Daily Brief: EU Issues Unprecedented Rebuke to Poland

Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. December 20, 2017 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA EU Issues Unprecedented Rebuke to Poland The European Commission triggered Article 7 of the bloc's principal treaty against Poland on Wednesday over concern for the rule of law, marking an unprecedented use of the article (Guardian) to threaten the ruling right-wing government with sanctions. The move gives Poland three months to implement recommended measures (EUobserver) for the disciplinary proceedings to be suspended. Until then, EU members may vote to determine whether democratic values face a "clear risk" in Poland (Bloomberg) and impose sanctions against the country, including the suspension of Poland's voting rights as an EU member. The bloc's move comes after the Polish senate passed legislation last week to give the executive greater control over top judges. ANALYSIS "At the core of it, the Polish ruling party is alleging that it is exercising sovereignty and taking [back] control. There is talk of a Polexit. It is clear that national sovereignty is vital to Poland, and it is often referred to by Polish authorities in response to the EU Commission's criticisms of its reforms of the judiciary," Agata Fijalkowski said in an interview with CFR. "Poland's fraught history of nation building, repeatedly interrupted by wars and occupation, provides right-wing activists with a rich supply of martyrdom and betrayal tropes to support the vision of Poland as surrounded by internal and external enemies," Volha Charnysh writes for Foreign Affairs. "After years of juggling crises including Greece's debt saga and the worst migration emergency since World War II, EU leaders are turning their attention to the rise of populist, euroskeptic forces that reject the bloc's values," Marek Strzelecki and Ewa Krukowska write for Bloomberg. Ten Most Significant World Events of 2017 CFR's James M. Lindsay counts down this year's biggest events, from Robert Mugabe's ouster in Zimbabwe to Donald J. Trump's inauguration.   PACIFIC RIM South Korea Considers Postponing Drills With U.S. President Moon Jae-in said South Korea could postpone military drills with the United States to reduce tensions with Pyongyang (Guardian) ahead of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, and that he would like to see North Korean athletes take part in the upcoming games. MYANMAR: The United States has called on Myanmar to release two journalists from the news agency Reuters who were arrested on December 12 (VOA) while reporting on a military crackdown in Rakhine State. This CFR Backgrounder looks at the Rohingya crisis. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Three Dead in Kashmir Fighting A woman was killed and twenty people injured (Al Jazeera) in clashes between Indian security forces and demonstrators in a Kashmiri village after a gun battle on Tuesday killed two suspected rebels (AP).  MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA UNGA to Hold Emergency Session on Jerusalem U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned member states against censuring the United States (Reuters) ahead of a rare emergency session of the UN General Assembly on Thursday to vote on a resolution condemning the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital earlier this month. YEMEN: At least 136 civilians, including more than a dozen children, have been killed in eleven days of air strikes (Al Jazeera) by the Saudi-led coalition fighting to restore Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour al-Hadi to power, according to the United Nations. Oxfam's Scott Paul discusses the Saudi blockade in Yemen in this CFR interview.  SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA A Third of Somali Troops Unarmed, Government Says A Somali government assessment has found that up to 30 percent of its troops guarding military bases in the country (VOA) are unarmed. The defense minister said there are also "gaps" in the number of personnel present on bases. ANGOLA: The state oil company Sonangol has announced an investigation into possible misappropriation of funds (AFP) by its former head Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of former President Jose Eduardo dos Santos. EUROPE Uber Loses Major EU Court Battle The European Union's highest court ruled on Wednesday that the ride-sharing company Uber is a transportation service (FT), meaning it cannot be classified as a digital company that only acts as an intermediary for customers and will be subject to increased regulation. AMERICAS Ex-Odebrecht Head Released From Prison Marcelo Odebrecht, whose company is at the center of a widespread bribery probe (Reuters) that has involved political figures from across Latin America, was released from prison on Tuesday to serve the remaining seven years of his sentence under house arrest. The billionaire was arrested in 2015 on corruption charges (BBC). VENEZUELA: President Nicolas Maduro said on Tuesday that "terrorists" broke into a National Guard facility last weekend (Reuters) and stole a cache of weapons. Oscar Perez, a government opponent and former police officer who claimed he led the assault (DW), said the group took more than two dozen Kalashnikov rifles and three thousand rounds of munitions.  UNITED STATES Senate Passes Major Tax Bill The U.S. Senate, voting along party lines, passed sweeping revisions to the tax code early Wednesday (FT). The bill, expected to be signed by President Donald J. Trump within days, includes generous tax cuts for corporations and temporary cuts for individuals. It will also open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (NYT) for oil and gas drilling. More than ninety Somali migrants were held in shackles for nearly two days on an airplane (Guardian) in Senegal earlier this month in a failed attempt by immigration officials to deport them from the United States, according to filings for a new lawsuit. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement denied the allegations. GLOBAL UN Says 258 Million International Migrants Globally The number of people living outside their countries of birth (AP) has increased by 49 percent since 2000, according to a new United Nations report. The countries with the largest number of migrants are the United States, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and Russia.         Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. 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From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org

Date: December 20, 2017 at 11:03PM