"No to the roof on the public deficits". Also in Spain protests against anti crisis measures

"Please enter a State spending limit means taking money to pensions, health, education". The complaint of Cristóbal Cervantes, a spokeswoman for Democracia real ya, one of the souls of indignados, arrives in the days when in Spain are growing protests against the reform of article 135 of the Constitution, which provides for the introduction of the roof of the deficit at 0.4% of GDP. One of the measures required at European level to counter the crisis and speculation in financial markets that has also hit the Spain. Where, as in our country, the measures the Government might "alienate more and more the political class citizens," said Cervantes. In Spain the pressure on Parliament enters highlight this week. Passed in haste to Congress with a new agreement between Psoe (Socialists), Pp (popular) and Upn (Union del Pueblo Navarro), the change must pass Wednesday, 7 September under consideration of the Senate.

Dr. Cervantes, because for many of the reform of the Constitution represents a scandal?
It is for the way in which you are creating. The Spanish Constitution existed for 33 years and until now had not undergone major changes. The major political parties have always avoided, given that the Constitution was created in a delicate moment in the history of Spain, during the transition from Franco dictatorship to democracy. Suddenly, in a few days the Government has put in agreement with the opposition leader and decided to impose on its MPs to vote for reform without allowing people to express themselves. Have the same members of the Executive to admit that the reform imposed by the markets. A few days before the premier Zapatero announced the reform, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had publicly asked the countries of the euro to introduce some changes to their constitutions. One of the claims of the 15-M movement is: "we are not the goods in the hands of politicians and banks". With this reform the slogan is more current than ever.

What points were found unjust article 135?
The main point is the decision to impose a ceiling on spending. In fact limit the deficit in time of crisis reduces the ability of financing State entries that relate to the social spending such as pensions, health and education. Force the Spanish fiscal balance balance to ensure the payment of the debt to Europe implies a perdida total economic sovereignty. Interest and principal of the public debt of General Government will enjoy priority, to the detriment of any expenditure to social services. This is the point of vital importance: the amendment stipulates that in the case of a speculative attack or a closing of the markets, skipped payments of pensions and salaries of workers. The conclusion is that basically the article 135 leads to cancellation of the Constitution. If the State cannot decide what to pay, he cannot negotiate and even invest on public services, all other articles of the Constitution are empty of meaning.

The Zapatero government's decision to vote for reform despite criticism increases the fracture between politics and society. There are still margins for the holding of a referendum?
The attitude of the major parties away more and more so-called "political class" from the citizens. All surveys confirm that politicians have become one of the problems of major concern to the Spanish. After 35 years of democracy Pp and Psoe led the country to economic ruin. From a legal point of view this constitutional amendment must be approved in a referendum, because, as are many stressing affects fundamental rights and, in such case, the Constitution requires a referendum. Legally there is the possibility to convene after the approval to the rooms, if 10% of deputies or senators shall apply in the days immediately following the vote. We're making pressure on represented political because realise our demands to join petition to give voice to citizens.

Ankara expels Israeli Ambassador "illegal raid against Freedom 1st flotilla"

' Diplomatic relations ' degraded to the lowest level possible, resulting in the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador in Turkey, Gabby Levy, and his Deputy, Ella Afek. Is the iraconda reply announced by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at a press conference in Ankara to news published today by the New York Times on the report of the UN Commission that investigated the Israeli raid against the Freedom Flotilla, in May 2010. In the raid, led by special units of the Israeli Navy against the convoy of ships headed to Gaza to break the embargo, lost their lives in the Ihh 9 Turkish activists, non-governmental organization of religious inspiration, which had been among the main funding of the Flotilla.

The Turkey had repeatedly asked the Israeli Government official apology and compensation for the families of the nine activists killed. Israel has always answered that the blitz was a response to the threat to national security posed by the Flotilla.

According to the New York Times, which took in advance of the report, the conclusion of the Commission led by former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer is that Israeli commandos boarding the ships of the Flotilla, and in particular the flagship, the ship Flotilla, met a violent and organized resistance that has driven to use weapons for self-defense. Three soldiers were captured, maltreated and put at risk by passengers. Some others were wounded. However, the report says: "the Israeli decision to board vessels so far away from the area of the block (the blitz occurred in international waters, to 72 miles from the coast) and without any final warning signal before boarding, appears excessive and irrational." Although the commandos have acted in self-defense, the report says: "the majority of participants in the flotilla had no violent intentions, but there remain serious doubts about the true nature and the real objectives of the organizers, in particular the Ihh '.

However, this is the most politically controversial point, the report also concludes that the naval blockade carried out by the Israeli Navy against the Gaza Strip is legal, because volto to prevent the illegal import of weapons. Positive reactions to the conclusion of the report coming from Israel, Davutoglu said that Turkey's position is that the blockade of Gaza is illegal: "Ankara will do everything possible to assert their own interpretation of the meaning of international waters in the Mediterranean», Davutoglu added.

The retaliation Turkish does not stop here. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Davutoglu has also announced that will be reviewed military cooperation agreements between Israel and Turkey (excellent partners in the defence sector, with mutual benefit), as well as the initiation of legal action against the blockade in Gaza at international courts. The families of the victims, however, will be the Turkish Government to provide unspecified help.

The sanctions, however, are still frozen. The Palmer report is published today, Davutoglu said that this is the last chance for Israel to make their excuses. In the absence of these, triggered the ' plan B ' prepared by the Turkish diplomacy, which could reach up to block the trade between the two countries, which stood at billions of dollars each year.

The story of Freedom Flotilla 2010 had plunged the once excellent Turkish-Israeli relations at all-time low. Only in recent months, the impact of the Arab revolt, and especially the situation in Syria, the two countries had begun a shy rapprochement, party by cooperation in the military sector. The report now threatens to freeze Palmer of new bilateral relations, in a particularly delicate moment for Israel. Narrow by social protests – tomorrow in Tel Aviv is a great demonstration against the expense – the Government of Benyamin Netanyahu prepares to face, between late September and mid October, the UN vote on the request for recognition of a Palestinian State. A Turkey angry and ready to campaign for the NPC is not exactly what we wanted. So much so that the Israeli Government had asked him to postpone for a further six months the publication of the report. Despite the findings give reason to at least partially Israeli, in this international climate also a balanced relationship risks becoming an boomerang.

Joseph Zarlingo

Europe's new sanctions against Syria blocked the export of oil

The European Union has decided to get serious with the regime in Damascus, after the recent massacres. This is the main political indication that emerges from the Summit of Foreign Ministers of the 27 EU countries, meeting today in Poland. On the agenda, among other things, there was a new round of sanctions against the Government of Bashar Assad, who does not mention to loosen the repression against the protest movements that challenge him for five months.

The new round of sanctions, the third to be approved by the EU, affects one of the main voices of the Syrian economy, the export of oil. The crude weighs for 25 percent of GDP Syrian and Europe receives the 95 percent of oil exports. The prohibition on importing Syrian crude will come into force "immediately", as stated by a spokesman for the EU to Reuters, but Italy will have a derogation until November 15 to meet the deadline of some current contracts. In addition to oil, the EU has stretched with the names of four other members of the scheme and three Syrian organizations the list of persons and entities whose assets were frozen and which was imposed the travel ban in the territory of the Union.

The new sanctions, according to Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal, "go straight to the heart of the regime '. A regime that, said the Polish President Radoslaw Sikorski ' is massacring its citizens '. European declarations are added to those of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who yesterday on the sidelines of the International Summit on Libya in Paris, he repeated that Assad ' must go '.

Despite the satisfaction for the European decision, the British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed his ' frustration ' for the fact that in the UN Security Council is not able to obtain, due to the Russian and Chinese opposition, a resolution of condemnation of the Syrian regime, that opens the way for international sanctions more widespread and stringent and the blocking of assets of the scheme, including those of President Assad. "Assad has had the chance to prove to be ready to genuine reforms – Cameron said commenting on the new sanctions – the had and has wasted."

European determination was reinforced by the spread of the video in which the former Solicitor-General, Adnan al-Hama Bakkour, announced his resignation. Within three minutes of shooting that is making the rounds of the network, the former Prosecutor says he can prove that 72 people were killed in the prison of Hama last July 31. Among the victims, political prisoners and activists against the regime. Other accusations are equally chilling: 420 bodies buried in mass graves in the parks of Hama; arbitrary arrests of thousands of activists; at least 320 people tortured to death and an unknown number of civilians killed by the army into crumble on their homes.

Are allegations that confirm and Excel report released a few days ago by Amnesty International. The NGO had detected 88 cases of death in Syrian prisons over the past five months, including some adolescents. The figures provided by al-Bakkour are much more severe, and relate to the city of Hama, one of the most affected by the repression with which the regime tries in vain to stop the protests.

Damascus, the official news agency Sana, tried to discredit the video – which does not allow elements to identify when and where was shot – saying that al-Bakkour was kidnapped by "criminal gangs" and forced to lie. The same al-Bakkour, however, reached by telephone from Al Jazeera, denied he was kidnapped and said to be safe, protected by opponents.

In Syria, meanwhile, was another Friday prayers and protests in different areas of the country. According to Al Jazeera, the deaths caused by the intervention of the security forces have been at least 11, including four in a suburb of the capital Damascus and three to Deir ez-Zor, in the East of the country. The heart of the regime does not seem to still weakened.

Joseph Zarlingo