Poland: Jeb Bush meets Poland's new President
On Thursday 11 June former Florida Governor Jeb Bush met Poland’s newly elected president in Warsaw. Andrzej Duda, who won a Tea Party-like victory against the Polish establishment last month, had an informal meeting with Bush in the afternoon. Bush, who represents the Republican establishment in the wide-open race for the party's US presidential nomination, met him at the beginning of a five-day tour through Europe. All three countries Bush is visiting have thriving economies, and he is expected to use the trip to highlight pro-growth policies in Europe while trying to make a connection to his own campaign, in which he has called for 4% annual growth in the US. There will also be obvious defence policy implications. All three countries have been among Ukraine’s strongest supporters amid the country’s conflict with Russia. Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko said earlier this month that 7,000 civilians have died since the fighting started in April 2014.
Norway: M4 Church planting and the Bible
The Norwegian National Church Planting Network has been in existence since the early 1990’s. Last year 800 leaders, church planters and potential church planters gathered together and signed a statement committing to the planting of 400 new churches in Norway and training 4,000 pioneers over the next 10 years. This year they reported that around 75 churches were planted in the last 4-5 years and another 75 churches are in process of being planted. M4 has developed into an interdenominational church planting movement in Norway. During 2015, around twenty church planting teams will be involved in M4 learning. Alongside this, two years ago the Christian Post reported, ‘Bible Has Become the Best-Seller in 'Secular' Norway - Many Surprised’. They added that Church attendance is a poor measure of the Norwegian state of faith. See also
Netherlands: Industry growing; Christianity declining
370 businesses and institutions (excluding one-man businesses) were declared bankrupt in May this year - 84 down from the previous month and the lowest level since November 2008. They fell noticeably in the trade and manufacturing sectors. Meanwhile, Operation World reports ‘the Roman Catholic Church is rapidly decreasing - from 41% in 1975 to 26% (other reports claim 18%) in 2010 - and every year has fewer priests and missionaries. Weekly attendance is reportedly as low as 300,000 on any given Sunday, and the aged composition of the faithful points toward further decline. However, there is also clear growth in the charismatic and evangelical groups within Dutch Catholicism, and a proliferation of Alpha Courses.
Montenegro: Abu Dhabi fund supports Montenegro farmers
The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has offered an AED 183.6 million ($49.9 million) concessionary loan to the Government of Montenegro to support its agricultural development sector. Aimed at accelerating economic development in Montenegro through supporting food security, the agreement seeks to enhance the competitiveness of Montenegro's products to international levels. Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi said, ‘As a catalyst for inclusive development and food security, the UAE, through the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, pursues an active policy in supporting agricultural investment across the developing world. To achieve this goal, ADFD is committed to ensuring necessary funding for development projects, especially in strategically important sectors that can significantly benefit the economies of developing countries.’
