Europe – Page 377 – Prologue Journal

Monday Briefing

New York Times A push by Israel’s allies. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/briefing/israel-gaza-congo-crisis.html

Serbia’s Leader Tightens Grip on Power in General Election, Early Results Show

New York Times The opposition had hoped to ride a wave of public revulsion at back-to-back mass shootings, but it was unable to convert the energy of street protests into a successful election challenge. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/17/world/europe/serbia-parliament-election-results.html

AfD’s Tim Lochner Is Elected City Mayor of Pirna in Germany

New York Times The vote in Pirna fits into the Alternative for Germany party’s strategy of “normalization.” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/17/world/europe/germany-election-pirna-city-mayor.html

Gaza Hostage Deaths Weaken Netanyahu’s Grip on Power

New York Times The killing of three hostages in Gaza by Israeli soldiers adds domestic pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu as he resists international calls for a cease-fire. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/17/world/middleeast/netanyahu-israel-gaza-hostages-politics.html

Guy Stern, Who Fled Germany and Then Interrogated Nazis, Dies at 101

New York Times He escaped as a teenager and later became one of the Ritchie Boys, a secret Army program that recruited refugees to gather battlefield intelligence. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/17/world/europe/guy-stern-dead.html

How Hungary Undermined an E.U. Effort to Give More Aid to Ukraine

New York Times Prime Minister Viktor Orban used E.U. rules on unanimous decisions to sink a $52 billion package strongly backed by larger countries. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/17/world/europe/hungary-ukraine-eu.html

Vatican Sentences Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu to Over 5 Years for Fraud

New York Times The case raised questions about financial mismanagement at the highest levels of the church, and about Pope Francis’ power. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/16/world/europe/vatican-corruption-trial.html

Ukrainian Marines on ‘Suicide Mission’ in Crossing the Dnipro River

New York Times Soldiers frustrated by positive reports from Ukrainian officials break their silence, describing the effort as brutalizing and, ultimately, futile. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/16/world/europe/ukraine-kherson-river-russia.html

Israel Knew Hamas’s Money Source Years Before Oct. 7 Attacks

New York Times Agents worried as millions poured in. Hamas bought weapons and plotted an attack. The authorities now say the money helped lay the groundwork for the Oct. 7 assault on Israel. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/16/world/europe/israel-hamas-money-finance-turkey-intelligence-attacks.html

At Santa Maddalena, a Retreat for Writers, ‘Literature is the Primary Value’

New York Times From her idyllic estate, Beatrice Monti della Corte oversees a writer’s residency that has provided inspiration, camaraderie, and leisurely, wine-fueled meals to some of the foremost storytellers of our time. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/16/books/booksupdate/santa-maddalena-beatrice-monti.html