Page 8 - aruba-today-20191214

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 14 december 2019
Battle ahead: Scotland party leader vows independence push

By GREGORY KATZ Westminster politician for
Associated Press permission. It is instead an
LONDON (AP) — Prime assertion of the democratic
Minister Boris Johnson has right of the people of Scot-
won the majority he needs land to determine their fu-
to push through Brexit, ture,” she said, promising to
but he faces another big begin next week the formal
challenge from Scotland, process of setting up a rec-
where the independence- ognized referendum.
minded Scottish National She did not shy away from
Party and its leader Nicola confronting Johnson. Say-
Sturgeon have surged to ing she wanted to speak
a commanding position. directly to the prime min-
Here is a look at the factors ister, she looked at the TV
that will make this a vexing camera and said: “You as
issue for Johnson. the leader of a defeated
WHO IS NICOLA STURGEON party in Scotland have no
AND WHAT IS HER ROLE IN right to stand in the way” of
SCOTTISH POLITICS? a second vote on indepen-
The dynamic Sturgeon, dence.
49, is leader of the Scot- Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to supporters in Edinburgh, Scotland, Friday Dec. 13, Despite Sturgeon’s con-
tish National Party, which 2019. frontational stance, it is not
dominates the political Associated Press clear that Scottish voters’
scene, and as such she is about other objectives, but that Johnson is determined of Scottish voters, who ex- desire to break away from
Scotland’s first minister. She her party’s surge in Thurs- to avoid as he tries to man- pressed a clear desire to the United Kingdom has
took over the party’s top day’s election suggests her age the difficult Brexit pro- remain part of the prosper- increased since the 2014
post in 2014 after it lost a popularity remains high. cess that is his main focus. ous trading bloc. vote. The vote then was
hard-fought referendum On her day of triumph, she The British establishment She says Scotland is be- 55% to 45% against inde-
on independence from the chose to directly challenge thought it had put the mat- ing dragged out of the EU pendence — and the SNP’s
United Kingdom. Sturgeon Johnson and the British es- ter to rest when a “once- against its will — and won’t share of the popular vote
has emerged as one of the tablishment by saying she in-a-generation” referen- stand for it. in Scotland in Thursday’s
most talented figures on would push hard, starting dum in 2014 turned thumbs There is no question her election was also at 45%.
Britain’s fractious political next week, for another ref- down on Scottish inde- standing was boosted by HOW DID THE 2014 REFER-
scene. erendum. pendence by a 10-point the party’s performance ENDUM TAKE PLACE?
The daughter of an electri- WHAT IS THE LOOMING margin. But it has surfaced in the general election. It The British Parliament gave
cian and a dental nurse, CONFRONTATION ABOUT? again, in part because of gained 13 seats and now its formal approval to the
she became a lawyer after Sturgeon and her party are issues raised by the 2016 holds 48 of the 59 Scotland- 2014 vote and it was bind-
training at the University of dead set on holding a ref- Brexit referendum and in based seats in the British ing, meaning that Scotland
Glasgow and has earned erendum on Scottish inde- part by the SNP’s strong Parliament. Johnson’s Con- would have been able
a reputation for being well- pendence, despite firm op- showing on Thursday. servative Party, victorious to become an indepen-
prepared, witty and at position from Johnson, who WHY IS STURGEON PUSHING elsewhere but vanquished dent country if a majority
ease with voters, and blunt says his government would SO HARD RIGHT NOW? in Scotland, holds just six. of voters had backed the
when she needs to be. not authorize a vote on the Sturgeon says things have Sturgeon threw down the measure. Parliament acted
Independence for Scot- matter. changed since the first in- gauntlet Friday, saying she after Scottish and UK minis-
land has long been her A Scottish breakaway dependence vote, primar- is demanding, not request- ters signed an agreement.
primary political goal. Op- would thrust a dagger into ily because Britain voted in ing, a referendum. The Scottish Parliament also
ponents say they wish the heart of the United 2016 to leave the European “This is not about asking gave its approval for the
she would sometimes talk Kingdom, creating a crisis Union over the objections Boris Johnson or any other vote.q
Strike over troubled Alitalia

grounds flights in Italy

feared firings and salary dinia. Unions say they want for Alitalia, excluding cuts
cuts at troubled national a mixture of state and pri- in the labor force or the
carrier Alitalia. vate investment in Alitalia. workers’ salaries,” Barcuc-
Attempts to find a buyer “We favor both a pub- ci added. Alitalia has not
for the airline, run by state- lic investment in Alitalia, posted a profit for 15 years.
appointed administrators which would grant us more According to analysts’ es-
since it declared bank- protection on the jobs’ timates, it is losing 700,000
ruptcy in 2017, fell apart side, and a private part- euros ($780,000) per day,
last month. Last week, the ner, which would bring as it struggles to cope with
Italian government agreed the needed know-how to low cost competition on
The Alitalia check-in area is empty at Rome’s Leonardo Da Vinci to grant Alitalia a new 400 the company,” said Guido short-range routes and an
international airport, in Fiumicino, near Rome, Friday, Dec. 13, million euros ($445 million) Barcucci, spokesman for inadequate long-range
2019. to keep it afloat until a buy- the national Filt-Cgil union, network. Nationalization
Associated Press er can be found. Friday’s which on Friday participat- recently resurfaced as a
By GIADA ZAMPANO mestic flights in Italy were strike cancelled more than ed in the workers’ protests likely option for the carrier,
Associated Press cancelled Friday as air 350 Alitalia flights, and sev- at Rome’s Fiumicino airport. should the new loan fail to
ROME (AP) — Hundreds transport workers held a eral flights by Air Italy, a “Our request is that a new secure a buyer by the end
of international and do- nationwide strike to protest private carrier based in Sar- industrial plan is drafted of spring 2020.q