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Germanys new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, did not have to wait long after taking office to be asked about Nord Stream 2. An undersea Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline, the project has inflamed anger in Washington and European capitals at a time when tensions with Moscow are running high.

Mr. Scholzs coalition government includes the Green Party, whose members are sharp critics of Nord Stream 2. He surprised many by taking the same stance as his immediate predecessor, Angela Merkel, who championed the pipeline as a business venture essential for the success of Germanys industrial base.

Nord Stream 2 is a private-sector project, the new German chancellor told reporters. The ultimate decision over approval of the pipeline, he said, will be made by an agency in Germany, completely nonpolitically.

But its not that simple. With thousands of Russian troops massing on the border with Ukraine and a threat of possible U.S. sanctions against the pipeline, the future of Nord Stream 2 remains anything but certain.

Adding to the problem are natural gas prices in Europe, which have broken records in recent weeks because supplies are tight. These prices are soaring while half of Germanys six remaining nuclear reactors are being taken offline and winter is settling in, driving up demand. Nord Stream 2 was initiated in 2015 to help avoid such energy crunches now it appears to be exacerbating them instead.

Then there are the pressures within Mr. Scholzs own government, where leaders from the Greens have made remarks that support the European and U.S. push for Germany to use the pipeline as leverage against President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

Despite all of the conflicts, observers believe the $11 billion pipeline, designed to deliver Russian gas while bypassing countries in Russias former sphere of influence, will come online once it passes a final bureaucratic hurdle certification from the German regulator.

I think that ultimately it will be certified, but there could be conditions attached to it related to continued transit access across Ukraine, said Katja Yafimava, a senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. I think that politics will play a role, potentially quite a big role.

As its name indicates, Nord Stream 2 runs alongside the original Nord Stream pipeline, which began operation in 2012. Unlike the older line, Nord Stream 2 is wholly owned by Gazprom, Russias giant state-owned energy company.

Germanys European partners are most concerned about a potential loss of billions in annual transit fees for Ukraine and other countries with pipelines once Nord Stream 2 goes online. The United States views the project as a threat to European security, handing Mr. Putin an easy way to exert influence over a part of the world where Americans enjoy strategic partnerships.

The United States sees the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a Russian geopolitical project that undermines the energy security and the national security of a significant part of the Euro-Atlantic community, Karen Donfried, the assistant secretary of state for Europe, recently told reporters.

Critics in Washington, led by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a Republican, have repeatedly sought to penalize companies involved in the pipeline project to prevent it from coming online. The Senate recently agreed to hold a vote in January over Nord Stream sanctions in return for Mr. Cruzs agreeing not to obstruct the approval of dozens of President Bidens nominees to State Department and Treasury Department posts.

Russia is Europes chief supplier of natural gas, but this year import volumes remain lower than average. Analysts said Russia had been meeting the volumes of gas agreed to in contracts, but appeared reluctant to offer European customers any further supplies. This is a critical problem because Europe needs the gas. Storage facilities entered the winter with unusually low levels of the fuel partly because of increased global demand and a cold snap earlier in the year and prices have soared.

Russia has been saying that it is delivering everything according to its contracts, which looks correct, said James Waddell, head of the European gas division at Energy Aspects in London. But what they are not doing is selling supplementary gas in volumes that we have seen in previous years.

Russia may be motivated by its animosity toward Ukraines leadership. For years Soviet-era pipelines in Ukraine have served as the main corridor into Europe for Russian gas, generating billions in transit fee revenue for the government in Kyiv. If Nord Stream 2 were up and running, with its capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas a year, Gazprom would be able to sell additional gas to European customers without paying transit fees to Ukraine.

For German businesses, the pipeline is needed to ensure a reliable energy flow, as the country prepares to take its last three nuclear power generators offline. The matter also became more urgent for Germany after the new government announced its intention to bring forward the date to exit coal by eight years, to 2030.

Understand Russias Relationship With the West

The tension between the regions is growing and Russian President Vladimir Putin is increasingly willing to take geopolitical risks and assert his demands.

The need is especially acute in the southern German states, home to industrial giants like BASF chemicals, the automaker Daimler and the conglomerate Siemens. Renewable energy from wind turbines is plentiful in the north, and the government has pledged to speed up construction of high-voltage power lines to carry that power to the south, but resistance from the public has hampered progress.

We need a secure supply of gas security, despite all of the clear political differences with Russia, said Siegfried Russwurm, president of the Federation of German Industries. He urged the new government not to mix business with politics, pointing out that Russia began supplying West Germany with natural gas during the Cold War, when the two countries sat on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain.

There are issues we can approach together; there are issues where we can work together despite points of difference; and there are points where we disagree, Mr. Russwurm said, adding that energy supply belonged in the first category.

For now, the company that owns the pipeline, which is based in Switzerland but wholly owned by Gazprom, is busy setting up a subsidiary in Germany, as demanded by the German regulator to bring the pipeline in line with European Union law. Jochen Homann, the president of the Federal Network Agency, said this month that he did not expect his agency to grant approval before the second half of 2022.

After that, the ball will be passed to Brussels, where officials at the European Commission then have two months which can be extended by an additional two months to reach their own opinion on the pipeline. Although the commissions decision is nonbinding, the German regulator is expected to take it into account, which could add several months.

The idea of Nord Stream 2 is that it act as an insurance policy in times of high gas prices or an energy crunch, said Jacopo Maria Pepe, a researcher in energy and climate infrastructure at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

But he warned that while stopping the pipeline would send a clear diplomatic message to Russia, it could risk Germanys position as the strongest power in Europe. It could also cost Berlin the respect it needs from Moscow as the Germans support Ukraine with diplomatic efforts and economic investment, which was worth $49 billion in 2020.

If we will still need gas, we still need Russia, Mr. Pepe said. There is no way to escape this reality.

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Germany Wants Its Russian Pipeline. German Allies Arent Sure Its a Good Idea. - The New York Times

European Commission Chief Ursula Von Der Leyen has been warned that the world-famous oracle allegedly predicted the fall of the European Union in 2022. Nostradamus, the famous mystic from 450 years ago, whos known for his out-there "predictions," apparently believed that the next year will be far from normal.

The seer, also known as Michel de Nostradame, came up with all of his predictions more than 450 years ago in a book entitled Les Prophties.

His prophecies are cryptic four-line poems with an almost oracle-like vagueness to them.

This has left his work to be open to wild interpretation, as some claim that he predicted things like the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany and even the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York.

Many even bizarrely claim that his book has accurately predicted everything from the death of John F Kennedy in 1963 to the Great Fire of London in 1666.

The astrologer's predictions took the form of four-lined poems or quatrains that were divided into 10 chapters called Centuries.

In 2022, Nostradamus has apparently warned that the European Union may collapse.

In his ever ambiguous style, he wrote: Sacred temples prime Roman style / Will reject the goffes foundations.

While this may feel like a stretch to some, others have pointed to the Treaty of Rome, ratified in 1957, which essentially founded the Union.

READ MORE:Nostradamus 2022 predictions: France tipped for war

Fans of the oracle believe that the great bridge referred to Bridge between the UK and Ireland, which became a contentious issue during the Brexit debate.

They also believe that the UK is the great lion with Imperial forces and the austere city is the EU.

Since Brexit, it has been suggested that Poland could soon join in the footsteps of the UK after a bitter legal row with the EU.

Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki previously called the EU a dictatorship while his Law and Justice party (PiS) challenged EU legal principles that they argue undermine Poland's sovereignty.

At the time, France and Germany fired back at the Eastern European nation, warning Warsaw that EU membership relies upon "complete and unconditional adherence to common values and rules".

Such strong rhetoric from both sides has the possibility of flaring up anti-EU sentiment in Poland, which could lead to another country breaking apart from the EU bloc.

Link:
Nostradamus makes chilling 2022 'prediction' for EU as VDL warned of collapse - Daily Express

WARSAW The head of Polands ruling party Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Friday that Germany was trying to turn the European Union into a federal German Fourth Reich.

Speaking to the far-right Polish daily GPC, the poweful head of the Law and Justice (PiS) party said some countries are not enthusiastic at the prospect of a German Fourth Reich being built on the basis of the EU.

If we Poles agreed with this kind of modern-day submission we would be degraded in different ways, said Kaczynski, who is also a deputy prime minister.

He added that the EUs Court of Justice was being used as an instrument for federalist ideas.

Poland has been involved in a lengthy stand-off with the European Union, particularly over the judicial reforms that PiS has pushed through since 2015.

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In the latest twist, the EU this week said it was launching legal action against Poland for ignoring EU law and undermining judicial independence.

Brussels is already withholding approval of coronavirus recovery funds forPolandover the row.

EUeconomy commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said the infringement proceedings targetedPolandfor breaching the primacy ofEUlaw and for deciding that certain articles ofEUtreaties were incompatible with Polish laws.

European Union Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni holds a press conference after the College meeting on global corporate taxation and shell entities at the EU headquarters in Brussels on December 22, 2021. (JOHN THYS / AFP)

Poland has accused the EU of bureaucratic centralism.

Poland has also been engaged in an escalating dispute with Israel over its attitude toward the Holocaust. In November Polands Foreign Ministry said it will have no ambassador in Israel for the time being, bringing the mission level down to that of Israels mission in Poland.

The traditionally sensitive bilateral relations soured in the summer after Poland adopted legislation seen as banning claims for restitution of some seized property, including that of Holocaust victims. Israel reacted in anger to the move.

The law effectively cut off any future restitution to the heirs of property seized by the Nazis during the Holocaust. In response to the legislation, signed into law by Polish President Andrzej Duda, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called it antisemitic and immoral.

Relations had already been strained by Warsaws refusal to acknowledge Poles complicity in anti-Jewish violence during and after World War II.

Poland passed a controversial Holocaust law in 2019 that prohibited rhetoric accusing Poland of complicity in Nazi crimes. That dispute with Israel was resolved when Poland softened the law, eliminating any serious punitive measures.

During German Chancellor Olaf Scholzs visit to Warsaw earlier this month, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the current German governments support for EU federalism was utopian and therefore dangerous.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has already ruled against Poland for implementing a mechanism to lift the immunity of judges in the Constitutional Court and to sack any not deemed acceptable by the parliament dominated by the Law and Justice party.

The European Commission is also upset over a 2019 Polish law that prevents Polish courts from applying EU law in certain areas, and from referring legal questions to the ECJ.

Gentiloni told a press conference the Polish moves breached the general principles of autonomy, primacy, effectiveness and uniform application of Union law and the binding rulings of the Court of Justice.

The European Commission, he said, finds the Polish Constitutional Court no longer meets the requirements of an independent and impartial tribunal established by law, as required by a fundamental EU treaty.

Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks with the media as he arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, on May 24, 2021. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool via AP, File)

He said Poland had two months to respond to a formal letter setting out the grounds of the infringement procedure.

In the event of no satisfactory reply, the matter could be sent to the ECJ.

While there is no option to kick Poland out of the EU for not respecting the blocs laws, it could be hit with daily fines for non-compliance.

But Poland and Hungary another eastern EU member accused of undermining democratic norms have a pact mutually shielding each other from more extreme EU punishment, such as removing their voting rights in the bloc.

Hungary, too, faces delays in receiving EU coronavirus recovery money because of its own defiance of EU rules.

Both countries have threatened to block EU businesses in retaliation for Brussels actions.

Gentiloni said he was confident the rows with Warsaw and Budapest would not degenerate into a tit for tat cycle but cautioned we cant exclude anything.

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Amid spat with EU, Poland accuses Germany of seeking to create a Fourth Reich - The Times of Israel

This International Migrants Day we celebrate the potential of human mobility. In 2020, there were 281 million international migrants in the world, representing 3.6% of the global population. Across the world, migration plays a significant role in peoples lives and has a profound impact on societies across the globe.

Migrationhascontributed to shape the European Union as we know it today.Itis a defining part of the European identity, wheredifferent cultures, languages and talents meet.Migrationand mobilityspreadknowledge, contribute to growth, innovation and social dynamism.

While some people move by choice, others are forced to flee. Regardless of the reasons, given the opportunity, migrants can always contribute positively to their adopted and native countries. Migrants make important fiscal contributions to the EU, and with improved labour market integration, studies show that they could also generate considerable gains for their host countries. Remittances, sent by migrants to their countries of origin, represent more than three times the volume of official development aid provided to developing countries.

The EU is a prominent destination, attracting young and highly qualified professionals from across the world, with almost 3million first residence permits issued per year, and guarantees a space for refuge to those in need. It is the European Unions responsibility to make sure that the dignity and human rights of migrants are protected. The New Pact on Migration and Asylum upholds those fundamental rights, by pursuing a comprehensive, balanced and sustainable approach to migration management. It also recognises the key role of legal migration in the European society and economy, to counter irregular and dangerous journeys where people put their lives at risk.

In 2020,over 8 million non-EU citizens were employed in the EU labour market, many of whom perform essential jobs. In the race for global talent, the EU needs migration to address increasing skills shortages. Several initiatives including the simplified Blue Card, Talent Partnerships and the forthcoming skills and talents package, create safe and legal pathways to Europe, while responding to labour market needs. In parallel, we are working with international partners on a coordinated approach to migration management that balances the opportunities that well-managed migration can bring to migrants and their families, their countries of origin, host societies, while addressing the challenges of irregular migration.

For Europe to remain prosperous and open to the world, we must harness the potential of human mobility. As we emerge from another year of the pandemic work towards building a brighter future, we see the many ways in which migration enriches our lives.

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HR: Migration has contributed to shape the European Union as we know it today Sarajevo Times - Sarajevo Times

According to the Lithuanian Interior Ministry, authorities in Belarus have ordered the removal of migrants from warehouses along the Poland-Belarus border. This could potentially lead to a new wave of migrants entering the European Union (EU) through the borders of Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland.

In recent weeks, the number of migrants crossing into the EU from Belarus has decreased. According to Reuters, at the peak of the crisis last month, thousands of migrants were stuck on the EUs eastern frontiers, in what the EU said was a crisis Minsk engineered by distributing Belarusian visas in the Middle East, flying them in and pushing them across the border. In response, Alexander Lukashenko said that it was the EU that deliberately provoked a humanitarian crisis.

Currently, there are an estimated 3,000 4,000 migrants in Belarus. On Monday, December 20th, Lithuanian Interior Minister, Agne Bilotaite, told reporters that they had received word about Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko order to clear out illegal migrants from the warehouse at Bruzgi border crossing and Minsk, so there will be attempts soon to push these migrants into Lithuania, Poland and Latvia. Many of the border nations are worried that the situation is devolving into a larger humanitarian crisis.

According to NPR, migrants inside Belarus report that they are being given an ultimatum: book a flight out of Belarus the officials [dont] care where to or be put on a plane to Syria. Some migrants are protesting the forcible removal from Belarus and are asking for international aid from NGOs and the EU so they do not have to return home to life-threatening conditions or endure the difficulties of the Belarus-Poland border, where over 15 people have died so far.

President Lukashenko has been accused by the U.S and European officials of using migrants as a political weapon in retaliation for sanction, reported NPR. As the migrants pleas for asylum and aid have fallen on deaf ears in Belarus, it is now up to the international community to ensure the remaining migrants in Belarus are not subject to the same fate. They should not have to choose between risking hypothermia and death to cross a border or returning to their home country to face violence and persecution. It is a lose-lose choice.

As a signatory of the 1951 refugee convention, Belarus is not permitted to return individuals to a country where they would face the risk of persecution or other serious human rights abuses, per the UNHCR. Because Belarus preyed upon vulnerable populations, many migrants are not unable to return home safely. As such, Belarus is required not to deport them back to an unsafe environment. By doing so, they are violating international law. Other signatories of the 1951 convention, and the international community as a whole, must hold Belarus accountable to the law. Additionally, the EU must stop punishing migrants crossing the border for the actions of Belarusian officials. The migrants are stuck in the middle of a European power play that they have nothing to do with. They deserve much more than being left out in the woods to die.

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Migrants Forced Out of Belarus Lithuania Braces for Influx - The Organization for World Peace