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WORLD NEWS Saturday 3 december 2016

Iceland’s Radical UK foreign secretary underscores commitment to NATO
Pirate Party seeks
to form coalition fairs.
Johnson also said Britain
would not “block or im-
JILL LAWLESS pede” European Union ef-
Associated Press forts to develop their de-
LONDON (AP) — Iceland’s fense capabilities once the
anti-authoritarian Pirate country leaves the 28-na-
Party took the helm in talks tion bloc.
to form a new coalition He said it was in Britain’s in-
government for the island terest to have a strong EU-
nation Friday, after two following Brexit, and that
earlier rounds of negotia- he wouldn’t object to Eu-
tions broke down. ropean defense “architec-
The Pirates, who seek di- ture.”
rect democracy and digi- “If they want to do that,
tal freedom, came third in fine,” Johnson said.
Iceland’s Oct. 29 parlia- The move apparently puts
mentary election. him at odds with British De-
No party won an outright fense Secretary Michael
majority, and President Fallon, who has expressed
Gudni Johannesson asked concerns that proposals
the first-placed Indepen- under discussion for a joint
dence Party and then British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson attends a Mediterranean Dialogues Summit in Rome. Italy military command within
the second-placed Left- hosts its second Mediterranean Dialogues Summit in Rome where the main topics expected to be the EU would undermine
Greens to try to assemble discussed are security, terrorism, stability and economy in the Middle East and Northern African NATO.
a coalition. Both failed. region. The European Union has
On Friday, Johannesson (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) said its defense integra-
asked senior Pirate law- DANICA KIRKA dress since taking office, “It cannot be justified that tion plans are intended to
maker Birgitta Jonsdottir to Associated Press Johnson argued that U.S. one NATO ally — America improve cooperation, not
try to assemble a govern- LONDON (AP) — Foreign President-elect Donald — accounts for about 70 create a new EU army.
ment with other parties, Secretary Boris Johnson Trump has a valid point percent of the alliance’s “We want a strong EU and
the president’s office said. underscored Britain’s com- about NATO members defense spending, while we want a strong relation-
The Pirate Party, founded mitment to the North Atlan- needing to contribute the other 27 countries ship between a strong U.K.
four years ago by an as- tic Treaty Organization on more to the cost of their manage only 30 percent and a strong EU,” John-
sortment of hackers, po- Friday, describing the alli- defense. But he insisted between them,” John- son said. “It is no part of
litical activists and inter- ance as the foundation of that Britain’s attachment son said while speaking at our agenda to seek to
net freedom advocates, security in Europe. to the alliance is unbreak- Chatham House, the Royal undermine or to be dog-
tripled its vote and won 10 In his first major policy ad- able. Institute of International Af- in-the-mangerish about
seats in Iceland’s 63-seat the EU.”q
Parliament in October. French candidate: Trump’s win frees voters from ‘diktats’
Support for the upstart Pi-
rates surged amid pub- SYLVIE CORBET not to seek a second term votes for her, Le Pen said mary, among others.
lic anger at former Prime ELAINE GANLEY won’t change her cam- she did not know. But she “You know, I don’t believe
Minister Sigmundur David Associated Press paign strategy. Hollande allowed that “perhaps” in this left-right fracture. On
Gunnlaugsson’s offshore PARIS (AP) — French far- made the announcement there could be a Trump ef- the one side are national-
holdings, which were re- right presidential candi- late Thursday. Le Pen, who fect in the French election. ists, patriots. On the other,
vealed in the Panama Pa- date Marine Le Pen said Fri- heads the National Front, “What is sure is that people globalizationists, European-
pers leak. Gunnlaugsson day that the spring election told The Associated Press are now conscious that ists and so, by definition, im-
resigned in April, triggering will pit nationalists and pa- at a party event later Fri- they can liberate them- migrationists,” she told re-
an early election. triots such as herself against day that Donald Trump’s selves from the diktats of porters, making up her own
The tax-avoidance scan- supporters of globalization, victory in the U.S. presiden- the system and vote as descriptions.
dal was the latest political the European Union and tial election shows that “the they like,” she said. Valls, meanwhile, praised
shock in the volcanic North immigration. Speaking at system” she has long de- Le Pen predicted that Prime Hollande’s decision not
Atlantic nation, which suf- an annual horse fair outside nounced for keeping pow- Minister Manuel Valls will run to run and defended Hol-
fered years of economic Paris — where she donned er in the hands of political as the Socialist presidential lande’s economic record
upheaval after the coun- a cowboy hat and mount- elites is vulnerable. candidate, facing her and without saying if he plans
try’s debt-swollen banks ed a horse — Le Pen said Whether Trump’s win or conservative former Prime to seek the presidency him-
collapsed during the 2008 Socialist President Fran- the British vote to leave Minister Francois Fillon, who self, as many assume he
global financial crisis.q cois Hollande’s decision the EU will translate into won the conservative’s pri- will.q