European Commission
Von der Leyen’s second term: more money for armament and border control

Ursula Von der Leyen announces increased funding for EU armament and border control as she is confirmed for a second term as President of the European Commission

Far-right surge or status quo? Understanding the 2024 European elections

Last month’s European Parliament elections did not bring about the ultimate breakthrough of the far right as some had feared. They are gaining influence though, especially because the lines between them and forces in the political center are blurring. Consequently, we will have to look to the left to stop their surge.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict Biden’s reality check in Europe

Dissenting voices are rising in Europe as western sanctions against Russia start backfiring with price hikes and shortages of fuel and electricity

By banning Russian media outlets, EU exposes its discomfort with alternative narratives of the Ukrainian crisis

In an unprecedented move, the European Commission has banned Russian news outlets RT and Sputnik across the EU, calling them ‘Kremlin Media Machines’ and accusing them of indulging in pro-Russia propaganda

Ukraine: A conflict soaked in contradictions and new patterns in war and media

War in Ukraine joins a sequence of wars that have opened sores on a very fragile planet. Wars in Africa and Asia seem endless, and some of them are rarely commented upon with any feeling in media outlets across the world

European Union prefers corporate profits over the health of people across the world

By showing reluctance on the patent waiver on COVID-19-related products even after the majority of its population is vaccinated, the EU leadership has once again taken the side of Big Pharma and perpetuated vaccine apartheid

The Pandemic Treaty Proposal expands global health inequities

The World Health Assembly Special Session in November will be considering the benefits of developing a new international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response. Rich countries are using the opportunity to sideline discussions on equity in public health

Israeli academic institutions Academics ask EU to stop funding Israeli universities complicit in violations of international law

Signatories to the letter have urged the EU to extend its rules prohibiting granting of research funds to Israeli institutions in the occupied Palestinian territories to include those inside the state of Israel, calling them equally complicit “in Israel’s violations of Palestinian human rights”

The callous position of the EU in the access to vaccines negotiations

Despite attempts by the European Commission to stall discussion on the TRIPS waiver proposal for COVID-19 vaccines, the proposal has inched forward with support from the European Parliament and some parliaments of EU members states

Thousands of migrants sent back by Spain

Over the past week, thousands of migrants who arrived at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco were repressed and forced back. Spanish security personnel used metal batons and smoke bombs at them

Moroccan migrants in Spain Spain cracks down on migrants after mass border crossing

The migrants were intercepted by Spanish security personnel patrolling the borders and at least 5,600 were sent back to Morocco by May 19. Meanwhile, hundreds of unaccompanied migrant children remain stranded in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta

Our lives, their profits: Against the G20 Global Health Summit!

Organizations in Italy have called for a mobilization at the same time as the G20 Health Summit to call on global leaders to prioritize public health over profits and guarantee equal vaccine access