Previously in Europe

We will have a new project at https://dreambuddies.fireside.fm/ [https://dreambuddies.fireside.fm/] if you want to hear what we're up to (forthnightly-ish). There will be European politics but it's not the main focus. And there's still a discord here [http://leftists.eu]

This week we wildly speculate on future events as we're going on hiatus while Ciarán figures out parenting Support us on Patreon! [https://www.patreon.com/previouslyineurope] We now have a website that you can find here! [http://previouslyineurope.eu/] There's a discord here [http://leftists.eu] WE HAVE A T-PUBLIC STORE [https://www.teepublic.com/user/previneurope] what a fashionable way to support our podcast Feel free to send us an email at PreviouslyInEurope@gmail.com [PreviouslyInEurope@gmail.com] or follow us on Twitter @PrevInEurope [https://twitter.com/PrevInEurope] If you can please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and if you can't do that tell a friend, this stuff really helps us out Also, have you considered Matteo Renzi? ## Subsequently in Europe SPECULATION TIME! GERMANY Danish minority are running in the next parliament elections (thanks for the heads up Maximilian) - I predict a very close early election due to government breakdown followed by the Danish Schleswig Party party entering a coalition with the deciding vote. BREXIT? I think there'll just be a terrible deal which the UK will pretend is very good. They're kicking up a fuss about it now as a distraction because the migrant panic didn't work long enough CORONAVIRUS Is no buneo...

There are two topics today whoop whoop! We talk about #golfgate in Ireland which gets us annoyed (as Irish people) and we revisit the Serbian elections and where we are with all that Vučić stuff. Support us on Patreon! [https://www.patreon.com/previouslyineurope] We now have a website that you can find here! [http://previouslyineurope.eu/] There's a discord here [http://leftists.eu] WE HAVE A T-PUBLIC STORE [https://www.teepublic.com/user/previneurope] what a fashionable way to support our podcast Feel free to send us an email at PreviouslyInEurope@gmail.com [PreviouslyInEurope@gmail.com] or follow us on Twitter @PrevInEurope [https://twitter.com/PrevInEurope] If you can please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and if you can't do that tell a friend, this stuff really helps us out Also, have you considered Matteo Renzi?

Support us on Patreon! [https://www.patreon.com/previouslyineurope] We now have a website that you can find here! [http://previouslyineurope.eu/] There's a discord here [http://leftists.eu] WE HAVE A T-PUBLIC STORE [https://www.teepublic.com/user/previneurope] what a fashionable way to support our podcast Feel free to send us an email at PreviouslyInEurope@gmail.com [PreviouslyInEurope@gmail.com] or follow us on Twitter @PrevInEurope [https://twitter.com/PrevInEurope] If you can please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and if you can't do that tell a friend, this stuff really helps us out Also, have you considered Matteo Renzi? NO ELECTION LEFT BEHIND 2020 BELARUSIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Belarusian_presidential_election [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Belarusian_presidential_election] EU RESPONSE EU officially doesn't recognise the results, but it took a while (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/19/belarus-crisis-eu-leaders-emergency-talks-lukashenko-protests [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/19/belarus-crisis-eu-leaders-emergency-talks-lukashenko-protests]). There's talk of sanctions but nothing specific yet On the delay from a Politico Newsletter: ANOTHER STATEMENT: The EU threatened sanctions earlier this week, but today’s videoconference is more about delivering a “quick reaction,” a senior EU diplomat told Jacopo Barigazzi. A decision very likely won’t come until the foreign ministers meet in person August 27-28 in Berlin, the diplomat said, for an informal gathering known as a “Gymnich.” And since EU High Representative Josep Borrell is technically on holiday away from Brussels, no press conference is expected at the end of today’s meeting — just a readout. ALSO... https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/08/17/belarus-why-this-time-is-not-different/ [https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/08/17/belarus-why-this-time-is-not-different/] STRIKES Call for solidarity from worker organisations: https://progressive.international/wire/2020-08-19-an-urgent-call-for-solidarity-with-the-workers-and-people-of-belarus/en [https://progressive.international/wire/2020-08-19-an-urgent-call-for-solidarity-with-the-workers-and-people-of-belarus/en] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/08/state-controlled-firms-join-strike-belarus-president-200818113145275.html [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/08/state-controlled-firms-join-strike-belarus-president-200818113145275.html] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/17/belarus-opposition-calls-for-general-strike-after-biggest-protests-yet [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/17/belarus-opposition-calls-for-general-strike-after-biggest-protests-yet] Including the state TV station - https://www.dw.com/en/belarus-television-broadcasts-empty-studio-as-state-media-joins-general-strike/a-54593079?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf [https://www.dw.com/en/belarus-television-broadcasts-empty-studio-as-state-media-joins-general-strike/a-54593079?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf] EUROPE'S LAST DICTATOR... For a very questionable graph: https://www.rferl.org/a/years-of-lukashenka-and-counting/30769566.html [https://www.rferl.org/a/years-of-lukashenka-and-counting/30769566.html] But yes he's been in office a long time and it would not be reasonable to say he's been winning fair elections for a long time. The response from the Lukashenka side to the possibility of a real challenger is not surprising - imprisoned candidates, banned rallies, etc (https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/08/07/ahead-of-the-presidential-elections-in-belarus/ [https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/08/07/ahead-of-the-presidential-elections-in-belarus/]) From Maxim Rust, Polish political science researcher: "The elections will be held on August 9th. Nobody is sure about how they will unfold or how the authorities will react to the planned mass protests in their aftermath. One thing is certain – regardless of the election results, Belarusian society is not what it was just a few months ago. " That was pretty spot on CRACKDOWN "Opposition leader" forced to leave for safety https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sviatlana_Tsikhanouskaya#cite_note-41 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sviatlana_Tsikhanouskaya#cite_note-41] https://www.rferl.org/a/belarusian-opposition-candidate-forced-to-leave-country/30778578.html [https://www.rferl.org/a/belarusian-opposition-candidate-forced-to-leave-country/30778578.html] https://news.sky.com/video/end-violence-on-streets-of-belarus-says-opposition-leader-12049164 [https://news.sky.com/video/end-violence-on-streets-of-belarus-says-opposition-leader-12049164] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53733330 [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53733330] Internet cutoff https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/11/belarus-president-cuts-off-internet-amid-widespread-protests [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/11/belarus-president-cuts-off-internet-amid-widespread-protests] https://twitter.com/BBCWillVernon/status/1293963021677735937 [https://twitter.com/BBCWillVernon/status/1293963021677735937] Beatings and torture of those arrested, general harsh approach to protesters https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/10/belarus-elections-lukashenko-protests-tikhanovskaya-europe/ [https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/10/belarus-elections-lukashenko-protests-tikhanovskaya-europe/] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/13/belarusians-accuse-lukashenko-regime-of-beatings-and-torture [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/13/belarusians-accuse-lukashenko-regime-of-beatings-and-torture] https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/10/belarus-elections-lukashenko-protests-tikhanovskaya-europe/ [https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/10/belarus-elections-lukashenko-protests-tikhanovskaya-europe/] https://www.eurotopics.net/en/245568/protests-and-violence-after-belarus-elections [https://www.eurotopics.net/en/245568/protests-and-violence-after-belarus-elections] https://euobserver.com/foreign/149144?utm_source=euobs&utm_medium=rss [https://euobserver.com/foreign/149144?utm_source=euobs&utm_medium=rss] Journalists being rounded up specifically https://twitter.com/HannaLiubakova/status/1293867313775747072 [https://twitter.com/HannaLiubakova/status/1293867313775747072] https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/danpeleschuk/belarus-detention-centers-abuse-lukashenko-protests [https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/danpeleschuk/belarus-detention-centers-abuse-lukashenko-protests] https://www.dw.com/en/dws-belarus-correspondent-released-after-10-day-arrest/a-54584439?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf [https://www.dw.com/en/dws-belarus-correspondent-released-after-10-day-arrest/a-54584439?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf]

On today's episode, Hugh tries to convince Ciarán that the new EU budget isn't terrible. It goes about as well as expected. Support us on Patreon! [https://www.patreon.com/previouslyineurope] We now have a website that you can find here! [http://previouslyineurope.eu/] There's a discord here [http://leftists.eu] WE HAVE A T-PUBLIC STORE [https://www.teepublic.com/user/previneurope] what a fashionable way to support our podcast Feel free to send us an email at PreviouslyInEurope@gmail.com [PreviouslyInEurope@gmail.com] or follow us on Twitter @PrevInEurope [https://twitter.com/PrevInEurope] If you can please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and if you can't do that tell a friend, this stuff really helps us out Also, have you considered Matteo Renzi?