Chronologies Chronology of Major Conflicts Appendices and Political Events Chronologies January 2014 months. On 21 January the Portuguese Monaco debt drops from 5% for the first time In Spain, the implementation of the since August 2010. • On 8 January the staff at the Hotel new education bill finds opposition de Paris end an eight-day strike, the from five autonomous regions. In Spain longest in Monaco’s history, after agree- France, thousands demonstrate ing with the management to renegotiate against the President François Hol- • On 8 January the Civil Guard arrests their salaries and contracts. lande the same month that the govern- eight people accused of coordinating ment approves fresh cuts. Monaco and carrying out orders from outside the Italy experiences the longest strike in its country from the Euskadi ta Askatasuna history. In Italy, the Agriculture Minister terrorist group (ETA) for their imprisoned • On 11-12 January the Italian navy resigns. Malta and the European Com- members. rescues more than 400 immigrants. mission reach an agreement on the • On 15 January the Spanish Wind • On 16 January the press reports the Maltese Nationality Law. Croatia extra- Energy Association announces that, dur- Northern League’s (Padanian separa- dites Josip Perkovic. Serbia begins EU ing 2013, Spain became the first and tist) latest move in its racist campaign 350 accession negotiations. The crisis in only country to have wind as its main against the Integration Minister Cecile the government coalitions of Montene- source of energy. Kyenge, of Congolese origin, consisting gro, Serbia and FYROM forces the • On 29 January five autonomous re- in the League’s newspaper, La Padania, governments to consider early elec- gions express their opposition to the publishing Kyenge’s daily itinerary so tions. In Kosovo, the former Serbian application of the Education Reform that its readers can harass her. Minister for Kosovo is arrested ac- Bill approved in November 2013 by the • On 22 January 90 people are ar- cused of war crimes. Greece imprisons parliamentary majority of the ruling rested in an operation against the three members of the Golden Dawn People’s Party (PP, centre-right). Camorra Contini clan in Campania, Lazio party for belonging to a criminal or- and Tuscany. ganisation. In Turkey, the crisis be- France • On 26 January the Agriculture Minister tween the government and the courts Nunzia De Girolamo (New Centre-Right) continues over a corruption case in- • On 1 January Mayotte officially be- resigns over the government’s failure to volving the leadership of the governing comes the ninth ultra-peripheral region defend her honour in relation to a court AKP. In Syria, the regime continues its of the EU. investigation into influence peddling. advance to recover control of areas in • On 9 January, at the request of the rebel hands, while the Geneva II talks Interior Minister Manuel Valls, the Malta are in progress. In The Hague, the Council of State cancels a perfor- trial begins for the murder of the Leba- mance in Nantes by Dieudonné, an • On 29 January Malta and the Euro- 2015 nese President Rafiq Hariri. Egypt ap- anti-Semitic singer of Cameroon ori- pean Commission reach an agreement proves the new constitution in a refer- gin, saying that it would incite racial on the Maltese citizenship law under endum. In Libya, there are fresh hatred. which nationality can be bought for outbreaks of violence in Sebha. Tunisia • On 14 January the President Fran- 650,000 euros, introducing an addi- approves the new constitution and çois Hollande announces a long pro- tional requisite of uninterrupted resi- names the interim government. cess to lower its national debt and pub- dency for a minimum of 15 months. lic deficit, with budget cuts amounting Portugal to 65 billion euros. Croatia Mediterranean Yearbook • On 26 January thousands demon- • On 9 January Portugal issues long- strate in Paris calling for the resignation • On 9 January the Court of Velika Gor- Med. Med. IE term debt for the first time in eight of the government. ica refuses to extradite the former head of the Yugoslav secret service Zdravko • On 28 January the former Serbian Cyprus Mustac to Germany for the 1983 murder Minister for Kosovo Affairs Oliver Ivanovic in Munich of dissident Stjepan Djurekovic. is arrested in Kosovo suspected of com- • On 22 January the government ap- The decision contrasts with that taken the mitting war crimes between 1999 and proves the draft bill to create a dispute previous day by a court in Zagreb, and 2000. His arrest sparks protests in Bel- tribunal. Appendices confirmed on 21 January by the Supreme grade and Mitrovica, where Ivanovic is • On 28 January Northern Cyprus Court, which approves the extradition of emerging as a favourite in the city’s may- abolishes the law that criminalises ho- former Yugoslavian intelligence chief Jo- oral elections scheduled for 23 February, mosexuality. sip Perkovic, in the same case. after, on 11 January, the winner of the November 2013 elections, Krstimir Pan- Syria Montenegro tic, turns down the post, in a tacit re- Chronologies fusal to recognise Kosovo’s sovereignty. • On 3 January a major offensive be- • On 25 January the Social Demo- gins, which continues throughout the cratic Party (SDP) traditional ally of the FYROM month, led by the Free Syrian Army governing Democratic Party of Social- (FSA) and the Islamic Front against the ists (DPS) agrees to collaborate with • On 30 January the Internal Macedo- Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant the opposition Positive Montenegro nian Revolutionary Organisation – Dem- (ISIS). Party, also social democratic, accelerat- ocratic Party for Macedonian National • On 9 January the National Coalition ing the possibility of a split in the coali- Unity (VMRO-DPMNE, conservative) of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition tion government. and its coalition partner the Democratic Forces (NCSROF) announces its deci- Union for Integration (DUI, Albanian na- sion to re-elect Ahmad Jarba as its Serbia tionalist) agree to hold early presidential president. elections. • On 22 January the Geneva II Peace • On 21 January Serbia initiates EU Conference begins, marked by the con- accession negotiations. Greece troversial absence of Iran and aimed at • On 25 January the Economy Minister deciding on a transitional government. Sasa Radulovic (Serbian Progressive • On 6 January Greece files a com- On 30 January the talks end without Party, SNS, conservative) resigns over plaint against the Troika to the European reaching an agreement. his failure to reach an agreement with Parliament for making incorrect calcula- trade unions to liberalise the labour mar- tions on the implementation of the re- Lebanon 351 ket. His departure intensifies the crisis quired austerity measures and the effects in the coalition government and increas- they would have on the Greek economy. • On 16 January the trial in absentia es the chances of early elections. The country urges the EU to extend the begins at the Special Tribunal for Leba- • On 29 January the former President repayment deadlines and lower the in- non in The Hague against four members Boris Tadic leaves the Democratic Par- terests of the economic bailout. of Hezbollah for the murder in 2005 of ty (DS, social democratic) because of • On 11 January three Golden Dawn the Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and an- disagreements with the leadership. members are jailed pending trial for be- other 21 people. longing to a criminal organisation. With • On 16 January five people are killed Kosovo under United Nations Security this ruling from the Greek judiciary, five in an attack in Hermel, a Hezbollah Council Resolution 1244 of the 19 MPs from the neo-Nazi party stronghold. On 21 January another four are behind bars. people are killed in a fresh attack in • On 11 January Albania and Kosovo Haret Hreik. This brings the number of hold their first bilateral summit in Prizren Turkey attacks against Hezbollah to five since to advance together on their respective the group announced its participation in European accession processes. • On 7 January the government sacks the Syrian conflict in June 2013. • On 15 January radical Kosovo Serbs, the police chiefs of 15 provinces. The • On 17 January seven people are killed opposed to the agreement between dismissals add to those carried out by mortar shells fired from Syria into Belgrade and Kosovo to normalise bi- since December 2013 and affect Arsal. With a majority Sunni population 2015 lateral relations, murder Dimitrije Janici- around a thousand police officers inves- in favour of the Syrian revolution, Arsal jevic, the Kosovo Serb municipal coun- tigating a possible corruption case that has virtually been shelled on a daily basis. cillor in Mitrovica and member of the involves the ruling Justice and Develop- Kosovo coalition government. ment Party (AKP, Islamist). Egypt • On 27 January the Parliament fails to • On 9 January the government pre- agree on a constitutional modification sents a draft bill to limit access to the • On 9 January 113 Muslim Brother- proposed by the ruling Democratic Internet and monitor what pages users hood members are handed down sen- Party of Kosovo (PDK, centre-right) to are visiting, as part of a new block of tences of up to three years’ imprisonment. Mediterranean Yearbook reserve 20 seats for Montenegrin and conservative regulations presented by • On 14-15 January Egypt holds the Med. Med. Croatian minorities. the Ministry of Family and Social Policy. referendum for the new constitution. IE Confrontations and clashes break out • On 21 January the Interior Minister Mauritania between Muslim Brotherhood support- submits a report to the GNC that docu- ers and security forces leaving at least ments 643 political assassinations dur- • On 2 January the journalist Mo- nine dead and 444 arrested. On 18 ing 2013 and reveals serious breaches hamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed is ar- Appendices January the Electoral Commission an- in domestic security.