Germany: Far-right AfD's donation account shut down

The Alternative for Germany must now look for a new banking provider, as Grannies against the Right stir up trouble for the far-right party.

Grannies against the Far-right collected more than 33,000 signatures for their petition to shut down the AfD account

Michael Bihlmayer/CHROMORANGE/picture alliance

The donation account for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was shut down on Wednesday after activists gathered names on a petition in opposition to the populist group, media reported on Thursday.

The civil initiative Omas gegen Rechts, which translates as Grannies against the Far-right, collected more than 33,000 signatures in an online petition, which they then handed over to the Berliner Volksbank and called for the bank to close the party's donation account.

The German newspaper TAZ first reported on the account closure on Wednesday, with events later being confirmed by other outlets on Thursday.
Bank confirms receipt of petition

The bank confirmed that it had met the activists and received their petition, but would not comment on the status of the account due to secrecy rules.

However, a link on the AfD's website that directed supporters to donate money to the bank account had disappeared by Thursday. Donations via other methods were still possible.

The Berliner Volksbank also refused to deny the closure of the account.

"Since we've handed over the petition, we assume that there are no longer any business relations between the AfD and the Berliner Volksbank," Omas gegen Rechts said on social media.

In their post, they also thanked the Berlin-based bank and the petitioners for their "victory".

Germany's far-right AfD riding high despite setbacks 02:04

Omas gegen Rechts is a civil society platform that was founded on Facebook in November 2017 by Monika Salzer. They operate throughout Germany and their social media accounts on TikTok and Instagram have accumulated tens and thousands of followers.

The German news agency DPA reported that transfers to the bank were still possible amid a transition period during which the account would still be accessible.

AfD's rise met with opposition

Having a far-right party like the AfD as a client was guided by the "principle of political neutrality," the German bank said earlier this year.

According to the bank, It follows the applicable laws with regard to the equal treatment of all bank customers.

This "also applies to political parties that are democratically legitimized in liberal elections and represented in German parliaments," a bank official said.

The AfD has risen to its highest level of support in the polls, especially in Germany's eastern states. In last month's European Parliament elections, it came out as the single largest party in Germany, making considerable gains across almost all age groups.

Amid a fear of a resurgent far right, thousands of people have come out in protest against the party. Groups like Omas gegen Rechts have been in frequent opposition.

Earlier this year, The Munich Administrative Court in South Germany allowed the Bavarian intelligence agency to monitor the regional association of the AfD as a suspected extremist group.

The party did not immediately comment on the account closure.

Far-right AfD reelects leaders amid protests  04:29

sp,ab/rmt (dpa, DW sources)

FASCIST INTERNATIONALE

EU: What's next for right-wing parties in Brussels?

Lucia Schulten

Right-wing parties in Brussels are regrouping after surging at the polls of the 2024 European Parliament elections. Some old alliances remain, some new ones are being forged, and there could be surprises on the horizon.

Despite the smiles, right-wing parties in the EU are not all working as one

Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP/picture alliance

Far-right parties made big gains in EU parliamentary elections this June, shifting the political balance at both the EU and the national levels across the bloc.

A victory by the far-right National Rally (RN) in France, for instance, sent shockwaves through the country, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to call new national elections.

While the true strength of the RN within France's national parliament will not be clear until the second round of voting is completed on Sunday, right-wing parties in the European Parliament have begun to forge alliances for the upcoming legislative period — some old, others new.

The right-wing conservative ECR group is growing

To date, far-right, conservative-nationalist, right-wing populist and other parties on the right of the European political spectrum have essentially settled into two camps.

One is the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) parliamentary group, home to, among others, Poland's nationalist opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) and Italy's Brothers of Italy (FdI), which grew out of the country's post-fascist movement. Brothers of Italy leader and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni serves as president of the ECR party.

The right-wing conservative ECR has already laid out its priorities for the coming legislative period, namely "to ensure that the EU focuses on its core tasks," as well as "strongly opposing any move towards a supranational superstate."

On immigration, the ECR wants to do more to curb irregular migration as well as creating "regional disembarkation platforms outside the EU" to process asylum applications. At the same time, the group seeks to "tackle the root causes of migration."

In terms of the environment, the group wants to reverse existing agreements to phase out internal combustion vehicles and has openly questioned efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The ECR has clearly expressed support for further aid to Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.

Thierry Chopin, a political analyst at the Jacques Delors Institute, a Paris think tank, believes that Meloni's more moderate approach, especially when it comes to Ukraine, is part of a political strategy.

According to the latest statistics, the ECR currently holds 84 seats in the European Parliament, making it the body's third-largest bloc. On Wednesday, the party used its inaugural meeting to distribute posts for the coming legislative period. It is also likely that the ECR will play a key role in reelecting Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission in two weeks.

French far-right victory could impact EU, NATO 02:42

What is the far-right ID group up to?

The second-largest right-wing group in the European Parliament is Identity and Democracy, or ID. Parties in the group include Italian Matteo Salvini's Lega and Marine Le Pen's RN from France. Just prior to the June EU vote, ID expelled the Alternative for Germany (AfD), parts of which German domestic security services have labeled right-wing extremist.

The AfD expulsion, as well as a meeting between Meloni and Le Pen, have fueled rumors of the formation of a far-right "super group," but that does not seem to be in the works at the moment. Political analyst Chopin said Meloni's and Le Pen's political programs were simply too far apart for that to be a possibility, especially when it came to their attitudes toward Russia.

While Meloni has clearly positioned herself on the side of Ukraine, that has not necessarily been the case with Le Pen. Chopin said RN traditionally aligned itself more closely with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nevertheless, the party has toned down its rhetoric in the wake of Putin's invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

Chopin said the issue would take on greater importance if RN populists emerged victorious in the second round of voting in French parliamentary elections on Sunday. That is because France's parliament has control of the country's budget and thus, over Ukraine aid. Although he was unsure what policies an RN-led parliament would pursue, Chopin said it could very well be problematic for Kyiv.

At the moment, however, the final makeup of the ID group in Brussels remains unclear. That is due in part to the formation of another new far-right group in the European Parliament, the so-called Patriots for Europe.

'The best answer is to work hard together' 06:06

Patriots for Europe a new right-wing force?

Last Sunday, one day before his country took over the European Council's rotating presidency, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced the formation of a new right-wing alliance in the European Parliament. The bloc will be led by Orban, the head of the nationalist-conservative Fidesz party; his Czech counterpart Andrej Babis, former prime minister of the Czech Republic and head of the liberal-populist ANO (Yes) party; and Herbert Kickl, leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ).

In an online manifesto, the three parties emphasized their desire to create a "Europe of nations," noting that they do not want an EU superstate. Their program puts great emphasis on national sovereignty and the need for countries to be able to exercise veto rights. They also want to protect what they call "European identity, tradition and customs, the fruits of its Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian heritage." Furthermore, the three called for a stop to "illegal migration to protect our cultural identity."

Orban regularly makes headlines in the EU for his use of Hungary's veto powers in the European Council, as has often been the case when it came to support for Ukraine. A vote in favor of opening EU accession talks with Kyiv, for example, was only made possible through the use of a procedural trick — with the vote taken after Orban agreed to temporarily leave the room.

According to media reports, Portugal's right-wing populist Chega party has also signaled interest in joining the bloc, and there has been speculation over the possibility of Salvini's Lega and Le Pen's RN joining — though both are currently still members of the ID Group. According to news agency DPA, Alice Weidel, co-chair of the now unaffiliated AfD, has said the German party will not join the group.

In order for the new group to attain the status of an official European Parliamentary bloc it must have members from at least seven EU states, though by now it will have likely already cleared another hurdle, that of having at least 23 members.

The final future makeup of the right-wing spectrum in Brussels still remains open, but should be clear by the time the European Parliament convenes for its constituent session on July 16.

This article was originally written in German.

ARYAN NATIONALISTS

Can Putin rely on India to boost Russia's war economy?

Nik Martin1

After Moscow's tanks rolled into Ukraine, Russian oil exports to India soared. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for talks with President Vladimir Putin, India wants to stay neutral and boost trade with Russia.

Putin sees India as a diplomatic and economic ally, but the Ukraine war has complicated ties

 Alexandr Demyanchuk/SPUTNIK/AFP

India took a lot of flak in the West for increasing imports of Russian fossil fuels in the face of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The world's third-largest oil importer saw deliveries from Russia jump tenfold in 2022 and double again last year, thanks to heavy price discounts. India's coal imports from Russia rose threefold over the same two-year period.

Despite accusations of funding Putin's war machine, New Delhi has justified the increase by citing India's traditional "stable and friendly" ties with Moscow and its heavy reliance on imported oil.

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week, Putin will be looking to further boost trade with the South Asian power to shore up Russia's commodity-dependent economy and lessen the impact of Western sanctions over the Ukraine war.

When announcing the talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that in addition to working together on global and regional security issues, there was "mutual political will" to boost trade and economic cooperation.

India, on the other hand, must tread a delicate path as it aims to maintain strong links with the West, seek new trade links with Moscow and retain a neutral position over the conflict.

DW looks at the current state of India-Russia trade ties and what the two leaders could agree on next.

China, Russia present challenges to India's Modi  02:40

How strong are India-Russia relations?

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and India built a strategic partnership for defense and trade that continued after the end of communism. In 2000, Putin, then Russia's prime minister, signed a new declaration of cooperation with New Delhi.

India is a major market for the Russian defense industry — until recently its largest. During the past two decades, Moscow supplied 65% of India's weapons purchases, totaling more than $60 billion (€55.8 billion), according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

After Russian forces invaded Ukraine, Moscow sought to deepen its relations with India and China as a counterweight to the West. The Kremlin offered New Delhi huge discounts on oil, coal and fertilizer deliveries to boost the country's finances to fight the war.

As a result, India emerged as a major export market for Russian fossil fuels in search of new destinations in the wake of Western sanctions. In April, for example, Russian crude oil deliveries to India surged to a new record of 2.1 million barrels per day (b/d), according to the financial analytics firm S&P Global.

Bilateral trade between the two countries reached a record high of nearly $65.7 billion last year, figures from India's Department of Commerce showed. Trade is, however, massively stacked in Russia's favor, with India importing $61.4 billion worth of goods, including oil, fertilizers, precious stones and metals.

"For long, we have looked at Russia from a political or security perspective," Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said at an industry conference in May. "As that country turns eastwards, fresh economic opportunities are presenting themselves ... the spike in our trade and new areas of cooperation should not be regarded as a temporary phenomenon."

What are New Delhi's concerns about ties with Moscow?

While the West limited its criticism of India over the cheap oil deal with Russia, New Dehli's historic reliance on Moscow for weapons is a major concern for the US and Europe.

"New Delhi has demonstrated a nuanced approach to navigating the Russia-Ukraine conflict, staying on good terms with Moscow and the West," Aleksei Zakharov, a researcher on Indian foreign policy at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), wrote in a paper last month.

Zakharov wrote of "structural challenges" that he said "appear to still prevent the two sides from reinvigorating the economic ties, adding that the defense cooperation between Russia and India is currently "in a state of limbo," partly as the Ukraine war and Western sanctions have hobbled Russia's arms sector.

India has jointly developed the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile with Russia

Gurinder Osan/AP/picture alliance

India had several negative experiences in earlier deals with Russia's arms industry. A 2004 deal to buy a Soviet-era aircraft carrier, upgraded and retrofitted by Russia, was criticized over long delays and a doubling of costs.

In 2013, the explosion and sinking of a Russian-built submarine, which killed 18 crew members, further pressured India's leaders on their defense cooperation with Moscow.

The Indian military is currently awaiting two of five S-400 air defense systems and Russian-made frigates that Russia agreed to supply as part of 2018 deals, local media reported in April.

While India remained the leading destination of arms transfers from Moscow between 2017 and 2022, Russia's share of defense exports to the South Asian country dropped from 65% to 36% during the same period, SIPRI data showed,

French and German arms suppliers have benefitted from New Delhi's change of strategy, amid reticence among Indian policymakers to break Western sanctions on Moscow by signing new deals with the Kremlin.

Why is India pivoting away from Russian weapons?  02:40

Is more trade between India and Russia in the cards?

Modi's visit to Moscow — his second overseas trip after reelection in June — is a sign of the importance India still places on relations with the Kremlin. As a growing world power, New Delhi is keen to prioritize its own strategic interests while balancing relations with the West, Russia and China.

While New Delhi has called for "dialogue and diplomacy" to end the Ukraine war, at the recent Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland, India's representative did not sign a joint communique calling for Ukraine's territorial integrity to be respected in any peace agreement.

"On the surface, it may seem that India's neutrality [in the Ukraine war] has allowed the strengthening of bilateral ties with Moscow," said Zahkarov in his recent paper. "However, a closer look suggests that India has become more cautious in its interactions with Russia ... [so] maintaining dialogue and hedging bets will likely be more important for both sides than striking new deals."

Although new pacts to buy Russian weapons may be limited, Modi's "Made in India" initiative, which aims to promote the country as a manufacturing hub, could see Russia provide more raw materials and parts for domestic Indian arms production.

Russia is also keen to expand the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a road, sea and rail project that connects Russia to India via Iran. Russia shipped the first tranche of coal through the INSTC last month.

The project has been in the works for over two decades and due to the constraints that Russia is facing from Western sanctions, INSTC is now a key trade priority for the Kremlin.

Completion of another project that has taken on new urgency is the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor. First proposed in 2019, the sea route stretching 10,300 kilometers (5,600 nautical miles) from Russia's easternmost region could help secure flows of Russian energy and other raw materials to India.

The proposed corridor is expected to reduce shipping times from 40 to 24 days, compared with the existing route through the Suez Canal.

Edited by: Ashutosh Pandey

German industrial orders decline amid weak foreign demand10 hours ago10 hours ago

The fifth consecutive decline in factory orders and a fall in demand from abroad point to "subdued" industrial activity in the coming months.

There was a 2.9% drop in orders in the automotive industry, data shows

 Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The Federal German statistics office, Destatis, said Thursday that factory orders fell for a fifth consecutive month in May.

The data showed that German industrial orders dropped 1.6% month-on-month, sharper than the revised 0.6% decrease in April.

Although domestic orders rose slightly by 0.5%, the decline is largely attributed to a 2.8% fall in foreign demand, with orders from the non-eurozone falling by 4.6% and orders from the euro area decreasing by 0.1%.

Destatis recorded a 2.9% drop in orders in the automotive industry, and a sharp decline of 19.2% in the "manufacture of other transport equipment."

Germany cuts growth forecasts for 2024  01:09

What does it mean for the German economy?

The German Economy Ministry said the latest figures and a recent deterioration in business expectations point to "rather subdued" industrial activity in the coming months.

"Order intakes are only likely to stabilize once global trade recovers further and demand for industrial products gradually picks up," it added.

Germany, Europe's biggest economy and a traditional driver of European growth, has struggled to bounce back since Russia launched the war in Ukraine, driving prices up globally.

The German economy shrank in 2023, partly due to a decline in the manufacturing sector.

The German government forecasts growth of 0.3% this year, after sharply lowering its projection from 1.3%.

fb/ab (AFP, dpa)

Germany: Tesla given go-ahead for Berlin factory expansion

German authorities have granted Elon Musk's Tesla permission to expand its Gigafactory just outside Berlin. The original plans sparked resistance from locals worried about the environmental impacts.

US electric vehicle giant Tesla has been granted provisional permission by German authorities to expand its "Gigafactory" just outside Berlin, despite resistance from local residents.

The factory near the small town of Grünheide in Brandenburg, about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) beyond the southeastern edge of Berlin, is Tesla's only such site in Europe.

Tesla hopes the expansion will allow it to increase production capacity from around 500,000 vehicles per year to one million.

According to the original plans, more than 100 hectares of woodland were to be cleared. However, after a local referendum, Tesla scaled back the project, including scrapping plans for a new freight depot.

Construction may begin 'at own risk'

The environment ministry of the federal state of Brandenburg, which envelops the city-state of Berlin and where Grünheide is located, said building permission had not yet been officially granted but that Tesla could begin construction "at its own risk" following positive talks.

The approved plans include laying new underground pipes, building new stairwells and installing solar panels on roofs.

A new "asphalted logistics area" for new cars is also planned, as is a new larger production hall.

Tesla, which is owned by Elon Musk, has been operating in Brandenburg since March 2022 and employs around 12,000 people at its Grünheide site – although 400 redundancies were announced in April this year.

In March, unknown saboteurs managed to cause a serious power cut at the plant, prompting public condemnation from senior German politicians concerned that Musk might consider relocating the factory.

In May, climate activists attempted to storm the site, leading to clashes with police.

'Failure to prevent threat or political stunt'? Bolivia govt handling of coup 'amplified mistrust'

Issued on: 04/07/2024 

For years, Bolivia has been ravaged by crushing shortages of petrol, cost of living increases, growing discontent and mass protests. Adding to the turmoil, President Luis Arce claimed to have put down an attempt to unseat him militarily. And then, in a highly unusual twist, coup leader and former top military commander, Juan Jose Zuniga claimed he was just following Arce's orders, and that the president had hoped for the coup to trigger a crackdown that would boost the president's popularity. President Luis Arce has denied any involvement and Zuniga was subsequently arrested. To gain a deeper perspective on this dramatic developing story unfolding in one of Latin America's poorest countries, FRANCE 24's Mark Owen is joined by La Paz Correspondent Madeleyne Alguila and Carl Meacham, CEO/President of Global Americans, a nonpartisan think tank.

09:56 Video by: Mark OWEN

Swedish diplomat recalls darkest moments in Iran prison

Stockholm (AFP) – After almost 800 days in Iran's notorious Evin prison, the now-free Swedish diplomat Johan Floderus recalled the darkest moments throughout his imprisonment and how he survived them.

Issued on: 04/07/2024 - 

Floderus did not believe he would ever be released until he was taken to Tehran airport on June 15 , 2024

© Tom SAMUELSSON / TT News Agency/AFP/

Released in mid-June, Floderus and another Swedish citizen were part of a prisoner exchange that saw a former prison official return to Iran.

When asked how he has been since gaining his freedom, Floderus smiled while choosing his words carefully.

"I'm doing well. My family has done everything to give me the sort of soft landing that I think I really needed upon my return," he told AFP.

Floderus was arrested in Iran as he was about to return home from a holiday with his friends in April 2022.

"I was about to text my friends and tell them: 'look I've arrived at the airport but something is going on.' But that's when somebody came and took the phone away and said that's not allowed," he said.

The EU diplomat was then taken by car to the north of Tehran, where he recognised Evin prison.

"I had to take off my clothes and put on the prison uniform, sign some documents," he said.
'Confusion, anxiety, despair'

He was blindfolded and led through corridors of the huge prison.

"I couldn't see where I was going, I could only see my feet really on the floor."

After two or three days alone in a cell, he was brought before what others called a judge.

"I was relieved to go there because I thought: 'finally this mistake will be resolved'," he said.

"But on the contrary, this man told me that I was accused of espionage against the Islamic Republic of Iran and that's the moment where everything kind of went black."

At that moment, Floderus said he felt faint.

It was then that the judge noticed and told him not to worry.

"I was just going to be their guest for two or three days but I would remain there for the next two years and two months," Floderus said.

The diplomat spent the first two months in "confusion, anxiety, despair" in solitary confinement before being moved to a group cell.

There, Floderus and the other prisoners were able to speak freely with one another.

"When I told them about what had happened to me, who I was, they told me, but Johan, you're a hostage," he said.

After a month with the other detainees, the Swede was taken to solitary confinement -- where he spent six months.

It was then that Floderus began looking for ways to survive.

"But as time went by and the months passed in solitary confinement, I realised that I would not survive if I let myself be affected by bad news or the absence of news," he said.

Floderus said he then tried to live with something other than hope.

"I discovered a strength within me that was more constant and that I could always rely on and that wouldn't leave me even in the darkest moments."
New trial

In December 2023, Floderus went on trial and was accused of one of the most serious charges in Iran which was punishable by death.

That same month, Iranian Hamid Noury saw his life sentence for his role in the mass executions of prisoners ordered by Tehran in 1988 upheld by a Swedish appeal court.

"I knew from an early stage that the only way in which I will see my family and loved ones again is through a prisoner exchange," he said.

"Sweden is not the first country that has taken this decision."

Floderus did not believe he would ever be released until he was taken to Tehran airport on June 15.

As soon as he got off the plane in Stockholm he proposed to his boyfriend as Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson looked on.

"I want to go back to the life that my fiance and I were leading before this happened," he said.

"Because two years and two months have been stolen from us and now we want to take them back."

© 2024 AFP

FRANCE 24 report: South Sudan's nascent civil society mobilising to ensure fair election

Issued on: 04/07/2024 - 

Following renewed efforts by the government and civil society, South Sudan is preparing for its first general election since its independence in 2011. If it proceeds as planned, the election will mark a significant moment in the country’s transitional period, following the 2018 revitalised peace agreement that brought an end to its seven-year civil war, during which around 400,000 people were killed. Experts have warned that the government is not doing enough to ensure that free, fair and credible elections are held. In response, citizens of all ages and members of the country’s nascent civil society have been mobilising, as FRANCE 24’s Olivia Bizot reports.

01:58  Video by: Olivia BIZOT

ANTI COLONIAL ANTI IMPERIALIST ALLIANCE

Junta-leaders in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to hold first joint summit

The junta-leaders in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will hold their first ever joint summit this weekend. The “Alliance of Sahel States” meeting will be held in Niger’s capital Niamey.

The three juntas are hostile toward their countries’ former colonial ruler France and other western countries and instead have turned to other partners such as Russia, Turkey and Iran.

Issued on: 04/07/2024 

The junta-appointed ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger meet in Ouagadougou on February 15, 2024. 

© Fanny Noaro-Kabre, AFP / File picture

The military rulers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will on Saturday hold their first joint summit since seizing power in a series of coups, Nigerien authorities said.

“Our country will be hosting on Saturday July 6 the first summit of the AES (Alliance of Sahel States) heads of state from Burkina, Mali and Niger,” they said in a statement read out on public radio.

Niger’s junta leader Abdourahamane Tiani will host Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso and Malian ruler Assimi Goita in Niamey from Friday ahead of the summit, the source said.

Their meeting will be held on the eve of a summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The three countries announced their withdrawal from that major bloc in January and its remaining members have called for them to rejoin.

The AES is an economic and defense pact.

The three juntas are hostile toward their countries’ former colonial ruler France and other western countries and instead have turned to other partners such as Russia, Turkey and Iran.

In mid-May, the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger agreed in Niamey on a draft text creating the confederation, which the heads of states are expected to adopt at Saturday’s summit.

The three countries, which have faced deadly jihadist violence, also aim to create a common currency.

(AFP)

Was Tory legacy of austerity devastating for growth, productivity, infrastructure & public services?

Issued on: 03/07/2024 - 

The UK Labour party is 99 percent "certain" to secure more seats in Thursday's general election than when it won a landslide victory in 1997, a major new poll said on Tuesday. The centre-left opposition party -- out of power since 2010 -- is predicted to claim 484 out of a total of 650 seats in what would be an unprecedented victory in modern British history, pollster Survation said. Meanwhile, the right-wing ruling Conservatives and the centrist Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) are in a close race to come a distant second and form the country's official opposition, it added. With Labour heading for a historic election win, FRANCE 24 is joined by Tim Bale, Professor of Politics in the School of Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary University of London.

06:59