May continues losing ‘Brexiteers’

May continues losing ‘Brexiteers’

By Florence Brock

 

NAPLES -Theresa May’s government continues losing pieces of her government after Minister of Foreign Affairs Boris Johnson resigns, in the latest domino effect of the British Prime Minister’s ‘soft’ Brexit line.

Just hours after fellow Minister David Davis handed in his resignation (after deeming May’s Brexit strategy too light and weakening for Britain), key ‘Brexiteer’ Minister Boris Johnson walked into his fellow cabinet member’s footsteps.

Having conducted divorce negotiations with the European Union until now, Minister David Davis stepped down Monday after dissenting to May’s recent post-Brexit political line.

As British nationals residing in Italy remain concerned over how Brexit will affect their rights and status, the internal battle continues over Prime Minister May’s proposed ‘soft Brexit’, criticised by conservatives as a “betrayal” to the 2016 referendum results.

An exponent of the Euro-sceptical Tories, Davis could not digest the outcome of last Friday’s cabinet meeting when May imposed her new ‘lighter’ strategy. After a few days of thinking things over, the minister caused an internal tear by resigning. He was shortly followed by undersecretary Steve Baker.

The question of internal dissent and government criticism concerns the transition period after Brexit and designing future relations with the European community.

May has been accused of backing a ‘mild’ line to post-Brexit based on aperture to the EU in the hypothesis of creating a free trade zone, with common rules, relative to industrial goods and agriculture, in addition to defining new customs regulations with the EU.

“At best, the political direction taken on by May will leave Great Britain in a weaker position for negotiations,” declared Davis. On the other hand, the Prime Minister replied that her position in the negotiations was coherent with the Brexit referendum mandate and with the election manifesto that brought her to lead the country.

The Prime Minister has had to carefully manoeuvre among requests from Brussels and conservatives in her government who have been pushing to adopt a harder line once Britain leaves the European Union.

As a milder plan proposed for post-Brexit has been deemed as too ‘soft’, Britain’s executive branch is in danger of falling to pieces.

On its part, the EU has shown signs of being ready to soften up on its position, yet it remains firm on one fundamental point: the internal market is off limits; it’s either all or nothing. Britain cannot select what points it would like to maintain.

While the British government has proven to hold up, voting to approve the plan, apparently some ministers continue dissenting such as key Brexit leader David Davis who has resigned.

In the meantime, spokesperson for the European Commission Margaritis Schinas has stated: “We have no particular comments to add; we will continue negotiating with Prime Minister Theresa May in ‘good faith’ in order to reach an agreement. President Jean-Claude Juncker has already had a telephone conversation with Theresa May,” she added Monday.

The Prime Minister has chosen 44-year-old Dominic Raab to replace Davis. Until now, Raab covered the position of Vice Minister of Justice and in the past, he was an exponent of the pro-leave movement during the 2016 referendum campaign.

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A Hard blow to May’s soft Brexit

A Hard blow to May’s soft Brexit

By Florence Brock

 

NAPLES – Rough turbulence hits the British government as UK government leader in charge of Brexit negotiations has handed in his resignation in the latest of a series of complicated negotiations concerning Brexit, reports said.

Having conducted divorce negotiations with the European Union until now, Minister David Davis stepped down Monday after dissenting to May’s recent post-Brexit political line.

As British nationals residing in Italy remain concerned over how Brexit will affect their rights and status, the internal battle continues over Prime Minister May’s proposed ‘soft Brexit’, criticised by conservatives as a “betrayal” to the 2016 referendum results.

An exponent of the Euro-sceptical Tories, Davis could not digest the outcome of last Friday’s cabinet meeting when May imposed her new ‘lighter’ strategy. After a few days of thinking things over, the minister caused an internal tear by resigning. He was shortly followed by undersecretary Steve Baker.

The question of internal dissent and government criticism concerns the transition period after Brexit and designing future relations with the European community.

May has been accused of backing a ‘mild’ line to post-Brexit based on aperture to the EU in the hypothesis of creating a free trade zone, with common rules, relative to industrial goods and agriculture, in addition to defining new customs regulations with the EU.

“At best, the political direction taken on by May will leave Great Britain in a weaker position for negotiations,” declared Davis. On the other hand, the Prime Minister replied that her position in the negotiations was coherent with the Brexit referendum mandate and with the election manifesto that brought her to lead the country.

The Prime Minister has had to carefully manoeuvre among requests from Brussels and conservatives in her government who have been pushing to adopt a harder line once Britain leaves the European Union.

As a milder plan proposed for post-Brexit has been deemed as too ‘soft’, Britain’s executive branch is in danger of falling to pieces.

On its part, the EU has shown signs of being ready to soften up on its position, yet it remains firm on one fundamental point: the internal market is off limits; it’s either all or nothing. Britain cannot select what points it would like to maintain.

While the British government has proven to hold up, voting to approve the plan, apparently some ministers continue dissenting such as key Brexit leader David Davis who has resigned.

In the meantime, spokesperson for the European Commission Margaritis Schinas has stated: “We have no particular comments to add; we will continue negotiating with Prime Minister Theresa May in ‘good faith’ in order to reach an agreement. President Jean-Claude Juncker has already had a telephone conversation with Theresa May,” she added Monday.

The Prime Minister has chosen 44-year-old Dominic Raab to replace Davis. Until now, Raab covered the position of Vice Minister of Justice and in the past, he was an exponent of the pro-leave movement during the 2016 referendum campaign.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meloni demands immediate naval block

Published earlier today in Italian Insider.

 

Meloni demands immediate naval block

By Florence Brock

 

NAPLES – In reaction to a Gambian man’s arrest for his ties to ISIS terrorists in Naples, right-wing leader Giorgia Meloni expressed Italy’s need to take immediate action with the hashtag #bloccoNavaleSubito (Immediate naval block) tweeted on her account Monday.

“Gambian national, who landed in Sicily in 2017, accused of ISIS connection and ready to attack Italy. Thank goodness there’s no link between immigration and terrorism,” she goes on to say.

The Brothers of Italy president’s strong words follow the right-wing trend of criticism in the latest debates concerning immigrants and their rights.

As part of a group of immigrants who landed in Italy a year ago, 34-year-old Sillah Osman becomes the second Gambian national detained in the Neapolitan area after 21-year-old co-national Alagie Touray was stopped last April in Pozzuoli.

Identified as members of a group linked to ISIS terrorists, Naples prosecutor Giovanni Melillo reported to journalists Monday that the two Gambian nationals have been involved in a possible terrorist attack somewhere in France or Spain.

With a first arrest this spring, the prosecution office has been able to reinforce its investigation, using Touray’s key testimony offered to authorities.

Both Osman and Touray belong to a well-organised group of violent terrorists who were radicalised in Libya and North Africa and are trained in the use of knives, explosive weapons and automobiles as battering rams.

Touray allegedly published a video of himself pledging loyalty to ISIS and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi via the Telegram online service. He allegedly received an order via the same service to ram a car into a crowd.

After a long stay in the Puglia Region, where Osman was a guest at a reception centre for immigrants financed by the state, he was lured to Naples in connection to a possible and eminent attack that made authorities suspicious. After his detainment, he was soon placed into custody and imprisoned.

Osman’s arrest comes after long-time surveillance that began after finding his name in Touray’s mobile phone.

During the encounter with reporters, the prosecutor announced that in the days to come there will be further meetings and contact with French, Spanish and German authorities during which they will relay the information acquired during the Parthenope probe.

Gentiloni to shed light on USS nuclear submarine

published earlier today in the Italian Insider:

 

Gentiloni to shed light on USS nuclear submarine

By Florence Brock

 

NAPLES- Tension mounts over a nuclear submarine spotted in Naples roadstead prior to last week’s missile attack on Syria. Accused of being the very same vessel that launched offensive missiles directed towards destroying Syria’s chemical warfare, popular TV journalist Lilli Gruber questioned Five-star movement leader Luigi di Maio on prime-time television Monday.

 

During the talk show Otto e mezzo, the political show host ended her daily programme with some heated questions directed towards the Secretary over Movement position on the war zone. Concentrating her inquiries on the recent Syria bombing, Gruber asked the majority party winner about the questionable presence of the same nuclear submarine in Naples roadstead before the Middle East raid.

 

While the Parthenope Admiral has denied the submarine present in the Italian harbour to be the very same, the matter still appears hazy. “I expect Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni will shed light on the matter tomorrow in Parliament,” stated the movement leader on air. “It’s still not clear if the submarine participated in the recent attack on Syria.”

 

The big question arose in the mind of Mayor of Naples Luigi de Magistris days ago as to just what the American nuclear submarine was doing in the Naples harbour. In an attempt to shine a light on the subject, the Parthenope leader sent a letter to Admiral Arturo Faraone, commander of the Port of Naples last week.

 

“It has come to my attention that March 20 the nuclear submarine USS John Warner reached the Port of Naples. I have read order 17/2018 sent out by you concerning necessary and correlated instructions for security and navigation. As of such, I’d like to reiterate that on September 23, 2015 deliberation n. 609 was approved, declaring this area “denuclearized”, impeding the docking or stopping of any nuclear vessel in Naples,” specifies the note.

 

Re-affirming Naples as ‘a city of peace’, the mayor expressed how important it was for the densely populated urban area to be viewed as respectful of human rights, entirely disarmed and promoter of international cooperation.

 

While discrepancies come to the surface, it appears that the cited submarine may indeed have participated in the recent missile attack in Syria. As a matter of fact, a Military Source YouTube channel published footage on the day of the attack (Saturday, April 7yh) where a Tomahawk missile is launched from a submarine similar to the John Warner – nicknamed ‘Sledgehammer of Freedom’ by its crew.

 

“The decision to allow foreign military ships to transit in national waters is not our responsibility, seeing we are a part of the Ministry of Transport,” nonetheless explained the admiral.

 

The mayor’s note does, however, indicate the ship was sighted on March 20, weeks before the suspected chemical attack on Duma and subsequent missile bombing.

 

“We’d like for he who has the authority to deny entrance in the Port of Naples for political reasons of disarmament, peace and opposition to nuclear weapons not to mention the danger civilians undergo due to the accidents such ships are capable of provoking,” de Magistris concludes in his note to the Admiral.

 

While Italian authorities have declared the country will not participate in a military action promoted by the USA against Syria, this does not exclude the use of its military bases. As in the past, Italy could furnish support through its American bases in accordance to the bilateral infrastructure agreement that disciplines the presence of such structures throughout the national territory.

 

The Naval Support Activity of Naples, where the US Sixth Fleet holds is primary headquarters, covers the Mediterranean, parts of Africa and Northern Europe. The Campania Region capital would thus assume a key role in case of attack within its district, participating actively on Italian soil.

 

Although formal authorization would be necessary to use the bases, this is considered a mere formality as the Italian government would surely give a green light.

Matteo Salvini ‘gearing up to become Prime Minister’

published earlier today in the Italian Insider:

Matteo Salvini ‘gearing up to become Prime Minister’

By Florence Brock

NAPLES – “The next leader can be none other than someone indicated by the Centre-right coalition,” warns Matteo Salvini on social media, not even twenty-four hours after parliament elected the presidencies of the House of Deputies and Senate.

 With consultations for the new Italian government to take place on April 3 in search of the new resident at Palazzo Chigi, Lega leader Matteo Salvini wastes no time after parliament vote to reach the public through Facebook and Twitter on Palm Sunday, announcing his next political agenda.

“Away with the Fornero Law and the expense metre, down with taxes and excise duties, down with waste and useless expenses, up with school and justice reform and self-defence, up with the review of European treaties, and relaunch of agriculture and Italian fishing, up for the Ministry for the Disabled, fiscal peace between citizens and Equitalia, autonomy and federalism, pro-expulsion of clandestine immigrants and enforced border control,” lists the Secretary in a summation of his rich programme ready to be implemented.

As he paves his way as a protagonist in the next political struggle, his potential ally Luigi Di Maio of the Five Star Movement stops any idea of uniting the two poles into a governing coalition. “We have always asserted that the fight for parliamentary presidencies is unlinked for that of the government,” he emphasised over the weekend.

Even with regards to guaranteed minimum income, devoted Lega member Giancarlo Giorgetti openly leans towards the Five Star Movement. “Let’s see if we can elaborate the guaranteed minimum income in another way,” he declares. “There’s no discussion if it means we’re talking about a universal measure that would substitute retirement. If, on the other hand, it intends to orient or give citizens an incentive to look for a job, it would be worth considering,” he reconciles.

With that and other themes to discuss such as tax cuts and overriding the Fornero Law, the two March 4 political winners do not seem very opposed in their views.

In the meantime, Pd Secretary Maurizio Martina scoffs at the Five Star Movement leader’s comment during Sunday’s episode of Mezz’ora in Più. “Please do not come and tell me that the choice of dividing up the Parliament into two between the Centre-right and the Five Star Movement is untied to the government! They need to be honest and tell the people who voted for them: they have a common project.”

While the Democratic Party has backed out of the limelight, claiming the huge party election loss on March 4 has put Renzi’s party in the shadows of the opposition, the standing Secretary nonetheless claims: “we shall listen to the indications President Matarella gives us, but I cannot anticipate possible scenarios that are not my competence,” in answer to host Lucia Annunziata’s insistence on being politically responsible.

“It’s no longer our turn,” he goes on to say. “It’s up to the winners to indicate a way. On our behalf, this is a real act of responsibility. If they are unable to guarantee a prospective, we’ll have to work hard and make our political force available to the country.

Within Salvini’s own coalition, right-wing wounds seem to have quickly healed after deceiving his political wing Friday with a secret new Lega candidate vote. Perceived as a traitor by several Forza Italia members, one wonders if the coalition can resist until the march up to the Quirinale next week or will possible internal lesions have caused irreparable damage?

Implications of being 20 in the South

published earlier today in the Italian Insider.

Implications of being 20 in the South

By Florence Brock

NAPLES – In an effort to propose stimulating discussion on plaguing issues, the top daily newspaper Il Mattino has announced the forum entitled “Avere 20 anni al Sud: le ragioni per restare e per tornare” (The implications of being 20 in the South of Italy: reasons to stay and to come back)” to be held at the Mercadante Theatre on Dec. 11.

 With the participation of Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, the event is scheduled to start at 10:30 am and run until mid-afternoon at 6 pm. In addition, institutions, economists, entrepreneurs, businessmen, credit institutions and start-up reps from the South will take the microphone and give their input on a predicament that has been plaguing this nation for years.

“The interconnection between the haemorrhage of ‘cervelli in fuga’ (‘fleeing of southern intelligence’) and the brilliant minds that come to the territory is still very negative,” explains Director of Il Mattino Barbano at the press conference Monday. “This means that the policies adopted until now have not managed to invert a necessary tendency from which a North-South economic recovery depends,” he goes on to say.

In the last ten years, more than 200,000 college graduates have left the South of Italy to move either to northern Italy or abroad. The Association for Industrial Development in the South – SVIMEZ – has estimated that the cost of cultural impoverishment for the South amounts to nearly 30 billion Euros based on pro capita educational spending supported by the state.

The situation the association outlines is emblematic of phenomena that appears unstoppable and that, together with the ever-growing annual migration flux, risks depleting this area of the country, leaving it more and more at the margins of economic growth. In light of such a bleak perspective that interrogates the consciousness of every sector of civil life, people need to react and think seriously. Coming to the conclusion that it is impossible to ignore the role of society and it’s most significant expressions that include universities, companies, banks, and politics.

With this in mind, some of the most important national institutions, experts from the academic research world, teachers and economists that represent the knowledge of the entire country, and institutions within the territory, have all been called on to discuss the issue.

Highlighting the intense forum programme in the Siani room, the newspaper chief illustrated the discussion topics on themes concerning work, the South, and young people.

The day discussions will be centred around three sessions.

Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni will give the opening remarks followed by illustrious local leaders such as Mayor of Naples Luigi de Magistris, Governor of Campania Vincenzo De Luca, Rector of University Federico II Gaetano Manfredi and others.

At noon, Minister of Economic Development Carlo Calenda is scheduled to open the second session followed by a rich series of interventions from the business world.

The last discussion will commence at 14:30 pm with comments from Minister of the South Claudio De Vincenti, followed by editorial comments from Il Mattino journalists and various leftwing and rightwing political party members.

“In an attempt to promote discussion on themes concerning work, which are a main focus for young people and their future, the event plans on telling stories of those that fight for the dignity of a qualified and qualifying job here in the south as well as the testimony of those who have been inducted to leave but who perhaps would like to return without being able to do so,” the newspaper editor concludes.

 

Hard times continue for Pd as chaos reigns over Naples vote

By Florence Brock

 

NAPLES – With the official Democratic Party provincial ballot count scheduled today at 18:00, representative Alberto Losacco has just returned from Naples where he had been sent to oversee party primaries held over the weekend.

 

As people await the election results, bystanders cannot help but give space to the chaos caused by party leaders who changed their minds three times concerning election sustainment.

 

Among the squabbles surrounding the weekend vote, commission members plan on addressing the Naples case that caused a real internal party split at a national level, involving two contrary decisions concerning the election. While undersecretary Maurizio Martina asked for the vote to be postponed, Pd organisation director Andrea Rossi gave orders to proceed with the provincial secretary election.

It all started when one of the three candidates, Nicola Oddati, former Iervolino cabinet member from Salerno, now closely tied to governor Vincenzo De Luca, asked for the annulment of the election in order to check registered voter lists. The party thereafter proceeded with multiple changes of mind all in the same day.

 

With regional leaders such as Secretary Assunta Tartaglione standing by the democratic election, undersecretary Maurizio Martina claimed: ”after considering political evaluations immersed nationally, it would be a good idea to postpone the elections”.

 

Such communication, however, did not make its way to poll booths such as Bagnoli, Herculaneum and Pomigliano d’Arco where voting commenced on schedule.

 

Candidate Oddati now states he will not recognise the election. “I abide by the statements undersecretary Maurizio Martina made before the vote as he is an elected party member and not merely in office by appointment.”

 

The candidate equally goes on to emphasize he cannot recognise the outcome of a vote that was cancelled and then re-instated.

 

Following a hard loss to a united right-wing front and the Five-star Movement in the Sicilian Regional elections just one week ago, putting off Sunday primaries might have given voters time to fall back and regroup.

 

As the party nonetheless seems determined to uphold Rossi’s words and proceed with the ballot count in via Nazareno, the discussion over the weekend primaries appears far from over.