European Union

Britain's permanent representative to the EU, Sir Ivan Rogers, has resigned. He wanted to cede his office to a successor before Britain triggers Article 50 at the end of March, a communique from the British embassy to the EU announced. This will weaken London's position in the Brexit negotiations, some commentators believe. Others see it as a chance.

In response to the latest terrorist attack in Istanbul, the Turkish government has once again extended the state of emergency that it imposed following the coup attempt. Turkish commentators warn society not to let terrorism deepen the rifts in Turkey.

Following the terrorist attacks in Europe Czech Interior Minister Milan Chovanec plans to enshrine the right to own and use weapons in the constitution. He argues that if the occasion arises armed citizens should be able to stop terrorists just as the security forces can. Czech commentators reject the proposal.

When Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU on 1 January 2007 people celebrated on the streets. In the ten years that have passed since then, however, many citizens have become disillusioned because EU membership hasn't brought the positive changes they had hoped for. Journalists in both countries nonetheless assess the move as positive overall.

The death of a 21-year-old local man has triggered riots in the northern Polish city of Ełk. The man was allegedly stabbed during a fight with several employees at a kebab diner. The police have arrested four men from North Africa. One day later at least a hundred people gathered to demonstrate outside the diner and threw paving stones at it. The Polish press is incensed.

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Britain’s top man in Brussels is off. In a 1,400-word email to staff in Brussels, Sir Ivan Rogers calmly threw preparations for the first stage of Brexit negotiations – which are now barely two months away – into disarray by announcing that he will quit in a matter of weeks.

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AMENDMENTS 1 - 20 - Draft opinion Discharge 2015: General budget of the EU - European Commission
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

DRAFT REPORT on the 2016 Commission Report on Serbia
Committee on Foreign Affairs
David McAllister

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

AMENDMENTS 1 - 139 - Draft report Statelessness in South and South East Asia
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : Malta has taken over the rotating presidency of the EU Council from Slovakia. This means that for the next six months the small island state plays a key role in setting the agenda, finding compromises and addressing a range of challenges such as the migration crisis and the expected start of the Brexit negotiations. We asked Maltese MEPs what their hopes and expectations were for their country's firs- ever presidency of the EU Council.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP