Greece becomes first Orthodox state to legalise gay marriage
The Hellenic parliament passed a bill to legalise same-sex marriage on Thursday (15 February), by 176 votes in favour, 76 against and two abstentions [46 lawmakers were not present at the vote] — making Greece the first Orthodox Christian country to adopt such a law.For families like Eleni Maravelia’s, what seemed like a dream 25…
MEPs waive immunity of top suspect in Qatargate scandal
EU lawmakers formally waived the diplomatic immunity of the top suspect in the Qatargate scandal Greek socialist MEP Eva Kaili on Tuesday (6 February), following a request of the European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi.According to the parliament’s report setting out the case for waiving Kaili’s immunity from prosecution, Kaili is accused by the European Public…
Why Bulgarian, Romanian hopes for a ‘mini-Schengen’ were a non-starter
Attention will now shift to applying further pressure on Vienna to fully lift its veto on Bulgaria and Romania’s Schengen accession. Any movement, however, is unlikely until after Austria holds parliamentary elections in September. Ali Demirci has been driving trucks across Europe for more than two decades, delivering primarily Turkish-made textiles to distributors and retailers across…
EU’s Red Sea mission to be ‘purely defensive’, says Borrell
The EU’s Red Sea naval mission will be purely defensive, unlike the US-led one, Europe has said, amid concern the US and Iran are heading for a direct clash.”Aspidus: It’s named after the ancient Greek word for shield. It’s a shield to act in a purely defensive mode to defend merchant vessels … it will…
ECHR condemns Greece in Syrian refugee boat shooting
Greece has been condemned by the European Court of Human Rights, in a case involving the deadly 2014 shooting of a Syrian refugee by the Greek coast guard.The judgment on Tuesday (16 January) by the Strasbourg-based court followed an almost decade-old incident where the Greek coast guard fired 13 bullets into a motor of a…
EU raises Cyprus NGO bombing with authorities during visit
The European Commission says it has discussed with Cypriot authorities the 5 January bombing of an NGO fighting racism in the capital Nicosia.A commission spokesperson said the issue had been raised by EU home affairs Ylva Johansson during her visit on the island only days after the offices at Kisa were bombed. Published by: euobserver.com
EU needs a million migrants yearly, says EU commission
The EU needs a million migrants annually to make up for a demographic shortfall, says the European Commission.The comments made in Athens, Greece on Monday (8 January) by EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson come on the back of Europe’s ongoing struggle to attract top talent. Published by: euobserver.com
Cyprus ups pressure to label Syria safe to return refugees
Cyprus is demanding that parts of Syria be designated safe enough to return prospective Syrian asylum seekers, an assertion that the island-nation has been pressing for months.”The time has come to collectively open the discussion for the revaluation of the state of affairs of Syria,” Constantinos Ioannou, the interior minister of Cyprus, told reporters on…
Kosovo and Serbia take a small but important step forwards
Kosovo and Serbia remain far from agreeing a long-term deal that would see Belgrade recognise Prishtina’s independence, but a seemingly minor agreement on car license plates is a welcome step forward.Since January 1, Kosovars have been able to visit the European Union visa-free. Kosovo was the only remaining country in the Western Balkans whose citizens…
The EU has been very good for emerging Europe
From Tallinn to Ljubljana, emerging Europe is reaping the benefits of two decades of EU membership. But while even the region’s eurosceptics have no real intention of leaving the bloc, more could be done to sell the clear advantages of being part of the world’s largest single market. It was the European Union’s largest ever expansion—the…