‘Emmangela’ show reasserts alliance

Macron, eastern Europeans try to mend fences

BRUSSELS, June 24, (Agencies): Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel used the French president’s first Brussels summit Friday to deliver an unmistakeable message: their countries intend to lead the EU’s post-Brexit revival.

The Franco-German power couple held an unusual joint press conference after meeting their 26 European Union counterparts, against a backdrop of their respective flags and the bloc’s blue banner with yellow stars.

“When France and Germany speak with one voice, Europe can move forward,” newcomer Macron told a room almost filled to bursting point with reporters as he stood alongside the German chancellor.

“There can be no pertinent solution if it is not a pertinent solution for France and Germany,” the 39-year-old centre-right leader.

Despite her more pragmatic tone, the message from 62-year-old Merkel was the same.

“This press conference shows that we are resolved to jointly find solutions to problems,” she said.

The joint press conference came exactly a year after Britain’s shock referendum vote to become the first country to leave the European Union, which prompted dire predictions of the break-up of the bloc.

But Europe has jumped on the bandwagon of Macron’s stunning election victory over French far-right leader Marine Le Pen to trumpet a newfound optimism after years of austerity and crisis despite Brexit.

At the heart of that is the idea that Macron may be able to repair the traditional “engine” behind European integration -- the post-war alliance of Paris and Berlin after centuries of conflict.

The French and German leaders -variously dubbed Merkron, Mackerel and Emmangela in the style of celebrity couple nicknames -- said they intended to use that engine to get moving.

Macron insisted that the decision of the two leaders to appear together was more than just a piece of political posturing.

“It is more than a symbol, it is a true work ethic,” he said.

Merkel and Macron insisted on their unity on a host of issues including plans to boost Europe’s defence capabilities, with the continent unable to rely on Britain or the United States under Donald Trump.

They also proclaimed their togetherness on climate change-- especially

origin, worked with a network of least 24 companies that evaded more than 8 million euros in taxes to finance the IS. It gave no details on which companies were involved. after Trump pulled out of the Paris climate deal -- counter-terrorism and trade issues.

However they were careful to avoid going into the details of delicate subjects like the reform of the eurozone, a pet project of Macron who wants it to have its own parliament and finance minister.

“We don’t announce in advance things that we can’t hold to,” said the ever-sensible chancellor, when asked if they would finally commit to concrete proposals after German elections in September.

The pair also both took a cautious stance on British Prime Minister Theresa May’s offer on the rights of EU citizens living in Britain after Brexit.

But in one area, Macron may have found that his summit honeymoon was over almost before it started.

His EU colleagues poured cold water on his proposal to hand Brussels more powers to control Chinese investments in strategic European industries.

“Fairer trade is preferable than the law of the jungle,” Macron told the press conference as he defended his plans.

Meanwhile, Macron and four eastern European Union leaders sought to smooth relations on Friday after publicly trading barbs over jobs and democratic values.

Power

Macron, in power for little more than a month, has vowed to protect French workers from what he sees as “social dumping”, in which companies employ cheaper labour, and unfair competition from the poorer eastern European states.

Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic say they should be allowed to compete on lower prices – just as more developed western EU nations compete on quality products and know-how – to catch up after decades of communist stagnation.

Along with looming negotiations on the EU’s next multi-year joint budget that runs from 2021, this dispute is shaping up as one of the most contentious issues facing the bloc, exacerbating an east-west rift as it seeks unity to tackle Brexit.

But meeting on the sidelines of an EU summit, Macron and the leaders of the east European states – known together as the Visegrad four – agreed to set up an expert-level group to try to narrow differences over rules for socalled “posted workers”.

Police say the group recruited at least 10 IS combatants from Denmark, Germany and Spain.

The man was arrested in Spain’s north

“At the Visegrad meeting this morning we established which issues we disagree on and where we will continue to talk to better understand each other’s constraints,” Macron told a joint news conference with Merkel on Friday.

“There are issues where I’d like to advance together, the posted workers directive being one... I believe we need a profound reform of the balance. I will do it with respect for our partners.”

EU states are divided on rules under which, say, a Bulgarian truck driver or a Lithuanian bricklayer can work in France for a limited time for the eastern European wage, usually below the minimum level guaranteed in the West.

“I pointed out to Emmanuel Macron today how low wages are in the Czech Republic compared to France, and that French firms can also do more to raise (their) wages,” Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said.

“We will start with the directive on posted workers.”

A diplomatic source said the five leaders had agreed to meet again in September.

The Visegrad four have also clashed with France on the treatment of refugees and migrants from outside the EU, and were infuriated by Macron’s open criticism of the track record of Warsaw and Budapest on democracy and rule of law.

But Macron received strong support from Merkel, Europe’s most powerful leader, who said on Friday she believed they were obliged to speak out when common EU values were being damaged.

Macron has previously said he would seek sanctions on Poland, whose nationalist-minded government has angered the EU with moves to impose stricter state control over judges and public media and with its refusal to take in any refugees.

Earlier this week Macron told the Visegrad four not to treat the EU as a “supermarket” and said they would face consequences if they failed to respect EU rules and values.

He drew scorn from Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who put Macron’s comments down to his relative youth. The French leader is 39.

On Friday Orban struck a more conciliatory note.

“As far as I can see, we identified the issues where pragmatic cooperation and agreement can be achieved on the basis of mutual respect,” he told reporters.

African enclave of Melilla in an operation coordinated with Danish police. (AP)

Russia threatens Telegram app:

Russia’s state communications watchdog threatened Friday to ban the Telegram messaging app, saying the company behind the service had failed to submit company details for registration.

In a message on its website, the Roskomnadzor agency warned that “time is running out” for Telegram to comply with the law.

Otherwise “Telegram must be blocked in Russia,” it said.

The free instant messaging app lets people exchange messages, photos and videos in groups of up to 5,000 people. It has attracted about 100 million users since its launch in 2013.

In an unusual move, the agency’s chief, Alexander Zharov, addressed Telegram’s secretive Russian chief executive, Pavel Durov.

“I publicly call on the Telegram team and personally Pavel Durov: carry out the Russian law!” Zharov wrote, adding: “The choice is yours.”

The watchdog said it had been sending messages to the company “practically every day” asking it to send company information for Roskomnadzor’s register.

Durov, who has previously refused to bow to government regulation that would compromise the privacy of users, called the threat “paradoxical” on one of his social media accounts. (AFP)