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SPANIARDS EAGERLY tuned in on December 22nd to watch the annual Christmas lottery, nicknamed el gordo (the fat one). Punters were hoping for a share of 2.4bn ($2.7bn) in prizes. The European Union, meanwhile, had placed a bet of its own. It hoped Spains politicians might go out of their way to win a national jackpot of 70bn, the countrys share of the EUs 750bn covid recovery fund. The grants were conditional on reforms, especially in two worrisome areas: pensions and the jobs market. The government met the EUs deadline of December 31st. Whether its reforms merit the name is another matter.

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Spains government, made up of the Socialists and the far-left Unidas Podemos grouping, entered office in 2019 on a misguided pledge to repeal an earlier reform from 2012. Those changes had made layoffs cheaper and let unions strike wage deals within individual firms, rather than in industry-wide negotiations. This is thought to have aided Spains strong recoveries from the euro crisis and the pandemic. The package the government announced on December 23rd stopped short of repeal, but took no great steps forward either.

The governments goal was to make the labour market less unequal. Some Spaniards have good jobs and are nearly unsackable; others have temporary contracts and little security. The new proposal curbs time-limited contracts and tries to stop companies from evading the law by subcontracting. Promisingly, it would make permanent a pandemic-era measure in which the state pays temporarily furloughed workers. Both the unions and the employers organisation blessed the deal. But it contains no creative solutions to Spains high structural unemployment.

The other big missed chance was fixing pensions. Spaniards retire young (at 60.7 on average), live long (83.5 years on average) and get generous pensions (80% of pre-retirement earnings against an average of 62% in the OECD, a club mostly of rich countries). Spain has yet to feel the full strain of these promises because its baby boom came late. But the crunch will come. A reform passed earlier this year merely offered inducements to postpone retirement and increased contributions slightly (by 0.1 percentage points of salary paid by workers, and 0.5 paid by employers). That is not nearly enough.

The European Commission is now in theory to judge whether Spains reforms are sufficient to release the next tranche of money. No one expects a thumbs-down: the commission does not want to deliver a shock to the EUs fourth-biggest economy in the midst of a pandemic. The money will be put to some good uses, primarily greening and digitising the economy. But the chance to use it to fund bigger reforms has been lost, at least for now. Like punters who bet on el gordo, the EU must hope future years bring more luck.

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline "A bad bet"

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Spain's reforms in 2021 were only tiny steps - The Economist

The news comes as the Northern Ireland Protocol is yet to be resolved, and with the resignation of the former Brexit Minister, Lord David Frost, the talks are set to continue into the new year under the instructions of Foreign Minister, Liz Truss. Taking to Twitter to discuss the right of sovereignty following Brexit, Conservative peer, Lord Daniel Moylan said: I can think of no higher definition of political integrity than seeking to free your whole country from foreign laws and restoring democracy to that part of it living under laws made with no say by them.

Sparking the row, Lord Moylan then went on to say: The people of Northern Ireland have no electoral say in how laws are now made for them by the EU.

Replying to Lord Moylan, "Patti Fordyce" said: Couldn't agree more, but spending the last nearly two years being virtually ruled by decree hasn't persuaded that we have reached where we want to be yet.

The debate continued with LordMoylan reiterating: But if youre dissatisfied you have the precious right to vote the Government out.

He added: How do the people of Northern Ireland vote if theyre dissatisfied with EU law-making? No democracy for them. Its a scandal in 21st century Europe.

The European Union however has remained highly critical over the ongoing talks.

London has breached a great deal of trust with Europe, the blocs chief negotiator has claimed.

European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic told German news website Der Spiegel that problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol a way to maintain a free-flowing land border on the island of Ireland after Brexit meant the UK broke international law in trying to get around the arrangement.

But he said he is still confident that a compromise can be found between the two sides, although he admitted it will not be easy.

READ MORE:British farmer hails EU split as bloc tries to hamstring them

Mr Sefcovic told Der Spiegel he is pragmatic about Foreign Secretary Liz Truss taking on responsibility for post-Brexit negotiations with the EU, after Brexit minister Lord Frost resigned earlier this month.

The commissioner warned that if Ms Truss was to trigger Article 16, a move that would effectively unilaterally suspend the treaty agreed between the UK and the EU, it would throw into jeopardy the foundation of the entire deal reached between the two sides.

Ms Truss has said she remains prepared to invoke Article 16 if issues are not resolved.

But Mr Sefcovic said: This is a very distracting element in the discussions. You try to achieve something together and bam theres the threat of Article 16 again."

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The situation was also discussed in the Republic of Ireland.

Irish Foreign Minister, Simon Coveney said: We all know that we need to bring this discussion and negotiation to an end.

He added: We have elections in Northern Ireland in May. Those elections will begin in earnest really from the end of February. So this cant drift on for months.

Since Brexit, Northern Ireland has remained within the EUs single market for goods because the alternative a hard customs border on the island was ruled out as a threat to the 1998 peace deal that ended three decades of sectarian conflict known as the Troubles.

However, that meant implementing customs checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland instead.

These were set out in the part of the Brexit agreement known as the Northern Ireland protocol, which is being renegotiated.

The UK had made no concessions all year; the EU has made multiple concessions and continues to do so.Mr Coveney said. Lets not pretend that both sides have compromised here... Now both sides need to compromise a little bit more.

The concessions London has extracted from Brussels would halve customs checks and slash health checks on British products destined for Northern Ireland by 80 per cent, according to Maros Sefcovic, the EUs Brexit negotiator.

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The people have no say! Brexit row erupts over EU rules dictating parts of Britain - Daily Express

Editors note: Moscows buildup of troops on and near Ukraines borders and bellicose rhetoric have raised the prospect of a major conventional war in Europe.The phone call today between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin underscores the dangers of this Kremlin-manufactured crisis. Below is a statement by twenty-four distinguishedexperts and former senior officials offering their ideas on how to deter Moscow from escalating its current war of aggression against Ukraine and more broadly to discourage Moscow from future provocations. The statement represents the views of the signatories and not of their institutions.

Since President Bidens virtual summit with President Putin on December 7, Russia has increased its troop presence on or near Ukraines borders. Having created this crisis, the Kremlin has demanded security guarantees for Russia that the United States and its allies cannot possibly provide. It has made provocative statements at high levels, including outlandish claims that US private military contractors intend to launch a chemical weapons attack in eastern Ukraine. Moscow wrongly asserts that NATO enlargement has created a military threat to Russia; the Alliance has fully abided by its commitments in the NATO-Russia Founding Act to refrain from deploying nuclear weapons or permanently stationing substantial combat forces on the territory of new member states, despite the fact that Russia has violated many of its own Founding Act commitments, as well as the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, the Paris Charter, and the Budapest Memorandum.

In short, Moscow appears to be setting the stage for launching a major conventional assault on Ukraine, even though the United States and NATO have shown a willingness to sit down and discuss Kremlin concerns.

We believe the United States should, in closest consultation with its NATO allies and with Ukraine, take immediate steps to affect the Kremlins cost-benefit calculations before the Russian leadership opts for further military escalation. This means raising the costs that would ensue should the Russian military launch a new assault on Ukraine, building on the excellent set of measures the Biden administration has already laid out: enacting punishing sanctions on Moscow, sending major military supplies to Ukraine, and strengthening NATOs force posture on its eastern flank.

The administration should continue its good work with the European Union and other partners to ensure agreement on the elements of a response to any Russian assault on Ukraine, regardless of the extent or form of Russias escalation. Such a response would include a package of major and painful sanctions that would be applied immediately if Russia assaults Ukraine. Ideally, the outline of these sanctions would be communicated now to Moscow, so that the Kremlin has a clear understanding of the magnitude of the economic hit it will face. In particular, Washington should consult with Berlin and secure German agreement that it would prevent Nord Stream 2 from going into operation in the event of a Russian attack, making clear that otherwise the administration will not again waive sanctions on the pipeline.

The most important thing that the West can do now is to enhance the deterrent strength of Ukraines armed forces by providing military assistance and equipment on an expedited basis. For the Kremlin, a large invasion of Ukraine works only if Russian forces are able to seize and hold Ukrainian territory without sustaining significant and constant casualties. Western countries should act now to equip Ukraines military and territorial defense units with additional capabilities that can impose such costs.

Western military officials should consult urgently with their Ukrainian counterparts as to what assistance and equipment the Ukrainian military needs and could most quickly integrate into its operations to bolster its defensive strength. Such assistance might include additional Javelin anti-armor missiles and Q36 counter-battery radar systems as well as Stinger and other anti-aircraft missiles. The Biden administration should also encourage NATO allies to do more to enhance Ukraines defensive capabilities, making clear that the entire NATO Alliance stands together in opposing Russian aggression.

We believe that NATO should act now to begin bolstering its military presence on its eastern flank and communicating to Moscow that Russias escalation would bring a substantial number of US and Allied forces and a permanent presence in the Baltic states and Black Sea region. NATO should also signal to Moscow that any additional deployments could be reconsidered if/when the current crisis abates.

The West should also widen its political counteroffensive to retake the initiative from Moscow as it tries to use the threat of force to intimidate Ukraine, Europe, and the United States into acquiescing to its demands, many of which are plainly unjustified and unacceptable. The Biden administration should seek a Group of Seven (G7) statement at the head of state level condemning Moscows threat of wider war against Ukraine and work with allies and partners to use other fora, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and possibly the United Nations, to highlight the unacceptability of Russian military action and coercive threats.

The Biden administration should consult with NATO, the European Union, Ukraine, and key allies such as Poland on extensive preparations for dealing with the humanitarian crisis that a major Russian invasion would create.

Finally, the United States and its allies should continue to make clear their readiness for dialogue with Russia, to include concerns of NATO and other parties about Russian military and other aggressive activities. They have indicated that some elements in the Russia-proposed US-Russia treaty and NATO-Russia agreement may offer a basis for discussion and possible negotiation. The United States and NATO should make clear to the Kremlin that it must de-escalate the threatening military situation around Ukraine before there can be any substantive negotiation, and any negotiation must involve all parties whose security interests will be affected. These issues cannot simply be resolved in a bilateral US-Russia channel. Moreover, any negotiation should be consistent with the principles agreed to by all NATO members, Russia, and Ukraine, such as those in the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris.

Signed,

Dr. Stephen Blank

Senior Fellow

Foreign Policy Research Institute

General Philip Breedlove, USAF ret.

17th Supreme Allied Commander Europe

Distinguished Professor, Sam Nunn School, Georgia Institute of Technology

Ian Brzezinski

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO Policy

Senior Fellow

Atlantic Council

Debra Cagan

Former US State and Defense Department official

Distinguished Energy Fellow

Transatlantic Leadership Network

General Wesley K. Clark

US Army (ret.)

12th Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Senior Fellow, UCLA Burkle Center

Dr. Larry Diamond

Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution

Mosbacher Senior Fellow in Global Democracy

Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

Stanford University

Ambassador Paula Dobriansky

Former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs

Vice Chair, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Atlantic Council

Senior Fellow, Harvard University Belfer Center

Dr. Evelyn Farkas

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia

Ambassador Daniel Fried

Former Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and US Ambassador to Poland

Weiser Family Distinguished Fellow

Atlantic Council

Dr. Francis Fukuyama

Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow

Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law

Director, Ford Dorsey Masters in International Policy

Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

Stanford University

Melinda Haring

Deputy Director, Eurasia Center

Atlantic Council

John E. Herbst

Former US Ambassador to Ukraine and Uzbekistan

Senior Director, Eurasia Center

Atlantic Council

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ben Hodges

Former Commander US Army Europe

Dr. Donald N. Jensen

Director, Russia and Strategic Stability

United States Institute of Peace

Andrea Kendall-Taylor

Center for a New American Security

Ambassador John Kornblum

Former US Ambassador to Germany

Senior Adviser (Non-resident), Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program

Center for Strategic International Studies

Ambassador Michael McFaul

Former US Ambassador to Russia

Director, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

Stanford University

Ambassador Steven Pifer

Former US Ambassador to Ukraine

Willian Perry Fellow

Stanford University

Herman Pirchner, Jr.

President

American Foreign Policy Council

John Sipher

Former Officer and Chief of Station, CIA Clandestine Service

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Eurasia Center

Atlantic Council

Strobe Talbott

Former Deputy Secretary of State

Distinguished Fellow

The Brookings Institution

Ambassador William Taylor

Former US Ambassador to Ukraine

Vice President for Strategic Stability and Security

United States Institute of Peace

Ambassador Alexander Vershbow

Former US Ambassador to Russia

Former Deputy Secretary General of NATO

Distinguished Fellow, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Eurasia Center

Atlantic Council

Ambassador Kurt Volker

Former US Ambassador to NATO and US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations

Read the rest here:
How to deal with the Kremlin-created crisis in Europe - Atlantic Council

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson is a clinical psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. From 1993 to 1998 he served as assistant and then associate professor of psychology at Harvard. He spent fifteen years writing Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief (1999; released in June 2018as a now bestselling author-readaudiobook). Maps of Meaning is a scholarly investigation into the nature of narrative and religious thought, the structure of perception, the regulation of emotion, and the motivation for atrocity in the service of ideology. Dr. Peterson also penned the popular global bestsellers Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life & 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, #1 for nonfiction in 2018 in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, Brazil and Norway, both translated into some 50 languages. The latter book has sold more than five million copies; the former, released in mid 2021, 750,000.

Raised and toughened in the frigid wastelands of Northern Alberta :), Dr. Peterson has flown a hammer-head roll in a carbon-fiber stuntplane, piloted a mahogany racing sailboat around Alcatraz Island, explored an Arizona meteorite crater with a group of astronauts, built a Native American Long-House on the upper floor of his Toronto home, and been inducted into a Pacific Kwakwakawakw family (see charlesjoseph.ca). Hes been a dishwasher, short-order cook, beekeeper, tow-truck driver, gas jockey, bartender, oil derrick bit re-tipper, plywood mill laborer and railway line worker. Hes taught mythology to physicians, lawyers, and businessmen; worked with Jim Balsillie, former CEO of Blackberrys Research in Motion, on Resilient People, Resilient Planet, the report of the UN Secretary Generals High Level Panel on Global Sustainability; helped his clinical clients manage the triumphs and catastrophes of life; served as an advisor to senior partners of major Canadian law firms; penned the forward for the 50th anniversary edition of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyns The Gulag Archipelago; lectured to university audiences all around the English-speaking world (see Harvard 2017, Cambridge (2018, 2021, 2021 TBA) and Oxford (2018, 2021 TBA); identified thousands of promising entrepreneurs, with the The Founder Institute in 60 different countries; spoke to sold-out audiences across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand in the course of one of the most-well attended booktours ever mounted; and is currently mounting the 2022 Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life book tour on a similar scale (tickets available here).

With his students and colleagues, Dr. Peterson has published more than a hundred scientific papers with his colleagues and students, advancing the modern understanding of alcoholism, antisocial behavior, play, emotion, creativity, competence and personality. He was nominated for five consecutive years as one of Ontarios Best University Lecturers, and was one of only three profs rated as life changing in the U of Ts underground student handbook of course ratings.

In 2016, shortly before the publication of 12 Rules, several of Dr. Petersons online lectures, videos and interviews went viral, launching him into unprecedented international prominence as a public intellectual and educator. His work, public postings and discussions are featured on the following platforms:

Dr. Petersons classroom lectures on mythology and the psychology of religion, based on Maps of Meaning (2016 version here), were turned into a popular 13-part TV series on Canadian public televisionsTVO. Malcolm Gladwell discussed psychology with him while researching his books; Norman Doidge, author of The Brain that Changes Itself, wrote the forward to 12 Rules; and bestselling thriller writer Gregg Hurwitz employed several of his valuable things as a plot feature in his #1 international bestseller, Orphan X.

With his colleagues, Dr. Daniel M. Higgins and Dr. Robert O. Pihl, Dr. Peterson has also produced two online programs to help people understand themselves better and to improve their psychological and practical functioning. The most recent of these, UnderstandMyself, provides its users with detailed information about their personalities, based on work he published with his students here. Tens of thousands of people now know themselves better, as a consequence of completing this 15-minute program.His original self-analysis program,theSelf Authoring Suite, (featured in O: The Oprah Magazine, CBC radio, and NPRs national website), has helped over 200,000 people resolve the problems of their past, rectify their personality faults and enhance their virtues, and radically improve their future. Research documenting the programs effectiveness can be found here and here.

Dr. Peterson has appeared on many popular podcasts and shows, including the Joe Rogan Experience (#877, #958, #1006), The Rubin Report (12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, Free Speech, Psychology, Gender Pronouns), H3H3(#37), and many more. He is currently working on a new book, tentatively titledBeyond Mere Order: 12 More Rules for Life, slated for publication in late 2020.

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Jordan Peterson | About

Jordan Peterson's goal is to strengthen the individual. Life contains tragedy and evil. The hero's journey justifies the burden of being by pursuing truth, making order out of chaos. The alternative is deceiving yourself with ideology and nihilism. So, take yourself seriously, know the monster within you, and become a responsible person with an integrated character.

r/JordanPetersonis an open forum where controversial topics can be discussed in good faith. Free speech, despite risking offense, is necessary to conduct civil discourse between opposing ideologies. Bans will be given to users who post excessively abusive material.

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Jordan Peterson: Descensus ad inferos - reddit