European Union

EU leaders should reject any new talk of ethnic division and secession in the western Balkans and finally make good on their promises to the region's nations, write Tineke Strik and Viola von Cramon-Taubadel.

EU-related news was given only 2.3% of airtime on French TV news in 2020 and most of it was devoted to the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study by the Jean Jaurès Foundation in partnership with the French Audiovisual Institute (INA) revealed. EURACTIV France reports.

This week sees the official launch of the Conference on the Future of Europe, and its democratic centrepiece is a digital platform gathering ideas. There are high hopes for the platform as the EU seeks to mobilise citizen involvement in shaping policies and ambitions.

The regional elections in the UK have brought the Scottish National Party (SNP) under Nicola Sturgeon a clear victory. The party won 64 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament. The result puts the question of Scottish independence, which the SNP is campaigning for, firmly back on the agenda. Europe's press discusses the fault lines between money, power and identity.

Over the course of a year the citizens of the EU are to discuss what kind of Europe they want for the future. At the launch of the "Conference on the Future of Europe" on Sunday in Strasbourg, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to listen closely to what the people have to say. Commentators list the major issues that call for urgent decisions.

A hunting trip by Prince Emanuel von und zu Liechtenstein has caused an uproar in Romania. He apparently shot a brown bear in the Carpathian Mountains in March that should not have been cleared for shooting. Environmentalists are outraged, claiming that Romania's largest living bear was killed. For the Romanian press, however, there is far more to this case.

Documents known as Safepasses are being introduced in Cyprus this week which give vaccinated citizens access to diverse venues and facilities in the coming weeks. The certificates provide confirmation that the carrier has either recovered from Covid, been vaccinated with at least one dose or tested negative on a rapid test in the past 72 hours. The Cyprus Bar Association has called the decision to introduce the documents unconstitutional. The country's media are also critical of the move.