Europe at a glance
Dublin
Government back from brink: Ireland’s deputy PM, Frances Fitzgerald, resigned on Tuesday – a move that averted the threat of a pre-christmas snap election, but intensified doubts about the longerterm future of PM Leo Varadkar’s fragile coalition. His Fine Gael-led government depends for its survival on a “confidence and supply” agreement with the largest opposition party, Fianna Fáil. Fitzgerald’s resignation, over her handling of a case involving a police whistle-blower, came only hours before Fianna Fáil MPS were due to hold a parliamentary vote of no confidence. The scandal centres on what she did or did not know about the alleged decision by senior Garda commanders to smear the individual. The no-confidence vote would probably have brought down the government; her resignation avoids that, but Varadkar’s resolute backing of his deputy has led some in his own party to question his judgement, and many suspect there will be an election in January.
Paris
Sexist society: President Macron has unveiled plans for a five-year “cultural war” against sexism in France. His proposals include doing more to educate secondary school pupils about the dangers of pornography, simplifying the system for reporting rape and sexual assault, and running a “hard-hitting” media campaign aimed at radically changing attitudes towards sexism and sexual violence. There has been outrage in France in recent weeks over two separate cases in which two 11-year-old girls were deemed (by a prosecutor and a court) not to have been raped by older men because they had supposedly consented to sex. Instead, they were judged to be victims of attouchement sexuel – molestation – which carries a maximum five-year term; the maximum term for rape is 20 years. “Our criminal law contains intolerable ambiguities,” said Macron.
Altena, Germany
Mayor stabbed: The pro-refugee German mayor who was stabbed in the neck in a kebab shop this week returned to the scene 24 hours later, to thank the people who helped save his life. Andreas Hollstein, the mayor of Altena, arrived carrying a bouquet of flowers and then hugged the shop’s owner, Demir Abdullah, and his son Ahmet, who had both helped fight off his attacker. Hollstein (pictured) made headlines in Germany when Altena took in more than its quota of refugees. His assailant reportedly made comments about immigration policy before launching into the attack.
Bodø, Norway
Reindeer killed: More than 100 reindeer were killed by freight trains in a four-day period in Norway – leading to calls for the national rail company to do more to protect the animals. Several hundred reindeer die each year on Norway’s rail tracks, and this time of year, when herders are moving the semi-domesticated animals to their winter pastures, is particularly dangerous. However, last week’s carnage was exceptional, with 65 reindeer killed in a single incident. “I have been a herder all my life, since boyhood,” said Torstein Appfjell, 59, “and I have never seen anything like the scene on Saturday night.”
Berlin
Grand coalition: Martin Schulz, the leader of Germany’s second biggest party, the Social Democrats (SPD), has agreed to discuss re-forming a left-right “grand coalition” with Angela Merkel’s CDU, in response to what he described as a “dramatic” personal appeal from President Steinmeier. The two parties governed in coalition from 2013 until September’s election, when both lost votes. The SPD had ruled out another coalition, but the collapse of talks between Merkel and her other potential partners – the Greens and the Free Democrats – put intense pressure on the SPD to reconsider in the interests of national stability. “We do not have a government crisis, but Germany is in a complicated situation,” said Schulz. Some analysts argue that a return to the status quo risks boosting support for the far-right AFD, who would become the official opposition in such a scenario.
Moscow
Candidate probed: The socialite TV presenter who hopes to stand against Vladimir Putin in next year’s presidential elections could face prosecution for describing Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 as illegal. Ksenia Sobchak, 36, says she is being investigated over comments she made in October at a press conference; in a subsequent interview she said that Western sanctions on Russia were justified and called Putin a “dictator”. It is illegal in Russia to state that Crimea is not part of the Russian Federation and people have been jailed for doing so. Some in Russia are suspicious of Sobchak’s candidacy, not least because her family has close ties with Putin. In 2014, she said she was proud of the annexation.
Bucharest
Protests swell: Tens of thousands of people marched through Bucharest and other Romanian cities on Sunday to protest against judicial reforms that they claim are designed to allow high-level corruption to go unpunished. Although civil groups, magistrates and foreign diplomats have warned that the overhaul risks undermining the independence of the judiciary, weakening anti-corruption measures and handing too much power to politicians, the laws are currently being considered by parliament. The ruling Social Democrat-led coalition hopes to have them passed by the new year. Among the most controversial changes are those to an inspectorate that oversees the conduct of magistrates and the appointment of chief prosecutors. Earlier this year, a reform that would have effectively shielded officials accused of corruption was shelved, after mass protests.