Eurotopics.net

The Greek child protection organisation Ark of the World is mired in an abuse scandal. Following an initial complaint, several more people have come forward in the past few days and accused the NGO of sexual abuse, beatings and draconian measures at its children's facilities. The organisation has denied the allegations. The national press calls for fundamental reforms.

When Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007, the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) was introduced as a transitional measure to monitor the judicial reforms and fight against corruption in the two countries. The EU Commission has now ruled that the mechanism, which was already discontinued for Bulgaria in 2019, will end for Romania too. The justice systems of all EU states will be examined on an annual basis in the Rule of Law Report, which was introduced in 2020.

After the world football governing body Fifa threatened to impose sanctions on players, seven European teams have refrained from using the One Love captain's armband at the World Cup in Qatar, as they had announced they would do. Commentators criticise the decision against wearing this symbol of human rights and diversity, but also the debate itself.

A bitter dispute between Kosovo and Serbia over car number plates threatens to erupt into violence, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has warned after attempts at mediation failed. The row was triggered by Kosovo's decision to start fining members of the country's Serb minority who refuse to give up their Belgrade-issued number plates.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán caused stir at a football match between Hungary and Greece in Budapest on Sunday. He showed up wearing a scarf depicting the borders of the historical Kingdom of Hungary, which covered territories that have belonged to neighbouring states since 1920, including Ukraine. Commentators are incensed.