The time seems to have come when the EU has to assume itself as a geopolitical entity, with an enhanced role and responsibility in global governance and towards its neighbourhood. Let us see the first decisions that will be taken by the extraordinary European Council meeting this week in Versailles. The implications of the war […]
European Council
“The Constitutional Tribunal is an integral part of the system which is the rule of law (…) I do not think that anything will stand in the way”, the tragically deceased president of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, symbolic patron of the Law and Justice party (PiS), said in 2006. If only he knew that only a […]
To mark the start of the six-month EU Council presidency of Slovenia, a grandiose musical and ballet performance was arranged on Lake Bled. This reminded me of my own very first visit to Slovenia, which was also linked to music, though with a much more modest profile. As an unassuming clarinet player in the wind […]
The latest European Council held important discussions on democracy and fundamental rights, both within and outside the EU borders. Within these borders, the main topic was LGBTQI+ rights in Hungary. The criminalisation of human rights is unacceptable in any part of the globe. Doing it in an EU member state is intolerable. It is clear […]
In September 2020, the European Commission finally presented its New Pact on Migration and Asylum. The proposals were supposed to inject much-needed momentum into the reform of the European asylum system, which the Council has delayed for too long. But again, we see that Member States maintain well-known positions to block even the slightest progress […]
The last European Council was important to put the European Union on better tracks, culminating the long and dramatic effort which was undertaken by larger European and progressive forces to respond to the current unprecedented and multidimensional crisis. Nevertheless, daunting challenges are still ahead of us. The swift implementation of the agreed policy measures will […]
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