Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash Many young, non-white and Muslim, as well as central and Eastern European citizens in the 27 EU members states feel excluded, disillusioned or uninterested in the politics of the European Union, according to a major new report published today by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)…
Photo by Ethan Wilkinson on Unsplash The European Union is introducing two important changes for travel to Europe in a few weeks. These are: EU Entry/Exit System (EES), which is planned to launch on 10 November in 2024 and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), due in mid-2025. For those planning to…
A large group of European NGO representatives, members of the Break Free From Plastic movement and Zero Waste Europe network, displayed a large Pinocchio figure in front of the European Commission building in Brussels. They say the action on 24 September “illustrates how big consumer brands and supermarkets, with Member states’ leniency, are holding…
Photo by Nico Herrndobler on Unsplash Over 500 participants took part in the 2024 Budapest Forum. They included government ministers, ambassadors, national politicians, academics and policy experts who gathered last week at the Central European University (CEU) in Hungary. The annual event, which seeks to find democratic solutions to challenges facing the world…
Photo by Meizhi Lang on Unsplash China is a threat to Europe disguised as a Peacemaker. The annual UN General Assembly begins on Tuesday 24 September. Most readers will view this news as routine, imagining hundreds of state leaders in similar ties or exotic national costumes delivering traditional, grandiloquent speeches about local or…
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s victory plan for Ukraine, which will be presented at the UN General Assembly later this month, plays a central role in Ukraine’s strategy to end Russian aggression and restore sovereignty. The plan consists of four key elements. Firstly, it calls for the liberation of all occupied Ukrainian territories through military victory, including…
Two new hotels have opened close to Brussels airport, helping meet increased demand from the travelling public. A relative lack of accommodation at or near the national airport has sometimes been a cause of complaint from international air passengers. However, the twin openings hope to go some way to addressing such concerns. The two brand-new…
MEPs are calling on the EU to speed up financial aid for victims of the devastating floods affecting a quarter of European countries. Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Germany have all been hit by extreme weather conditions, resulting in the deaths of 23 people. MEPs say the loss of life and the…
Photo by Keszthelyi Timi on Unsplash The US Ambassador to Hungary has criticised alleged attacks on the judiciary in Hungary. David Pressman was giving a keynote address at the 2024 Budapest Forum on 18 September. He told the event that soon after he arrived in Hungary, he had endeavoured to meet with leaders…
Photo by Antoine Schibler on Unsplash The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has adopted a resolution tracking democratic progress in the European Union and calling for a stronger EU with a new six-fold concept of security. It says the new European Parliament and Commission should, given the current multi-crisis, make use of the…
