Browsing: Europe

Europe is a continent and is different to the European Union.

Switzerland’s non-membership of the EU means it is viewed as more neutral than countries like Austria, Ireland or Sweden.

‘We have a historic opportunity to get it right on migration’: EU Commission VP Schinas EU

Talking Europe hosts one of the EU Commission’s vice-presidents, Margaritis Schinas, who is in charge of overseeing the promotion of the European Way of Life. That includes fighting anti-Semitism, racism and discrimination in various forms. Schinas also coordinates the Commission’s work on the Migration and Asylum Pact, which is entering a critical period in negotiations between the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament. Schinas tells Armen Georgian he is optimistic that the Pact will be completed before the EU elections next June, and that this will be a key part of the legacy of Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission.

Can Europe protect its women? EU members at odds over gender-based crimes EU

The statistics are as damning as they are grim. In the EU, one in three women aged 15 or over has experienced physical or sexual violence – or both. More than half of all women in Europe have been sexually harassed. Only a fifth of women in the EU go to the police when an intimate partner assaults them. Meanwhile, EU member states have failed to agree on how to address the worst crimes against women. Several countries continue to resist calls by Brussels to define non-consensual sex as rape, punishable by a stiff jail sentence. Today, in 2023, there is no common set of rules in the EU to punish rape, to the growing dismay of many. As Europe prepares to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25, we discuss the issue with two MEPs.

Italian lawmakers pass domestic violence law, days after young woman’s shock murder EU

IN THE PRESS – Thursday, November 23: We look at reactions in the Dutch papers after Geert Wilders’ party wins legislative elections and must now form a coalition to govern. Also: Italian lawmakers pass a law protecting victims of domestic violence, after the death of an Italian student garners front page news. Plus, a new study shows that astronauts may suffer from erectile dysfunction as a result of prolonged time spent in space.

Italian decree curtails rights of unaccompanied migrant minors EU

Italy is one of the main countries of arrival in Europe for thousands of minors crossing the Mediterranean on their own. Since the beginning of her mandate as prime minister, far-right leader Giorgia Meloni has prioritised the fight against illegal immigration. This fall, the Italian executive approved a decree targeting unaccompanied minor migrants. The text toughens their living conditions and imposes stricter measures on verifying their age. Our correspondents report from Palermo, on the island of Sicily.

Will Dutch voters elect their first female prime minister? EU

Surveys have fluctuated wildly in the run-up to election day, but observers believe that whichever party wins the most seats in this Wednesday’s parliamentary elections in the Netherlands may need support from at least three other parties to govern. Dilan Yesilgoz, leader of the centre-right VVD party and successor to outgoing PM Mark Rutte, is hoping to cap a meteoric rise by clinching the top job. She would be the first woman to do so in the Netherlands. Born in Turkey, the 46-year-old Yesilgoz has taken a hard line on immigration. For more, we speak to Professor Joop van Holsteijn from the Institute of Political Science at Leiden University.