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Seems to be trundling closer towards it's death with 2 more news stories today;

France blocks Italian trains carrying migrants

Authorities in France have blocked trains from Italy in an attempt to stop north African migrants from entering the country.

Trains carrying migrants and political activists have been stopped at the border - prompting Italy to launch an official complaint with its neighbour.

Italy has angered France by giving out temporary resident permits to thousands of Tunisian migrants.

The permits allow them to travel freely in many European countries.

The Italian foreign ministry said the French move was "illegitimate and in clear violation of general European principles".
Maurizio Furia, a spokesman for the Italian rail company, said that trains were not being allowed to pass into Menton, France, from the Italian border station of Ventimiglia.

France says migrants have to prove they can support themselves financially and has set up patrols on the Italian border.

But Italy says that France's actions are in violation of the EU's Schengen passport-free travel zone.

"We have given the migrants travel documents, and we gave everything (else) that is needed, and the European Commission recognised that, it has said that Italy is following the Schengen rules," Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said in an interview on Italy's Sky TG24 TV.

Italy and other European countries have been increasingly concerned about migration from north Africa following the political turmoil in the region.

Earlier this month, Italy and France agreed to launch sea and air patrols to try to prevent the influx of thousands of people from Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13109631

And;

Nationalists make gains in Finland vote

A Finnish nationalist party has taken nearly a fifth of votes in the general election, partial results suggest.

With three-quarters of the votes counted, the True Finns were running neck-and-neck with the conservative NCP and the Social Democrats on around 19%.

The party has an anti-immigration, eurosceptic stance, and its influence could affect EU bail-outs including the planned Portuguese rescue.

A hostile Finnish government could theoretically veto the package.

With full results yet to be declared, the True Finns were on 19% support, a whisker ahead of the National Coalition Party (NCP) - part of the current centre-right government.

The Centre Party of outgoing Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi and the opposition Social Democrats also had roughly the same level of support, Reuters reported.

The strong showing for the True Finns meant the anti-euro party would at least "get an invitation to talks" on a new government, the agency quoted party leader Timo Soini as saying.
Finland is currently governed by an EU-friendly four-party coalition led by the Centre Party and the conservative NCP.

Opinion polls before the vote suggested the NCP would garner a narrow lead, just ahead of the Centre Party and the opposition Social Democrats, making a new coalition the most likely outcome.

"The bigger parties have no reason to invite the True Finns into any coalition if they can make up the numbers without them," Olavi Borg, professor emeritus in political sciences, told the Associated Press news agency.

Polling organisations had suggested the True Finns' support would rise to more than 15%, a leap from the 4% they won in 2007.

With its charismatic leader Mr Soini, the party rejects rescue funds for EU "squanderers", as well as opposing immigration.

Analysts say many Finns have become disenchanted with the big three mainstream parties who have run the country for decades.

"Whether the True Finns will really [emerge] as champions of the elections is still uncertain but I think we will clearly get a more nationalistic, more conservative, less European-oriented government in Finland," ING senior economist Carsten Brzeski told Reuters news agency.

Polling stations in the nation of 5.3 million people opened at 0900 (0600 GMT) and closed at 2000.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13107620

Oh happy days are here again......................

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