This article by Guest Contributor David DeBatto, first appeared in the online journal of the IGTDS, the Institute for Global Threats and Democracies Studies, and is reproduced here with their permission. For weeks now, official Russian government news outlets have been proudly trumpeting the news that Russia has an astronomically low rate of infections and fatalities…
New laws have been adopted to pave the way for financial assistance from the EU and the IMF for a €80 million support package to fight COVID-19 in Ukraine. Humanitarian and medical assistance in Ukraine’s conflict-affected areas is crucial. This is a strong sign of EU solidarity with Ukraine. The support for Ukraine’s battle against the…
Many European capital cities are reporting reduced air pollution due to the COVID-19 pandemic meaning traffic greatly reduced as many Europeans are staying at home due to national measures to limit the spread of the virus. However, the easing of air pollution caused by the pandemic goes against the general trend. Just before the “lockdowns”, the European…
This article first appeared on the website IGTDS The Institute for Global Threats and Democracy Studies, and is reproduced with permission from the authors. A group of Russian military arrived in Italy exactly at the same moment as an active campaign was launched across social networks, calling for the country’s withdrawal from the EU. The…
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the globe and with over three billion people worldwide currently living under lockdown, many are asking the question: is there an alternative method that doesn’t entail such draconian measures? Sitting in self-isolation in my garden in Belgium, where I shall be spending at least another 3 weeks…
After the Council’s decision to open accession negotiations, the Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation to the EU-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee Andreas Schieder MEP (S&D, AT) said: “It is with great pleasure that I congratulate North Macedonia and all its citizens on this much-awaited decision. This is excellent news for the region and for…
A 30-page White Paper that reviews the management of the COVID-19 crisis by the South Korean authorities has just been published in several languages by a scholar in religious studies, human rights activists, a lawyer and a journalist, all from various European countries. In February 2020, the media in South Korea were in an uproar…
The current public health crisis is causing EU member states to close their borders and distance contact with neighbouring countries. But Counter-intuitively, Dr Vladimir Krulj argues that we must not forget the long term objective of greater integration between the EU and its neighbours. The European Union is the “most successful experiment in international cooperation…
This article first appeared in the Human Rights Magazine “Bitter Winter” By Marco Respinti Two Chinese scholars suggested that the virus came from bats kept in two Wuhan research centers. Their paper was promptly censored, but the Chinese Communist Party should explain to the world what exactly happened there. A whole country, Italy, is quarantined….
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) originated from Wuhan, China and now commands the attention of the world. Not because of the fatality rates of the victims who catch it, but because of the highly infectious nature of the virus and its rapid transmission across the world. This epidemic has claimed over 4,000 lives, it has infected…
