The European Union Court of Justice has ruled in favor of an airline passenger denied compensation after a flight cancelation. The court ruled that airlines are responsible for informing the passengers of the cancelation. Thursday’s decision from the EU court states that an air carrier is responsible for notifying a passenger …
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EU cuts Greece growth forecast, blames the country for review delay
The European Union has sharply cut the growth forecast for Greece on Thursday, sparking worries that the long delay in the second review of the third bailout program was damaging the economy. European lenders are in a row the International Monetary Fund over the sustainability of the Greek debt. The …
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Court rules new pension cuts in 2019 against Constitution and Human Rights Convention
The Plenary of the State Audit Council has ruled that the cuts to main and supplementary pensions to be implemented in 2019 are against the Constitution and contravene the European Convention of Human Rights. Pension cuts are creditors’ top favorite austerity measure. The pension cuts the government and its creditors …
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Mission impossible for Greece: Creditors’ 100 Prior Actions in MoU May 2017 – Full Text
The full text of the Supplemental Memorandum of Understanding, the Draft Preliminary Agreement between Greece and creditors from May 2 2017 has been obtained by German finance newspaper Handelsblatt. A total of 53 pages describing in full detail the prior actions Greece will need to take not only for 2019 …
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EU Commission to cut growth forecast for Greece, closer to IMF projection
The European Commission will revise down its growth forecast for Greece this year to around 2% from a previous 2.7%, an EU official said today. The revision – which brings the Commission closer to International Monetary Find projections – is likely to increase pressure on Greek politicians to adopt a reform …
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Juncker claims ‘English is losing importance in Europe’ due to Brexit
For some weird reason, European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker believes that when the United Kingdom will leave the European Union, EU citizens will stop using the language that has been adopted by millions people as lingua franca: English! “English is losing importance in Europe” Juncker said and opted to deliver a …
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PM Tsipras: Creditors are not our friends, all they care about is to get their money back
“Creditors are not our friends, they stand opposed to us, they just want to get their money back,” Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told the parliamentary group of SYRIZA on Friday just days before the lawmakers of the ruling party will be called to vote in favor of 3.6-billion euro …
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EU and Frontex spend millions for migrants deportations, when the money…
The EU is spending millions forcibly sending people back to their home countries, when the money could be spent more constructively. According to a probe conducted by Brussels-based European news media outlet EUobserver, the cost of sending people back home can skyrocket to up 90,000 euros for one single case. …
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Eurobarometer: Greeks divided over whether “EU membership is a good thing”
Majority of the European citizens believe that membership to the European Union is a good thing. The average of EU citizens believing so is 57 percent. However, the percentages vary significantly from country to country. Data revealed by the latest Eurobarometer survey shows that the attitude of the inhabitants of …
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Creditors’ deal with Greece: Crash the poor, break the social vulnerable and chronic-ill, few structural reforms
Greece will lower tax-free threshold to 5,681 euros annual income. The European Union sets the poverty line at 6,000 euro. This is the biggest scandal in the package of additional austerity measures Greece and creditors agreed upon in the early morning hours of Thursday.The second scandal is an additional cut …
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EU27 adopt tough stance on UK: EU-citizens rights, N. Ireland, €60bn Brexit bill
Leaders of EU27 adopt draft guidelines from Donald Tusk as European council says ‘firm and fair mandate’ now ready. The European Union leaders have unanimously agreed to tough negotiating guidelines for Brexit talks with the UK, suggesting that they will demand Britain agrees on payments to the bloc before considering …
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Protesters storm Parliament in Macedonia (FYROM) attack and injure MPs VIDEOS
Anti-Albanian protesters stormed into Macedonia’s parliament on Thursday after a vote to elect ethnic Albanian Talat Xhaferi as parliamentary speaker. Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev was left with blood pouring down his face after fights broke out. Injured have been also four MPs and ten policemen. Demonstrators from the initiative …
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Blow to Greece’s poor! Commission, IMF set tax-free basis at €5.685 annual income
The yearly tax discount will be reduced by 650 euros as of 2020, according to a draft agreement submitted to the government by the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund. The tax-free basis will be lowered from €8,636 currently to €5,685. In simple words this means: taxed will be …
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Erdogan says Turkey would reconsider membership to EU, won’t wait at Europe’s door forever
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would reconsider its position on joining the European Union if it was kept waiting much longer and if the current hostile mentality of some member states persists. In an interview to Reuters on Tuesday, Erdogan said a decision on Tuesday by the …
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Malta suggests bonus or fine of €60,000 per asylum seeker to end EU migration row
EU countries would get €60,000 for every asylum seeker they take in above their EU-set quota as part of a plan drawn up the government of Malta that currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of Europe. The government of the island state believes that financial incentives will persuade EU …
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EU auditors warn Hot Spots in Greece and Italy are overwhelmed
European Union auditors say that migrants centers – the famous Hot Spots – set up in Greece and Italy to fast-track the registration of migrants are overwhelmed and urgently require more experts, particularly to help children. In a report released Tuesday, the auditors say that two more centers known as …
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EU Commission confirms Greece’s primary surplus 2016 well above target
Greece’s primary surplus was 4.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) last year, significantly above the target set for Athens under its bailout program, the European Commission said on Monday. “The mission is returning to Athens today with the objective of concluding a sub-level agreement as soon as possible on …
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Will EU and German support convince French euroskeptics to vote for Macron?
Ex banker, ex socialist and political outsider Emmanuel Macron won the first round of presidential elections in France on Sunday. French elections results have been perceived with a sign of relief in the European Union. A fine day for Europe and Greece, where creditors are expected to return to Athens …
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Spain has the EU’s third highest rate of child poverty, after Romania and Greece
After the economic crisis and years of austerity, child poverty is on the rise in wealthy countries, according to Unicef. In Spain, the proportion of children living below the poverty line increased by nine percentage points between 2008 and 2014, to reach almost 40%. In Greece, one in four children …
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Referendum shows a deeply divided Turkey: What’s next?
A slim victory that is a defeat in a divided country. Turkey’s referendum result is tight, with a gap of some 1.3 million votes between winner Yes and loser No. Opposition parties cry ‘foul’ because the Supreme Electoral Council allowed non-stamped ballots to be counted as valid. One and a …
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