2015 did not “debut” well for Europeans following the deadly attacks in Paris and Copenhagen. The brutality of the Kouachi brothers and grotesque video images broadcasting the execution of 12 people outside Charlie Hebdo headquarters in Paris, did not only alarm public opinion over the rise of Islamic terrorism in Europe, but raised fears over European-Patriot-Act-styled measures in countering future threats.
Indeed, and as French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, declared before France’s National Assembly, “[France] must respond to this exceptional situation with exceptional measures” and monitor high-risk passengers. Furthermore, Former French Minster of the Budget (under former President Nicolas Sarkozy), Valérie Pécresse, went even further suggesting that France should adopt its own type of the USA Patriot Act.
In Berlin, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel was pushing efforts towards adopting a new EU law on data retention whereas, just 678 miles north, UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron announced new surveillance legislations outlawing certain forms of encrypted digital communication in thwarting the means by which terrorist groups’ activities could be facilitated.
