News archive

Croatia's first EU elections see dismal voter turnout
Croatia recorded the third lowest turnout for European Parliament yesterday, with only a fifth of the country's eligible voters taking part in the ballot to choose 12 representatives in the assembly

Croatia to elect first MEPs ahead of EU accession
Croatia goes to the polls this weekend to decide who will serve as its first MEPs, with the assembly's president Martin Schulz urging voters to "go to the ballot box and choose the best" candidates

People power has little effect in bureaucratic Brussels
The European Citizens' Initiative is destined to be a flop because the European Commission will never accept being told what to do by the people, writes Justin Stares

Portugal and Slovenia candidates for next crisis hot spot
Slovenia could need a bail-out of up to €4bn for its troubled banks while Portugal might also require further financial assistance, says the think-tank Open Europe

Gold to be sold as Cyprus bail-out costs soar
The cost of the bail-out of Cyprus has increased from €17bn to €23bn, according to documents produced by the country's international lenders, while its economy is expected to shrink 8.7 per cent this year

EU economic warnings target Spain and Slovenia
The European Commission calls on governments to make a 'decisive' commitment to structural reforms to tackle economic imbalances and lack of competitiveness in a series of countries

EU leaders react to death of Margaret Thatcher
Senior politicians across Europe pay tribute to the former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who has died at the age of 87

Cameron cuts short Europe tour after Thatcher death
British Prime Minister David Cameron was due to tour Spain, France and Germany in an attempt to win support for his policy of reworking the European Union to hand powers back to national governments

Portugal to seek new cuts after court decision
The Portuguese government has said it will have to put in place new spending cuts in areas such as health, social security and education after a court ruled against part of its budget

North Korea 'cannot go on like this' says UN
UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has urged North Korea to 'refrain from provocative measures' after South Korea backtracked on suggestions its neighbour was preparing an imminent nuclear test

Drop 'illegal immigrant' label, urges EU commissioner
The term 'illegal immigrant' should not be used in official European Union documents, senior EU politician Cecilia Malmström says after praising the Associated Press for making the move

Failure on EU-Ukraine deal would be 'tragic missed opportunity'
If the European Union and Ukraine do not sign an association agreement in November it will represent a 'geopolitical failure' for the bloc, Ukraine's ambassador to the EU says

Draghi: Cyprus better off in eurozone
Cyprus would not benefit from leaving the euro because it would have to make the same extensive reforms to its economy but in a more difficult environment, Mario Draghi says

EU must do more to protect Roma, says Amnesty
The EU should use its legal powers to challenge member states that do not enforce the race equality directive, Amnesty says, as it publishes a report documenting widespread discrimination against the Roma population

Aid cuts causing 'very real damage' to poorest
Severe reductions in European spending on development aid are causing 'very real damage' to the world's poorest people, it is claimed – after a report reveals the extent of the budget cuts last year