“The first anniversary of the presidential election in Belarus of 9 August 2020 will be a sad day. It will be a sad day for the people of Belarus and for the European Union. Following an unprecedented mobilisation, the people of Belarus were determined to elect a democratic president and they did, electing Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Unfortunately, because of widespread…
The European Parliament has criticised Pakistan’s controversial Blasphemy Laws and called for a review of the status quo, writes Philippe Jeune. Pakistan is a major beneficiary of the trading opportunities offered by the EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP). From January 1st 2014 Pakistan has benefited from generous tariff preferences (mostly zero duties on two…
The Czech Senate has voted on a bill that recognises and foresees financial compensation for the forced sterilisation of Roma women in Czechia which took place for decades. The European Green Party and Zelení, the Czech Green Party, said they welcome this important step in fighting discrimination against Roma communities in Czechia. …
The top European Union court – The European Court of Justice (ECJ) – has made it clear that employers can restrict the wearing of ‘religious symbols’, such as Islamic headscarves, but only in limited circumstances. The ECJ found that such policies must be applied in a general and undifferentiated way and that they must present…
The EU should continue talking to China about global challenges like climate change and health crises, while raising its concerns over systemic human rights violations. In a report adopted on Thursday, by 58 votes in favour, 8 against with 4 abstentions, the foreign affairs committee outlines six pillars on which the EU should build a…
The ECR Group’s Co-Chairmen, Prof Ryszard Legutko and Raffaele Fitto, have condemned the unacceptable repression of the ongoing protests in Cuba and called on the EU to take action. In a joint statement, the two conservative MEPs told this site, “What has been happening for some days now in Cuba is both serious and worrying. The regime led…
July 12, 2021 The Cuban people have suffered 62 years of totalitarian communist dictatorship. During all this time, the island’s regime has wanted to blame the United States for the misery Cubans experience. However, the one that has blocked the possibility of farmers from selling the food they produce to the people is the regime….
The European Parliament “condemns in the strongest possible terms” the recent anti-LGBTI legislation and denounces the dismantling of democracy and the rule of law in Hungary. In a resolution, adopted with 459 in favour 147 against, and 58 abstentions on Thursday, MEPs describe the Hungarian law as being in clear breach of fundamental rights enshrined…
S&D MEPs are urging the Commission and Member States to stand up for LGBTI people in Europe by acting against the offensive and regressive law that blatantly violates their rights in Hungary. The law introduced by Orbán’s government stigmatises and discriminates against LGBTI people by banning content referring to homosexuality, sex change or gender identity…
MEPs have endorsed a temporary regulation that allows web-based service providers to continue fighting child sexual abuse material online on a voluntary basis. In the context of a worrying increase in the volume of child abuse material on the internet exacerbated by the pandemic, the House backed with 537 votes in favour, 133 against and 24…
