The Brief – (Don’t) look up
On 21 April 2002, I was 18 years old and my friends and I were about to vote for the very first time. And not just in any election, we were going to vote in the presidential election. The euphoria…
INFBusiness
How Putin primed Kazakhstan for evading EU sanctions
Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev issued shoot to kill orders against protestors (Photo: Kalabaha1969) The events in January in Kazakhstan, previously known as an island of stability in an otherwise turbulent region, have received little follow-up attention, largely as a result…
Le Pen’s new EU rhetoric masks same old ideas
Marine Le Pen (centre in front row) in her time as an MEP (Photo: European Parliament) In her main French presidential election manifesto, Marine Le Pen is rather grandiloquent, but also lacking in detail on Europe. Her party’s “presidential project”…
EU-mediated Kosovo-Serbia dialogue on license plates fails
Kosovo and Serbia have failed to agree on the issue of license plates, an issue that sparked unrest along the border in September 20
Macron, Le Pen spar over disability allowance in TV debate
Incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right contender Marine Le Pen clashed over the current practice of taking into account the partner’s income when calculating the allowance for disabled adults in a debate ahead of their final face-off on…
Women are the missing key to tackling climate change in the Muslim World
The Muslim world, and its religious leaders, have a duty to empower women to play crucial civil society roles if climate change is to be slowed and – possibly even reversed, writes Dr Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa. Dr Al-Issa is…
Foreign support in France’s electoral race is a risky move
You can always tell that a candidate is nervous when they wheel out foreign leaders to endorse them. Pollsters may give President Emmanuel Macron a narrow but decisive edge ahead of Sunday’s presidential run-off against far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen,…
Kyiv Symphony’s European tour marks ‘cultural front’ in Ukraine crisis
For Eleanora Tymoshenko, a music teacher from Balakliia, near Kharkhiv in Eastern Ukraine, and now a refugee in Warsaw, a night of Ukrainian music is food for her soul as she reflects on the conflict ravaging her home. “Music supports…
Far-right Salvini and Orbán agree to create a new EU ‘centre-right’
The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. Before you start reading today’s edition of the Capitals, feel free to have a look at…
Ahead of second election round, French more divided than before
Incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron is within reach of re-election in the second voting round on Sunday, but his far-right rival, Marine Le Pen, cannot be dismissed as the French seem more divided than before. On Sunday, France will choose…