Which nations bucked the trend in the Euro elections and surged towards leftwing parties? The headline gains were for nationalist and Eurosceptic parties witness all those pictures of "evil" Nigel Farage smiling into his pint glass, or of Marine Le Pen, whose Front National party triumphed in France , throwing back her head and cackling. But some member nations bucked the trend in the Euro...
A Brussels dinner brings together the walking wounded from an election that has reshaped the politics of at least four nations Prime ministers, presidents, and chancellors from across Europe are to dine in Brussels on Tuesday evening, and digest the verdict from their respective disenchanted voters. Many will arrive as walking wounded, their credibility battered, their reputations bruised, their policies...
The fresh crop of MEPs includes Holocaust deniers, fascists, xenophobes and a leftwing war hero Poland's newly elected MEP is anti-EU, anti-democracy, pro-Putin and, by his own account, anti-women. The 72-year-old led his party New Right to fourth place in the elections, with 7.2% of the vote. He also gained 28.5% of votes among 18- to 25-year-olds more than any other party. Continue reading... ...
Alexis Tsipras says outcome of the vote robs government of any 'political or moral legitimacy' to continue with austerity policies The election marked a turning point for Greece on Sunday with voters delivering a resounding victory for the radical left Syriza party while sending at least three neo-nazi Golden Dawn members to Brussels. In a historic day for the left, the anti-austerity Syriza won the...
Elections return record number of MEPs opposed to EU project, with far right winning in France, Denmark and Austria Rolling coverage of the European election results European politics were jolted as seldom before on Sunday when France's extreme nationalists triumphed in the European parliament elections, which across the continent returned an unprecedented number of MEPs hostile or sceptical about...
The schism between the Catholic and Orthodox churches is still wide, but Ukraine reminds us how important the relationship is In Jerusalem on Sunday, Pope Francis will meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the honorary head of the Orthodox church. The two men, representing Christian traditions estranged for 1,000 years, will pray together in public. They will sign a hitherto undisclosed joint declaration....
Greek neo-Nazi party drops strong-arm tactics and fields middle-class candidates to broaden its appeal to voters Neo-Nazi Greek party Golden Dawn is softening its image and tempering its rhetoric before Sunday's European elections. Replacing boots with suits, the party has sought to shed its menacing persona, fielding middle-class professionals in an effort to broaden its appeal. Among its 42 candidates...
Documentary filmmaker Myrto Papadogeorgou from the City of Errors blog says school children need engaging and interactive civic education lessons to show them the importance of playing an active part in their communities. 'When you love your city, your city loves you back,' she argues Continue reading... ...
Greek deputy PM Evangelos Venizelos describes the dramatic 2011 crisis summit that nearly forced his country out of the eurozone and outlines the damage that was averted It was a meal where only four of the 14 participants spoke and nobody ate. Seated in front of crystal glasses, the finest porcelain laid out before them, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and her French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy,...
Athens is a place where ancient beauty meets contemporary architectural monstrosity and extreme kindness can clash with unexpected rudeness, write the City of Errors team We are a team of creative people living in Athens hard-working, crisis-struck, underpaid filmmakers, audio-producers, architects, journalists, teachers and bloggers. Most of us were born in Athens, but have lived abroad and travelled...
Anti-bailout candidates backed strongly in local and regional elections in major setback for Greece's governing coalition Greek voters gave a clear sign of their disapproval of the government's austerity policies on Sunday , voting heavily in favour of anti-bailout candidates in local and regional elections that are widely seen as offering a foretaste of next week's European elections. Exit polls put...
The financial crisis led to a eurozone shaped by Germany's narrow interests as a creditor. We need a freer, fairer Europe The European Union was often unpopular even before the financial crisis. But the long slump and eurozone policymakers' blunders have created a political firestorm. Support for the EU has plunged to all-time lows . Most Europeans now associate it with austerity, recession and German...
Greek government signals it will rethink bill that would have allowed unchecked construction along Mediterranean coast Environmental groups are fighting a rearguard action to stop the destruction of one of Europe's most pristine coastlines after the Greek government signalled it would rethink draft legislation to develop the shoreline but not scrap it altogether. Amid mounting international outrage...
Youth unemployment and the need for more democracy are among the hot topics at three-day European Youth Event It is not everyone's idea of a weekend Euro-break: a conference in the sprawling maze of parliamentary buildings in Strasbourg to debate the virtues of European democracy. Yet they came in their thousands more than 8,000 young people from 28 member states to celebrate the European Union and...
If we have learned one thing from the last four years, it is that the European Union lacks the capacity to act decisively, writes Barry Eichengreen This month marks the fourth anniversary of the May 2010 financial rescue of Greece . Previously, the idea that a eurozone member would seek emergency assistance from the International Monetary Fund, along with the European Commission and the European Central...
Penalty of 90m will compensate relatives of missing Greek Cypriots and may open door to claims from Crimea dispute The European court of human rights (ECHR) has ordered Turkey to pay 90m (£73m) in compensation for its 1974 invasion of Cyprus in a judgment that has huge potential legal implications for Ukraine and Crimea. The court's largest-ever damages award is based on earlier ECHR judgments...
Far-right groups, inspired by their European counterparts, remain on the fringes but show signs of steady growth. We have to remain vigilant It was a pitiful sight. In Brisbane last Friday, the far-right Australia First party announced that it would rally on the streets in solidarity with Greeces neo-Nazi aligned political organisation, Golden Dawn. In the end , less than 10 supporters arrived and...
The Greek politician standing as a candidate for president of the European Commission will be online here from 12pm BST. Leave your questions from 11.30am Alexis Tsipras is the European Left candidate for president of the European Commission. The Greek politician, who was born in Athens in 1974 and has been the leader of Syriza, the main opposition party in Greece, since 2012, is campaigning on a platform...
Rescue operation under way to find survivors from yacht and a dinghy that overturned off island of Samos near Turkish coast A yacht and a dinghy crammed with migrants trying to enter Greece has capsized in the eastern Aegean Sea leaving at least 22 dead, including four children, and potentially several more missing. The vessels had been trying to enter Greece when they overturned before dawn on Monday...
Coastguard has rescued 35 people who were among more than 60 on board two dinghies when they sank off Samos Two migrants have drowned and 30 more are missing after their boats capsized in the Aegean sea, Greece's coastguard said on Monday. More than 60 migrants of unknown nationality had attempted to cross the sea from neighbouring Turkey when their two dinghies capsized near the Greek island of Samos,...