Category: European Union

Polish Prime Minister Accuses Opposition of Lying About ‘Polexit’

BUDAPEST—Poland has no desire to leave the European Union, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Tuesday, accusing opposition politicians of spreading what he said were lies about a possible “Polexit.” His comments came after the Polish Constitutional Tribunal ruled last week that parts of EU law were incompatible with the country’s constitution, undermining a key…


EU Increases Aid Pledge to Afghanistan and Its Neighbours to 1 Billion Euros

BRUSSELS—The European Union will give an additional 700 million euros ($809.2 million) in emergency aid to Afghanistan and its neighboring countries, the European Commission said ahead of Tuesday’s Group of 20 Afghan summit. The pledge takes the total commitment of new funding to 1 billion euros after the EU executive’s earlier promise of 300 million…


Poland Will Continue to Respect EU Law, Foreign Ministry Says

WARSAW—Poland will continue to respect European Union law, its foreign ministry said on Saturday, after the country’s Constitutional Tribunal ruled that parts of EU law were incompatible with Poland’s constitution. The ruling plunged the European Union into an existential crisis on Friday and raised the possibility of Poland leaving the 27-nation bloc. France and Germany…


Germany, France Say Poland Is Obligated to Respect EU Rules

WARSAW, Poland—The German and French foreign ministers have issued a joint statement saying that Poland has both a moral and legal obligation to respect the common rules of the European Union, which it joined in 2004. Heiko Maas of Germany and Jean-Yves Le Drian of France published their statement late Friday in reaction to a…


Serbs Unblock Roads in Kosovo as NATO Moves to End Car Plate Row

JARINJE, Kosovo—Serbs removed trucks and cars used to block the border with Kosovo on Saturday as NATO troops moved in under a European Union mediated deal to end a dispute between the neighboring countries over car licence plates. Kosovo special police are also expected to withdraw from the border crossing in the north of the…


EU Postpones Trade Talks With Australia Following Submarine Row

Trade deal discussions between the European Union and Australia have been suspended as the Australian trade minister flies to the continent. The move comes after French displeasure at Canberra’s decision to cancel a $90 billion (US$64 billion)submarine project, following the signing of the AUKUS deal with the United States (U.S.) and the United Kingdom (UK)…


Google Tells Court ‘Staggering’ $5 Billion EU Antitrust Fine Flawed

LUXEMBOURG—A 4.34 billion euro ($5 billion) European Union antitrust fine was based on flawed calculations, Alphabet’s Google said on Thursday, urging Europe’s second-highest court to scrap or reduce what it said was not an appropriate penalty. Google was fined for using its Android mobile operating system to thwart rivals and cement its dominance in general…


EU Extends Vaccine Export Control Mechanism Until Year-End: Official

BRUSSELS—The European Union will extend a mechanism to monitor and potentially limit the export of COVID-19 vaccines from the bloc until the end of 2021 from the current deadline of end-September, an EU official said on Wednesday. The European Commission, the EU’s executive, said earlier this week it would propose such an extension, but initially…


Moldova’s First Female President Shifts Stance on China, Breaking Long Custom

Moldova’s first female president, Maia Sandu, broke a long custom by not honoring the Chinese ambassador to Moldova at the end of his term in office. Analysts suggest this is an indication of Moldova changing its long-term pro-China position. Sandu, 49, assumed office on Dec. 20, 2020, becoming Moldova’s first female president by defeating Igor…


France Threatens to Block Australia–EU Trade Negotiations Over Submarine Deal

France is threatening to block discussions between the European Union and Australia on a free trade agreement after the Australian government rescinded a deal with Paris to purchase French submarines. The move comes a few days after France withdrew its ambassadors from Australia and the United States, after the United States and Australia jointly announced…