Page 9 - Aruba Today

WORLD NEWS 9
Spain’s Socialist leader won’t support Rajoy in his PM bid
ALAN CLENDENNING
Associated Press
MADRID (AP) — The leader
of Spain’s opposition So-
cialists said Wednesday he
will not support any effort
by acting Prime Minister
Mariano Rajoy to stay on
in his post via a coalition
or a minority government.
Pedro Sanchez made the
declaration to reporters
New Polish government criticized for democratic backsliding
VANESSA GERA
Associated Press
WARSAW, Poland (AP) —
On the heels of electoral
defeat four years ago, Pol-
ish right-wing party leader
Jaroslaw Kaczynski stood
before supporters and de-
clared that eventually vic-
tory would be theirs. “I am
convinced the day is com-
ing,” he told his followers,
“when we will have Buda-
pest in Warsaw.”
It was an expression of ad-
miration for Hungary un-
der Prime Minister Viktor
Orban, who has consoli-
dated power by weaken-
ing the judiciary, the me-
dia and other institutions
in a manner condemned
by Western powers as un-
democratic.
Now, with Kaczynski’s Law
and Justice party back in
power since last month,
critics say he is making
good on that 2011 promise
as the government speeds
to embark on a path remi-
niscent of Hungary’s.
On Tuesday the parlia-
ment, dominated by Law
and Justice, approved
controversial new bill that
France hardens stance on dual-national terror convicts
LORI HINNANT
Associated Press
PARIS (AP) — France’s gov-
ernment hardened its posi-
tion toward dual-national
terrorism convicts Wednes-
day, saying they deserved
to have their citizenship re- ernment’s proposal came
voked as part of constitu-
tional changes upholding
the state of emergency im-
posed after the Nov. 13 at-
tacks in Paris. In a speech
presenting the proposed
changes, Prime Minister
Manuel Valls also left open
the possibility of prolonging ing it was the first effect of
after meeting with Rajoy,
who is trying to negoti-
ate a way for him and his
center-right Popular Party
to remain in power after
it won the most votes in a
national election Sunday
but fell far short of a parlia- down from the 186 it won
mentary majority.
Rajoy did not comment
after the two met at
the presidential palace.
Leader of the ruling Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, bottom center, and Prime
Minister Beata Szydlo, left, applaud after lawmakers voted a new law on the constitutional court, Timmermans wrote.
in the parliament in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015.
will paralyze the Constitu-
tional Tribunal, essentially
eliminating the top court’s
ability to act as a check on
new legislation. One of the
party’s next goals is to con-
solidate its hold over state
media, which is expected
to bring a purge of journal-
ists who are critical of the
the state of emergency
beyond its current three-
month window, describ-
ing an “unparalleled ex-
traordinary situation, an
unprecedented fight” that
France is facing. The gov-
under immediate criticism
from human rights groups,
including the French anti-
racism organization MRAP
and Amnesty International.
But Marine Le Pen, leader
of the far-right National
Front, sent out a tweet say-
The splintered vote that
marked the end of three
decades of two-party
domination in Spain gave
Rajoy’s party 123 seats
in the 350-member low-
er house of parliament,
in 2011. The Socialists got
90 seats, followed by the
far-left Podemos and allies
with 69 and the business-
new government.
The move against the court
raised deep concern in the
European Union, with a top
member of the EUexecu-
tive writing to Poland’s for- functioning of the Con-
eign and justice ministries
on the matter Wednesday.
Commission Vice-President
Frans Timmermans urged
her party’s surge in support
in France’s recent regional
election. The Paris attacks,
which left 130 dead and
hundreds wounded, were
carried out in the name
of the Islamic State group
largely by French and Bel-
gian extremists. Afterward,
the state of emergency
allowed security forces to
impose house arrests and
carry out searches without
a warrant. Valls said in 40
days, 2,900 searches had
netted 443 weapons, in-
cluding 40 military-grade
Thursday 24 December 2015
friendly Ciudadanos with
40.
Sanchez reiterated that
it’s up to the Popular Party
to first try to form a gov-
ernment because it got
the most votes but said he
would try to forge one if
the Popular Party can’t.
Spain has never had a
“grand coalition” of its
two main parties. Rajoy is
(AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)
Polish authorities not to en-
force the new legislation
“until all questions regard-
ing the impact of this law
on the independence and
stitutional Tribunal have
been fully and properly as-
sessed.”
“The rule of law is one of
arms. In all, 1,000 people
have left from France to
join extremists in Syria and
Iraq, Valls said, by far the
largest contingent from
Western Europe.
“We know that the fight-
ers are often grouped ac-
cording to their language,
to train and prepare ac-
tions on our soil,” he said.
This appears to have been
the case for at least some
of the Nov. 13 attackers,
who included French-
speaking men who had left
to fight for Islamic State.
scheduled to meet with
the leaders of Ciudada-
nos and Podemos next
Monday.
Analysts predict weeks
or months of uncertainty
before the country has a
functioning government
led by the Popular Party or
the Socialist Party — or a
new election in the spring if
neither party succeeds.q
the common values upon
which the (EU) is founded,”
But the ruling party says it
has a mandate for deep
social change after voters
gave it the strongest vic-
tory a party has ever en-
joyed in post-communist
Poland: a clear majority
of seats in parliament and
the ability to rule without a
coalition partner.
It says it must make chang-
es to the tribunal because
the court is filled with ap-
pointees from the previous
government who will block
its mandate for change.
The tribunal’s job is to ex-
amine contested legisla-
tion to ensure it does not
violate the constitution. Its
members are legal pro-
fessionals appointed by
the parliament. The court
is now filled with many
appointments made by
the centrist Civic Platform
party, which held power
for eight years. The last
time Law and Justice held
power, from 2005 to 2007, it
saw its ambitions for deep
change stifled by the
court.q
The plan to revoke citi-
zenship for terror convicts
has caused fissures in the
Socialist government. But
France’s justice minister,
Christiane Taubira, who
had said she was opposed
to the measure, was on
stage next to Valls when
he announced it.
“It is a highly symbolic mea-
sure,” Valls said. “This is a
strong punishment that the
nation is lawfully entitled
to impose upon someone
who commits the ultimate
betrayal.”q