There will always be anti-war protesters. Yet, as long as objectives are clear and backed by UN, masses will buy in. And that is precisely the issue with this new war.

During weeks, the international community was slow to move on a common position. Suddenly, all wrapped up in hours, from resolution to first strikes. But then vote abstainers went from neutrality or disinterest to verbal opposition and political activism. What was seen and awaited as a global move to defend humanity converted to another weird war with mysteries, coalitions and… oil.

What is Sarkozy’s favourite vacation spot: at picturesque Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia, next to age-old Pyramids in Egypt or on an oil well in Libya? The joke works for Obama and others too. The ramping question is to know the real objective of this war, if not oil. Even Belgian Prime Minister is confused from imposing a ceasefire to deposing Gaddafi. The UN resolution accepted the first with its no-fly zone and civilian’s protection agenda. But military operations lead to the second, when serving as an air support while rebels overthrow the regime.

What is different this time is that as western populations feel mislead by their leaders, resolution abstainers, China and Russia not to mention them, may become their spokesperson. Enlarging the debate to global geopolitics, there are various ways to claim supremacy. One is with a gun, which the US has extensively relied upon. Another is the economic power which China is mastering. But the most important at the age of communications is certainly political credibility. And believe it or not, China is now taking ground on this battle too.

Read also: Il faut regarder au milieu

Looking forward, I can see two scenarios. Either rebels quickly defeat regular militaries and thank the coalition for their freedom. That is the rosy scenario Sarkozy dreams about for his re-election. Either status quo forces the coalition to suspend the strikes and face another war of nerves with no ending planned. And news from the front leads me to that second one… Again, the difference with Iraq and Afghanistan is that the group of abstainers, composed of China, Russia, Germany, Brazil and India, could play a new political role for peace and economic stability in front of the old superpowers, US, France, UK infused of rules and democracy.

Un nouvel ordre mondial?

David Mekkaoui (23MAR11)
davidmekkaoui.blogactiv.eu

While EU media and EU actors are still congratulating Belgium for a successful presidency, Brussels reminds everybody EU president does not presides anything; it is just an honorific title. Indeed, with no government since half a year, Belgium took no initiatives, hence a smooth and model presidency…

We know how it works. Brussels represents citizens and opposes national selfishness. National leaders are answerable to citizens and received the legitimacy to favour National Interest. The competition was even stronger from the ’86 Single Act and liberal wave to the Great Recession and restoration of the welfare state spirit.

Read also: Europeans need a European Presidential Election night.

But end-2008, I remember having seen Barroso walking three steps behind Sarkozy, then EU President. Now Barroso has taken back the lead following Sarkozy’s Romani repatriation hiccups. The right is the result of power struggles…

PS: Surprisingly enough, Germany reacted with even more energy on Viktor Orbán. Freedom of Hungarian media seems really important to them. As a matter of fact, the hastily-adopted Hungarian taxes penalizing foreign companies, not to say German companies, are a pure coincidence…

Since the crisis this week-end, the split of Belgium received further credits and some in Wallonia are effectively elaborating on their future without Flanders.

The wheel of fortune turns. Now, Flanders appears to be afraid…

Read background on Belgian politics for dummies… and EU-afficionados

According to a recent survey by Dedicated Research, Flanders is afraid of its demands, its consequences. Flanders is afraid of the “Dare you!” that may reply Walloons and inhabitants of Brussels. In fact, Flanders is afraid of itself, this ambition they pursue since the birth of Belgium.

There were many frustrations to channel. Fifty years ago, a French-speaking minister could have been offended that one asks to speak Flemish at the government. During decades, leaders of Belgium would only speak one language, the one of the middle-class families living in Antwerp, Arlon, Ghent or Liege. The French-speaking middle-class that made the prosperity of the country… up to the Sixties.

And yesterday’s poor became today’s rich. And the Flemish movement ended up mixing its social and cultural objectives.

Here comes the innovation compared with similar situations (and diligent observers) in Quebec, Padania, Catalonia and the Basque Country. Who could have predicted that the rest of the country could be fine to not share that new economic wealth? In Brussels, the concept of EU district is making some noise. And if you stroll in Wallonia, you will hear them shouting “don’t fear the split!” Those words do cause a real wave of panic in the North.

All things considered, Flanders could loose more with independence than with autonomy. Belgium is a world-opener label, home of the European capital Brussels and the business card to Flemish entrepreneur’s successes. Taking the Flemish nationalist programme at face value bears the risk of returning to Flanders former domain, at the margin of political influence and European leadership.

That is why Flanders is afraid; afraid to be taken seriously.

The environment problem caused by cities may include some environment solutions for the planet.

For example, BedZED in Greater London represents a successful environmentally-friendly district although it failed on the socio-economic principles. (See Cities, problem or solution to the environment crisis? 1/2)

There is an area in Malmo which economical, social and ecological transformations have been conducted by its habitants. It is called Augustenborg. They recycle 70% of their waste thanks to waste sorting and composting facilities. Solar panels and geothermal energy is used. Transportation systems have been revisited to flourish public transport, biking and LPG-car sharing. And garden streets have been designed with speed limited to 15km/h. Jobs are also created within walking distance.

The environmental success is less spectacular than with BedZED but sustainable development is more global, including socio-economic principles.

It is easy to constantly criticize Europe. One thing is clear: projects and mentalities are moving in the right direction. But beware; competition is coming from the Middle East.

In 2016, next to Abu Dhabi airport, Masdar City will become the first fully sustainable city with zero carbon emission, renewable energy and zero waste. Three quadrilaterals hosting 50k habitant on a surface of 7km2 designed by Foster & Partners and assembled by a US building firm under the supervision of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company.

Electricity will come from integrated individual solar panels plus a solar central to capture peaks and wind turbines to benefit from night desert winds. Water from the sea will be desalted and wastes are to be fully recycled. No car will be allowed but 2,500 electric vehicles, bikes and Segway personal transports will be available together with an electric train crossing the whole city up to the Abu Dhabi international airport. Finally, inspired by Arabic ancestral know-how, streets are designed narrow to create shades and walls are high to escape hot desert winds.

One can ask about Masdar project economical viability with a budget of 22 USD billions and the November 09 financial crisis in Dubai nearby. I will question the social sustainability. Can there be social diversity in such an expensive place? Can such haven of peace have a personality, an atmosphere? At the contrary, I suspect habitants will sleep and work at Masdar City, but evade to Abu Dhabi for fun and real life. We know similar commuter towns: Brasilia with Rio, Islamabad with Rawalpindi, Canberra avec Sydney… Those are impressive references for urban planning, but not a model of sustainable lifestyle.

Read also: Europeans need a European Presidential Election night.

Building an environmentally-friendly village is some science and much money. Most countries can do it.
What about if our unique selling point, in Europe, was our dusty community behaviours and our condemned social-friendly principles?

Looking at Russia, Pakistan or China this summer, we can bet environment will come back on people radars and political agendas.

Let’s face it: no viable and timely global solution exist for current population and CO2 emissions. But as population growth is part of the risk, I am curious how Europe is positioned to building new environmentally-friendly neighbourhoods and sustained behaviours. That experience and reputation will be critical to bright in tomorrow’s world.

Read also: We can’t stand regions

Take Greater London. According to LDA, Greater London will have to accommodate an extra 4 million inhabitants in the next ten years. In the south, the Borough of Sutton has developed a sustainable model with zero CO2 emission in compliance of the Kyoto Protocol. The district, called BedZED, groups homes, work space and services, with integrated public transports in order to make individual car redundant. Building encompasses strong isolation, water recycling, solar energy to feed electric cars and the overall plan is maximized for passive natural lightening and heating.

Quick reminder: the principles for environmentally-friendly city established by WWF for the initiative One Planet Living are based on three pillars:

• environment: zero carbon emission, renewable energy, water and waste recycling.
• economy: use of local materials for constructions, favour local food and services.
• social: social interaction on common projects developed by and for the habitants.

BedZED is the One Planet Living role model. It scores well on the first of the three pillars but it accommodates no more than 250 habitants. In addition, no food production has been foreseen within the district and this entrepreneur project has grown with no input from future residents. One out of three is not a bad score those days…

Next, we will look at an area of Malmo which green renovation has been pilot by its habitants themselves.

Go to: Cities, problem or solution to the environment crisis? 2/2

Local politics aside, by electing the abstention at an absolute majority, 25 millions French citizens told us yesterday they can’t stand regions.

In the 70’s, regions were created around the continent to be the next level of power. Together with the European Union, these steps would be closer to people and more dynamic in the world. Along the years, national leaders transferred their most popular competencies. Regions received transport, education and economic development. Europe received global competition, monetary affairs, environment, youth and research. This couple, Region-Europe, works well together and may look promising; but reality is people don’t like them.

Read also: Europeans need a European Presidential Election night.

In most countries, regional and European elections are the ones with the lowest participation rates, frequently 25 points below national or local ballots. Regions and the European Union remained technocratic offices. They are perceived as the places to administer technical issues where national and local governments are seen as the places to exchange political ideas. And that is a question of competences. By avoiding polemics, you avoid debates. By avoiding debates, they neglected passions, and thereafter interest. Regions and the EU receive the lowest democratic legitimacy because they don’t require more: they mostly handle uncontroversial sensible issues.

Europeans can’t stand regions because they can’t understand them. And the same goes for the European Union.

Tout le monde sait comment les Etats-Unis ont battu l’URSS, comment ils ont remporté la Guerre Froide.

La réponse s’appelle Star Wars, et je ne parle pas uniquement de l’épopée cinématographique.

Le quarantième président, une des personnalités préférées outre-Atlantique, Ronald Reagan a relancé la course à l’armement et étouffé financièrement ledit “Empire du Mal”. Bien sûr, certains diront que le Communisme avait déjà échoué avant cette bataille. C’est ce qui explique la révolution conservatrice à l’origine de l’élection de Reagan aux Etats-Unis et de Tatcher en Europe. D’autres argumenteront que la Guerre Froide était perdue dès le moment où JFK a relevé le défi, et remporté la course à l’espace lancée par Khrouchtchev.

Mais une chose est indiscutable: la guerre des étoiles a asphyxié l’empire soviétique, le privant de financement pour ses programmes économiques et sociaux.

Aujourd’hui, la République populaire de Chine a remplacé l’Union Soviétique comme challenger au titre de première puissance mondiale. Et savez-vous comment ils vont remporter ce titre dans moins d’une décennie? La réponse s’appelle War on Terror, et je ne parle pas uniquement de jeux vidéos.

La guerre contre le terrorisme ne consomme pas seulement les finances américaines avec des aides tactiques aux pays participants et le sur-fonctionnement en circuit fermé de son industrie militaire. Leurs deux derniers mandats présidentiels ont épuisé le crédit politique et la force de conviction du géant américain. Et même si le président Obama évite de prononcer les mots guerre contre la terreur, son charisme discutable ne suffit pas à rassembler les puissances occidentales.

> Le chef n’est plus suivi. Les seconds regardent à l’est, ou devrions nous dire… au milieu.

See also: L’Europe, un spectateur impuissant?

Epilogue

L’empire du milieu n’est pas encore la superpuissance du siècle. Elle souffre encore de plusieurs « faiblesses » :

• Sa population rurale est celle d’un pays en voie de développement; avec corruption, agitation sociale et fortes inégalités.
• Sa puissance économique souffre d’une double dépendance aux multinationales étrangères; pour la technologie et les exportations.
• La gestion de ses ressources naturelles n’est pas à la hauteur du défi posé par son immense population, d’ailleurs vieillissantes.

L’Europe, forte de son expérience en ces matières peut offrir plus qu’un accord économique. Il nous faudrait pour cela assumer un glissement de stratégie d’une alliance atlantique vers une association eurasiatique. Dans cette perspective, vous pensez encore que la rencontre Sarkozy-Medvedev n’est qu’un coup de vent provençal?

David Mekkaoui (03MAR10)
davidmekkaoui.blogactiv.eu

No more papal conclaves. Europeans need a European Presidential Election night.

The question is major and burning. A compromise-style designation naturally leads to a chairman-type president, a facilitator.  That structure exists elsewhere; see the Secretariat for the North American Free Trade Agreement. Its mandate is clear: provide administrative assistance to the Commission (Article 2002.3). Let me state immediately EU’s ambition, and allocated budget, goes beyond a trade association.

I speak from a country used to making compromises and appointing facilitators (Belgium called Van Rompuy for his rescuer talent). Such entity quickly specialises in self-examination and soul-searching. For a breathing and shining Europe, I believe we need an animator-type president, a leader. And such function also exists elsewhere in the world: the President of the United States. A president that conveys the recognition and influence we strive for.

Read also: L’Europe, un spectateur impuissant?

We can continue an endless debate. But let’s face it: to team up internally and influence externally, Europeans need a European Presidential Election night. Don’t you think so?

David Mekkaoui (22FEB10)
davidmekkaoui.blogactiv.eu