So Much Evil’: Growing Anti-Semitism Stuns American Jews, Haaretz, 29 October 2018: From Pittsburgh to Paris, Five Lessons for Jews Everywhere, Haaretz, 29 October 2018: Pittsburgh Massacre Underscores the Dilemma of American Jews, The Guardian, 2 November 2018: New York police investigate antisemitic graffiti inside Brooklyn synagogue and The New York Times, 17 November 2018: Are Jared and Ivanka Good for the Jews?) still have to be placed under police protection in order to prevent attacks (Der Spiegel, 31 August 2018: Return of the Ugly German? The Riots in Chemnitz and Their Aftermath, Times of Israel, 24 September 2017: Loathed by Jews, Germany’s far-right AfD loves the Jewish state, DW, 25 September 2018: AfD’s Jews say German far-right party isn’t anti-Semitic, The New York Times, 26 September 2018: Seeing Ally Against Muslims, Some German Jews Embrace Far Right, to Dismay of Others, Financial Times, 5 October 2018: The Jews who are signing up to Germany’s far-right AfD , NPR, 5 October 2018: Germany’s Right-Wing AfD Is Accused Of Exploiting Jewish Members, Der Spiegel, 5 October 2018: Growing Anti-Semitism in Germany ‘We Are Facing a Monster’, Reuters, 26 October 2017: Jewish leader urges Italian sports authorities to fight anti-Semitism, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 31 December 2017: Jewish life in Germany in danger, Jewish leader says, The Guardian, 1 February 2018: Antisemitic incidents in UK at all-time high, The Atlantic, 22 February 2018: Secretive Fraternities Are Feeding Anti-Semitism in Austria, Bloomberg, 27 February 2018: Why Polish Jews Are Growing Uneasy, The Guardian, 27 February 2018: Antisemitic incidents in US soar to highest level in two decades, NPR, 3 May 2018: Alarm Grows In France Over Anti-Semitic Violence, New Statesman, 23 May 2018: Germany reclaimed: Berlin’s Jewish revival, Haaretz, 20 June 2018: Denmark’s Jews Questioning Their Future in the Country Following Proposed Ban on Circumcision, The Jerusalem Post, 29 July 2018: Hungary’s Victor Orban fosters antisemitism – Hungarian antisemitism is the highest in Europe, The Atlantic, 9 November 2018: The Day of Fate, The Guardian, 22 November 2018: US-Israeli man jailed for 10 years over bomb hoax calls, CNN, November 2018: CNN poll reveals depth of anti-Semitism in Europe, BBC, 26 November 2018: Soros foundation to end work in Turkey amid ‘baseless claims’, The New York Times, 29 November 2018: Europe’s Jew Hatred, and Ours, Jerusalem Post, 29 November 2018: Happy Zionism Day!, The New York Times, 7 December 2018: Anti-Zionism Isn’t the Same as Anti-Semitism, France24, 10 December 2018: EU alarmed at study showing anti-Semitism worsening, Financial Times, 14 December 2018: Holocaust survivor Charlotte Knobloch on the rise of anti-Semitism and rebuilding Jewish life, Foreign Policy, 24 December 2018: Erdogan’s Anti-Semitism Will Sink Turkey’s Economy (History of the Jews in Turkey and Antisemitism in Turkey), New York Post, 5 January 2019: Why American Jews are moving to Germany, Times of Israel: Anti-Semitism in Turkey, DW, 21 January 2019: How safe are Jews living in Germany?, Times of Israel, 23 January 2019: German far-right lawmakers walk out of speech by Holocaust survivor, Der Spiegel, 23 January 2019: German Right-Wing Populists: Domestic Intelligence Report Highlights AfD Extremism, Times of Israel, 24 January 2019: I’m Jewish, American and happy to live in Berlin, Times of Israel, 24 January 2019: German Jewish leader ‘threatened’ after criticizing far-right AfD, The New York Times, 25 April 2019: In Berlin, a Show of Solidarity Does Little to Dampen Jewish Fears, Times of Israel, 25 January 2019: Buchenwald memorial bans German far-right AfD from Holocaust ceremony, The Guardian, 27 January 2019: One in 20 Britons does not believe Holocaust took place, poll finds, Jerusalem Post, 27 January 2019: Greek Church charged by Israel with inflaming Antisemitism, Haaretz, 27 January 2019: Polish Nationalists March on Auschwitz to Protest ‘Non-inclusive’ International Holocaust Day, The New York Times, 27 January 2019: On the Way to Auschwitz, I Found ‘Heil Hitler’ Signs For Sale, The Washington Post, 27 January 2019: Remembering the Holocaust in an era of rising anti-Semitism, Times of Israel, 27 January 2019: Netanyahu downplays right-wing anti-Semitism, contradicting Israeli study, Jerusalem Post, 27 January 2019: Far-right Antisemitism biggest threat to Jews worldwide: Report, Haaretz, 27 January 2019: Germany ‘Must Tell Stories’ of Holocaust Victims to Combat anti-Semitism, Merkel Says, France24, 27 January 2019: Anti-Semitic killings in 2018 ‘highest’ in decades: Israel, The Guardian, 7 February 2019: Antisemitic incidents in UK at record high for third year in a row, CNN, 7 February 2019: Reported anti-Semitic incidents hit record high in UK, Times of Israel, 13 February 2019: Germany anti-Semitic offenses rise sharply in 2018, mostly from far-right, France24, 20 February 2019: Bill equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism sparks debate in France, Times of Israel, 22 February 2019: The new ‘new anti-Semitism’ in Western Europe feels eerily familiar, The New York Times, 22 February 2019: The Grave Threats of White Supremacy and Far-Right Extremism, The Guardian, 24 February 2019: Antisemites use the language of anti-Zionism. The two are distinct, The Guardian, 3 March 2019: The neo-Nazi plot against America is much bigger than we realize, Times of Israel, 4 March 2019: Polish anti-Semitism festers on the internet, The Guardian, 7 March 2019: Debunking the myth that anti-Zionism is antisemitic, Washington Examiner, 15 March 2019: Jews are unsafe in Turkey and should leave now, France24, 22 March 2019: Erdogan urges fight on Islamophobia ‘like anti-Semitism after Holocaust’, Jerusalem Post, 3 April 2019: Jews say Lithuania’s Genocide Studies Center engages in Holocaust denial, The New York Times, 4 April 2019: Anti-Semitism Is Back, From the Left, Right and Islamist Extremes. Why?, The New York Times, 15 April 2019: Has Germany Forgotten the Lessons of the Nazis?, The New York Times, 25 April 2019: In Berlin, a Show of Solidarity Does Little to Dampen Jewish Fears, The New York Times, 30 April 2019: A Rising Tide of Anti-Semitism, The Guardian, 1 May 2019: Antisemitism ‘calling into question future of Jewish life in Europe’, Jerusalem Post, 3 May 2019: Why aren’t diaspora Jews safe yet?, The Guardian, 3 May 2019: It’s hard for us on the Israeli left – liberal antisemitism makes it worse, Jerusalem Post, 4 May 2019: Massive 82% spike in antisemitic hate crimes in New York City, NYPD finds, The Guardian, 9 May 2019: Nazi rhetoric and Holocaust denial: Belgium’s alarming rise in antisemitism, Times of Israel, 12 May 2019: Polish far-right marches in protest at US pressure for Holocaust restitution, Times of Israel, 13 May 2019: Poland cancels Israeli officials’ trip over Holocaust property restitution row, The Washington Post, 13 May 2019: How some Polish far-right nationalists went from setting their hopes on Trump to rallying against him, The New York Times, 14 May 2019: A Friend to Israel, and to Bigots: Viktor Orban’s ‘Double Game’ on Anti-Semitism, Haaretz, 18 May 2019: A Daughter of Palestinian Refugees, This German Politician Is Fighting anti-Semitism, Haaretz, 19 May 2019: Returning Property to Jews Would Be a Victory for Hitler, Polish Prime Minister Says, Times of Israel, 20 May 2019: WJC chief slams Polish PM: “Poles profiteered from Jewish assets for decades”, The New York Times, 21 May 2019: The New German Anti-Semitism, Jerusalem Post, 22 May 2019: Swedish Prime Minister denounces neo-Nazis, promises protection for Jews, Jerusalem Post, 22 May 2019: 6 former U.S. envoys in ‘Post’ op-ed: Romanian antisemitism on the rise, Times of Israel, 23 May 2019: Fascist symbols and rhetoric on rise in Italian EU vote, Jerusalem Post, 24 May 2019: German party runs for EU parliament under slogan ‘Israel is our misfortune’, Times of Israel, 24 May 2019: Sweden to host international conference against anti-Semitism, Jerusalem Post, 24 May 2019: What is antisemitism?, The Guardian, 26 may 2019: Jews in Germany warned of risks of wearing kippah cap in public, Times of Israel, 26 May 2019: Years after neo-Nazi group was shuttered, hate on the rise again in US northwest, Haaretz, 26 May 2019: Rivlin Rebukes Germany’s ‘Surrender to anti-Semitism’ in Skullcap Warning, Politico.eu, 26 May 2019: Israeli president ‘shocked’ by kippah warning in Germany, The New York Times, 26 May 2019: Amid Rising Anti-Semitism, German Official Advises Jews Against Wearing Skullcaps in Public, Times of Israel, 28 May 2019: Anti-Semitism czar asks Germans to wear kippa publicly in solidarity with Jews (the antisemitic International Quds Day, for which, in return, the Jerusalem Day is celebrated by islamophobic extremists in occupied East Jerusalem), Jerusalem Post, 28 May 2019: German neo-Nazi parties aggressively push boycott of Israel, BBC, 28 May 2019: A guide to Labour Party anti-Semitism claims, Jerusalem Post, 29 May 2019: Muslims, Catholics, activists team up to protect Holocaust exhibit in Vienna, DW, 29 May 2019: Opinion: Is the only safe Jew in Germany an invisible one?, Jewish Journal, 30 May 2019: In Germany, a bigger problem than the kippah, The Guardian, 31 May 2019: All Germans urged to wear kippah in protest against antisemitism, Haaretz, 1 June 2019: Far Right Parties in Austria and Germany Are Making anti-Semitism Acceptable Again, Times of Israel, 1 June 2019: Hundreds of anti-Israel protesters, counter-protesters face in Berlin, Jerusalem Post, 1 June 2019: New York hate crimes nearly doubled in 2019, almost two-third are antisemitic, Jerusalem Post, 1 June 2019: The Nethwerlands makes fighting antisemitism a national priority, The Guardian, 2 June 2019: German Jews fear kippah solidarity is just a PR stunt (how difficult, complicated and complex the situation is is also shown here again: instead of focusing on Jewish life in Germany (or other states of the EU and the USA), as it is e.g. the task of the Federal Commissioner Dr. Felix Klein, even by officials from Jewish associations, direct links between the topics “anti-Semitism in Germany” and “Israel” are created. This is not totally wrong, but certainly not helpful. Of course, the result can only be a failure. In fact, it must first and foremost be about firmly embeding Jewish communities and their members in Germany (or other states of the EU and the USA) and, first of all, focusing exclusively on this one topic (and at the same time stop fooling around with nonsense about a “Christian-Jewish tradition,” because on closer examination of Western European history since the Middle Ages, then the only observable tradition is that Christians regularly go bust with Jews, with prohibitions on work and residence, having robbed, expropriated, expelled, forced to convert, or even killed them on a regular basis. Hardly to assume that politics and the public mean this with “Christian-Jewish tradition”. If it does, then it would be at least honest. Equally honestly, it should then be pointed out that the alleged “Christian-Jewish tradition” is above all a delimitation/exclusion of Muslims in order to play out one minority against another). Only when in Germany (or other states of the EU and the USA) no Jewish institutions have to be put under police protection, other topics, such as Israel, can be mixed in. However, as long as it is not even possible for the officials of the Jewish associations to manage the unbundling of the complex of topics, much less will be achieved elsewhere in society. Ultimately, it is completely irrelevant how the own point of view in relation to Israel, Palestine, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the Middle East conflict in total is, when it comes to the security and protection of living and practicing Jews in Germany (and of all other religious groups of which in Germany, after all, there are considerable 180). This is largely about the enforcement of fundamental rights in Germany (or other states of the EU and the USA) and not the deeply ideological and charged with hatred and terror on all sides conflicts in the Levant, the Middle East or North Africa. The latter can be carried out where they happen to be. They have no place on European or American roads anyway. Solutions to the conflicts, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, must be negotiated and found between the parties to the conflicts on site), Times of Israel, 4 June 2019: Volkswagen funds ADL office in Germany for combating anti-Semitism in Europe, Jerusalem Post, 6 June 2019: Volkswagen, once a Nazi symbol, is now empowering the ADL, Jerusalem Post, 12 June 2019: Jexit: Could 300,000 Jew flee the UK?, Times of Israel, 15 June 2019: US Senate unanimously condemns anti-Semitism, Times of Israel, 15 June 2019: Germany is accused of downplaying anti-Semitic attacks by Muslims, Times of Israel, 15 June 2019: Israeli families struggle as their kids move back to Germany and Austria, Jerusalem Post, 15 June 2019: Destroyed and dispersed: How Russia ruined Jewish life in eastern Ukraine, Jerusalem Post, 19 June 2019: U.S. antisemitism envoy: Armed guards needed at synagougues, Jewish centers, Jerusalem Post, 19 June 2019: Today’s antisemitism: A three-headed monster, Times of Israel, 19 June 2019: American Jewish tourist hurt in anti-Semitic Berlin attack, Times of Israel, 19 June 2019: US interfaith leaders gather to beef up security for houses of worship, Times of Israel, 19 June 2019: Jewish woman hit in head with metal ball outside of Paris synagogue, Times of Israel, 21 June 2019: Metal ball that hit Paris woman dropped by child, not anti-Semitic attack, Times of Israel, 21 June 2019: Rabbi and Jewish leader spit on outside Hamburg City Hall, Times of Israel, 21 June 2019: The EU’s ‘indefatigable heroine’ in the fight against anti-Semitism, Jerusalem Post, 22 June 2019: ‘Imam of Peace’: Antisemitism in the U.S. is a ‘threat to national security’, Jerusalem Post, 22 June 2019: European Comission holds first-ever working group on Antisemitism, Jerusalem Post, 23 June 2019: WJC: Croatian Holocaust Monument ‘distortion’ of history, Times of Israel, 3 July 2019: Synagogues are now conducting active shooter drills during services, BBC, 4 July 2019: The students fighting back against anti-Semitism, The Guardian, 7 July 2019: Labour split over NDA warnings about antisemitism claims, Jerusalem Post, 6 July 2019: Labour party’s top lawyer quits after contentious retweet by new member, Jerusalem Post, 6 July 2019: Iranian terroist force spying on Israelis and jews in Germany – intel, Jerusalem Post, 8 July 2019: U.K. far-right extremist sets himself on fire ae he attacks synagogue, BBC, 9 July 2019: Florida headteacher removed from post for refusing to call Holocaust a fact, Times of Israel, 10 July 2019: Anti-Semites target French Jewish school linked to cheating scandal, Haaretz, 10 July 2019: Jews Came to Israel ‘To Be Nazis,’ Dutch Member of Mainstream Party Says, Haaretz, 10 July 2019: Trump’s Soft Spot for anti-Semites Is Now a Big Problem for His Jewish Fans, Times of Israel, 11 July 2019: UK Labour in turmoil over new anti-Semitism claims in BBC expose, The Guardian, 11 July 2019: The BBC’s Panorama set out claims of antisemitism in the Labour party. Our panel responds, Jerusalem Post, 11 July 2019: Chief Rabbi: BBC documentary proves Labour Party’s complicity in antisemitism, The Guardian, 13 July 2019: Corbyn decries BBC’s ‘inaccuracies’ over Labour antisemitism, Times of Israel, 13 July 2019: New Greek minister denies ‘dark’ anti-Semitic past, Times of Israel, 14 JUly 2019: Senior Hamas official calls on members of Palestinian diaspora to kill Jews, Arab News, 15 July 2019: Hamas rebuffs leader’s call for worldwide attacks on Jews, Times of Israel, 15 July 2019: Hamas official walks back comments urging murder of ‘Jews everywhere’, Haaretz, 19 July 2019: 8,000 Romanian-born Israelis to Be Recognized as Holocaust Survivors, Receive Compensation, Times of Israel, 20 July 2019: Report: Nearly half of young European Jews victims of anti-Semitism in past year, Jerusalem Post, 22 July 2019: Israelis are ‘ignorant’ of world Jewery and its concerns – new survey, Jerusalem Post, 22 July 2019: UK Labour party launches new website to combat antisemitism, Times of Israel, 23 July 2019: Why Germany needs to pay attention to Jewish life, Times of Israel, 22 July 2019: Facing growing anger, Corbyn pushes speedy expulsion of anti-Semites from Labour, Times of Israel, 27 July 2019: New UK anti-Semitism adviser: Jews are the canary in the coal mine for humanity, Jerusalem Post, 27 July 2019: Spate of antisemitic incidents acrooss U.S. causes concern, Times of Israel, 28 July 2019: It can’t be anti-Semitism if you’re not an anti-Semite, right? Right?, Haaretz, 31 July 2019: Ocasio-Cortez on Israel: Criticizing the Occupation Doesn’t Make You anti-Semitic or anti-Israel, Times of Israel, 31 July 2019: 500 years after Inquisition, 10,000 Sephardi Jews close circle with citizenships, Times of Israel, 31 July 2019: After shooting, Florida Jews say they ‘no longer feel comfortable’ in synagogue, Jerusalem Post, 1 August 2019: AOC has a lot to say about Israel, antisemitism and Bernie Sanders, CNN, 1 August 2019: New report shows spike in British anti-Semitism, Times of Israel, 1 August 2019: UK anti-Semitic incidents hit a ‘record high,’ says watchdog group, Jerusalem Post, 1 August 2019: American Jews are asking: Is it safe to pray in synagogue? (it is undisputed that anti-Semitism in Europe and North America once again reaches painful highs. The fact that the activists see opponents in their struggle against anit-Semitism in those permanently tempered times when there are no enemies is shown by the example of issue 4/2019 of “Spiegel Geschichte” on “Jewish Life in Germany”. A very interesting and well-done review. The magazine was illustrated with two Eastern European Orthodox Jews, who came to Berlin by the thousands in the 1920s to escape the persecutions and pogroms in Eastern Europe. At the time, Berlin was THE hotspot of Jewish life in Europe, and Orthodox Jews could be found in the historic center of Berlin, around the Scheunenviertel, in large numbers. Therefore, the cover picture fits very well with the content of the magazine. Then, at national and international level, it was alleged that it was an anti-Semitic illustration. The critics apparently failed to adhere to an essential rule, namely to first buy and read the magazine before making allegations. It is certainly not wrong to complain once too much, than once too little. However, if one accuses others of ignorance, but then demonstratively show it yourself, that is not conducive to the cause (but it is also true that at the time there were quite a few secular Jews in Berlin, who were much less noticed in the cityscape) – Jerusalem Post, 3 August 2019: Jews, U.S. ambassador: German weekly magazine spreads Nazi propaganda, Times of Israel, 4 August 2019: German Jews accuse Der Spiegel of spreading anti-Semitic stereotypes), Times of Israel, 2 August 2019: Jewish cemetery vandalized in the Czech Republic, Times of Israel, 3 August 2019: As Holocaust memory fades, survivor asks German youth to be justice ‘upstanders’, Times of Israel, 4 August 2019: Graves, guilt and genius: Inside Lithuania’s struggle with its checkered past, Politico.eu, 4 August 2019: German far right moves ahead of Merkel’s conservatives in east: poll, Jerusalem Post, 6 August 2019: ‘Israelis living abroad are turning their back on the country’, Haaretz, 6 August 2019: Netanyahu Was Quick to Denounce Rival’s ‘anti-Semitism.’ Here Are 5 Times He Stayed Silent, Jerusalem Post, 7 August 2019: Five headlines show worldwide anti-Jewish incidents – analysis, Israel Hayom, 7 August 2019: Anti-Semitism under the guise of human rights, Jerusalem Post, 7 August 2019: State Department redefines antisemitism: Don’t compare Israel to the Nazis, Times of Israel, 7 August 2019: Polish government invites top rabbi to event honoring accused Nazi collaborators, Times of Israel, 8 August 2019: Lithuanian synagogue reopens after government vows to guarantee security, Jerusalem Post, 9 August 2019: Students from 80 campuses worldwide will attend CAMERA’s conference (Criticism of the Israeli government, The Case for Israel by Alan Dershowitz and The Fateful Triangle by Noam Chomsky), Jerusalem Post, 10 January 2019: Accused neo-Nazi charged with planning attack on Las Vegas synagogue, Israel Hayom, 12 August 2019: Israel’s boycott of Alternative for Germany: the right thing to do? (interestingly enough, here is a apologist for far right-wing (like Netanyahu and his Likud), antisemetic, anti-Muslim (like Netanyahu and his Likud) and unconstitutional AfD – this time from Israel’s daily Israel Hayom, Netanyahu’s main advertisement agency), The Washington Post, 13 August 2019: The rise of anti-Semitism on the left, Jerusalem Post, 14 August 2019: UN ask Palestianians to explain hate speech, antisemitism, Jerusalem Post, 15 August 2019: Pro-Israel positions don’t excuse antisemitism in Amerika – opinion, Jerusalem Post, 18 August 2019: London Mayor supports Holocaust memorial plans, despite controversy, UK Holocaust Memorial, Israel Hayom, 20 August 2019: London’s mayor pressures to build Holocaust museum near Parliament, CNN, 20 August 2019: Jewish leaders outraged by Trump saying Jews disloyal if they vote for Democrats, The Guardian, 20 August 2019: Trump uses antisemitic trope to question loyalty of Jewish Democrats – live, Haaretz, 20 August 2019: Trump: Jews Voting Democrat Are Disloyal or Ignorant, Times of Israel, 20 August 2019: Jewish groups: Trump spreads anti-Semitic trope by accusing Jews of ‘disloyalty’, The Guardian, 21 August 2019: Jew-baiting is part of the Trump playbook. It’s a feature, not a bug, Haaretz, 21 August 2019: Trump’s Vile ‘Disloyalty’ Smear Refle, Haaretz, 21 August 2019: Trump Has Made It Official: He Is the Greatest anti-Semite of Our Age, Times of Israel, 23 August 2019: Left-wing anti-Semitism has had British Jews debating loyalty for years, CNN, 21 August 2019: Trump adds Jews to his hit parade of hatred, Jerusalem Post, 25 August 2019: UK’s Jewish Labour movement exposes antisemitic attacks on social media, Times of Israel, 26 August 2019: German soccer team refuses to acknowledge fans over anti-Semitic, racist chants, France24, 26 August 2019: Israel: Why some ageing Holocaust survivors are living in poverty, Israel Hayom, 26 August 2019: European anti-Semitism, aliyah, and the uncertain future of French Jewry, Jerusalem Post, 31 August 2019: 2nd assault this week against Orthodox Jewish man reported in NYC, Haaretz, 4 September 2019: Four anti-Semitic Hate Crimes Committed in New York City This Week, Times of Israel, 4 September 2019: In Orthodox Jewish Brooklyn, a spate of assaults feels all too familiar, Jerusalem Post, 5 September 2019: U.S. ambassador to ‘Post’: Tehran mayor should be on US/EU sanctions list (World Association of the Major Metropolises (METROPOLIS) – funny, the lowest-profile US diplomat in Germany ever, Richard Grenell, is whining again. Than, Berlin’s mayor, Michael Müller, did the absolut right thing by inviting Tehran’s mayor Pirouz Hanachi. It might be okay for Netanyahu and Trump to burn down all diplomatic bridges to Western democracies and to built up strong relationships with white, xenophobic autocrats and dictators instead, as they seem to think, that to isolate their countries internationally is the way to go. This neither counts for the EU nor for Germany in particular. Just another reason why Germany is among the only 20 countries around the globe with the status “full democracy”, while Israel and the US aren’t. In view of the upcoming elections in Israel and the US, to keep the greatest possible distance to Netanyahu and Trump is recommended anyway, so as not to accidentally get dragged into the the two surrounding corruption swamps), Jerusalem Post, 7 September 2019: Dutch neo-Nazi group to protest “Zionist lobby’ outside Israeli embassy, Jerusalem Post, 7 September 2019: Entire street of houses vandalized with swastikas in California, Times of Israel, 8 September 2019: Israelis brutally beaten in Poland club, attackers said to scream ‘f**k Israel’, Jerusalem Post, 9 September 2019: Israeli tourist attacked in Berlin for speaking Hebrew, Jerusalem Post, 9 September 2019: Violent BDS activists assault Israeli Film festival attendees in Berlin, Jerusalem Post, 11 September 2019: In era of ‘gotcha journalism,’ charges of antisemitism are just a weapon, Jerusalem Post, 15 September 2019: 50 years since Poland expelled its Jews in state purge – what changed?, The Guardian, 16 September 2019: AfD politician threatens journalist after Hitler comparison (now imagine that this whiny jumping jack wants to become a “Führer”. Ridiculous, ludicrous and laughable at the same time), Israel Hayom, 18 September 2019: Report finds alarming spike in Israel-related anti-Semitism on US college campuses, Israel Hayom, 20 September 2019: Austria to grant citizenship to descendants of Nazi victims, Jerusalem Post, 21 September 2019: Call to destroy Israel at Islamist conference in Ankara, Times of Israel, 22 September 2019: As Putin cracks down on democracy, Russian Jews increasingly moving to Israel, Times of Israel, 24 September 2019: New UN report on combating anti-Semitism warns phenomenon ‘toxic’ to societies, Jerusalem Post, 26 September 2019: White supremacy a major domestic terror threat, DHS says, Times of Israel, 27 September 2019: Polish president blamed Israel for anti-Semitic incidents in country — report, Jerusalem Post, 28 Septmeber 2019: ‘Jews exploit Poles,’ report leads to massive online hate in Poland, Israel Hayom, 28 September 2019: The answer to rising anti-Semitism: Never again, Times of Israel, 29 September 2019: ‘Beware of parasites’: Anti-Semitic posters put up in Warsaw ahead of elections, Jerusalem Post, 29 September 2019: Israeli-Romanian Holocaust survivors to receive NIS 16 million, Jerusalem Post, 1 October 2019: More than 130,000 Sephardic Jews apply for Spanish citizenship by deadline, Jerusalem Post, 6 October 2019: Australian officials express concern over shocking antisemitism in schools, Times of Israel, 5 October 2019: Anti-Semitic hate crimes in NYC have risen significantly in 2019, Jerusalem Post, 6 October 2019: Robert Kraft names new Exec. Director of Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism, Times of Israel, 8 October 2019: Canadian synagogue targeted with swastikas and anti-Jewish symbols, Israel Hayom, 8 October 2019: Ahead of Yom Kippur, NY Jewish leaders insist on increased security, Times of Israel, 8 October 2019: How Pittsburgh changed the way American Jews think about security, The Guardian, 9 October 2019: Germany shooting: ‘Rampage situation’ as two killed in city of Halle, BBC, 9 October 2019: Germany gun attacks: At least two killed in Halle shootings, Times of Israel, 9 October 2019: 2 shot dead, several injured as German synagogue targeted in Yom Kippur attack, Haaretz, 9 October 2019: Two Killed in Shooting Near German Synagogue, One Suspect Arrested, BBC, 9 October 2019: Germany shooting: Gunman kills two after attacking synagogue, Politico.eu, 9 October 2019: German officials decry ‘anti-Semitic’ shooting that killed 2 (homegrown terrorism), Haaretz, 9 October 2019: German Synagogue Shooting Makes Clear the Far Right Targets Jews and Muslims Alike, CNN, 10 October 2019: German synagogue gunman couldn’t break down the door. That saved lives, The New York Times, 10 October 2019: A Synagogue Attack Shocks Germany. But Why?, Times of Israel, 10 October 2019: Armed with guns and bombs, synagogue shooter planned ‘massacre’ — prosecutor, BBC, 10 October 2019: German synagogue shooting was far-right terror, justice minister says, Haaretz, 10 October 2019: Germany Synagogue Attack: Liberal Values Make Jews Everywhere Prime Target for White Supremacists, Times of Israel, 10 October 2019: As vigils held, Halle Jewish leader says he’s now ‘not sure Germany is our home’, Haaretz, 10 October 2019: A neo-Nazi Massacre of German Jews on Yom Kippur Was Averted – This Time, Jerusalem Post, 10 October 2019: Rivlin to German president: Act without ‘compromise’angainst antisemitism, Israel Hayom, 10 October 2019: Jewish, Israeli leaders condemn deadly Yom Kippur attack, Jerusalem Post, 10 October 2019: The UN Antisemitism report’s achievements and shortcomings, CNN, 11 October 2019: German synagogue shooter confesses, says motivated by anti-Semitic views, CNN, 11 October 2019: Halle survivor: Gun control saved my life, Haaretz, 12 October 2019: ‘We’re All Affected’: In Halle, Shocked Locals Rally Around Jewish Community, Times of Israel, 12 October 2019: ‘A shabbat of healing’: Halle’s resilient Jews return to pray, find solidarity, Times of Israel, 13 October 2019: For the German far-right, the ‘real problem’ is the Jews, Israel Hayom, 13 October 2019: Romania gives green light for Holocaust museum, Times of Israel, 13 October 2019: Starting where Nazis burned books, 10,000 march in Berlin against anti-Semitism, Der Spiegel, 15 October 2019: Never Again? The Halle Attack and Everyday Anti-Semitism in Germany (everybody has to show initiative within the scope of own possibilities, according to the motto:

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” – Edmund Burke

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Antiziganism
Another topic is the relatively rarely publicity discussed Antiziganism (DW, 2 August 2019: 75 years ago: Nazis carry out mass murder of Sinti and Roma people in Auschwitz, Times of Israel, 2 August 2019: Long ignored, Roma genocide mourned 75 years on at Auschwitz, Al Jazeera, 30 October 2019: Roma Holocaust: Amid rising hate, ‘forgotten’ victims remembered, NPR, 8 April 2020: ‘Where Is This Going To Lead?’: Roma People In Europe Face Coronavirus Disaster, Politico.eu, 29 June 2020: Europe’s buried history of racism and slavery, Arolsen Archives (DW, 28 November 2007: Nazi Archive in Bad Arolsen Opens Doors to Public), DW, 31 July 2020: Sinti and Roma fear for their Holocaust memorial in Berlin, Jerusalem Post, 3 August 2020: Roma and Sinti community commemorate Memorial Day at Auschwitz, DW, 3 October 2020: Auschwitz survivor Zilli Schmidt: Fearing new Nazis today, Al Arabiya, 20 December 2020: Romani Americans still struggle with discrimination, DW, 28 February 2021: Sinti, Roma face systemic prejudice in Germany, DW, 25 June 2021: Germany lifts restrictions for descendants of Nazi victims to get citizenship, Al Jazeera, 29 July 2021: Roma see little hope as they mourn ‘Czech George Floyd’, DW, 6 July 2021: Independent report details anti-Roma discrimination in Germany, DW, 12 July 2021: Minister urges action to tackle anti-Roma discrimination, DW, 1 August 2021: Europe remembers Sinti, Roma murdered under Nazi rule (Roma Holocaust Memorial Day), DW, 5 September 2021: Living in a sea of trash: Roma fight environmental racism in Romania, DW, 24 November 2021: Slovakia issues apology for forced sterilizations of Roma women, DW, 8 April 2022: Sinti survivor of the Nazis fights for compensation, DW, 28 May 2022: Discrimination against Roma ‘is an echo from back then’, The Economist, 17 June 2022: Britain’s gypsies have seen the light (Pentecostalism), The Guardian, 28 July 2022: Spain: Gypsy groups call for protection after families flee racist mob, DW, 2 August 2022: German lawmaker says Roma community is ‘again being marginalized’, DW, 5 August 2022: Germany: Commissioner urges more aid for Roma in Ukraine, CNN, 7 August 2022: ‘You are not a refugee.’ Roma refugees fleeing war in Ukraine say they are suffering discrimination and prejudice, DW, 22 August 2022: Germany remembers the Rostock anti-immigrant riot of 1992, Roma Holocaust Memorial Day, European Commission: European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day: Statement by First Vice-President Timmermans and Commissioner Jourová, Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Victims of National Socialism, Romani people, Sinti).

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Populism
The bloodlessness resulting from the hide and seek game of the newly to be formed federal government after the 2017 federal election has finally been filled by shortsighted and petty-bourgeois nationalization movements, of which most people thought that they belong to the past and their motives would have been overcome. This is not just about the now usual cross-cuts of the democracy and law freed, xenophobic EU-Eastern enlargement kleptocracies (Visegrád Group), which call themselves “illiberal“, but are actually autocratic (defective democracy) and as of today wouldn’t become EU members in their current conditions anymore, but now also to movements in Italy, France, Greece, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany, where parts of East Germany, especially in the rural areas of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, in Saxony even in the large metropolitan areas (Dresden, Leipzig, Chemnitz etc.) to no-go areas for “non-Aryans” have degenerated. This not only applies to refugees, but also to tourists, highly qualified foreign employees, employers and investors. In any case, it is difficult to convince national and international investors of investments in the new federal states, instead of getting involved in West Germany or Berlin. In this way, corporate headquarters, important research institutions or federal agencies can’t be attracted, which in return isn’t a surprise. The current events in Saxony and Thuringia will make this even more difficult for years, so once again it can be assumed that West German taxpayers have to keep the East alive, that, because of own weakness, can’t succeed on its own. Here again the failures immediately after the reunification become visible (civics/political education). A big mistake, as it turns out even today. Thus, Eastern occupation zone parallel societies could emerge, to which 30 years after the reunification it is completely unclear how democracy and a Rechtsstaat/rule of law work, why there is separation of powers and freedom of the press (media literacy) and which authorities are responsible for which tasks, but also where the state can not and should not intervene. However, this is not an exclusive phenomenon of the far right, but also applies to the eternal SED faithful from the far left. A lot of immigrants and refugees are far ahead of them, who even speak High German. This is all the more surprising because there is a very extensive information and education platform by the Federal Agency for Civic Education, that easily can be found online. Maybe they should think about translating the content in Saxon.

In Bavaria, the CSU was recently unpleasantly noticed, which tries to mask the denial of performance of their “Homeland Horst” in the Berlin Ministry of Interior through nonsense and volume, as one of his first official acts, apparently in ignorance of his duties as Federal Interior Minister and personal vanities, was to cancel his participation in the integration summit. Of course, as with all “right-wing national strategies” within a state, this attempt has gone down the drain and caused considerable domestic damage. It should be remembered that the coalition crisis was triggered by Horst Seehofer (for obvious mistakes in the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution), Markus Söder, Alexander Dobrindt and Andreas Scheuer because of five to ten migrants per day. No politician can make it more clear then that, that he isn’t fit to be responsible for state or federal politics. In addition, on July 4th, the US Independence Day is celebrated, the day of the liberation and the opening of a nation. On the same day, Horst Seehofer, the person who stands for exclusion, demarcation, fencing and isolation like no other, has his birthday, or as a radio host said: “… and somewhere up there sits a wise old man with a long beard in laughter about his successful prank!” After all, it was exhilarating to see the “axis of the willing”, which had been doomed to failure from the outset, between Seehofer, the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and the far-right Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini (Italian Fascism, The Guardian, 2 October 2018: Pro-refugee Italian mayor arrested for ‘aiding illegal migration’ (Riace in Calabria, Domenico Lucano) and Der Spiegel, 12 December 2018: A .38-Caliber Rosary: The Dangerous New Face of Salvini’s Italy), going down the drain. As expected, Salvini’s party, the Lega Nord, is currently siding with that of his autocratic friend Viktor Orbán (The Guardian, 5 January 2018: Thousands in Budapest march against ‘slave law’ forcing overtime on workers and The Guardian, 10 January 2018: Viktor Orbán calls for anti-migration politicians to take over EU), Fidesz

Added to this is the serious damage to the credibility of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution by its President Hans-Georg Maaßen and his supervisor Horst Seehofer, while simultaneously redeveloping the Federal Ministry of the Interior away from professional competence to competence in matters of democracy restriction/dismantling (one of the already very few detectable core competencies of the CSU), which causes serious damage to democracy and the reputation of the Federal Republic of Germany at home and abroad

There are no easy solutions. Populists, however, promise that a 2018 VW Beetle could be repaired with the same methods and tools as a VW Beetle from 1950 – it is simply not possible, which is why populists always fail when they have to implement their “programs” in reality. Both the Brexit and the election of US President Donald Trump show how profoundly incompetent the protagonists behind it are, and as well as how many simpletons are allowed to vote. There are populists since there is politics. This is usually not a problem, because most of them hardly get beyond the regulars’ table. It becomes a problem when a large number of voters want to believe their lies and fall in their traps. For example, the most-asked question on Google UK the day after the Brexit referendum was “What is Brexit?” The voters were in large parts completely disinformated and uninformed (including Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and other nationalists and right-wing extremists) and have been lured by lies to the Brexit vote. The consequences will not be borne by the populists themselves, but by their voters and their descendants. Already Winston Churchill came to the conclusion: “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” (however, he was also one of the proponents of the United States of Europe). The referendum is a very good example of this thesis. If Brexit is actually set in action on March 29, 2019, it will take several decades to compensate the damages arising from it. It has to be remembered that the United Kingdom’s net payments to the EU amount to about € 5.6 billion a year (one of the main arguments of the Brexiteers for the exit from the EU). In return, for the year 2018 alone, there is a decline in foreign direct investment in the UK of at least 44 billion euros. Added to this is the downfall of the British pound and the real estate values in the metropolitan areas even though the Brexit isn’t even implemented yet. It is still unclear how many jobs will be lost, but it will probably be at least a large 6-digit number. Numerous highly qualified British have already exchanged their citizenship for a state on the continent and are, of course, warmly welcomed.

But of course there are populists in other EU states as well. In Germany, for example, the AfD (The Guardian, 13 January 2019: AfD party votes to campaign for German exit from EU (the decision to try to dissolve the allegedly “undemocratic” European Parliament is particularly amusing insofar as the Parliament is directly elected by all EU voters. Obviously, the AfD hasn’t understood how democracy works) The Guardian, 15 January 2019: Extreme-right wing of Germany’s AfD placed under surveillance, Times of Israel, 15 January 2019: German spy agency to step up scrutiny of far-right party, BBC, 5 April 2019: German far-right MP ‘could be absolutely controlled by Russia’, DW, 16 April 2019: Germany’s AfD party fined over €400,000 for illegal campaign financing), which is characterized mainly by vociferous and dull incompetence, anti-Semitism, islamophobia and xenophobia. The CSU, the political ghost riders from Bavaria, who not only put the decades-old union at risk, but at the same time the stability of Germany and the EU – and all because they want are on a election campaign for the AfD for the 2018 Bavarian state election. Obviously, the acting persons (Seehofer, Söder, Dobrindt and Scheuer) are in the wrong party. Moreover, those who complain about “renationalisation”, “anti-deportation industry”, “rule of injustice”, “asylum tourism” and “language police” endangers the entire German social and economic model. According to current survey results, the CSU will lose the usual absolute majority and that would be good and well deserved. The right-wing populist government coalition of Austria doesn’t know what it wants, except “no foreigners, Muslims and journalists”. The far-right FPÖ would be in favor of the country leaving the euro, and preferably the EU as well. The right-wing populist ÖVP doesn’t want both at the moment. The racist and Islamophobic one-man party Geert Wilders from the Netherlands got the losing end in recent elections and there is reasonable hope that it will go on like this. The French Front National has renamed itself Rassemblement National in 2018 and is due to numerous financial affairs fortunately widely insolvent. From the past elections in France, the FN came out clearly inferior. Depending on the course of the presidency of Emmanuel Macron and his successes in the desired EU reforms, the FN will develop and either remain only loud and insubstantial or can count on increases in the worst case. Since 2015, Greece has been led by Alexis Tsipras and his governing coalition of left-wing (Syriza) and right-wing populists (ANEL). Over 10 years permanent crisis leave its political mark. The country would like to participate in the free capital market again at the end of 2018. In Italy, a similar picture emerges, fueled by the fact that the country has been in economic reverse for years, because administration and politics block each other. As a result, a coalition of right-wing populists MoVimento 5 Stelle and right-wing extremist Lega Nord (which wasn’t supposed to participatge in any Italian government at all, as the party was founded for the secession of northern Italy from the south of the country) was formed in June 2018. As dummy-President of the Council of Ministers Giuseppe Conte was chosen. Both parties are skeptical about the EU, and on top the Lega Nord is openly anti-Semitic, anti-Islamic and xenophobic. The consequences of such a mixture are not yet foreseeable, but promise nothing good for Italy, also because both parties lack economic and administrative competence, but this would be urgently needed because of the country’s situation. The countries of the Visegrád Group are only remaining in the EU to collect funds because they aren’t able to generate wealth or future prospects for their citizens by their own. In recent years, the tentative democratic approaches have been continuously reduced in favor of “illiberality“. The rule of law has already been abolished by the governments a while ago. In Denmark, the government of Lars Løkke Rasmussen (Venstre) is supported by the right-wing populist Dansk Folkeparti, which provides corresponding shrill comments. The current election in Sweden has brought a significant shift to the right (The Guradian, 2 September 2018: Germany’s far right never went away, but festered in its eastern stronghold, slate.com, 4 September2018: The good fight: The Failure of the Center-Right, The New York Times, 11. September 2018: Can Germany’s Center Hold Against the Far Right?, The Guardian, 11 September 2018: My country is being poisoned by populism. The EU must stand with Hungary, The New York Times, 11 September 2018: E.U.’s Leadership Seeks to Contain Hungary’s Orban, The Guardian, 12 September 2018: Merkel condemns far-right outbreak in passionate address, The Guardian, 12 September 2018: Don’t believe the doomsayers. Here is Europe’s good news, The Guardian, 12 September 2018: MEPs vote to pursue action against Hungary over Orbán crackdown, The Guardian, 25 January 2019: Fight for Europe – or the wreckers will destroy it, The Guardian, 25 January 2019: Europe ‘coming apart before our eyes’, say 30 top intellectuals, The Guardian, 12 April 2019: Trump and his imitators are out to nobble the world’s referees, France24, 5 June 2019: Press freedom in ‘downward spiral’ across the world, The Guardian, 30 September 2019: Why Europe’s new populists tell so many lies – and do it so shamelessly, Politico.eu, 18 March 2020: Coronavirus’ next victim: Populism).

Separatism
A special form of regionalism or nationalism is separatism, which sends greetings all the way from medieval times, were there are probably reasonably and traceable reasons to be found, if you want to search for it at all. It doesn’t make any sense in the 21st century, but it doesn’t have to for the protagonists anyways, especially because it is fed by emotions rather than any rational aspects. Of the numerous separatism efforts in Europe, the currently most prominent are:

The Catalanism in Spain, whose latest episode ended in the Catalan crisis (The New York Times, 11 February 2019: Catalan Separatists’ Trial: How They Got Here, and What They Could Face, France24, 14 October 2019: Spain jails Catalan separatists for up to 13 years over independence bid, BBC, 14 October 2019: Catalonia crisis in 300 words, The Guardian, 14 October 2019: Catalan separatist leaders given lengthy prison sentences, Al Jazeera, 14 October 2019: Catalan separatist leaders handed jail terms for independence bid, France24, 14 October 2019: Spain issues warrant for Catalan separatist leader Puigdemont after colleagues sentenced, BBC, 14 October 2019: Catalonia leaders jailed for sedition by Spanish court (the advantage of the judgments is that, on the one hand, existing Spanish law is satisfied, but on the other, the defendants now have enough time to not only moan, but also to sue against the judgments themselves, and more importantly to have the underlying legislation reviewed by European courts. Instead of committing serious crimes, they can constructively contribute to the advancement of civil society so that their criminal acts could eventually lead to good and clarifying results. Meanwhile, the ringleader of the criminal structure Carles Puigdemont has fled abroad to escape his fair, just, reasonable, transparent and democratic punishment while continuing his anti-democratic activities against the Spanish state), Politico.eu, 15 October 2019: Europe should commend Catalan convictions, The Guardian, 15 October 2019: Catalan independence leaders accused of ‘totalitarian attitude’, BBC, 27 October 2019: Catalonia crisis: Separatist protest draws 350,000 in Barcelona, Al Jazeera, 27 October 2019: Thousands rally in Barcelona calling for Spanish unity, BBC, 27 October 2019: Catalonia crisis: Thousands rally in Barcelona for Spanish unity, France24, 19 December 2019: EU court rules that Catalan leader was jailed improperly, Politico.eu, 19 December 2019: Carles Puigdemont allowed to enter EU Parliament after court ruling (it is somewhat unbelievable that the European Parliament is actively supporting Spanish criminals), The Guardian, 19 December 2019: Catalan party calls for release of jailed leader after immunity ruling, France24, 2 January 2020: Belgian court suspends extradition of former Catalan leader Puigdemont, The National, 2 January 2020: Belgium suspends arrest warrant for Catalan separatist leader, France24, 4 January 2020: Spanish electoral board disqualifies Catalan regional leader Quim Torra, Politico.eu, 4 January 2020: Catalan president faces being removed from office, The Guardian, 13 January 2020: Puigdemont arrives to take up European parliament seat, DW, 14 February 2021: Catalonia election: Separatist parties expand majority, Politico.eu, 15 February 2021: Catalan election boosts independence camp, DW, 9 March 2021: European Parliament strips Carles Puigdemont of immunity (it was about time. After all, the EU claims to stand for law and justice. Against this background it is of course not possible to help Spanish criminals evade prosecution), The Guardian, 9 March 2021: Spain EU parliament strips Carles Puigdemont and two other Catalans of immunity, The Guardian, 7 June 2021: Catalonia: Jailed separatist leader signals support for pardon from Madrid, The Sunday Times, 13 June 2021: Mass protest in Madrid over plan to pardon Catalan leaders, The Guardian, 20 June 2021: Spain Public and government at odds over pardons for Catalan leaders, France24, 21 June 2021: Spain’s Sanchez announces pardons for jailed Catalan separatist leaders, BBC, 21 June 2021: Spain confirms plans to pardon Catalan separatists, DW, 22 June 2021: Spain pardons 9 Catalan separatist leaders, The Guardian, 22 June 2021: Catalonia Spanish government pardons nine jailed leaders, France24, 22 June 2021: Spain approves pardons for jailed Catalan separatist leaders, Politico.eu, 22 June 2021: Spain pardons nine Catalan independence leaders as PM Sánchez seeks to calm tensions, The Guardian, 23 June 2021: Catalonia Freed leader calls on Spain to ‘think about future generations’, DW, 30 July 2021: EU court strips ex-Catalan leader of immunity (it was high time), DW, 11 September 2021: Catalans march for independence ahead of Madrid talks, Gulf Times, 12 September 2021: Thousands of Catalans rally for Barcelona independence, Politico.eu, 24 September 2021: Carles Puigdemont freed after arrest in Italy (that the criminal is still free is incomprehensible. Anyone else would have to serve a long prison sentence, and rightly so), France24, 24 September 2021: Catalan separatist leader Puigdemont leaves Italian jail after arrest in Sardinia, The Guardian, 4 October 2021: Catalonia: Judge delays ruling on Spain’s extradition request for Puigdemont, Politico.eu, 6 July 2022: EU court rejects Puigdemont’s appeal on 2019 European Parliament ban).

The Basque Country in the border region between Spain and France and in particular the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country in Spain.

On the island of Corsica, which belongs to France, separatist movements and efforts have come and go every now and again, which have caused many victims, but have very little chances of success (France24, 10 March 2022: Corsica protests turn to riots over assault of jailed nationalist Yvan Colonna, The Guardian, 10 March 2022: Clashes in Corsica after prison attack on nationalist figure (Claude Érignac, Yvan Colonna), France24, 11 March 2022: Prison attack on Corsican nationalist reopens old wounds on restive French island, France24, 15 March 2022: France’s Corsica, the ‘Island of Beauty’ rocked by nationalist unrest, France24, 16 March 2022: French government floats Corsican ‘autonomy’ as unrest jolts election campaign, The Times, 19 March 2022: Corsica in flames as prison attack triggers renewed fight for freedom, France24, 21 March 2022: Corsican nationalist Colonna dies after assault in prison: family, The Times, 22 March 2022: Yvan Colonna: Corsican nationalist leader dies after prison assault, France24, 22 March 2022: Macron calls for calm after Corsican nationalist Colonna dies following prison assault, France24, 25 March 2022: Hundreds attend funeral of Corsican nationalist Colonna whose killing inflamed island).

In Italy, the far-right Lega Nord was founded in the late 1980s with the aim of splitting the industrialized north from the impoverished south. In the meantime, together with Five Star Movement, she is practicing “government”. Neither the first nor the later is working.

There is a large Hungarian minority living in Romania, the Szeklers, which aims to restore the Szeklerland. The chances are very limited (DW, 3 February 2020: Viktor Orban’s dangerous export of ideologies).

On the group of islands of New Caledonia, which is part of France as well, there are regular attempts of independence. The most recent referendum in November 2018 was clearly in favor of maintaining the status as French Overseas Territory (France24, 2 June 2021: French territory of New Caledonia to hold third independence referendum).

In Wales (History of Wales and Welsh devolution referendum, 1997) and Scotland (History of Scotland and Scottish devolution referendum, 1997), there have been secession efforts from England/the United Kingdom for centuries. Under the impression of Brexit, these efforts are increasing again (The Guardian, 13 December 2019: Scottish independence vote a ‘democratic right’, says Sturgeon, DW, 13 December 2019: Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon presses for independence vote, Politico.eu, 14 December 2019: Sturgeon cites ‘mandate’ for Scottish referendum, Politico.eu, 1 January 2021: Brexit changed the game on Scottish independence, CNN, 2 January 2021: 2020 stretched the social fabric of the United Kingdom. 2021 could rip it to pieces, The Times, 23 January 2021: State of the Union: Union in crisis as polls reveal voters want referendum on independence, The Telegraph, 24 January 2021: The United Kingdom must urgently rediscover what holds it together, The Guardian, 25 January 2021: UK at risk of becoming failed state, says Gordon Brown, Reuters, 25 January 2021: UK could become ‘a failed state’ without reform, former UK PM Brown says, BBC, 25 January 2021: Gordon Brown: Trust has broken down in way UK is run, Politico.eu, 25 January 2021: Gordon Brown: UK could become a ‘failed state’ without reform, France24, 29 January 2021: Johnson rallies the union on a tour of Scotland amid rising support for independence, The Times, 30 January 2021: Don’t wreck England just to foil Sturgeon, BBC, 2 February 2021: Welsh independence: How worried should UK ministers be?, The Guardian, 5 March 2021: Scottish independence isn’t going away. Will the Tories be its curators – or victims?, The Guardian, 7 March 2021: Independence referendum: Most Scots would back remaining in UK, new poll suggests, The Scotsman, 21 March 2021: Scottish Independence: Second referendum at conclusion of pandemic, vows Mike Russell, Politico.eu, 24 March 2021: UK flies the flag to fight Scottish independence, Al Jazeera, 1 April 2021: In Wales, interest in independence simmers ahead of polls, Politico.eu, 2 April 2021: Labyrinth of division beneath Scottish independence fight, Financial Times 5 April 2021: Wales finds greater belief in self-government amid pandemic response, The Guardian, 14 April 2021: Boris Johnson is telling Scotland that the union is no longer based on consent, BBC, 16 April 2021: Welsh elections: How independence versus abolition may affect vote, The Economist, 17 April 2021: Wales: Welsh nationalism is stirring, Politico.eu, 20 April 2021: Scotland’s EU charm offensive, Irish Times, 23 April 2021: ‘An independent spirit of mind’: the march towards Welsh independence, The Guardian, 24 April 2021: Nicola Sturgeon: Ignoring the will of the Scots would be an act worthy of Trump, The Telegraph, 25 April 2021: Nicola Sturgeon still can’t answer the same old questions about Scotland and the EU, The Telegraph, 25 April 2021: Nicola Sturgeon under fire over claims independent Scotland could avoid hard England border, The Guardian, 1 May 2021: Plaid Cymru has a mountain to climb, but Welsh independence is no pipe dream, Irish Times, 1 May 2021: Scotland on a knife edge ahead of vote that could pave way for independence, CNN, 2 May 2021: The UK is already stretched to breaking point. Boris Johnson’s pile of scandals isn’t helping matters, The Times, 3 May 2021: Iran ‘peddling disinformation’ to influence Scottish election (Henry Jackson Society “Co-founder Matthew Jamison, who now works for YouGov, wrote in 2017 that he was ashamed of his involvement, having never imagined the Henry Jackson Society “would become a far-right, deeply anti-Muslim racist … propaganda outfit to smear other cultures, religions and ethnic groups”, further relating that: “The HJS for many years has relentlessly demonised Muslims and Islam”.”), NPR, 3 May 2021: Behind The Surge In Support For Welsh Independence, The Telegraph, 3 May 2021: Iran ‘almost certainly’ meddling in Scottish election to destabilise the UK, Arab News, 3 May 2021: Iran cyber misinformation campaign takes aim at Scottish independence, Al Jazeera, 3 May 2021: Scotland: SNP on course to win vote, but by how much matters, The Atlantic, 3 May 2021: Nicola Sturgeon’s Quest for Scottish Independence, BBC, 4 May 2021: Scottish election 2021: Does Scotland’s future lie in or out of the Union?, The Times, 4 May 2021: SNP set for four-seat majority, Der Spiegel, 4 May 2021: A Fateful Election in Scotland: After Brexit Could Come Scexit, DW, 5 May 2021: With independence in play, Scotland votes in pivotal election, The Atlantic, 5 May 2021: The Party Whose Success Is a Problem, Politico.eu, 6 May 2021: How Scotland has changed since the independence referendum, France24, 6 May 2021: Independence the ‘elephant in the room’ as Scotland goes to polls, The Scotsman, 7 May 2021: Scottish Election 2021 results: Find every constituency result in Scotland in our interactive list, Politico.eu, 7 May 2021: Live blog: Scotland, Wales and England election results, The Scotsman, 7 May 2021: Scottish Election 2021 LIVE, The Times, 8 May 2021: Election results 2021: Scottish Nationalists fall short of outright majority, Irish Times, 8 May 2021: Sturgeon vows to press ahead with new Scottish independence referendum (good luck to the Scots. Unlike the BoJo fan boy and girls, who fall for every lie, they can still think for themselves and come to the right conclusions), DW, 8 May 2021: Scottish National Party wins 4th term just short of overall majority, The Washington Post, 8 May 2021: Scottish pro-independence leader promises bid to break from U.K. after election boost, DW, 9 May 2021: Opinion: Scotland’s road to independence is far from clear, The Times, 10 May 2021: Billions for Scottish projects in effort to save the Union as SNP sweep to victory, Politico.eu, 10 May 2021: Haste Ye Back! How Scotland could return to the EU, The Times, 15 May 2021: Is Scottish Independence economically viable?, Politico.eu, 19 June 2021: Scotland’s ruling party appoints new independence campaign chief, The Times, 21 June 2021: Let Scots in whole of UK vote on independence, Boris Johnson is urged, Politico.eu, 26 August 2021: SNP anger after UK Cabinet minister sets out route to independence referendum, Politico.eu, 27 August 2021: Scots can have another referendum if 60 percent want one, says UK minister, The Times, 2 September 2021: Nuclear bases could move to US if Scots break away, The Times, 2 September 2021: Trident would be removed ‘at pace’ by an independent Scotland, Politico.eu, 13 September 2021: Happier Scottish National Party still no closer to independence goal, Politico.eu, 13 September 2021: Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon bangs independence drum at SNP conference, The Scotsman, 27 October 2021: UK government’s carbon-capture snub is clear evidence Scotland has no future in Brexit Britain – Kenny MacAskill MP, The Scotsman, 1 November 2021: COP26: SNP under attack for advert linking independence to summit, The Scotsman, 2 November 2021: Nicola Sturgeon denies making COP26 about independence after advert row, Foreign Policy, 3 November 2021: After COP26, Scottish Independence Can’t Be Fueled by Oil, The Scotsman, 18 February 2022: Scottish independence goal explains why SNP were never going to focus on helping poorest cope with cost-of-living crisis – Susan Dalgety, The Scotsman, 19 February 2022: Independent Scotland should be a Nato member so it can play its part in maintaining peace – Stewart McDonald MP, The Times, 21 May 2022: The Sturgeon supremacy: a record time in power but no closer to Scottish independence, The Times, 14 June 2022: Scottish independence will mean border checks with rest of UK, admits Nicola Sturgeon (no wonder Scotland, Wales and a whole lot of Northern Ireland want to declare their independence from the Kingdom sooner rather than later. After all, politics in London is made for England and not for the Kingdom), France24, 27 June 2022: How has the case for Scottish independence evolved since 2014?, The Guardian, 28 June 2022: Scottish independence: Nicola Sturgeon seeks supreme court ruling on new vote, BBC, 28 June 2022: Scottish independence: 19 October 2023 proposed as date for referendum, The Times, 28 June 2022: Scottish independence referendum: Nicola Sturgeon picks 2023 date, Politico.eu, 28 June 2022: Nicola Sturgeon asks courts to rule on Scottish independence vote in October 2023, The Times, 29 June 2022: General election would pave way to Scottish independence, SNP deputy says, Foreign Policy, 29 June 2022: The Scots Question, Irish Times, 5 July 2022: The United Kingdom is broken. It’s time for a new British federation, The Scotsman, 10 July 2022: No Scottish independence referendum for at least a decade, two Tory leadership contenders say, The Scotsman, 10 July 2022: No Section 30 under a Labour government regardless of political situation, says Starmer, The Times, 18 August 2022: Scottish and British? It’s almost impossible to be both today, says top academic).

Depending on how Brexit will ultimately look like and what effect this will have on Ireland / Northern Ireland, it can’t be ruled out that the IRA will be revitalized, whose political arm Sinn Féin is represented both in the Irish Parliament and is the strongest party of Northern Irish Catholics. All parties are trying to avert this scenario, because the terror of the Northern Ireland conflict (Good Friday Agreement, List of chronologies of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions and Bloody Sunday), which was supposedly largely overcome, is still present. If it will become a “Hard Brexit” without an agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom, the cooling conflict can quickly turn into a heated conflict again (The Guardian, 27 September 2018: No-deal Brexit could result in Northern Ireland blackouts, leaks reveal, The Guardian, 20 January 2019: Derry bomb attack: Northern Ireland police arrest two men, France24, 20 January 2019: Police make arrests after car bomb in Northern Ireland, The Irish Times, 20 January 2019: Derry car bomb: Police believe ‘New IRA’ behind ‘attempt to kill’, BBC, 12 July 2019: Boris Johnson vows to end ‘unfair’ prosecutions of Army veterans, Irish Times, 23 December 2020: 100 years ago today the partition of Ireland was made official, IPG, 24 February 2021: The EU’s bad Friday announcement, DW, 23 April 2019: Lyra McKee: Woman arrested over Northern Ireland journalist’s murder, France24, 5 March 2021: N. Ireland paramilitary groups pull support for Good Friday Agreement over Brexit rules, Irish Times, 5 March 2021: Loyalists and the Irish Sea border: ‘From what I’ve seen it’s all hyped up’, Politico.eu, 5 March 2021: Who are the Northern Ireland loyalists threatening to shun peace deal over Brexit fears?, The Times, 6 March 2021: Frost’s fight with the EU is political thuggery, The Guardian, 7 March 2021: Ireland: Dissident republican urges armed groups to forgo violence, Al Jazeera, 9 March 2021: In Northern Ireland, a ‘shift in enthusiasm’ for Irish unity, The Guardian, 10 March 2021: Ireland US-based Sinn Féin support group places ads for vote on Irish unification, Politico.eu, 12 March 2021: Boris Johnson accused of snub to Sinn Féin on Northern Ireland visit, Irish Times, 25 March 2021: British government guidance on union flag reignites NI debate (it’s like holding a red cloth in front of a bull’s nose while at the same time hoping that he is color-blind. Only nationalists can be so seldom stupid), The Times, 3 April 2021: 15 officers injured in Belfast riots, The Guardian, 4 April 2021: Man charged with throwing petrol bomb after cars set alight in Newtownabbey, Irish Times, 4 April 2021: Foster urges end to loyalist violence in Belfast and Derry, Al Jazeera, 4 April 2021: Northern Ireland police appeal for calm after more unrest, The Guardian, 6 April 2021: Protocol critics ‘have no alternative’, says EU ambassador, Irish Times, 6 April 2021: The Irish Times view on violence in Northern Ireland: a time to show leadership, Politico.eu, 7 April 2021: Northern Ireland ‘playing with matches’ amid Brexit trade deal tensions, The Economist, 7 April 2021: Brexit is the catalyst for rioting in Northern Ireland, France24, 8 April 2021: UK’s Johnson condemns violence in Northern Ireland after a week of rioting, Reuters, 8 April 2021: UK PM urges calm as Belfast protesters hijack bus, attack police, The Guardian, 8 April 2021: Northern Ireland: White House expresses concern over violence, Irish Times, 8 April 2021: Taoiseach, Boris Johnson and Joe Biden urge calm following Northern Ireland riots, Politico.eu, 8 April 2021: Northern Ireland leaders condemn violence, disagree on why people are fighting, The Guardian, 9 April 2021: Police say paramilitaries not behind recent violence, Al Jazeera, 9 April 2021: Northern Irish loyalists demand changes to Brexit border protocol (a completely predictable development. That’s what you get as a result when you fall for pathological liars like BoJo, Nigel Farage and their club of simpleton), France24, 9 April 2021: Riots flare again in Northern Ireland despite calls for calm, New York Magazine, 9 April 2010: Why Tensions in Northern Ireland Have Reignited, DW, 10 April 2010: Brexit has threatened the peace in Northern Ireland, Irish Times, 10 April 2010: Bertie Ahern: ‘Belfast Agreement provides path to restoring peace in the North’, The Guardian, 10 April 2021: Taoiseach warns against ‘spiralling back to dark place’, Belfast Telegraph, 11 April 2021: Hopes rise NI protocol changes will ease tension, The Guardian, 12 April 2021: Boris Johnson was not honest about the Irish border. What is he going to do about it?, The Guardian, 12 April 2021: Brexit: UK and EU edge closer to deal on checks in Northern Ireland, Irish Times, 13 April 2021: Unionist legal challenge to Northern Ireland protocol to be heard in May, The Guardian, 14 April 2021: Irish-born DUP peer refuses to take Home Office test for British passport, Politico.eu, 16 April 2021: EU, UK vow to ‘intensify’ talks on Northern Ireland border checks, Irish Times, 16 April 2021: Republic, UK and EU agree to tackle Northern Ireland unrest, Politico.eu, 20 April 2021: UK minister sacked over prosecution of soldiers who served in Northern Ireland, The Guardian, 20 April 2021: Bomb found in Derry was attempt to kill officer and daughter, say police, Irish Times, 22 April 2021: Desire for US trade deal only way to make sense of Johnson’s stance on NI protocol, The Telegraph, 25 April 2021: Northern Ireland veteran could challenge ‘discriminatory’ UK laws in European court, The Guardian, 26 April 2021: Boris Johnson is warned of ‘dangerous political vacuum’, The Times, 26 April 2021: EU offers quid pro quo to ease checks with Northern Ireland, The Telegraph, 26 April 2021: IRA commander ‘had killed 15 British soldiers by the time he was shot dead’, court told, DW, 28 April 2021: Northern Ireland’s first minister resigns amid tensions, The Guardian, 28 April 2021: Arlene Foster to step down as Northern Ireland first minister, DW, 29 April 2021: Amid Northern Ireland’s chaos, is there an economic argument for a United Ireland?, France24, 29 April 2021: How Brexit created a ‘recipe for endless tension’ among Northern Irish unionists, The Guardian, 30 April 2021: Northern Ireland Edwin Poots tipped to succeed Arlene Foster as DUP leader, The Times, 30 April 2021: Northern Ireland’s era of peace is in grave danger, The Guardian, 30 April 2021: Northern Ireland centenary: Anxious unionists in little mood to celebrate). This background given, the completely haphazard approach of the May administration is incomprehensible at all (or maybe only if you know that Theresa May actually belonged to the “Remain” camp and now has to implement the Brexit against her beliefs). Ultimately, however, it was Boris Johnson who signed the Brexit agreement with the EU, including the regulations for Northern Ireland, which state that there will be no customs border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, but instead a customs sea border between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom (Economy of Northern Ireland, The Guardian, 30 April 2021: Northern Ireland at 100: a timeline of its founding, Politico.eu, 1 May 2021: Poll shows Irish support unification but don’t want to pay for it, Irish Times, 2 May 2021: Northern Ireland’s £9.4bn subvention and the cost of Irish unity, The Guardian, 3 May 2021: ‘Inclusive, prosperous, and hopeful’: Queen praises Northern Ireland people in message to mark centenary, France24, 3 May 2021: Northern Ireland marks centenary as crises simmer, BBC, 3 May 2021: NI 100: Tracing the history of the 100-year-old Irish border, The Guardian, 4 May 2021: Northern Ireland: Ex-soldiers formally acquitted of 1972 murder of Official IRA leader, Irish Times, 4 May 2021: Irish unity would trigger financial shock in Republic, economist says, The Guardian, 11 May 2021: Northern Ireland 10 people shot dead in Ballymurphy were innocent, inquest finds, Reuters, 11 May 2021: Britain to introduce laws to protect N.Ireland army veterans, Irish Times, 11 May 2021: Ten shot dead in Ballymurphy massacre entirely innocent, coroner finds, Politico.eu, 12 May 2021: Boris Johnson apologizes for British army’s 1971 killing of Belfast civilians (Bloody Sunday and List of chronologies of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions), Politico.eu, 13 May 2021: Boris Johnson accused of shielding ex-soldiers from justice after Belfast killings apology, Irish Times, 14 May 2021: Martin warns Johnson: No unilateral move offering amnesty to British soldiers, Politico.eu, 14 May 2021: DUP picks hard-liner as leader to battle Northern Ireland protocol, Irish Times, 15 May 2021: Dirty Linen: a personal history of Northern Ireland, Politico.eu, 16 May 2021: UK’s Frost slams EU’s ‘purist view’ on trade with Northern Ireland, Politico.eu, 19 May 2021: Violence against Northern Ireland protocol isn’t ‘off the table’, The Guardian, 25 May 2021: UK hits back at Von der Leyen over Northern Ireland protocol, The Guardian, 30 May 2021: EU Commission calls on UK to ditch ideology over Northern Ireland protocol, Irish Times, 30 May 2021: Poots accuses EU of using Northern Ireland ‘as a plaything’, Politico.eu, 1 June 2021: EU ambassador rejects DUP leader Edwin Poots’ criticism of Northern Ireland protocol, Irish Times, 2 June 2021: Northern Ireland faces ‘turbulent few months’ over Brexit, says Varadkar, The Guardian, 7 June 2021: Pressured by Biden, Johnson may finally face reality on Northern Ireland, The Times, 7 June 2021: Biden raises pressure on PM to solve Northern Ireland impasse, The Guardian, 7 June 2021: Brexit: EU to make Northern Ireland concessions but says patience is ‘wearing thin’, The Guardian, 7 June 2021: European Commission: Plans to ban UK from science projects dropped after backlash, The Guardian, 8 June 2021: Brexit Trade war threats will not wash with voters, Frost tells EU as row deepens, The Times, 8 June 2021: Northern Ireland sausage ban is bonkers, says Eustice, Irish Times, 8 June 2021: Frost and Sevcovic to meet amid mounting NI protocol crisis, BBC, 10 June 2021: G7: UK and US in complete harmony over Northern Ireland – Boris Johnson, Irish Times, 10 June 2021: Johnson claims there is ‘complete harmony’ between UK and US over protocol, Politico.eu, 11 June 2021: Trudeau raises Northern Ireland Brexit row in G7 meeting with Johnson, The Guardian, 11 June 2021: The Brexit sausages row looks like stalemate unless Joe Biden can solve it, Politico.eu, 11 June 2021: Ireland: UK-EU food safety deal wouldn’t stop UK-US trade pact, The Times, 12 June 2021: G7 summit: Fun and frolics on the beach, but this is war on two fronts, The Guardian, 12 June 2021: Boris Johnson reiterates threat to suspend Northern Ireland protocol, The Times, 12 June 2021: Johnson turns up heat in sausage row, Irish Times, 12 June 2021: EU leaders rule out changes to NI Protocol, tell UK it must fulfil obligations, The National, 12 June 2021: Swords out as the G7 nations bicker on the Cornish coast, Irish Times, 13 June 2021: The Irish Times view on G7 summit: Northern Ireland protocol casts a long shadow, The Guardian, 14 June 2021: The Northern Ireland protocol isn’t perfect – but the UK and EU can make it work, The Times, 14 June 2021: Northern Ireland row mars final day of G7 summit, The Guardian, 14 June 2021: Brexit: UK and EU try to settle standoff over Northern Ireland checks, Irish Times, 14 June 2021: European leaders confront Johnson over failure to implement NI protocol, DW, 14 June 2021: Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster steps down amid Brexit instability, Irish Times, 14 June 2021: Arlene Foster resigns as NI first minister triggering countdown to avoid election, The Guardian, 14 June 2021: Northern Ireland: Irish-language row threatens to derail government, Irish Times, 14 June 2021: Arlene Foster stands down with emotional speech to Stormont, BBC, 14 June 2021: Arlene Foster urges NI parties to stick to language deal, France24, 17 June 2021: Northern Ireland appoints Brexit hardliner Paul Givan as first minister, Irish Times, 18 June 2021: EU negotiator warns UK ‘our patience cannot last forever’ on NI protocol, Irish Times, 19 June 2021: Political debate in Northern Ireland becoming ‘quite aggressive’ – Coveney, BBC, 20 June 2021: United Ireland: Varadkar defends timing of Irish unity comments, Irish Times, 22 June 2021: Martin presses EU for longer grace period over NI ‘sausage war’, Irish Times, 23 June 2021: UK government must ‘tell the truth’ and implement NI protocol – Chris Patten, Irish Times, 26 June 2021: New DUP leader tells Irish Government to stop supporting NI protocol, Irish Times, 27 June 2021: Brexit adds more grist to the mill of North’s identity politics, Irish Times, 27 June 2021: DUP tells European Commission VP ‘not to lecture unionists’ ahead of Stormont meeting, The Guardian, 30 June 2021: Brexit: EU agrees to delay Brexit meat checks in Northern Ireland, DW, 30 June 2021: EU, UK agree temporary truce in Northern Ireland ‘sausage war’, The New York Times, 30 June 2021: Northern Ireland Is Coming to an End, Irish Times, 2 July 2021: Bloody Sunday: Decision underlines extent of unresolved ‘legacy’ of Troubles, CNN, 3 July 2021: The UK wants to build one of the world’s most ambitious bridges, Politico.eu, 7 July 2021: Boris Johnson: UK and EU have only deferred chilled meats row, Jerusalem Post, 8 July 2021: Boris Johnson says N. Ireland Jews facing ‘exodus’ over kosher food access, Politico.eu, 9 July 2021: Northern Ireland to Frost: Enforce the protocol, don’t fight it, Belfast Telegraph, 11 July 2021: UK Government to reveal Troubles amnesty plan for soldiers and paramilitaries – report, CNN, 11 July 2021: ‘It’s two steps forward, 10 steps back’, The Guardian, 12 July 2021: Boris Johnson apologises ‘unreservedly’ for Ballymurphy deaths, DW, 14 July 2021: UK suggests waiving all prosecutions over Northern Irish ‘Troubles’, The Guardian, 14 July 2021: Northern Ireland: UK confirms plan to call time on Troubles prosecutions, Irish Times, 14 July 2021: PSNI to be barred from investigating Troubles killings under UK government plan, Politico.eu, 14 July 2021: UK seeks controversial amnesty to ‘draw a line under Troubles’, The Guardian, 15 July 2021: Northern Ireland: UK plan for Troubles amnesty breaches international obligations – Irish minister, Irish Times, 15 July 2021: DUP will not support NI protocol overhaul unless checks on goods crossing Irish Sea removed, The Guardian, 17 July 2021: Only by forgiving – and forgetting – can Ireland move on from its past, The Guardian, 21 July 2021: Brexit UK says it wants to substantially rewrite Northern Ireland protocol, The Times, 21 July 2021: Frost backs down on threat to scupper Northern Ireland protocol, Politico.eu, 21 July 2021: Brussels won’t let Brexit ruin its summer holidays, The Guardian, 21 July 2021: UK’s Northern Ireland protocol demands sap Brussels’ goodwill, Irish Times, 21 July 2021: Brexit: UK calls for ‘standstill’ period and significant changes to protocol, The Guardian, 21 July 2021: Troubles ‘amnesty’: how much contempt does this government have for Northern Ireland?, Politico.eu, 21 July 2021: UK Brexit minister pushes EU to overhaul trade rules in Northern Ireland, The Guardian, 22 July 2021: Why a hardcore of dissident Irish republicans are not giving up, France24, 22 July 2021: UK’s Johnson: Post-Brexit trade deal for Northern Ireland is ‘unsustainable’, The Guardian, 22 July 2021: Brexit: Von der Leyen rejects Boris Johnson bid to renegotiate Irish protocol, BBC, 22 July 2021: Brexit: No breakthrough on NI protocol after PM speaks to EU chief, The Times, 22 July 2021: Unionist threat to stymie ‘unacceptable’ Brexit deal, Irish Times, 22 July 2021: Brexit: EU chief rejects Johnson’s plea to renegotiate Northern Ireland protocol, Politico.eu, 22 July 2021: Ursula von der Leyen rebuffs UK call to ‘seriously’ consider Brexit deal changes, The Guardian, 24 July 2021: Government to introduce statute of limitations on Troubles prosecutions, Irish Times, 24 July 2021: Ireland’s position in NI protocol row is delicate and difficult, DW, 24 July 2021: New Brexit drama looms over Northern Ireland protocol, The Guardian, 25 July 2021: If Britain wants to resolve the Northern Ireland protocol, this is not the way to do it, Irish Times, 26 July 2021: Johnson is worst possible ally unionism could have, Politico.eu, 29 July 2021: Boris Johnson’s phony sausage war, Irish Times, 31 July 2021: EU response on NI protocol will depend on UK’s true intentions, Der Spiegel, 3 August 2021: Holding a Match to the Powder Keg: Proposed Northern Ireland Amnesty Law Faces Massive Critique (the weirdo is on the path to break and dissolve the Good Friday Agreement), Forbes, 4 August 2021: Why The U.K. Government Still Needs To Acknowledge Its Role In Northern Ireland’s ‘Troubles’, Irish Times, 4 August 2021: Northern Ireland protocol: What is David Frost’s next move?, Irish Times, 7 August 2021: Northern Ireland’s refugees 50 years on: ‘I can still see him standing there waving’, Irish Times, 7 August 2021: Loyalist marching season was quiet, but trouble over Northern protocol may lie ahead, Irish Times, 7 August 2021: Debate on united Ireland can’t wait until unionists are ready, The Guardian, 6 September 2021: Brexit: UK and EU extend grace period over Northern Ireland protocol, Politico.eu, 6 September 2021: UK extends Brexit grace periods for trade into Northern Ireland again, DW, 10 September 2021: Brexit: EU rejects changing Northern Ireland trade protocol, The Guardian, 10 September 2021: Brexit: EU rejects UK’s demand to scrap Northern Ireland protocol, Irish Times, 10 September 2021: The Irish Times view on the Northern Ireland protocol: a chance for a deal, Politico.eu, 10 September 2021: EU warns of ‘instability’ if Northern Ireland protocol is unpicked, Politico.eu, 17 September 2021: Irish president won’t mark Northern Ireland’s 100th birthday (why should he anyway? There is no a reason to celebrate. It’s a tragedy), Politico.eu, 1 October 2021: Boris Johnson: UK could ‘ditch’ Northern Ireland trade protocol if EU doesn’t ‘fix’ it, Irish Times, 4 October 2021: UK ‘will need to act’ if EU fails to address NI concerns, Frost warns, The Guardian, 4 October 2021: Brexit: UK minister David Frost issues veiled threat to ditch Northern Ireland protocol, DW, 4 October 2021: Brexit: UK gives EU ultimatum over Northern Ireland protocol, Irish Times, 6 October 2021: Why are the Tories so concerned about rise in North-South trade post-Brexit?, The Guardian, 8 October 2021: Brexit: EU could lift ban on UK sausages to sweeten Northern Ireland deal, Politico.eu, 10 October 2021: EU unity faces fresh test in Northern Ireland Brexit row, Irish Times, 11 October 2021: UK’s protocol demands dismissed as ‘ground covered a million times before’, Politico.eu, 11 October 2021: Ireland slams UK protocol demands as insatiable, The Guardian, 11 October 2021: Brexit: EU ‘close to the end of the road’ over Northern Ireland protocol, Irish Times, 12 October 2021: London and Brussels at loggerheads over ECJ role in protocol, The Guardian, 12 October 2021: Explainer What next for the Northern Ireland protocol?, Politico.eu, 13 October 2021: Ireland: British ‘bad faith’ on protocol sends warning to the world, Irish Times, 13 October 2021: Varadkar warns states over striking deals with Britain ‘until you’re confident they keep promises’ (that would be a totally new experience .. oh, wait!), BBC, 13 October 2021: UK might not keep its word, Irish deputy PM warns, Politico.eu, 13 October 2021: Dominic Cummings: UK always intended to ditch Northern Ireland Brexit deal, The Times, 13 October 2021: We were always going to break our deal, says Cummings, The Guardian, 13 October 2021: Brexit: Dominic Cummings says UK always intended to ditch Northern Ireland protocol, Irish Times, 13 October 2021: Kathy Sheridan: How will EU look if UK’s strutting desperation for a win is rewarded again?, Politico.eu, 13 October 2021: Everything you need to know about the EU’s proposal for Northern Ireland trade, The Times, 13 October 2021: EU offers to end ‘sausage wars’ in new deal for Northern Ireland, Politico.eu, 13 October 2021: EU promises ‘creative’ solutions to fix Northern Ireland trade row with UK, BBC, 13 October 2021: Most NI checks on British goods to be scrapped, DW, 13 October 2021: EU offer to scrap most Northern Ireland checks awaits UK nod, The Guardian, 13 October 2021: Brexit: EU offers to scrap 80% of NI food checks but prepares for Johnson to reject deal, Irish Times, 14 October 2021: Brexit talks with Johnson about ‘sausages getting to NI’ not ECJ, says Martin, The Times, 14 October 2021: We’ve reached the limit on Brexit offer, says EU envoy, The Guardian, 14 October 2021: Brexit UK prime minister promised to tear up NI protocol, says DUP MP Ian Paisley, DW, 14 October 2021: The EU must not enable the UK’s duplicitous government, Politico.eu, 15 October 2021: EU’s Northern Ireland proposals have ‘long way to go,’ says UK Brexit minister, Irish Times, 15 October 2021: Former DUP leader accuses EU of ‘irrational political prejudice’, Politico.eu, 23 October 2021: UK and EU still ‘far apart’ on Northern Ireland trade, Politico.eu, 25 October 2021: ‘No role’ for EU court in Northern Ireland disputes, says UK Brexit minister, Arab News, 26 October 2021: Brussels and London remain tangled up in Brexit, Irish Times, 27 October 2021: UK diplomat asked to ‘peddle half-truths’ about Brexit’s impact on Ireland, Politico.eu, 28 October 2021: Ursula von der Leyen rejects UK call to change EU court’s Northern Ireland role, The Guardian, 29 October 2021: Brexit: Northern Ireland protocol talks stuck in deadlock, Irish Times, 31 October 2021: ‘Do they want a solution at all?’: O’Neill questions UK government’s stance on NI protocol, Politico.eu, 1 November 2021: Northern Ireland bus torched in protest against Brexit ‘sea border’, The Guardian, 1 November 2021: Northern Ireland: Fears of Brexit violence as armed men hijack and torch bus, Politico.eu, 5 November 2021: EU tells UK: It’s your turn to compromise on Northern Ireland, Irish Times, 6 November 2021: Major warns against ‘colossally stupid’ triggering of Article 16 in Brexit row, The Guardian, 6 November 2021: Brexit: EU warns of ‘serious consequences’ if UK invokes article 16, Irish Times, 7 November 2021: EU may shelve free-trade pact with UK if article 16 deployed – Coveney, The Guardian, 7 November 2021: Brexit: EU could shelve trade deal if UK triggers article 16, Irish minister warns, BBC, 7 November 2021: Brexit: UK -EU trade deal could collapse over NI row, says Coveney, DW, 7 November 2021: Northern Ireland: Bus hijacked and set on fire, Irish Times, 8 November 2021: Q&A: What is Article 16 and what could happen if it is triggered by the UK?, The Guardian, 8 November 2021: Northern Ireland is the loser in Boris Johnson’s badly played Brexit game, Irish Times, 8 November 2021: ‘Significant gaps remain’ between UK and EU on NI protocol, Donaldson says, Politico.eu, 9 November 2021: Irish ‘making preparations’ for possible EU-UK trade war, The Guardian, 9 November 2021: Northern Ireland: Troubles amnesty would be ‘kick in the teeth’, says daughter of victim, Irish Times, 9 November 2021: Fintan O’Toole: Boris Johnson is running out of people to betray, The Guardian, 9 November 2021: Brexit: Ireland starts making contingency plans for UK trade war with EU, Irish Times, 9 November 2021: Brexit contingency plans being dusted down, Varadkar says, The Guardian, 10 November 2021: Brexit: Biden supports EU position on Northern Ireland, says Von der Leyen, Irish Times, 10 November 2021: Northern Ireland’s access to single market may be ‘jeopardised’, says Taoiseach, The Guardian, 11 November 2021: Brexit: EU to tell Frost talks will fail unless he ditches ECJ demand, Irish Times, 11 November 2021: Article 16 loses power as UK negotiating tool as EU hardens approach, Politico.eu, 11 November 2021: EU countries urge hard line toward UK over Northern Ireland, The Guardian, 12 November 2021: Brexit: EU welcomes ‘change in tone’ from UK at Northern Ireland talks, Irish Times, 13 November 2021: Brexit: Protests to be held along Border over Britain’s handling of NI protocol, Irish Times, 17 November 2021: North’s parties urge Brexit minister to reach deal with EU on protocol, The Guardian, 17 November 2021: Brexit: Minister says UK not trying to move checks to Irish border, Irish Times, 17 November 2021: The less talk about triggering Article 16 ‘the better’, Coveney says, The Atlantic, 17 November 2021: An Unlikely Threat to the Western Alliance, Irish Times, 19 November 2021: Urgent solution needed for North in post-Brexit arrangements – Sefcovic, The Guardian, 20 November 2021: Belfast: The young loyalist who dared contemplate the idea of a ‘new’, united, Ireland, Irish Times, 20 November 2021: Johnson will probably cut a deal on the protocol – but Ireland must be wary, Irish Times, 21 November 2021: Taoiseach plays down Ahern comments on loyalist understanding of NI protocol, Irish Times, 21 November 2021: Brexit: Coveney rules out European court compromise in NI protocol talks, Irish Times, 23 November 2021: A UK Labour government would stay neutral in a Border poll – shadow NI secretary, The Guardian, 26 November 2021: £335bn: Boris Johnson’s plan for Irish Sea bridge rejected over cost, Irish Times, 26 November 2021: Cost of £335bn bridge from NI to Scotland not justifiable, UK government says, Irish Times, 26 November 2021: Sefcovic calls for ‘decisive push’ on talks with UK over Northern Ireland, Irish Times, 28 November 2021: Donaldson calls for focus on efforts to remove ‘Irish Sea border’, Politico.eu, 1 December 2021: Macron says Brexit rules matter of ‘war and peace’ for Ireland amid UK spats, Irish Times, 1 December 2021: EU calls on UK to ‘reciprocate’ efforts at finding protocol solutions, The Guardian, 1 December 2021: The guns are gone, but misogyny still stalks Northern Ireland, Irish Times, 2 December 2021: Delay in law aimed at ending prosecutions over Troubles-related crimes, The Economist, 4 December 2021: The quest for respectability—and votes—has transformed Sinn Fein, Irish Times, 4 December 2021: Fintan O’Toole: Brexiteers’ absurd admiration for Michael Collins, Politico.eu, 7 December 2021: Northern Ireland violence spurred by Brexit ‘a clear and present danger,’ say experts, Irish Times, 7 December 2021: Paramilitarism a ‘clear and present danger’ in North, reporting body finds, The Guardian, 17 December 2021: Explainer Northern Ireland: what are EU and UK proposing and will deal be done?, Politico.eu, 17 December 2021: Brexit talks head into 2022 as UK softens Northern Ireland governance demands, The Guardian, 18 December 2021: Lord Frost: Brexit minister’s shock resignation leaves Boris Johnson reeling (neither in Northern Ireland nor in Ireland will he be missed. For some he was too lax, for others not lax enough. It is unpleasant for the kingdom that he was one of the brighter candles on the darkened Brexit cake), BBC, 18 December 2021: Lord Frost resigns as Brexit minister, The Times, 18 December 2021: Lord Frost profile: he oozed red, white and blue, Irish Times, 19 December 2021: Frost replacement will ‘need to find solutions’ to make Northern Ireland protocol work, The Sunday Times, 19 December 2021: Crisis deepens for PM as key Brexit ally quits, Irish Times, 19 December 2021: David Frost’s resignation introduces dangerous uncertainty into Brexit negotiations, The Guardian, 19 December 2021: European Union: France urges Johnson to use Frost’s exit to rebuild trust with EU, France24, 19 December 2021: UK Brexit negotiator Frost resigns in further blow to PM Johnson, BBC, 19 December 2021: Liz Truss replaces Lord Frost in post-Brexit talks, Politico.eu, 20 December 2021: The case for Liz Truss, Politico.eu, 21 December 2021: Brexit slashes Britain’s market share in Ireland, Irish Times, 21 December 2021: Liz Truss to hold Brexit talks with EU over Northern Ireland protocol, Politico.eu, 21 December 2021: UK to EU: Our position on Northern Ireland is unchanged, Politico.eu, 28 December 2021: EU’s Šefcovic warns of Brexit deal ‘collapse’ if UK exits Northern Ireland Protocol, Irish Times, 1 Janauary 2022: A ghost estate and an empty grave: ‘I don’t think Northern Ireland was worth one life’, The Guardian, 2 January 2022: Northern Ireland: Peace architect accuses Boris Johnson of ‘casual political vandalism’, The Guardian, 7 January 2022: Brexit: UK and Irish foreign secretaries meet over Northern Ireland impasse, The Times, 9 January 2022: EU attacks Truss over threat to trigger Article 16, Politico.eu, 14 January 2022: EU, UK to step up Northern Ireland talks amid ‘cordial’ atmosphere, Irish Times, 14 January 2022: ‘Deal to be done’ on Northern Ireland protocol, says Truss, Irish Times, 20 January 2022: EU plans three-year extension to UK clearing system access, Irish Times, 28 January 2022: Post-Brexit checks for goods moving into North are ‘not fit for purpose’ – EU officials, Irish Times, 30 January 2022: ‘We honour the men who died’ – thousands walk in remembrance of Bloody Sunday massacre (Bloody Sunday and The Troubles), The Guardian, 30 January 2022: Bloody Sunday: Hundreds pay respects in Derry 50 years after atrocity, Irish Times, 30 January 2022: Bloody Sunday families: ‘The memory of that day will never leave me’, The Guardian, 30 January 2022: It’s 50 years since Bloody Sunday, but sectarian tensions are running high, BBC, 30 January 2022: Families remember Bloody Sunday victims 50 years on, DW, 30 January 2022: Northern Ireland marks 50 years since Bloody Sunday, France24, 30 January 2022: ‘No British justice’: Northern Ireland marks 50 years since ‘Bloody Sunday’, DW, 30 January 2022: Northern Ireland’s peace faces new Brexit threats, New York Magazine, 30 January 2022: The Man Trying to Take Down Boris Johnson, Irish Times, 2 February 2022: Poots orders halt to post-Brexit checks on goods from Britain to North, The Guardian, 2 February 2022: Brexit: Northern Ireland minister orders halt to agri-food checks, Politico.eu, 3 February 2022: EU confirms Brexit checks continue in Northern Ireland, The Guardian, 3 February 2022: Northern Ireland: First minister Paul Givan resigns over Brexit checks on goods, Irish Times, 4 February 2022: DUP may not re-enter government after election, says Donaldson, Politico.eu, 4 February 2022: Belfast court blocks DUP bid to stop Brexit checks at Northern Irish ports, Irish Times, 4 February 2022: Order issued suspending Edwin Poots move to halt post-Brexit checks, Irish Times, 5 February 2022: DUP leader urges Johnson to focus on Northern Ireland not partygate, Irish Times, 6 February 2022: No political stability in North until protocol issues resolved, warns DUP leader, Politico.eu, 7 February 2022: No return to Belfast power-sharing unless Brexit protocol goes, DUP warns, The Times, 8 February 2022: Rees-Mogg given Brexit job as PM courts Tory right, Politico.eu, 8 February 2022: Boris Johnson names Jacob Rees-Mogg as Brexit minister in mini-reshuffle (this is another disaster within the Brexit disaster), BBC, 8 February 2022: Rees-Mogg in new Brexit role as PM reshuffles team (Jacob Rees-Mogg becomes “Minister for Brexit Opportunities”. Most people say that it is the only job Brexit ever created), The Guardian, 8 February 2022: UK: Rees-Mogg becomes minister for Brexit opportunities in Boris Johnson reshuffle, Irish Times, 9 February 2022: MPs highlight concern about post-Brexit surge in north-south Irish trade, Irish Times, 11 February 2022: Brexit: UK signals it could accept checks on goods for Northern Ireland, Politico.eu, 15 February 2022: All-Ireland trade booming in post-Brexit economy, The Guardian, 15 February 2022: Brexit: Huge jump in trade between Northern Ireland and republic, Irish Times, 28 February 2022: Over one-third of North’s population hold Irish passport (this is how you show Boris the middle finger in Irish), Irish Times, 11 March 2022: ‘The state let you down’: apology issued to NI institutional abuse victims, The Guardian, 14 March 2022: Northern Ireland protocol is lawful, court of appeal rules, Irish Times, 14 March 2022: British and Irish relationship should be based on equal respect, says Starmer, Irish Times, 19 March 2022: Want to understand the Northern Ireland Protocol? Just read these 25 essays, Politico.eu, 23 March 2022: Bloody Sunday murder charges revived in rebuff to Boris Johnson’s ‘amnesty’ plans, The Guardian, 24 March 2022: ‘A freeze frame death in front of the world’: the police killing of Sean Downes at the height of the Troubles, The National, 25 March 2022: Irish foreign minister pulled from stage after hijacked van bomb alert, The Guardian, 25 March 2022: Loyalist paramilitaries suspected as hoax device disrupts Irish minister’s Belfast speech, Politico.eu, 25 March 2022: Belfast bomb threat disrupts Irish foreign minister’s peace speech, Irish Times, 2 April 2022: Threat of violence rises as loyalists vent frustrations with protocol, Irish Times, 7 April 2022: European Parliament backs rule change to ensure flow of medicines to Northern Ireland, Irish Times, 10 April 2022: DUP ‘whipping up hysteria’ over united Ireland before election, says Beattie, Irish Times, 26 April 2022: Fintan O’Toole: Unionists should see through Tories’ latest cynical protocol gambit, The National, 29 April 2022: Ireland says Britain causing renewed tension over Northern Ireland protocol, The Economist, 30 April 2022: Nationalists are set for a historic win in Northern Ireland’s vote, The Times, 1 May 2022: A united Ireland… pursued by stealth, Irish Times, 2 May 2022: The Northern Ireland protocol: ‘It’s been mentioned twice on the doors’, Politico.eu, 4 May 2022: UK still wants deal with EU on Northern Ireland Brexit rules — minister, Irish Times, 4 May 2022: Northern Ireland election could fundamentally alter the political landscape, Politico.eu, 5 May 2022: What Northern Ireland is really voting for, DW, 6 May 2022: Sinn Fein eyes historic victory in Northern Ireland election, Irish Times, 6 May 2022: Sinn Féin on track to be largest party at Stormont after ‘the election of a generation’, The National, 6 May 2022: Sinn Fein claims crown as Northern Ireland’s largest party, NPR, 7 May 2022: Sinn Fein celebrates an historic election win in Northern Ireland, CNN, 7 May 2022: Irish nationalist Sinn Fein earns historic Northern Ireland election win, DW, 7 May 2022: Northern Ireland: Sinn Fein secures historic election win, Irish Times, 7 May 2022: Significantly and symbolically damaging election for unionism, France24, 7 May 2022: Sinn Fein leader hails ‘new era’ as early results point to historic N. Ireland win, DW, 7 May 2022: What Sinn Fein’s win could mean for Northern Ireland, UK, The Times, 7 May 2022: Michelle O’Neill: from IRA man’s daughter to Northern Ireland’s next leader?, Irish Times, 7 May 2022: Assembly election: Sinn Féin wins most seats as parties urged to form Executive, Politico.eu, 7 May 2022: Belfast results show unionists can’t win vote on Brexit protocol, DW, 8 May 2022: Sinn Fein hails ‘new era’ in Northern Ireland, The Guardian, 8 May 2022: Northern Ireland: DUP to warn Boris Johnson it will stall power-sharing until Christmas, Irish Times, 8 May 2022: Unionist heartland reacts: ‘I feel sick she will be running our country’, The Times, 8 May 2022: Britain ready to rip up Northern Ireland protocol in weeks, Irish Times, 8 May 2022: Michelle O’Neill’s election as NI’s next first minister unlikely to be swift, The Guardian, 9 May 2022: Northern Ireland: DUP to block formation of power-sharing executive, DW, 9 May 2022: Sinn Fein upset over ‘game of chicken’ preventing formation of executive in Northern Ireland, The Guardian, 9 May 2022: Sinn Féin’s victory won’t bring a united Ireland right away – but it’s getting closer, The Times, 10 May 2022: Don’t touch Northern Ireland protocol, EU leaders warn Boris Johnson, Irish Times, 10 May 2022: Fintan O’Toole: The old Northern Ireland is dead, but the new cannot be born, Politico.eu, 10 May 2022: EU rejects UK queen’s speech demand to change Northern Ireland protocol, The Times, 11 May 2022: Joe Biden urges Boris Johnson not to rip up Northern Ireland protocol, Irish Times, 11 May 2022: Northern Ireland election sets stage for more protocol brinkmanship, The Economist, 11 May 2022: The Northern Ireland protocol could soon spark a new row between Britain and Europe, The Guardian, 12 May 2022: Northern Ireland: Stormont stalemate risks patients’ lives, medical leaders warn, The Times, 12 May 2022: Liz Truss tells EU: We have no choice but to rip up Northern Ireland protocol, Politico.eu, 12 May 2022: EU and UK trade barbs as Northern Ireland Brexit row intensifies, The Guardian, 12 May 2022: Live Brexit: EU warns against unilateral action by UK over Northern Ireland protocol, Irish Times, 12 May 2022: UK will have ‘no choice but to act’ if EU not flexible on NI protocol – Truss, The Guardian, 13 May 2022: Johnson blames today’s Brexit woes on Brussels – that’s a load of old bull, Irish Times, 13 May 2022: NI Assembly unable to function after DUP blocks vote for speaker, The National, 13 May 2022: Northern Ireland assembly collapses after DUP pulls speaker vote, Politico.eu, 13 May 2022: Boris Johnson to travel to Belfast amid Brexit protocol crisis, The Guardian, 13 May 2022: Northern Ireland: DUP condemned for paralysing Stormont as protocol row deepens, Politico.eu, 13 May 2022: Fury in Belfast as DUP vetoes power-sharing and shuts Stormont, CNN, 14 May 2022: Boris Johnson is picking a Brexit fight at a very risky moment, Irish Times, 14 May 2022: Main block to protocol deal is British government, not DUP, says Taoiseach, Arab News, 14 May 2022: Northern Ireland Protocol must be renegotiated to preserve peace, Irish Times, 14 May 2022: Fintan O’Toole: Don’t avoid the united Ireland issue. Make it real, The Times, 14 May 2022: Liz Truss was sent to stop a trade war — now No 10 fears she could start one, Irish Times, 15 May 2022: Boris Johnson looking to dial down the rhetoric in Belfast, The Guardian, 15 May 2022: Northern Ireland: Boris Johnson poised to give green light to bill on protocol, Politico.eu, 15 May 2022: Boris Johnson vows Northern Ireland protocol plan ‘in coming days’ as EU clash looms, Irish Times, 15 May 2022: Martin urges ‘real and professional’ engagement by British on NI protocol, France24, 16 May 2022: Proposed unilateral action on N. Ireland is ‘wrong’, Sinn Fein tells UK’s Johnson, Irish Times, 16 May 2022: UK government ‘placating the DUP’, says McDonald after ‘fairly tough’ meeting with Johnson, Politico.eu, 16 May 2022: Here we go again: The latest UK-EU Brexit row unpicked, The Guardian, 16 May 2022: Boris Johnson created this Brexit mess in Northern Ireland – and he should own it, Irish Times, 16 May 2022: Q&A: What is the problem with the Northern Ireland protocol?, The National, 17 May 2022: UK unveils plan to rip up Northern Ireland protocol, DW, 17 May 2022: EU vows response if UK scraps Northern Ireland Brexit rules, The Times, 17 May 2022: Johnson insists on scrapping Northern Ireland protocol after Stormont talks, DW, 17 May 2022: Explainer: Northern Ireland Protocol continues to cast its shadow, Irish Times, 17 May 2022: NI protocol: Johnson’s shaky grip on power means EU may just sit and wait, France24, 17 May 2022: Dublin says concerned over UK’s decision to unilaterally alter terms of post-Brexit trade deal, Irish Times, 17 May 2022: Q&A: How does the UK want to change Northern Ireland’s Brexit deal?, The Guardian, 17 May 2022: Brexit: EU raises spectre of trade war if UK rewrites Northern Ireland protocol, Irish Times, 17 May 2022: Fintan O’Toole: Truss’s latest take on NI protocol reveals what is really going on, The Times, 17 May 2022: Northern Ireland: Tory rebels threaten year’s delay to law revoking Brexit protocol, Irish Times, 17 May 2022: Johnson dismisses risk of EU retaliation over plans to change Northern Ireland protocol, Politico.eu, 17 May 2022: Victims ‘want no amnesty’ for Troubles-era killers, Irish tell UK, Irish Times, 18 May 2022: Plans to scrap parts of NI protocol do not breach international law, Truss says, Politico.eu, 18 May 2022: Leo Varadkar: British war on Brexit protocol fuels support for Irish unity, Irish Times, 19 May 2022: Boris Johnson’s true purpose in NI protocol dispute is wrapped in contradictions, Politico.eu, 20 May 2022: DUP chief dismisses Irish and US calls to drop veto on Belfast power-sharing, Irish Times, 20 May 2022: Taoiseach condemns UK ‘get out of jail’ plan for Troubles crimes, The Guardian, 20 May 2022: Northern Ireland: Unacceptable for one party to block Stormont, says Irish PM, Irish Times, 24 May 2022: Command and control: How would Sinn Féin navigate government in the Republic?, Politico.eu, 24 May 2022: US congressman: British ‘ultimatums’ can’t solve Irish border dilemma, Irish Times, 24 May 2022: London to give Irish language official recognition in North, Irish Times, 24 May 2022: Dispute over NI protocol appears ‘manufactured’ – Richard Neal, Irish Times, 25 May 2022: Liz Truss: The problems of the Northern Ireland protocol are baked into the text, Irish Times, 28 May 2022: Tens of thousands of Orange Order members parade in Belfast to mark NI centenary, The Guardian, 28 May 2022: Belfast: Thousands gather at Stormont to celebrate centenary of Northern Ireland, Politico.eu, 1 June 2022: Northern Ireland economy outpacing post-Brexit Britain, DW, 4 June 2022: US: Mexico-based megachurch leader pleads guilty to child sex abuse, Irish Times, 11 June 2022: Slowly but unmistakably, Ireland and Britain are growing apart, DW, 12 June 2022: Sinn Fein leader: UK about to break international law, The Guardian, 12 June 2022: Brexit: Opposition MPs demand full legal advice on Northern Ireland protocol bill, Irish Times, 12 June 2022: Unilateral protocol action damaging UK’s reputation in ‘fundamental way’, says Coveney, Politico.eu, 13 June 2022: US urges UK to keep talking to EU in ‘good faith’ amid Brexit row, France24, 13 June 2022: UK sets up EU showdown with plan to change Northern Ireland trade rules, Irish Times, 13 June 2022: EU warns London protocol Bill could endanger wider trade deal, DW, 13 June 2022: Britain looks to change post-Brexit trade rules with Northern Ireland, BBC, 13 June 2022: NI Protocol: UK reveals plans to ditch parts of EU Brexit deal, The Guardian, 13 June 2022: Northern Ireland: UK risks EU trade war as protocol bill is published, Irish Times, 14 June 2022: Fintan O’Toole: Boris Johnson does not need solution on the NI protocol. He needs a war, France24, 14 June 2022: Johnson moves to renege on his own ‘terrible’ Brexit deal – but will the Tories kill it?, The Times, 14 June 2022: Northern Ireland protocol bill: EU pledges legal action over Brexit ‘violation’, Irish Times, 15 June 2022: Britain accuses EU of undermining Belfast Agreement, CNN, 15 June 2022: EU launches legal action against UK over post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland, Politico.eu, 15 June 2022: EU launches legal action over UK’s Northern Ireland Brexit bill, DW, 15 June 2022: Brexit: EU launches legal action against UK over Northern Ireland breach, Irish Times, 15 June 2022: Brexit: What does the EU think of UK law to override NI’s trade rules?, The Guardian, 15 June 2022: Northern Ireland: EU Brexit chief suggests MPs should stop protocol bill, Irish Times, 16 June 2022: The intractable problem is that Britain does not understand the EU, Politico.eu, 17 June 2022: On the farms and high streets of Northern Ireland, the protocol is more than a political row, Irish Times, 17 June 2022: What do you call Boris Johnson shamelessly bluffing at the poker table with an empty hand? The protocol Bill, Irish Times, 18 June 2022: David McWilliams: Truth is the union with Britain has been an economic calamity for Northern Ireland, The Times, 27 June 2022: Theresa May savages Boris Johnson’s Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, The Guardian, 28 June 2022: Scrapping the NI protocol is just the start. Johnson’s trade wars are Trumpism in action, Politico.eu, 29 June 2022: Poll: Just 5 percent of Northern Ireland voters trust UK to manage trade dispute, Irish Times, 29 June 2022: Britain cannot be trusted and this has deep implications for Irish unity, Irish Times, 30 June 2022: Actions of British government could break up UK, Varadkar says, The Guardian, 1 July 2022: Brexit: Johnson risks breakup of UK over Northern Ireland protocol, says Varadkar, Irish Times, 3 July 2022: UK sending ‘terrible signal’ around the world on NI protocol – Coveney, Politico.eu, 3 July 2022: Germany and Ireland slam UK’s plan to scrap Northern Ireland agreement, DW, 3 July 2022: Germany slams UK’s plan to dismantle post-Brexit agreement, Irish Times, 4 July 2022: ‘Britain is treating the Belfast Agreement like a New Year’s Day gym membership’, Irish Times, 5 July 2022: The United Kingdom is broken. It’s time for a new British federation, Irish Times, 10 July 2022: Johnson’s departure presents a ‘glorious opportunity’, says Ahern, Irish Times, 10 July 2022: Most Tory leadership candidates in favour of scrapping NI protocol, Jewish Chronicle, 15 July 2022: President Biden slammed for comparing Israel-Palestine conflict to Britain and NI, The Guardian, 18 July 2022: Trade across Irish border booms after Brexit amid energy growth, Irish Times, 20 July 2022: NI protocol Bill moves closer to becoming law as it clears Commons with ‘top priority’ pledge, Politico.eu, 22 July 2022: EU threatens UK with new legal action over Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, Irish Times, 25 July 2022: Former UUP leader David Trimble remembered as ‘political giant’ following his death at age 77, The Atlantic, 26 July 2022: The Work of Giants Crumbles, The Guardian, 27 July 2022: David Trimble’s passing shows how much politics has changed – and not just in Northern Ireland, Irish Times, 27 July 2022: David Trimble will trouble historians for years to come, Irish Times, 28 July 2022: Finn McRedmond: Pretending Northern Ireland is not there will not make it vanish for Truss and Sunak, Irish Times, 30 July 2022: Pat Leahy: Lessons for Southern politics from the life of David Trimble, Irish Times, 30 July 2022: Fintan O’Toole: David Trimble was the only unionist leader to break Paisley’s noxious spell, Irish Times, 1 August 2022: Mourners at David Trimble’s funeral hear of determined leader who left an enduring legacy, Politico.eu, 3 August 2022: Sinn Féin: Northern Ireland risks winter election as voters freeze, Irish Times, 11 August 2022: Tension and troublemaking inevitable between North and Republic in face of energy shortages, DW, 18 August 2022: Divided society in Northern Ireland).

Another aspect of Brexit is the affiliation of Gibraltar. The rock was officially ceded by Spain to the United Kingdom in 1713, but still claimed by Spain to date. In 2002, a referendum on Gibraltar’s affiliation was held, with 98% of the population voting in favor to belong to the UK. However, as part of the Brexit referendum, 96% of the population voted to remain in the EU, so that there is still a need and plenty of room for discussions (Effect of Brexit on Gibraltar, The Guardian, 27 December 2020: ‘Clock still ticking’ for settlement over Gibraltar despite Brexit deal, Politico.eu, 29 December 2020: Dire straits: The Rock faces a hard Brexit as Gibraltar talks drag on, DW, 31 December 2020: Brexit: UK and Spain say Gibraltar to join Schengen in last-minute deal, Politico.eu, 19 January 2021: Gibraltar could yet face no-deal Brexit, chief minister warns, The National, 21 July 2021: UK tells EU to think again over plan for Gibraltar talks, Politico.eu, 22 September 2021: UK prepares for Gibraltar no-deal in case EU talks fail).

On the Balkans, among the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, there are still all sorts of separatists and separatist efforts, whose outcomes are still unclear, in parts promoted by the fact that the EU accession prospects for the individual states were promised by the EU, but can not be implemented because of the blockades by few EU member states.

During the World War I, Italian troops occupied South Tyrol (History of South Tyrol), which had been Austrian until then, and finally annexed it. Even 100 years later, there are always efforts to reintegrate South Tyrol into Austria. Viewed from a distance, the efforts often take on humorous traits, but those on site take it seriously. Similar to the Good Friday Agreement between Ireland and the United Kingdom, the EU has also been able to develop very beneficial effects here by creating the Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino Euroregion and thus making the political borders disappear more and more in everyday life.

A much more interesting approach would be to turn the debates about separatism, regionalism and nationalism on its head by changing the narratives and assumptions. In relation to the EU, this would mean perceiving the EU as the United Europe and thus as a statehood / nationality, at the same time as a larger, flexible regulatory framework. Everything else would then turn into the opposite. Regionalism and nationalism would suddenly have very positive aspects and hardly any potential threats to social cohesion as a whole. Nationalism would refer to the entire EU and regionalism would permanently preserve the incredible diversity (cultural diversity) within the EU.

An antidote
In addition to education, direct contact is of course an almost unbeatable countermeasure to nationalism, xenophobia, racism and hostility to religion. Here is a possible example: Part of my training was that my parents sent me alone to London for a few weeks at the age of 14. Back then it was anything but normal or the rule, but a real privilege. An unforgettable experience, to belong to a minority of German nationality for a short time. So one day I sat at the fountain on Trafalgar Square with a Falk-Plan, the predecessor of Google Maps printed on paper, on my knees, to find my way through the tangle of streets in the city. After a while an older Brit sat down next to me and we started talking. In the course of the conversation he said, “Great that you like my country and my city so much. You are very welcome, but your grandfather better never ever show up again!” (neither of my two grandfathers were ever in the UK or even anywhere near it). After this sentence was fully understood and processed, the topics “xenophobia and nationalism” were off my table. For other topics, there were corresponding other experiences that I had abroad when I was young and which have an impact to this day. This was also very helpful for later international professional activities. The “sorting” of the fellow human beings is not based on nationality, skin color or religion, but on “very nice, nice, okay, difficult, of no use at all or toxic”, which also makes things much easier to handle overall. Unlike nationalism or hostility to religion, you don’t need to remember over 190 countries in the world or even more religions, because you supposedly shouldn’t like them, but only single out toxins, which you can easily avoid without limiting or restricting yourself: “hard on the issue and soft on the people”.

This contribution is sporadically supplemented and extended. The linked articles and contributions reflect the views, opinions and analyzes of the respective editorial offices, authors and journalists that we do not adopt.

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[caption id="attachment_161088" align="aligncenter" width="572"] Debrecen montage © Uzo19/cc-by-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Debrecen 0is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Nort...

Theme Week Gascony - Auch

[caption id="attachment_151967" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Armagnac Tower and Auch Cathedral © Chrwalker/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Auch is a commune in southwestern France. Located in the region of Midi-Pyrénées,...

Kalymnos in the southern Aegean

[caption id="attachment_150577" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Cruising near Pserimos © kallerna/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Kalymnos is a Greek island and municipality in the southeastern Aegean Sea. It belongs to the D...

Industry City in Brooklyn

[caption id="attachment_234641" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © Jim.henderson/cc-by-sa-4.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Industry City (also Bush Terminal) is a historic intermodal shipping, warehousing, and manufacturing complex on t...

Theme Week Tunisia

[caption id="attachment_168254" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Beach in Hammamet © Faresbenrayana/cc-by-sa-4.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Tunisia is a country in North Africa, covering 165,000 square kilometres (64,000 square miles)...

Bridgehampton on Long Island

[caption id="attachment_250707" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Farmer's Market © David Shankbone/cc-by-2.5[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Bridgehampton is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on the South Fork of Suffolk County, N...

Quadrilatero della moda in Milan

[caption id="attachment_238691" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Via Monte Napoleone © FlavMi/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The Quadrilatero della moda (literally "fashion square"), or Via Montenapoleone fashion district, is...

Theme Week Basque Country

[caption id="attachment_241328" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Donostia / San Sebastián panorama from Monte Igueldo © flickr.com - Tom Page/cc-by-sa-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The Basque Country (Basque: Euskal Herria; Spanish:...

Mayfair in London

[caption id="attachment_225001" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Burlington Arcade © Solipsist/cc-by-sa-2.5[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the...

The Symphony of the Seas

[caption id="attachment_216932" align="aligncenter" width="590"] at PortMiami © WikiEK/cc-by-sa-4.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Symphony of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. She...

Theme Week Lorraine - Épinal

[caption id="attachment_154015" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Market Hall © Richieman[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Épinal is a commune in northeastern France and the capital of the Vosges department. Inhabitants are known as Spinali...

Portrait: Ayn Rand, the voice of libertarian Objectivism

[caption id="attachment_209867" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Ayn Rand quote - American Adventure - Epcot Center - Walt Disney World © flickr.com - Cory Doctorow/cc-by-sa-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Ayn Rand< was a Russian-Ameri...

Wingsch Real Estate Investments