Euractiv.com

European People's Party President Donald Tusk has publicly supported Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić ahead of the country's parliamentary election on Sunday (21 June), which the opposition is going to boycott. In response, Serbian opposition leader Dragan Djilas sent an open letter to Tusk. EURACTIV is publishing its shortened version.

How do we come out of this crisis as a society that has learned from its errors and difficult moments? How do we achieve balance between urgent sustainability and economic recovery?

There is no sign of a US retreat from Europe's security structure, the US Ambassador to NATO told EURACTIV, commenting on Washington's troop withdrawal plans from Germany. At the same time, NATO secretary-general confirmed that President Donald Trump had decided on the withdrawal without informing the alliance in advance.

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about tensions between Hungary and Romania following the opening of borders but with restrictions, France planning to relocate its sanitary industry, and so much more.

Turkey angrily accused France on Tuesday (16 June) of exacerbating the crisis in Libya and violating UN and NATO decisions by supporting the forces of Khalifa Haftar against the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said on Tuesday (16 June) that Kosovo had no time to waste due to stagnation or hesitation and that it had to become a member of the UN, EU and NATO as soon as possible. Thaci...

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić dismissed claims on Tuesday (16 June) that the outcome of the 27 June meeting with his Kosovo counterpart, Hashim Thaci, in Washington would have anything to do with Belgrade’s recognition of an independent Kosovo, stressing that it...

Prime Minister Janez Janša has revealed some of the priorities of Slovenia’s EU Council Presidency in the second half of 2021, stressing that the priorities have changed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Janša said Slovenia would strive to...

The Spanish coalition government of PSOE’s socialists and left-wing Unidas Podemos/United We Can, approved a special package worth €16 billion, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported. The package will be directly transferred to Spain’s autonomous communities to help them mitigate the economic...

Italy will have its first day of high school exams today (17 June), with about 500,000 students set to take the test. The new format, approved by the government on 9 June, consists of a multidisciplinary oral test, which can...

For the second year running, Finland is leading the pack in terms of digital performance and competitiveness, according to this year’s Digital Economy Index (DESI) published by the European Commission. As the coronavirus crisis demonstrated the importance of a digital...

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday (16 June) during a visit to a Sanofi plant in the Rhône region that the government has plans to relocate the sanitary industry. The president took the opportunity to bury the hatchet with...

More than 50 million bees have been found poisoned in the northern county of Međimurje, which borders Hungary. As a result, County Prefect Matija Posavec declared a natural disaster for a part of Međimurje county on Monday (15 June). Veterinary...

There is widespread anger in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of four police officers. Anger that we need to channel into social reform. This is a priceless deposit and we must not let it go to waste, writes Helena Dalli.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Tuesday (16 June) sought to reassure Europe that forthcoming coronavirus recovery funds would be spent wisely to revive the battered economy after a crippling lockdown.

The EU is facing the worst recession in history as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. To ensure that the crisis does not turn into a social emergency, the bloc must address issues like job security, minimum wages, or youth opportunities, the Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, told EURACTIV in an interview. 

The European Commission will come out with a big push for hydrogen later this month, but there are concerns about whether existing infrastructure can meet the demand.

Germany, Portugal and Slovenia presented their joint EU presidency programme for the next 18 months on Tuesday (16 June), seeking to focus primarily on social recovery in the wake of the pandemic. Despite expectations, the 31 pages are otherwise filled with little substance. EURACTIV Germany reports. 

Small communities are becoming energy self-sufficient with clean-burning hydrogen gas generated from wind power. The question now for Europe is whether it can be replicated on a larger scale.

The Hungarian Parliament passed legislation on Tuesday (16 June) that rescinds the controversial powers granted to Viktor Orbán's government at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and approved "transitional arrangements" to phase it out.