In Europe, most of the monarchs are primarily figureheads. They represent their country and the government which has the real power despite the King or Queen being the head of state. But at times, those sovereigns play a role in forming a government, especially when the powers that be do not make peace with one another.
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That is what is happening for two European monarchs: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and King Albert II of Belgium. Since recent elections or government failures, both heads of state have been seeking to keep the political spectrum of their countries steady and firm, and that is easier said than done.
For starters, in the Netherlands, Queen Beatrix has seen the forming of a coalition government fail twice times in recent days. The coalition is meant to put together the conservative VVD, the Christian Democrats (CDA) and the anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV).
This is the second time a coalition government collapsed since the elections in June. The former coalition also fell apart in February. This means Holland has been without a government for most of the year.
Already, the Queen has appointed five politicians to mediate between the three parties with little success from them. She recently named Tjeenk Willink, vice president of the Council of State, to be the mediator. It is his job to conduct rounds of consultations with parliamentary political leaders and report back to Beatrix on the situation and what steps should be taken.
The problem is, the center-right Liberal Party VVD, and the conservative CDA, both of which won 52 seats in parliament, are looking to form a coalition together. However if they do, that would mean dealing with the Freedom Party, led by Geert Wilders. The CDA is against any agreements with Wilders’ controversial party, which won 24 seats in June’s elections, because of its anti-immigration and anti-Islam stance.
Talks fell apart last Friday after Wilders said he didn’t believe the CDA could get its members into working with the Freedom Party in a long-term deal to create a stable government, and that any coalition would collapse in a few months.
“The confidence in the stability within the Christian Democratic Party dropped to an all-time low. We had no confidence that we could count on a majority within parliament,” Wilders said at a news conference.
When talks began, the parties said they would try to find €18 billion ($23.1 billion) in budget cuts in a bid to close the country’s deficit. Currently, the Netherlands’ fiscal shortfall is rising. It is set to widen to 6.6% of gross domestic product this year from 5.3% in 2009, taking the country’s public debt to 66% of gross domestic product.
VVD party leader Mark Rutte said his advice to Queen Beatrix will be that he writes a government policy plan. Other parties can then choose to support such an agreement.
“I think this is a logical next step,” he said. “This country needs a government. This, of course, already is taking way too long.”
REUTERS/Thierry Roge
Over in neighboring Belgium, King Albert II is not only seeking a government form, but also keep his country from disbanding. Clashes between the Dutch speaking Flemish and the francophone Walloons continue to trouble the Kingdom, with calls to split the country becoming more strife.
Last Saturday, the mediator between the warring parties quit, sending Belgium back into political crisis. This happened almost three months after an election that was meant to restart the Belgian government.
Earlier this year, another coalition collapsed when the two warring linguistic communities could not settle an electoral dispute over the region around Brussels.
King Albert’s next step is to ask representatives from each community to negotiate once again.
“The King … charged the speakers of the lower house and the senate with the mission of mediation of restarting negotiations to form a government,” the palace said in a statement.
While the Flemish parties are pushing for more powers for their region, the Walloons fear that their region, which is poorer, will lose out, and that the process will eventually lead to Belgium breaking up.
Sources: Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Wall Street Journal, Reuters
It is being reported that the only child of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako skipped a large part of her first day of the second semester of school.
AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye/FILE
Princess Aiko, who missed several school days earlier this year due to anxiety over bullying, did not attend the opening ceremony of the second semester at the exclusive Gakushuin Primary School in Tokyo. Instead, the 8 year-old Princess stayed in her classroom with her mother.
At 10:30 am, Aiko reportedly went home.
During the first half of the school year – which begins in April in Japan – Aiko was accompanied by Masako, who stayed with her daughter in class and took her home at the end of the day. This happened after the third grader returned to school following the bullying by “rowdy” boys.
In addition, Aiko missed the end of the semester celebrations as well as the welcome back ceremony a few weeks later.
Palace officials say the Princess is being tutored when not in school.
Not long after the reports of her being bullied, Japanese media said Aiko would attend a boarding school in Europe to escape being harassed by other students.
Her mother, Crown Princess Masako, suffers from a stress related adjustment disorder and rarely does any public duties.
Despite 50 people being arrested yesterday, hundreds of Swazis took part in a demonstration against their country’s absolute monarchy in the city of Manzini Tuesday. The rally is a prelude to tomorrow’s protest set to take place in the capital of Mbabane.
AFP/File/Stephane de Sakutin
“It was a success — we were able to put across our message which is that we want Swaziland to be a multi-party democracy,” said Zakhele Mabuza, spokesman for the banned opposition Peoples United Democratic Movement of Swaziland (Pudemo).
Although optimism was high, there were still some more arrests. Police arrested Pudemo President Mario Masuku today and are holding him at police headquarters in Manzini, Mabuza said, adding that state security officials outnumbered the protesters.
“He was removed from the crowd along with about three others,” Mabuza told Bloomberg News.
According to Amnesty International, the majority of those arrested Monday were released without charge, while the remaining 16 were let go today.
“The arbitrary arrest of these political activists, lawyers, trade unionists and journalists is nothing short of police harassment and intimidation,” Amnesty International’s southern Africa researcher, Mary Rayner, said in a statement.
Many in Swaziland are looking for change in a country where political parties have been banned since 1973, and the majority of the people live in poverty while King Mswati III and his numerous wives and children live in luxury.
“At the core is the demand for multi-party democracy because all the problems that workers and the general public are facing comes from the lack of democracy in the country,” Mabuza said earlier as the protest was underway.
“The people are angry here. They are singing, marching, (chanting) out slogans and showing their demands.”
Tuesday morning saw the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg arrive in Portugal for the start of a three day state visit. The point of this trip is to strengthen ties with the already close nations.
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Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa were first greeted at a Lisbon military airport by Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Amado, who took them to Monastery of Jeronimos for their first engagement in Portugal. There, the Grand Duke laid a wreath on the tomb of Luís Vaz de Camões, the most famous poet of Portugal.
After that came the official welcoming ceremony at Belem Palace by President Anibal Cavaco Silva and his wife, Maria. Following the playing of the national anthems and reviewing the honor guard, the Silvas took the grand ducal couple inside for brief talks and a lunch.
During that, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, who was part of the delegation for this visit, had talks with Luis Amado. On the agenda of the discussion appeared mainly to be about current European and international policy, preparation of the informal meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, as well as bilateral relations.
At the same time, Luxembourg’s Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Jeannot Krecke, took the opportunity to meet with his counterpart Jose Vieira da Silva on themes of economic and financial news.
Later on, the Grand Duke and the President held a joint news conference where they told reporters about the close bond Luxembourg and Portugal have.
EPA/Manuel Almeida
“The element of closer association between the two countries is the Portuguese community in Luxembourg, a community of more than 80,000 citizens, representing a high percentage of active population of Luxembourg, which contributes significantly to the economic and social development of the country host,” said Silva.
President Silva mentioned that among the topics he discussed with Henri was bringing the Portuguese language into the Luxembourg education system.
“The two countries have been talking to strengthen this possibility be learned from the Portuguese in Luxembourg and the normal progress has been made in this direction,” he noted.
Silva also highlighted how this state visit will bring about economic discussions and regulations. “Luxembourg is a major investor in Portugal and hopefully in the future entrepreneurs Luxembourg continue to look and look further into the opportunities offered here in our country,” added the President, noting that during the Grand Duke’s visit will lead to a signing of a protocol on the double-taxation and combating tax evasion.
Grand Duke Henri took the time during the conference to talk about his Portuguese heritage and thanked the country for providing for his grandmother and his parents when World War II broke out.
Following the press conference, Grand Duke Henri had the opportunity to meet with the President of the Assembly of the Republic, Jaime Gama, and other members of Portugal’s political scene.
Tuesday evening saw a gala dinner in honor of the grand ducal couple.
Over the next two days, there will be tours of Lisbon and the Portuguese coast, talks with the Prime Minister, visits to child care services that treat young children with AIDS, discussions of technology and microfinance, and a visit to Portugal’s oldest university.
Monday, September 6th marks Japan’s little Prince Hisahito’s 4th birthday. The only son of Prince Akishino, plus the only grandson of Emperor Akihito, the little boy is third in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
Hisahito attends kindergarten at Ochanomizu University in Tokyo, a departure for the Japanese royals who usually attend Gakushuin.
When not in school, Hisahito likes to ride his bike once used by big sisters, Mako, 18, and Kako, 15.
As patron of the Danish Refugee Council, it is Crown Princess Mary’s duty to be involved in and bring attention to its projects as much as she can. This Sunday, Mary was in Viborg to do just that.
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In cooperation with Viborg’s focus on refugees, the Council is setting up a campaign called “The World’s Refugees” and the Crown Princess was there to see just what it does.
Mary met with 152 students who spent a day living under similar conditions as refugees do in Liberia. She also met with a Rwandan family, the Nkubanas, in Volunteer Hall.
The mother in the family was pregnant with twins when she and her family had to flee Rwanda. They had also taken in four other children who were without parents. Mary ate lunch with the family.
She then attended by a large art auction where the profit goes to the campaign.
Mary is expected to attend a gala dinner in Viborg to help support the Danish Refugee Council.
The Crown Princess has been involved in the Council since she married into the Danish royal family. In 2008, Mary spent a few days in Uganda to see firsthand on how refugees in that area live.
The Netherlands’ Queen Beatrix mixed royal duty with a family outing Saturday. When she attended Breda Hippique, the Queen surprised everyone when she brought along two of her granddaughters – Princesses Catharina Amalia and Ariane.
Gert Jan Sol/De Stem
The royal trio checked out the horses at the festivity, which is an equestrian event. They also attended the farewell event for the riders who travel to Kentucky to represent the Netherlands at the World Equestrian Games.
Catharina Amalia, 6, and Ariane,3, are the first and third daughters of Crown Prince Willem Alexander and Princess Maxima. There is no explanation on why the middle sister, Princess Alexia, age 5, did not attend.
There was some concern Queen Beatrix would not attend Bred Hippique because of the struggling government. On Saturday, Her Majesty was briefed by Ivo Opstelten, an official appointed by Queen Beatrix to examine the rightist minority government option, about the collapse of the Holland’s struggling government. Politicians were trying to set up a coalition government with leftist and right-wing parties with little success.
In order to have a government, Beatrix will have to now appoint new party leaders or set up more talks between them.
A new book is being released this week in Spain about the life of its future Queen before she married into the royal family. Written by Isidre Cunill, a Catalan journalist specializing in investigative journalism, Letizia Ortiz: A Republican in the Court of Juan Carlos, makes scandalous claims about Princess Letizia which have been circling for years.
Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images Europe
Among the allegations are that Letizia is actually against the monarchy and when it comes to religion, she is agnostic and was probably never baptized. This would explain why Letizia was married in a civil ceremony prior to her meeting Prince Felipe (Letizia is divorced from a professor named Alonso Guerrero Perez).
Also mentioned are drugs, sex scandals and an abortion performed in New York because she couldn’t get one in Mexico, where Letizia lived during the 1990s.
Cunill also claims King Juan Carlos has no relationship with the Princess, and even links an arrest to her former husband. The author says Perez was once arrested for possession of hashish.
These rumors about Letizia have been around ever since it was announced she was engaged to marry Prince Felipe, the heir to the Spanish throne. None have ever been confirmed or denied by Letizia or the royal court.
The court also has no comment on Cunill’s biography.
The book will be released on Monday, September 6th and is expected to be a bestseller. Outside of Spain, it is possible to get the book online.
The principality of Monaco is celebrating its Liberation Day this weekend, when it marks the day Allied forces liberated the micro-state from the Axis powers during World War II. A picnic was held at the Princess Antoinette Park, and who better to turn up but members of the House of Grimaldi.
Prince Albert II, his elder sister Princess Caroline and her daughter Princess Alexandra of Hannover were present. But the one who received the standing ovation by the 500 guests was Albert’s fiancee, Charlene Wittstock.
Dressed elegantly in a simple black gown, the future Princess of Monaco won over the hearts of the guests by speaking to them in French and seducing them with her good looks and personality.
On Friday, Monaco marked its liberation by having military vehicles roll through the principality and its citizens dress in traditional clothing – which means many of them wore red and white, the color of the Monegasque flag.
On Thursday, Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej chose a hardliner as his country’s next military chief. The man is current deputy army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, who is believed to have been tough on the anti-government protests this past spring. The appointment means Prayuth is in a politically powerful position in a turmoil prone country.
PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images/FILE
The King’s decision comes as Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has called for military openness and responsibility over its crackdown of the protests.
“The public expectation is very high, so the military must increase its capacity but it must also be accountable,” Abhisit said.
Prayuth is seen as an opponent of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire politician who fueled the protest movement.
“With hardliners in the military, the establishment is strong now,” said Chaturon Chaisaeng, a veteran politician with close ties to the opposition. “In the very near future, I don’t see much likelihood of violence.”
Prayuth is also a protege of General Prem Tinsulanonda, a former Army chief, who was prime minister between 1980 and 1988 and now heads the King Bhumibol’s privy council.
Prayuth is expected to takeover for Gen. Anupong Paochinda who is due to retire at the end of September.
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