Anti-Euro Party a Growing Challenge for Merkel

The Germany’s center-right has long been in a luxurious position. Whereas the conservatives across Europe have been struggling in recent years with the rise of right-wing populist parties eating into their base, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats have had little to worry about. Though German left is splintered among three, or even four, parties, the right is a monolith. There is the CDU, its Bavarian wing known as the Christian Social Union, and its favorite coalition partner, Free Democrats (FDP). But this election year is different. With the birth of the anti-euro party Alternative for Germany (AfD), Merkel is facing competition from within her own clientele. Furthermore, though her preferred strategy has been that of maintaining complete silence about the AfD so as not to lend it credibility, there are many in Merkel’s party who disagree with that approach. And they are increasingly giving voice to their displeasure. «To imagine that nobody will talk about the AfD if we avoid talking about them would be a fatal conclusion to draw,» says Wolfgang Bosbach, a senior CDU member and chair of Internal Affairs Committee in German parliament. The party has to confront the critics of the euro «with well founded arguments.» Bosbach was quoted in Monday edition of SPIEGEL in an article that also included details from a paper written by CDU leaders from a trio of German states protesting against party’s strategy in dealing with the AfD. The authors of the paper urged the CDU to «take the new party seriously» and to engage it in a debate on the issues. Angie Merkel was furious. In a Monday party meeting, she complained bitterly about critique reported on by SPIEGEL and took the authors of the paper to task. «We are both older than 18,» she snapped at one of the renegade party members, according to meeting participants. Her touchiness is understandable. For months, CDU and the FDP have sought to ignore Alternative for Germany in the hopes that it would simply disappear as so many anti-euro movements have in the past. Instead, though, the party has quickly grown. Earlier this month, it surpassed 10.000 member mark, just seven weeks after its official founding, and it has attracted widespread interest among German electorate. More worrisome, significant elements within Merkel’s CDU have grown uncomfortable with the massive bailouts of heavily indebted euro-zone member states, with several conservative lawmakers either abstaining or voting no on aid packages in the German parliament last year. While no parliamentarians have yet abandoned the CDU, the Alternative for Germany has proven adept at attracting lower-ranking CDU and FDP members. Just last week, a state lawmaker with FDP in Hesse named Jochen Paulus switched parties. Many see AfD as a political home representing what German conservatives used to stand for, before Merkel moved the CDU to the center in recent years. And before euro crisis forced Berlin to embark on expensive path of saving the common European currency. While most Germans remain favorable toward the euro, a significant number are not and many of them are political conservatives (…..)

Link: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/anti-euro-party-alternative-for-germany-a-growing-problem-for-merkel-a-899803.html

Confirmam cúpula de ministros da Rússia e da CELAC em Moscou

O vice-ministro de Assuntos Exteriores Ryabkov confirmou ontem para o dia 29 de maio, nesta capital, um encontro de chanceleres da Rússia e da troica ampliada da Comunidade Estados Latino-americanos e Caribenhos (CELAC). A reunião de ministros contará com a participação de Cuba – presidente temporária, Chile, Costa Rica, Haiti, informou o vice-chanceler durante sua intervenção nas reuniões parlamentares desta segunda-feira dedicadas prioridades da Rússia nas relações com a América Latina e o Caribe. Serguei Ryabkov disse que, como resultado do encontro, serão emitidos os documentos conjuntos que refletirão «os enfoques de nossos países para os problemas contemporâneo de ordem mundial e da agenda internacional». Trabalhamos de maneira exitosa com nossos sócios América Latina considerando as prioridades política exterior Rússia, inclusive medidas de transparência no desenvolvimento espacial, na segurança internacional e no aperfeiçoamento do sistema de órgãos dos direitos humanos. O diplomata remitiu à declaração assinada pelos presidentes da Rússia, Vladimir Putin; e pela presidenta do Brasil, Dilma Russeff, no dia 14 de dezembro 2012, refirmando a política de nossos países de não permitir que se desenvolva processo de armamento do espaço sideral, sublinhou. Ontem, expressou, é um dos resultados mais importantes nossos esforços comuns, e Ryabkov demonstrou ter confiança em que resto dos países latino-americanos não permitirão corrida armamentista e militarização do espaço. Destacou, assim mesmo, o apoio consolidado de uma série de estados da região a uma resolução russa na ONU contra glorificação do nazismo. De acordo com embaixador cubano na Rússia, Emilio Lozada, o encontro de ministros da troica da CELAC em Moscou dará continuidade à primeira reunião, realizada em setembro de 2012, em Nova York, um sinal claro que nossas relações avançam de acordo ao interesse mútuo de desenvolvê-las e ampliar a todos os âmbitos, sublinhou o diplomata. (Agencia Prensa Latina – 14/05/2013)

México y Brasil buscan relanzar el TLC

Mayores empresas comercializadoras entre México y Brasil apoyan el relanzamiento de negociaciones de un Tratado de Libre Comercio bilateral, asunto que nuevamente forma parte de la agenda de los gobiernos de ambos países. El canciller José Antonio Meade visitará esta semana Brasil, se entrevistará con su homólogo, Antonio Patriota, y uno de los temas abordarán será apertura comercial bilateral. “Los niveles resistencia para pactar TLC se han reducido impresionantemente; creo que se puede avanzar de forma adecuada”, dijo Marco Ramírez, el gerente comercial de la Cámara México-Brasil. Entre otras compañías brasileñas, iniciativa es respaldada por la petrolera Petrobras, la petroquímica Braskem y la fabricante de motores Weg. Del lado mexicano están Bimbo, América Móvil, FEMSA, Mabe, Rotoplas y Cinépolis. “Hay que volver a hacer análisis de las economías de los dos países, las cuales han cambiado, y pronósticos de los siguientes años; no es una cosa rápida”, dijo Rafael Nava, director de Relaciones Gubernamentales de Mabe. La Secretaría de Economía informó que se estableció un Grupo de Alto Nivel Empresarial, en el que se analizarán las oportunidades para ambas naciones, de modo que, si hay interés, se pueda avanzar hacia mayor integración. Una de las ideas es que se persiga Acuerdo Estratégico de Integración Económica (AEIE), que incluya la liberalización comercial y cooperación en diferentes aspectos, porque desgravar aranceles sector por sector complica apertura posterior áreas renuentes o desinteresadas. En diciembre, la prensa brasileña refirió que la presidenta Dilma Rousseff pidió a su par mexicano, Enrique Peña, reiniciar el diálogo sobre el TLC. “No descartaría un acuerdo de libre comercio con Brasil en el mediano plazo, pero antes hay que profundizar el intercambio para que los dos países sean más competitivos”, dijo Peña Nieto a la revista Veja a principios de mayo. México y Brasil han tenido intentos frustrados para pactar un TLC desde 1997. En esos 16 años, la desconfianza mutua y el potencial de beneficios bilaterales han sido sopesados una y otra vez. En cada tentativa emerge oposición de agricultores y ganaderos mexicanos y de sindicatos industrias brasileñas, reflejando la competitividad agropecuaria de un país y la manufacturera del otro, lo complementario de ambos, al mismo tiempo, riesgos implícitos. También han persistido dificultades, porque México ha pactado 12 TLCs y en Brasil se han enfocado a proteger su gran mercado interno. (Fuente: El Economista, México – 14/05/2013)

ALADI impulsa un gran encuentro latinoamericano de integración

La Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración impulsa la posibilidad de realizar gran encuentro latinoamericano de negocios, comercio e inversiones, reafirmó su secretario general, Carlos Chacho Álvarez. Inauguraríamos así una práctica que creemos fundamental para ir dándole perfiles más nítidos y de presente y futuro a la idea de América Latina, agregó en su más reciente artículo distribuido por la ALADI, organismo con sede en esta capital. Se trata de «una gran macro-rueda de intercambios, de conocimiento, posibilidades de financiamiento y atracción de inversiones que reúna al conjunto de los países de Latinoamérica y el Caribe». Precisó que la iniciativa, que todos los países han recibido con mucho interés, se podría aprovechar para debatir y actualizar «agenda de facilitación del comercio en la región, con los viejos y nuevos temas que nos impone la agenda global». Asimismo, lograr un mayor conocimiento entre los países y subregiones, posibilidades de asociación y de complementación, búsqueda común de inversiones, proyectos compartidos para mejorar la inserción en la economía global. En definitiva, dijo Álvarez, un gran encuentro, el cual reúna a gobiernos, sector privado, organismos y agendas de financiamiento, medios de comunicación y todos aquellos comprometidos e interesados en que nuestra región se consolide y sea uno de los actores importantes de ese nuevo mundo que se avecina. Bajo el título «América Latina y un Nuevo Mundo», el secretario general ALADI resaltó la necesidad de que América Latina pueda avanzar más rápidamente en su proceso de integración y complementación política, económica, social y cultural. Para ello, señaló, deberá priorizar los objetivos, como promover, ampliar y profundizar el comercio intrarregional como gran medio de acercamiento, intercambio, complementariedad y conjunción de intereses compartidos. ALADI tiene un rol muy importante en esa tarea, porque representa la posibilidad de aportar a las condiciones que facilitan la ampliación del comercio latinoamericano como aporte esencial al proyecto de construcción de un actor relevante en ese nuevo mundo que se reconfigura. (Fuente: Agencia Prensa Latina – 13/05/2013)

After buoyant debut, U.S.-E.U. trade talks face a growing list of issues

The supporters of a U.S.-European free-trade deal have begun damping expectations about its immediate benefits amid a series of emerging disputes could complicate the creation of the world’s largest trade zone. President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron met Monday and affirmed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership remains a top economic priority on both sides of ocean, critical in Europe’s quest for economic recovery. But in recent weeks, fresh disagreements have surfaced over issues such as regulation of financial services and the openness of U.S. state governments to foreign businesses and contractors. Those add to healthy list of legacy disputes involving agriculture, European prohibitions on genetically modified food and a French insistence it be allowed to maintain quotas on non-French media. None are necessarily deal breakers. But they could make it harder for officials to reach their goal of finishing an agreement by next year and diminish the potential for a treaty to quickly boost jobs and growth. Although the push for such a partnership grew out of concern about high unemployment in the developed world, business groups, the public officials and others involved in the negotiations say short-term effects may be muted. “There was an initial flurry of excitement that this was finally launched,” said Tim Bennett, director general of Transatlantic Business Council, a group of chief executives who confer with the US government and the European Commission on trade and economic issues. But “let’s not oversell the benefits. The benefits will take several years to manifest …. This is not the silver bullet is going to solve all the employment problems in the E.U. or U.S.” “If the negotiation gets started, we know it will be a long one filled with obstacles,” French Trade Minister Nicole Bricq said during a trip to Washington last month in which she detailed possible problems the French foresee in the talks. Cameron on Monday said the talks could launch formally at a meeting of top world leaders in Northern Ireland next month and that he hoped they would start without preconditions imposed by either side. “To realice huge benefits this deal could bring would take ambition and political will. That means everything on the table,” Cameron said. “The next five weeks are crucial” It is over that time the office of the U.S. Trade Representative will finish conferring with Congress about scope of the negotiations. A similar process is underway in European Union as the 27 member nations discuss a negotiating “mandate” for European commission officials. In the course of those discussions, the demands are multiplying. Some European officials want to use the negotiations to push back on new U.S. financial regulations that could force European banks to restructure their operations if they want to do business in United States. Effect of the Volcker Rule on European companies has been a sore point for more than a year. Some U.S. officials are hesitant to include matters that are still under debate in the United States and unsettled in U.S. laws and regulations (…..)

Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/after-buoyant-debut-us-eu-trade-talks-face-a-growing-list-of-issues/2013/05/13/c85bb6c0-bc05-11e2-9b09-1638acc3942e_story.html