Photo by Gabriel Silvério on Unsplash The Left group in the European parliament has criticised supporters of former far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro for storming key government sites including the Congress. It has echoes of what happened in the U.S two years ago when far right demonstrators, backed by ex President Trump, stormed the U.S Congress. The disorder comes…
Photo by Orxan Musayev on Unsplash The opening of a new Azeri Embassy in Israel has been hailed as a significant step in advancing the cooperation between the two countries and constitutes a natural continuation of the centuries-old friendship between the Azeri and Jewish nations. 30 ministers and members of the Israeli Knesset wrote an open letter of…
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash In 2003 Tony Blair appointed the first UK Ethics Adviser to investigate ministerial sleaze. Why the UK should need such a role while no EU Prime Minister has felt a similar need says something about the unique state of UK politics, writes Philip Bushill-Matthews. Voters have the right to expect that anyone…
Photo by Michal Matlon on Unsplash The European Parliament has just voted for a series of measures aimed at strengthening the fight against corruption, following the revelations in the ‘Qatargate’ scandal. The measures include: A cooling off period for MEPs to prevent revolving doors; to prohibit financial ties with lobbyists; stricter rules on ‘friendship groups’; improved whistleblower protection;…
Photo by Alexandr Podvalny on Unsplash Christmas is a time when families come together to care for each other: this year, with waves of strikes in the public sector paralysing the UK, millions of people are struggling even to care for themselves, writes Philip Bushill-Matthews. Public support for the various strikes is variable: but support for healthcare strikers…
Photo by Jorgen Hendriksen on Unsplash Russia’s “war of aggression” against Ukraine continues to threaten the stability and security of Europe, says a leading Brussels-based think tank. The conflict, says the European Policy Centre will “add to the challenge for many who are struggling to afford energy and food this winter.” But one thing is “certain”, it says,…
Climate change is “real, rapid and relentless,” an international conference in Brussels on the Arctic was told. The comments were made by Mike Sfraga, who chairs the influential U.S Arctic Research Commission, and who gave an address to the Arctic Futures Symposium. The event was told that the impact of global warming is accelerating four…
The European Policy Centre (EPC) a key Brussels based think tank, has announced that Brigid Laffan will succeed Herman Van Rompuy as its president. Van Rompuy has decided to step down from his active position as the President of the EPC after serving in that capacity for seven years. However, he will continue to be involved…
In former times and as we now see, there are individuals who want to reshape the world and regional relations. They tend to invent a plausible excuse to justify their aspirations, as if they have been offended, blocked in their ambitions or not appreciated… In fact, everything looks much simpler. The ambitious person we are…
Thanks to “unprecedented mobilisation” generators have just been despatched from Brussels to the war-torn country to help provide energy in the bitterly cold winter months. Four generators left the European Parliament on Wednesday. They were purchased in Belgium and result from a fund raising campaign for Ukraine. This was spearheaded by Andrzej Halicki, who is…
