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Telegraph
37 minutes ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Leaked phone call could bring down Thai government
When Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thailand's Prime Minister, picked up her phone on June 15, she probably had no idea that the call she was about to take would send her government into a tailspin. The call was with Hun Sen, Cambodia's de facto leader, to discuss reopening the disputed Thai-Cambodian border after a clash in late May left a Cambodian soldier dead. Ms Paetongtarn spent the conversation kowtowing before the veteran politician and criticised a Thai army commander – a red line not to cross in a country where the military has significant power and prestige. She had no idea that the 17-minute phone call, during which she referred to Hun Sen as 'uncle', would be leaked and leave her government hanging onto power by a thread. With the crisis on the border still unresolved, Ms Paetongtarn could now face a vote of no confidence as well as a case at the Constitutional Court, as many accuse her of betraying her country. To add insult to injury, Hun Sen, who remains the de facto leader of Cambodia despite relinquishing the premiership to his son in 2023, announced on social media that he was the one who recorded the conversation and shared it with 80 individuals across the government, which is how it was released. During the call, Ms Paetongtarn can be heard saying that one of her army commanders 'is on the opposing side'. She also pleaded with the Cambodian strongman not to be 'upset or angry' by comments the commander had made where he threatened Cambodia to a 'duel' over the border land. 'He just wanted to look tough and ended up saying things that are not helpful to either country,' Ms Paetongtarn was heard saying. Tensions between the two nations are at a record high. They are locked in an ongoing dispute that resulted in Thailand's army closing its border with Cambodia this week. Relations escalated in May after troops exchanged fire at a contested part of the border, during which a Cambodian soldier was killed. On Thursday, Ms Paetongtarn and Hun Sen made separate visits to the border areas, with the latter saying that more Cambodian troops and weapons have been mobilised to the area. He said that soldiers 'are constantly prepared to defend the territory in case of any invasion by the Thai army'. Amid mounting fears of further escalation, the feeling among Thai politicians and the public is that Ms Paetongtarn has betrayed them, and even committed treason with her damning leaked phone call. The Thai premier – who has only been in office for 10 months – is now fighting for her political life amid calls for her to resign. 'The last straw' Along with criticisms over Ms Paetongtarn's comments about the military, many in Thailand also took issue with her demeanour towards Hun Sen, which many saw as overly meek and friendly. At one point in the call she was heard saying: 'If there's anything you want, just let me know. I'll take care of it.' 'The leaked call was a bad look. Paetongtarn calling Hun Sen 'uncle' and referring to a Thai general as an 'opponent' made it seem like she was too soft or careless, especially on a sensitive issue like a border clash,' Saipaan, a 32-year-old marketing officer from Bangkok, told The Telegraph. Hundreds of protesters have been gathering outside of the government in the last week saying that the phone call was a 'failure of leadership' and demanding that Ms Paetongtarn step down. The leader of Thailand's opposition also called on Ms Paetongtarn to dissolve parliament, claiming that the leak was 'the last straw'. 'She was compromised by her conversation with Hun Sen whereby she is perceived to have given concessions to him at the expense of Thai sovereignty,' said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University. Ms Paetongtarn has apologised and criticised Hun Sen, saying that all he cares about is 'his popularity'. After the recording was made public, the pro-military Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) announced that it would be withdrawing its 69 members of parliament from its coalition with Ms Paetongtarn's centre-left Pheu Thai Party, leaving her government with barely enough seats to remain in power. In its statement, the BJT called on Ms Paetongtarn to 'take responsibility for causing Thailand to lose its honour, dignity of the nation, the people and military'. As a pro-military party, the BJT's ties with Pheu Thai party – and the Shinawatra family specifically – were already tenuous. Ms Paetongtarn's father, Thaksin Shinawatra, and aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, both previously served as prime ministers and were both ousted in consecutive military coups in 2006 and 2014, respectively. In the lead-up to the leaked phone call, the Pheu Thai party had also been pressuring the BJT to give up control of the Ministry of the Interior, one of the most prized portfolios during election seasons. 'BJT was haggling with Pheu Thai and it looked like they might have to concede on key portfolios,' said Mr Thitinan. 'When the leaked recording scandal came up, it gave the BJT just the right pretext to pull out.' Pushing out the prime minister The BJT have now said that they plan to submit a vote of no confidence against Ms Paetongtarn when parliament reopens on July 3. However, party discipline in Thailand means that most members of parliament tend to vote along party lines. 'Based on where things currently stand the government has enough MPs to survive, so there would have to be a significant number of defectors to the opposition [for Paetongtarn to lose],' said Ken Lohatepanont, a Thai politics expert and PhD candidate at the University of Michigan. More worrying for Ms Paetongtarn, experts say, are the cases that have been petitioned by Thailand's Constitutional Court, which allege that she committed treason. The court will convene on July 1 and decide whether to dismiss the cases, accept them and allow Ms Paetongtarn to continue serving as prime minister or accept the cases and suspend her from her duties. The court has removed four prime ministers in 16 years, including Ms Paetongtarn's predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, who served for less than a year. If Ms Paetongtarn is ousted, parliament would have to select a new prime minister. However, Thailand's political system requires that her replacement come from the pool of candidates submitted during the country's last election in 2023, which is very limited. The only remaining candidate from the Pheu Thai party is Chaikasem Nitisiri, who is reportedly in poor health and has a history of supporting amendments to Thailand's controversial lese-majeste laws, which criminalise any defamatory or threatening comments about the monarchy. 'While it is unlikely Paetongtarn will be able to remain in power for more than a few months given the mounting political pressure, her strongest asset at the moment is the absence of any viable alternative,' said Napon Jatusripitak, a political scientist specialising in Thailand at the ISEAS Yusof-Ishak Institute in Singapore. Benefit to Cambodia Beyond a major shake-up in Thai politics, another question that has left analysts scratching their heads is why Hun Sen made the decision to leak the phone call in the first place – Thailand and Cambodia are strategic partners and Ms Paetongtarn and her family are believed to be well-liked by the former Cambodian prime minister. 'I'm still slightly puzzled by exactly what Hun Sen thought he would get from this,' said Sebastian Strangio, an expert on Cambodia and the author of Hun Sen's Cambodia. To make matters more confusing, Hun Sen made a number of veiled threats towards Ms Paetongtarn's father and their family yesterday while visiting the border. While Hun Sen had previously referred to Mr Thaksin as a 'God brother', his tone on Saturday was very different. He said: 'Now that I've been betrayed, I feel I must reveal what the Thaksin family did to betray their nation. This is a warning.' A week after releasing the tape, Hun Sen had also said that Thailand 'will have a new prime minister within the next three months', suggesting that he was eager to see a reshuffle in Bangkok. 'The relationship between Cambodia and Thailand is pretty asymmetric. Thailand is a much wealthier country, it's more powerful militarily,' said Mr Strangio. 'So this sort of approach is a way of leveraging Cambodia's relative advantages over Thailand in order to score nationalistic points with domestic political constituents.' Although Cambodia and Thailand have faced border disputes in the past, the leaked phone call and subsequent fallout sparked by this latest incident could have a long-term impact on relations between the two countries, according to Mr Napon. 'Relations between Thailand and Cambodia are likely to remain severely strained for the foreseeable future,' he said. 'The leaked phone call controversy has fundamentally damaged trust between the two nations, not just between the Hun and Shinawatra dynasties.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
MEPs seek Commission President von der Leyen's resignation with censure motion
A group of European lawmakers has launched an initiative for a no-confidence vote against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, claiming to have collected more than the required 72 signatures to formally submit the motion. Although unlikely to pass, the censure motion could pave the way to broader consequences, replicating the path that led in the 1990s to the voluntary resignation of the EU executive led by Jacques Santer. The move comes in response to a recent court ruling criticising von der Leyen's lack of transparency in relation to the so-called 'Pfizergate' scandal, as well as broader allegations of bypassing the European Parliament and centralising power within the Commission. Romanian hard-right MEP Gheorghe Piperea announced he would submit the motion of censure this week, having gathered signatures from MEPs across at least three political groupings on the right and far-right spectrum: the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), the Patriots, the European of Sovereign Nations group (ESN), as well as some non-affiliated members. Despite participation from individual conservative MEPs, the initiative does not officially represent the ECR group, which includes Italy's ruling party, Fratelli d'Italia, led by Giorgia Meloni. 'ECR MEPs participating in this initiative are doing so on an individual basis,' a spokesperson clarified. While the threshold to initiate a no-confidence vote is relatively low, the chances of removing von der Leyen and her Commission are slim. Such a motion requires a two-thirds majority in the 720-seat European Parliament. 'I hope other groups will join the motion, but I'm not naive,' Piperea told Euronews, acknowledging the unlikelihood of success. Related How the love story between von der Leyen and Pfizer turned sour That is not the direct aim however. 'Still, we could gather a couple hundred votes, which may trigger a broader debate among politicians and the public, possibly leading to her voluntary resignation,' said Piperea. No-confidence votes are infrequent but historically significant in the European Parliament. In 1999, the entire European Commission, led by Jacques Santer, resigned amid fraud allegations and transparency issues, despite surviving a confidence vote. Piperea, a lawyer by profession, said that even if the motion fails, it could serve as a valuable political tool. 'There seems to be an unwritten rule that the Commission, and von der Leyen in particular, cannot be held accountable for mistakes or failures. We must end this. In a democracy, there should be accountability, oversight, and responsibility.' The primary driver behind the motion is the ongoing 'Pfizergate' controversy, centred on von der Leyen's refusal to disclose text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during COVID-19 vaccine negotiations. For this matter, the EU court recently ruled against her. The motion also criticises her handling of legislative affairs, including the withdrawal of environmental proposals without proper consultation with Parliament. Related Commission's Pfizergate loss hailed as 'victory for transparency' The court ruling has amplified criticism of von der Leyen across the political spectrum, with socialists, liberals, and greens voicing concern over her leadership and transparency. According to Piperea, socialist MEPs are also discontented with recent budget cuts to anti-poverty programmes. Nonetheless, the only scenario that could pose a real threat to von der Leyen would likely be a perfect storm, in which a wide range of political groups—including members of her own centre-right European People's Party (EPP)—turn against her for different reasons. The far-right origins of this initiative may deter broader support for it however. A source from The Left group, which has been among the most vocal opponents of von der Leyen and previously filed its own motion of censure, expressed scepticism. 'Some delegations in our group are strongly committed to the cordon sanitaire and avoid cooperation with the ECR,' the source said. 'They've supported Commissioner Fitto during this mandate and didn't back our earlier censure motion. This feels more like a communication stunt.' Piperea acknowledged the ideological roadblocks. 'Some groups aren't fully opposed to the motion itself, but they hesitate simply because it's coming from the right,' he said.
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Von der Leyen risks no confidence vote
A group of lawmakers in the European Parliament claim they have secured enough support to initiate a no confidence vote against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over the Pfizergate scandal, the Financial Times has reported. In May, the EU's Court of Justice ruled that the European Commission wrongly denied the New York Times access to secret text messages between von der Leyen and the CEO of pharma giant Pfizer, Albert Bourla, exchanged during negotiations of a multi-billion dollar Covid-19 vaccine deal. The court rejected the commission's explanation that it did not have the messages in its possession anymore, saying it should provide 'credible explanations' why the texts were not retained and how they were deleted. The EC reacted to the decision by promising to come up with a more detailed reasoning for the denial, but never committed to releasing the texts to the public. Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea told the FT that he will file a motion to stage a no confidence vote on Thursday after his group secured the required 72 signatures. Von der Leyen's 'legally unsound' refusal to share the text messages demonstrated 'a continued pattern of institutional overreach, democratic disregard, and erosion of public trust in the Union's governance,' he argued. The MEP has called on 'the European Commission to resign due to repeated failures to ensure transparency, persistent disregard for democratic oversight and the rule of law within the Union.' In order for the vote of no confidence to succeed, more than two-thirds of MEPs need to be in attendance at the European Parliament in Brussels. Last year, 407 out of 720 lawmakers backed von der Leyen for her second five-year term as president. Piperea acknowledged that the chances of voting out von der Leyen are slim, despite support for the initiative from some members of her own European People's Party. The no confidence vote offers a 'crucial opportunity for constructive and substantiated criticism towards President von der Leyen,' he said. 'It obliges the commission to address concerns and provide justifications.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ursula von der Leyen faces no-confidence vote over Pfizergate
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is facing a no-confidence vote over a Covid-19 pandemic scandal that threatens to Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
News24
2 days ago
- Politics
- News24
‘ActionSA betrayed us and overstated its importance,' says ANC, as Joburg Speaker is removed
Johannesburg Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu has been removed by a council vote backed by the ANC, EFF, DA and Al Jama-ah. The ANC says ActionSA 'betrayed' the coalition and overstated its importance in council, prompting Mthembu's ousting. Mthembu says she holds no grudge, defends her record and blames 'cheap politics' for sidelining service delivery. Tensions in the Johannesburg council came to a head on Thursday as councillors voted on three pivotal motions, resulting in the removal of Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu, while Mayor Dada Morero and ANC Chief Whip Sithembiso Zungu survived their respective no-confidence votes. The motion to remove Morero failed with 75 votes in favour, 144 against and 43 abstentions, falling short of the required 136-vote majority in the 270-seat council. Zungu also survived, with 179 councillors voting against his removal, 69 in favour, and six abstaining. However, Mthembu was ousted after 212 councillors voted in favour of her removal and 48 against, with no abstentions. The motion — tabled by Al Jama-ah — was supported by the ANC, EFF and DA, and a temporary replacement will serve as Speaker until a new appointment is made. Tensions within the coalition erupt The vote marks the culmination of weeks of tension between the ANC and ActionSA, whose alliance in Johannesburg has steadily deteriorated. Although the DA submitted motions of no confidence in all three officials following Morero's State of the City address last month, only the motions against Morero and Zungu were accepted. The motion against Mthembu initially was not — prompting Al Jama-ah to bring its own, which later succeeded. Speaking to City Press, ANC Joburg Regional Task Team coordinator Sasabone Manganye said ActionSA had proven to be an unreliable coalition partner and had ultimately 'betrayed' the ANC. 'We engaged with ActionSA last year... They wanted to be in the legislature to have the Speaker on their side, and we agreed that they would join the coalition,' Manganye told City Press. 'But this year, they started voting against us — including on the budget adjustment and the appointment of the acting city manager, which they agreed to in meetings but did not support in council. We saw the betrayal coming.' To an extent, Michael [Beaumont] even made a statement that they are not in a coalition with us, and that's when we started to re-engage them because we were concerned about how we could have a speaker who is not in a coalition with us. Sasabone Manganye ActionSA abstains as Morero survives City Press understands that the ANC chose to support the motion against Mthembu after ActionSA declined to defend Morero, indicating it would abstain from the vote on his removal. In a media briefing prior to the vote, Beaumont, who is ActionSA's national chairperson, said the party would not back the mayor, citing a lack of service delivery. 'Service delivery in Johannesburg has collapsed. Traffic lights are not working, streets are falling apart, and electricity and water outages are more than ever before,' Beaumont said. We informed the ANC we would not support the mayor. Michael Beaumont The DA, which brought the original motion, echoed similar concerns. DA caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku told the media that under Morero's leadership, the city was in crisis. 'As far as the DA is concerned, the mayor has shown by writing to the Presidential Working Group to ask for intervention and by appointing a bomb squad without council approval that he has gone rogue and is incapable of running Johannesburg.' READ: Joburg mayor's turnaround plan: billions allocated for infrastructure and 'bomb squad' for city's woes ActionSA was warned ahead of the vote. Manganye said the ANC's provincial leadership had instructed its councillors to vote against all the motions — including those targeting Mthembu — to preserve ongoing coalition talks and avoid politicising them. 'Our provincial leadership was very clear. Because we were still having talks with ActionSA to resolve our contradictions, it would be fair that we vote against all the motions so that our discussions are not clouded by these motions,' he said. The ANC never raised any motion against anyone, but ActionSA refused. They said, 'No, we are going to abstain on the motion against the mayor.' So, it means, according to them, the mayor can be removed. Manganye He said this refusal solidified the ANC's decision to support Mthembu's removal, as ActionSA had already signalled its unwillingness to protect the coalition. 'We then told them in advance to advise the Speaker to resign. If the Speaker does not resign, we will vote against her. Unfortunately, they did not — and she is out now.' He added that the ANC initially brought ActionSA into the fold not out of necessity, but to stabilise the coalition. 'We did not bring them in because we needed numbers. We brought them in in the interest of the residents and to stabilise governance. But they became a source of instability.' 'Speaker continuously out of line' Manganye further pointed to Mthembu's conduct as Speaker, including her decision to adjourn a council meeting during a critical budget adjustment session, as a sign of her misalignment with coalition objectives. 'She adjourned council just because of a small commotion, instead of calling for a short adjournment and continuing. We had to get permission from the MEC to pass the budget.' He added that ActionSA's refusal to acknowledge the coalition agreement, despite participating in its structures, made them an untrustworthy partner. 'They overrate their importance, not realising we did not necessarily need them. They were dishonest and misled us.' READ: 'I'll do anything to save this city' – Helen Zille considers DA mayoral run in Joburg 'ActionSA did not let me down' Reacting to her removal, Mthembu said she holds no resentment toward her party and stands by her legacy in office. 'Look, I cannot feel let down by my political party. ActionSA is the party that gave me the platform to one day be the Speaker of Johannesburg,' she said. 'The Speaker fulfilled her mandate. Today, the Johannesburg Museum has money allocated to it because of the pressure we applied to the executive. The Lilian Ngoyi Phase One project will be completed by August — again, because of that pressure.' Asked about the breakdown in the ANC–ActionSA relationship, she pointed to political deceit and blamed both the ANC and DA. This is politics, and it's unfortunate that residents are not being put first. As much as you can blame the ANC, don't forget the DA — they sponsored the motion in an effort to bring back Kabelo Gwamanda,' she said. Nobuhle Mthembu 'Council cannot continue. Reports that affect service delivery won't be tabled — because the DA wants to play cheap politics to position Helen Zille's candidate for 2026.' Mthembu defended the legislative arm of the city, saying it had been functional, inclusive, and responsive. 'Legislature was working. We ran successful IDP sessions. DA councillors didn't even attend. Residents were complaining. So, who are they really serving?' On her political future, Mthembu said her removal wouldn't stop her work. 'I didn't join ActionSA to be Speaker of Johannesburg. I joined because I wanted to serve.' Looking ahead Manganye confirmed the ANC is still open to talks with ActionSA — but only under clear terms. 'We are open to working with anyone who wants to stabilise governance. But unless ActionSA recommits to being part of the coalition and abides by its rules, we don't think it's worth it.' Despite the fallout, he emphasised that the ANC's provincial leadership is still engaging with ActionSA. 'Our engagements are still open, not closed. But we did not remove a Speaker from a party we had a relationship with — we removed a Speaker from a party that misled us.' According to council rules, a new Speaker must be elected within 14 days.
