By Martin Banks Many young, non-white and Muslim, as well as central and Eastern European citizens in the 27 EU members states feel “excluded”, “disillusioned”, or “uninterested” in the politics of the European Union, according to major new report published today by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and European Cultural Foundation (ECF). The […]
Astoria, NY – September 24, 2024 – The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) will present its annual New York Greek Film Expo, a Greek film festival for all New Yorkers, October 3—11. Screenings of the latest Greek films will be presented at the Village East Cinema in Manhattan, the prestigious Museum of the Moving Image […]
By Martin Banks A large group of European NGO representatives, members of the Break Free From Plastic movement and Zero Waste Europe network, displayed a large Pinocchio figure in front of the European Commission building in Brussels. They say the action on 24 September “illustrates how big consumer brands and supermarkets, with Member states’ leniency, […]
By Martin Banks The European Union is introducing two important changes for travel to Europe in a few weeks. These are: EU Entry/Exit System (EES), which is planned to launch on 10 November in 2024 and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), due in mid-2025. For those planning to travel later this year the […]
By Martin Banks Over 500 participants took part in the 2024 Budapest Forum. They included government ministers, ambassadors, national politicians, academics and policy experts who gathered last week at the Central European University (CEU) in Hungary. The annual event, which seeks to find democratic solutions to challenges facing the world today, has grown in size […]
Βy Martin Banks The European Commission has taken what it calls “a decisive step” in reinforcing support for Ukraine by proposing a comprehensive financial assistance package. This, it has been revealed, consists of a Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism of up to €45 billion, and an exceptional Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) loan of up to €35 billion. […]
By Martin Banks MEPs are calling on the EU to speed up financial aid for victims of the devastating floods affecting a quarter of European countries. Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Germany have all been hit by extreme weather conditions, resulting in the deaths of 23 people. MEPs say the loss of […]
By Martin Banks Two new hotels have opened close to Brussels airport, helping meet increased demand from the travelling public. A relative lack of accommodation at, or close to, the national airport has sometimes been a cause of complaint from international air passengers. However, the twin openings hope to go some way to addressing such […]
By Martin Banks Former Italian PM Mario Draghi has outlined his ambitious blueprint for improving Europe’s competitiveness through “closer cooperation” in core areas and massive investment in shared objectives. Draghi is the author of a major report on European competitiveness commissioned by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. Draghi, the ex […]
By Martin Banks The new-look European Commission has been unveiled by its president Ursula von der Leyen. Outlining the new team to MEPs in Strasbourg on Tuesday, the German official told deputies that gender balance had been uppermost in her thoughts. The college, as it is formally called, comprises 11 women, 40 per cent of […]
