Tusk taking charge of European Council: Poland’s former prime minister Donald Tusk officially took over as president of the European Council of EU leaders, promising strong leadership in foreign policy and determination to end Europe’s economic crisis. Tusk, the first from the former East bloc to head the Council, succeeded the Belgian Herman Van Rompuy. Tusk will have to work hand-in-hand with Jean-Claude Juncker to find an agreement for the European budget and the EU growth plan.
euractiv.com, dw.de, abcnews.com
Growth slows in the Big Three: The three biggest European economies of Germany, France and Italy are struggling to bolster growth and drive up dangerously low inflation. Eurozone manufacturing growth stalled in November and new orders fell as factory activity declined in the bloc’s biggest economies. Growth picked up in Greece, Ireland, and Spain while Italy slips into a recession. This upswing is endangered by the struggeling bigger economies.
wallstreetjournal.com, businessinsider.com, reuters.com
Increased TTIP transparency: The contested clause for investor protection in the planned Free Trade Agreement between the EU and US is to be defused. The European Parliament has been campaigning for the TTIP negotiations to be more transparent. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and the EU already reformed the arbitration court procedures that companies can use against states in the Ceta Trade Agreement with Canada.
handelsblatt.com, theparliamentmagazine.eu
Alternative Nobel Prize in Stockholm: Fugitive US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden was honoured in absentia alongside four other winners of the 2014 Right Livelihood Award at a ceremony in the Swedish parliament. The prize, also known as the „alternative Nobel“, was shared by Pakistani human rights activist Asma Jahangir, Basil Fernando of the Asian Human Rights Commission and U.S. environmentalist Bill McKibben.
foxnews.com, europeonline-magazine.eu
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Europarler gegen europaweites Informationsdefizit: Mit einer breit angelegten Info-Kampagne wollen die Macher von „Europarler“ die Mitglieder des Europäischen Parlaments animieren, das vor der Wahl etwas gewachsene Interesse an EU-Themen hoch zu halten. Mittels einer Toolbox sind alle verbliebenen und neuen Europaabgeordneten eingeladen, auch in der komplizierten Findungsphase der ersten Tage in Brüssel und Straßburg den Draht in die Heimat nicht abreißen zu lassen.
europarler.eu
Financial aid for Ukraine: The EU is helping the Ukraine financially. A three-digit-million euro credit from the European Investment Bank is set to modernize the ailing Ukrainian gas grids that are also of importance for the European gas supply. Commissioner for EU Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Johannes Hahn announced further installments of EU financial aid. He did not state a specific amount, it could be around 500 million euros.
enpi-info.eu
European-wide police raid: The police conducted a large-scale raid of the rocker milieu in Germany, Austria, Bosnia and Romania. Four brothels, 28 aparments, and 14 vehicles were searched. The police arrested three men and two women between the ages of 21 and 49. A total of 15 persons are being investigated.
n-tv.de
MH17 Wreckage to be reassembled in Netherlands for investigation yahoonews.com
Medical devices Health ministers discuss improvements for safety and innovation europa.eu
Moldova EU hopes for swift government formation and continued cooperation europa.eu
„We learned this from the banking and financial crises. We have to assign rules for globalization. We cannot allow that free trade means, there are no rules and low standards and dumping wages decide what happens in the world.“
The German politician Ralf Stegner emphasizes the importance of negotiations to influence TTIP and Ceta.
deutschlandfunk.de„This vote marks a new departure for our political family. We must be united and devote ourselves to finding new solutions for France.“
France’s new UMP-leader Nicolas Sarkozy says, the time for action has come.
telegraph.co.uk
Moldova votes for pro-European course: Three Pro-EU parties together have won a narrow victory in Moldova’s parliamentary election on Monday, though the pro-Moscow Socialist Party took first place with 21.4 percent. With almost all votes counted, the Liberals and the Democratic Party secured a combined vote of 44 percent, enough to win a majority in the parliament and form a new government team. The pro-Russian communists are in third place with 17 percent.
reuters.com, financialtimes.com, euronews.com
Poland’s first openly gay mayor: After losses in the first round of voting, the ruling liberal Civic Platform won Poland’s big cities in the second round. The opposition speaks of electoral irregularities and wants to fight the results. The homosexual politician Robert Biedron won a run-off vote by a comfortable margin in the town of Slupsk, becoming Poland’s first openly gay mayor.
euronews.com, dw.de, ibtimes.com
Sarkozy plans Germany-visit: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was elected the leader of the center-right UMP party in France. He may pay a visit to Germany next week to attend a CDU party congress. CDU and UMP are sister parties. Sarkozy worked closely together with German Chancellor Angela Merkel when he was France’s President. The CDU party congress takes place Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
handelsblatt.com, marketwatch.com
Russian ruble hits record low: The Russian ruble has hit a record low as the country’s economy continues to reel from slumping oil prices and international sanctions. On Monday the currency was cheaper than ever. The ruble has weakened 37 percent against the dollar this year. Since June prices for oil have fallen by 40 percent. The currency’s fortunes is tied to the price of oil, Russia’s main source of export revenue.
bloomberg.com, npr.org, latimes.com
Protests against health care reform in Moscow: Over a thousand Russians marched through central Moscow to protest against reforms to the healthcare system and to demand better wages and working conditions for doctors. 10,000 doctors could be removed from their job and 28 hospitals closed with the reform. Independent observers spoke of 5,000 protest participants. Moscow police said that there was only 1,500 participants.
euronews.com, bostonglobe.com
Putin visits Turkey: Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Turkey and met his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Discussions concentrated on trade and energy issues, including a Turkish demand for a price reduction on natural gas purchases from Russia. The Russian and Turkish leaders have opposing positions on Syria’s crisis, but are expected to set their differences aside.
bloomberg.com, foxnews.com, abcnews.com
Austria If Bavaria shuts down nuclear power plants, neighbouring country can help sueddeutsche.de
Germany Spanish royal couple visits Berlin dw.de
Croatia Serbian nationalist upsets Croats reuters.com
465,0000 immigrants came to Germany in the year 2013. Nearly 30 percent of migrants travelled to the country in 2012, making Germany the main destination of free movement within the EU.
telegraph.co.uk
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politjobs.de, politjobs.de/submit (Inserat schalten)
111 balloons: One of the almost 7,000 balloons that Berlin released on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall has made it all the way to the Republic of Latvia. Proof is a photograph on the website „Fall of the wall“. According to the event organizers, a total of 111 people have found balloons. Most of them in Northern Berlin, three in Poland, and four in West Germany.
spiegel.de