Croatia president vows ‘rivers of justice’ after court blocks him from running for PM – POLITICO

The court also said that if Milanović becomes “a candidate for [prime minister] of the Republic of Croatia or another public or professional duty,” it would be “incompatible with his constitutional position and powers, and the principle of separation of powers.” The center-right politician reacted to the court’s decision by posting an unusually short and … Read more

Hundreds line up at Russia’s embassy in Brussels to vote against Putin – POLITICO

The “Noon Against Putin” initiative, supported by virtually all Russian opposition groups as well as the late Alexei Navalny, encouraged voters to go to polling stations, whether in Russia or abroad, at noon on Sunday and vote for any of the non-Putin candidates or spoil the ballot. It contributed to a backup at the embassy … Read more

Brussels’ spy problem is the tip of the iceberg, says Belgian justice minister – POLITICO

The problem is of course far from new, given Brussels’ role on the international stage. “It is said that espionage is the second oldest profession in the world,” he said. Therefore, European coordination is key and continuously improving, said Van Tigchelt, who currently chairs meetings of the EU’s justice ministers as his country holds the … Read more

Russian state investigators threaten to bury Navalny in prison colony – POLITICO

Zhdanov claims that investigators should have released the body within two days of establishing the cause of death. According to the medical documents Navalnaya signed, after she was finally allowed to see her son Wednesday night — six days after his death — these two days expire on Saturday. A week after Russian authorities announced … Read more

Poland and Brussels to kiss and make up – POLITICO

The European Commission launched the so-called Article 7 sanctions procedure, which can see a country lose its voting rights in the European Council, in 2017 against Poland under the previous Law and Justice government. The move came after the government introduced reforms which the EU’s top court found violated rule-of-law standards. When Prime Minister Donald … Read more

The night Orbán sacrificed Hungary’s president and his EU top gun to protect his party – POLITICO

Almost all Hungarians see Novák, despite her head-of-state status, as a mere puppet under the longtime prime minister. Orbán, after all, is the one calling the shots as far as politics in this Central European state is concerned. The other person hit by the turmoil is Judit Varga, a Hungarian lawmaker who was to lead … Read more

Hungary president faces growing calls to quit over sex-abuse case – POLITICO

While it was well known that Novak had pardoned some two dozen people ahead of Pope Francis’ visit to Hungary in April 2023, it was only recently disclosed that one of the people who benefitted from the measure was the deputy director of a children’s home who was convicted for covering up for a sexual … Read more

Azerbaijani president on track for 94 percent landslide in tainted election – POLITICO

While the European Parliament was unable to send a delegation to monitor polling stations as it has in previous years, the chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s foreign affairs committee, Grigory Karasin, told local media the polls were being organized effectively and could even act as a model for Russia’s own presidential election later this … Read more

This time, the far-right threat is real – POLITICO

In 2024, the right wing surge in the polls seems bigger and bolder, with one predicting the nationalist right and far right could pick up nearly a quarter of seats in the European Parliament in June. Even if the center-right — currently tipped to come first in the election — refuses to form a governing … Read more

Greens pick veteran MEP duo to lead EU campaign – POLITICO

Eickhout spearheaded the faction’s efforts on the Green Deal legislative package, notably pushing for stricter Euro 7 emissions rules and a ban on the sales of new combustion engine cars by 2030. The EU eventually settled on a 2035 end date. Reintke, who became the political group’s co-leader in 2022, has been particularly active on … Read more