On 6 December 2020 Romania went to the polls hoping that this election would bring stability after enduring four prime ministers in the past four years. The economy and public health have been the main talking points in the campaigns, with leading parties promising to improve the economy and increase health spending. Background to Romanian General Elections: Romania has a bicameral system, with both the Chamber of Deputies (Camera Deputaţilor),…
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the search for a vaccine has been a top priority for the EU. The European Commission has negotiated on the behalf of Member States with pharmaceutical companies to secure a vaccine for all in the Union. In this Just the Facts we look at what the EU has…
Something overlooked in much discourse and media coverage in relation to Brexit, is how it will impact LGBTQ+ people in the UK and, as a result, those in Northern Ireland. It is important to recognise the European dimension in work towards equality in Northern Ireland. That’s why European Movement Ireland is examining how Brexit will…
The recent opening of accession negotiations for Albania and North Macedonia represents a significant milestone in both countries’ paths to EU membership. In this Just the Facts, we will look at the challenges which the two applicants have overcome in order to reach this stage and outline the hurdles which remain. Introduction: Albania and North Macedonia’s EU Journey…
On 11 October and 25 October Lithuania went to the polls for what is only their eighth general election since their independence was restored from the USSR in 1990, becoming the first Soviet republic to declare independence. Background to Lithuanian General Elections: Lithuania is a unitary semi-presidential republic, where a president exists alongside a prime…
The UK government has one month to respond to the first step in the European Commission’s infringement procedures with regard to the UK Internal Market Bill. Such procedures can take an average of up to 36 months, as was seen in cases related to Ireland involving tax rates on rented cars and fuel tax for…
As the Brexit deadline clock continues to count down, an issue that has raised its head again is of Ireland’s continued use of the UK Landbridge post-Brexit. A recent Twitter thread by our Policy and Brexit Research Officer, Ciarán O’Driscoll, highlighted some of the key issues around this important aspect of Brexit, which will be…
The United Kingdom Internal Market Bill contains controversial proposals that will override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol. What path does it take through the UK legislative system? This Just the Facts explores the next steps in the parliamentary process of the bill. What is the UK Internal Market Bill? The Northern Ireland Protocol,…
Brexit; it never really went away, but developments over the last number of weeks have certainly seen it come back with a bang. Despite having negotiated and then ensured that the Withdrawal Agreement was approved by UK parliament earlier in January of this year, now, eight months later, the UK government seems to have embarked…
Tomorrow, Wednesday, 16 September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will deliver her inaugural State of the Union address, a speech delivered annually by the President of the European Commission to the European Parliament plenary. The address is intended as an instrument for accountability and a forum for discussion, and affords the President the…