Free Republic

I nominate Recep Tayyip Erdogan, president of Turkey, as the most inconsistent, mysterious, and therefore most unpredictable major politician on the world stage. His victory in a referendum last Sunday formally bestows him with near-dictatorial powers that leave Turkey, the Middle East, and beyond in a greater state of uncertainty than ever.Here are some of the puzzles:Mystery #1: Holding the referendum. The Turkish electorate voted on April 16 in a remarkable national plebiscite that dealt not with the usual topic – floating a bond or recalling a politician – but with fundamental constitutional changes affecting the very nature of their...

Work has started on a new 'border control centre' on the Brenner Pass Minister hinted it may include a barrier like the one on Slovenian border European Commission 'very concerned if these plans were to materialise' Barrier would deal another major blow to the passport-free Schengen zone The European Union today said it is 'very concerned' that Austria may be planning to build a fence on its border with Italy over fears of a new migrant influx. Austrian Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil announced plans to introduce border controls at the Brenner Pass crossing from June 1 as part of...

European Union interior ministers urged Greece on Monday to do more to control the influx of migrants, some threatening to have it excluded from the continent's prized passport-free travel zone as the crisis increasingly divides bloc members. Greece was the main gateway to Europe for more than a million refugees and migrants who reached the EU last year. It has been criticized for a failure to control the flow of arrivals, which has shown little sign of easing over the winter. Some member states said Athens must deliver on obligations to alleviate the crisis, which has put the passport-free Schengen...

Denmark has tightened its border controls in a move which opponents claim could sound the death knell for the EU’s principle of free movement. The Scandinavian country deployed an extra 50 customs officers at crossings on the German and Swedish borders in an attempt to curb cross-border crime and illegal immigration. Danish custom officers check a unindentified driver from the Netherlands at the Danish-German border in Padborg, Denmark This figure will rise to 98 by the end of the year. Denmark, which belongs to the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone, also plans to increase video surveillance at crossings and build four...

Celebrations have been held after midnight to mark nine new states joining a European border-free zone. The Schengen agreement, which allows passport-free travel across the area, now embraces 24 nations. Some 2,000 people celebrated with the EU anthem, Beethoven's Ode to Joy, and fireworks in the town of Frankfurt on Oder at Germany's border with Poland. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia joined the zone. See map of Schengen area German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Polish PM Donald Tusk will mark the event on Friday morning in the town of Zittau, near the point where...