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Central Europe
Poland demands apology after Schulz calls judicial changes ‘coup’
Est. 2minEuropean Parliament chief Martin Schulz yesterday (14 December) compared the political situation in Poland to a "coup", drawing the anger of the Polish government which is locked in a battle against the country's top court.
Hungary to honour WWII anti-Semite
Est. 3minA US envoy said yesterday (13 December) Washington was shocked by plans to erect a statue of Bálint Hóman, who contributed to murderous anti-Semitism in Hungary in the 1930s and 40s.
Bokova: There was opposition in Bulgaria against membership application
Est. 7minTwenty years ago, on 15 December 1995, Bulgaria presented its EU membership application, ending months of uncertainty over its geopolitical aspirations. On the occasion of this anniversary, EURACTIV spoke to several political figures from that period.
Bulgarian minister quits after judicial reform plan rejected
Est. 4minBulgarian Justice Minister Hristo Ivanov resigned on Wednesday (9 December) after parliament watered down changes to the constitution in a vote which he said would prevent genuine reforms to the country's graft-prone and inefficient judiciary.
Czech MEP denies attempt to withdraw €350 million from Swiss bank
Est. 2minA Czech communist member of the European Parliament denied yesterday (6 December) that he had tried to carry out an illegal transaction involving €350 million at a Swiss bank.
Visegrad Four mobilise to keep Schengen intact
Est. 2minFour eastern EU member states yesterday (3 December) rejected the idea of cutting the 26-member passport-free Schengen zone down to include fewer countries as a way to cope with the refugee and migrant crisis.
Tusk: Detaining migrants for up to 18 months is legal
Est. 4minIrregular migrants to Europe should be detained for as long as needed to check their identity, up to the 18 months allowed by international law, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday (2 December).
New Polish government shelves EU flag
Est. 2minJournalists gathered yesterday (24 November) in the press room of Poland's new conservative government discovered that the blue and gold star-studded European Union flag normally on display was gone, leaving only its red-and-white Polish counterpart.
Slovakia takes EU to court over migrant quotas
Est. 3minSlovakia will launch legal action by next month against an EU quota plan to distribute 160,000 refugees and migrants across the bloc, a justice ministry spokeswoman told AFP today (24 November).
US, Russia and EU should work together to combat ISIS, says Juncker
Est. 7minCommission President Jean-Claude Juncker has team up with French President François Hollande in seeking a 'rapprochement' with Russia to fight Islamic State, described by both as the biggest threat to the EU.
Czech president attends anti-Islam rally on Velvet Revolution anniversary
Est. 3minMilos Zeman, the President of the Czech Republic, attended a rally against refugees and Islam in Prague on Tuesday (17 November) on the anniversary of the 1989 Velvet Revolution, which peacefully toppled Communism in then Czechoslovakia.
Poland won’t relocate migrants after Paris attacks
Est. 2minPoland cannot accept migrants under European Union (EU) quotas after the attacks in Paris, Poland's European affairs minister designate Konrad Szyma?ski said today (14 November), in a sign that Friday's assault may seriously undermine EU refugee policy.
Bulgaria warns Germany against returning refugees
Est. 3minBulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov warned Germany yesterday (12 November) against returning refugees to countries where they first registered.
Hungary prepares law allowing spies to pose as journalists
Est. 2minDuring the Cold War, it was commonplace that journalists also worked for the secret services. This practice had been largely discontinued since, but reportedly Hungary wants to return to it and enforce it by law.
All eyes on Germany as refugee exodus continues
Est. 12minMember states are affected in very different ways by the refugee crisis. But all of them worry about what will happen when Germany’s capacity to absorb asylum seekers reaches saturation point. The EURACTIV network reports.
Georgieva to run for UN Secretary-General
Est. 7minEXCLUSIVE/ Commission Vice-President Kristalina Georgieva plans to run for the job of UN Secretary-General, to replace Ban Ki-moon, whose second term expires on 31 December 2016.
Poland’s Kaczynski may need pot-smoking rapper as ally
Est. 7minCovered in tattoos and known for his foul-mouthed lyrics, Polish rapper Liroy would appear an unlikely ally for the deeply conservative and religious Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who has just scored a stunning election victory.
Orbán aide calls US criticism ‘downright irritating’
Est. 2minPrime Minister Viktor Orbán's chief of staff on Thursday (29 October) rejected criticism of the Hungarian government by the US ambassador to Budapest, saying her remarks amounted to interference in Hungary's affairs.
Vote count confirms outright majority for Polish Eurosceptics
Est. 4minThe Eurosceptic Law and Justice party (PiS) has become the first party to win an outright majority in the Polish parliament since the fall of communism in 1989, official results showed on Tuesday (27 October).
Kalfin: Expect long discussions over revision of Posted Workers directive
Est. 6minLong and lively discussions in between the member states, and between the member states and the European Parliament, are expected in light of the anticipated revision of the Posted Workers Directive, Ivailo Kalfin, Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, told a small group of journalists in Brussels.
Leaders clash at migration mini-summit
Est. 6minLeaders of the countries of the so-called “Balkan route” clashed on Sunday (25 October) with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with some of them using the argument that the Union may fall apart because of the refugee exodus.
Eastern leaders to give Juncker cold shoulder over refugee crisis
Est. 7minEuropean Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called a mini-EU summit for today (25 October) with the leaders of the so-called “Balkan route” of Eastern European member states, in order to ask them to handle the migrant exodus in a dignified way.
Polls differ on Poland’s Sunday election
Est. 5minTwo new polls in Poland yesterday (22 October) showed diverging trends in the popularity of the frontrunning, nationalist-minded opposition before the Sunday (25 October) parliamentary election, heightening uncertainty about the shape of the next government and Warsaw's ties with EU neighbours.
Tusk and Orbán on collision course with Merkel over refugee crisis
Est. 6minEU Council President Donald Tusk and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán indirectly rebuked German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday (22 October), calling arguments over how to accommodate refugees "naïve" as long as Europe fails to stop them.