Suffering in Silence
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Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: "Tyranny is like cancer".
For years, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has been fighting for a free Belarus from exile in Lithuania and called for new elections after the rigged presidential elections. In the 17th Berlin Freedom Speech, she made a vehement plea for freedom and human rights and appealed to the international community for solidarity with the Belarusian opposition. For Tsikhanouskaya, it is clear that the fight for freedom is a global struggle that cannot be won alone.
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Thinking about Taiwan
In a global comparison, Taiwan is one of the top countries in the freedom ranking: The island has a free press, a freely debating parliament and the rule of law prevails. But it is precisely these democratic qualities that put the country under strong pressure. Xi Jinping, for example, has sharpened his rhetoric towards Taiwan in recent years, so the possible prospect of an attempted occupation is not so far-fetched. What matters now is that Taiwan develops an intelligent and successful defence strategy to fend off a possible Chinese attack.
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As Strong as the Weakest Link
Since 2010, international organisations have worked with many countries to combat mining and trade in conflict and vulnerable areas. However, despite these efforts, illegal mining and trade in conflict minerals continues. Industry experts commissioned by the FNF produced a study taking stock of over a decade of work to combat the illegal trade in minerals from Africa. The report analyses existing regulations and monitoring mechanisms and makes policy recommendations for improving their effectiveness and efficiency.
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EU special summit: challenges for European migration policy
Member States still lack an effective policy response to migration to Europe. How to effectively address the suffering of flight and crisis? And why there is a need for more than just an open channel for labor migration, explains migration expert and member of the European think tank EuroMeSCo, Xavier Aragall. He says the EU is still far from regulating entry efficiently and coherently. But one thing has recently become clear: Europe's external borders are to be better protected in the future. What that will look like remains to be seen.
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The case of Jimmy Lai shows: Beijing makes the rules in Hongkong
Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai has been charged under the so-called National Security Act. His British lawyer was forbidden to represent him in the trial. The Hong Kong courts had still allowed it, but a directive from Beijing stipulated: no foreigners at National Security Law trials. Dennis Kwok analyzes for the FNF China Bulletin the current state of legal security in Hong Kong.
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EU summit on migration: far from consensus
On February 9 and 10, a special summit was held in Brussels to focus on the EU's migration policy. One of the topics at the summit was the European Union's cooperation with relevant countries of origin in joint migration management. What was not addressed was the fact that many people set out precisely because they have no legal means of entry. However, the polarizing issue that continues to divide member states became a sideshow in light of Ukrainian Prime Minister Selenskyi's visit.
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Blitz action: President Maia Sandu replaces prime minister
The Republic of Moldova has had a new head of government since Friday. This was triggered by a lightning action of the popular President Maia Sandu. In the morning, Sandu had invited the government cabinet to a meeting behind closed doors, which led to the resignation of Prime Minister Natalia Gavriliță at noon. Then, in the afternoon, the new Prime Minister Dorin Recean, former Minister of Interior (2012-2014) and until then a close confidant and advisor to the President on defense and national security, as well as Secretary of the Supreme Security Council of the Republic, was presented at the Presidential Office.
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The Czech Republic is looking for a president
Since 2012, the Czech president has been directly elected by citizens in two rounds of voting. Czechs enjoy this right to vote and the last presidential election in 2018 saw the highest turnout in a national election in 20 years. Thus, the presidential election has become a great show that people discuss for months and years ahead, arousing great emotions. The bookmakers are sure about the winner of the election, the polls are groping in the dark and a third of the voters are still undecided. So what can we expect in the first and second rounds of the presidential election?
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