Search Results for: European Parliament

Bob Rae, Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, does not shy away from tough questions. Though many in a position such as his might shy away from argument, Rae seems to relish the opportunity to engage in some intellectual sparring. It was in this context that I requested an interview as Canada grapples with multiple [...]

The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted the Media Freedom Act to protect journalists and press freedoms. The new law was adopted with 464 votes in favor, 92 against and 65 abstentions. The act forbids EU member states from compelling journalists to disclose their sources and deploying surveillance spyware against journalists. A new European Board for [...]

The UK government lodged an appeal against a decision which found that the Northern Ireland (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act breaches several articles of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), according to a UK government spokesperson that spoke to IrishCentral on Thursday. The controversial act sought to end prosecution for crimes committed during the 30-year period [...]

Sweden officially joined NATO on Thursday as its 32nd member, nearly two years after first applying for membership to the military alliance. Earlier on Thursday, the Swedish government issued a statement in which it shared that it was holding an extraordinary government meeting to formally vote on joining the alliance after all current NATO members [...]

Polish farmers clashed with Polish police on Wednesday during ongoing protests over the government’s alleged inaction on increasing economic pressures on the agricultural industry. The protests are a part of broader farmer-led protests across Europe demanding relief from taxes and rising costs. Warsaw Police stated on X (formerly Twitter) that they arrested 55 people in [...]

France’s parliament voted Monday to include the right to abortion in the Constitution of France. The draft law was registered in December 2023 and has been adopted by lawmakers with some amendments. This is a monumental move, marking the first time in history the right to abortion has been enshrined into a country’s constitution. The [...]

The EU blocked a proposal on Wednesday aimed at fostering sustainability and responsible corporate behavior in the bloc. The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) aimed to accomplish these goals while also protecting human rights and the environment in companies’ operations and corporate governance. The European Commission previously adopted the proposal on February 23. The CSDDD [...]

The UK Illegal Migration Act will cause over 30,000 backlogged asylum applications unable to be processed, according to a report released on Wednesday by independent charity Institute for Policy Research (IPPR). These asylum seekers are considered “perma-backlogged” since they cannot be removed to their unsafe home country but are also deemed permanently inadmissible pursuant to [...]

The Northern Irish High Court ruled Wednesday that legislation imposing immunity for crimes committed during “The Troubles” is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The controversial Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 sought to end prosecution for crimes committed during the 30-year period of violence in Northern Ireland. Family members of [...]

Hungary’s parliament voted to ratify Sweden’s membership bid to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Monday, officially becoming the final NATO nation to approve of Sweden’s accession. As a result, Sweden is poised to become the thiry-second NATO member state upon formal invitation of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Article 10 of the NATO Treaty [...]