Photo by Megan Lee on Unsplash Three months after President von der Leyen’s announcement in her 2022 State of the Union Address, the European Commission and the Government of Ukraine have signed a €100 million support package for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of schooling facilities damaged in Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. Support will reach Ukraine through the EU’s humanitarian partners…
Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash The Social Climate Fund was proposed by the European Commission in July 2021 and revised by the Council of the European Union in June 2022. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has been asked by the Council to deliver an opinion on the revised proposal. The Social Climate Fund has the potential…
Photo by Simon Goetz on Unsplash The global food price crisis has only been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. It is actually due to more structural and systemic problems in the commodities market, creating hunger and threatening people’s livelihoods, points out the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in its own initiative opinion, adopted at the December plenary. Fuelled…
Photo by fikry anshor on Unsplash The European Parliament has just voted for a series of measures aimed at strengthening the fight against corruption, following the revelations in the ‘Qatargate’ scandal. The measures include: A cooling off period for MEPs to prevent revolving doors; to prohibit financial ties with lobbyists; stricter rules on ‘friendship groups’; improved whistleblower protection; strengthen…
Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash The Left Group says it has secured some firm commitments and measures on corruption, transparency and accountability from the European Parliament for strong and concrete measures. The resolution followed recent revelations in the ongoing Qatargate scandal. Highlights include: Left Co-President Manon Aubry said, “Since 2019, I have been fighting tirelessly to denounce the “dangerous liaisons” between…
Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash A much-needed charity for Belgium’s English speaking community has seen a huge rise in referrals in the past two years. The Community Help Service, based in Brussels, provides a 24 hour helpline for people who feel the need to speak to someone about a personal problem, including possible mental health issues. The…
Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash EU member states have taken action “in response to Russia’s continuing war of aggression against Ukraine and the gravity of the current escalation against civilians and civilian infrastructure.” On Friday, they adopted a ninth package of new measures intended to step up pressure on Russia and its government. “After food and…
Russia has an extensive network of agents in the EU, which can be used for comprehensive destabilisation and Putin is rapidly scaling up threats to Europe, reports the International Foundation for Better Governance. The coup attempt in Germany, which took place on 7th December, is a classic example of the hybrid aggression of the Russian Federation. Among the…
Baggy trousers and high heels. Bad haircuts and hairy baddies. Genies and giant birds. Shipwrecks and magic carpets. Lots of tea and even more gin. All this and much more awaits in this year’s English Comedy Club pantomime, Sinbad the Sailor. Forget everything you ever knew about the 1001 Nights and Sheherezade the story-teller! This…
Photo by Viktor Forgacs on Unsplash French bank Société Générale had perhaps hoped to have heard the last of its Russian adventures when it closed its sale of its Russian business Rosbank to the Interros group, a firm linked to Russian oligarch Vladimir Potantin. The sale resulted in Société Générale taking a 3.2 billion Euro hit, according to…
