EURACTIV.com with agencies
Zelenskiy embarrassed by corruption scandal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged on Wednesday (23 October) members of parliament's Finance Committee, including from his own party, to take a polygraph test in the wake of bribery allegations.
EU’s Juncker cuts short holiday for urgent surgery
Outgoing European Commission boss, Jean-Claude Juncker, had to cut short his Austria holiday to undergo an urgent gallbladder operation back home in Luxembourg, his team said in a statement on Saturday (17 August).
Iran threatens to abandon nuclear deal commitments, putting agreement at risk
Iran will abandon two of its commitments under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The announcement on Wednesday (8 May) comes exactly one year after the Trump administration pulled out of the landmark accord and leaves most of the international community worried.
European bloc not considering joining China’s Belt and Road plans
EU officials confirmed that the bloc is not considering joining China’s Belt and Road initiative on Friday (26 April), contrary to what German Economic minister Peter Altmaier has previously said.
Merkel holds ‘intensive’ discussions in Azerbaijan
German Chancellor Angela Merkel held what she called "intensive" discussions with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in talks that addressed energy cooperation, human rights, and the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
EU could hit peanut butter, orange juice, whiskey in Trump trade row
The EU warned US President Donald Trump on Wednesday to step back from the brink of a trade war or it would hit flagship US products, such as peanut butter and whiskey.
Poland’s Kaczynski says sticking to judicial reform plans
Poland's ruling Law and Justice party is sticking to its plans to reform the judiciary but will wait for proposals from President Andrzej Duda before taking further action, its head Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Thursday (27 July).
Tsipras asks Juncker if the ‘European acquis’ applies to Greece
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras sent yesterday (23 March) a letter to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker asking if the bloc's acquis communautaire applies to all EU countries without exception or it’s applicable to all except Greece.
Austrian extradition could spell trouble for Trump
An Austrian court on Tuesday (22 February) approved the extradition of Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash to the United States in a bribery case, overturning an earlier ruling that had said the US request was politically motivated.
Orbán names Soros and EU among those ‘attacking’ Hungary
In the annual State of the Union address on Friday (10 February) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán listed among those who “attacked” his country billionaire George Soros and the European Union.
EU’s top diplomat discusses Russia, Iran nuclear deal with Tillerson
In their first meeting, the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke "at length" about terrorism, Russia, the Iran nuclear deal and Ukraine, the EU said in a statement.
Guterres takes reins at UN, facing monumental task
Antonio Guterres assumed the reins of the United Nations on Sunday (1 January) hoping to breathe new life into the international organisation, amid bloodshed in Syria and uncertainty following the election of Donald Trump.
EPP picks Tajani as candidate for European Parliament chief
The European Union's centre-right grouping yesterday (13 December) elected Antonio Tajani as its candidate to replace Social Democrat Martin Schulz as President of the European Parliament, a move that could increase calls for a reshuffle of other top EU jobs.
EU keen to move on with ‘life after Britain’
The EU is keen to move on with life after Britain, and Thursday's summit - which one official described as "very complicated" - will deal with most of the crises affecting the bloc.
China starts trade battle over Market Economy Status
Beijing on Monday (12 December) filed a dispute with the World Trade Organisation over the approach used by the European Union and the United States to calculate anti-dumping measures against Chinese exports.
Ukraine ready to join trilateral gas talks in Brussels
Ukraine is ready to join trilateral talks to discuss gas issues with Russia on 9 December in Brussels, the country’s state energy company Naftogaz said on its Twitter account yesterday (5 December).
Putin curbs anti-Western rhetoric, says wants to get on with Trump
President Vladimir Putin struck an unusually conciliatory tone in his annual state of the nation address yesterday (1 December), saying Moscow wanted to get on with the incoming US administration and was looking to make friends not enemies.
Moscovici says EU and Greece ‘very close’ to opening vital debt talks
Greece and its European creditors are "very close" to an agreement that would open the way to vital debt talks, EU economy commissioner Pierre Moscovici said on Monday (28 November).
Draghi: Trump and Brexit causing economic uncertainty
Geopolitical events including the election of Donald Trump and Britain's Brexit vote are the main reasons for the current economic uncertainty, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi told EU parliamentarians on Monday (28 November).
Austria’s presidential rivals clash in TV debate
The two candidates in Austria's longest ever presidential race clashed Sunday (27 November) over the European Union, Donald Trump, and migrants as they faced off in a TV duel a week before the runoff.
Fillon calls Hollande’s hardline policy on Russia ‘absurd’
In a televised debate last night (24 November) French conservative frontrunner François Fillon said Russia must be anchored to Europe, or else Moscow would couple with China, to the detriment of the continent.
Cyprus talks hit impasse over territory
Crucial talks on Cyprus reunification held in Switzerland hit an impasse in the night of 21 to 22 November, the Cypriot press announced.
Obama embraces Merkel in Germany visit, wishes EU to stand united
US President Barack Obama gave a strong endorsement of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and used a visit to Berlin yesterday (17 November) to warn Russia about consequences for intervening in the US election and prod Donald Trump to hold firm against Moscow.