Holzmann recalled that, back in the 1960s, the FPÖ was the first party to back Austrian membership of the European Economic Community, which evolved into the EU. In this respect, frequent comparisons to the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which started out as a Euroskeptic party and turned into political home for right-wing extremists, may … Read more
The last time Trump was elected, many in the U.S. and around the world took comfort in the idea that Europe would step into the breach. They declared then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel the true leader of the free world — a role immortalized in an iconic G7 photo where’s she’s flanked by the leaders of … Read more
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude oil exporter, was the ringleader of a group of oil-rich nations including Russia and Iran that successfully blocked efforts to limit plastic production during last month’s talks in Busan, South Korea. And there’s no reason to think they won’t try to pull the same thing this year. “Saudi Arabia … Read more
Europe should rally behind the reality that a successful transition will not only help Syrians but is the only means of addressing the full range of its interests — such as cementing democratic governance, securing sustainable conditions to allow significant Syrian refugee returns, and diluting Iranian and Russian influence in the country. If the transition … Read more
The message behind the introduction of the rebalancing mechanism is that “environmental protection has a cost for society, but business is not required to pay for it,” the NGO said in its analysis. It warned that it risks undermining through a backdoor a flagship element of the European Green Deal and set a dangerous precedent. … Read more
The new step follows the release of the declassification of Romanian intelligence documents on Wednesday, which alleged that paid influencers had boosted the account of ultranationalist Călin Georgescu in the lead-up to the first round of the Romanian presidential election. The decision should help “investigators establish the facts,” said Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s new … Read more
It’s a personal victory European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who campaigned to get this proposal through EU governments, and whose pet pony Dolly was killed by a wolf in 2022. Countries that supported the proposal included Andorra, Armenia, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, North Macedonia, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Serbia, Switzerland and Ukraine, along with all 27 EU members. The United … Read more
“If you succeed and escape, you arrive in neighboring countries. But then you have to make the tough passage to Europe through mountains and smuggling routes — that’s very dangerous and very difficult. Women are more vulnerable, so they rarely travel on foot. The majority of Afghans who come to the EU are men,” he … Read more
Oscar Soria with the Common Initiative called it a “unique funding mechanism,” but said its voluntary status could be a problem. “The mechanism’s effectiveness will likely depend on the global community’s willingness to support it and on corporate recognition of the value in participating for reputational gain,” he said. Other highlights included the creation of … Read more
But is this really the decision Georgians are making? Is the binary that clear cut? I’m not so sure. To understand the political situation in any country, Georgia included, ask a cab driver, the old adage goes. Maybe the average Joe — or in this case, Giorgi — could shed some light. As he steered his … Read more
