Pro-Putin Propaganda Activists Infiltrate Brussels

Photo by Miha Rekar on Unsplash

Photo by Miha Rekar on Unsplash Researchers of the Brussels-based NGO Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) have just discovered an infiltration attempt by a pro-Putin Ukrainian media activist in the Brussels-EU Bubble where he plans to spread false information about Russia’s war on Ukraine and to damage the image of Ukraine. His name is Nikolay Moiseenko (Moysienko Mykola Viktorovich), writes Willy Fautré….

Will France Return to the Politics of Hate, Nationalism and Xenophobia?

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Photo by Dawid Małecki on Unsplash The European Parliament elections with their low turn outs, unknown politicians, and use as a protest vote against incumbent governments have exploded into life with the decision of President Macron to dissolve the French Parliament, writes Denis MacShane. In effect he is holding a plebiscite asking the French people and indirectly the…

Europe’s Declining Influence in Africa

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Photo by Thomas Bennie on Unsplash Europe is retreating from Africa in what seems likely to be the greatest shift of all in the 21st century’s new era of tectonic geo-political change, writes Giles Merritt. It is five hundred years since Henry the Navigator’s explorers set up Portuguese trading posts that eventually led to European colonialism. Africa was…

Religious Freedom Crisis in Japan

A delegation from the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) Japan traveled to France to highlight the ongoing crisis of religious freedom in Japan and brought to light the severe social, political, and legal challenges facing the organisation, writes Peter Zoehrer. President Tomihiro Tanaka, who did not travel to France, sent a compelling…

Quo Vadis, Cohesion Policy?

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash Cohesion Policy, the bedrock of Europe’s regional development, stands at a crucial crossroads. For decades, it has been instrumental in reducing economic, social, and territorial disparities across the EU. However, recent challenges demand urgent attention and adaptation, writes Thomas Schwab. Firstly, Cohesion Policy operates in a shifting global landscape. The Russian invasion…

The EU Looks for New Leaders

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Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash At this moment of great instability, the European Union is looking for new leaders, writes Andrew Duff.  The decisions it faces are delicate and critical. With the national elections for the European Parliament taking place in 27 member states on 6-9 June, the question is: Can they deliver the leadership the EU…

The Torch of Freedom Burns Bright in France

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 Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash The ideals of Liberté, Egalité, and Fraternité sparked the French Revolution over two centuries ago and transformed the world. With its recent constitutional enshrinement of reproductive rights, France has reaffirmed its commitment to these principles, writes Alyssa Milano. I recently visited the beautiful city of Paris for a fan convention. Reuniting with…

Will European Migration Policy Survive a New Parliament in Brussels?

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Photo by Ra Dragon on Unsplash If polls are to be believed, a potential emergence of a more influential far-right bloc within the European Parliament could have significant ramifications for the EU’s migration policy. Historically, far-right parties have campaigned on stringent immigration platforms, advocating for tighter border controls and stricter asylum policies. A sizable presence of these parties…

The Spitzenkandidat Process

Christina Keßler

The Spitzenkandidat (lead candidate) process has not fulfilled its promise of engaging the average voter.  Still, it has helped ‘europeanise’ the European Parliament elections and is worth persisting with. Who should decide who becomes the President of the European Commission, the EU’s executive body?  One option is the (democratically-elected) governments of the member-states.  Another is the (democratically-elected) European…