INTERNACIONAL
European Union signs 7.4B euro aid package for Egypt to address migration concerns and more
The European Union announced a 7.4-billion-euro aid package for Egypt, or about $8 billion, amid concerns of migrants flooding the country from Israel and making the voyage across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Egyptian Abdel Fattah el-sissi signed the deal on Sunday in Cairo, though the agreement was criticized because of Egypt’s human rights record, the Associated Press reported.
«Your visit today represented a very important milestone in the relations between Egypt and the European Union,» El-sissi told visiting European leaders, including those from Belgium, Italy, Austria, Cyprus and Greece, who attended the signing.
El-sissi added that the deal helps achieve a «paradigm shift in our partnership.»
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The 7.4-billion-euro deal consists of grants and loans for the next three years, and about 5 billion euros of the funds are considered macro-financial assistance.
Both sides agreed to a «strategic and comprehensive partnership,» which could lead to an expansion of the Egypt-EU cooperation that benefits both non-economic and economic areas.
«The European Union recognizes Egypt as a reliable partner and its unique and vital geostrategic role as a pillar of security, moderation and peace in the Mediterranean, Near East and African region,» the two parties said in a joint statement after the summit.
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The deal between the EU and Egypt is called the Joint Declaration, and is intended to promote «democracy, fundamental freedoms, human rights and gender equality,» the EU said.
But also included is a cooperation to take on the challenges of migration and terrorism.
The funds are intended to help Egypt bolster its borders next to places like Libya, where migrants pass through as they flee conflicts in the Middle East and Africa.
Egypt has taken in over 460,000 Sudanese since April 2023, as military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, continues to fight.
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The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza could also lead to hundreds of thousands of people flooding into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula as the southernmost town of Gaza, Rafah, has taken in over 1 million people, the AP reported.
Currently, Egypt is reporting about 9 million migrants in the country, which includes about 480,000 who are registered with the U.N. refugee agency as refugees and asylum seekers.
The Egyptian coast has not been a major launching pad for human traffickers to send overcrowded boats to Europe by way of the Mediterranean Sea, though concerns about the matter are building as Egypt faces the pressures of migrants coming into the country.
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The deal follows the template of other deals recently signed with Tunisia and Mauritania, which pledged funds in return for fortifying borders. Tunisia and Mauritania are both locations where migrants leave to cross the Mediterranean Sea in search of freedom in Italy and Spain.
Still, the package was criticized by international groups over Egypt’s history of human rights violations.
One group, Amnesty International, reportedly urged the EU not to take Egypt’s violations lightly.
«EU leaders must ensure that Egyptian authorities adopt clear benchmarks for human rights,» Eve Geddie, Amnesty International’s head of European institutions office said. She specifically pointed at the country’s restrictions on media and freedom of expression, as well as its crackdown on civil society.
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The European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer acknowledged to reporters that there were issues with human rights violations, though he defended the partnership.
«Yes, we know the criticism related to human rights in those countries, and it is obvious that this is an issue,» he said. «Does that mean we should break off all relations? Would that lead to an improvement in the situation? Or should we try to find a way to work with those countries to improve the situation on the ground both for local populations and for migrants coming to those countries?»
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
French elections: Riots erupt after left-wing coalition projected to win plurality of seats
Crowds of protesters and celebrators flooded the streets of Paris as French election results began pouring in on Sunday.
On Sunday, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced his intent to resign after a far-left political coalition was poised to win a plurality of French parliamentary seats. The coalition had unexpectedly assembled before the snap elections began.
Tens of thousands of left-wing demonstrators gathered in Paris’s Place de la République on Sunday night to celebrate the news. Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition is projected to take second place.
The results were a huge upset for conservatives in France, who had hoped that Marine Le Pen’s National Rally would take power.
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Social media footage shows massive bonfires in Parisian streets as authorities confronted demonstrators while wearing riot gear.
Tear gas was released as rowdy protesters were arrested. Protesters were also recorded throwing Molotov cocktails in the streets and setting off smoke bombs.
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The left-wing coalition, which is called the Popular Front, is made up of France’s Socialist Party, the French Communist Party, a green political party called the Ecologists and France Unbowed.
The bloc has pledged to institute a number of measures if elected, including scrapping Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform and working towards establishing «a right to retire» at 60 years old.
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The coalition also pledges to increase wages for public sector employees, establish a wealth tax and raise France’s minimum wage.
Reuters and Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
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