Italian President Giorgio Napolitano is expected to task Matteo Renzi with forming a new government today, Monday. The power-hungry leader of the Democratic Party may provide the kind of imaginative leadership that can bring about the necessary reforms, some commentators believe. Others take the view that given the huge challenges, he won’t stay in power for long
There may be only one European election, but how the candidates in each country are elected can be quite different. Euro elections landscape, 2014
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán offered voters yesterday (16 February) a choice between his government and a return to a post-communist regime he said had taken Hungary to the brink of collapse.
With a parliamentary election due on 6 April, Orbán’s ruling centre-right Fidesz party has a firm lead in all opinion polls over the leftist opposition alliance led by the Socialists
The European Union said yesterday (16 February) it had postponed negotiations with Switzerland on its participation in multibillion-dollar research and educational schemes, after Berne said it could not sign in its present form an agreement to extend the free movement of people to Croatia, the newest EU member.
The Swiss decision was expected following a referendum in the Alpine nation held on 9 February, in which a narrow majority backed proposals to reintroduce immigration quotas for the European Union.
Bosnian Protesters Demand Bread, Social Justice and Freedom of Speech
When the citizens of Bosnia?s second biggest city, Tuzla, went out to protest on February 4, 2014, few expected to witness the country-wide riots that the world is witnessing just a week later. Whether the latest unrest in Bosnia-Herzegovina, can be qualified as the ?Bosnian Spring?, as some media have named it, isn’t what matters at the moment. The reasons behind the unrest and where things are headed are the topics that many locals are asking the international community and media to focus on
Ukraine: Streaming scenes from the streets
Social media and new technologies are putting Kiev’s crisis coverage in protesters’ hands.
MAIN FOCUS: Belgium legalises euthanasia for children | 14/02/2014
Belgium has become the first country in the world to allow euthanasia for children regardless of their age. The Belgian parliament approved a law to this effect on Thursday. Some commentators praise Belgian society for conducting a respectful debate prior to the decision. Others see the move as a break with taboo that will have repercussions far beyond Belgium’s borders
The ?Bosnian Spring? Between Chances
Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) is an artificial administrative creature made by foreign powers in Dayton agreement on 1995. It has two political semi-independent entities (federal units) ? Serb dominated Republika Srpska (RS) and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) inhabited mainly by Croats and Bosniacs. The 2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina began in the northern town of Tuzla on 3 February 2014, but quickly spread to multiple cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Sarajevo, for social reasons with the aim of overthrowing the government. The riots are the most violent scenes the country has seen since the end of the Bosnian War.
The three points of the triangle represent the nation?s three ethnic groups: Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs. The triangle itself represents the geographic shape of the nation itself. The colors represent neutrality and peace, whereas the stars represent Europe.
Britain?s relations with the EU positive: report
Britain’s relations with the EU are broadly working well in key areas, a government review said yesterday (13 February) in findings out of step with Prime Minister David Cameron’s calls for radical EU reform.
The review collected more than 600 opinions including those of companies, business organisations, think-tanks and local councils, and found Britain broadly benefited from being a member of the EU’s single market.
Swiss vote puts EU to the test on Free Movement
The Swiss referendum on immigration restrictions for EEA nationals – effectively a vote on ending the free movement of people in the single market for Switzerland – was passed by avery narrow majority of 50.3%, but it has big consequences. The bilateral treaties between Switzerland and the EU form a dense and developed relationship; there are some 120 individual treaties. But the treaties are inter-related: should Switzerland breach one of the free movements, then the other single market provisions will be brought to an end. So Switzerland could potentially be exiting the single market
Independent Scotland ‘difficult, if not impossible’ to integrate with EU: Barroso
It will be “difficult, if not impossible” for an independent Scotland to become a member of the EU if it votes to break away from Britain, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso warned
Germany and France growth boost eurozone hopes
France has been under the spotlight in recent months as the pace of its post-crisis recovery lagged behind Germany and the UK ? and Spain and Italy
EU elections: ask candidates to sign digital rights pledge
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Kirsten From Edri writes, “European Digital Rights (EDRi) has launched 
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