India-EU News & Analysis

RSoami · Post by **RSoami** » 10 Mar 2015 21:56

Tuvaluan,
I didnt go out with any blue eyed blonde girl with nordic look in Germany. I just didnt get your sarcasm.
RS

Shanmukh · Post by **Shanmukh** » 10 Mar 2015 22:47

Hitesh wrote:Tuvaluan,

You need to stop being so angry all the time at the western world. In most of your posts, you just come across as an angry Indian man. This is just an isolated incident. I have been to Germany and met some wonderful people. I had a lovely time and never met any racist people. In fact, a german couple went out of their way to help me out when I found myself in a tight spot. I even attracted the eye of a pretty blue eyed blond girl clearly of German nordic descent and went out with her and had a wonderful evening.

You need to stop with your sweeping generalizations and diatribes against the western world for all of the social evils and ills in India.

Weren't you the one making sweeping generalisations about Russia a few weeks ago? You were claiming how Russians were deeply racist and intolerant compared to the glorious westerners, no? So it is okay to make nasty generalisations about Slavenvolk untermenschen, but not about the Herrenmenschen, eh? What prompted this sudden solicitude for the Germans?

Hitesh · Post by **Hitesh** » 11 Mar 2015 00:40

I didn't make a sweeping generalization of Russia. You are putting words into my mouth. I said as a whole, Russia was more racist than US given the widespread racism experienced by the minorities in Russia and the lack of protection and law in Russia. Go look up news stories of Indian traders being mistreated in Russia without recourse. Sure there exists racism in US. I have personally experienced them including one violent episode but at least I had recourse and was able to bring that @ssh0le to justice within the means of the judicial system. In Russia, you were SOL in a similar situation.

As for the Germans, Tuvuluan's angry diatribes for any perceived slights or insults seem not to abate at all. So far, all he posts are angry diatribes. He sounds like he has an axe to grind against the entire western world and thinks that the entire western world is racist. Symptoms of an "angry black man". I do not need to make my daily visit on BR which I have been a member for more than 10 years and listen to angry diatribes against the evils of the western world and its racist history. I was like that when I was young but then I grew up and became wiser to the ways of the world.

Before you go off indignant about the western world, why don't you examine the racism that exists in India. Based on my personal experience, I encountered more racism in India than I did in the western world. Not casteism but race racism such as against the NE people or the darker skin people from southern India. So I wouldn't go too far protesting too hard against western racism when we have our own racism issues within our country.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 11 Mar 2015 01:13

It is not about western nations being evil and India being blessedly free of vice.

It has to do with the two homonyms impugnity and impunity, the west has no hindrance to impugn and but has every impunity to counter accusation. Of course not because yellow teeth and hair are intrinsically more beautiful but because of the neurobiology of poverty.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 11 Mar 2015 02:38

At any rate, we're not done with Germany yet.

Between 1904 and 1908 imperial Germany waged an atrocious and inhumane war of extermination against the Herero, Nama, Damara and San peoples in its former colony ‘German South West Africa’, now the Republic of Namibia. According to the criteria of the UN genocide convention of 1948, the atrocities and massacres committed by German troops must be qualified as genocide.

Until today, the German Federal Government – which is the legal successor of imperial Germany – refuses to recognise and apologise for this genocide.

...(T)hese remains were looted and smuggled from the many German concentration camps in ‘German South West Africa’ for use in ‘scientific’ experiments aiming to ‘prove’ the racial inferiority of black people. ‘By using shards of glass,’ says the original subtitle of a contemporary photograph and prominent postcard motif, the skulls had to be ‘freed of flesh and made ready’ by the wives of those murdered before being sent off.

Etc, etc.

http://www.pambazuka.net/en/category/features/80911

http://rt.com/op-edge/213571-africa-nam ... s-classes/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herero_and ... a_Genocide

The German crimes against humanity were so egregious that even the British were embarrassed by their coreligionists.

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 11 Mar 2015 02:45

Just quoting this for the benefit of those suffering from the "X bad is western country? look at India for X before you point fingers" disease...possibly incurable, but hey. Bolded text is my doing.

Shreeman wrote:Sagar G,

Most people are ignorant about most things.

This is an unsubstantiated lie that has been repeated often enough. It will distract from any good work on womens rights. It will give a hundred others the same excuse to discriminate, without being openly racist about the matter.

Cutting off your own nose gets fast very quickly. And in the race for brownie points, "Indians" have surely, and irrepairably damaged Indian reputation.

The skin color, the diet, the culture are all hinderances enough. The rest of the world doesnt operate this way. So when you have a hundred indians wanting to lynch any idiot who even proposes the sane approach this will continue to be the outcome.

Immigration problem in Australia? Bangladeshis mistreated in India.
Pedophilia in UK? Rape in India.
Racism in Germany? Caste discrimination in India.
Blacks mistreated in USA? Yup, those poor dalits from India.

See a pattern here? Those "sikhs for justice" do not materialize from vaccum or djinn physics. The world is a very dirty place, and being circumspect about personal, physical and moral hygiene is probably not a bad idea.

This may be the odd symptom that bubbled to the surface, but the malaise is out there. And no documentary, protest march, or social media is changing ignorant beliefs once they have been instilled.

This is not a matter of self confidence. It is cause and effect. This matter should never have been allowed to be hijacked. I said this years ago, and I say this now, expedite the criminal proceedings, complete the process to its final outcome. Shelve the religious morality for once, and apply the laws you enacted. Close this book, and dont let it be a distraction to the progress.

Skanda · Post by **Skanda** » 11 Mar 2015 02:47

Bestiality brothels are 'spreading through Germany' warns campaigner as abusers turn to sex with animals as 'lifestyle choice'

Yup, thats what it is. Sex with animals is a life-style choice.

Bestiality dropped off the statute books as a crime in 1969 but in recent years the number of people believed to be participating in such acts has increased significantly.

There are even 'erotic zoos' which people can visit to abuse animals ranging from llamas to goats.

Hans-Michael Goldmann, chairman of the agriculture committee, said the government aimed to forbid using an animal 'for individual sexual acts and to outlaw people 'pimping' creatures to others for sexual use.'

German 'zoophile' group ZETA has announced it will mount a legal challenge should a ban on bestiality become law.

'Mere concepts of morality have no business being law,' said ZETA chairman Michael Kiok.

When the 1969 law banning sex with animals was banned the Animal Protection Law was introduced, but it failed to include a specific ban on zoophilia.

The terms bestiality and zoophilia are the formal names for having sex with animals for pleasure.

Yup, they do it so often that they now have a formal name for it. Zoophilia sounds more classy than "Perverted sick f***s"

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 11 Mar 2015 02:51

Yeah, but what is implied consent?

Please burrow deeeeeeep underground into German ***** culture. There oughta be a UN prize for such inventiveness.

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 11 Mar 2015 02:53

snajaykumar wrote: Yeah, but what is implied consent?

I suppose the animal has to nod its head, before the germans figure it is okay to lift the animal's tail and have a go at it. zoophilia it seems, that's like having vomit for breakfast and call it "predigested porridge", sounds all classy.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 11 Mar 2015 03:18

Okay, or the sake of completeness and because it is apt, the Turkish question; let me rephrase that, sounds too much like the Judenfrage, challenges posed by Turkish immigration.

Frau K. had explained everything to him in "Tarzan German," which is what Turks call it when Germans speak bad German to them in the hope that they will be better understood. Tarzan German is spoken slowly. All articles are dropped and the familiar "du" form of address is used. Verbs are not conjugated and the syntax is wrong. It includes sentences like this: "Herr Gezer, you know, not hit daughter because I speak with you." My father has the theory that this Tarzan German is to blame for the fact that certain older Turks never learned proper German.

I was now the expert -- a kind of diplomatic representative from Turkey sitting at my little desk in the classroom.

"Özlem, you took the land away from the Kurds, and that's not right," my friend Marie wrote to me in a five-page letter written in black ink. I was born in 1981 in Hamburg-Eppendorf and hadn't taken anything from anyone. My Kurdish classmate drew Kurdistan on the blackboard. I didn't even know where it was. As far as they were concerned, I was the ignorant daughter of Turkish nationalists. I knew a great deal about Hitler, but hardly anything about Atatürk. I didn't know anything more about the conflict in Turkey than Stefanie or Timo.

Imagine you move to Istanbul. Your daughter attends a Turkish school. On the first day, her classmates want to get to know her: "Tell me, had you already had sex by age 12? How many abortions have you had? Why do you Germans drink so much beer? Why do your priests rape little boys? And German politicians -- are they really all pedophiles? Hopefully your parents won't throw you out at age 16 so you can learn how to stand on your own two feet. And tell me, why do you stick your elderly in nursing homes? And why do you murder Turks because they're Turks? Tell me, what in the world is going on back home?"

http://www.spiegel.de/international/eur ... 32154.html

I hope any Germans browsing these boards are now better acquainted with Einstein-it's all relative.

The mark of wisdom is to maintain an intellectual detachment as there is a withering gaze that will befall you in turn.

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 11 Mar 2015 03:21

sanjaykumar wrote:Yeah, but what is implied consent?

Please burrow deeeeeeep underground into German ***** culture. There oughta be a UN prize for such inventiveness.

When the perpetrator infers consent

kancha · Post by **kancha** » 11 Mar 2015 18:41

Rape stats for India - 2/100000 ppl
Rape stats for Germany - 9/100000 ppl
Even if u assume 80% of rapes in India go unreported, & 80% of rapes in Germany get reported, stats become 10/100000 ppl in India and 12/100000 ppl for Germany.
Wonder how many German guys are accepted at the esteemed pgme!
Go Figure!
Source: UNODC
Source:UN

Shanmukh · Post by **Shanmukh** » 12 Mar 2015 18:23

Hitesh wrote:I didn't make a sweeping generalization of Russia. You are putting words into my mouth. I said as a whole, Russia was more racist than US given the widespread racism experienced by the minorities in Russia and the lack of protection and law in Russia. Go look up news stories of Indian traders being mistreated in Russia without recourse. Sure there exists racism in US. I have personally experienced them including one violent episode but at least I had recourse and was able to bring that @ssh0le to justice within the means of the judicial system. In Russia, you were SOL in a similar situation.

Very interesting view of evidence & on whom the burden lies. Who is making the argument of Russia being more racist than US here? Did the Russians rape an Indian diplomat? Beat up & paralyse an old man? Sponsor fake propaganda against India? Tell me, have you ever been in Russia at any time?

Before you go off indignant about the western world, why don't you examine the racism that exists in India. Based on my personal experience, I encountered more racism in India than I did in the western world. Not casteism but race racism such as against the NE people or the darker skin people from southern India. So I wouldn't go too far protesting too hard against western racism when we have our own racism issues within our country.

Ahh - back to the `Tu quoque' are we? It is irrelevant if India is a million times more racist than US or UK or any other country. Even if India is the most racist country in the world, it changes nothing about American & European racism. Also, we were discussing US & European racism and comparing with Russia. Let's not go off at a tangent.

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 12 Mar 2015 18:35

Bestiality brothels are 'spreading through Germany' warns campaigner as abusers turn to sex with animals as 'lifestyle choice'

Yup, thats what it is. Sex with animals is a life-style choice.

Bestiality dropped off the statute books as a crime in 1969 but in recent years the number of people believed to be participating in such acts has increased significantly.

There are even 'erotic zoos' which people can visit to abuse animals ranging from llamas to goats.

Hans-Michael Goldmann, chairman of the agriculture committee, said the government aimed to forbid using an animal 'for individual sexual acts and to outlaw people 'pimping' creatures to others for sexual use.'

German
Yup, they do it so often that they now have a formal name for it. Zoophilia sounds more classy than "Perverted sick f***s"

That is rape of the most helpless who can't even get redress. This is so wrong at so many levels. This is a very strange society

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 12 Mar 2015 19:51

kancha wrote:Rape stats for India - 2/100000 ppl
Rape stats for Germany - 9/100000 ppl
Even if u assume 80% of rapes in India go unreported, & 80% of rapes in Germany get reported, stats become 10/100000 ppl in India and 12/100000 ppl for Germany.
Wonder how many German guys are accepted at the esteemed pgme!
Go Figure!
Source: UNODC
Source:UN

Surprisingly, statistics never come in the way of propaganda. As they say, never let the truth get in the way of a good yarn. What does that speak about general law and order situation in EU, along with crimes of immigrants adding to it. Sweden is an example. Or for that matter, rare causes of kids from the Queenlands leaving safety and choosing ISIL terror-tory.

Even more important is aspect of safety of minorities in EU, that seems to be missed completely.

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 12 Mar 2015 19:58

The German govt. banned bestiality .. oops .. zoophilia in december 13, '12. However, there were protests against it link

A spokesman for a video production company that produced a documentary about bestiality that was shown in Berlin the day before the demonstration remarked that he believes there are millions of zoophiles in Germany that will be affected by the new legislation.

“Banning it means that millions of people in Germany are criminalized,” the spokesman from the company told The Local.

Millions is obviously an exaggeration, however we must note that liberals do not run with arbitrary values - and even criminal ones like pedophilia etc as liberal values. At times, liberals and Christian right in EU/USA seem to be for/against very same issue.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Mar 2015 20:00

I had spoken about this in the L&M thread, the rich socialist countries of northern europe are heading for a stage where marriage will be a banned and vulgar word and "everyone belongs in bed with everyone" will be the mainstream thing.

you may visit the L&M thread to get the context.

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 12 Mar 2015 21:58

What is L&M thread

RSoami · Post by **RSoami** » 12 Mar 2015 22:40

^^ Love and Marriage

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 12 Mar 2015 22:41

I will cross post this in the India-US thread as well:

"Nearly 1 in 5 Women in U.S. Survey Say They Have Been Sexually Assaulted"

An exhaustive government survey of rape and domestic violence released on Wednesday affirmed that sexual violence against women remains endemic in the United States and in some instances may be far more common than previously thought.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/healt ... .html?_r=0

Also:

http://www.oneinfourusa.org/statistics.php

gakakkad · Post by **gakakkad** » 13 Mar 2015 07:55

In turd world Yindia people pee on wall , In Turd Reich Germany wall pee on people ..

washington post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wor ... =rss_world

When peeing in public in this German city, beware walls that pee back

A new innovation in the northern German city of Hamburg has taken the world by storm: pee-proof walls.

That's right. Local groups recently began introducing "hydrophobic" paint on areas of the city's busy night-club district, aimed at deterring late-night revelers from urinating in public. The paint makes the urine bounce back on the unsuspecting urinator. The move has generated international attention, and led Australian lawmakers to publicly discuss whether to import the concept.

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 14 Mar 2015 10:28

Meanwhile, EU acts cold to teach uppity Yindia a lesson, apparently.

PM Narendra Modi’s Brussels visit cancelled as EU fails to respond (ET)

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Brussels next month for the India-European Union summit has fallen through thanks to the EU's unusual action in failing to respond to India's suggestions on dates for the summit.

India had sent the dates early this year, and the EU's non-response even weeks after that led New Delhi to reschedule the PM's tour of Europe in April. Brussels no longer figures in the PM's itinerary.

And which among dozens of legit reasons around is EU piqued about this time? Well, read on.

Former Italian foreign minister Federica Mogherini, who's the EU's foreign policy head currently, has had many runins with New Delhi over the trial of Italian marines. Even as EU's foreign policy head, Mogherini has made statements severely critiquing India.
In January, Mogherini had said in European Parliament that "it's good for everyone to be fully aware of how much of an impact the unresolved dispute of the two Italian Navy officials can have on relations between the EU and India. It is putting them to the test".

New Delhi had reacted strongly to the statement. Senior diplomats, who didn't want to be identified, told ETthe EU's non-response to India's suggestions was unusual. They said Brussels' handling of the situation has been "unpleasant".

"It has left a bitter aftertaste," a senior diplomat told ET. Arranging dates for bilateral summits is a long and complicated process and governments involved exchange suggestions months before a summit.

EU turds are smoking up potent stuff if they think they can bully Yindia with intimidating tactics. We'll see.

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 14 Mar 2015 21:02

^^ Their loss. EU wants to be a big player in its own right, but its member states play their own game. If Modi drops Brussels and ends up visiting Paris/Berlin/<fill in any capital city>, it's not like they won't talk to him because he didn't go to Brussels. At this point, any country in Europe will be extremely happy to talk to us, considering the dismal economic climate there and we being the growth market of the future. Finally, Modi going to Europe is also optional at this point, things are falling into place in the home front for the economy to up switch gears, and individual European states haven't really endeared themselves to us (Italy: marines, France: Rafale, Germany: Merkel not giving time when Modi stopped over in 2014, that KV controversy and now the professor issues, Denmark: permanent Kim Davy, UK: generally everything plus Udwin, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Ireland etc. are too unstable to matter). Who else is left? Austria? Scandinavia?

Modi should try to visit EU nations if he finds the time, for good optics, but he need not go out of the way. Let them come to New Delhi if they want.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 14 Mar 2015 22:08

Whatever happened to those Marines, is the Italian ambassador still cooking spaghetti for them?

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 14 Mar 2015 22:23

For one of them, at least: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/s ... elatedNews

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted three-month extension to Italian Marine Massimiliano Latorre, accused in the killing of two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast, to stay back in Italy to convalesce after undergoing a heart surgery on January 5.

A three-judge Bench led by Justice Anil R. Dave allowed the furlough for Latorre even as Centre’s counsel and Additional Solicitor General P.S. Narasimha said the government was not objecting solely on “humanitarian grounds.”

“The entire thing is stayed because he [Latorre] is not here. We are only agreeing to this on humanitarian grounds,” Mr. Narasimha submitted.

The Bench said its order to extend the period of stay of Mr. Latorre would be subject to the Italian Ambassador providing an undertaking identical to the one given by him on September 12, 2014, when the marine was allowed to leave for four months to Italy to recover from a brain stroke suffered here.

Senior advocate Soli Sorabji, appearing for the marine, said the Ambassador was ready with the undertaking on the same terms and conditions.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 15 Mar 2015 03:01

Something, something,hitler was a saint, yada, yada,yada. Dont make a big deal of it.

krithivas · Post by **krithivas** » 15 Mar 2015 04:55

Italian Marines row hits PM Narendra Modi's EU plan
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 569875.cms

Both sides have been struggling for years now to complete a broad-based free trade agreement. The India-EU FTA has been held up over EU demands for lower tariffs on auto components and wines, while Indiahas had no success in persuading EU to allow more temporary work visas for Indian nationals.

I'm not sure how to parse the bolded phrases - EU is issuing demands where as India is humbly requesting? Or, EU is being unreasonable and India is being persuasive? Is this yet another instance of casual sentence construction or carefully chosen words to make an explicit impact??

In any case, I like the ending which goes as "The EU, say sources here, just made itself a little more irrelevant to India".

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 15 Mar 2015 07:28

^^^^^

Nachricht 075/2015 vom 12.03.2015
zurück

Bereich: Statements
Sachgebiet: fachübergreifend
"Published e-mail has obviously been faked"

Statement of the President of Leipzig University

In the meantime, President of Leipzig University Professor Beate Schücking has had the opportunity to read the e-mail correspondence between Professor Beck-Sickinger and the student from India. Professor Schücking had asked Professor Beck-Sickinger to make these e-mails available to her. Due to data protection regulations, Leipzig University is not allowed to publish this e-mail exchange at this time.

"No doubt, our colleague Beck-Sickinger has made a mistake. By apologising, she took the right step. I never assumed that she might not be telling truth. Having now read the e-mail exchange, I am sure about one point that is very important to me: The alleged rejection e-mail which has been spread on the internet was never written in this form. Professor Beck-Sickinger is telling the truth. Her comments on the issue of violence against women in India were not in her first answer but were made in reply to a provocative e-mail which followed the initial e-mail. To say it clearly: I do not tolerate these comments. However, I accept Professor Beck-Sickinger's apology. And I can say that the published e-mail has obviously been faked."

She did not want to say anything about possible consequences yet, Professor Schücking said, because the issue was currently being reviewed internally by her office and the Council of Deans and would be subject to review by the Academic Senate next week.

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 15 Mar 2015 07:33

However, I accept Professor Beck-Sickinger's apology. And I can say that the published e-mail has obviously been faked."

Nice, call the Indian complainer a liar and forgive the racist professor for "apologizing" while still continuing her discrimination and racism. The racist German Nazi a$$wipes like this Schuking that run the University of Leipzig (and how many other universities?) are just so awesome.

the issue was currently being reviewed internally by her office and the Council of Deans and would be subject to review by the Academic Senate next week.

Let me guess, the racist nazi-loving germans will find Prof. Sick-Fukinger's apology quite sufficient and move on to preach about civilization to heathens in Asia and elsewhere. Global warming is designed to drown these racist european mofos, and I strongly welcome global warming...and pledge to personally contribute to it by idling my car for the next 20 days without turning the engine off.

Nikhil T · Post by **Nikhil T** » 15 Mar 2015 10:08

More detailed report than above -

PM Modi's Brussels trip canceled as EU fails to respond

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Brussels next month for the India-European Union summit has fallen through thanks to the EU's unusual action in failing to respond to India's suggestions on dates for the summit.

Senior diplomats, who didn't want to be identified, told ETthe EU's non-response to India's suggestions was unusual. They said Brussels' handling of the situation has been "unpleasant".

The Italian marines issue continues to bedevil India's relationship with Italy. A high-pitched debate took place in European Parliament in January before a resolution against India was passed on the marines case. An Italian member, Lara Comi, even threatened to block the free-trade agreement with India.

RSoami · Post by **RSoami** » 15 Mar 2015 14:14

^^
Good noews. From now onwards India can do well to ignore EU and deal with individual states without feeling bad about it. In fact visit to Germany must have been dropped too. Why waste time needlessly.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 15 Mar 2015 14:51

I think Modi is getting a first hand idea of how these establishments behave with India as versus thinking it was mostly INC malfeasance. All good onlee.

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 15 Mar 2015 16:39

http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/03/1 ... F320150315
After Saudi feud, Sweden debates a "feminist" global role

(Reuters) - In a few months, Sweden's minority government has managed to antagonise both Israel and the Arab world, while also angering business leaders at home as Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom steadfastly pursues human rights and feminism.

Wallstrom's agenda, and the criticism it has drawn, has exposed a struggle over Sweden's identity and whether it should become what some politicians call a "moral great power", or prioritise security and an export-led economy.

After Sweden cancelled a defence cooperation accord with Saudi Arabia last week over rights concerns, the Arab League condemned Wallstrom and blocked her from giving a speech in Cairo. Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Stockholm; hundreds of millions of dollars in business are threatened.

Wallstrom, a former EU commissioner, promised a "feminist" foreign policy when her Social Democrats formed the coalition government last October. Since then, she has described the flogging of a liberal Saudi blogger as "medieval", winning praise from many commentators for standing up to the kingdom.

"I won't back down over my statements on women's rights, democracy and that one shouldn't flog bloggers," Wallstrom said, referring to sentencing of Raif Badawi to 1,000 lashes. "I have nothing to be ashamed of."

But Sweden is the world's 12th biggest arms exporter. Its Triple-A rated economy depends on brand exports from IKEA to H&M. With Russia also testing Sweden's air and submarine defences, this may be the wrong time to put human rights front and centre in foreign policy, her critics say.

Sweden has a history of neutrality. But under the previous centre-right government it forged closer links with NATO, participating in military missions in Afghanistan and Libya, something Wallstrom has promised to tone down.

The Saudi defence accord had helped Swedish firms to make 4.8 billion crowns ($567 million) in 2011-2014. Signed in 2005, it had been due for renewal in May.

"Much of what Sweden exports of high technology requires the various types of long-term commitments," Wallstrom's centre-right predecessor Carl Bildt wrote in his blog. "There is a real risk ... (the cancellation) will hit Swedish interests, not only in Saudi Arabia itself."

DIPLOMATIC MISCALCULATIONS

But the Saudi row may not have been Wallstrom's doing, and has brought accusations of diplomatic miscalculations by the squabbling coalition government.

"This is foreign policy played for a domestic gallery and it gives a strong impression of political mismanagement," said Fredrik Erixon, director of the Brussels-based ECIPE think-tank.

Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, who worked for nearly two decades as a welder in the defence industry, was in favour of a revised Saudi deal. But this was vetoed by leftist Social Democrats and the Green Party, the junior partner that keeps him in power.

With signs Lofven would give in to the Greens, more than 30 business executives published an open letter saying breaking the deal would "jeopardise Sweden's reputation as a trade partner".

They included fashion retailer H&M's main owner Stefan Persson and Investor Chairman Jacob Wallenberg.

"Social Democrats have traditionally been pragmatic in foreign policy," said Anna Wieslander, deputy director of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs. "So this may be about government personalities and coalition wrangling."

It was not the only controversy. Wallstrom's first diplomatic move was to recognise the state of Palestine, prompting Israel to recall its ambassador and angering the United States.

Ironically, this championing of rights may have actually damaged Sweden's ability to punch above its weight.

The first victim may be its ambition to win enough votes to be a rotating member of the U.N. Security Council.

"The Swedish brand, as a reliable partner who you can talk to, has been badly hurt," said Sven Hirdman, a former Swedish ambassador to Moscow.

Arjun · Post by **Arjun** » 15 Mar 2015 16:58

Seriously, what do these Germanics / Nordics smoke

These Swede 'feminists' suffer the world's highest rape rate at home - and still have the gumption to talk about becoming a 'moral great power' abroad and dream on about a 'feminist' foreign policy???

rgosain · Post by **rgosain** » 15 Mar 2015 17:04

The pan European project is facing a severe existential crisis both in terms of the identity of the European Union, and the more pressing case of the viability of the ECB, the Euro and the currency Union. With Germany and Greece at each other's throats, and threats by the UK to walk away from the EU after this year's election, the EU is a zombie that lives for each day. There is a very strong likelihood that that Modi may have to cancel his trip to France, Belgium and the Netherlands because of this political and economical uncertainty. In the past year the EU commission has been run by a Polish president, assisted in foreign affairs by the Italian who is objecting to the visit of Modi to the EU parliament in Brussels. It would be reasonable for the GOI to sever links with EU run foundations in India.
The invitation to the India PM by both Belgium and France was to commemorate the Indian soldiers who died a century ago in Flanders, and would have included discussions on the MMRCA, Airbus and the diamond trade between Antwerp and India. Interestingly, Modi was invited to the Netherlands as a guest of Ballastt-Needham, the Dutch engineering and infrastructure multinational that participated in improving the ports of Gujarat and are likely to secure further contracts for the Ganges clean-up and harbour projects.
It seems Modi has a greater personal rapport with the CEOs of the major EU companies than he does with the individual leaders, and this transactional arrangement works best for both sides.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Mar 2015 17:10

Talk about pot calling kettle black.
Sweden has the highest rate of rape among rich nations...more than twice that of usa/uk.

Truly a laughing stock.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 15 Mar 2015 17:14

Singha wrote:Talk about pot calling kettle black.
Sweden has the highest rate of rape among rich nations...more than twice that of usa/uk.

Truly a laughing stock.

About rapes in Scandinavian countries even multiple rapes as in gang rape is counted multiple times.
Hence there is skewed stats.
Ex- woman raped 6 times is 6 rapes.
Allsaid and done still high if allowed some leeway than India

RSoami · Post by **RSoami** » 15 Mar 2015 18:07

Standing up to Saudi Barbaria is at least one hypocrisy less from a western state as far as human-rights lecturing goes. We sure can do without discussing Sweden`s rape problem here.
Also most of the rapes are committed by the pious RoP guys anyway.

chanakyaa · Post by **chanakyaa** » 15 Mar 2015 18:16

^^
Good noews. From now onwards India can do well to ignore EU and deal with individual states without feeling bad about it. In fact visit to Germany must have been dropped too. Why waste time needlessly.

Question. Is GoI required, under UN agreement to deal with the E-U, similar to the way it would deal with any other U-N recognized state? In practice, it may not be possible to "not" deal with them, but as a matter of policy should GoI continue to deal with them?

rgosain · Post by **rgosain** » 15 Mar 2015 18:26

Udaym the Eu is not a a state. In fact the trend towards a greater pan-European federal entity scares many of its members such as the UK who feel that their sovereignty is being diluted. The EURO has failed as a single currency because the EU is not a single sovereign entity. The GOI can deal with whoever they feel like and this is causing some heartburn among the the smaller countries.