HUNGARY – The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday that the European Union is drowning in corruption, amidst ongoing investigation into suspected fraud involving EU-funded training for junior diplomats. “The EU is drowning in corruption. Commissioners face serious charges, the Commission and the Parliament are engulfed in scandal, yet Brussels still claims the […]
Tag: European Union
EU’s Kaja Kallas Says Ukraine Peace Deal Must Involve Russian Concession
AUSTRIA – The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Thursday said that any Ukraine peace deal must include Russian concession, adding that Russia have violated international laws numerous times, together with the founding principles of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Speaking at the 32nd OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna, […]
NATO’s Allied Command Operations (ACO) to Update its Boundaries
BELGIUM – The NATO’s Allied Command Operations (ACO) will update its regional and provisional boundaries, in a move aimed at enhancing the Alliance’s military posture across the Euro-Atlantic area, according to an announcement by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) on Thursday. The adjustment transfers responsibility for Denmark, Sweden and Finland from Joint Force […]
EU Seizure of Frozen Russian Assets will be Reason for War; Dmitry Medvedev
RUSSIA – The Russian Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday warned that the EU seizure of frozen Russian assets will be case for war. In a statement on the Russian platform MAX, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said: “If the unhinged European Union still attempts to steal […]
Netherlands Opposes EU Ban on Fossil Fuel Cars by 2035
NETHERLANDS – The Dutch lower House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) on Wednesday opposed the EU ban on fossil fuel cars by 2035. The motion, introduced by PVV MP Hidde Heutink, passed on Wednesday with support from various parties such as VVD, 50PLUS, DENK, SGP, JA21, BBB and FVD, according to the Dutch daily NL Times. […]
European Commission Designates Russia as a High-Risk Third Country
RUSSIA – The European Commission on Wednesday listed Russia as a high-risk third country citing its “strategic deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing frameworks.” The designation followed a technical assessment using “well-defined methodologies” incorporating information from public sources, member states’ authorities and the European External Action Service, the commission said in a statement. […]
What is the EU Democracy Shield Initiative?
FRANCE – Citing “disinformation” concerns from Russia, the European Commission have launched the Democracy Shield initiative whose strategic framework according to the commission is to “safeguard and strengthen democratic institutions across the EU, candidate countries, and potential candidates.” Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and […]
G20 Summit in South Africa Kicks Off
SOUTH AFRICA – The G20 summit in South Africa started on Saturday Nov. 22, in Johannesburg, with President Cyril Ramaphosa delivering the first address. In line with South Africa’s G20 theme of “solidarity, equality and sustainability,” the first G20 summit ever held on the African continent under Pretoria’s outlook is expected to focus on debt […]
Border Entry/Exit System (EES) Launched by European Union
BELGIUM – The EU has begun rolling out the new border Entry/Exit System (EES) which will record the entry and exit of travelers in the Schengen Area. From Oct. 12, EU Member States will start introducing the Entry/Exit System (EES), which will digitally register the data of non-EU nationals crossing the EU’s external borders for […]
Ursula von der Leyen Survives No-Confidence Vote
FRANCE – The EU Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday survived a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament despite of a unified front by far-right and far-left lawmakers. During the plenary sitting in Strasbourg, neither motion reached the two-thirds majority required to pass, or the minimum 361 votes in favor. The far-right motion […]
Using Frozen Russian Assets on Ukraine Will Never Happen; Belgium
BELGIUM – A proposal by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to use frozen Russian assets to finance a major loan for Ukraine has been firmly rejected by the Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. “Taking Putin’s money and leaving the risks with us. That’s not going to happen, let me be very clear about that,” De […]
No Evidence of GPS Interference on Ursula von der Leyen’s Plane; Bulgaria
BULGARIA – Bulgaria have dismissed claims by the EU Commission that Russia jammed the GPS signal of Ursula von der Leyen’s plane on Sunday, saying that there’s no evidence of any GPS interference. The Commission had earlier claimed that it had “received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect that this apparent interference was […]
EU States Oppose Trade Agreement Between Ukraine and EU
POLAND – Citing concerns over the potential destabilization of EU agricultural markets, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary and Romania have opposed a revised proposal on trade agreement between Ukraine and EU. The issue was raised during a meeting of EU agriculture ministers on July 14, according to diplomatic sources. The new trade arrangement is set to […]
Chinese Firms Excluded in the EU Public Procurement Tenders
CHINA – Chinese firms have been excluded in the EU public procurement tenders for medical devices according to a European Commission statement on Friday. The tender is worth over 5 million euros ($5.7 million). The Commission said the move is in response to discriminatory practices by China, which the statement said has excluded EU-made medical […]
Sanctions on Syria Lifted by European Union
BELGIUM – The economic sanctions on Syria lifted by the European Council on Wednesday following an agreement made in May. In a press release, the EU council stated that it had lifted all economic restrictive measures on Syria, with the exemption of those based on security grounds. Underlining that the adoption formalized the political decision […]