Access to COVID Vaccines

Covax

The European Parliament’s special Covid-19 committee exchanged views with ministers from the Global South and leading representatives of international health and trade organisations last week. The S&Ds used the meeting to call on international partners to recommit to the global initiative, COVAX, intended to guarantee equitable access to Covid vaccines.  As a next step, the scope…

The EU’s Dwindling Reputation in Africa

EU and Africa

A leading think tank has called for an “unprecedented”  EU investment strategy in Africa which has an “image problem.” Friends of Europe founder Giles Merritt says, “Nobody would deny the widespread prejudice against corruption and inefficiency there, whatever the facts of individual cases.” Many African countries are, it is claimed by Friends of Europe, a…

Women in the Labour Market

Women and Work

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has this week debated the way to improve women’s participation in the labour market with EP Vice-President Evelyn Regner.  Following the debate, the EESC plenary adopted two opinions with recommendations for making EU legislation more effective in promoting women’s empowerment and supporting the societal role of family caregivers. …

Combatting Terrorism

Combatting terrorism

Combating terrorism has been part of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation’s (Eurojust) mandate since its creation in 2002 and remains one of its core priorities.  The EU Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs has amended the Eurojust Regulation in force and strengthened the agency’s tools for sharing data relating…

Jazz in Brussels this Autumn

Jazz in Brussels

“Bruxelles sur Scènes”, the festival of the Brussels café-theatres, returns for a new edition this autumn.  Throughout November, 13 exceptional venues will offer some 100 shows and performances allowing the public to discover these often lesser-known local cultural centres. Every aspect of performing arts will be in the spotlight, from stand-up and jazz to theatre…

Has Putin Lost China as an Ally?

XI Jinping and Vladimir Putin

On 27 October, President Xi Jinping said that China should develop dialogue with the West on equal terms. By the word “West”, the Chinese Secretary General meant the United States, and in fact confirmed Beijing’s focus on the formation of a bipolar world in which China will become a superpower. Earlier, on 25 October, President…

CICA: Formation of the Asian Counterweight

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Asia is gaining momentum. The time has come to launch international mechanisms, which, before that, were created and regulated for almost 30 years, to turn them into a single structure. Clear, stable and running smoothly. Considering the fact that the world situation is now in dire need of this.     These meetings on the…

Under Olaf Scholz, Germany Stumbles Towards Deeper Economic Ties with China

Scholz visiting China

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s upcoming visit to Beijing has aroused harsh criticism in Germany and the global community, writes Jianli Yang. A year ago, in early November 2021, on a visit to Taiwan, a member of a European Parliament delegation claimed that Europe “stands with you” on,”  reminding the world of where EU-China relations stood in light of China’s…