European Union

Die anhaltende Dürre dieses Sommers hat in vielen Orten Europas die Ernte verdorben und den Landwirten massive Ausfälle beschert. In Deutschland springt nun der Staat ein, auch die EU-Kommission sagte Hilfen zu. Während einige Kommentatoren finden, dass die Bauern jetzt ihre Wirtschaftsweise ändern müssen, sehen andere auch die Verbraucher und Supermarktketten in der Pflicht.

In einem TV-Interview hat Liviu Dragnea, Chef von Rumäniens Regierungspartei PSD, behauptet, 2017 Ziel eines Mordversuchs gewesen zu sein. Er gab indirekt zu verstehen, dass dahinter der US-Milliardär George Soros stünde. Laut Staatsanwaltschaft gab es zu dem Fall aber nie eine Anzeige. Zeitungen in Rumänien zweifeln an der Geschichte und fragen sich, was Dragnea antreibt.

After a week of delay an Italian coastguard ship carrying 177 migrants has been given permission to dock in Sicily. Italy's interior minister Matteo Salvini had initially threatened to have the migrants brought back to Libya if other EU member states didn't agree to take them in. Commentators voice deep concern about Salvini's anti-migrant policy.

In the run-up to the Swedish parliamentary elections on 9 September polls are pointing to a deadlock with neither the left nor the conservative Alliance winning a majority, because the Sweden Democrats are likely to garner almost 20 percent of the vote. Commentators believe it will now be virtually impossible to ignore the right-wing populist party and its arguments.

Danish shipping company Maersk will this week send for the first time one of its ships along the Northern Sea Route, an Arctic shipping lane along Russia’s northern coastline that is set to become more important as climate change makes it more viable.

Spain's socialist government announced on Tuesday (21 August) it will amend the law to prevent relatives from legally disputing the exhumation of fascist dictator Francisco Franco from the vast mausoleum in Madrid where he is buried. EURACTIV's partner EFE-EPA reports.