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| External Highlights of 2011 |
| (2012-01-07) |
| Last updated: 2012-01-10 14:31 EET |
2011 - The Year of the “Arab Spring”
In early 2011, a people’s protest held in Tunisia marked the beginning of what has been termed “the Arab Spring”, an unprecedented series of protests in this part of the world, which resulted in the overthrow of leaders and regimes. After a 23-year rule, Tunisian president Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia. In Egypt, the head of state Hosni Mubarak stepped down after 30 years in office in the wake of 18 days of street protests, handing over the reigns of power to the military. In Libya, a large-scale rebellion broke out against Muammar Gaddafi’s totalitarian regime. In order to put an end to the crackdown on rebels, the UN launched an international military operation, which was subsequently taken over by NATO military forces. Several months later, rebel forces apprehended and killed Gaddafi, thus ending his 42-year rule. In Yemen, the head of state was forced to step down, after months of heated negotiations. The only country where the situation is still inconclusive is Syria, a country where president Bashar al-Assad continues to hold on to his office, after nine months of protests leaving 5,000 dead and despite numerous political, economic and financial sanctions brought against him by the international community, including the Arab League.
The Sovereign Debt Crisis Deepened in the Eurozone
2011 was supposed to be a year of winning back confidence in the single European currency. Nevertheless, the sovereign debt crisis took a critical turn in several Eurozone countries. Governments in Ireland, Portugal, Greece, Italy and Spain resigned, falling victims to their own inability to address the situation without subjecting citizens to further austerity measures. Meanwhile, EU and Eurozone leaders have taken a series of measures aimed at finding a global solution to investor concerns regarding the viability of the single European currency. Among these is the consolidation of the European Financial Stability Fund, the recapitalization of banks, and writing off 50% of Greece’s debt. In December, Eurozone leaders agreed on a preliminary fiscal consolidation pact, involving the participation of both members and non-members of the Eurozone, with the exception of the UK.
The Fukushima Tragedy Brought Nuclear Power Plant Safety to the Fore
In March a huge tsunami, triggered by an earthquake measuring 9 Richter-scale degrees, hit hard the North-Eastern coast of Japan and flooded the Fukushima nuclear power plant, thus causing the largest nuclear disaster in the past 25 years, which left 20,000 dead or missing. Faced with a traumatized public opinion, Japan decided to replace nuclear energy and to close down most of its nuclear plants. Several European states, among which Germany, Belgium, Italy and France, have taken similar decisions.
The World’s Most Wanted Terrorist, Osama Bin Laden was killed
After 10 years on the run, Osama Bin Laden, the leader of the dreadful terror network al Qaeda, was gunned down in early May in Pakistan during a US special forces operation. The elimination of the world’s most infamous terrorist was hailed by most Western governments, with a caveat that the killing didn’t necessarily mean the end of al Qaeda or terrorism. The mastermind of the 911 terror attacks in which 3000 people died, was shot dead close to Islamabad. He was arguably the main sponsor of Islamic organizations and exporter of terrorism to the entire Western world.
Terror attacks in Norway shocked the entire world
In July 2011 the peaceful, quiet life of the citizens and authorities of Norway, one of the most peaceful countries in the world, was disrupted by a bomb attack against government buildings, followed by a shooting spree against the participants in a youth political rally on the Utoya Island, close to Oslo. The perpetrator, Andreas Breivik, a 32-year-old right-wing extremist, left 77 people dead and scores of others wounded in the bloodiest attacks in Norway since World War Two. Breivik was apprehended by police, but later declared insane by a panel of forensic psychiatrists and exempt from criminal liability, in a move that stirred rage among the victims’ families.
In 2011 the world bid farewell to a number of celebrities. Of those departed, Steve Jobs, co-founder of high-tech giant Apple, who died at the age of 56, was given the widest media coverage. Leading figures of the political and economic life evoked Jobs’ innovative spirit and the tremendous role he played in the IT revolution. Also in 2011, former north-Korean strongman Kim Jong-Il died after having led the communist country with an iron hand since 1994. Former Czech president and symbol of the anti-communist velvet revolution Vaclav Havel also passed away last year, as well as movie stars Elizabeth Taylor, Annie Girardot and Peter Falk. It also proved to be a sad year for the fans of Amy Winehouse and Cesaria Evora, as both passed away in 2011.
The wedding of the year
Prince William of Great Britain and Catherine Middleton
A highlight of high-society events in 2011 was the wedding of Prince William, the second in line to the throne of Britain, with Kate Middleton. Tens of thousands gathered in front of Westminster Abbey to attend the ceremony, rebroadcast live via the Internet and numerous TV channels around the world.
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