Elections
Journalist killed after shots fired in Londonderry riot
Journalist Lyra McKee was killed after shots were fired during rioting in the Northern Irish city of Londonderry on Thursday (18 April) that saw police attacked by petrol bombs and other missiles.
Romanian justice minister sacked for shunning reforms
Romania's ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) sacked justice minister Tudorel Toader on Wednesday (17 April) for spurning controversial changes to the national penal code that critics say benefit PSD chief Liviu Dragnea.
Police recommend indicting Czech PM for fraud
Czech police believe billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babiš should be indicted for alleged involvement in EU subsidy fraud worth two million euros, a spokesman said Wednesday. “The investigation is over and the complete file has been submitted to the state...
Erdogan’s party submits appeal for rerun of Istanbul elections
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party on Tuesday (16 April) submitted its promised appeal for the annulment and rerun of Istanbul’s municipal elections, over what it said were irregularities that marred the March 31 vote.
Greta Thunberg urges MEPs to ‘panic like the house is on fire’
Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist, made an impassioned plea for the planet at the European Parliament on Tuesday (16 April), urging MEPs to “start panicking about climate change” rather than "waste time arguing about Brexit".
EU country briefing: Poland
Poland was the most populous country and biggest economy joining the EU in the 2004 “big bang” enlargement. The Polish citizens confirmed their will to join the Union in a referendum in June 2003.
Bercow says UK faces challenge, not constitutional crisis
The speaker of the UK's House of Commons, who has attracted attention across the globe for his loud calls bringing lawmakers to order, says his country does not face a constitutional crisis but rather a political challenge when it comes to tackling the Brexit deadlock. EURACTIV’s partner efe-epa reports.
EU country briefing: Cyprus
The following article is a part of a series of brief country profiles for the EU-27 ahead of the European elections in May. Cyprus joined the EU during its big enlargement round of 2004, as the only EU member state with part...
EU country briefing: Ireland
The following article is a part of a series of brief country profiles for the EU-27 ahead of the European elections in May. Following an emphatic referendum result which saw 81.3% voting in favour of membership, Ireland joined the EU (then the...
Behind the EU summit curtains: How Macron missed his De Gaulle moment
The ‘De Gaulle moment’ that many had speculated about before Wednesday night’s Brexit summit (10-11 April) did not come, but President Emmanuel Macron still lived up to the spirit of the post-war French leader by throwing his weight around the...
Macron should keep Britain twisting on its Brexit hook
With the Brexit camp in increasing turmoil, EU leaders would be wise to give Theresa May her extension and wait for the tide to continue turning, argues Denis MacShane.
Smileys and selfies: Europe’s far-right tries to end divisions
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini sends texts with smileys to French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and posts selfies with Austrian far-right politician Heinz-Christian Strache.
Setback for Macron as court vetoes key plank of anti-protest law
French President Emmanuel Macron's crackdown on anti-government protests with tougher police tactics hit a fresh snag on Thursday (4 April) as France's Constitutional Court canned one of the central elements of the new rules.
EU country briefing: Romania
The following article is a part of a series of brief country profiles for the EU-27 ahead of the European elections in May. Romania, together with Bulgaria, missed the first wave of the EU’s eastward expansion in 2004. The two joined the...
Victor Ponta: The ruling PSD in Romania is becoming like Fidesz
In a wide-ranging interview, the former Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who has founded a new centre-left force, Pro-Romania, doesn’t mince his words criticising his former party, the ruling PSD. The Party of European Socialists (PES) should, if necessary, show PSD the red card, he says.
Sefcovic loses to Caputova in Slovakia presidential election
The election of Zuzana Čaputová as Slovakia's first female president was hailed Sunday (31 March) as a vote for change, with the anti-graft activist expected to provide a check on a government tarnished after last year's murder of a journalist.
Relations with Romania have become ‘heavier’, Commission admits
The European Commission admitted on Friday (29 March) that relations with Romania, the holder of the rotating EU presidency, had become “heavier” because of the case of Laura Codruța Kövesi, the top candidate for the post of the chief European prosecutor.
Facebook says political ads fix brings ‘unprecedented levels of accountability’
Facebook has unveiled a raft of measures to prevent foreign campaigns from interfering in national elections. But the plans will also make it more complicated for pan-European parties to advertise in countries where they are not directly represented.
Five arrested after Maltese military seizes tanker hijacked by migrants
Five men were arrested Thursday (28 March) after Maltese armed forces took control of a tanker that was hijacked by migrants off Libya and the ship docked in Malta.
Council and Parliament lock horns over EU chief prosecutor choice
MEPs and EU government representatives failed to reach an agreement on the appointment of the bloc’s first chief prosecutor on Wednesday (27 March), following disagreements over the potential hiring of Romania’s former anti-corruption chief Laura Codruţa Kövesi. The talks were the second...
EU country briefing: Greece
Greece was the first southeast European country that joined the EU (then EEC) in 1981, and the poorest one to have joined by then. While the European Commission suggested a ten-year pre-accession period at the time, other member states overruled it for geopolitical reasons.
EU to end ship patrols in scaled down Operation Sophia
The European Union will cease the maritime patrols that have rescued thousands of migrants making the perilous Mediterranean Sea crossing from North Africa to Europe, but it will extend air missions, two diplomats said on Tuesday (26 March).
Theresa May to meet ministers amid reported moves to oust her
British Prime Minister Theresa May will on Monday (25 March) chair a potentially volatile meeting of her cabinet amid reports of an attempted coup by colleagues over her handling of Brexit.