Let’s sum up the European news for October in this way: Covid19, Brexit, Islamic terrorism and a long-awaited new airport are the hot topics of the month.

COVID19

The Chinese virus is indeed there, encrusted in the European population. Depending on the efficiency of European governments, the health situation is more or less complicated. The four Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark) seem to have done very well, while France and Belgium, on the other hand, seem out of control.

To date, only one thing seems certain: poverty, business failures and unemployment will surge in Europe, and debts will soar to levels one never imagined.

 

The “No deal” of Brexit

The other cause for concern is the prospect of Britain leaving the European Union without a deal by December 31. The European Union is playing decay, in order to curb any inclination to leave another state. Britain seems to have more difficulty signing a free trade agreement with the European Union than Canada.

The possibility of a Brexit is all the greater since the politicians who negotiate are not the ones who will suffer the most from this failure: it is the companies.

 

Islamic terrorism

The month of October was marked in France by two islamic terrorist attacks, one in Paris, the other in Nice. This late one is particularly tragic since the fanatic attacked three people including two women who were in a church to pray. Cowardice embodied by Allah fanatics. In both cases, the attack was carried out by a freshly landed migrant to Europe. But this fact does not (yet) seem enough to question the accommodating migration policy of the European Union and France whose authorities have reacted, once again, with extreme … verbal vigor.

 

Willy Brandt Airport

Finally, Germany officially opened Berlin’s fourth airport, Willy Brandt Airport, named after the chancellor of the 1960s. This is all the more significant as it comes after an 8-year delay and a budget that was double in comparaison with than initially planned. The Germans did not appreciate it, being more used to demonstrating efficiency and industrial rigor. After the Volkswagen “Dieselgate” a few years ago, things are messy. Perfection does not exist, even for the Germans.

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