Veteran German MEP Manfred Weber has again been elected as leader of the biggest group in the EU parliament. Weber is a long serving German deputy from the CSU – Christlich Soziale Union – political party and a well known figure in EU circles. He was re-elected chairman of the EPP Group in the European […]
The number of attacks on Sinti and Roma registered in Germany nearly doubled in 2023, according to a new report. The Antiziganism Reporting and Information Center (MIA), a federal data tracking agency in Germany, recorded 1,233 such cases — up from 621 in 2022. In all, authorities recorded 50 violent attacks, 10 of which were […]
By Martin Banks The EU’s outgoing foreign affairs chief says there has been a “continuous erosion of the rights and freedoms” of people in Hong Kong. Josep Borrell was reacting to the release of the EU’s 2023 annual report on Hong Kong. The former Spanish MEP said the report “illustrates in great detail the continuous […]
By Denis MacShane The European Parliament elections with their low turn outs, unknown politicians, and use as a protest vote against incumbent governments have exploded into life with the decision of President Macron to dissolve the French Parliament. In effect he is holding a plebiscite asking the French people and indirectly the rest of Europe […]
The EU is stepping up its ongoing efforts to protect children from potentially harmful “online porn sites.” It is asking online platforms to spell out what measures they are taking about the dissemination of “illegal and harmful” content. The sites have until early next month to respond. Failure to do so could render them liable […]
The restoration of the press must be included in the programmes of economic and social restoration of Ukraine. That is a demand made by the organisation representing media in the war torn country. The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine amd the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) recently held a joint round table at the […]
Ever tried Caribbean cuisine? If not, an event taking place in Brussels all this week could be just for you. “Caribbean Week” (17 to 23 June) has been organised by the Brussels-based Caribbean Chamber of Commerce in Europe and one aim is to showcase Caribbean food. As vibrant and varied as the islands themselves, Caribbean […]
By Martin Banks Gains by the far right in last week’s EU elections are “deeply concerning”, says former UK MEP Claude Moraes The far right held their positions in Italy and the Netherlands (with swings between far-right parties rather than to them). But they failed to make headway in other countries where they were predicted […]
Time was when Europeans thought British cuisine consisted of not much more than soggy fish and chips, swilled down by a warm pint of bitter (beer). That was, in fact, not so long ago, and some on European mainland still rather snobbishly (and wrongly) give a Gallic shrug at the mere mention of British food. […]
By Martin Banks Most Britons now believe Brexit was a failure, according to a senior former Labour government minister. This comes after a recent survey says 63 percent of those planning to vote Labour in the UK general election on July 4 support Britain re-joining the EU. Another survey says most also want the issue […]
