Page 8 - aruba-today-20190914

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 14 September 2019
Hungary’s Orban points to EU Paris sees biggest

‘enlargement fatigue’ transport strike in
decade over pensions
happy.” Bosnian Serb lead-
er Milorad Dodik, who is the
Serb member of Bosnia’s
multi-ethnic presidency,
also said it was “important”
that the new enlargement
commissioner would be
from Hungary.”
“They have a better feel
for the Balkans than some
other European countries,”
Dodik said.
Suzana Grubjesic, a former
deputy prime minister of Commuters wait to board a train, in Gare du Nord railway
Serbia now secretary gen- station, in Paris, Friday, Sept. 13, 2019. Associated Press
eral of European Move-
ment Serbia, a pro-EU civic By SYLVIE CORBET less crowded than usual.
organization, said Trocsanyi Associated Press The ride-hailing compa-
In this Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, Hungarian Justice Minister would face difficulties both PARIS (AP) — The big- ny Uber hoped to capi-
Laszlo Trocsanyi attends a news conference after the decision in the Balkans and Brussels. gest strike to hit Paris talize on the disruptions
of the Court of Justice of Luxembourg about the EU migrant
quotas at the Parliament in Budapest, Hungary. “He will have a tough job public transport since by offering two 15-min-
Associated Press to, on one hand, try to re- 2007 created major ute rides free on the
By PABLO GORONDI issues, even if he expected vive hope of a European traffic jams Friday, dis- Jump electric bikes and
Associated Press the nominee to encounter perspective” among the rupting tourists’ plans scooters it has placed
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — “heated moments” during countries in the Western and forcing commuters around the city.
Hungary’s prime minister upcoming hearings before Balkans, following wide- to work from home or RATP employees were
said Friday that Western the EU parliament’s vote on spread disappointment find alternative ways to protesting a pension
countries in the European the new EU Commission. after the latest EU summit, reach the office. change planned for
Union are suffering from Hungary is facing EU action Grubjesic said in a tele- French unions were pro- next year that critics say
“enlargement fatigue” and regarding the rule of law phone interview. testing plans for sweep- will make them work
using newer members as a and democratic proce- “Even a tougher job would ing pension changes longer before retire-
scapegoat for their prob- dures, including over laws be to convince the EU by President Emmanuel ment. RATP employees
lems. enacted during Trocsanyi’s member states to put back Macron’s government are among the French
“Those in the West are ministerial tenure, but Or- enlargement high on their that aim to create a uni- workers who benefit
exhausted from enlarge- ban said there could be agenda.” versal pension system, from a special pension
ment,” Prime Minister Viktor no professional objections Others in the Balkans, how- instead of having dif- regime that currently al-
Orban said on state radio, to Trocsanyi, who earlier ever, were skeptical about ferent pension rules for lows them to retire on a
adding that there was a was an ambassador and a Trocsanyi, especially on different jobs. Critics say full pension earlier than
mistaken view in Western member of Hungary’s con- how much he would focus that will do away with most other French work-
Europe “that if expansion stitutional court, only “that on bringing the rule of law some transport workers’ ers.
had not taken place ... he is Hungarian.” in the candidate countries right to retire early. The Macron says the
then the Western half of Hungary has been a strong up to EU standards. fight against the pension planned changes
the continent would per- advocate for EU enlarge- Bosnia’s Klix news portal, changes now includes would make the public
form much better.” ment, even despite snags for example, carried anal- plans for pilots, nurses pension system “fairer.”
Orban also said that if coun- in bilateral relations with ysis headlined “Why the and lawyers to strike He has promised the le-
tries like Serbia had been some of its neighboring appointment of Trocsanyi and protest Monday. gal retirement age will
part of the EU already dur- countries — earlier with Ser- may be the worst signal for Paris public transport remain at 62 but new
ing the 2015 migration crisis, bia or Romania, for exam- Bosnia from the EU in the company RATP said 10 conditions will encour-
“illegal migrants wouldn’t ple, and now with Ukraine last five years.” metro lines were closed age people to work lon-
have reached Germany.” — over the rights of Hun- Edit Inotai, a senior fellow at Friday and several oth- ger before retiring. The
Orban, who in 2015 or- garian minorities there. the Centre for Euro-Atlantic ers, including the RER government also wants
dered fences protected Trocsanyi’s nomination was Integration and Democra- suburban rail, were se- to apply the same rules
by razor wire built on Hun- welcomed by authorities cy, a Budapest-based think verely disrupted. The to all new retirees order
gary’s southern borders in Serbia and the Serb-run tank, said press freedoms French capital was crip- to replace the 42 differ-
with Serbia and Croatia to part of neighboring Bosnia, or judicial independence pled by traffic jams at ent retirement systems
stem the flow of people who have close relations would be not a priority for rush hour Friday morn- specific to certain jobs.
trying to reach Western Eu- with Orban. the Hungarian commission- ing. Many Parisians and At Le Vesinet, west of
rope, said that had North “It is important that this is er candidate. tourists used city bikes Paris, commuter Benja-
Macedonia, Serbia and someone from the region, “Trocsanyi will not make and electric scooters, min Royoux said he was
Montenegro been in the someone with a balanced strong demands for the or simply walked, to get “rather pleasantly sur-
EU at the time, the migrants approach, someone who strengthening of the rule of around. Bus and tram prised” to find that there
would have been stopped is an honest friend of the law in these countries,” Ino- schedules were also dis- were trains every 15 min-
there after going through region,” Serbian President tai said. rupted. utes. But Royoux, who
Greece. Aleksadar Vucic said. “Instead, he will emphasize Messages in French and uses his electric scooter
Orban said he was pleased Asked about Trocsanyi’s how important enlarge- English on train and bus in downtown Paris, was
that former Hungarian Jus- nomination by a Serbian ment is for the EU from an platforms warned pas- worried there could be
tice Minister Laszlo Troc- reporter during a meeting economic or security per- sengers about the strike, more strikes.
sanyi has been selected as of regional leader Thursday spective, or to avoid the the biggest in 12 years. “One day is going to be
EU commissioner for neigh- in Prague, Orban said: “If advance of Islam, Turkey or The few trains still circu- ok. But if it continues ...
borhood and enlargement I were a Serb, I would be Russia in the region.”q lating were noticeably we’ll see,” he said.