France recognizes Palestine at the UN, Sarkozy gets five years over Qaddafi campaign funds and France PNGs two Malian diplomats

Greetings from the frontline state of Latvia, my family's ancestral homeland though a land my father and I did not know until we were adults. While the vantage point from here on Europe's building catastrophe is a bit different than in the quiet Alpine country of Switzerland, it's little wonder why with Russia so close. Our flight was escorted from Polish to Swedish airspace by a fighter jet engaged in Baltic air policing last night after drones appeared over Latvian, Polish and Swedish airspace just yesterday.

The question of these recent weeks in Europe is rather obvious: how many Article Four scenarios does it take to get to Article Five? For those unfamiliar, Article Four is consultations with the North Atlantic Council called by a NATO member nation. Article Five is the big one, an attack on one is an attack on all and will be treated as such. If we have to ask, clearly the Russian propaganda of a bellicose NATO is nothing more than hogwash. NATO, pretty clearly, wants to do absolutely all it can to avoid testing the resolve of the alliance at this moment of utmost danger in Europe.

So, the question for the Alpine region becomes clearer when viewed beyond the Alps. In a world where threats come in the information environment, from drones in the sky and from subversive elements within, sometimes bought for pennies in the gig economy marketplace, can a nah, we will sit this one out approach hold?

Clearly the laissez faire approach to client scrutiny in the banking sector, especially with regard to Russian clients, has tipped Liechtenstein's economy into dangerous co-dependencies. In Italy, luxury clothier Brunello Cuccinelli stock dropped 15% Thursday on the word of a hedge fund that the company's ateliers in Moscow are engaging in EU sanctions busting. And no, simply hosting the children of the world's corrupt elites and giving them an education will not school them in democracy. No less than North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks Bern Deutsche from his schoolboy days in the Swiss capital. It's a bit of a choose your own adventure, or misadventure moment, but the old ways are not simply not working or broken, the model is smashed if maybe only for a time. The center is not holding.

Welcome to the new Alpine Security Monitor. Currently in its pilot stage, you can subscribe (and become a paid subscriber!) for weekly updates on security and geopolitics as it concerns the Alpine region, namely Austria, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland (ok, little Liechtenstein and Monaco too when merited).

NEW YORK, USA – France looks for diplomatic win, unity over Palestine state recognition

Politico reports French President Emmanuel Macron recognized the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly Monday, a move which received the support of fellow G7 nations Canada and the UK in addition to Western allies like Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and Portugal.
However, Germany, Greece, Italy and the Netherlands are not on board and "Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz will not even attend, having found more pressing concerns at home." Also, "Italy's Giorgia Meloni has insisted she is not in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state 'prior to estanblishing it,' and will arrive a day after Macron's event." In Paris, though, the BBC notes the Palestinian and Israeli flag festooned the side of the Eiffel Tower with a peace dove between the flags – a gesture that is sure to solve everything. While one French diplomat called it "a victory" for Paris, "the French president's attempt to show a common front also reveals how disunited Western Europe looks, particularly when EU and NATO countries are treading on eggshells around Trump because of the war in Ukraine." Macron also vowed to contribute French forces to "a stabilization mission" in Gaza, Politico adds.
What recognition of a Palestinian state will not do: end the war as "there's little prospect his efforts can sway US President Donald Trump or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu". On Monday, the White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt called it "a reward to Hamas" in a press briefing, Politico reports.

PARIS, FRANCE – Interior Ministry orders municipalities not to fly the Palestinian flag

France 24 reports the French Interior Ministry last Friday ordered municipalities in the country not to fly the Palestinian flag ahead of the country's recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly Monday because doing so would violate "The principle of neutrality of public service".
The Interior Ministry added "any decisions by mayors to fly the Palestinian flag should be referred to courts". Several mayors had "already announced their intention" to do so and Socialist leader Olivier Faure called for the Palestinian flag to be flown across the country Monday. By early Monday, it appeared a few municipalities opted to defy the Interior Ministry, including the city of Rennes.
The Monday announcement of recognition for a Palestinian state coincided with the start of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah. France has the largest Jewish population in Europe and the largest Muslim population in western Europe.

PARIS, FRANCE – Former President Sarkozy gets five years over Qaddafi campaign funds

Politico reports former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to five years Thursday following his conviction for receiving illicit donations to finance his 2007 presidential campaign from then Libyan leader Muammer Qaddafi.
Likely headed for the slammer regardless: Sarkozy was expected to appeal the ruling, which would delay his prison sentence, but Judge Nathalie Gavarino "ruled that the seriousness of the charges warranted Sarkozy's imprisonment regardless of an appeal". After the verdict, Sarkozy exited court, proclaimed his innocence with his wife, model Carla Bruni, by his side, she then removed the microphone cap of media outlet Mediapart, which first reported the allegations, "and tossed it to the ground." Alongside Sarkozy, nine co-defendents were found guilty and three were acquitted.
Ergo, Sarkozy "will likely become the first modern French president to end up behind bars. Recall his predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was found guilty of corruption a decade ago but received a suspended prison sentence.

PARIS, FRANCE – France suspends counterterror cooperation with Mail, PNGs 2 diplomats

Al Jazeera English reports France has suspended counterterrorism cooperation with Mali and declared two diplomats at the embassy in Paris persona non grata last Friday following the arrest of a Frenchman, Yann Vezilier, last month on charges of plotting a coup, with Mali also declaring five French embassy staff persona non grata in retaliation.
At the time of Vezilier's arrest, the Malian army said some civilians and soldiers alleged to be involved in the plot had received "the help of foreign states". Gen. Daoud Aly Mohammedine, Mali's Security Minister, said Vezilier was acting "on behalf of the French intelligence service" which was responsible for the mobilization of "political leaders, civil society actors and military personnel" in the country. France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Vezilier was "a member of its embassy in the capital Bamako." A French diplomatic source told Al Jazeera English "other measures" would follow "if our national is not released quickly".
Mali is a former French colony but relations have deteriorated since the military seized control four years ago. President Assimi Goita has expelled French forces and instead invited Russian mercenaries in to help with security. Since 2012, Al Qaeda and Islamic State-linked groups presence in Mali has led to a "security crisis".

ROME, ITALY – Navy ship sent to aid flotilla to Gaza attempting to break the blockade

The Washington Post reports Friday that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melonia has "dispatched an Italian warship to aid a flotilla attempting to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza."
In a move the Post calls "unprecedented," the Italian Navy will be joined by a vessel sent by Spain. The move though is "more nuanced than the optics suggest" as Meloni has called the latest flotilla to Gaza "gratuitous, dangerous and irresponsible." The "previously unimaginable" move though is the latest sign of how much the conflict over Israel and Palestine has roiled domestic politics in Europe.
Meloni has stated she does not expect the warship to use military force but rather to "help with rescue and assistance if needed."

MILAN, ITALY – Pro-Palestine protesters fight police at central station during general strike

Reuters and the BBC report pro-Palestine protesters fought police at Milan's Central Station with videos of the incident circulating widely on social media while "tens of thousands marched in Rome and dockworkers blocked ports" during a general strike that was called Monday in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
In Milan, police fired tear gas to disperse protesters who threw rocks and fireworks. Reuters notes some were dressed in black, others had Palestinian flags, a US flag was burned and a pole was used to smash windows. The BBC reports 60 police officers were injured. The "Let's block everything" slogan that brought French people into the streets two weeks ago also resurfaced. There were also demonstrations in Bari, Bologna, Florence, Palermo in Sicily and elsewhere.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has faced criticism from opponents for not endorsing recognition of a Palestinian state, "condemned the scenes in Milan as shameful." Recently, her government said it would be "counter-productive" to recognize a state before there is one. On Tuesday, she clarified her government was ready to recognize a Palestinian state "only if all Israeli hostages are released and the Hamas militant group is excluded from any government role," Reuters reports.

ROME, ITALY – Parliament report: Three top officials aided senior Qaddafi official's escape

In other Qaddafi-related news this week, Politico reports three top officials in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government aided in the escape of Osama Al-Masri Njeem, a senior official in the government of the late deposed Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, earlier this year in addition to concealing meetings about the case from the Italian Parliament, according to a new report Thursday to the legislature.
Al-Masri Njeem is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of "war crimes and crimes against humanity, including torture, murder and sexual violence. He is accused of 22 rapes and 36 murders." Earlier this year, he was briefly detained after attending a Juventus match and then released within 48 hours. Two ministers and a cabinet secretary in Meloni's government stand accused of involvement in the case. A vote on October 9 will determine whether their parliamentary immunity will be lifted.
"Meloni has a majority in the parliament" that will likely help her ministers avoid trial but the situation is nonetheless embarrassing for her government.

BERLIN, GERMANY – German rearmament procurement plan to benefit European industry

Politico reports Tuesday that a copy of Germany's new procurement plan for rearmament "will steer its massive rearmament drive to European industry, with only 8 percent going for American weapons."
Over the next year, Germany plans to push through €83 billion ($98 billion) in defense contracts with 154 major defense purchases scheduled between now and December 2026 according to the list which was drawn up by the German parliament's budget committee. Of the staggering sum, €150 million ($177 million) is earmarked for torpedoes attached to Boeing's P-8A aircraft and approximately €5.1 billion ($6 billion) is reserved for Patriot missiles and launchers from Raytheon. In total, €6.8 billion ($8 billion) will go to US defense purchases while the rest is overwhelmingly going to European systems and will help to build up the continent's defense industrial base.
US President Donald Trump has put pressure on NATO allies "to continue buying US arms despite the geopolitical turmoil emanating from the White House." But not only from there, at least one can say?

TUSSENHAUSEN, GERMANY – Defense tech startup Helsing unveils autonomous fighter jet

Breaking Defense reports German defense tech startup Helsing "showcased an autonomous uncrewed combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) dubbed CA-1 Europa" Thursday at its subsidiary Grob Aircraft that it hopes to see deployed in the next four years.
CA-1 Europa is to be equipped with an "autonomous jet pilot" known as Helsing's Cenatur AI agent. The unmanned aircraft "sits within the three- to five-ton weight class," while Thursday's unveiling was cast as a "full-size design study".
A company statement touted the developed "as an autonomous multi-role jet achieving high subsonic speeds". Helsing said the aircraft would be able to operate solo or "as part of a swarm." What the statement did not include: a cost estimate or specs on the type of engine will be used.

BERLIN, GERMANY – Cyber attack leads to flight delays and cancellations at airports

France 24 reports Berlin Brandenburg Airport was among three major European hubs, the others being London's Heathrow and Brussels Airport, affected by a cyber attack last Saturday which led to flight delays and cancellations.
The incident appeared to target check-in and boarding systems provided by Collins Aerospace. Aviation watchdog Eurocontrol said the cyber attack hit "IT systems related to passenger handling."
The Brussels Airport appeared to be hit the worst. Other airports including Dublin and Cork in Ireland were also affected by the incident. On X, the Dublin airport said the airport was experiencing "minor impacts" caused by "a Europe-wide software issue".

FLENSBURG, GERMANY – German and Israeli leaders express disgust over antisemitic sign

NBC News and The Independent report German and Israeli officials expressed disgust last Friday after a shopkeeper in the northern German city of Flensburg hung a sign in his store that read, "Jews are banned from entering here!!!" while social media showed the shop with a large Palestinian flag in the window behind it.
The German Minister of Culture Dorit Stenke and the Antisemitism Commissioner of Schleswig-Holstein Gerhard Ulrich issued a join statement calling the sign "a frightening signal and an attack on the princiiples of our free coexistence," adding "antisemitism is a threat to our democracy and must not be tolerated". Ulrich filed a criminal complaint against the shopowner for "incitement of hatred". The federal antisemitism commissioner Felix Klein called it "a very clear case". Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor compared the sign and the climate in the country to the 1930s, noting, "This is exactly how it began – step by step, sign by sign."
Speaking to a local paper, the shopowner responsible for the signage, Hans Velten-Reisch, 60, said the sign was his response to the conflict in Gaza and he was merely expressing "what I think". He added, "there are Jews living in Israel, and I can't decided who is for or against the attacks." Flensburg police told Stern they had received four complaints against the shopkeeper.

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA – Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu barred from enterring country

Reuters and the AP report Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is subject to a travel ban as of Thursday.
Slovenia's Foreign Minister Neva Grasic said the decision was connected to the arrest warrant against Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Last year, Slovenia officially recognized Palestine and in July it barred two far-right cabinet ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, from entering the country.
ABC News reports Netanyahu's state airplane took an unusually ciruitous route across the Mediterranean on its way to the UN General Assembly in New York this week to avoid all but Italian air space over Europe. Israeli media reports that it "is the first time Netanyahu has avoided European airspace since the ICC war crimes arrest warrant was issued in 2024."

BELLINZONA, SWITZERLAND – Federal Councillor forced to flee from pro-Palestine protest

Tagesanzeiger reports Swiss Federal Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis was "forced to flee" pro-Palestinian demonstrators in the southeastern city of Bellinzona last Friday evening, marking "a new level of escalation".
According to Tagesanzeiger, "Such a scene hasn't been seen in Switzerland". Swiss public broadcaster SRF broadcast video of Cassis being protected by "a handful of police officers" who were tasked with "fending off" demonstrators who were shouting at him as he raced into a car that then sped off. While the description sounds dramatic, the video appears decided less so, certainly compared to scenes observed elsewhere.
However, in Switzerland it is a point of pride that even senior members of the government can take public transportation and go about the business of the state with light police and security service protection. Separately on Monday, police in Lausanne used a water cannon against pro-Palestine protesters who gathered to disrupt a pro-Israel silent march.

ZUG, SWITZERLAND – Probe into Open Mineral over Russian gold trading opened

Reuters reports the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and police in Zug opened an investigation into Zug-based Open Mineral metal trader for "alleged dealings with sanctioned Russian gold".
Authorities declined to name the two individuals who are considered targets of the investigation. A spokesperson for the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs told Reuters Zug police had conducted a search of a home in the canton on September 11.
Switzerland imposed sanctions on Russian gold in August of 2022 in order to align with EU sanctions following Russia's attempted full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA – OMV executive fired for allegedly spying for Russia

Reuters reports Austrian magazine Profil ran a story last Saturday that detailed how energy giant OMV fired an executive for allegedly spying for Russia and the Austrian Foreign Ministry summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Russian Embassy for an explanation.
The magazine reported the executive "attracted attention through meeting with a Russian diplomat suspected by Western intelligence services of being an agent of Russia's domestic intelligence service FSB." Austria's Director of State Security and Intelligence had surveilled the suspect for several months.
OMV fired the employee "with immediate effect" and said the company was cooperating with the investigation.

Stay safe and behold the myriad ways societies are being divided!

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