In their final head to head debate before the Presidential election on 3 November, Donald Trump and Joe Biden clashed over financial ties with Russia and China. Both candidates levelled allegations against the other. Trump has made more than $200 million in income from his foreign business interests since 2016, according to the Center for…
The personal meeting of the presidents of Russia and Belarus in Sochi on September 14 showed that the Russian authorities were ready to provide Lukashenko with assistance in order to rapidly replace him with a more acceptable candidate for Moscow within the framework of the “Union State of Russia and Belarus”. The only public signal…
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a pre-recorded video address to the 75th anniversary session of the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week. The main focus of his address was on the global challenge that COVID-19 is posing. But he kept silent about the challenges Russia is presenting to the international community in a time…
MEPs have called for new presidential elections in Belarus and urge the EU to sanction President Lukashenko and the perpetrators behind Alexei Navalny’s poisoning. The situation in BelarusIn a resolution adopted by 574 votes in favour, 37 against with 82 abstentions today (17 September), the European Parliament rejects the official results of the “so-called presidential…
“Don’t leave Belarus alone!” That was the message of a conference organised by New Europeans with human rights campaigners from Belarus, Ukraine and Russia to mark International Democracy Day, 15 September, writes Roger Casale. In a moving address from her home outside Minsk, Olga Zubrilova, explained how she had become involved in the democratic movement…
On 20 and 21 September, regional elections are taking place in seven Italian regions. These elections will be of particular importance for a country that has been hit extremely hard by the COVID-19 crisis. Italy is now engaged in the long and difficult path to recovery and needs progressive green forces to successfully emerge from the…
Mikhail Khodorkovsky has published a book presenting his vision of reform in a post-Putin Russia. “What is the Russia of my dreams? It is a country with national interests that lie in a speedy integration into the world economic system, with the opportunity to play a worthy role. It is a democratic state that observes…
David Sassoli the European Parliament President will attend a virtual meeting of G7 leaders of Parliaments hosted by US Speaker Nancy Pelosi this afternoon. Sassoli will participate in the G7 meeting of Presidents and Speakers of Parliaments on Saturday 12 September from 13.00 to 20.15. The meeting will be held remotely and hosted by Speaker…
MEPs and representatives of institutions, governments and NGOs will gather on 14-17 September to debate the challenges the pandemic poses to democratic systems. The spread of COVID-19 in 2020 has not only put people’s lives in danger, but has also transformed how they work, communicate and make political decisions. International Democracy Week comprises a series…
Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament say they are following the developments of the political crisis in Bulgaria with “great concern.” S&D MEPs state their solidarity with the protesters and their demand for fair elections and upholding the rule of law. This is why the S&D Group will call for a plenary debate in the Parliament. S&D…
