Equal Times

25 June 2024

More austerity and military spending: the EU’s new squaring of the circle

In line with the programme of the formations that won the recent European Parliament elections, budgets for the coming years will be marked by greater austerity and high military spending. What impact will this have on Europe’s already underfunded social [...]Read the full article

In Cyprus, violence against asylum seekers is on the rise amid widespread indifference

20 June 2024

Human rights

In Cyprus, violence against asylum seekers is on the rise amid widespread indifference

Despite the concerning rise in violence against refugees and humanitarian workers, the Cypriot government is pursuing a migration policy that focuses more on security measures than on rights, in line with trends across the European [...]Read the full article

How African states are resisting pressure from the North in trade agreements while failing to assert their priorities

4 June 2024

Politics & economy

How African states are resisting pressure from the North in trade agreements while failing to assert their priorities

African countries are regularly offered Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) by the world’s major economic powers. The balance of power is so unequal that they seem forever condemned to be the big losers. Recent history has nonetheless shown us that there is some scope for resisting European and US [...]Read the full article

15 May 2024

Labour

Europe’s citizens want a more Social Europe – sectoral bargaining is key to helping us achieve it

Stan De Spiegelaere: The transposition of the EU minimum wage directive and the subsequent national action plans should focus on promoting sectoral collective bargaining as it benefits workers, companies and society alike.Read the full article

The stakes for Europe are higher than they seem in elections overshadowed by the far right

14 May 2024

Politics & economy

The stakes for Europe are higher than they seem in elections overshadowed by the far right

In the 6 to 9 June elections, Europeans are staking much more than it seems: with unprecedented support for the far right, between high levels of discontent and disinformation, they risk condemning themselves to losing social rights and legitimising a divided and ineffective European [...]Read the full article

The EU's Migration and Asylum Pact is another lost opportunity

24 April 2024

Human rights

The EU’s Migration and Asylum Pact is another lost opportunity

Giulio Romani: “The ETUC demands that asylum-seekers should have the right to work in all member states. Trade unions and employers should work together to ensure decent employment conditions, essential to building solidarity between workers and equal opportunities and treatment for [...]Read the full article

Why can't the Balkans' rail network get back on track?

19 February 2024

Development

Why can’t the Balkans’ rail network get back on track?

A robust railway network is seen as part of Europe’s decarbonisation strategy. But the railways in the Balkans have been long neglected and the modernisation process is slow.Read the full article

Enrico Somaglia of EFFAT: “What some call red tape is for us, a red line”

9 February 2024

Labour

Enrico Somaglia of EFFAT: “What some call red tape is for us, a red line”

“It’s very easy to address all your frustrations to the EU and Brussels bureaucrats. But as a trade union representing agricultural workers, we defend the Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategy. We believe they can help us make the sector more sustainable and, from a social point of view, they [...]Read the full article

The emptying out of rural areas and the accompanying brain drain are fuelling inequality in the EU's most depopulated regions

29 January 2024

Development

The emptying out of rural areas and the accompanying brain drain are fuelling inequality in the EU’s most depopulated regions

Europe is ageing. Fewer and fewer Europeans are being born, and while younger generations increasingly concentrate in large cities, much of the remaining territory is falling behind in development. Long an existential problem in Eastern Europe, these trends are increasingly fuelling inequality [...]Read the full article

Can the unique language of cinema offer us a different perspective on migration?

18 December 2023

Culture

Can the unique language of cinema offer us a different perspective on migration?

“In the media, migrants are usually treated as number or statistics. Cinema, on the other hand, allows their personal stories to be told. It gives a voice to individuals.”Read the full article

11 October 2023

Culture

The case for a European prize for art

Ned Hercock: Europeans are living through an extraordinary historical moment. Great contemporary works of art help them grasp it.Read the full article

Aída Ponce del Castillo, researcher: “CEOs like Sam Altman of OpenAI can negotiate with a state as if they themselves were a state. What are the consequences for democratic governance?”

17 July 2023

Labour

Aída Ponce del Castillo, researcher: “CEOs like Sam Altman of OpenAI can negotiate with a state as if they themselves were a state. What are the consequences for democratic governance?”

“Neither self-regulation nor ethical guidelines work when it comes to labour. Only laws do.”Read the full article

EU

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