Depriving migrants of food is policy in an EU member state — Greece
Beginning on May 18, the EU-funded Lesvos “Closed Controlled Access Centre” (CCAC), which houses over 2,000 asylum seekers, stopped providing food and water to adults residing in the camp that have either received international protection status or a final rejection of their asylum application.This policy resulted in approximately 300 people being denied these basic necessities…
Bosnia and Herzegovina is not at war, but that’s as good as it gets
Apocalyptic headlines have this week warned of the imminent descent of Bosnia and Herzegovina into a new war. That outcome remains unlikely, but there’s little else to be positive about.The European Union’s token military presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina can stay, at least for another year.On November 3 the United Nations Security Council unanimously renewed…
Greek shipwreck ‘cover-up’ fears prompt call for outside probe
Doubts have been cast on whether Greece will carry out a proper criminal investigation into the 14 June sinking of the Adriana trawler that has likely killed over 500 people.”In this particular case, facts must be cleared out by all means,” said Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, a Spanish socialist MEP who chairs the European Parliament’s…
Can the retreat of democracy be reversed?
For Joe Biden’s Summit for Democracy to succeed, the US must work closely with NATO and the EU to take concrete measures to stop the erosion of democracies from within.The Summit for Democracy that US President Joe Biden is spearheading in December, at which scores of countries will be in in attendance, is certainly timely…
Why the German Mittelstand is the way forward for CEE’s businesses
Amid challenges related to an ageing population, automation, and Europe’s relative decline, CEE’s businesses have to reinvent themselves. The German Mittelstand, a patchwork of highly-specialised, often family-run businesses globally competitive enough to turn a small niche into a thriving business, could save the day.When the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union unravelled, expectations throughout…
The missing metric in EU labour policy: job quality
Working conditions across the EU have deteriorated sharply in recent decades, notably in countries such as France, Greece and Spain, according to a new study by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI).The analysis covers 2005 to 2021, taking into account the impact of the 2008 crisis and the Covid pandemic, and measures aspects such as…
Smugglers cash in on EU migrant obstacles
In the wake of mass drownings off the Greek coast, EU leaders at a summit in Brussels are seeking to further clamp down on smuggling while shoring up deals with countries such as Tunisia to prevent people from fleeing.”The tragedy in the Mediterranean showed again the ruthless way smugglers and traffickers are operating,” European Commission…
Does Serb support for Russia spell trouble for Bosnia?
Many Serbs have not been shy to show their support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, both in Serbia itself and in the Republika Srpska region of neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina. Should Sarajevo be worried?For the second time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, there was a loud show of support for Russia…
Frontex silent on report to withdraw from Greece
The EU’s border agency Frontex will not say if discussions are taking place for it to pull out of Greece.But a report on Monday (26 June) by French newspaper Le Monde said the agency’s fundamental rights officer, Jonas Grimheden, has again proposed the option. Published by: euobserver.com
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine spurs new EU crackdown on ‘golden passport’ schemes
Bulgaria last week voted to end its so-called ‘golden passport’ scheme. The EU is now calling on other member states to follow its lead.The European Commission is again urging all EU member states to immediately repeal any existing investor citizenship schemes, often dubbed “golden passport” schemes. The Commission has for several years been raising serious…