Author: Olga Winter - EU Newsdesk

Olga Winter is a specialist editor writing about current affairs on the EU news desk for WTX News. Based in Brussels she ideally suited to the address the domestic and global affairs of the European continent, with assignments that include expose and In Review features for specialist reports..

South Korea’s Constitutional Court said on Monday that it was holding its first meeting on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment case that same day, with all six of its judges participating. After parliament voted for the investigation on Saturday, it falls to the court to decide whether to remove Yoon from office or reinstate him.  Yoon is being investigated following his short-lived attempted imposition of martial law on December 3. Lawmakers voted this down within a matter…

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This photo plays with history: Markus Söder had himself photographed kneeling in Warsaw on Wednesday – almost like Willy Brandt once did. Shortly afterwards, the CSU boss posted a photo with a bratwurst. Politicians from the SPD and the Greens find this tasteless.CSU boss Markus Söder is clearly criticized for his kneeling in Warsaw. “This is one of the greatest bad tastes that I have experienced from a German politician in recent years,” said former…

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Rescue workers, including reinforcements hustled in from France, rushed to deal with widespread damage from Cyclone Chido on the French Indian Ocean island territory of Mayotte on Sunday. The territory’s prefect, Francois-Xavier Bieuville, warned on local media that the numbers of casualties seemed sure to be high. “I think there will certainly be several hundreds, maybe we will reach a thousand, even several thousands,” Bieuville said on local channel Mayotte La 1ere. Officials warned it could take…

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Now that she is no longer party leader, Green politician Ricarda Lang wants to speak plainly. This includes self-criticism as well as devastating words towards Olaf Scholz.You have to imagine Ricarda Lang as a woman who has gotten rid of a heavy burden. “I was able to throw my scissors into the corner. “It’s a liberating feeling,” Lang said on Sunday evening.The scissors – by this Lang meant his own fear of too clear language,…

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“Could be members of Assad’s militias”: Friedrich Merz speaks out on ARD against the continued admission of Syrian people. Tough action must be taken at the borders. The situation in Syria is currently developing very dynamically – and has long since become an issue in the German election campaign . CDU chairman Friedrich Merz has now called for a halt to the admission of refugees from Syria in view of the fall of the ruler…

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The law proposed by Sumar, ERC, Bildu, Podemos and BNG to combat the fraudulent use of temporary rental and room rental contracts will be debated again this week in Congress, with some technical changes agreed by its promoters with Junts, which three years ago months unexpectedly prevented its processing. On this occasion, the law has enough support to save the first vote in plenary, although it remains to be seen if the entire parliamentary process…

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New Committees Established to Tackle Key Issues EU

Brussels — The European Parliament has taken the initiative to approve new committees with the intention of addressing key issues facing citizens. In a constructive move, leaders of political groups have announced the establishment of two new standing committees and two special committees, reflecting the European Parliament’s (EP) commitment to addressing pressing citizen concerns. This decision, made during a crucial meeting on Friday, is intended to enhance the EP’s ability to address contemporary challenges in…

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Bundestag member Klaus Stöber is running for state chairman against Björn Höcke at the Thuringian AfD party conference – and accuses him of deliberate provocations and egocentrism on the open stage. The members’ reactions are clear.Klaus Stöber only has two minutes to settle scores with Björn Höcke on Saturday. “I know that I cannot win this election,” he said at the beginning of his speech at the state party conference of the Thuringian AfD in…

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The French Government confirmed this Saturday that the American financial rating agency Moody’s downgraded the French sovereign debt rating by one notch, from Aa2 to Aa3, leaving the country three steps away from the highest rating. The announcement of this evaluation comes shortly after the French president, Emmanuel Macron, nominated his third prime minister this 2024, the centrist François Bayrou, as a way out of the political crisis and to replace the short-lived Michel Barnier.…

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At a crisis summit in Jordan today, foreign ministers from Arab states will discuss the future of Syria with international representatives. EU foreign policy chief Kallas and US Secretary of State Blinken will take part. Watch this and other news on WELT TV. Now live: Overthrow in Syria – Crisis summit in Jordan – Foreign Ministers discuss – Video

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As Poland prepares to take over the EU’s rotating presidency for six months on January 1, the threads of Europe’s diplomatic spider web are meeting in Warsaw more often than usual. French President Emmanuel Macron was in the Polish capital on Thursday, just days after his trilateral meeting in Paris with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President-elect Donald Trump. It was an important visit for Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk at a critical time…

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Why did Macron pick Bayrou? EU

Why did Macron pick Bayrou? A long-time centrist ally François Bayrou as the country’s new prime minister after MPs voted to oust the previous government under Michel Barnier last week. The 73-year-old is the founder of the centrist Democratic Movement party (MoDem) and mayor of the southwestern town of Pau. Just like his predecessor, François Bayrou does not have a majority in the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament). Passing France’s 2025 budget plan…

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OSCE says Worsening War Crimes and Humanitarian Law Violations in Ukraine EU

Human rights situation in Ukraine deteriorates as attacks intensify amid ongoing persecution in Russian-occupied territories: OSCE human rights office OSCE // WARSAW, 13 December 2024 – The human rights situation in Ukraine has continued to worsen amid increased aerial attacks that include systematic strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure, as well as intensified hostilities on the front line, leading to a surge in civilian casualties. Meanwhile, arbitrary detention, torture and coercion continued in areas of…

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So far, only a fraction of TUI’s 430 hotels are in Asia. Now the global travel market leader wants to significantly expand its presence, as boss Sebastian Ebel announced to WELT. They want to become “more independent from Europe”. Ebel really raves about China.After more than a quarter of a century in the world of tourism, Sebastian Ebel has seen everything there is to see, one would think. But the CEO of global travel market…

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The US has secured the extradition of Nigerian citizen Abiola Kayode over wire fraud charges, the US Department of Justice said. The 37-year-old had previously been on the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ (FBI) Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List. Kayode was accused of sending false emails to employees of US firm where he posed as a business executive, telling them to wire funds to accounts he and his associates controlled. “These bank accounts largely belonged to…

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A Vote of Confidence, What’s at Stake for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz? EU

  As Germany faces significant economic challenges, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has taken the rare step of submitting a vote of confidence to parliament. The decision, marking the first time a German Chancellor has done so in nearly two decades, underscores the gravity of the situation. On Monday, German MPs will vote, determining not only Scholz’s political future but also the direction of Europe’s largest economy. Why a Vote of Confidence Now? The vote comes amid…

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