Euobserver.com

The European Parliament's civil liberties committee on Tuesday supported - by 51 votes to 14 and one abstention - a proposal setting out an EU mechanism to protect democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights. The mechanism would establish an annual reporting and recommendation cycle, which the EU already does for the economy, and includes budget conditionality. The plenary could vote on the proposal next month.

Experts are now warning of the "very serious" surge in Covid-19 cases in Europe - where new weekly cases exceede those reported in March. The worst-hit countries are Spain and France - while Italy is resisting the much-feared second wave.

France opposes returning to EU rules on a cap on deficits and public debt after the coronavirus crisis, EU affairs minister Clement Beaune told AFP. "We cannot imagine putting the same pact back in place," Beaune said. The deficit rules were suspended at the start of the pandemic, to give governments space to stimulate their economies with spending programmes to offset the historic downturn caused by the Covid-19 crisis.

Stockholm's response to Covid-19 has been an unorthodox set of policies, which has received a faire share of analysis and criticism - but not praise.

It has been clear for many years now that the European Union's approach to migration and asylum is not fit for purpose.

The start of the new school year, the lifting of some indoor restrictions, returning holidaymakers plus cooler weather are raising concerns that a second wave of Covid-19 infections is on the way.

European Council president Charles Michel on Tuesday postponed this week's special EU summit focusing on foreign affairs for a week, after he learnt one of his security guards had tested positive for Covid-19. The personal meeting of EU leaders was planned for Thursday and Friday in Brussels. "The president is tested regularly and tested negative yesterday [Monday]," Michel's spokesperson tweeted. Michel, respecting Belgian coronavirus rules, went into quarantine on Tuesday.

Italians have voted by more than 67 percent to cut the number of seats in the lower and upper houses of parliament from 945 to 600, according to exit polls after a constitutional referendum on Monday. The change is to be made by 2023 and to save €1bn over 10 years. Italy also held local elections Monday, with the far-right gaining one region (Marche), but the centre-left retaining three regions.

The richest one-percent of the world's population are responsible for the emission of more than twice as much carbon dioxide as the poorest half, from 1990 to 2015, according to a research published by the NGO Oxfam on Monday. During that period, annual emissions grew by 60 percent. "The over-consumption of a wealthy minority is fuelling the climate crisis," said Tim Gore, Oxfam policy officer.

The chairman of Poland's ruling Law and Justice party, Jarosław Kaczyński, is to hold a "last chance" tête-à-tête on Tuesday with Zbigniew Ziobro, the leader of a junior coalition partner, the United Poland party, to stave off a split. The two fell out over a bill on animal rights in which Kaczyński, who loves cats, accused Ziobro, who opposed the law, of being "a tail trying to wag the dog".

The UK could see 50,000 new coronavirus infections a day by mid-October, up from 4,400 a day now, if it does not impose new hygiene measures, Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific advisor, said Monday, as Downing Street continued to pave the way for a potential second lockdown. This figure would lead to some 200 deaths a day by mid-November, Vallance added.

The European Commission announced on Monday that fewer companies will be eligible for state-aid compensation for part of their carbon costs, under new rules aimed at forcing polluting companies to reduce their emissions footprint. The new state-aid rules of the EU Emission Trading System will enter into force next year, targeting the sectors at risk of carbon leakage. Only 10 sectors will be eligible for this compensation.

There was "minimal" chance of Russia agreeing to extend a nuclear arms treaty, called New Start, beyond 2020, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian state media Monday. "We cannot talk in this manner," he said after the US urged a quick deal before American elections November. New Start limits stockpiles of "strategic" warheads, designed for intercontinental warfare. Russia and the US also recently abandoned a short-range weapons treaty.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday filed a criminal complaint against Greek newspaper Dimokratia for using an offensive headline, reported Anadolu. The daily ran a headline telling "Mr Erdogan" to "f**k off", in Turkish. Turkey's justice minister told his Greek counterpart that he "strongly condemned" the headline. Such offences in Turkey can land people in jail - such as a 16-year old boy who once criticised Erdogan's party.

The Hungarian ministry of foreign affairs inquired from its embassies in EU states if they had any knowledge of professional trips, or training courses, for Hungarian journalists in the host country, the new news portal Telex has revealed. In response, the ministry told Telex, it "does everything necessary to avoid foreign influence in Hungarian internal matters, and in our experience, the Soros-network is usually behind such attacks".

Belarus sanctions have turned into a "high-voltage" crisis for EU foreign policy, its top diplomat has admitted.

The Belarus oppositon leader asked the EU not to support the Belarus authorities financially, and not to recognise Lukashenko as the country's president when his term ends in November.

Azimjon Askarov's death in jail should prompt serious questions about judicial and rule of law reforms in Kyrgyzstan funded by taxpayers through USAID and EU grants.

The centre-right EPP, centre-left S&D, and liberal Renew Europe have all nominated a homophobe for the Sakharov prize - the prestigious annual prize handed out by the European Parliament to people who defend human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Vil Mirzayanov, a scientist involved in the secret Soviet program to create the Novichok nerve agent, has apologised to the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who is recovering from poisoning in Berlin, The Moscow Times reports. "I offer my profound apologies to Navalny for the fact that I took part in this criminal business, developing this substance that he was poisoned with," Mirzayanov said in a TV interview.