Since the last newsletter we have seen the horrific conflict in Kosova, the beginning of devolved government in Scotland and the re-emergence of a fox-hunting ban as an achievable goal in the short term.
The war in the Balkans gave rise to many contradictory emotions in people interested in peace and justice. On the one hand there is suspicion about NATO's real motives in waging such a prolonged and seemingly counterproductive bombing campaign, whilst on the other hand there is urgent need to do something about the genocide and forced expulsion inflicted on the Kosovar Albanians. The German Green Party in particular found themselves at the sharp end of this ethical dilemma. Deeply split, they chose to compromise their pacifist principles in order to maintain their position in Government.
Scotland's junior coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, have promised to deliver a more environmentally friendly Government agenda. However given that their MSPs are split on important issues such as nuclear power, Trident and fox-hunting, the performance of the Scottish Executive will have to be scrutinised very closely indeed.
The Editorial Team
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