Freedom of thought
Violence against girls is corrosive to society
More than a half of the world’s women and girls experience some kind of physical or sexual violence in their early years. This miserable tide of suffering is ruining millions of girls’ childhoods and undermining their chances of becoming healthy adults, warn Kevin J. Jenkins and Susan Bissell.
May, Macron, Gentiloni push for quick removal of extremist online content
Leaders of France, Italy and the United Kingdom urged social media companies on Wednesday to more swiftly remove "terrorist content" from the internet, with the aim of stopping it from being uploaded in the first place.
Hungary set for another ‘national consultation’ targeting Soros
Hungary is set to launch another "national consultation" about US financier and philanthropist George Soros, the government said on Tuesday (19 September), paving the way for fresh attacks on the man portrayed as the public enemy before next year's elections.
Is the EU getting serious on religious freedom?
“If you are going to be a serious person in the military, political, diplomatic world you have to understand religion.” So says Tim Montgomerie, a British political activist and journalist who edits the UnHerd website.
Serbia’s gay PM at Pride takes tolerance ‘one step at a time’
Serbia's lesbian prime minister said Sunday (17 September) that she was working "one step at a time" towards a more tolerant society, as she joined Belgrade's annual gay march held under heavy security.
Andrew Geddes: Shifting attitudes to migration starts with trusted political leaders
Ahead of the launch of the Observatory of Public Attitudes to migration, its director Andrew Geddes tells EURACTIV that a better understanding of attitudes can help craft informed policy debates and shift public attitudes on migration.
Campaigner: Religious freedom envoy must be permanent part of EU’s foreign policy team
The EU appointed its first special envoy on religious freedom in May 2016. Jan Figel’s 12-month mandate has now been extended for another year and Sophia Kuby of the Alliance for Defending Freedom (ADF) explains why his role should be strengthened.
EU faces legal ‘turf war’ on controversial religious freedom cases
Freedom to live by the values of religious faith is protected in the EU treaties under Article 10 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. But it remains a legal grey area across the EU.
It is not easy being LGBT in Serbia
Belgrade's annual Pride Week began on Monday (11 September) and will end with a march on Sunday (17 September). Pride parades were held over the past few years with strong security measures and, in the meantime, Serbia elected a gay prime minister. EURACTIV.rs reports.
UN chief, Security Council call on Myanmar to end violence
UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the UN Security Council yesterday (13 September) urged Myanmar to end violence against the majority-Buddhist country’s Rohingya Muslims that has forced some 400,000 people to flee to Bangladesh.
France says Venezuela talks to take place, warns of sanctions
Venezuela's government and opposition will hold a round of talks in the Dominican Republic today (13 September), France's foreign minister said yesterday, warning Caracas that it risked EU sanctions if it failed to engage in negotiations.
Orban denounces ‘violence’ of EU relocation plan
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose government committed acts of obvious violence against migrants before the country isolated itself behind a border wall, accused the EU of “violence” in imposing a plan to relocate migrants.
After year of ‘repression’ in Bahrain, West remains silent, Amnesty says
Bahrain's government has crushed dissent and violently cracked down on protests in the past year, Amnesty International said on Thursday (7 September), accusing Britain and the United States in particular of turning a blind eye to its abuses.
Survey: Muslims well-integrated in Western Europe, but still face rejection
Muslims have come a long way towards integration into Western Europe, particularly in terms of language, education and work, but remain on the margins of everyday social acceptance, a study by the Bertelsmann Stiftung revealed on Thursday (24 August).
EU’s leftists accuse Estonian Presidency of playing political games
The Estonian Presidency is holding an informal ministerial conference in Tallinn on Wednesday (23 August) under the title “The Heritage in 21st Century Europe of the Crimes Committed by Communist Regimes".
Northern Ireland court rules gay marriage ban doesn’t violate rights
Northern Ireland's refusal to recognise same-sex marriage does not violate the rights of couples affected, the Belfast High Court ruled on Thursday (17 August), in a blow to campaigners in the only part of the United Kingdom that bans gay marriage.
UK and Germany criticise Trump for failing to oppose neo-Nazis
Of all the EU capitals, London and Berlin have reacted most strongly to Donald Trump’s reluctance to forcefully condemn white supremacists after a woman was killed during a white-nationalist rally in Charlottesville last Saturday (12 August).
The EU disregards human rights in Iran
Federica Mogherini should be asked how she manages to continue relations with the Iranian officials despite reports of Tehran's declining respect for human rights, writes Hamid Bahrami.
Polish president vetoes controversial court reforms
Poland's president on Monday (24 July) vetoed controversial judicial reforms that had prompted huge street protests and threats of unprecedented EU sanctions.
Candlelight protest against changes to Poland’s judiciary
Thousands of demonstrators bearing candles marched on the Polish Supreme Court on Sunday (23 July) in protest against controversial proposed judicial reforms.
European human rights court to rule on extremist online videos
Europe's top human rights court will rule on Thursday (19 July) whether online videos considered by a Belgian court to be Islamist hate speech should be allowed under free speech provisions.
Visegrad leaders say EU must show more support for Israel
The EU should better appreciate Israel’s key role in Middle Eastern stability, leaders of the Visegrad Four nations said yesterday (19 July) in a joint attack with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu on Brussels’ current policy towards the Jewish state.
Timmermans dangles Article 7, makes appeal to the Poles
The Commission is likely to call for the triggering of Article 7 next Wednesday (26 July) with respect to Poland, often referred to as “the nuclear option” to punish an EU member state, it emerged following the weekly meeting of the EU executive today (19 July).
Meeting of minds as Netanyahu visits Orbán
Hungary welcomes Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu today (18 July) on a landmark visit that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hopes will bolster him in his battle with George Soros and deflect charges of stoking anti-Semitism.