Photo by Marcus Loke on Unsplash The BD Comic Strip Festival returns from 26 to 28 September in Brussels at Tour & Taxis’ Gare Maritime. The poster for this new edition has been designed by Alix Garin, the award-winning Belgian writer and illustrator of the graphic novel Impénétrable. The novel is on the shortlist of two…
Photo by Brian Kyed on Unsplash MEPs were among therecord crowds at the Pride march in Budapest this weekend. The organisers of the event, which this year marks its 30th anniversary, have accused the Hungarian government of attempting to restrict peaceful protests by targeting them. As a show of support scores of MEPs were in…
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash The Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have had a significant impact on cancer patients, emphasising the need for global collaboration in response to these crises. Recognising the need for a voice to address such challenges, the European Cancer Organisation (ECO) has created a new Focused Topic…
The centre-right European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the European Parliament has been constituted. Nicola Procaccini (Fratelli d’Italia, Italy) and Joachim Brudziński (PiS, Poland) are the new joint leaders Assita Kanko (N-VA, Belgium), Hermann Tertsch (Vox, Spain), Alexandr Vondra (ODS, Czech Republic) and Charlie Weimers (Sverigedemokraterna, Sweden) are its deputy leaders. Meanwhile, Denis Nesci (Fratelli d’Italia) and Kosma Złotowski (PiS, Poland) have been elected as co-treasurers. …
Photo by Iñaki del Olmo on Unsplash The EU says systematic concerns remain about the rule of law in some countries. It goes on to warn that the situation has further deteriorated. The concerns are addressed in the recommendations of this year’s Rule of Law Report. The report covers four areas: national justice systems,…
Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash They say that the EU has not managed to significantly reduce persistent spending errors in cohesion policy, whose aim is to reduce social and economic disparities within the EU. European Commission and member state controls are still lacking at every level, according to a review by the European Court of Auditors. While…
The recent Global Peace Summit has proven to be a pivotal event in the ongoing struggle for international stability, particularly in the light of Russia’s aggressive actions. Despite Russia’s attempts to derail the summit, including efforts to forge alliances with China and Brazil and propose alternative peace plans, the gathering saw the participation of leaders…
Photo by Ra Dragon on Unsplash If polls are to be believed, a potential emergence of a more influential far-right bloc within the European Parliament could have significant ramifications for the EU’s migration policy. Historically, far-right parties have campaigned on stringent immigration platforms, advocating for tighter border controls and stricter asylum policies. A sizable presence of these parties…
Photo by roya ann miller on Unsplash The European Parliament is 45 this year. In 1979 the first direct election of MEPs took place. In June 2024 more than 400 million European citizens will elect 705 MEPs. Propagandists for the EU cite the elections every five years as proof of the existence of a European demos – a…
The three years of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a terrible loss of life and exacerbated health inequalities. The global economy slumped and, worldwide, people’s lives were affected, writes Dr. Hsueh Jui-yuan This experience demonstrated that the present global health governance framework is not effective in responding to threats to global health. Although COVID-19 is…
