European Union

Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron will sign a new German-French friendship treaty today in the Coronation Room of Aachen Town Hall. The document will supplement the Elysée Treaty signed 56 years ago in Paris by then chancellor Konrad Adenauer and French president Charles de Gaulle. However, many observers are disappointed with the new version of the agreement.

The yellow vest protests of recent weeks have not only been marked by confrontation with the police. Demonstrators have also attacked journalists and blocked printing facilities to prevent newspapers from being delivered. The yellow vests accuse many media of unobjective and biased reporting. France's press voices concern about the state of freedom of opinion.

In Barcelona taxi drivers have been staging protests against online services like Uber and Cabify over the last few days. They have blocked arterial roads, demanding fair competition, and the protests have also spread to Madrid. Spanish commentators criticise the manner of the protests and stress that the entire sector needs new regulations.

The politico-spiritual move away from Russian Orthodoxy, presented by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko as a major national security issue, has deeply angered Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has political ambitions in the region, writes Willy Fautré.

All of Europe finds American fighter planes attractive, with first Slovakia and Romania and soon Bulgaria and Croatia opting to purchase these machines. EURACTIV France reports.The author, Nicolas Gros-Verheyde, is chief editor of Bruxelles2.eu website, dedicated to EU defence policy. 

The gap between developed and developing countries in their capacities to attract and retain skilled workforces have increased over the last five years, business school executive told EURACTIV.

Cresco Investigation
SOPO
The grant under Austrian law of a paid public holiday on Good Friday only to employees who are members of certain churches constitutes discrimination on grounds of religion prohibited under EU law

Romania's justice minister Tudorel Toader said Monday that he has prepared an emergency decree that could invalidate hundreds of corruption cases involving the country's most senior officials, AP reported. On Tuesday he meets with prime minister Viorica Dancila to discuss the issue. The EU commission criticised Romania over rule of law with commission vice-president Jyrki Katainen on Monday tweeting: "Unbelievable news!! Romanian people deserve rule of law."

British prime minister Theresa May went back to parliament after the crushing defeat of her Brexit deal - but she continues to push MPs to accept the withdrawal agreement.