The CorporateDispatch.Com Week - 19th October 2019

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IN THIS ISSUE

Cover Story \\ DEAL OR NO DEAL

COVER STORY \\Â

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a news conference during a Brexit summit in Brussels, Belgium, 17 October 2019. According to reports, the EU and the British government have reached a deal for Brexit. EPA-EFE/JULIEN WARNAND

THE WEEK THAT WAS...

Jesmond Saliba

Another week passed and the global news cycle was as vibrant as ever.

Brexit took centre stage as the negotiations with the EU intensified with the end result being a successful deal between the EU and the Boris Johnson. Whether this is enough to ensure that the UK leaves on October 31st is still to be seen, especially in view of the events which took place in the Commons on Saturday.

The Brexit topic features in our insightful analysis

by CI Consulta' Matthew Bugeja and in our Brussels' correspondent Denise Grech viewpoint.

The Turkish incursion on Syria remained topical.

The end result of the ceasefire reached late in the week is still to be valued.

The decision by the supreme court in Spain over the Catalonia Referendum sparked violent riots across the region, with Barcelona being the primary venue. CorporateDispatch.com editor and senior analyst Tonio Galea analysis the issue and other regional disputes in the continent.

This week, also marked Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassination second anniversary. Several cities around the European continent echoed the call for justice, the theme of the commemoration that took place in Malta on the anniversary of the day of the brutal murder.

Have a good viewing and reading.

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THE UK AFTER BREXIT

Matthew Bugeja - Senior GeoPolitics Analyst CiConsulta

Brexit has become one of those things that most people would rather forget about. Ever since that fateful referendum in June 2016, it has come to dominate headlines, analysis and conversations at coffee shops and pubs all over Europe. It is difficult to write about it in any new, and novel way, given how much we have heard about it already.

But there is one element that is receiving less attention than the actual Brexit process itself, which is - what is in store for the United Kingdom after it finally leaves the European Union? How will it position itself economically and politically? How will it deal with the great questions of our time, such as migration, economic policy, security issues and the general rollback of globalisation? These are rather difficult questions, which various Brexitsupporting politicians have only really paid some basic lip service to.

Both Theresa May and Boris Johnson, for reasons of political necessity and to offer some reassurance to a deeply divided British public, have promised that the UK would remain on good terms with the European Union, all while seeking to make its own path in the world.

THE UK AFTER BREXIT Britain would strike a number of trade deals with partners such as the United States, Australia, Japan and Canada, and enjoy a number of benefits that it had been previously unable to enjoy, given that it was previously “married” to the European Union, and needed to coordinate through that forum. In the eyes of Brexiteers, freedom is the sweet nectar that some of them have sought for over thirty years.

The problem is that the world this newly “single and ready to mingle” Britain is facing is one undergoing tectonic changes, to the degree that we have not yet fully understood exactly the direction in which it is all heading. On the issue of trade, it is apparent that the big boys, being China and the United States, are more than happy to throw around their weight with smaller countries in order to obtain trade deals which are advantageous to them. This should not surprise anyone, nor is it morally incorrect.

If a country is larger, it should be in a position to dictate more advantageous terms - after all, it is granting the smaller country access to a larger market. In such a situation, the UK would find itself severely disadvantaged with a number of other G20 powers, both in terms of GDP and population size

THE UK AFTER BREXIT Multilateralism, or what some call “globalism�,is when countries work together to find mutually beneficial arrangements. This spirit of cooperation was underpinned by the structures of global institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and World Trade Organisation, which provided a framework for cooperation and diplomacy to resolve issues of trade, debt management and poverty amongst various others.

These institutions, particularly the latter two, are currently being eroded through neglect or outright attack by several large nations, not least the United States, the original architect of the global order. In a world in which the strong survive, and the weak suffer what they must, the United Kingdom would find it difficult to navigate an environment of nationalist-fuelled bullying.

Yes, the UK is a large country unto itself, but when it comes to the largest and most influential countries in the world, it is no longer sitting at the top table. The European Union, for all of its faults, manages to band together 27 countries, and pools their sovereignty and resources in order to withstand the pressures from both the East and the West.

THE UK AFTER BREXIT The EU may not always deliver what it promises and when it promises to do so, but the creation of a large club provides members with the opportunity to be heard in a way in which they would have been otherwise unable to. In addition, the rifts opened up by Brexit may yet prove to be a catalyst for changes within British politics itself. The strong feelings over whether there should be a soft, hard or not Brexit at all created fractures both between and within the political parties, but also within society itself.

These fractures do not seem likely to to heal in the short to medium term, and may embolden parties like the newly founded Brexit party and nationalists in Northern Ireland and Scotland, with the latter already considering for a new independence referendum, only a few short years since its last one, in order to remain within the European Union.

In the worst case scenario, the UK may face violence in Northern Ireland if the border issue is not resolved with the EU, and find Scotland obtaining its independence. That would simultaneously make the UK less safe, as well as both weaker and poorer amongst the community of nations, affecting its credibility and standing.

THE UK AFTER BREXIT Focusing on Brexit has been absolutely paramount for the past three years (yes, it has been nearly three and a half years since the referendum), with some justification. The UK will remain a close partner of the EU going forward, without a doubt, although they may clash on certain trade and economic issues from time to time.

But in deciding to go in their own direction, the British people are embarking upon an experiment without parallel - extricating themselves from an economic and trade bloc to forge their own path in a brave new world.  Can the UK succeed? Eventually, I believe they can. Will it pay off for them? That depends on what you qualify as being a success or failure. The UK will certainly find its feet. The British people have long been some of the most courageous, innovative and resilient people in the Western world. They will need those qualities if they are set out on their own, into the great unknown.

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The Story \\ CATALONIA

T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â People wave 'Esteladas' flag, the unofficial flag typically flown by Catalan

independence supporters, during incidents with police as thousands of people take part in one of the so-called 'Marches for Freedom' along Pelayo street in Barcelona, Spain, 18 October 2019. Â EPA-EFE/QUIQUE GARCIA

E UROP E AN COME

DI S P UT E S

WI T H

T HE

T E RRI T ORY

Tonio Galea - Editor CorporateDispatch.Com

European disputes come with the territoryThe quest of some in Catalonia, so far in Spain, to gain independence, this week caused more turmoil than usual.Violent protests broke out in major Catalan cities, particularly Barcelona following this week’s verdict by the Spanish Supreme Court that sentenced nine Catalan politicians and activists to jail terms ranging between nine and 13 years for that independence bid (three others were fined).

Catalonia is a semi-autonomous region in north-east Spain and makes up 16% of Spain’s population. It is a wealthy region enjoying wide-ranging autonomous powers apart from its own language, parliament, flag and anthem. Prior to the Spanish Civil War -193639 -the region was given broad autonomy, but this was rolled back under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. It regained autonomy after General Franco's death in 1975. A long simmering issue that doesn't seem to disappear any time soon. The issue of Catalonia is not the only territorial dispute simmering in Europe.In another corner in Spain, for many years there was the violent campaign for Basque independence. Whilst the violent campaign by the militant separatist movement of ETA dissipated, thanks mainly to the strong-willed political determination of various Spanish governments, the deep-rooted political drive is still present

EUROPEAN DISPUTES COME WITH THE TERRITORY

"

Further north, thanks to Brexit, the issue of Northern Ireland has once more raised its head.

But unlike in Catalonia, most residents in Basque region oppose fully fledged independence. Further north, thanks to Brexit, the issue of Northern Ireland has once more raised its head and revived memories that were never far from what was known as the Troubles in the late 20th century.

Always in the European Union, there is the division of Cyprus which reverberates, sometimes with dire consequences, in the relations between Turkey and Greece. In these last weeks, there was hope that both sides in Cyprus were on the cusp of a diplomatic breakthrough. But simmering hostilities and tough rhetoric on oil and gas exploration around the island seems to have scuppered all hope.

On a somewhat positive note, though not all would agree, there was the resolution of the issue between North Macedonia and Greece as well as that of Kosovo.One can argue that every country in Europe has a simmering territorial dispute. Some more pressing than others, some resolved, some others that won't go away like the one in the heart of the European Union between the regions Flanders and Wallonia in Belgium.

EUROPEAN DISPUTES COME WITH THE TERRITORY

"

Disputes stem from borders that rarely took into respect national identity and aspirations and have thus remained a constant source of argument and conflict,

Away from the borders of the European Union but still close to home there are the various territorial disputes in what was once the Soviet Union. Most pressing of them all is the situation in the Ukraine, involving most of the East of the country, which is in the hands of pro-Russian rebels, We cannot forget Crimea, now effectively part of Russia.

Russia also virtually controls Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two regions that were once considered part of Georgia. The list is rather long even if one had to eliminate all the territorial upheaval in the former USSR.Few subjects are more politically sensitive than territorial disputes, the root of many wars in Europe and elsewhere.

Disputes stem from borders that rarely took into respect national identity and aspirations and have thus remained a constant source of argument and conflict, as the Balkan wars of the 1990s bear grim testament to. Disputes are rarely forgotten, but often lie dormant for many years only to be awakened when the circumstances are right and it takes hardship for them to be subdued or, hopefully, solved.

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B RUS S E L S

VI E W

P OI NT

BREXIT: THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME Denise Grech Disclaimer: the information in this article is accurate at time of writing (Thursday), but by the time the article is published, all this information could be incorrect or obsolete. But then again, you clicked on an article about Brexit. If you’re familiar with the issue, I’m sure you know constant updates that become outdated almost immediately have been the norm for the past three years. As things stand right now though, it looks like there was finally a breakthrough with Brexit negotiations and the United Kingdom’s plan to leave the EU by October 31 could actually happen.

The draft agreement was forged just weeks before Britain was due to leave the bloc, ending over four decades of economic and political ties with its nearest geopolitical neighbours. As I write this, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in a crucial Brexit meeting with EU heads of states, after announcing with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker that a new deal had finally been reached.

Both EU leaders and political observers are still wary that the UK will leave by the Halloween deadline though. Juncker said the new deal is “a fair and balanced agreement for the EU and the UK and it is testament to our commitment to find solutions.” One of the main issues of contention was the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which will remain a member of the EU.

BREXIT: THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME Politicians from all sides agree that they do not want infrastructure at the frontier between the border, believing it would exacerbate tensions over Britain’s control of Northern Ireland.

A ‘backstop’ that would have practically kept Ireland in the EU customs union until an alternative for the border was found had been shot down in Parliament when former UK Prime Minister Theresa May had proposed it. Whatever the text says, Johnson has been adamant that the UK will leave the EU on October 31.

But the UK Prime Minister isn’t out of the woods yet. The European Council looks set to approve the text of Johnson’s deal, but if the House of Commons refuses to endorse it when it meets in London for a sitting this weekend, we could be back to the stalemate.

According to media reports, the final approval by the House of Commons remains a tall order. Until now, the Democratic Unionist Party has said it would not back the deal. UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has also indicated the party would not back the deal.

BREXIT: THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME Brexit Party MEP Nigel Farage is also not betting on the Brexit deal, according to reports. “There is going to be an extension,” he said in a statement. “Another extension, another failure by the political class to get us out of the EU.” Johnson has apparently reassured Juncker he could get the deal through parliament, when the two men spoke on the telephone earlier Thursday. Juncker, in turn, said he would do his best to ensure it would be approved by the EU. Even three years after the UK vote that triggered Article 50, Brexit is unfolding as it always has: with chaos, uncertainty and repercussions that will be felt the world over.

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The Story \\ JUSTICE4DAPHNE

four Daphne' is written on a cardboard showing a photo of Daphne Caruana Galizia, during a T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â 'Justice picket in front of the Maltese embassy for murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Berlin, Germany, 16 October 2019. Reporters Without Borders organized a picket for murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was killed on 16 October 2017 in Malta, while investigating the Panama Papers case. EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN

The Story \\ POVERTY

of people stand in line at the entrance of a supermarket waiting since dawn before T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Hundreds discounts of a supermarket chain and in the midst of the Brazilian economic crisis, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 18 October 2019. EPA-EFE/Antonio Lacerda

The Story \\ ALL SMILES

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, Danish Prime Minister T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â British Mette Frederiksen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a European Council summit in Brussels, Belgium, 17 October 2019. According to reports, the EU and the British government have reached a deal for Brexit. EPA-EFE/OLIVIER HOSLET

The Story \\ CRIME WAR

A view of vehicles on fire during a clash between armed gunmen and Federal police and military

T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â soldiers, in the streets of the city of Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, 17 October 2019. According to media reports, alleged drug cartel gunmen set up blockades and unleashed volleys of gunfire in the Mexican city of Culiacan amid rumors of the capture of Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of imprisoned drug trafficker Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Loera. The blockades set up by the gunmen, presumably from the Sinaloa drug cartel, extended to the exits of the city. EPA-EFE/STR

The Story \\ RALLYING SUPPORT

Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau addresses his supporters at a T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Canadian campaign rally in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 17 October 2019. Canadians will vote in the country's 43rd general election on 21 October 2019. EPA-EFE/VALERIE BLUM

The Story \\ SWEET TOOTH

of Forza Italia party, Silvio Berlusconi visits a chocolate laboratory during the T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â President Eurochocolate Festival in Perugia, central Italy, 18 October 2019. The annual chocolate festival this year runs from 18 to 27 October. EPA-EFE/MATTEO CROCCHIONI

The Story \\ IMPEACH

Speaker of the House from California Nancy Pelosi speaks at her weekly press T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Democratic conference in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, 17 October 2019. Pelosi addressed her meeting with Trump over Syria, as well as developments in the House's impeachment inquiry. EPAEFE/JIM LO SCALZO

The Story \\ AIM HIGH

Evans of Khimki Moscow Region in action during the Euroleague basketball match between T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Jeremy CSKA Moscow and Khimki Moscow Region in Moscow, Russia, 17 October 2019. EPA-EFE/SERGEI ILNITSKY

The Story \\ KIDSPLAY MotoGP rider Joan Mir (R) of Team Suzuki Ecstar and other MotoGP racers ride mini electric T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Spanish motorcycles at a fan event at Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Japan, 17 October 2019. The event was held ahead of the MotoGP race of Japan's Motorcycling Grand Prix scheduled for 20 October 2019.

EPA-EFE/TORU HANAI

The Story \\ EARTHQUAKE drone photo of a burning mall ignited caused by a Magnitude 6.4 earthquake in General Santos city, T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â APhilippines, 16 October 2019. According to local reports, several people are injured after the magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck southern Philippines. EPA-EFE/AJ RESANE

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The Story \\ CEASEFIRE

THE STORY \\Â

Turkish soldiers come back from Tal Abyad town as children cheer with Turkish flags in Akcakale district in Sanliurfa, Turkey, 15 October 2019. Turkey has launched an offensive targeting Kurdish forces in north-eastern Syria, days after the US withdrew troops from the area. EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

The Story \\ BREAD

organic gardener Dominika Zaka puts bread dough into a basket at their place of T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Hungarian residence, in a yurt in Szentes, Hungary, 16 October 2019. The young woman and her partner, Csaba Szabo bake leavened bread made of organic flours for themselves and their friends once a week.

World Bread Day is celebrated on 16 October to commemorate the anniversary of the creation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). EPA-EFE/Sandor Ujvari

The Story \\ EURO2020

THE STORY \\Â

Ireland's defender Shane Duffy reacts after losing the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying Group D soccer match between Switzerland and the Republic of Ireland, at the Stade de Geneve, in Geneva, Switzerland, 15 October 2019. EPA-EFE/SALVATORE DI NOLFI

The Story \\ DATAPOLICEDOG

data storage devices sniffer dog in action during a demonstration at the state office for basic and T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Afurther police training and personal affairs of the North Rhine-Westphalia police in Neuss, Germany, The police dogs, which originally specialised in narcotics, have been trained in recent months in addition to the search for data storage devices. This special training is a consequence of the Luedge case. EPA-EFE/SASCHA STEINBACH

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The Story \\ SUMMIT

von der Leyen, the nominated President of the European Commission arrives at the second T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Ursula day of a European Summit at the European Council in Brussels, Belgium, 18 October 2019. The European Union (EU) and the British government have reached a tentative Brexit deal that still must be ratified. EPA-EFE/STEPHANIE LECOCQ

The Story \\ BLOCKED

clean the windows of the offices of the European Union decorations with EU and T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Workers Macedonian flags in Skopje, North Macedonia, 26 February 2019 (reissued 18 October 2019). EU leaders have delayed the decision for accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania for the third time as they gathered in Brussels for a two-day summit dominated by Brexit talks. EPA-EFE/NAKE BATEV

The Story \\ ROYAL CHATS

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (L) and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visit Badshahi T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Britain's Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, 17 October 2019. The royal couple is on an official five-day visit to Pakistan. EPA-EFE/OWEN HUMPHREYS

The Story \\ PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER

Trump, daughter and senior advisor to US President Donald J. Trump, arrives to participate in T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Ivanka the World Bank Group's 'Unleashing the Potential of Women Entrepreneurs Through Finance and Markets' discussion during the IMF World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington, DC, USA, 18 October 2019. The meetings continue through 19 October 2019. EPA-EFE/ERIK S. LESSER

The Story \\ RIDING THE WAVE

surfer Gabriel Medina in action during the second round of the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Brazilian surfing event as part of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour in Praia dos Supertubos in Peniche, Portugal, 18 October 2019. EPA-EFE/CARLOS BARROSO

The Story \\ WRECKAGE WAVE

break into Eduardo Chillida's sculpture 'Comb of the Wind' in San Sebastian, Spain, 18 T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Waves October 2019. According to forecasts, rain, clouds, and a drop in temperatures will be affecting the northern part of the Basque Country. EPA-EFE/JAVIER ETXEZARRETA

The Story \\ CEASEFIRE

Vice President Mike Pence (R) and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) attend a press T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Sconference after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara, Turkey, 17 October 2019. Pence and President Erdogan have reached a deal to suspend a Turkish military offensive in northern Syria within 120 hours, to allow Kurdish forces to withdraw from a designated safe zone on the northern border. EPA-EFE/STR

The Story \\ SINGER

tenor Placido Domingo performs during a concert at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Spanish 17 October 2019. The concert with the orchestra Novaya Rossiya (New Russia) was conducted by Eugene Kohn. EPA-EFE/YURI KOCHETKOV

The Story \\ FLOODS

woman holds a child while walking on a flooded street at the Esteban Echeverria area, in the T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Aprovince of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 16 October 2019. Localities in the province of Buenos Aires recover from flooding due to heavy rains in recent days. EPA-EFE/Juan Ignacio Roncoroni

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