European Union

Albania’s State Supreme Audit (KLSH) found that delays in testing and contact tracing, and a lack of resources at the national level, led to the rapid spread of COVID-19 throughout the country. KLSH audited several key institutions, including the Ministry...

Kosovo held local elections on Sunday in 36 municipalities to elect new mayors and municipal councils. Some 166 mayoral and 5,198 councillor candidates entered the race. The local elections take place in two rounds. To win, a mayor should win...

North Macedonia on Sunday (17 October) held local elections, which will be a test for the government coalition of Social Democrats (SMSD), led by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Albanian party DUI. Polling stations closed at 7:30 pm, 30 minutes...

The highest Roman Catholic and Muslim dignitaries in BoiH, Sarajevo Archbishop Vinko Puljić and Grand Mufti Husein Kavazović, called for dialogue and defused tension in the country, warning that it threatened to escalate. The current political and security situation in...

US diplomat Christopher Hill has been nominated as the next US ambassador to Serbia, the White House announced on Friday. The new ambassador is well-versed in regional issues. He served as a deputy to Richard Holbrooke, the US’s chief negotiator...

Agriculture and the energy industry are the two main sectors enabling society and the state to function normally. Therefore, in the next decade, €7.5 billion will be invested in the agricultural sector, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has said. The prime...

The Bulgarian recovery plan includes 59 investment projects and 46 reforms. It was approved by the caretaker government on Thursday and was formally sent to the European Commission on Friday. Deputy Prime Minister for EU Funds Management Atanas Pekanov explained that 12.9...

Dacian Ciolos will officially present on Monday (18 October) his governing program and list of ministers, but it is unlikely that parliament will approve his cabinet. After president Klaus Iohannis designated him to form the new government, Ciolos tried last...

Gabriel Escobar, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in charge of the Balkans, confirmed that at the last NATO summit, fears were expressed that it was dangerous to share information with the new government in Podgorica, adding that this concern...

Polish citizens took to the streets of Warsaw on Sunday calling on the government to put an end to “torture” and “cruelty” against refugees at the border with Belarus. Among the protest initiators was Janina Ochojska, MEP (EPP), who runs...

Peter Kažimír, former minister of finance in the government of Robert Fico and currently the National Bank’s governor, has been officially accused of bribery. Supposedly, Kažimír gave an envelope with €50,000 to then-head of Financial Administration František Imrecze. The accusation...

The outgoing government of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš will decide Monday (18 October) on a strategic €20 million investment in the Three Seas Initiative (3SI). While the 3SI – a forum of twelve EU member states, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,...

The 40th Congres of PSOE that took place over the weekend bore constructive results. Dubbed the congress of ´unity´ it ended with the election of a new federal executive with 95% support. On Saturday (16 October), Sanchez started with a...

The new minority government of the Labour Party and Centre Party, sworn into office on Thursday, has differing views regarding the EU. While Labour is in favour of having strong cooperation with its “European neighbours”, the rhetoric of the Centre party...

A recent spike in COVID-19 infections has cast doubt on whether the final stages of Ireland’s phased reopening will be able to go ahead as planned. Despite a high rate of vaccinations, recent weeks have seen a surge in cases....

“France recognises the clearly established responsibilities,” the Elysée said on Saturday on the occasion of the commemoration of a massacre of Algerians that took place in Paris 60 years ago under the authority of former police prefect Maurice Papon. “This...

“I carry the responsibility for this result,” Armin Laschet told the convention of the youth organisation of his conservative CDU. Laschet must prepare his party for opposition, as a “traffic light” coalition without the conservatives is looking increasingly likely. On...

While the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) had been leading the polls ever since former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz took over in 2016, the party is currently caught in a downward spiral due to Kurz’s fall from grace over corruption allegations. A...

Approximately 100,000 people rallied in Rome on Saturday (16 October) in solidarity with CGIL, Italy’s largest trade union. On 9 October it was attacked by neo-fascist militants. Italy’s right political forces did not attend. Among the attendees were main representatives of Italy’s centre-left forces, including Democratic...

Germany will lower its infamous renewable electricity surcharge to the lowest point ever in 2022 amid signs that the next government may be preparing to abolish the tax entirely.