The Washington Post: Pope Francis does something impossible for Trump

So it might be Providential that Pope Francis chose to make news last week in two ways. First, he did something that comes very hard to most public figures, and particularly to the current occupant of the White House: He apologized fervently for “grave errors.”

He also issued a remarkable document on holiness that seemed made for the moment — and, by the way, noted that we can “waste precious time” by being caught up in “superficial information” and “instant communication.” [...]

Francis responded with a letter to Chile’s bishops. “As far as my role, I acknowledge, and ask you to convey faithfully, that I have made grave errors in assessment and perception of the situation, especially as a result of lack of information that was truthful and balanced,” he wrote. “From this time I ask forgiveness to all those that I offended and I hope to do so personally, in the following weeks, in meetings that I will hold with representatives” of those affected.  

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Bloomberg: Tsipras Fights on All Fronts as Greece Is Back in the Spotlight

“The worst problem for Tsipras, for the government, but also for Greece is the evolving ‘rogueness’ of Turkey,” said Aristides Hatzis, a professor of law and economics at the University of Athens. “Diminishing American influence on the region is a destabilizing factor and the stakes are very high,” Hatzis said, adding that Greece is not a primary concern for Turkey, but a part of an overall plan by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to establish hegemony in the region. [...]

While “the possibility of deliberate escalation is relatively low,” there is increased concern of an accidental trigger event between the two countries, said Thanos Dokos, director-general of the Athens-based Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy. Greek and Turkish military ships and aircraft have always operated in close proximity, but the Turkish armed forces have been stripped of experienced officers following the 2016 coup attempt and shrinking U.S., EU and NATO influence over Ankara make outside mediation less certain in the event of an incident, he said. [...]

Any wavering of internal support could put Tsipras’s thin parliamentary majority at risk ahead of national elections scheduled for next year, a grave concern at a moment when the main opposition party, New Democracy, is leading in the polls.

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Social Europe: European Labour Minister – A Weatherproof EU

Three proposals on recasting EMU lie on the table. Schäuble´s vision of “EU master-cutter” for the Union is contrasted by Macron´s idea of a Eurozone finance minister with fiscal policy competence, complemented by a separate “Euro”-Parliament. By contrast, EU-Commission President Juncker proposes an EU finance minister embedded within the structure of the EU constitution, more precisely an economic- and finance commissioner, Vice-president of the EU- Commission and at the same time chairperson of the Eurogroup. S/He would take a mid- position between the current autocratic government of the European Stability Mechanism and Macron´s EU- finance minister who would be accountable to the European Parliament.

What are the consequences for the EU? The result will be either way a continuation of the single market agenda, while the social agenda would remain a patchwork. An EU economy and finance minister would push forward the radicalization of the single market: The removal of national legislation on social and labour protection, privatization of public services and stabilization of the Euro by a debt brake. Even if Macron´s concept became reality, the purely economic and finance agenda would occupy centre stage, the social- and labour law agenda a mere addendum. [...]

Juncker in his State of the Union Speech 2017 proposed a European Labour Authority. This approach must be grasped and built upon. However, such an authority will not be sufficient by itself. A European Labour Minister is needed, giving new impetus for developing European social- and labour law, bringing the socio-political agenda forward according to the European Pillar on Social Rights and exploiting the existing competences set out within the TFEU as explained below.

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Politico: Macron needs the EU to bring peace in Syria

Macron has played a leading role in the military action against Syria; he claims to have had some influence on the posture taken by the U.S. and Turkey. But it would be hard to detect a common EU voice on Syria. Even the three leading figures of the EU institutional scene — Donald Tusk, Jean-Claude Juncker and Federica Mogherini — couldn’t manage to produce a joint statement. [...]

What’s needed to bring peace to Syria is a serious return to talks at the U.N. table. This will require EU-wide resolve — not just Macron’s national posturing — to bear down first on the United States, and second on the negotiations themselves. Adding an EU dimension to the talks would bring Germany squarely on board, help better manage Donald Trump’s unpredictability, open a channel for cooperation with Turkey and contribute to fending off Moscow’s influence in some European capitals. [...]

In the past 30 months, Russian President Vladimir Putin has achieved a lot: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s survival, a large air base in Latakia, an expanded naval station in Tartus, and a new place on the world diplomatic stage. Now, Putin’s choice is between remaining a permanent spoiler or talking seriously to Western leaders about bringing peace to Syria.

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National Geographic: Photos of the Chinese Town That Duplicated Paris

Known as the “Paris of the East”, the luxury real estate development in Zhejiang province was designed to evoke classical European charm. Its residents have their own Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysées main square, French neoclassical-style buildings, a fountain from the Luxembourg Gardens, and the centerpiece of the city: the second largest replica of the Eiffel Tower in the world after the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Nevada.

When Tianducheng first opened its gates more than a decade ago, it was described as a ghost town. While many of its homes remain vacant, the population has grown into the thousands, and it attracts a steady stream of Chinese and international tourists, including newlyweds looking for a picture-perfect backdrop. [...]

On the outskirts of Beijing, a replica of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is outfitted with cowboys and a Route 66. Red telephone booths, pubs, and statues of Winston Churchill pepper the corridors of Shanghai’s Thames Town. The city of Fuzhou is constructing a replica of Stratford-upon-Avon in tribute to Shakespeare, Fuyang built their own U.S. Capitol building, and the Austrian UNESCO World Heritage town of Hallstatt has a second home in Guangdong. [...]

During an ongoing Chinese geographical survey, officials found that traditional Chinese names were being replaced by foreign ones or disappearing altogether, including more than 400,000 village names. According to the New York Times, a regulation in China has prohibited the use of foreign monikers for locations since 1996 as a means to protect cultural heritage, but has had little effect.

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