About: News from capitals
Czech agriculture goes digital as science meets with farmers
Close collaboration between scientists, researchers and farmers has helped agriculture in the Czech Republic to take significant digital steps and increase its competitiveness, analysts told EURACTIV Czech Republic.
EXCLUSIVE-Slovenian centre-right: Cancel Orbán vote or EPP is ‘inevitably’ split
The leader of the centre-right Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) has asked the European People’s Party chief and EPP members to cancel a vote today to expel Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz from the centre-right family, saying the EPP could otherwise risk a split just before the European elections.
EU under pressure to pull the plug on Greek coal aid
Campaigners have urged the European Commission to reject a proposed aid scheme for the Greek power sector, saying the draft plan will allow “backdoor subsidies” for a new coal-fired power plant in Greece, in violation of the EU’s recently-updated electricity market rules.
Albania opposition leader: The Commission is ignoring the reality on the ground
The EU has mistakenly sacrificed democracy for the sake of stability in the Balkan region, Lulzim Basha, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Albania, told EURACTIV.com in a telephone interview.
Political alternative in Montenegro: few pros, many cons
Montenegro is facing Sophie's Choice - sacrificing its statehood or abandoning corrupt authorities, writes Vlado Vurušić, a journalist with EURACTIV.hr, in an analytical report from the country's capital Podgorica.
Pro-EU coalition narrowly leads Polish polls
Poland's newly established pro-EU alliance 'European Coalition' leads the latest EU election polls with 37.5% of the vote. Ultra-conservative ruling party Law and Justice (PiS) sits on 36.3%, according to the second seat projections released by the European Parliament. EURACTIV Poland reports.
Austria deports refused refugees in training and education
Refugees in Austria who are refused asylum are rigorously deported, even if they are halfway through their training or education. There are now appeals from the Austrian economy to Chancellor Kurz. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Moscovici says Greek budget targets should be reduced
The targets of budget surpluses imposed by lenders on Greece as part of its bailout terms were not realistic and will have to be changed, EU economics affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said on Thursday (28 February). EURACTIV Greece reports.
The Capitals: Macron’s En Marche ‘will be a partner of EPP,’ Weber says
The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. >> You can subscribe to The Capitals daily newsletter here. /// PRAGUE Weber considers Macron an ally: The arrival of Macron’s En Marche into the...
Commission responds to Orbán’s latest anti-immigration campaign
The European Commission reacted strongly on Thursday (28 February) to a new anti-immigration campaign launched by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán earlier this week by saying it "distorts the truth" and refuting most of its points.
Benoît Hamon’s movement launches European election list on its own
Having failed to bring the French left together with his plans for citizen voting, Benoît Hamon presented the first 30 names on the list of the Génération.s movement. EURACTIV France reports.
Copyright reform: A Visegrád analysis
EU institutions concluded negotiations on the Commission’s controversial copyright reform earlier this month. Political clashes that emerged across the EU also exposed harsh divisions between the Visegrád group of Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. EURACTIV's Visegrád members report.
British farmers fear US pressure on GMOs after Brexit
In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the UK government should not rush to strike a trade deal with countries such as the United States, an official from the UK National Farmers Union told EURACTIV.com in London.
Thousands of Romanians protest against judicial changes
Thousands of Romanians protested across the country on Sunday (24 February) after the government passed an emergency decree that critics said chipped away at prosecutors' independence in one of the European Union's most corrupt states.
Athens conference puts Greek socialists to the test
A conference organised in Athens by the European Parliament's Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group on 4 March has driven a wedge between left-wing political parties in Greece.
EPP protects Orbán for now, fearing he might join far-right
The EPP does not want to raise tensions with its ‘bad boy’ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán because this might push him towards joining Italian populist Matteo Salvini or even far-right Marine Le Pen, a Christian-Democrat (CDU) told EURACTIV.de.
Romania investigates Timmermans and Jourova, Commission says they have immunity
The relations between Bucharest and Brussels hit an all-time low on Thursday (21 February) as the Romanian press reported that the Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans and Justice Commissioner Věra Jourová are under investigation for “falsification” of the last Cooperation and Verification report (CVM).
Romania socialists to attend PES congress as pressure mounts over Kovesi case
Romanian Socialist PSD president Liviu Dragnea will attend the Congress of the European Socialist Party (PES) on 22 and 23 February in Madrid, sources said, although he previously said he could not “be in a picture” with someone who hates Romania.
Serbia foreign minister: We want border demarcation with Kosovo
Serbia's official position in the dialogue with Kosovo is to go for a border demarcation along ethnic lines between Belgrade and its former province, Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić has said without elaborating further. Dačić's statement was met with protests in both Belgrade and Priština.
Germany needs a quarter of a million migrant workers a year
Germany is dependent on migrant workers but a decreasing number of them will be EU citizens in the future. In the long term, about 146,000 immigrants from outside of the EU will have to be integrated into the German labour market every year, according to a recent study. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Bulgarian PM destabilised by revelations about hidden political alliance
In Bulgaria, the European elections are seen as a test for Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, at a time when his conservative GERB party are polling neck-and-neck with the socialists. Krassen Nikolov tells the inside story for EUelectionsBulgaria.com.
Greece and North Macedonia agree to end roaming charges
Athens and Skopje have signed an agreement to gradually decrease roaming charges and remove them completely by 2021.
Pro-EU parties join forces in Poland to face off conservatives
Poland's centre-right Civic Platform (European People’s Party) has joined forces with other opposition parties in a “European Coalition” in order to challenge the ruling conservative Law and Justice party (PiS). EURACTIV Poland reports.