European Union

During his annual televised news conference, Vladimir Putin spoke out in favour of an amendment to the Russian constitution: the last three words in the passage specifying that the Russian president can serve a "maximum of two terms in a row" could be deleted, he said. This would mean that Putin could not stand for election again. Commentators are unsure whether the statement portends real change.

The trial of those suspected of involvement in the murders of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnirová begins before a special court in the Slovakian town of Pezinok on Friday. In a move which surprised many observers, the court accepted the indictment on Thursday and set January 13 as the date on which the main trial will begin. Commentators' expectations are high.

Boris Johnson is not considered a friend of the BBC, which he accuses of biased reporting. In the election campaign he threatened to cut the broadcaster's main source of funding: public service broadcasting fees. Now a spokesman has confirmed that failure to pay the fee is to be decriminalized, meaning that the broadcaster could lose up to 200m pounds per year. Are the BBC's days numbered?

Europe's press is ambivalent about the impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump recently passed by the US House of Representatives. The US president has said he wants to face the impeachment trial, which will decide whether he is removed from office on charges of abuse of power and obstructing justice, as soon as possible.

The Romanian Revolution, which culminated in the overthrow and execution of dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu, began in the city of Timișoara shortly before Christmas 1989. More than 1,000 people died in the uprising against the state. While the Romanian press asks whether the people of Romania have truly put the dictatorship behind them, international voices draw attention to positive developments.

Holiday recess

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Puigdemont i Casamajó and Comín i Oliveres v Parliament
Law governing the institutions
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It’s been a very busy European election year and most of us are heading for a well-deserved Christmas break. Meanwhile, if you do fire up your browser, here you can catch up on our 30 most read stories that made waves in 2019.