Page 6 - BNE_magazine_10_2020

6 I The Month That Was bne October 2020
Politics
Eastern Europe
The Russian Government has increased taxes for Russian companies registered in Cyprus and amended a double taxation treaty, as a way to force more Russian companies to move their domicile home. Aluminium producer Rusal has already re-registered in a Russian “on-shore” tax haven.
Two out of five (42%) Russians say that a merger between Russia and Belarus is a bad idea, according to the state owned pollster, the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM). More than 40% of Russia's residents do not want to unite with Belarus and prefer to keep the relations as good neighbours.
German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz offered to spend €1bn ($1.2bn) on
the construction of two LNG import terminals, in exchange for Washington dropping plans to impose extra sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 project, German newspaper Die Zeit reported
on September 15.
Half of polled Ukrainians distrust President Zelenskiy, while just 44% still trust him, according to a survey by non-governmental think tank the Razumkov Center. Trust in Zelenskiy is sinking but he would still easily win a presidential election if held tomorrow.
Central Europe
Students of Budapest’s University
of Theatre and Film Arts (SZFE) and their sympathisers protested against a decision to put their university under a body controlled by the state. Several thousands of people formed a human chain for several kilometres from the university's building to Parliament.
Polish oil refiner PKN Orlen has pledged to become emissions- neutral by 2050, mirroring similar commitments made by other European oil and gas companies over the last year.
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The state-owned company will invest PLN25bn ($6.6bn) in clean energy projects over the next three decades.
Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has proposed banning fur farming causing protests by industry workers. The proposal is seen as
a PiS move to become more attractive to younger voters but the party has struggled to win the support of its coalition partners.
Slovakia’s Specialised Criminal Court acquitted businessman Marian Kocner, accused of the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova. The death caused nationwide protests and the government to fall.
Southeast Europe
Thousands of Bulgarian protesters bought toys from stores owned by local businessman Marian Kolev on September 3 investigated by economic police, tax authorities and market supervision authorities in what is seen as a politically motivated attack. Bulgaria is currently experiencing two months of the biggest anti-government protests for years.
Romania's Liberal government led by Prime Minister Ludovic Orban survived a no-confidence motion submitted by the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD), which had promised to raise pensions by 40%, double child allowances and initiate other major public spending.
Following a historic deal between Serbia and Kosovo signed in the White House, Serbia said it will not open an embassy in Jerusalem if Israel recognises Kosovo’s independence. US president Donald Trump sneaked a clause into the Serbian deal committing it to move its embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
Croatian MEP Ivan Vilibor Sincic dumped dozens of watermelons outside Government House in Zagreb
as part of a protest to raise awareness of local farmers who are failing to compete with cheap imports from the EU.
Moldova’s President Igor Dodon
said he will run for another term on September 9, “on behalf of the people” and he pledged to dissolve parliament if he wins.
Bulgaria will block North Macedonia’s EU accession bid if no agreement is reached on controversial historical issues between the two countries. Relations between the two neighboring countries have been strained for years.
Eurasia
Iran executed a young wrestler accused of murder despite calls from international human rights organisations for him to be spared the death penalty. Navid Afkari, 27, killed a security guard during the anti-government protests that broke out in 2018 after a sudden increase in fuel prices was introduced.
Ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili
is returning to the fray in Georgia's general election defying critics who see move as own goal. He will run for office for Georgia’s main opposition party United National Movement (UNM) in the October 31 parliamentary election.
Fears are reportedly growing in China that the bubonic plague could spread into the country from Mongolia, which has reported its third fatality this year. The infection and death rates from the plague in Mongolia are at their highest in a decade.
Joe Biden has said that he is “ready
to walk the path of diplomacy” with Tehran to lift US sanctions if he wins the November US election if Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal. Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium now stands at more than 10 times the limit set down in the 2015 nuclear deal.