Politics Archives

A new report lays bare the widespread encroachments to the fundamental rights of Romani people in Western EU countries, providing the latest piece of evidence of discrimination against Europe's largest ethnic minority.

The European Commission will have the last say through legislative acts when it comes to the enforcement of the EU's new migration - the latest balancing act trying to reconcile Europe's southern and eastern members.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is blackmailing the rest of the European Union, but MEPs and EU leaders must call his bluff to hold up the COVID-19 recovery fund if rule of law criteria are included. This may be the EU's last chance to crack down on his rogue regime. writes Csaba Molnár.

With domestic violence and health issues having affected French women more than men during the COVID-19 health crisis, the economic consequences of the pandemic have also impacted the country's employment sector and have widened the gender inequality gap. EURACTIV France reports.

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about the state of Bavaria intending to impose stricter COVID-19 rules than the rest of Germany, the Czech health minister resigining as new cases soar, and so much more.

The tragic fire that ravaged the Mória refugee camp in Greece on 9 September has again highlighted the weaknesses of the EU's asylum and immigration policies and a lack of European solidarity. EURACTIV France reports on France's experience of the migration regime.

Poland's ruling right-wing coalition looked to be hanging by a thread on Monday (21 September), as a government spokesman said he could imagine the largest party in the grouping, Law and Justice (PiS), governing without one of its current partners.

The EU needs to be more courageous in its diplomacy, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in her first State of the Union speech a couple of days ago. Some said her lengthy speech was bold. Others complained that there was too much wishful thinking. Others remarked that foreign affairs are not exactly her remit.

Twenty-nine German police officers have been suspended after they were found to have taken part in a series of chat groups filled with neo-Nazi and racist messages. But this is not the first time that authorities have discovered right-wing extremism in the police.  EURACTIV Germany reports.

The EU home affairs commissioner, who is to unveil a much-awaited asylum reform this week, urged Saturday (18 September) that a system of "mandatory" solidarity on migration be agreed between member states.

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about Finland's Green Party calling for a discussion regarding the legalisation of cannabis, Norway cutting funds for Polish communities that have adopted resolutions on so-called "LGBT-free zones", and so much more.

When it comes to migration, there should be tangible solidarity in the EU. However, Poland cannot accept the paradigm according to which solidarity is based on obligatory measures, including relocation, writes Andrzej Sadoś.

Thousands of people demonstrated Sunday (20 September) in Berlin and other German cities, urging the European Union to take in migrants left without shelter after a fire destroyed their biggest camp in Greece.

There is an urgent need to fully recognise the democratic rights of all European citizens, write Alberto Alemanno, Giorgio Clarotti, Olivier Costa and Christophe Leclercq.

EU member states and the European Parliament continued to disagree on Friday (18 September) on whether to increase the Union’s long-term budget, complicating attempts to reach a quick agreement on the badly needed recovery fund for the member states.

Commission's equality boss Helena Dalli on Friday (18 September) stressed the importance of "anti-racism" as the core principle of the EU's plan to tackle ethnic discrimination across the continent, which will include new legislation, policy measures, and dialogue.

Funding for Erasmus + should not be sacrificed as the EU gears up for its massive spending plan to combat the economic damage caused by Covid-19, writes Florian Sanden.

The upcoming negotiations over the EU's long-awaited new migration proposal are expected to hit another dead end, despite the European Commission's assurances of having held an "intensive consultation process".

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about how US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden warned the UK government about undermining the Irish Good Friday Agreement, the German government issuing an apology to gay members of its military, and so much more.

Europeans frightened by migration must be shown concretely that their security will not be at risk if reasonable programmes are implemented with the direct help of organised civil society, writes Marco Impagliazzo.

In her state of the union, VDL aims to please, Trump thinks Vienna is nothing but trees and Dominic Raab has us all thinking jeez!

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s SOTEU speech hit all the main points expected of her but there were also less obvious yet still interesting ideas, hidden between the lines.

The EU's foreign affairs branch is monitoring disinformation tactics allegedly used by the Russian state across communications platforms such as Telegram and media including RT and Sputnik on the poisoning of Alexei Navalny and the continuing protests in Belarus.

The European Parliament will pass today its Resolution “on the implementation of National Roma Integration Strategies: combating negative attitudes towards people with Romani background in Europe”. The rapporteur, Romeo Franz, who is of Roma origin, shares his emotional reaction.