EU politics

Latest news about European Union politics.

Canada slaps sanctions on Assad family — 30 March 2012, 22:49 CET

Canada tightened the sanctions Friday on Syria, targeting President Bashar al-Assad's wife, mother, sister and sister-in-law a week after the European Union made a similar move.

Eurogroup chief calls for alternative to finance tax — 27 March 2012, 16:07 CET

Luxembourg's prime minister, who heads the group of eurozone finance ministers, voiced reservations on Tuesday over a French drive to impose an EU-wide tax on financial transactions.

Catastrophic to let Greece leave the eurozone: Merkel — 26 March 2012, 02:07 CET

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it would be "catastrophic" to allow Greece to leave the eurozone because of its debt problems, in a British television interview broadcast on Monday.

EU tightens noose on Assad, sanctions wife, mother — 23 March 2012, 20:42 CET

The European Union took aim at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's family on Friday, targeting his wife, mother and sister in fresh sanctions aimed at ending months of relentless brutality.

Syria troops bomb towns, EU grounds First Lady — 23 March 2012, 20:17 CET

Syrian forces bombed towns and clashed with rebels in several regions on Friday as activists said thousands staged anti-regime protests and the European Union slapped sanctions on the country's First Lady.

US hails EU sanctions on Assad family as 'very good step' — 23 March 2012, 18:27 CET

The United States on Friday hailed new European Union sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's family as a "very good step" aimed at ending his bloody crackdown.

Syria troops bomb towns, EU grounds First Lady — 24 March 2012, 11:40 CET

Syrian forces bombed towns and clashed with rebels in several regions as activists said thousands staged anti-regime protests and the European Union slapped sanctions on the country's First Lady.

Belarus vows to strike back against EU sanctions — 23 March 2012, 17:02 CET

Belarus vowed Friday to retaliate against the European Union after the bloc imposed still more sanctions on Minsk in a bid to persuade President Alexander Lukashenko to free his political prisoners.

Assad's wife can enter Britain, but not expected to: Hague — 23 March 2012, 15:57 CET

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's wife Asma cannot be barred entry to Britain despite Friday's EU travel ban but is not expected to head there in current circumstances, Foreign Secretary William Hague said.

EU sanctions 'repressive' Belarus — 23 March 2012, 20:03 CET

The European Union slapped fresh sanctions on Belarus on Friday in a bid to persuade the authoritarian regime of President Alexander Lukashenko to free political prisoners.

New German president urges more European solidarity — 23 March 2012, 12:27 CET

Germany on Friday swore in new president Joachim Gauck, who warned the government that it had a historical obligation to help Europe's weakest members as they struggle to stay financially afloat.

EU slaps travel ban on Assad's British-born wife — 23 March 2012, 12:22 CET

The EU agreed to sanction President Bashar al-Assad's British-born wife Asma, along with his mother, sister and sister-in-law as the bloc tightened the noose on the Syrian regime Friday.

EU 'Tobin' tax could slash budget contributions: Barroso — 22 March 2012, 21:07 CET

Europen Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso on Thursday said a tax on the financial sector could slash by half the member states' contributions to the EU budget.

Survival of Assad regime 'almost impossible': Turkey — 22 March 2012, 23:40 CET

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad blew his chances of survival by failing to implement democratic reforms at the early stages of the Arab Spring, Turkey's foreign minister said on Thursday.

Belarus bars ex-president from leaving country — 18 March 2012, 12:17 CET

The first post-Soviet leader of Belarus who today is a prominent opposition member said Sunday he had been prevented from leaving the country in reprisal for new EU sanctions imposed on President Alexander Lukashenko's regime.

EU swings back at Hungarian PM over Soviet comparison — 16 March 2012, 16:12 CET

The European Union's executive arm hit back Friday at Viktor Orban after the controversial Hungarian prime minister compared EU officials to imperial and Soviet-era oppressors.

EU's Ashton vows to maintain Syria diplomatic presence — 16 March 2012, 13:17 CET

Foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said Friday she will maintain the European Union's diplomatic presence in Damascus regardless of decisions taken by member states on their own needs.

EU's Ashton urges full diplomatic withdrawal from Damascus — 15 March 2012, 20:12 CET

European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton wants the bloc's 27 governments to pull all its ambassadors out of Syria going into talks among foreign ministers next week.

EU issues 7-day deadline for capitals to return to Belarus — 15 March 2012, 20:12 CET

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton wants the bloc's 27 member states to return their ambassadors to Belarus within seven days, diplomats said on the eve of Friday talks among governments.

EU welcomes Bosnia bid to join, but warns of long road ahead — 09 March 2012, 16:57 CET

The European Union on Friday welcomed Bosnia's efforts toward joining the bloc but indicated that conditions were not yet ripe to start on the long road to integration.

Hungarian Jewish writer seeks asylum in Canada — 06 March 2012, 01:17 CET

Octogenarian Jewish writer Akos Kertesz of Hungary is seeking asylum in Canada because of a "political campaign" against him, sources close to him in this country confirmed Monday.

Berlin confident of parliament backing for EU pact — 05 March 2012, 15:17 CET

The German government is confident of winning the necessary two-thirds majority in parliament to approve the EU's new pact to control budgets, a spokesman said on Monday.

Hungarian Jewish writer, 80, seeking asylum in Canada — 05 March 2012, 16:20 CET

Octogenarian Jewish writer Akos Kertesz of Hungary has left for Canada where he is seeking asylum because of a "political campaign" against him, his press service said on Sunday.

In Putin's shadow, Lithuania calls for EU-Belarus rethink — 04 March 2012, 10:02 CET

With Vladimir Putin set to regain the Russian presidency Sunday, Lithuanian counterpart Dalia Grybauskaite warned EU partners that moves to boost economic sanctions against Belarus will only extend Moscow's influence.

France to close Syria embassy: Sarkozy — 02 March 2012, 19:37 CET

France will close its embassy in Syria to denounce the "scandalous" repression by President Bashar al-Assad's regime, President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday at the close of an EU summit.