⊂ EUROPE ⊃
Scottish government considers 2018 referendum: The Scottish government is increasingly confident it can win a new independence referendum and is considering calling one next year as Britain exits the EU. The government is thinking seriously about going for an independence referendum next year, Charles Grant, an adviser to the Scottish government’s Standing Council on Europe, said on Thursday. The number of people arriving in the UK from Bulgaria and Romania has risen significantly since the Brexit vote. But figures from the Office for National Statistics also reveal a statistically significant rise in citizens from the EU’s 28 nations leaving the UK.
reuters.com, dailymail.co.uk
EU anti-fraud office eyeing claims against Schulz: Former EU Parliament President Martin Schulz, the main contender against Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany’s upcoming elections, could face a probe for advocating questionable bonuses and promotions while he was president of the parliament. Specialists at the European Anti Fraud Office (Olaf) are considering whether there is sufficient suspicion of fraud, corruption or any illegal activity affecting the EU‘s financial interests for Olaf to open a case. Olaf stressed that the assessment did not mean that any individuals in question were guilty of any wrongdoing.
en.europeonline-magazine.eu
Latvia becomes first EU country to ratify Ceta: The Latvian parliament ratified the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada on Thursday, making the Baltic country the first among EU member states to formally endorse the free trade deal. The vote on Ceta coincided with visit to Latvian capital Riga by Canada’s International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, who attended the Saeima session together with the Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics.
n-tv.de
US President Trump wants to build up US nuclear arsenal: Donald Trump said on Thursday he wants to ensure the US nuclear arsenal is at the top of the pack, saying the United States has fallen behind in its weapons capacity. Trump also said China could solve the national security challenge posed by North Korea very easily if they wanted to. Steve Bannon, the man seen as the power behind Trump’s throne, has declared that Trump is maniacally focused on fulfilling his campaign pledges.
reuters.com, theguardian.com
Syria: Fourth round of UN-led peace talks on Syria euronews.com
Security: 800,000 euros for a terror air bag that never got made zeit.de
ECB’s Praet: Europe’s recovery still fragile reuters.com
⊂ QUOTES ⊃
„We want to have the Good Friday Agreement not to be put under risk and we want land borders be as open as possible. Because the Irish challenges in this very contexts are not only Irish challenges, they are European challenges.“
EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has warned how Brexit could threaten peace in Northern Ireland.
euronews.com
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
French Green leader gives up election bid: Yannick Jadot, the leader of the French Green Party, dropped out of the election race Thursday and endorsed Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon. Members of the Greens will now be asked to endorse giving their support to Hamon. The announcement had been expected for days. Hamon has been polling fourth behind Marine Le Pen, Emmanuel Macron and François Fillon, and hoped securing the backing of other leftists would boost his chances of making it through to the second round.
politico.eu
Germany posts record budget surplus: Germany posted a record annual surplus of 23.7 billion euros for 2016, the National Statistics Office reported on Thursday. The federal government alone accounted for 7.7 billion euros of the surplus, with the 16 states and communities across Europe’s powerhouse contributing the bulk of the extra resources. The 2016 surplus was highest since the country reunited in 1990 and marked the third annual surplus in a row.
dw.com
Dutch anti-Islam leader Geert Wilders cancels public appearances: Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders, who is leading polls ahead of next month’s election, said on Wednesday he had canceled all public campaign events after an agent involved in his security team was suspended. The secret service said on Tuesday an agent of a Moroccan background had been suspended on suspicion of leaking details to a criminal organization.
reuters.com
German Chancellor Merkel says no to euro bonds: Angela Merkel said on Thursday that her government remained opposed to shared debt within eurozone and that she supported the principle of individual responsibility within the currency bloc. Individual responsibility must be taken by member states and if the stability of the whole euro zone is in danger, mechanisms like the European Stability Mechanism can be used, she said.
reuters.com
Spain: Ex-IMF chief jailed for fraud politico.eu
Italy: Justice minister Orlando challenges Renzi for party leadership politico.eu
France: Students staged protest against police euronews.com
⊂ JOB-BOARD ⊃
politjobs.eu: PlasticsEurope seeks Public Affairs Manager (m/f) *** GIZ seeks Policy Advisor (m/f) *** Siegfried Mureșan MEP offers Traineeship *** European Sunlight Association seeks Communication Officer *** ChildFund Alliance seeks Director – Brussels Office *** Mototrola Solutions seeks Director of Government Affairs – Europe and Africa *** Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft sucht Praktikant (m/w) *** Uni Europa seeks Policy Officer (m/f)
politjobs.eu, politjobs.eu/submit (Inserat schalten)
⊂ MALFUNCTION ⊃
Femen activist heckles Marine Le Pen: France’s far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen has been heckled by a topless Femen activist at a news conference intended to outline her views on foreign policy ahead of the presidential election. The protester called Le Pen a fake feminist several times before being physically removed from the Paris venue. It is not the first time this has happened to Le Pen, a self-styled feminist and the only woman running in the presidential race.
euronews.com