Photo by Sasha Pleshco on Unsplash MEPs have broadly welcomed the outcome of Romania’s presidential election. The liberal, pro-EU mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, fought off a strong challenge from a Romanian right-wing nationalist to win the presidency after months of political turbulence. Dan swept to victory with 53.6% of the vote. He campaigned on…
Photo by Bank Phrom on Unsplash The question of whether truly independent journalism can still exist in Hungary is no longer solely a domestic concern; it has now become a prominent issue for the European Commission. On April 28, Magyar Hang and another anonymous outlet filed a formal complaint with the Commission, alleging that the…
Photo by syahmi syahir on Unsplash The ongoing global trade war has created major uncertainty for businesses operating on both sides of the Atlantic, including the EU. One key area of Donald Trump’s trade policy is China and the question is: how will China respond to these policies and what will be the impact on…
Photo by Tam Minton on Unsplash Outrage. Disbelief. Mockery. Pity. These are some of the emotions stirred by the announcement by Donald Trump with the imposition of tariffs on every country in the world except Russia and North Korea. It is not immediately clear why he has decided to exempt the two most hated dictatorships…
Listening to Sir Keir Starmer explaining why standing up to Russian tyranny and bending over backward to get the United States to stay engaged in Europe is like reliving the early dramas of post-war Europe 1948-51, writes Denis MacShane. Starmer’s flat, uninspiring style is almost a parody of Clement Attlee’s dull clipped upper-middle class tones…
Photo by Klim Musalimov on Unsplash The Kremlin has long been playing a dangerous game, not only in Ukraine but across the broader European continent. With a clear goal to manipulate political processes and weaken Ukraine’s leadership, Moscow has been actively undermining President Zelensky’s legitimacy and pushing for his removal. This is no longer just…
Here in Belgium we think that we understand surrealism. But it can still be confusing, it can shock and it can also lead to the discovery of unexpected and unwelcome interpretations that change our view of the world. In my opinion there are four clear outcomes from last Friday’s highly publicised shouting match televised at…
A survey has uncovered alleged shortcomings in the UK’s voting system. Britons who live overseas were surveyed about their experience in receiving voting ballots in order to participate in last year’s UK general election. The aim was to see how well, or otherwise, the postal vote system performed for Britons living and working abroad. The…
The Left group in the European Parliament has warned it is getting ready for a fight for the soul of Europe. It says this comes with the new Arizona government in Belgium, conservatives cosying up to the AfD in Germany, and Meloni cracking down on the right to protest. The blunt message from the group…
Vula Tsetsi and Ciarán Cuffe have been elected as co-chairs of the European Green Party (EGP), receiving near unanimous support from the Green parties across Europe. They supported their vision to take on the extreme right, and to bolster a green and just transition that benefits everyone. Reaction came from Tsetsi who said: “Politically, we are…
