European Union

Local elections will be held in Turkey this Sunday. Once again the AKP and the far-right MHP have joined forces as the "Popular Alliance". But this time the opposition alliance around the CHP also stands a fair chance. In Ankara the alliance will oust the AKP after 15 years in power, according to forecasts. Istanbul is also in a neck-and-neck race. The ruling AKP is pretty tense about the situation, commentators write.

In Bulgaria three ministers have resigned from Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's cabinet after it emerged that they had purchased luxury apartments in Sofia at prices far below market value. The public prosecutor's office is investigating the circumstances of the transactions. Is this latest scandal just a flash in the pan or could it prove dangerous for the government?

Safety and gender equality cement Azerbaijan’s place as the shining example of a modern Muslim democracy, writes Vadim Gusman.

Food producers are also entrepreneurs. Accessing financing, in particular in the start-up phase of projects is often a hurdle they have to overcome.

A new directive creates an EU-wide framework which will enable banks to more easily sell or outsource the servicing of bad loans.

EU ambassadors endorsed the common understanding reached by the Romanian presidency and the Parliament on InvestEU, the new EU programme to support investment and growth.

The EU wants to eliminate unjustified barriers to EU companies' freedom of establishment in the single market. Member states' ambassadors sitting in Coreper today endorsed a deal reached with the European Parliament on 13 March on a draft directive that facilitates EU companies' cross-border conversions, mergers and divisions.

In Strasbourg, President Donald Tusk addressed the plenary session of the European Parliament on the discussions held during the European Council meetings, which focused mainly on relations with China and Brexit

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/96 of 21 January 2019 amending Decision (CFSP) 2016/849 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The EU issued a declaration on the increasing tension on the rule of law democracy in Guatemala, following the latest developments in the country.

Malta and Cyprus should end their golden passport schemes, MEPs have said, amid an EU-wide alert on Russian money laundering.

Plenary session, Strasbourg

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP