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The first-ever debate between the candidates for the European Commission’s presidency late last month failed to provide a compelling reason for Europeans to participate in June’s European Parliament elections. Instead, it exposed some inconvenient and embarrassing truths about the bloc’s political system.For starters, there is nothing distinctly European about these elections. Voters across the European Union will cast their ballots on different dates: Dutch citizens will vote on June 6; Irish on June 7; Czechs, Slovaks, Latvians, and Maltese on June 8; and the rest on June 9. Moreover, different electoral laws apply, with the voting age set at 16 in Austria, Belgium, and Germany; 17 in Greece; and 18 in the remaining EU member states.Moreover, the EU lacks a pan-European political-party system. Instead, voters cast their ballots for candidates selected by national, rather than European, parties. Although most national parties participating in the EU elections are affiliated with European political parties like the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), or Identity and Democracy (ID), the latter remain relatively obscure and unfamiliar to the average voter.In fact, national parties are not required to join any of the existing European parties, and even when they do, they rarely highlight their EU affiliation on national ballots. Consequently, these “europarties” are loose extra-parliamentary coalitions of parties from multiple member states. Not many German voters, for example, realise that when they vote for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), they are also indirectly supporting France’s Les Républicains, Italy’s Forza Italia, and Poland’s Civic Platform. Similarly, how many Italians know that by voting for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, they are also backing Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) party and Spain’s Vox at the EU level?This structural problem is compounded by the lack of pan-European public opinion. Even though member states cooperate on an ever-expanding list of issues like economic policy, climate change, and security, Europeans primarily receive information about EU developments from domestic sources.These accounts are inherently biased, frequently misinformed, and generally misleading, partly because national politicians tend to deflect blame by scapegoating the EU. Unsurprisingly, most MEP candidates focus their campaigns on national rather than European issues.Consequently, the EU lacks a political environment capable of fostering a truly transnational space for pan-European policy debates. Such spaces should exist both within and outside EU institutions, enabling citizens to understand, influence, and participate in decision-making that affects their shared interests as Europeans.Simply put, the EU is in dire need of a shared political identity. As former Italian Prime Ministers Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi recently noted, the absence of such an identity makes it harder for the EU to address its defence, immigration, and environmental challenges.The recent debate in Maastricht, which featured current European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and several leading candidates vying to replace her, underscored these structural flaws. Despite marking Von der Leyen’s first public questioning since assuming office, the debate failed to capture the interest of EU voters, attracting only about 15,000 viewers.The debate also showed that these aspiring Commission presidents, including Von der Leyen, might not ultimately be chosen. That is because selecting the commission’s president requires a dual majority, first from the 27 EU leaders who nominate the candidate, and then from the European Parliament’s 705 (soon to be 720) members.Moreover, there is no consensus among the major European parties on whether the presidency should automatically go to the candidate of the party that receives the most votes. This was the case in 2014 with Jean-Claude Juncker, the lead candidate for the EPP, but not in 2019, when Von der Leyen was handpicked by EU leaders who chose her over the election winner, Manfred Weber, also from the EPP.In fact, the only requirement imposed on EU leaders when selecting their presidential nominee is to “take into account” the results of EU elections, reflecting the new political majority in the incoming Parliament. If European leaders try to install a Commission president who lacks support from voters, Parliament should uphold this rule and reject their choice.Such a scenario, while unprecedented, would hold EU leaders accountable for their decisions, demonstrating to the average EU voter that their vote matters. It would also ensure that the political direction of the next European administration is determined by the electorate, as is the case in every other parliamentary system. Ultimately, only a citizen-driven EU, accountable to its elected legislature, could possess the capacity and mandate to tackle the bloc’s many current and future challenges.— Project SyndicateAlberto Alemanno, Professor of EU Law at HEC Paris, is a Europe’s Futures Fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna.

The Public Transport Security Department at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) conducted two simulation exercises on Friday.According to a statement from the MoI, the first exercise simulated a train derailment on the Doha Metro at the West Doha Depot in Al Riffa, while the second simulated a car collision with a tram in Msheireb. The exercises involved the participation of several entities.

Qatar will be doubling its LNG production in a few years with the operation of North Field development projects and commencement of production at QatarEnergy’s LNG project in Texas in the United States.The country’s LNG expansion projects at Qatar’s offshore North Field, the world’s largest non-associated gas field, are moving ahead on track towards an increased production capacity of 142mn tonnes per year.Qatar’s LNG expansion projects are designed to help meet growing demand for cleaner energy driven by economic growth and rising populations and living standards.With global demand soaring for natural gas, which is considered the cleanest among fossil fuels, the country expects to sign more long-term natural gas supply deals this year.This was revealed by HE the Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi at the recently concluded Qatar Economic Forum in Doha.“There will be further expansions to Qatar’s LNG production capacity. The technical capability of doing more in Qatar is going to be assessed in the future and, if there is more, we probably will do more,” he said.The minister noted: “With 18mn tonnes per year coming from our LNG project in Texas, Qatar will be doubling its LNG production capacity in the next few years.”He said: “North Field East and South are on track...we are in the construction phase as we speak. All the construction (activities) are going very well.”The rising global demand for cleaner energy is evident from the G7 countries recently pitching in for liquefied natural gas, a clear change in their declared position of moving away from fossil fuels.Al-Kaabi, who is also the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, stressed that LNG will remain in demand for a very long time, adding “LNG is not going away any anytime soon. I don’t think there is a problem of selling LNG. Everybody is buying LNG, it is just agreeing on terms and conditions and pricing...but I think there’s a huge demand out there, whether it’s from Asia or Europe.”Clearly, Qatar is very bullish about global LNG demand in view of the rising population and expected growth in economies around the world.The global population is expected to increase by up to 2bn in the next 30 years or so.This means the world will need more energy, more power, and even more petrochemicals for materials we use every day.“We also need to be fair to that population and make sure they have access to reasonably priced power,” al-Kaabi noted.Recent studies have shown that the North Field contains huge additional gas quantities in the North Field estimated at 240tn cubic feet, which raises Qatar’s gas reserves from 1,760tn cubic feet to more than 2,000tn cubic feet, and the condensates reserves from 70 to more than 80bn barrels, in addition to large quantities of liquefied petroleum gas, ethane, and helium.Undoubtedly, the country’s LNG projects underscore QatarEnergy’s commitment to reinforce its global leadership in the production and supply of LNG and live up to its commitment to provide an economic, safe and reliable energy source, giving priority to environmental sustainability for a more prosperous and brighter future.

Qatar Cancer Society (QCS), led by chairman Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Jabr al-Thani, and Eid Charity, headed by chairman Sheikh Mohamed bin Eid al-Thani, have inked a co-operation agreement. The first of its kind pact between these entities, mandates Eid Charity to extend financial support to QCS, to cover the medical expenses of cancer patients who lack the means, for three years. Sheikh Dr Khalid commended Eid Charity's philanthropy and humanitarian aid endeavours, particularly in bolstering cancer treatment initiatives. He underscored the pivotal role of this collaboration in advancing QCS's mission to combat cancer and alleviate its impact in Qatar. The strategy involves community education and the empowerment of individuals affected by cancer. Highlighting the enduring partnership between the two entities, he emphasised that this agreement formalises and streamlines their ongoing collaboration and aligns with their overarching strategies aimed at realising Qatar National Vision 2030. The agreement is founded on both organisations' vital role in serving the community. Their effective partnership contributes significantly to achieving goals that benefit community members, especially those living with or affected by cancer, including patients, survivors, and caregivers. Given the complex nature of combating cancer, sustained and concerted efforts are essential to mitigate its impact effectively. Sheikh Mohamed stated: “Since its establishment, Sheikh Eid Charitable Association has been dedicated to providing comprehensive healthcare services both within and outside Qatar. These efforts extend beyond covering the costs of treatment for patients, as they also include organising health campaigns and caravans, as well as building hospitals and health centres in the most needed areas around the world that require various forms of assistance, especially in the fields of health and education.” He added: "Signing this agreement aims to activate partnerships between various civil society institutions and diversify charitable and humanitarian work programmes for all segments of society."

The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Friday concluded the first edition of the Challenge Camp, organised in partnership with the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs, the Qatar Scouts and Guides Association, and the Qatar Calendar House.The camp provided a comprehensive experience combining educational, skill-building, athletic, and exploratory activities, aligned with Qatar's national values and Islamic teachings to open horizons of knowledge, foster a love of discovery, and enhance awareness of the history of Islamic arts among students.At the closing ceremony, participating institutions, organisations, and enrolled students were honored.Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Director of MIA for Education and Community Awareness, highlighted the success of the first edition of the camp through partnerships with state institutions. He noted that 60 students experienced a unique program, which included educational and physical activities aimed at developing leadership skills, teamwork, responsibility, and applying human principles and values. Additionally, they learned about the history of Islamic arts through workshops and training programs, striving to offer the best for the nation's youth in alignment with the Vision 2030.Dr. Al Aswad explained that the camp is a comprehensive experience combining educational activities, sports skills, and exploration, within the framework of our Islamic and national values.The camp targeted Qatari students from sixth to ninth grade from Qatar Foundation and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. The Museum of Islamic Art provided educational opportunities that included workshops; training on Arabic calligraphy art; and seminars.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani witnessed the graduation of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI)'s 8th Cohort Graduates — 2024, which was held at the Qatar University Sports and Events Complex Saturday evening.During the ceremony, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs honoured the 206 students graduating from various disciplines. A number of ministers, heads of diplomatic missions accredited to the state, as well as senior officials and academics attended the event, along with faculty members and the graduates' families.

Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah and Giovanni Bernacchini finished the Jordan Rally in cruise control to kick-start the defence of the Qatari’s regional rally championship title at the Dead Sea Saturday.On the 233rd event in the history of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), al-Attiyah claimed his 85th career victory and a record-breaking 16th in Jordan since 2003. His Autotek Motorsport-prepared Skoda Fabia RS never missed a beat and he was able to try out different suspension settings over the closing stages on his way to a winning margin of 5min 31.6sec on his first appearance in the new car.Bernacchini duly claimed his fifth victory in Jordan with al-Attiyah and his first since 2014. A 26th MERC success moved the Italian ahead of Chris Patterson into an outright third in the MERC Co-drivers’ Hall of Fame for most wins behind Ronan Morgan (41) and Mathieu Baumel (32).Al-Attiyah, who claimed a clean sweep of eight stage wins yesterday, said: “I am really so happy to win here in Jordan. It is my favourite race. It is the most difficult race in the Middle East. To come back strong with the new car, we learn a lot. Thanks to the team and the organisation. They always make this rally strong. To win 16 times here is amazing. Lebanon is a different race and we need to be clever there as well.”Abdulaziz al-Kuwari is now tackling a full programme of MERC events in a QMMF-backed Skoda Fabia and second place to add to the fourth he achieved on his home event means the Qatari is the new leader of the regional championship. Briton Marshall Clarke was his co-driver on this occasion. A puncture and subsequent tyre change after an accident was the only real issue for the duo after a polished performance.Al-Kuwari: “Very difficult. As I say always, this is the most difficult rally in the world. It is like a school for rally drivers, especially for someone like me who has been way from rally cars more or less for five years. I was driving one rally per year. The pace was not my best. I can be faster but it is not easy to sit five years at home and come and be at Nasser’s speed. We went off in Turki, about 1.5km from the finish but we were lucky. We broke the arm and had a flat tyre and kept going to the finish. But I was cruising on the last stages to the finish. I am very happy to be leading the Middle East and the Jordan national championship. A good half of the season. I don’t think I am far off the pace and will get it soon hopefully.”Shaker Jweihan delighted home fans with the final place on the podium. He and Lebanese co-driver Carlos Hanna dominated the MERC2 category from start-to-finish and the Mitsubishi driver claimed a second maximum haul of points towards the championship’s secondary category. Jweihan also moved into second place in the Drivers’ Championship behind al-Kuwari, while the result marked a first career MERC podium for both driver and co-driver.Jweihan said: “This is the first time I get a third place. Last year I got a fourth. It was such a great rally and one for the books – a great memory. The stages were hard and the temperatures were high. This car is like driving a boat. I drive smoothly and we had no issues with the car. The team did a great job. Lebanon will be my first rally on tarmac but we have local events first.”Denis Krotov is more accustomed to cross-country rallying in Ultimate class Minis and Toyotas but he enjoyed his MERC debut with Yury Kulikov and reached the finish in fourth overall. Shadi Shaban continues to hold second place in the MERC2 title race after he and Samer Issa finished sixth overall and second in class in their Mitsubishi.Husam Salem overhauled Issa Abu Jamous in stage 12 to move into sixth and third in the showroom category but then he dropped back to seventh after a late charge from Sheikh Bader al-Fayez and his Lebanese co-driver Joseph Matar. Al-Fayez had left the road on the opening Shuna stage and diced with a reservoir in spectacular fashion before recovering strongly during the afternoon to climb three positions and finish fifth.Ihab al-Shorafa and Yousef Juma came home in ninth and the Lebanese duo of Shadi al-Fakih and Samer Sfeir rounded off the 10 FIA finishers in their two-wheel drive Renault Clio RS entered in the Rally5 section. Palestine’s Hamada Odeh returned to action on day two after his crash on Friday but retired from 11th place on SS13.A mechanical breakdown accounted for Nasser Khalifa al-Atya’s Ford Fiesta in the opening stage of the morning and a sizeable accident close to the dam on the Shuna stage put paid to Ameer Nassif’s finishing aspirations.With defending champion Abdullah al-Rawahi unable to start the final day with his damaged Skoda Fabia, that leaves the title race wide open heading into the summer break before action resumes in Lebanon in early September.

Al Faleh Educational Holding organised the 19th Sheikh Faleh Bin Nasser Al Thani Qur'an Memorisation Competition featuring schools across Qatar, a statement said yesterday.Sheikha Anwar bint Nawaf al-Thani, CEO of Al Faleh Educational Holding and sponsor of the competition, met with the organising committee to establish the rules and guidelines for the competition.The competition commenced on April 21 and concluded with a grand award ceremony on May 17. As usual, the competition was divided into two sections. The first was for students of Doha Academy from kindergarten to secondary school, while the second section was for all schools in Qatar. All participants were tested on the premises of Doha Academy.In the first phase as many as 597 students from 236 schools participated, including independent schools, community schools, international schools, kindergartens, and all branches of Doha Academy. Throughout the competition, Sheikha Anwar bint Nawaf al-Thani closely followed the process and ensured all requirements were met.Among the jurors was Sheikh Abdul Salam Qandeel, an imam and preacher at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs of Qatar, who received high readings from Al-Azhar Al-Sharif. He has also served as an arbitrator in many international competitions. The general supervisor and organiser of the competition was Sheikh Yousri Elsaka, the coordinator of the sharia sciences at Doha Academy.Sheikha Anwar bint Nawaf al-Thani hosted the final ceremony at the Academy's headquarters in Al Waab on May 17. She invited all finalists, their families, and coordinators from the winning schools.The ceremony programme included various segments, and this year’s prizes comprised 90 in-kind prizes and 30 cash prizes.In the first section of the competition (for Doha Academy), 15 students won cash prizes and 24 students won in-kind prizes. In the second section, for other schools, 15 students won cash prizes and 66 students from various schools won in-kind prizes.Edward Cooper, principal of Doha Academy, spoke about the significance of organising such a competition: "Congratulations to all the students who participated this year, and many thanks to their teachers for their support. Competitions like this, which bring schools together to promote Islamic values, are highly rewarding. I was amazed by the students' reading skills in terms of knowledge and beauty. I would like to thank event organizer Sheikh Yousri Elsaka for leading this event."A representative of Sheikha Anwar bint Nawaf al-Thani, along with the judging panel and the principal, distributed the awards to the winners. All supervisors, participants, and parents praised the effort put into the competition and its excellent organisation and preparation, the statement added.

The winning teams of the first edition of the Balmasan Championship were honoured Saturday at Katara - Cultural Village by general manager Prof Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, Ooredoo Qatar CEO Sheikh Ali bin Jabor al-Thani and the Social and Sports Contribution Fund (Daam) executive director Abdulrahman bin Abdulatif al-Mannai.The return of the participating dhows, fishermen and sailors and the concluding ceremony took place on Katara Beach in the presence of a large number of the public and the members of the families of the participants. Balmasan Championship featured the first 15 winning teams at the 10th edition of Senyar Festival.Al Zubarah team won first place with 450kg of fish caught, and captain Nasser Khalifa al-Melhim, received a prize of QR300,000. Umm Al-Houl team secured the second place, with captain Khalid Hamad al-Mannai, receiving a prize of QR200,000. Al-Sardal team came third, and captain, Jassim Ahmed Abdullah al-Mohamed, received a prize of QR100,000. Umm Al-Houl team also won the prize for the largest fish caught, weighing 21 kg, and captain, Khalid Hamad al-Mannai, received a prize of QR 50,000.Dr al-Sulaiti pointed out that Katara has been keen to provide all the facilities and arrangements for success and excellence of the championship. He also congratulated all the participants and welcomed their safe return after such a heritage journey. He noted that the aim of the championship is not catching fish but rather reviving the marine heritage of the country and preserve its original identity while enhancing the related values at the young generations.Jihad al-Jaidah, member of the championship's organising committee and head of the judging committee, stressed that Senyar Festival with all its various activities and events has become an annual marine phenomenal event in Qatar and the GCC region, which enables the younger generations to relive the deeply rooted marine history of the country with its full details of challenge, entertainment and excitement.

Qatar moved into the "top spot" of Ookla’s Speedtest Index in February, surpassing the UAE, noted Ookla, which analysed the performance of 5G networks in selected stadiums during the AFC Asian Cup early this year.According to Ookla, Qatari stadiums delivered world-class 5G network performance during the AFC Asian Cup.All six stadiums tracked during the competition had a median download speed of at least 600 Mbps.The Ahmed bin Ali Stadium took a top spot with a speed of 964.33 Mbps, ranking favourably in the leaderboard of global sporting events, second only to the Super Bowl in the U.S.Superior network capabilities significantly enhanced web browsing and real-time online services. The high download speeds combined with ultra-low latency, under 34ms across the stadiums, suggest that fans experienced minimal lag when streaming, video calling, or gaming online.The web browsing experience over 5G was “excellent”, evidenced by the low webpage load times ranging from 1.0 to 1.4 seconds.Ookla said it used Speedtest Intelligence data to observe performance in the lead-up to and during the AFC Asian Cup. From September 2023 to February this year, Qatar witnessed significant advancements in 5G network speed.The median 5G download speed rose from 441.46 Mbps to 607.0 Mbps, and the upload speed increased from 24.79 Mbps to 36.66 Mbps.Speedtest Intelligence data show that all six surveyed stadiums recorded a median 5G download speed of over 600 Mbps and a median upload speed of over 90 Mbps.Ookla identified two distinct groups based on their 5G performance:The first group is where fans experienced the fastest speeds. It is led by Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, with a median download speed on 5G of 964.33 Mbps, followed by Al-Janoub Stadium and Khalifa International Stadium, with median download speeds of 899.27 Mbps and 888.36 Mbps, respectively.The second group of stadiums had weaker performance overall but still commanded very high speeds, ranging from 602.20 Mbps for Education City Stadium to 730.73 Mbps for Al Bayt Stadium.The leading stadiums in terms of median download speed also excelled in upload, with speeds exceeding 108 Mbps.Ahmed bin Ali Stadium and Al-Janoub Stadium had upload speeds of 110.46 Mbps and 110.87 Mbps, respectively.Education City Stadium was at the bottom of the list but still offered excellent download and upload speeds.Qatar welcomed over 1mn visitors during the group stage, beating the previous AFC record achieved 20 years ago during the 2004 tournament in China. During that period, Ooredoo reported 190 TB of data volume while 5G usage share reached 50.1%.The tournament concluded with an estimated 1.5 million fans attending 51 games. The final match attracted over 86,000 fans at Lusail Stadium, where Ooredoo reported total data traffic of 35TB and delivered an average download speed of 244 Mbps and an upload speed of 50 Mbps.These improvements contributed to elevating Qatar’s ranking to the number one position on the Speedtest Global Index in February this year, surpassing the United Arab Emirates, with a median download speed of 286.42 Mbps across all technologies.Qatar maintained its top spot in March, following the Asian Cup, with a median download speed of 313.3Mbps.To increase capacity and improve speed, operators have been deploying additional 5G sites and activating new 5G carriers, delivering exceptional network performance for their customers.

The exclusive Arabic edition of a book by Dr Khalid Ali al-Jufairi, adjunct professor of international politics and foreign policy at Qatar University, has been launched at the 33rd Doha International Book Fair, which concluded Saturday. Published in English last year by Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press, Dr al-Jufairi's book is titled "The Centrality of the Middle Class, Sociological Resilience and Economic Stability." The book tackles a highly critical topic regarding the role of the middle class in the economic development and social growth of a state, stressing the importance of this class in maintaining the wellbeing of the nation states. It is a peer reviewed study, meant primarily for students and scholars alike, but also policymakers interested in the paradigm of development. Dr al-Jufairi stressed the importance of the Doha International Book Fair as a global event to reach out to more audience and open up new horizons among academics and publishing houses, using such active platforms and popular events to make available such interesting topics in the field of socioeconomics. He pointed out that "the implementation of suitable policies and reforms is essential for achieving economic and social advancements." Accordingly, he sees that his book will be also suitable for the general public, decision makers and those interested in the field in general apart of the specialized university students. The book is considered a comprehensive original study that examines the role of the middle class in the economic growth and development of these countries through various objective indicators. However, the book does not exalt the countries in the case study, leaving the reader to deduce for him or herself which governance model would be ideal. A number of undergraduate students taught by Dr al-Jufairi stressed his courses have opened new horizons of ideas for them, making them more open to embrace wider views of the topics they handle due to his deep insights on related subjects. Dr al-Jufairi is the co-founder and chairman of the American Center for Strategic Affairs (ACISA), a think-do-tank in New York City. He is also an Abshire-Inamori Fellow at Washington, DC' Center for Strategic and International Studies. He has a PhD in international relations and diplomacy with 15 years professional experience in the field. The book has eight chapters stressing the need for a solid and flourishing middle class to help reinvigorate national economies and maintain the stability and growth of the state.

In response to the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, Qatar Charity (QC), through the airlift of the Qatar Emiri Air Force, sent three planes carrying 60 tonnes of relief aid to the flood-affected victims in the Balkh province in the north of the country. The aid included 48 tonnes of food items, comprising 1,000 food packages, and 14 tonnes of living necessities, including 3,000 blankets. A total of 8,000 affected individuals in the provinces of Balkh and Takhar benefited from this assistance. QC’s delegation currently in Afghanistan is distributing aid to the affected individuals in collaboration with the Afghan Red Crescent Society, in addition to assessing the situation and evaluating the scale of urgent humanitarian needs. Mana al-Ansari, director of the Emergency and Relief Department, stated that QC's intervention came as an urgent response to the flood disaster. He noted that it immediately dispatched its aid through the airlift of the Qatar Emiri Air Force to meet the needs of the Afghan people affected by the floods. He emphasised that QC will continue to deliver assistance, and is currently studying new projects for future intervention, including the provision of additional aid. Floods that hit northeastern Afghanistan have caused significant damage, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people and the destruction of more than 300 homes. The heavy rains have also inflicted damage on health centres, tunnels, bridges, agricultural lands, and livestock, a QC statement added.