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Les dirigeants européens ont demandé à la présidente du Parlement européen de rassembler une majorité pour faire adopter le programme de simplification administrative, quitte à s’appuyer sur les voix de l’extrême droite.

The post Simplification : les dirigeants de l’UE demandent à Roberta Metsola de rassembler les voix nécessaires appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Women's marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich is banned for three years after the Kenyan admits to anti-doping rule violations.

An emerging group of illiberal democracies – including Trump’s America – is aligning with authoritarian states to systematically dismantle the post-war international order. 

„Ich habe keinen Vorschlag gemacht, es abzulehnen oder andere ‘Bazookas’ einzusetzen, die im Europäischen Parlament noch diskutiert werden“, sagte der SPD-Abgeordnete und Vorsitzende des Handelsausschusses Bernd Lange.

600172 Željka Šulc

Bihać, 23 October 2025 - The Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Rick Holtzapple, conducted a two-day visit to Canton 10 and Una-Sana Canton, meeting with various political leaders, local government officials, civil society actors, and community representatives. The visit reinforced the Mission’s commitment to supporting good governance, democratic processes, the rule of law, human rights, and trust-building efforts across Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ambassador Holtzapple began his visit in Livno with a meeting with Canton 10 Prime Minister Ivan Vukadin, where they discussed advancing firearms legislation aligned with international standards, enhancing transparency in concession laws, and advancing the operationalization of the Anti-Corruption Office. The two leaders also touched upon preparations for the 2026 elections, including measures to strengthen electoral integrity, and political co-operation within the canton.

In Glamoč, the Ambassador met with Mayor Nebojša Radivojiša to acknowledge the municipality’s ongoing co-operation with the Mission including the joint CoE-EU-OSCE-UN “Možemo Bolje” initiative. Discussions emphasized inclusive local governance, strong inter-communal relations, and the importance of adequate staffing at the Social Welfare Centre to ensure effective service delivery.

During a meeting in Glamoč with local educational, cultural, social and civil society representatives, Ambassador Holtzapple commended their active role in the aforementioned “Možemo Bolje” trust-building initiative and reaffirmed the Mission’s support for inclusive local development and civic participation in this mixed community.

In Bihać, Ambassador Holtzapple congratulated Prime Minister Mustafa Ružnić on his recent appointment and discussed key government priorities, including anti-corruption efforts and the status of the draft Law on Asset Declaration. He met with Mayor Elvedin Sedić to discuss local governance challenges such as environmental protection of the Una River, sustainable development, and social service delivery as well as the lack of basic living conditions of returnees in areas around Bihać.

The Ambassador also met with Adela Tabaković, Head of the USC Anti-Corruption Office, to reaffirm strong support for the Office’s independence and professionalism, focusing on implementation of the anti-corruption measures and legislation at the cantonal level.

Further, Ambassador Holtzapple met with Vahidin Omanović and Mevludin Rahmanović of the Centre for Peacebuilding (CIM) in Sanski Most to discuss the critical, on-going human rights, youth empowerment, and dialogue initiatives. The conversation included exploring ways to strengthen transitional justice efforts in BiH.

At the meeting with the cross-entity association Mountaineers Without Prejudice at Kanjon Mountain House, the Ambassador praised their work in building and strengthening bridges across entity lines and reiterated the Mission’s commitment to continued co-operation.

During the visit, Ambassador Holtzapple met with the teams of Radio Livno and RTV Sana, reaffirming the Mission’s strong commitment to media freedom and support for professional journalism.

The productive dialogues paved the way for continued co-operation on environmental protection, social service delivery, and trust-building initiatives. The visit underscored the Mission’s commitment to supporting transparent, accountable institutions and fostering reconciliation and stability across Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The U.K. government faces accusations that it dropped an espionage case to safeguard diplomatic and trade relations with China.

Les personnes chargées de rédiger les normes européennes relatives aux systèmes d’IA à haut risque règlementés par l’AI Act ont mis en garde contre l’accélération du processus, affirmant que les changements de procédure auraient « de graves conséquences imprévues ».

The post L’accélération du processus d’élaboration des normes de l’AI Act entraîne une révolte appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Australia’s strategic footing remains shaped by decisions made elsewhere – like the upcoming Trump-Xi summit.

600166 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

Albania’s parliamentary elections on 11 May were competitive and professionally managed, but they took place in a highly polarized environment and contestants did not enjoy a level playing field. While candidates were generally able to campaign freely, there were reports of intimidation, misuse of public resources and pressure on public employees, which undermined equal opportunities. Election day was calm overall, but procedural shortcomings, instances of intimidation and vote buying, and problems with ensuring ballot secrecy were noted.

These are some of the main conclusions from the final report, published today by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The report offers recommendations to bring elections in Albania closer in line with OSCE commitments and international standards for democratic elections.

Key recommendations include:

• Undertaking comprehensive reform of the legal framework through an inclusive consultation process
• Ensuring stability and impartiality of the election administration by depoliticizing nomination procedures for lower-level election commissions
• Prohibiting the use of public resources for campaigning, and imposing sanctions for the misuse of office or state resources to ensure a level playing field
• Clearly defining pre-electoral campaign activities and expenses to ensure proper reporting, oversight, and enforcement of potential sanctions
• Increasing voter awareness of procedures for electronic voting to ensure all voters can cast their ballots independently
• Requiring political party and government footage to be labelled as political advertising and banning it from news and editorial programs, with timely sanction of any violations.

The ODIHR Election Observation Mission to Albania, headed by Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, started work on 2 April and remained in the country until 22 May.

ODIHR also assessed Albania’s efforts to implement previous recommendations. While some were addressed, many long-standing recommendations remain unimplemented, including those related to the composition of election commissions, interim reporting on campaign finance, and strengthening independent media coverage. A full list of recommendations can be found on page 32-34 of today’s report.

All 57 OSCE participating States have formally committed to follow up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations. The ODIHR Electoral Recommendations Database tracks the extent to which recommendations are implemented across the region.

Addressing EU leaders at today's European Council, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said that Parliament will deliver, making things better, simpler and easier.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Addressing EU leaders at today's European Council, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said that Parliament will deliver, making things better, simpler and easier.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Addressing EU leaders at today's European Council, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said that Parliament will deliver, making things better, simpler and easier.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Addressing EU leaders at today's European Council, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said that Parliament will deliver, making things better, simpler and easier.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Addressing EU leaders at today's European Council, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said that Parliament will deliver, making things better, simpler and easier.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

600160

The signature looks real, but is it? Forensic document experts know that even the slightest hesitation in a pen stroke, or the smallest ink variation, can reveal a false identity. The OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the State Forensic Science Bureau of Latvia (SFSB), delivered a specialized training on forensic handwriting examination for forensic document experts from the Main Forensic Center of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) from 21 to 23 October in Riga.

The training, hosted at the SFSB laboratory, focused on advanced handwriting and signature examination techniques in accordance with the Best Practice Manual from the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes. The participants learned how to recognize subtle signs of forgery, including disguised handwriting, simulated signatures, and unnatural pen movements often seen in altered or counterfeit documents such as passports and border permits.

They also learned how to use scientific handwriting analysis to confirm whether a signature is genuine or forged, an important skill for frontline border security efforts. At border crossing points, individuals whose identity is in doubt may be asked to sign their name so officers can use these analysis techniques to compare the live signature with the one in the passport. This basic practice can help detect potential imposters before documents are sent for deeper forensic examination.

The Latvian experts taught participants about how subtle features such as pen pressure, letter connections, writing speed, and flow can reveal whether a signature is genuine, imitated, or disguised. Using specialized tools like microscopes, infrared lighting, and digital analysis software, they practiced spotting signs of tampering that are often invisible to the naked eye.

Participants also studied how external factors, such as stress, illness, writing surfaces, or the type of pen, can influence handwriting. They were trained to distinguish between natural variations in a person’s writing and suspicious signs of fraud, such as traced or photocopied signatures.

The training course was an important part of preparing participants for completing their national certification exams in forensic examination of handwriting This certification ensures border security officers have the requisite skills and knowledge to effectively and independently carry out forensic handwriting examinations.

The training course was part of an ongoing extrabudgetary project supporting the OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation in reducing illegal border crossings by using a fake or stolen identity. This project is funded by the United States.

Taiwan is buying things, but is it actually acquiring the capabilities needed for deterrence?

Face à une surpopulation carcérale chronique, la Belgique envisage de construire ou de louer des prisons au Kosovo et en Albanie pour y transférer certains détenus étrangers. Une délégation ministérielle s'est rendue sur place pour explorer cette solution controversée, déjà testée par le Danemark.

- Le fil de l'Info / Albanie, Courrier des Balkans, Kosovo, Défense, police et justice, Populations, minorités et migrations, Questions européennes

Face à une surpopulation carcérale chronique, la Belgique envisage de construire ou de louer des prisons au Kosovo et en Albanie pour y transférer certains détenus étrangers. Une délégation ministérielle s'est rendue sur place pour explorer cette solution controversée, déjà testée par le Danemark.

- Le fil de l'Info / Albanie, Courrier des Balkans, Kosovo, Défense, police et justice, Populations, minorités et migrations, Questions européennes

Following the third wave of democratization, democracy and its proponents have recently experienced a shift towards autocratization. To date, however, little is known about the impact of this trend on democracy promotion. This article introduces a special issue that examines the complex relationship between autocratization and external democracy promotion. It provides a conceptual framework for understanding how the global trend of autocratization affects democracy promotion efforts. We identify two ways in which this is the case: first, autocratization requires democracy promoters to adapt to increasingly resistant environments in target countries where they seek to promote democracy or prevent autocratization; second, autocratization reduces the global leverage of democracy promoters due to the rise of autocratic competitors. We highlight the evolving strategies and responses of democracy promoters in the face of rising autocratic influence. We then provide an overview of the articles in this special issue, which examine the motives and strategies of traditional democracy promoters and their autocratic competitors and analyse how democracy promoters navigate the challenges of autocratization in target countries of democracy promotion and the strategic competition with autocratic regimes, using case studies from Southeastern Europe, the post-Soviet space, Africa and Latin America.