Video download link | md5sum 8aac3ab3fbcb9920a28eadfa4a9821e1 Elections in Belarus Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0



Summary: Management of the EPO behaves a lot like Lukashenko in Belarus; today we've looked at how Lukashenko thwarted perceived threats vying to end his 28-year reign in a democratic fashion

THE so-called "daddy" of Belarus is a dictator (don't be misled by that nickname or euphemism with a tinge of pseudo-kinship, trying to unify a nation based on a false sense of family belonging or care-giving). The world saw what the dictator is capable of when he not only interfered in the election but also cracked down on dissent. Workers of the EPO, and especially staff representatives strategic in organising staff through the union, were similarly targeted 7 years ago. The EPO isn't part of the EU and is basically operating outside the legal framework, so it took about 3 years for ILO-AT to issue a decision on the matter. But the dictator had already done a lot of damage by then. Nobody got punished.

There are many similarities and analogies one can make with respect to the EPO, an institution where Benoît Battistelli and António Campinos basically bought the election. As we showed last year, they traveled the continent making assurances and promises, such as EPO funds being given to nations that vote in their favour. This isn't democracy but corruption; it's not only misuse of money and it contributes to harm to the image of the EU (Campinos did work for an EU institution for a while, OHIM/EUIPO, and is now lobbying for UPC).

The video above is actually not my original video, which was lost due to a faulty mouse (clicking twice instead of once). But it still covers some of the more relevant points, which were made in the original video, nearly half an hour in length. In cases like these it helps to think of the lost work as rehearsal of audition, followed by a shorter delivery with improved concision. Lessons learned; hopefully the first and also the last such accident. ⬆