The Two Paths Ahead Europe: War or Prosperity — Center for Fundamental Rights Press Conference on the European Elections Lead Candidates’ Debate

According to Fanni Lajkó, an analyst at the Center for Fundamental Rights, Europe faces two paths in the upcoming June elections: succumbing to pro-war views or rising up to restore the European Union’s original mission as a peace project. The institute held a press conference on Friday, where the Director of EU Research, Attila Kovács, and Fanni Lajkó shared their insights on the latest lead candidate debate.

Europe illustration (source: european-union.europa.eu)

Europe Can Rise Again on 9 June

‘Conservatives are the only parties in Europe that are rising, and the left is afraid. We can be certain that a paradigm shift would wipe out many leftist politicians, and the elites that pay them clearly don’t want that to happen. They want obedient politicians who follow their agenda. On 9 June Conservatives have a mission: the reconquest of our sovereignty, the reconquest of our security, the reconquest of our economy and industry, the reconquest of our agriculture, the reconquest of our identity.’

Joseph Mallord William Turner, The Shipwreck (1805). Tate Britain, London, UK

Ambivalence in Brussels: The Two Faces of European Migration Policy

Since 2013, migration pressure on Europe has become the new normal, and in recent years the situation has once again worsened: 2023 saw the highest number of illegal immigrants reaching Europe since 2016. Due to the worsening security situation in the Sahel region and the economic difficulties afflicting North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, nearly one million people applied for asylum in the EU.

Ludwig Seitz, Faith and Reason United (ca. 1887). Galleria dei Candelabri, Vatican Museum, Vatican City, Rome, Italy

Could Europe Turn to the Right?

‘The forthcoming European Parliament elections hold particular significance…As Orbán emphasized in his address on 15 March: “We are on the brink of a sovereign revolution in America and Europe, where normal life can be restored, and a great era of Western nations can commence.”’

Slovak PM Fico In ‘Stable, But Very Serious’ Condition — World Leaders Reacted in Shock to the Attempted Assassination

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in a stable but very serious condition after he was shot at point-blank range by a 71-year-old perpetrator, described as a poet and political activist in media reports, on Wednesday afternoon. The international community responded with shock to the news of the attempted assassination, as world leaders expressed their support for Slovakia.

European Parliament Elections 2024 — Predictions and Guesses

The European Parliament (EP) elections to be held from 6 to 9 June 2024 will be the tenth opportunity in the history of the integration for EU citizens to come to the polls. Whether Ursula von der Leyen remains President of the European Commission is still uncertain, with several other possible candidates emerging.

An aerial photo shows the West Land Sea New Channel train waiting to depart from the railway Container Centre station in Chongqing, China, 22 October 2023.

China’s Apparent Belt & Road Initiative Impasse

‘It was thought that the BRI, aside enhancing China’s geo-political clout, would have not just boosted trade and growth, it would have also created sustainable development and social stability in the countries involved. On the contrary, the social impact of large infrastructure projects were are often implemented through human rights violations.’