Tag Archives: Europe

Politico reports: Hungary is no longer a democracy, Poland is about to go down the same path, democracy in the Balkans is eroding because of Chinese and Russian influence, and the EU is doing nothing to stop it all, according to the NGO Freedom House’s latest Nations in Transit report, out Wednesday. In the study, which covers 29 countries from …

The Associated Press reports: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is appearing before Spain’s parliament on Wednesday to receive its endorsement for a fourth two-week extension to a state of emergency that he declared on March 14 when Spain’s decentralized health care system had lost control of the COVID-19 outbreak. The lockdown has succeeded in reducing the contagion rate from over 20% …

Reuters reports: Germany’s state premiers will agree on measures to further ease coronavirus restrictions in a teleconference with Chancellor Angela Merkel scheduled for Wednesday, two people familiar with the preparations told Reuters on Monday. The state premiers are expected to give the green light for large shops to reopen, probably from May 11, the sources said. Smaller shops are already …

ABC News reports: World leaders, organizations and banks on Monday pledged 7.4 billion euros ($8 billion) for research to find a vaccine against the new coronavirus, but warned that it is just the start of an effort that must be sustained over time to beat the disease. The funds, pledged at a video-conference summit hosted by the European Union, fell …

NBC News reports: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday warned that the battle against the coronavirus was in its early stages and that the pandemic looked set to be part of life for the long term. The leader of Europe’s largest economy also lent her support to the embattled World Health Organization, which has come under fire from President Donald …

The Guardian reports: Hungary’s parliament has passed a new set of coronavirus measures that includes jail terms for spreading misinformation and gives no clear time limit to a state of emergency that allows the nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, to rule by decree. Parliament voted by 137 to 53 to pass the measures on Monday afternoon, with the two-thirds majority …

Politico Europe reports: All non-essential workplaces in Spain will close for two weeks to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Saturday after the country’s death toll climbed to nearly 5,700. Speaking at a press conference, Sánchez said the measure will come into force Monday and last until April 9. Workers will receive their …

ABC News reports: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has gone into quarantine after being informed that a doctor who administered a vaccine to her has tested positive for the new coronavirus. Merkel’s spokesman said the German chancellor was informed about the doctor’s test shortly after holding a news conference Sunday announcing new measures to curb the spread of the virus. Her …

Vulture reports: There are so few things that bring us together on a global scale, and coronavirus is determined to be the last one standing. For the first time in the competition’s 64-year history, the Eurovision Song Contest is canceled, according to the European Broadcasting Union. The singing competition was originally meant to take place May 12 through May 16 …

The New York Times reports: Adopting martial language, President Emmanuel Macron ordered the French to stay at home for at least the next 15 days, as France put in place some of the most severe measures in Europe to try to curb the raging coronavirus. The aggressive move by France came as other countries in the region introduced measures that …

Business Insider reports: The European Union will restrict all nonessential travel into the region for at least 30 days, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday. Only essential travel will be allowed for at least a month once the plan is approved by European leaders. “The less travel, the more we can contain the virus,” von der …

Sky News reports: Italy has recorded 368 new coronavirus deaths – its largest number of fatalities in a day since the start of the outbreak. A total of 1,809 people with COVID-19 have now died in the country, which is the hardest-hit by the virus in Europe, as the number of cases rose to more than 24,700. It comes after …

NBC News reports: All restaurants, cafés, cinemas and clubs in France will close at midnight in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the French prime minister Édouard Philippe said in a press conference. He said the virus is spreading faster even though limitations on mass gatherings were imposed. “People are still going to cafes and restaurants which …

The Associated Press reports: Poland planned to close its borders at midnight and deny all foreigners entry unless they lived in Poland or had personal ties there. The Czech Republic and Slovakia took similar action. Lithuania said it was introducing border checks at the frontiers with Poland and Latvia for 10 days and was considering banning foreigners from entering. Russia …

The Associated Press reports: Spain decided Saturday to follow Italy in declaring a nationwide lockdown to slow the accelerating spread of the coronavirus epidemic, Spanish media reported. Spain’s decision came as European countries took ever more severe, though widely varying, measures to reduce contact between their citizens and slow the pandemic. China — where the virus first emerged late last …

The Copenhagen Post reports: In the wake of Denmark closing its borders today at noon, the Copenhagen Police has revealed that any stranded passengers must remain in the airport in order to reduce the chance of spreading the coronavirus. The police said they would reach out to the airlines in cases regarding stranded passengers from abroad. Denmark’s decision yesterday to …

Business Insider reports: President Donald Trump’s Wednesday announcement of a ban on travel to the US from 26 European countries caused chaos at European airports as Americans, fearing being caught up in the ban, attempted to travel home early. Reports emerged of long lines and confusion in some of the busiest airports in Europe as Americans struggled to get information …

The Metro reports: Authorities in Italy have announced that all stores except pharmacies and food outlets will close in response to the country’s coronavirus outbreak. So-far, 827 people have died from Covid-19 inside Italy, whereas 12,462 have been infected with the virus in the country. Today Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte thanked the public for cooperating with the already unprecedented travel …

The BBC reports: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that up to 70% of the country’s population – some 58 million people – could contract the coronavirus. Mrs Merkel made the stark prediction at a news conference on Wednesday alongside Health Minister Jens Spahn. She said since there was no known cure, the focus would fall on slowing the spread …

Yahoo News reports: Thousands of people rushed to flee Northern Italy after plans by the government for a 16-million-person quarantine were leaked to the media ahead of time. Italy on Sunday shut down its Northern Lombardy region, which includes Milan, and 14 nearby provinces, a lockdown that is due to last until at least April 3. In Italy’s south dozens …