Zoran Radosavljevic
The Brief, powered by APPLiA – Hanging on the telephone
The EU's latest bad boy, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, finally addressed the press corps in Brussels on Wednesday, if only for a dozen minutes and via zoom, at a joint press conference with European Parliament President David Sassoli.
The Brief, powered by FACEBOOK – Western Balkans photo-op
Janez Janša surprised everyone by deciding to unveil the priorities of Slovenia’s presidency of the Council of the EU during a trip to Greece this week. One of the highlights of its six-month stint at the helm will be an “informal EU-Western Balkans summit".
The Brief, powered by Goldman Sachs – Christmas conundrum
If you’re really pressed for time, here is the gist of this Brief: In case you’re thinking of driving home for holidays, think twice and, if you decide to go, brace for impact because, right now, confusion reigns supreme. The...
Poland, Hungary propose two-track way out of EU budget deadlock
Poland and Hungary reaffirmed on Thursday (26 October) their opposition to tying EU finds with the rule of law in member states and instead offered their own proposal for breaking the deadlock that is holding back the EU's €1.81 trillion seven-year budget and the recovery fund.
The Brief, powered by EHFG – Bosnia’s war and peace
In recent European history, it is difficult to find a political experiment that has flopped as spectacularly and as silently as the Dayton Peace Accord.
Terrorism and Muslim communities: Europe’s ‘right’ battle
In recent weeks, violent terrorist attacks have shocked France and Vienna, after cartoons of Prophet Mohammed were published by French satiric publication Charlie Hebdo to mark the start of the trial for the 2016 terrorist attacks in Paris.
The Brief, powered by ECPC – And the band played on
If you still haven’t seen ‘A life on our planet’, Sir David Attenborough’s latest (and quite possibly last, given his advanced age) documentary, please find the time to do so. It will give you pause, regardless of whether you are...
The Brief – North Macedonia’s latest moment of truth
As we wrote only a few weeks ago, there is a flurry of post-COVID elections across Eastern Europe and now it is the turn of North Macedonia, a country with a chequered history of international relations. The result of today's vote could well determine the next chapter for the Western Balkans EU candidate.
The Brief, powered by BSEF – Gone with the wind
There is something fittingly telling about the way the 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre will play out on 11 July. For those who don't know, it's the biggest single atrocity on European soil since World War Two, where Bosnian Serb troops slaughtered 8,372 Muslim men and boys after overrunning the designated UN safe area in eastern Bosnia.
The Brief – Going to the polls after COVID-19
What is it with Eastern Europe and the rush to the polling stations as soon as the lockdown measures were relaxed?
A nation divided: What UK celebrities said about Brexit
The United Kingdom's departure from the European Union has been a highly divisive and emotional issue from the very start, and the rhetoric around it rarely failed to impress. EURACTIV has prepared a list of remarkable Brexit quotes from celebrities in showbiz and sports.
The Brief – Could the EU follow the fate of Yugoslavia?
For all of us who lived through the collapse of Yugoslavia, the moment when the Slovenian delegation walked out on a 1990 Communist Party congress in Belgrade stayed ingrained in our collective consciousness. The emotional scenes witnessed in the European Parliament on Wednesday brought back those memories.
Slovenia’s PM resigns, early elections loom
Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec stepped down on Monday (27 January) and suggested calling early elections, saying his minority five-party government was unable to pass important legislation through a parliament it did not control.
LEAK: EU must step up Single Market enforcement, states tell Commission
The European Union must step up the application and enforcement of Single Market law or risk losing ‘credibility and effectiveness’, according to a leaked paper to the EU executive signed by 14 member states.
The Brief, powered by BP – Welcome to uncharted territory
It is not often that we knowingly witness history in the making before our own eyes, but today we've had one of those moments.
EU leaders congratulate Johnson but warn of more hard work ahead
EU leaders put on a brave face on Friday (13 December) and congratulated Boris Johson on his resounding victory in the UK elections, which means he will take the country out of the EU next month after three years of Brexit frustrations.
Croatia foreign minister: We will defend regional, farm funding in new EU budget
EXCLUSIVE / Croatia, which starts its first EU presidency stint in January, is "not quite happy" with Finland's proposal for the EU's seven-year budget and will seek to amend the proposal in order to preserve funding for Cohesion and the Common Agricultural Policy, the country's Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman told EURACTIV.
The Brief – Balkanic optimism
The rollercoaster that is the Western Balkans is (almost) as unpredictable as the Brexit saga. Last week, the region's prospects appeared in the doldrums and there was little chance of a reversal of fortunes soon. Take a step back though and there is hope to be had.
The Brief, powered by ACCA – The Balkans’ moment of truth
The complexity of the Balkans and its European path needs no special introduction, yet it never ceases to surprise. The German Bundestag gave its green light last Friday for North Macedonia and Albania to open EU accession talks, but the story doesn't end there.
The Brief, powered by EDAA – Will there be more victims?
MEPs are ready to go on a Commissioner hunt, as next week’s hearings loom large. But amid the calls for heads to roll and retribution to be dealt, there are reasons for some of von der Leyen’s chosen few not to fear the Parliament boogeymen.
The Brief – Washing away the guilt
The largely unconventional and disputed 1907 experiment by US physicist Duncan MacDougall postulated that the human soul weighs 21 grams, no more, no less. The valiant doctor measured the body weight of dying humans just before and after their passing and concluded that the soul does have exact physical weight.
The Brief – The EPP’s Hobson’s choice
The clock is ticking on agreeing on the new European Commission president and the once almighty European People’s Party is having some tough choices to make in the next couple of days. The Mexican standoff between France and Germany, amplified...
EU summit ends with no deal on top jobs, some progress on climate
EU leaders wrapped up a two-day summit on a low note on Friday (21 June), having failed to agree on the distribution of the EU's top jobs for the next five years.