Foreign Policy: Who Has The Better Inaugural Bling? - NPR

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French President Francois Hollande arrives to attend a ceremony to pay respect to the Unknown soldier at Arc de Triomphe on Tuesday in Paris, France.

Antoine Antoniol/Getty Images French President Francois Hollande arrives to attend a ceremony to pay respect to the Unknown soldier at Arc de Triomphe on Tuesday in Paris, France.

When it comes to presidential style, the new leaders of France and Russia couldn't be more different. Francois Hollande, after all, used to travel to work on a scooter, while Vladimir Putin has been spotted getting around with a horse, a race car, a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and a water-bombing plane. So perhaps it's no surprise that their inaugurations this month were a study in contrasts.

In yet another effort to distance himself from outgoing French President Nicolas Sarkozy's "bling bling" lifestyle, Hollande participated in a modest swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday — well, modest as far as presidential inaugurations go. The French leader didn't invite many personal guests to the event (even his children didn't attend), and he drove to the Elysee Palace in a hybrid Citroen DS5, stopping at traffic lights and even waiting patiently in a traffic jam. In his first speech as president, Hollande promised to govern with "dignity but simplicity" and to demonstrate "scrupulous sobriety in behavior." (Hollande's plans for a no-drama inaugural were later foiled when lightning struck his plane en route to Germany.)

The atmospherics differed so much from the pomp and circumstance surrounding Putin's inauguration on May 7 that one YouTube user has already spliced together footage of the Russian leader's black limousine barreling through the empty streets of Moscow with images of Hollande's motorcade wending its way through the crowded avenues of Paris (to compare the inaugurations at length, see here and here). So will Putin and Hollande end up seeing eye to eye? Putin did call Hollande to congratulate him on his electoral victory, and the leaders will meet next month at a sustainable development summit in Brazil. But if their remarkably different inauguration ceremonies are any indication, these two men have quite the gulf to bridge.

In the picture above, Francois Hollande, accompanied by Republican Guardsmen on horseback and motorcycle, arrives at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris for a solemn ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before his inauguration. Hollande outfitted the open-roof vehicle with a flat floor and a rail that he could grip while standing up so that he could wave to the public — in the pouring rain, no less.

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Pakistan failed to achieve major policy objectives: WB - PakistanToday.com.pk

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has failed to achieve major policy objectives to reduce fiscal deficit at or below 3.5 percent of the GDP and improving tax-to-GDP ratio to 12.7 percent by 2012-13, a World Bank mid-term progress report said.

The World Bank in its mid-term progress report said the fiscal deficit target had now been set at 5.5 percent for 2013-14, down from 6.6 percent of the GDP in 2010-11. The fiscal deficit was above six percent of the GDP during the last two years and above the target of 5.1 percent of the GDP in baseline fiscal year 2009-10.

The fiscal situation has deteriorated, while the current account had improved, but fiscal space for priority public investment in key sectors remained constrained, it said.

Instead of gradually moving down to four percent, fiscal deficit had risen to 6.3 percent of GDP due to lower economic activity, less than expected revenue mobilization and continued untargeted subsidies particularly in the power sector and other loss making entities. The World Bank said the major policy objective to reduce fiscal deficit at or below 3.5 percent of the GDP and improving tax-to-GDP ratio to 12.7 percent by 2012-13 could not be achieved. Therefore, the lending programme would need to be extended from three to four years — from 2013 to 2014. The World Bank said improvements in governance had also not materialized.

“A range of governance, corruption and business environment indicators suggest that these areas remain a challenge,” the report said. The targeted tax-to-GDP ratio had been missed. However, the bank noted that the broad based VAT was dropped (and instead the government introduced the reformed general sales tax (RGST) bill to the parliament) due to a lack of political consensus. Only Sindh province had introduced RGST on services, the bank said.

“No strategy for restructuring or privatization of public sector enterprises could be developed. But $800 million are expected in fiscal year 2012 budget as receipts from Etisalat, the buyer of Pakistan Telecom shares. Also, no closure on restructuring of any corporate entity is expected by end of 2014,” it said. The World Bank has revised its policy objective under the $5.5 billion four-year Country Partnership Strategy, saying that macroeconomic, political and implementation risks had all increased in the recent years. It was not sure if the revised policy adjustments would turn into reality.

It said the country partnership strategy period would be extended to include fiscal year 2014 to better coordinate it both with the national political cycle and the international development assistance cycle, to allow time to move the agreed strategy forward following the adjustments.

“The government took some effective counter-terrorism measures but violence still persists. In addition, political uncertainties and the risk of a surge in social tension resulting from a precarious economy remain significant. The devolution has posed institutional and capacity challenges at the provincial levels, dispersal of some retained functions at the federal level and the requisite expenditure rationalizing given the tight fiscal space,” the bank said. “As a result, the real GDP growth rate in 2010-11 was 2.4 percent and inflation remained in double digits for the fourth year in a row. Translated to per-capita terms, the GDP growth rate was close to nil.”

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Foreign policy flawed, says Fazl - DAWN.com

JUI-F Chief Fazlur Rehman. – File Photo

LAHORE: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said the absence of a well-formulated foreign policy over the past 10 years has paved the way for the United States to dictate terms and threaten Pakistan.

“We have had no clear foreign policy in Pakistan for the past 10 years. That is why the US is dictating and threatening us,” he said while speaking at a seminar on ‘Internal and external challenges to Pakistan’ arranged by the JUI-F here on Sunday.

He said the country was in dire need of a clear and strong foreign policy to deal with the prevailing challenges.

Maulana Fazl said the US had started mounting pressure on Pakistan at a time when the government was preparing the budget for next year.

“Only peace is the base of human rights. But the efforts in this regard are being foiled in the name of religion,” he said, adding that Pakistan had been turned into an unsafe and war-torn country instead of a welfare state during the past 64 years.

He said a government not able to maintain peace had no right and authority to collect taxes from people. The JUI-F chief said the nation was always victimised and blackmailed by creating an atmosphere of fear and pressure.

He said politicians should learn from past mistakes and should not force the people to ignore them and take a decision about their future on their own.

He appealed to the entire political leadership to practice politics of hope and not of fear.

“We cannot afford a war in the name of rule or power and we should strive to save Pakistan,” he said.

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Pakistan failed to achieve major policy objectives: WB - PakistanToday.com.pk

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has failed to achieve major policy objectives to reduce fiscal deficit at or below 3.5 percent of the GDP and improving tax-to-GDP ratio to 12.7 percent by 2012-13, a World Bank mid-term progress report said.

The World Bank in its mid-term progress report said the fiscal deficit target had now been set at 5.5 percent for 2013-14, down from 6.6 percent of the GDP in 2010-11. The fiscal deficit was above six percent of the GDP during the last two years and above the target of 5.1 percent of the GDP in baseline fiscal year 2009-10.

The fiscal situation has deteriorated, while the current account had improved, but fiscal space for priority public investment in key sectors remained constrained, it said.

Instead of gradually moving down to four percent, fiscal deficit had risen to 6.3 percent of GDP due to lower economic activity, less than expected revenue mobilization and continued untargeted subsidies particularly in the power sector and other loss making entities. The World Bank said the major policy objective to reduce fiscal deficit at or below 3.5 percent of the GDP and improving tax-to-GDP ratio to 12.7 percent by 2012-13 could not be achieved. Therefore, the lending programme would need to be extended from three to four years — from 2013 to 2014. The World Bank said improvements in governance had also not materialized.

“A range of governance, corruption and business environment indicators suggest that these areas remain a challenge,” the report said. The targeted tax-to-GDP ratio had been missed. However, the bank noted that the broad based VAT was dropped (and instead the government introduced the reformed general sales tax (RGST) bill to the parliament) due to a lack of political consensus. Only Sindh province had introduced RGST on services, the bank said.

“No strategy for restructuring or privatization of public sector enterprises could be developed. But $800 million are expected in fiscal year 2012 budget as receipts from Etisalat, the buyer of Pakistan Telecom shares. Also, no closure on restructuring of any corporate entity is expected by end of 2014,” it said. The World Bank has revised its policy objective under the $5.5 billion four-year Country Partnership Strategy, saying that macroeconomic, political and implementation risks had all increased in the recent years. It was not sure if the revised policy adjustments would turn into reality.

It said the country partnership strategy period would be extended to include fiscal year 2014 to better coordinate it both with the national political cycle and the international development assistance cycle, to allow time to move the agreed strategy forward following the adjustments.

“The government took some effective counter-terrorism measures but violence still persists. In addition, political uncertainties and the risk of a surge in social tension resulting from a precarious economy remain significant. The devolution has posed institutional and capacity challenges at the provincial levels, dispersal of some retained functions at the federal level and the requisite expenditure rationalizing given the tight fiscal space,” the bank said. “As a result, the real GDP growth rate in 2010-11 was 2.4 percent and inflation remained in double digits for the fourth year in a row. Translated to per-capita terms, the GDP growth rate was close to nil.”

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