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4 October, 2023
Edicion Special
  • Home
  • OP/ED

    The unfinished EU: integrating the Western Balkans as a geostrategic imperative

    The story of the Ulmas’ martyrdom should be known worldwide

    Triangulation of Eurasia: The North-South Corridor Underreported but pivotal for Our Common Future

    Loose lips sink morale

    Albania and Kosovo: the Leaders, the People, the Narrative

    Offensive defence: How Putin saved NATO

    A decade of Croatian EU membership: Success story of enlargement in the Western Balkans

    Elvin Luku: Fragile democracy in Albania

    French Jean-Dominique Giuliani, President of the Robert Schuman Fondation (a think tank on Europe) speaks during a meeting entitled "Eurozone, what a future" organized by his foundation and dedicated to euro, in Paris on July 18, 2014. 
AFP PHOTO/MIGUEL MEDINA        (Photo credit should read MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images)

    Europe is awake, united and more valuable than ever before

  • Interview

    Exclusive/ The Russian Ambassador to Albania Mr. Mikhail Afanasiev: Russia only aims to end that war started by the West in Ukraine

    Exclusive/ Skopje’s top diplomat to Tirana, Dancho Markovski: OSCE Chairmanship a Project of National Importance for North Macedonia

    Exclusive interview of Croatian Ambassador Zlatko Kramaric: ‘There is progress in Croatian-Albanian relations, but it is still not enough’  

    The first anniversary of the appointment as Archbishop at the head of the Catholic Church/ Mons. Arjan Dodaj: Only God can be the author of our walk!

    Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Anar Huseynov: President Aliyev’s visit to Albania opened a new page in our relations through the specific accords reached

    Macedonian Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski: Open Balkans and Berlin Process are complementary processes for progress of cooperation among WB countries

    Exclusive/ China’s Ambassador to Albania Mr. Zhou Ding: China and Albania must look towards history to build the future!

    Appeal of Ukrainian Ambassador to Albania Shkurov for maximum support of Ukraine with weapons six months after Russian occupation

    Zoran Djukanovic: “The Montenegrin minority in Albania and the Albanian minority in Montenegro to be bridges of communication of our two countries”

  • Realpolitik
    European Council President Charles MICHEL, receives Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market.  Brussels the 12/01/2021.
Le President du Conseil Europeen, Charles MICHEL, recoit Thierry Breton, Commissaire Europeen chargé du marché interieur. .  Bruxelles le 12/01/2021.,Image: 590631817, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

    For a new paradigm by the EU and the USA for Kosovo and Serbia after the terrorist attack by serb bands on 24 september.

    Pacifying without reconciliation! Kurti’s autogoal! Between G – 7 and BRICS 11! The Balkans summer theatre continues! A speech for campaign 2024! A prewarned failure!                             

    Marriage spoiled for a lemon! The missed dinner! Sphinx and challenge for the West! Summer theatre in Bled!

    Peace as wishful thinking! Change the course! Brussels bells toll for Tirana!  Beleri between Tirana, Brussels and Athens! Compare the incomparables!  

    A cold shower! Change the tune! Partnership or vassalage? Euro-Atlantist Meloni!

    Open Balkans closed! A failed tour! Right is might! The NATO Ukrainian dilema!

    Balkan’s summer theatre started! China’s and India’s Megachallenge! SOS from Brussels! Support, Sanctions and statements!  

    No “ carrot” for Belgrade and “ stick” for Pristine! An unnecessary draft! Nor did Gjakova unite us!

    G-7 with 5 major messages! Erdoganist Turkey! A historic victory postponned! Much ado about nothing!  

  • Current Events

    New Swedish Ambassador says Sweden supports Albania’s EU membership as an increasingly important country for Sweden

    New academic year in the public and private universities of Albania kicks off as medical students boycott

    President Milanovic meets with visiting Albanian PM Edi Rama in Zagreb

    Serbia attempted to annex the north of Kosovo, the attackers were trained in Serbian bases, the Kosovo interior minister reveals

    turqi

    Albania condemns terrorist attack in Ankara as PM Rama says Europe should support Turkey more in its fight against terrorism

    Kosovo needs to protect its northern border, increasing cooperation with NATO’s presence and KFOR in the North, says PM Kurti

    ODIHR releases final report on observation mission of Albania’s 2023 local elections

    President Begaj conveys condolences for the passing away of Father Arthur Liolin in Boston

    Albania’s PM argues with Kosovo authorities, reiterating support for his proposal on the control of the north by KFOR

  • Top News

    The fourth meeting between DP factions in effort to unite DP

    Albania’s PM calls on EU and NATO to condemn Serbia for the terrorist act in Kosovo

    The unfinished EU: integrating the Western Balkans as a geostrategic imperative

    What Serbia is not achieving through dialogue, it wants to achieve through terrorist attacks, says FP’s Vasili

    Powerful explosion in Ankara near Parliament and other government institutions; outlawed PKK claims responsibility of the attack

    US Embassy in Tirana calls on Albanian prosecutors to apply for 3 vacancies in SPAK

    Attack of the Serbian armed group in North Kosovo was a ‘true military attack’, said Albania’s former Interior Minister

    Germany says it is irritating when Vucic declares the culprits as the victims…

    SPAK is making progress in Albania’s objectives for justice reform, says the US Embassy

  • YOUR VOICE
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Argumentum
  • Home
  • OP/ED

    The unfinished EU: integrating the Western Balkans as a geostrategic imperative

    The story of the Ulmas’ martyrdom should be known worldwide

    Triangulation of Eurasia: The North-South Corridor Underreported but pivotal for Our Common Future

    Loose lips sink morale

    Albania and Kosovo: the Leaders, the People, the Narrative

    Offensive defence: How Putin saved NATO

    A decade of Croatian EU membership: Success story of enlargement in the Western Balkans

    Elvin Luku: Fragile democracy in Albania

    French Jean-Dominique Giuliani, President of the Robert Schuman Fondation (a think tank on Europe) speaks during a meeting entitled "Eurozone, what a future" organized by his foundation and dedicated to euro, in Paris on July 18, 2014. 
AFP PHOTO/MIGUEL MEDINA        (Photo credit should read MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images)

    Europe is awake, united and more valuable than ever before

  • Interview

    Exclusive/ The Russian Ambassador to Albania Mr. Mikhail Afanasiev: Russia only aims to end that war started by the West in Ukraine

    Exclusive/ Skopje’s top diplomat to Tirana, Dancho Markovski: OSCE Chairmanship a Project of National Importance for North Macedonia

    Exclusive interview of Croatian Ambassador Zlatko Kramaric: ‘There is progress in Croatian-Albanian relations, but it is still not enough’  

    The first anniversary of the appointment as Archbishop at the head of the Catholic Church/ Mons. Arjan Dodaj: Only God can be the author of our walk!

    Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Anar Huseynov: President Aliyev’s visit to Albania opened a new page in our relations through the specific accords reached

    Macedonian Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski: Open Balkans and Berlin Process are complementary processes for progress of cooperation among WB countries

    Exclusive/ China’s Ambassador to Albania Mr. Zhou Ding: China and Albania must look towards history to build the future!

    Appeal of Ukrainian Ambassador to Albania Shkurov for maximum support of Ukraine with weapons six months after Russian occupation

    Zoran Djukanovic: “The Montenegrin minority in Albania and the Albanian minority in Montenegro to be bridges of communication of our two countries”

  • Realpolitik
    European Council President Charles MICHEL, receives Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market.  Brussels the 12/01/2021.
Le President du Conseil Europeen, Charles MICHEL, recoit Thierry Breton, Commissaire Europeen chargé du marché interieur. .  Bruxelles le 12/01/2021.,Image: 590631817, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

    For a new paradigm by the EU and the USA for Kosovo and Serbia after the terrorist attack by serb bands on 24 september.

    Pacifying without reconciliation! Kurti’s autogoal! Between G – 7 and BRICS 11! The Balkans summer theatre continues! A speech for campaign 2024! A prewarned failure!                             

    Marriage spoiled for a lemon! The missed dinner! Sphinx and challenge for the West! Summer theatre in Bled!

    Peace as wishful thinking! Change the course! Brussels bells toll for Tirana!  Beleri between Tirana, Brussels and Athens! Compare the incomparables!  

    A cold shower! Change the tune! Partnership or vassalage? Euro-Atlantist Meloni!

    Open Balkans closed! A failed tour! Right is might! The NATO Ukrainian dilema!

    Balkan’s summer theatre started! China’s and India’s Megachallenge! SOS from Brussels! Support, Sanctions and statements!  

    No “ carrot” for Belgrade and “ stick” for Pristine! An unnecessary draft! Nor did Gjakova unite us!

    G-7 with 5 major messages! Erdoganist Turkey! A historic victory postponned! Much ado about nothing!  

  • Current Events

    New Swedish Ambassador says Sweden supports Albania’s EU membership as an increasingly important country for Sweden

    New academic year in the public and private universities of Albania kicks off as medical students boycott

    President Milanovic meets with visiting Albanian PM Edi Rama in Zagreb

    Serbia attempted to annex the north of Kosovo, the attackers were trained in Serbian bases, the Kosovo interior minister reveals

    turqi

    Albania condemns terrorist attack in Ankara as PM Rama says Europe should support Turkey more in its fight against terrorism

    Kosovo needs to protect its northern border, increasing cooperation with NATO’s presence and KFOR in the North, says PM Kurti

    ODIHR releases final report on observation mission of Albania’s 2023 local elections

    President Begaj conveys condolences for the passing away of Father Arthur Liolin in Boston

    Albania’s PM argues with Kosovo authorities, reiterating support for his proposal on the control of the north by KFOR

  • Top News

    The fourth meeting between DP factions in effort to unite DP

    Albania’s PM calls on EU and NATO to condemn Serbia for the terrorist act in Kosovo

    The unfinished EU: integrating the Western Balkans as a geostrategic imperative

    What Serbia is not achieving through dialogue, it wants to achieve through terrorist attacks, says FP’s Vasili

    Powerful explosion in Ankara near Parliament and other government institutions; outlawed PKK claims responsibility of the attack

    US Embassy in Tirana calls on Albanian prosecutors to apply for 3 vacancies in SPAK

    Attack of the Serbian armed group in North Kosovo was a ‘true military attack’, said Albania’s former Interior Minister

    Germany says it is irritating when Vucic declares the culprits as the victims…

    SPAK is making progress in Albania’s objectives for justice reform, says the US Embassy

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Home ENGLISH

Israel’s prime minister will desperately struggle to stay in office

19 September, 2019
in ENGLISH, English OP/ED
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Binyamin Netanyahu is down but not out

Binyamin Netanyahu spent the last two hours of voting in Israel’s general election on September 17th speaking through a camera to an online audience, begging people to come out and vote for Likud, his ruling party, before it was too late. “All the battles I fought as a soldier in an elite unit, all the battles I fought against a president of the United States [Barack Obama], all my other battles in Congress and at the United Nations—I did it for you. And now I’m asking you for something small. Go the polling station. It’s only a five-minute walk.”

As he wheedled and begged his voice grew hoarser. He took phone-calls from fans. Occasionally he stood up to gesture at a map of the Middle East on the wall, pointing to the menace of Iran. At one point, he mockingly showed puppets of his rivals. It was a bravura and sometimes bizarre performance of an embattled prime minister, frantic for every last vote. For the first time in over a decade he was staring at defeat. As the results came in, they confirmed that he had failed. Likud and the clutch of right-wing and religious parties backing him would lack a majority in the new Knesset.

On May 30th, seven weeks after the previous election, Mr Netanyahu took the unprecedented step of dissolving the Knesset to call for a second election, since he was just one seat short of a majority in the 120-strong parliament. Now he is short by six.

He had thrown everything at his foes. He had accused them of treasonous behaviour. He smeared Israel’s Arab citizens with allegations of voter-fraud (Facebook briefly suspended a chatbot on his page after a message accused Arabs of wanting “to destroy us all”). He promised his right-wing base that he would annex chunks of the occupied West Bank. And he tried to enlist other world leaders, including Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, to endorse him. But this time it wasn’t enough. The man dubbed “the magician” for defying the odds to pull off improbable election victories had run out of tricks.

About 54% of Israel’s voters picked parties opposed to Mr Netanyahu. Some are right-wingers who back many of Mr Netanyahu’s policies yet refused to vote for Likud or its allies. This was a personal rebuff.

Ironically, a key constituency that helped bring him down was the Arab one, which he had tried to deter from voting with a law, which failed to pass, that would have let party officials film voters in polling-stations. The turnout of Arab voters rose by around ten percentage points. Their Joint List won three extra seats.

Mr Netanyahu has not yet had to concede. He will remain in office as a caretaker prime minister until a new government is sworn in. That can take months. Benny Gantz, a former general who leads the centrist Blue and White party, which is now narrowly the largest in the Knesset, lacks a majority too. Mr Netanyahu’s assorted opponents do not share enough common ground to form their own coalition government. Many Israelis refuse to consider the Arab parties as legitimate coalition partners, though a growing number of Arab voters want to play a bigger role.

So Israeli politics looks deadlocked all over again. But there is a precedent for solving the conundrum. In 1984 neither Likud nor its main rival, the Labour party, could form a ruling coalition. Instead they agreed to a national-unity government with a “rotation” between Labour’s leader, Shimon Peres, and Likud’s Yitzhak Shamir, with each agreeing to serve two years of the prime minister’s term.

This just might work again. Likud and Blue and White are nearly even in their tally of seats. Together they command a majority, which could be strengthened by a couple of other parties joining such a coalition. Mr Gantz is experienced in military matters, having commanded Israel’s army, but is a political novice. He could benefit from working with Mr Netanyahu.

But big obstacles remain. On October 2nd Mr Netanyahu faces a pre-trial hearing before the attorney-general, which may herald criminal charges for bribery and fraud. Mr Gantz has promised not to serve under an indicted prime minister. Mr Netanyahu, however, hopes that by clinging to office he will be shielded from prosecution. Had he won even a narrow majority, he could have tried to pass a law granting immunity. That prospect is now fading.

A third obstacle to forming a national-unity government is the former defence minister, Avigdor Lieberman, a hardliner whose party, Yisrael Beitenu, broke last year with Mr Netanyahu’s coalition. He is now refusing to back either candidate for prime minister without a promise to pass a bunch of laws that would enrage the religious parties, who are Mr Netanyahu’s closest allies. Among these is a law that would conscript religious seminary students into the army. Another would force ultra-Orthodox schools to teach a national curriculum or lose state funding. And another would cancel a prohibition on shops from opening on the Sabbath, the sacred day of rest. Once notorious for vilifying Israeli-Arab citizens, Mr Lieberman can now be credited with bringing Mr Netanyahu down. As well as acting as kingmaker, he wants to establish himself as the champion of secular Israelis, who complain of the rabbis’ excessive influence in politics.

But Mr Netanyahu is not going anywhere yet. Despite losing his majority twice this year and still facing indictments, he will try to stymie any attempt to form a coalition without him. He has yet to realise he is no longer the magician. /The Economist

Tags: Banjamin natanyahuelectionisrael

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