ECJ silent on ‘legitimacy’ of Polish judges
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has refused to accept prejudicial questions from Polish judges who claim some of their colleagues have been appointed in a non-legitimate…
Democracy
Latest reporting and analysis on democracy.
Democracy at the crossroads: Illiberal liberals seem intent on rigging Europe’s elections
From Frederic Bastiat’s The Law to John Rawls’s Theory of Justice, the basic premise of liberal philosophy has always been equality before the law: Freedom and…
EU-funded supercomputer may be ‘misused by Erdoğan’, warns MEP
A European Union-funded supercomputer could be used by Turkey's Government to track dissidents, Sweden Democrat MEP Charlie Weimers has told Brussels Signal.
From the United States to Germany, the self-proclaimed defenders of democracy are fast becoming its enemies: They are playing a very dangerous game
A supposedly serious Bloomberg headline is setting the tone for the new year: “2024 is the Year of Elections and That’s a Threat to Democracy”.
Norwegian mass shooter Breivik pushes to end prison isolation
Anders Behring Breivik, the far-right fanatic who killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting rampage in Norway in 2011, will testify in court on Tuesday as he presses…
Netherlands’ Wilders drops ‘unacceptable’ legislative proposals in bid to please
In a move designed to appease his colleagues, Geert Wilders and his Freedom Party have formally withdrawn three controversial legislative proposals.
Man ‘shot with Italian MP’s gun’ at New Year’s Eve party
A male guest was shot with a gun belonging to one of Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni's MPs at a New Year's party in the town of Rosazza, in Northern Italy.
AfD ban could backfire, leading Social Democrat warns
Any proscription would likely be met with backlash due to the growing support for the AfD, according to the Government’s Commissioner for East Germany
Will 2024 be the year in which judicial activism begins to dictate the course of elections?
The attempts to take Donald Trump's name off the US presidential ballot and rumblings about banning the German AfD and Polish PiS parties could be the start of a…
Tusk-supporting MPs ‘recruiting for Polish State media’
Polish news portal Onet.
Polish president denounces Tusk’s state media overhaul as ‘anarchy’
The Polish president on Thursday denounced as "anarchy" state media reforms announced by Prime Minister Donald Tusk as tensions mounted between the head of state…
Gunman kills 14 in unprecedented attack at Prague university
The government declared a day of mourning across the central European country for Dec.
France, UK and US are ‘still colonial powers’ Irish PM tells pranksters
France, the UK and the US are all "arguably" colonial powers, Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has claimed.
Polish TV off-air as PM Tusk and President Duda spar
TVP's news channel TVP Info was on December 20 off-air after its signal was switched off, in what observers say is likely a result of Government action
‘Rogue actors’ could exploit new EU media freedom law, industry group says
“Rogue actors” will be able to exploit the European Union's newly agreed media European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), an industry group has claimed.
Berlin lowers local voting age to 16
Berlin's local government has lowered the voting age for its regional elections to 16 years.
‘Christmas present’ for Tusk: EC unlocks €111 billion in frozen Polish funds
In accepting what he called a "Christmas gift" from the EC, Tusk said Poland would rebuild democratic institutions and play a more active role in Europe
Why is Airbnb so at home with new Brussels regulations?
While many industries would rather Brussels keep its hands off their affairs, US-based rental platform Airbnb has raised eyebrows by celebrating its own European…
President of Veneto, Italy, supports foundation to fight femicide
Veneto, Italy Luca Zaia, President of Veneto region has said that his region is ready to support a foundation to combat femicide.
EXPLAINER: What Ukraine needs to do to keep its EU membership bid alive
The European Union's 27 leaders could decide at a summit this week whether to launch formal membership talks with Ukraine, a step that would provide a much-needed…
Is the short-lived Morawiecki government undemocratic?
On Monday November 27, Polish President Andrzej Duda appointed a new government led by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, expected to last only until Monday (December…
AfD in Saxony classified as ‘extremist’
The State Office for the Protection of the Constitution Saxony (SOPCS) has designated the right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party an “extremist”…
Berlin’s spätis show how things tend to go right when Europe keeps it simple
Can the EU political establishment learn something from the späti, the late-night convenience store that is ubiquitous in the German capital?
Leftist leader like an ‘annoying uncle who talks nonsense’, says Macron spokesman
The chief spokesman for French President Emmanuel Macron's Government has mocked one of the country's most high-profile left-wing leaders, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, comparing…
Can the Left keep taking the Muslim vote for granted? There are early signs that Keir Starmer’s Labour is losing its grip
What does the Israel-Hamas war mean for the European Left?
‘Attempted assassination’ of Vox founder ‘planned months in advance’, police say
The attempted assassination of the Conservative Vox party founder Alejandro Vidal-Quadras was planned three months in advance, according to Spanish police.
Lithuania’s Government may collapse over key budget vote
Lithuania's Government is at risk of collapse as Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė's unruly coalition looks increasingly fractious ahead of a crucial December 5…
Belarus police raid premises of opposition activists and their families
Police in Belarus have raided the offices of opposition members as part of a crackdown on dissenters who revolted against the Government in 2020.
Belgium buries terrorist murderer ‘under false name’ to deter ‘sympathisers’ from rallying there
The terrorist who killed two Swedes in Brussels in October has been buried under an unrevealed false name to prevent his resting place from becoming a rallying point…
Progressive Ireland risks letting the gun back into politics
The history of the modern Irish state is a history of near-constant political violence. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either ignorant or a liar.