Opposition Democratic Party to elect new leader

The falsified presidential elections of August 2020, and the brutal crackdown against peacefully protesting Belarusians, led to the isolation of the Aliaksandr Lukashenka regime. Despite the possibility of starting dialogue with the democratic opposition and Belarusian society, Aliaksandr Lukashenka chose another path, involving continued brutal repression of the country’s citizens. The worsening human rights situation and hijacking of Ryanair flight FR 4978 provoked a response from the EU, including a ban on Belarusian air carriers landing in or overflying the EU, a major extension of the list of people and entities already subject to sanctions, and the introduction of sanctions on key sectors of the Belarusian economy. The EU policy also demonstrates a readiness to support a future democratic Belarus. In this respect, the European Commission presented the outline of a comprehensive plan of economic support for democratic Belarus, worth up to €3 billion. The European Parliament is playing an active part in shaping the EU’s response. Parliament does not recognise Lukashenka’s presidency and is speaking out on human rights abuses in Belarus. The Belarusian democratic opposition, which was awarded the 2020 Sakharov Prize, is frequently invited to speak for the Belarusian people in the European Parliament.

Source : © European Union, 2021 – EP

Hungary’s one-time far-right party, Jobbik, is supporting European federalist social-democratic candidates in Budapest and elsewhere, in a move suggesting that the opposition is following through on its promise to cooperate in the run-up to next year’s general elections in the…

Germany’s Green party has confirmed co-leader Annalena Baerbock as its candidate to succeed Angela Merkel at September’s crunch election, with the membership backing her candidacy with 98.5% of the vote. The vote came at a party congress convened to decide…

Georgia on Monday (10 May) released jailed opposition leader Nika Melia on bail posted by the European Union, in a move expected to defuse a political crisis in the Caucasus country.

Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken has announced his resignation but will remain in his position until his successor is chosen. The announcement from South Antrim Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) comes amid the party’s growing concern over his leadership….