European Union

By Arthur Beesley in London

Europe is transfixed these days by Brexit, terrorism, migrants and the populist advance. But the riddle of Greece remains.

A damning new report by the IMF’s in-house inspectorate finds fault on several grounds with the fund’s approach to the country. This is backwards-looking exercise, which takes stock of bailouts for Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Yet there are clear implications for the next phase of the long battle to restore fiscal stability in Athens.

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On behalf of the Slovak presidency of the Council

In order to cover meetings organised in Bratislava during the Slovak presidency (informal Council meetings, the Bratislava summit, etc.) media must follow a two-step procedure.

Step 1: general accreditation valid for all events

This one-off step consists of a security check of your application. You must submit your application no later than 21 days prior to the first event you wish to attend. No late application is available.

This request can be introduced at any time, even if the event you wish to register for is not yet open (e.g. Bratislava summit). It is a one-off requirement, which entitles media representatives to a 6-month pass for all presidency events.

During the process you will be asked to provide your personal details and upload an ID type photo and a scan of your press card or commissioning letter from your editor-in-chief. Make sure that all data you provide are accurate.

Once your details have been verified, you will receive an email informing you of the outcome of your request. In case you do not receive this electronic confirmation, please, do not hesitate to contact media.skpres@mzv.sk,  tereza.fitzekova@mzv.sk or +421 908 674 501.

Step 2: registration for individual events

You can ask for registration in an event at the same time as your accreditation request or once it has been accepted. Registration for events closes 5 days prior to the beginning of the event concerned. The status of your registration request is available to you on your account that you have created. However, the presidency will be responsive to late or last-minute registrations for specific events, given that a reporter has done its accreditation on time.

 At this stage, registration is already open for the following upcoming events:

• Ministerial conference on the occasion of the European Day of Remembrance for the victims of totalitarian regimes (22 - 23 August)
• Gymnich (2 - 3 September)
• ECOFIN ( 9 - 10 September)
• AGRIFISH (11 - 13 September)
• "Bratislava summit" - Informal Meeting of Heads of State and Government (16 September)
• Speakers of Parliament (6 October).

Important: Separate registration is required for each event. Media representatives will not be granted access to the event venue unless they have obtained accreditation and their registration has been duly approved. Neither accreditation nor registration is possible at the event venue.

For more information and to start the process: http://www.eu2016.sk/en/media-en/accreditation

For any queries regarding accreditation please contact the Slovak presidency at media.skpres@mzv.sk or +421 908 674 501

German Chancellor Angela Merkel made it clear at a press conference that she will stick to her open-door refugee policy. In response to the attacks of the last two weeks she presented a nine-point plan against terror. Some commentators praise Merkel's stance as courageous and reassuring. Others criticise her obvious lack of a plan.

Hillary Clinton has been officially nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate to run against the Republican Donald Trump. The European media debate whether she can really capitalise on her bid to become the first woman in the White House.

The recent Islamist-motivated terrorist attacks across Germany and France have left Europe in a state of fear and anxiety. Some commentators urge calm, saying that these are just ordinary criminals. Others believe that the terrorists are instruments of a political-religious campaign.

The EU Commission has given the Polish government three months to make changes to its controversial legal reform. Polish media put forward different arguments for why this ultimatum will fail to be effective.

The Norwegian municipality of Kåfjord has proposed giving the summit of Mount Halti to Finland to mark the 100th anniversary of Finnish independence. This would mean shifting the border between the two countries by 40 metres. Finnish media praise the proposal as a wonderful gesture that would serve as a symbol of peace and understanding among nations.