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In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Kosovo being cautiously hopeful for visa liberalisation, Italian regions considering a state of calamity over drought, and so much more.

Despite not being known for its ecological ambitions, Czechia wants to make climate and the environment the drivers of its upcoming EU Council presidency.

Dmitry Muratov, the co-winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize and the editor of one of Russia's last major independent newspapers, auctioned off his Nobel medal for a record $103.5 million to aid children displaced by the war in Ukraine.

The governments of Kosovo and Albania have signed 19 new agreements and memoranda concerning the free movement of people and goods, as well as matters of education, trade, and tourism. Chief among the deals was an agreement to build a...

Kosovo has received signs there may be a reason to hope for visa liberalisation after all as European and Western Balkan leaders prepare for a busy week in Brussels. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti told the media that his government...

A series of irregularities and deficits across the electoral process was identified in the 3 April parliamentary and presidential elections in Serbia by a delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (CoE). A report to be discussed...

Journalists at the broadcaster RTV Slovenija continued striking on Monday amid escalating tensions with the leaders they accused of destroying Slovenia’s largest public media outlet. The whole-day strike came after journalists fired warning shots on 23 May with a one-hour...

Croatia plans to upgrade the capacity of its floating Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) terminal from the current 2.9 billion cubic metres per year to 6.1 bcm, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced at Three Seas Initiative in Riga on Monday. “This...

The Commission approved a €500 million scheme to support the growth of new forest areas, a part of Romania’s strategy to ensure the protection of forests and biodiversity. The scheme is part of Romania’s recovery and resilience plan, and it...

With days to go before EU leaders discuss enlargement at the EU summit, Sofia has given a bit of hope that its veto over North Macedonia opening accession talks could be lifted. North Macedonia and Albania, whose path is tied...

Disabled people are frequent victims of violence in the Czech Republic and only a fraction of those attacked reported it to the police, according to a survey conducted by In IUSTITIA. The survey showed that 76% of disabled people have...

Ukraine acknowledged difficulties in fighting in its east as Russian forces captured territory and intensified pressure on two cities ahead of an EU summit this week expected to welcome Kyiv's bid to join the bloc.

The Three Seas Initiative’s (3SI) member states have granted Ukraine participating partner status to the group and supported its efforts to join the EU, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced at Monday’s 3SI summit in Riga. Unlike a strategic partnership, which...

Russian energy giant Gazprom cut gas exports to Slovakia by half over the weekend, with lower exports continuing on Monday, gas supplier SPP announced. Gazprom announced lower deliveries via Nord Stream 1 last week after Gazprom’s CEO Alexey Miller named...

EU leaders are expected to again condemn Turkey’s fresh escalation against Greece, according to the upcoming EU summit’s draft conclusions seen by EURACTIV. “The European Council expressed deep concern about repeated recent actions and statements by Turkey. Turkey must respect...

Pedro Sánchez’s PSOE has launched an internal “red alert” after the centre-right PP’s absolute majority in Andalusia, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported. Spain’s conservative Popular Party (PP, EPP) won a historic majority in Andalusia’s regional election, a poll widely regarded as...

The Lazio region announced the forthcoming adoption of a drought state of calamity on Monday and the Po valley’s regions are considering doing the same as Italy faces its worst drought in 70 years. In the last few days, the...

The risk of the current economic crisis turning into a financial crisis can not be ruled out, and the ECB’s role is to ensure measures to ward it off, the Bank of Portugal governor said on Monday. “From the point...

Turkey’s security concerns were discussed with ministers from Sweden and Finland at a meeting organised by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on Monday. Relations between Turkey and Sweden soured last month after Ankara put forward a list of demands...

A cooperation contract between Helsinki University and the Confucius Institute will be terminated following accusations of spreading Chinese soft power, conducting espionage, and an attempt to block discussions on Tibet. Helsinki University has hosted a Confucius Institute focused on teaching...