Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash The European Commission and European Central Bank’s recommendations for Bulgaria to join the Eurozone as the 21st member state by January 1 2026 have been welcomed by leading MEPs. “We support Bulgaria’s entry in the Eurozone and expect our potential new member to contribute to the success of the common European currency”, said…
Photo by 1Click on Unsplash Most people familiar with EU affairs know the single market is a myth. Hailed as the bedrock of the European Union, it was never completed and is now crumbling, writes Giles Merritt Saving it is vital but difficult. The Commission has just announced a new single market strategy, although it…
Belgian viticulture continues to grow. That was the keynote message to emerge from a major wine awards and launch of the third edition of the Gault&Millau Belgian Wine Guide. The new edition features 24 additional wineries and 29 new references, bringing the total number of wineries and 236 selected wines to 123. Of these, 63…
Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash Some MEPs have welcomed the election of Karol Nawrocki as President of Poland. Nawrocki, the populist-right opposition candidate in Sunday’s exceptionally close election was backed by the Law and Justice party (PiS). In what was a key test of current public opinion, he beat his pro-European rival Rafał Trzaskowski. Nawrocki…
Photo by James Lee on Unsplash The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has held its first meetings with local and regional politicians from Albania, Kosovo, and Moldova. The aim was to accelerate the three countries’ preparations for accession to the European Union. It is hoped contacts between mayors and councillors from the EU and…
May 31 is marked in Kazakhstan as the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Political Repression and Famine. Between the 1920s and 1950s, over 100,000 people in Kazakhstan were convicted on political grounds, with tens of thousands executed. More than 1.5 million Kazakhs perished during the forced collectivisation and famines of the 1930s, with some…
The keenly-awaited V&A East Storehouse, which officially opened on Saturday 31 May, is the size of 30 basketball courts and houses all-manner of items. Designed by world renowned architects Diller, Scofidio and Renfro, it opens as part of East Bank, the new cultural quarter in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. A ground-breaking new museum experience…
Photo by Elvira Blumfelde on Unsplash MEPs are urgently calling for Frontex to be deployed in Ceuta and Melilla – Spain’s autonomous cities on the North African coast – to help protect the EU’s southern border. The demand follows a recent fact-finding mission to the area by a group of centre right Euro deputies. EPP…
Photo by Masood Aslami on Unsplash A campaign group claims that plans outlined recently by the European Commission will boost corporate power. Campaigners allege that the Commission’s Single Market Strategy communication will limit the democratic space that national and local authorities need to protect people and the environment. The Commission’s plans were launched in the…
Photo by Antoine Schibler on Unsplash Decentralisation and the transition towards a greener, more sustainable economy were centre-stage at the Enlargement Day conference held by the European Committee of the Regions. The event, on 27-28 May, was the European Union’s largest event of the year dedicated to EU enlargement from a local and regional perspective. …
