Day: February 23, 2021

France’s lower house of parliament on Tuesday voted in favour of a law to battle “Islamist separatism” that is billed by the government as a riposte to religious groups attempting to undermine the secular state. The draft legislation, which has been criticised for stigmatising Muslims and giving the state new powers to limit speech and religious groups, was backed by a clear majority of MPs in the National Assembly. The lower house of the French parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a controversial bill that would strengthen oversight of mosques, schools,…

A dramatic arrest earlier this week of Spanish rapper Pablo Hasél, who was convicted of criticizing the monarchy and supporting a Basque separatist group in social media posts, has sparked days of protests across Spain and renewed debate over free speech in the country. Thousands of Hasél supporters have taken to the streets in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Girona, since his arrest. But peaceful protests devolved into chaos as protesters clashed with police for a third night in a row Thursday. Dozens have been arrested across the country since the…

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Thursday night secured final parliamentary approval for his government, meaning he can now focus on dealing with the country’s unprecedented health and economic crisis. The lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, overwhelmingly backed the former European Central Bank (ECB) chief and his cabinet team of technocrats and politicians, with 535 votes in favor, 56 against and five abstentions. Given that nearly all parties have lined up behind the new executive, the near-unanimous result was not a surprise. On Wednesday, Draghi easily won a first…