Author: staff
Lea Zuber remains as spokesperson for competition, and will cover the internal market and industrial policy, too. Eva Hrnčířová, from the cabinet of outgoing Values and Transparency Commissioner Věra Jourová, will become the spokesperson for a wide policy area, stretching from employment to culture and humanitarian aid to health. Markus Lammert, currently working in the German chancellery, will become the spokesperson for justice and the rule of law, plus home affairs. Maciej Berestecki, who works in the Commission’s directorate-general for communication, will take over agriculture, fisheries, regional funding and the EU’s post-Covid economic recovery fund. Guillaume Mercier, from the cabinet…
U.S. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, led Western powers in giving Kyiv permission to fire long-range missiles at targets inside Russia. Kyiv and Moscow each have other reasons to want a quick end of the war. “They’re both in a race against time, not just because of Trump, but also because they both have systemic, endemic problems,” Nixey said. Ukraine is short of manpower and seems to be “on course to lose this war,” according to Nixey. Russia has found reinforcements from North Korea and additional military support from China, but its economy is under pressure from a weakening ruble and…
Merkel has also called to explore a diplomatic solution to the war at some point, though the leadership in Ukraine says that Moscow cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith. “It is not only in the interest of Ukraine, but also in our interest that Putin does not win this war,” Merkel told German public broadcaster ZDF on Thursday, but “diplomatic solutions must always be considered in parallel.” That caused jaws to drop in Ukraine. “What kind of ‘return to diplomacy’ can we even talk about, when such ‘diplomacy’ under Merkel’s auspices in the form of the ‘Minsk Process’…
Some researchers have alleged that fake accounts or paid influencers were deployed to boost the account of ultranationalist pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu, who surged to victory in Sunday’s first round of voting in Romania’s presidential election. Georgescu’s content reached high view counts on the video-sharing app in the campaign’s final stretch. TikTok has repeatedly said it has found no evidence of any covert influence operation. The Commission also wants to know how TikTok gives NGOs and researchers access to the data needed to scrutinize election risks. A group of Romania-based NGOs had asked for more transparency in an open letter.…
António Costa will take office as president of the European Council on 1 December as part of the EU’s new institutional cycle. A changing of the guard has taken place in Brussels. Charles Michel, the outgoing president of the European Council, has handed the baton (or in this case, the bell) to his successor António Costa. The brief ceremony on Friday was marked by calls for political unity in the face of adversity.”The only way to be truly patriotic is to ensure sovereignty, to build a common Europe. Because only together can we stand up for security, stability and peace…
Paris is one of the most popular places in Europe to rent an Airbnb, with 95,000 rentals available. Paris never fails to capture the hearts of tourists, and many now choose to stay in a home-away-from-home holiday rental. But renters may soon be disappointed: the city is cracking down on Airbnbs and other rental companies. The French government passed a law in May 2024 making it harder to rent out properties on Airbnb for short-term lets. The ruling received cross-party support and Paris is the first municipality to roll it out. Right now, there are 95,461 Airbnb listings in the city, of which…
Chad’s government abruptly ended a defense cooperation agreement with former colonial power France, issuing the unexpected announcement just a few hours after a meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries. “After 66 years since the independence of the Republic of Chad, it is time for Chad to assert its full sovereignty, and to redefine its strategic partnerships according to national priorities,” Chad’s Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah said in a statement late Thursday. “This decision, taken after in-depth analysis, marks a historic turning point,” he said. The announcement came just hours after Koulamallah met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël…
This article was originally published in Italian Choose the scenic route through Italy on this one-off service, with special entertainment onboard. Homesick Sicilians have an affordable and sustainable new way to get home for Christmas this year: the Sicilia Express.The sleeper train has been organised for “workers or students…who wish to reach their loved ones to spend the Christmas holidays together” Sicily’s regional president Renato Schifani said. The Sicilia Express will leave Turin in northern Italy just before Christmas, on 21 December, and travel overnight to the island in the south. It will then return to Turin on 5 January, just…
Romania’s top national security officials said Thursday the country was targeted by cyberattacks intended to influence the first round of voting. The role of Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok in manipulating voters is also being scrutinized. Georgescu is scheduled to take on reformist Elena Lasconi in a runoff on Dec. 8. The court decision to order the recount came in response to a complaint by Cristian Terheș, a member of the European Parliament, who ran for president and received about 1 percent of the vote. He claimed that some of the votes for another candidate, who dropped out a week before…
Updated: 29/11/2024 – 16:47 GMT+1 Workers went on strike across a number of cities in Italy, demanding higher wages for teachers, nurses and public servants in order to match the rising inflation of the past 3 years. Workers went on strike across a number of cities in Italy, demanding higher wages for teachers, nurses and public servants in order to match the rising inflation of the past 3 years.They also called for new hires in areas facing staff shortages as well as better regulation of temporary contracts.