May 8: Belgium’s Liberation Day
By Martin Banks Plans are in the pipeline to celebrate one of the most “joyous” days in the history of Belgium…. Liberation Day.
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April 11, 2026 Hungary’s independent media has already won the election
Free media does exist in Hungary, and it’s making its voice heard as the country lurches towards an election that could sweep away 16 years of Viktor Orbán’s rule.
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April 10, 2026 Cheers: Belgium whisky goes down a treat
By Martin Banks Waterloo Whisky “Duke – Rum Cask” has been awarded World’s Best at the World Whiskies Awards in London, in the Single Cask – Single Grain category.
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April 8, 2026 Greens condemn reported US ‘plans’ for Greenland
By Martin Banks After the announcement of a ceasefire between the United States and Israel with Iran, the European Green Party has called for Israel to also halt violence and evacuation orders in Lebanon, and condemned what it calls “the inflammatory threats from President Trump”.
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April 3, 2026 EU aid for farmers hit by “extreme weather”
By Martin Banks EU Member States have endorsed the Commission’s proposal to mobilise €21.5 million from the agricultural reserve to support farmers in Bulgaria, Estonia and Hungary.
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April 2, 2026 MEPs criticise new death penalty law
By Martin Banks The Greens/EFA Group says that it “strongly condemns” the Israeli parliament’s approval of the death penalty law affecting Palestinians, who were convicted of terrorist attacks.
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April 2, 2026 War-torn Ukraine receives more cash aid from EU
By Martin Banks The European Union has received €1.4 billion in windfall profits generated by the interest on the cash balances originating from immobilised assets of the Russian Central Bank (RSB), held by central securities depositories (CSDs).
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March 31, 2026 Celebrate Easter … at this great Greek resto
By Martin Banks Easter is just around the corner and you may be wondering how to mark the Holy Season with a special “treat”. Of course, chocolate is the usual order of the day when it comes to Paques but there are other ways to enjoy the holiday period. One such way might be a […]
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March 30, 2026 New anti-corruption rules only a “first step”
By Martin Banks The EU’s new Anti-Corruption Directive can only be a “first step” towards tackling the issue, say some MEPs.
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March 28, 2026 Lionel Jospin – a French Socialist in London
By Denis MacShane, former Europe Minister in the UK Lionel Jospin, one of the big figures in French Socialist Party politics, has died aged 88. He was a leading figure in the long domination of French politics by the Socialist Party following the 14 year reign of François Mitterrand as President 1981-1997.
