Handelsblatt: Erdogan’s risky experiment

The press on the agreement between Albania, Serbia and Northern Macedonia on the free movement of workers and the Erdogan package of measures in support of the pound.

Handelsblatt comments on Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s package of measures in support of the Turkish pound, entitled “Dangerous Experiment”. In the subtitle we read “Erdogan wants to tame the markets, but the price is high”.

The financial newspaper notes: “The president is dealing with international investors, but also his voters. A battle, which he will lose on both fronts. With the announcements, the changes in the leadership of the central bank and the reduction of interest rates, it caused its devaluation. The new measure restored the pound overnight to where it was at the beginning of the month.In some indicative measures: No one, neither Turkish workers, nor international investors, nor analysts understand the Turkish president’s logic, all that investors and analysts see is chaos.

At the same time, the opposition is choosing the easy way out and only promises to end the chaos and return to a sensible policy. Only this promise seems to convince the citizens. The Turkish president’s appeal to the Turks to trust him does not convince most. They may remember that it was Tayyip Erdogan who brought prosperity to the poor, ensuring widespread electoral victories. Elections will be held in a year and a half at the latest, which Erdogan wants to win. “But his star has already begun to set.”

FAZ: “A perspective for the Balkans”

By signing the Open Balkan Agreement between Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Albania in Tirana, the countries ensure the free access of their citizens to the labor market of the three Balkan states. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung hosts a joint article by Prime Ministers Eddy Rama, Zoran Zaef and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic entitled “A Perspective on the Balkans”, in which the three leaders note, among other things:

“Europe is not just a continent, it is a vision. Our peoples ‘desire to join the EU has repeatedly clashed with member states’ domestic policies and broken promises. This attitude has led to frustration, instability, immigration and the loss of significant investment.

As politicians, we can either protest or take the initiative. We choose the latter, by signing an agreement to reduce border controls by facilitating trade in goods, but also to enable our citizens to work freely in whichever of the three countries they wish.

We have often been criticized as “Europe’s powder keg”. As responsible politicians, we will not allow our region to return to the nightmares of the past, at a time when the EU is currently unable to do more for enlargement. We have differences and we disagree on some political issues. “But we agree that the EU economy and the four freedoms (free movement of goods and capital, freedom of establishment and labor) are the right way to ensure hope and peace in our region.”

Stefanos Georgakopoulos

Source: Deutsche Welle