Some EU citizens in the UK are being locked out of exercising their rights, a conference was told. The Civil Society EUSS Alliance, which comprises over 200 organisations working with communities across the UK, raised their concerns at a meeting in the UK Parliament. The event heard that many applicants face hurdles in trying to…
Author: Our Staff Correspondent
Iratxe García Meets Zelenskyy
A senior MEP has used a meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to warn that the West is facing a critical geopolitical period. S&D leader in the EU Parliament Iratxe García met with Zelenskyy on 11 December and reiterated her group’s continued full support to Ukraine for whatever it takes to win the war. The…
Lamberts Becomes Adviser to von der Leyen
A former MEP has taken up a senior role with the EU Commission, it has emerged. Philippe Lamberts is a former co-leader of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament. The Belgian politician has now taken up a role advising the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The main task of the 61-year-old Belgian…
Call to Back Europe’s Brewing Industry
Photo by Elevate on Unsplash Beer remains a motor for Europe’s economy but continues to face multiple challenges, ranging from the aftershocks of the Covid pandemic to supply chain turbulence, say The Brewers of Europe. The 2024 edition of the European Beer Trends Report, released on 3 December, provides a snapshot of country-by-country production, consumption…
Productivity Slowdown
Photo by tommao wang on Unsplash Average wages in Britain are only slightly higher than they were in 2007, says a new report. What it calls an extraordinary fact is down, it says, to extremely weak productivity growth after 2008. France, on the other hand, managed to keep pace with US output per hour in the decade…
Georgian Struggle for Freedom
Photo by Tbel Abuseridze on Unsplash The European Union says it regrets the Georgian Dream’s decision not to pursue the opening of EU accession negotiations and rejecting EU financial support until 2028. A statement from the EU said the announcement marks a shift from the policies of all previous Georgian governments and the European aspirations…
Hong Kong Violating Human Rights
Photo by Joseph Chan on Unsplash MEPs have raised concerns over Hong Kong, notably the cases of Jimmy Lai and the 45 activists recently convicted under the national security law. The Hong Kong government must, say Euro members, immediately and unconditionally release all pro-democracy politicians, activists and journalists sentenced on national security charges and drop…
Action To Combat Domestic Violence
Photo by Altin Ferreira on Unsplash European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has called for more action to combat the bullied victims of domestic violence who, she says, are often left “traumatised” by their ordeal. She was speaking in parliament to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. To honour victims, the…
New European Commission Under Fire from Left
Some MEPs have signalled their strong disapproval of the new team of EU commissioners to serve under Ursula von der Leyen. MEPs voted to back the new team, or college, at the plenary in Strasbourg. The mainstream parties voted in favour of the new look commission. But the Left Group is particularly scathing, branding the…
Polish Presidency January to June 2025
Photo by Maksym Harbar on Unsplash Poland has outlined the political direction of the rotating presidency the country will hold from January to June 2025. Details were unveiled by the Polish Undersecretary of State, Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka. The central theme of the presidency is ‘security’, structured around seven key pillars: external, energy, economic, food, climate, health and information. This comprehensive…