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[WealthyRadish]

I have no idea however why the guy wasn't charged with sexual assault.

It's because he fled the scene and they didn't catch him. That this minor story is making the news shows an effect the current hysteria is having on the media, since it would otherwise go unreported and ignored if there wasn't implied relevance to the immigration crisis (which from the article it looks like there isn't any, only indication that the guy was even foreign was that he spoke English).

[martinuzz]

The French minister of Justice, Christiane Taubira, has resigned, out of protest.
She ethically disagrees with the change to the French Constitution which makes it possible to take away the French nationality from people who have been convicted for terrorist activities.
Her parting words were "Ethics and Justice will eventually prevail", and twittered "sometimes, leaving is an act of resistance."

She will be replaced by Jean-Jacques Urvoas. In his previous assignment, Urvoas was the chairman of the Law commission of the French house of commons.
As such, he has had a lot of say in the creation of amendments to the Constitution.
A plan with Constitutional amendments will be presented today. The exact contents are not yet known, but it is expected that a lot of special measures put in place when France entered national state of emergency, after the Paris attacks, will become permanent.

[penguinofhonor]

I'm sure the media is loving this controversy. "What, a single attempted assault in Europe can be a worldwide headline right now? Let's take that free money!"

[Bouchart]

A plan with Constitutional amendments will be presented today. The exact contents are not yet known, but it is expected that a lot of special measures put in place when France entered national state of emergency, after the Paris attacks, will become permanent.

To be fair the French have a habit of reworking their whole constitution every few decades.  Which Republic are those guys on, the Fifth?

[martinuzz]

French don't have any constitution. They drink too much wine and smoke too much heavy tobacco for that.

[martinuzz]

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman wrote a plea to the Obama administration, to "double their efforts to restrain the refugee crisis in the middle east, before it turns from being a giant humanitarian problem into a giant geostrategical problem for the USA's closest ally, The European Union.
He believes that the US should create a safe zone in Syria, where refugees can seek shelter, to prevent a refugee disaster.

http://www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/waarom-amerika-zich-zorgen-moet-maken-om-de-vluchtelingencrisis~a4233426/
sadly paywall for full article

[Rolepgeek]

Oh yeah that reminds me

What do people think of implementing a Roman style migrant/citizenship for migrants, particularly single migrants? You know, serve in the military, join up with the other dudes in the military, get mixed in with members of country who are already that culture, learn about how to fight, and go back down and liberate Syria.

I mean, families and single mothers and the like shouldn't have to, but they aren't usually the problems, as far as I can tel.

[martinuzz]

The Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, and the leader of the labour party Diederik Samsom, have been working on a new refugee plan since december.
Being the chairman of the EU, our prime minister has used his connections there to involve civil servants from various european countries, which are to elaborate on the practical and legal aspects.

With their new plan, they want to start sending every refugee that crosses the mediterranean back with ferries, and put them on land in Turkey. In exchange, 150- to 250 thousand refugees will be allowed, yearly, to legally immigrate to the EU, from Turkey's refugee camps.
They expect the plan to start taking effect in march / april of this year.

One thing that still stands in the way of the plan legally, is the fact that Turkey is not completely considered a 'safe country', which disallows sending refugees back there according to UN guidelines . However, according to Samsom, Turkey is very close to getting the 'safe country' status.

The immigrants that will be allowed in legally, will be divided over those countries that are willing to take them in, since it seems impossible to reach any agreements on forcibly dividing the immigrants equally over all EU member states. Those states however, that won't take in any immigrants, will need to pay money to the countries that do, to share the burden.

Samson expects about 10 countries to be willing to take in immigrants, including Germany, Sweden, France, Austria, Spain, and Portugal. Samsom has had intensive contacts with those countries, while our prime minister has been using his position as prime minister to confer the idea to his colleagues.

Samsom says, that even if only 10 member states want to accept refugees, these countries will effectively see much less migrants than they are seeing now.
For our own country, he thinks the plan will reduce incoming migrants from 58000 in 2015, to 20-30 thousand in 2016.

As a main reason for the plan, he states that the long term plans made before are impossible, because the refugee crisis does not wait for any long term plans, and if we get as many refugees in 2016 as we did last year, the welfare state systems in Europe will collapse.

Internally, there's some critique on Samsom. Last year, the liberal party suggested that Europe should send back all refugees that cross the mediterrenean. Back then, Samsom called this "inacceptable, and a violation of our humanitarian obligations". However, when looking at the gigantic numbers of refugees that came in in just a year, and since he visited human trafficking sites in Turkey, and descibed what he saw there as "uncontrollable", he has made a 180, and now states that "refugees deserve a safe haven, but our own citizens deserve that we uphold our welfare state".

http://www.volkskrant.nl/politiek/nederland-wil-vluchtelingen-per-kerende-veerboot-terugsturen-naar-turkije~a4233530/

[Ghazkull]

seems more reasonable.

Rolepgeek, i don't think that really works out since most of those refugees left because they DON'T want to fight. 'sides if i look at the state of the german military they might as well go back immediately. The Roman System worked more or less because rome was constantly at war and extreme war situations breed comraderie...sitting in a barracks and cleaning your tank for the umpteenth time does not...or not as much.

Though the idea is generally good.

[scriver]

Also because they had lots recently conquered and de-settled land to re-settle veterans on.

The problem over here is that there's just too many immigrants at once for integration to be possible. I don't think "rome" style army business would change that.

[TheDarkStar]

So both the UK and France are leaning towards being police states?

[Bouchart]

So both the UK and France are leaning towards being police states?

If anywhere's in danger of becoming a police state, it's Germany. Chancellor Merkel was the one caught on mic telling Mark Zuckerberg to censor anti-migration sentiment on Facebook, right? And it's Germany arresting people and banning internet platforms for spreading "racist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic, homophobic and anti-Islamic content'. Not that I support racism, homophobia, etc, but I'm wary of censoring anything short of an outright direct call to violence or destruction.

The idea of a billionaire jew conspiring with the German government to oppress ordinary German citizens isn't going to go over well in some circles.

[smjjames]

So both the UK and France are leaning towards being police states?

If anywhere's in danger of becoming a police state, it's Germany. Chancellor Merkel was the one caught on mic telling Mark Zuckerberg to censor anti-migration sentiment on Facebook, right? And it's Germany arresting people and banning internet platforms for spreading "racist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic, homophobic and anti-Islamic content'. Not that I support racism, homophobia, etc, but I'm wary of censoring anything short of an outright direct call to violence or destruction.

The idea of a billionaire jew conspiring with the German government to oppress ordinary German citizens isn't going to go over well in some circles.

Zuckerberg is Jewish? hm.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Anyway, that all said, I wouldn't describe Germany as a police state. But I would say it's closer to getting there than the two countries you mentioned.

There are no police states in EU but the direction is right there. It is the main reason why I don't want Ukraine to become more "European"

I value personal freedom to much to go toward stuff like

1)Slave, hire women\ethnic minorities\sexual oriental minorities\whatever to work at your business according to the quote written in the law. What? Rights to manage your own private property? It is a funny nonsense. Shut up!
2) Your post something in internet that we dislike? Freedom of Speech, pfff? To the prison
3) You dare to have a knife, pepper spray, tazer or, God forbid, real weapon to defend your life\property\dignity? Who said you can defend yourself even with your fists? To the prison.
4) What do you mean that you are not a bisexual? You deny someone sex based on their gender? To the prison, you, discriminating bastard.

and so on

You say it is exaggeration? I say it is the future. It is the direction where EU-style "liberal" democracy is going. 

[Dorsidwarf]

Anyway, that all said, I wouldn't describe Germany as a police state. But I would say it's closer to getting there than the two countries you mentioned.

There are no police states in EU but the direction is right there. It is the main reason why I don't want Ukraine to become more "European"

I value personal freedom to much to go toward stuff like

1)Slave, hire women\ethnic minorities\sexual oriental minorities\whatever to work at your business according to the quote written in the law. What? Rights to manage your own private property? It is a funny nonsense. Shut up!
2) Your post something in internet that we dislike? Freedom of Speech, pfff? To the prison
3) You dare to have a knife, pepper spray, tazer or, God forbid, real weapon to defend your life\property\dignity? Who said you can defend yourself even with your fists? To the prison.
4) What do you mean that you are not a bisexual? You deny someone sex based on their gender? To the prison, you, discriminating bastard.

and so on

You say it is exaggeration? I say it is the future. It is the direction where EU-style "liberal" democracy is going.

By 2050, the United American Empire and the European-North-African Green Zone will be in Cold War with each other, the God-king Donald I sending Conservative Crime Squads to blow up the Reichffel tower while Panleader Xyrosa funds the Liberal Crime squad in their ongoing attempt to force absolute gun control by shooting dead anyone who disagrees.