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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 4 July 2019

Deals made at secretive EU summit deliver top job nominees

By RAF CASERT clutched nothing more
Associated Press than a promise that he
BRUSSELS (AP) — In the end, might become Parliament
the European Union’s top president in 2½ years.
jobs jamboree had a famil- Dutch politician Frans Tim-
iar old-time ring to it. mermans, the lead can-
Instead of embracing a didate of the Socialists &
transparent future, leaders Democrats, is set to remain
of the 28 EU nations repeat- a first vice president in the
ed the past as they retreat- European Commission in-
ed behind closed doors stead of advancing to the
to divvy up a half-dozen helm. The candidates for
jobs for politicians who will the four top posts are from
be the public faces of the Germany, France, Belgium
world’s biggest trade bloc. and Italy, four of the EU’s six
The process was complet- original member states. The
ed on Wednesday, when fifth is held by Spain.
little-known Italian socialist The outcome nevertheless
David Sassoli was picked was a victory for the Visig-
as president of the Euro- rad 4 countries of Poland,
pean Parliament. Two of Hungary, Czech Repub-
the three biggest groups lic and Slovakia, some of
in the EU legislature did not whom Timmermans had
field candidates as part of Italy’s David-Maria Sassoli applauds after being elected President of the European Parliament in accused of veering off the
the political compromise Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday July 3, 2019. democratic path.
sealed by leaders at their Associated Press For months, the V4 tar-
secretive three-day sum- tiating chip in old-school hidden agendas, we can’t the EU’s executive Com- geted Weber and Timmer-
mit. backroom Council nego- do it,” Macron said. mission, perhaps the most mans as being too critical
Sassoli’s election left a pic- tiations,” Greens leader Ska It was not supposed to be important job needing a of their national govern-
ture of presidents and prime Keller said before she lost like that this. Not after the new occupant by late fall. ments. The countries devel-
ministers making backdoor her bid for the Parliaments European Parliament elec- Yet none of the lead can- oped enough critical mass
deals, of German Chan- presidency to Sassoli, a tions in May showed a didates had gotten the among the EU leaders to
cellor Angela Merkel and legislator few had heard marked increase in voter big job they craved as of make clear that picking
French President Emman- off outside of Italy before turnout and a new interest Wednesday, snubbed by either man would not be
uel Macron throwing their Wednesday. in EU politics. Parties prom- animosities between lead- worth the hassles it would
weight around but also of Macron himself acknowl- ised closer relations with ers and geopolitics. cause. “An important vic-
smaller nations ganging up edged the deficiencies as citizens and a listening ear German Manfred Weber, tory has been achieved,
to exert influence. It left Eu- the whole selection pro- for their complaints and as- the lead candidate of the but new debates keep
ropean legislators with little cess ground to a halt Mon- pirations. European People’s Par- coming up in international
more than a cameo ap- day after 28 leaders nego- A key element of the cam- ty, stood empty handed politics,” Hungarian Prime
pearance. tiated through the night in paign had been that the Wednesday even though Minister Viktor Orban said.
“We cannot accept that small huddles to push their lead candidates of the po- his Christian Democrat “At least now, we have the
the presidency of this house interests. litical groups also would be party is the biggest in the strength to stand up for our-
is being treated as a nego- “When we have too many core candidates to head EU Parliament. Weber selves,” Orban added. q

Ethiopian Israeli protests of police violence enter 3rd day

By ARON HELLER violent clashes. Demonstra- property of citizens.”
Associated Press tors attacked police and Police spokesman Micky
JERUSALEM (AP) — Scores vandalized vehicles in re- Rosenfeld said more than
of activists returned to sponse to what they see as 110 officers were wounded
streets across Israel on ongoing police brutality. over the three days of pro-
Wednesday to protest the Prime Minister Benjamin tests, including from stones
killing of an Ethiopian Israeli Netanyahu urged calm and bottles hurled at them.
teen by an off-duty police and convened a ministerial The activists burned tires
officer in what the commu- committee to discuss “all is- and set a vehicle on fire,
nity calls the latest example sues” affecting Israel’s Ethi- clashing with police and as-
of police brutality and dis- opian community, which saulting those who tried to
crimination in Israeli society. suffers from poverty and break through their make-
Protesters mobilized to neglect and accuses the shift roadblocks. Overnight,
block a busy thoroughfare police of excessive force. the protesters continued
in Tel Aviv before being “We will discuss all issues but rioting, flipping over a po-
dragged away by police. Police arrest a a man during a protest in Tel Aviv, Israel, we will also discuss some- lice cruiser. Rosenfeld said
Hundreds marched amid Wednesday, July 3, 2019. thing that is unaccept- more than 130 suspects
officers in heavy riot gear, Associated Press able,” he said. “We are not were arrested on Tuesday.
many chanting, “There’s ment in the U.S., some held stones and carrying petrol prepared to either accept The demonstrations erupt-
no difference from blood signs with the slogan, “I bombs. But Wednesday’s or tolerate the blocking of ed after the unarmed Solo-
to blood. We’re all human can’t breathe.” rallies appeared calmer roads and the use of vio- mon Teka, 18, was fatally
beings.” At least 12 activists were than those of the previous lence, including firebombs shot in a Haifa suburb on
In a nod to the resonant arrested at various dem- night, when outrage over against our forces, the Sunday and escalated af-
Black Lives Matter move- onstration sites for hurling the killing escalated into burning of cars or any other ter his funeral on Tuesday.q