EU reacts on Russia prisoners exchange

Brussels 01.08.2024 “The European Union is relieved by the release and transfer to freedom outside Russia and Belarus of a number of political prisoners, including EU citizens, facilitated with the help of TĂĽrkiye” reads the statement by the EU top diplomat Josep Borrell on the release of number of political prisoners. “The released activists, human…

EU College: gender balance in view

Brussels 25.07.2024 The European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has started a process of selection of candidates for the next College during her second mandate. Today von der Leyen on issued letters requesting member-states to put forward their candidates by the end of the week to be able to start interviews in August, according…

EU Borrell criticism of Hungarian diplomacy

Brussels 22.07.2024 While entering the Foreign affairs Council meeting the EU top diplomat Josep Borrell said, that there are two main topics related to Ukraine to discuss: how to avoid the complete destruction of the electricity system, when 70% of the power generation capacity in Ukraine has been destroyed, and how approach the winter 2024-25…

EU renews anti-Russian sanctions

Brussels 16.07.2024 Today the Council renewed the EU restrictive measures in view of the Russian Federation’s continuing actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine for a further six months, until 31 January 2025. (Image above: Council meeting, Brussels) These sanctions, first introduced in 2014, were significantly expanded since February 2022 in response to Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified…

EP: Ursula von der Leyen endorsed for II term

Strasbourg 18.07.2024 The European parliament endorsed Ursula von der Leyen as a head of the European Commission for the second term. After morning debate 401 MEP supported her candidacy by secret ballot. With 401 votes in favour, the European Parliament approved Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission in a secret ballot…

MEPs shape new Europarl for 2024-2029

Strasbourg 17.07.2024 The first Plenary session the MEPs have chosen Parliament’s new Bureau, with all 14 Vice-Presidents and five Quaestors elected on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, in a secret vote by paper ballot, 11 Vice-Presidents were elected in the first round of voting, and three in the second and final ballot. The vote on…

Europarl: President Roberta Metsola II mandate

Strasbourg 16.07.2024 On Tuesday, MEPs re-elected Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT) as President of the European Parliament until 2027, with 562 votes in the first round. Roberta Metsola won the election in the first round of voting, where she received an absolute majority of 562 votes cast out of 699 by secret paper ballot, among two…

EU: Erasmus+ Programme Ukraine inclusion

Brussels 16.07.2024 Fourteen projects involving 65 organisations from Ukraine have been recommended for funding under the European Union Erasmus+ Programme for Capacity Building in the Field of Higher Education Action (CBHE). This year, the 151 projects proposed for funding include the participation as partners or coordinators of over 1,500 higher education stakeholders from almost 120…

USA: Trump assassination failed

Brussels 14.07.2024 The 45th President Donald Trump’s rally dramatically ended after gunshots were fired while he was speaking in Butler, Pennsylvania. Less than 10 minutes into his speech as Trump spoke about immigration problems caused by open border with Mexico, gunshots were fired, and President raised his hand holding his right ear, and then fell…

NATO Summit: 75 years of Atlanticism

Brussels 12.07.2024 Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg celebrated NATO’s 75th anniversary with US President Joe Biden and all other Allied Heads of State and Government in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday (9-11 July 2024). In a speech at the Mellon Auditorium, where the North Atlantic Treaty was signed in 1949, the Secretary General underlined that NATO is…