Wednesday
27th Oct 2021
EU institutions and states abdicated their responsibilities for search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean, deputising Libya to take their place, withdrawing naval assets from high-seas corridors, and obstructing, even criminalising, NGO groups, writes the European director of Human Rights Watch.
With Poland throwing the legal order of Europe in disarray, Russia rationing Europe's gas supply and the UK reneging on its Brexit commitments, perhaps the moment has come again to read a few essays by French philosopher Michel de Montaigne.
What we call for is another approach to the financing of the European Grean Deal. While a lot of attention is being paid to decarbonisation, the other two aspects - de-financialisation and democratisation - are largely ignored.
A commitment to fighting racism cannot go hand in hand with 'Fortress Europe' policies which demonise black, brown and Muslim refugees and migrants or with rights violations linked to Frontex pushbacks.
We propose a mandatory solidarity mechanism that allows for flexible options. Every member state will have to contribute in one way or another - through either relocation, return sponsorship or capacity-building measures, writes EPP rapporteur Tomas Tobé MEP.
Former UK ambassador to Mali and Niger, who also served in Kabul, reflects on the implications of the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan for EU policy in the Sahel.
China's growing economic footprint in Ukraine may already be producing geopolitical consequences that put the country at odds with core European priorities. Volodymyr Zelensky decided earlier this year to withdraw Ukraine's condemnation of Chinese government crimes against the Uighurs.
Fair Trials, EDRi and other civil society organisations are calling on MEPs to hold true to protect our fundamental rights. We urge MEPs to vote against the revision of Europol's mandate, which distinctly lacks meaningful accountability and safeguards.
Why the European Parliament's vote against the discharge of Frontex is the only plausible position for anyone who values human life.
In a Kafka-esque irony, Frontex is withholding public access to documents pertaining to the response of a public institution to a protest by members of the public on grounds that this would violate the "public interest".
There is a stretch of brand new, EU-funded railway line from the town of Bitola in North Macedonia to the Greek border, but no train has ever used it.
Polish women are on the front line of a battle for human rights and rule of law. They need urgent EU protection, amid death threats and government abuse.
If the democratic right in EU politics gets too weak, then the left and everybody loses, because extremists start setting the agenda.
Conference on the Future of Europe must address shortcomings in the EU model of 'dual democracy' and prevent backsliding in member states.
In 2020, the German presidency of the EU rejected the idea of accepting corporate sponsors. On this point, France seems unwilling to follow Germany.
Some 50 scholars working on antisemitism and related fields issue a stark warning against the political instrumentalisation of the fight against antisemitism.
Muslim leaders' indifference to the Taliban's rollback of women's rights is a slap in the face of millions of empowered Muslim women who are active and full-fledged citizens of their countries.
In Afghanistan today at least 18 million people - nearly half the population - are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Now is the time to focus on them.
The 29 September historic high of $1,000 per thousand cubic metres for natural gas is not likely to be the final one this year, as European economies are still in desperate need to fill their storage facilities before winter.
A canned €1.7bn Barcelona airport project did not come as a surprise to many Spaniards and most Catalans. Transport infrastructure in Spain is governed with an underlying mandate of protecting Madrid as the central node of political power.
In comparison to other EU members, the Czech government has escaped relatively unscathed. The populist governments in Hungary and Poland are facing serious consequences for testing EU tolerance on core democratic values.
As US-China rivalries heat up, Europeans will be asked to join all kinds of new and exciting macho military alliances to show the world just who is boss. The temptation to join the bandwagon should be resisted.
Europe has Fermo shoes, Como silk, Bohemian crystal, Limoges porcelain, Toledo steel, Donegal tweed, Solingen cutlery - the list goes on. These products and the local artisans who craft them are an essential part of European history and identity.
Right-wing extremist narratives thrive on the US's swift withdrawal from Afghanistan. They may gain traction particularly among soldiers and veterans of Western armed forces, some of which have in the past been confronted with right-wing radicalisation among their troops.
Brussels is feeling the Mario Draghi effect, too. After the German elections, this former president of the European Central Bank will become the European Council's most institutionally-experienced member.
Looking at the historical record, a clear picture emerges: the president of the European Parliament is an above-middle aged white man, most likely German — and with an overwhelming likelyhood to be conservative or socialist.
Europe is no longer an Indo-Pacific power. It will not become an Indo-Pacific power. And if it keeps overreaching its geopolitical ambitions, Europe might lose its credibility as a power - entirely.
There is one female leader in European history whom Merkel resembles much more than the fiery, authoritarian Catherine the Great, who once staged a coup with her lover against her husband. Instead, it is the Habsburg empress Maria-Theresia.
More than 55 agreements between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain are currently underway. These lay the foundation for practical cooperation in almost all fields including: finance, communications, economy, culture, tourism, taxation, investment protection, freedom of movement, water, agriculture and energy.
East Germany's Angela Merkel, understanding the history and complexity of the region, stuck to her 'open door' policy. Nobody expects her successors to be as accommodating.
Libya's political disarray and the internationalisation of its civil war are profoundly concerning, not only morally but also for Europe's security and dignity.
With the drive for lower prices and emergence of more and more 'fast-fashion' brands, durability is inevitably compromised. However, through new regulation, selling durable products shall no longer be a design option - it will be a legal requirement.
We are setting the standard for many years to come. Rest assured; I have a clear mandate from my group and I am doing everything in my power to kick out fossil fuels from EU financing.
