Work-related deaths on rise in almost half of EU
The number of fatal accidents at work increased in 12 EU member states from 2020 50 2021, and more than a fifth of all fatal accidents occurred in the construction sector, new Eurostat data shows.674 workers died as a result of an accident at work in France, followed by 601 in Italy and 435 in…
Juncker’s “More, Together” Offers Romania a Better Future
The five scenarios Jean Claude Juncker recently presented, concerning the future of the EU, are still provoking lively conversation in all corners of the European continent. Seen from Bucharest, the future, as described by the Commission’s White Paper, looks both simple and complicated.Simple, because Romania is one of the few countries where the domestic political…
Macedonia’s Controversial Coalition Government
Macedonia has a new coalition government comprised of SDSM (the former communist party) and two ethnic Albanian junior coalition partners: DUI (a party founded by the members of the local KLA) and DR-DPA (a coalition itself of smaller parties, led by the mayor of Struga). The government has only a thin majority, as it has…
Political Tensions Rise As Croatia Allegedly Breaks the Dublin III Refugee Regulation
In late July 2017, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that Croatia had broken the Dublin III Regulation during mass-arrivals of refugees and forced migrants in 2015/2016. The rule was supposedly broken by allowing the refugees to cross over Croatian territory. This lead to the refugees ‘irregularly’ travelling further to Slovenia and Austria without…
Is there any prospect of ‘Polexit’?
Its opponents accuse Poland’s right-wing government of undermining confidence in, and weakening the country’s ties with, the EU. The government’s supporters argue that the ruling party is committed to defending national interests and sovereignty within a reformed Union. Poles are still overwhelming pro-EU but this support is shallow and increasingly instrumental.Conflicts with the EU establishmentOn…
CEE Is Key to China’s Belt and Road Initiative
With deep government pockets, technical sophistication and a comprehensive investment plan behind it, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) can have a big impact on the transformation of the Western Balkans. There are caveats, not least debt dependency on cheap Chinese loans, but a proactive approach throughout the region could bring welcome development for many…
Albania’s Economy Booms Despite Political Infighting
The leader of Albania’s Democratic Party, Lulzim Basha, has accused the country’s new government of being “the result of drug money,” going on to say that prime minister Edi Rama had killed, via June 25th’s elections, an agreement made jointly with the Democrats to enact constitutional and electoral reform.“During these elections, every possible method and…
The Problem With Central European City-States
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a city-state is “an autonomous state consisting of a city and surrounding territory.” It is a type of small independent country frequently also referred to as micro-state. There are multiple examples of such entities in the modern world, such as Qatar, Brunei, Kuwait, Bahrain or Malta. Historically, cities such as…
Macedonia Mulls Name Change
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is considering renaming the country, its airport and national motorway in order to resolve one of the world’s most vexing disputes. Among the new names being considered are Upper Macedonia, New Macedonia, Northern Macedonia and Macedonia (Skopje). The country’s Skopje Alexander the Great airport would become Skopje International Airport, and…
EU-Azerbaijan Relations Set for Bright Future
There has been an increase in the volume of dialogue between the EU and Azerbaijan of late, notably the visits of Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev’s to Brussels in February, and before that in November of last year. After the 15th meeting of the Azerbaijan-EU Cooperation Council in Brussels on February 9, the EU’s High Representative…