Trust, or trussed?

Truss

When eight central and eastern European countries joined the EU in 2004, an opinion poll showed their people placed greater trust in EU institutions than their own governments: the latest Eurobarometer poll confirms that this was not an isolated result. Based on information gathered across all EU Member States in February and March of last…

Benin under the spotlight at the UN Human Rights Council; Rogatien Biaou speaks out

Rogatien Biaou

On Tuesday 27 September, the issues of human rights and political oppression in Benin were raised at the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, composed of 47 member states, in which Benin is occupying a seat until 2024. An oral statement co-sponsored by two NGOs, CAP/ Liberté deConscience (France) and Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) expressed…

More Russian Propaganda, Again?

Will Russia deliberately shell and fire on residents of the occupied territories during their pseudo-referenda? The Ukrainian authorities have suggested that the Russian Federation could be planning to carry out a number of terrorist acts against civilians by shelling the civilian infrastructure during the illegal referenda in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk…

Could Russia be on the Verge of Disintegration?

Before the so-called special military operation, all of President Putin’s problems were related to the domestic political situation in Russia, where his ratings were rapidly declining. Approaching the presidential election in 2024, he risked facing a situation in which his nomination to the presidency might provoke a powerful wave of protests. A full-scale attack on…

Putin’s War Will be Won or Lost in Brussels

“Putin’s war” will be won or lost in Brussels, writes Giles Merritt. Whatever the military outcome on the killing fields of the Donbass, it’s the solidarity of the European Union that will eventually determine whether Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is defeated or victorious. That in turn will depend on whether the EU and its member…

Outrage At Attack on Argentine’s Vice-President

The leader of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Iratxe García Pérez, says she is “appalled by the violent attack against Cristina Fernández Kirchner”.  Speaking from Buenos Aires, only a few hours after having met the Argentinian vice-president, García said: “hate and polarisation generate violence, which only democracy and dialogue can stop.”  García also…

Europride in Serbia

Following the announcement of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić that the Serbian government wants to ban this year’s international EuroPride event in Belgrade, allegedly because of various internal and external “pressures” on the country, MEPs Terry Reintke and Viola von Cramon met with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić this week to discuss the situation. Terry Reintke…