News around the World - Europe

Europe, the second smallest continent in the world, but the wealthiest. With a GDP well over $20 trillion USD, Europe has the richest and largest economic status worldwide. There are 44 different countries in Europe, 28 of which form the European Union, a trading bloc that represents 22% of the global economy.  In recent times Europe has experienced positive growth, in both GDP and HDI, however, as the deadline for the United Kingdom’s Brexit deal approaches, tension throughout the EU rises, and this tension is only further stimulated by the current events unfolding in Turkey.

In 2016, following the public referendum, Britain made the decision to leave the European Union. 3 years later now, this still hasn’t happened and is due to one main reason. Currently there are no barriers in place to separate Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and it was of great importance to both parties involved that the lack of physical checks and infrastructure at the border should remain the same. Currently this situation is managed within the EU's single market and customs union and as a result there are minimal restrictions placed on the trade on goods and services between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, however Brexit could threaten to change all that. Once the UK leaves the EU, the 2 countries would operate in different customs and regulatory rules, meaning that products traded between the nations would have to be controlled at the border. This is unwanted by both parts of Ireland, and as a result a backstop was proposed, there are many different variations of this, which has only led to further discussions and arguments between countries and is ultimately the reason why Theresa May resigned. 

As of October 2019, the UK government is trying to finalise a deal that they can propose at an EU summit on the 17^th October, failing to do so would most likely lead to Boris Johnson, the now British Prime Minister, seeking another Brexit extension, naming that the deadline for a Brexit deal would be pushed back to early 2020. If the deal presented at the EU summit is accepted, then Brexit would happen at 23:00 GMT on the 31^st of October. Should the deal go through, there would a number of serious impacts on both Britain and the rest of the world. From a short term increase in inflation and a decrease in GDP and income in the UK to a decline in overall trade in and out of the United Kingdom. 

In other news, Turkey is currently undertaking a military operation against Kurdish fighters in Northeast Syria. The Kurds, are a large ethnic group, consisting mainly of Muslims, there are approximately 30 million Kurds living across Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran. Assisting the United States as a vital ally in the battle against the Islamic State, the Kurdish fighters were abandoned by the US after Turkey launched an offensive against them, due to the fear of the Kurd forces in Syria linking up with Kurdish rebels in Turkey in a bid to reclaim a homeland. The Kurds have now aligned themselves with the government in Damascus, who is backed by Russia and are enemies of America. Currently, Turkish forces are engaged with the Kurds within the Syrian border town, Ras al-Ayn, in an effort to establish a foot hold within Syria. As a result of these actions over 70 000 civilians along the border have fled their homes, and allegedly 200 soldiers have been killed due to the violence currently unfolding. 

Author - Lars Hoerzer