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Brussels (HINA) – EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell condemned the “hideous and cowardly” terrorist attack on members of the Kosovo police and called for the re-establishment of peace and stability.
Borrell spoke by phone with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Sunday after unknown assailants stormed the majority-Serb village in northern Kosovo. They clashed with police and barricaded themselves in an Orthodox monastery.
Kosovo police announced that one policeman and three of the approximately 30 attackers were killed in a shootout around the village of Banjska.
Monks and pilgrims were locked in the Serbian Orthodox monastery during the hours-long siege.
“Following today’s hideous and cowardly terrorist attack against Kosovo Police officers, High Representative Josep Borrell spoke to Prime Minister Albin Kurti. He condemned today’s aggression in the strongest terms,” a statement from Borrell’s office read.
Borrell expressed his condolences to the family, colleagues and relatives of the police officer who lost his life in the line of duty, and wished the injured officers a speedy recovery.
Borrell also spoke with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, according to the press release.
Borrell repeated his call to the attackers to surrender immediately and allow the pilgrims to safely leave the Banjska monastery. He called for the re-establishment of “peace and stability”. (24 September)
SPD politician Barley warns against right-wing populism in the EU
Berlin (dpa) – The Vice-President of the European Parliament, Katarina Barley, has warned against anti-democratic developments in Europe. “Democracy and the rule of law can no longer be taken for granted in the European Union,” Barley said in Berlin on Saturday.
Hungary, she said, was already no longer a democracy. “We see a similar development in Poland.” Democratic rights are also being curtailed in Italy, she added.
The European Commission was threatening to tilt away to the right, she said. “If we don’t succeed in installing the European Parliament as a counterweight, then we will have a completely right-wing to right-wing populist governed European Union. Then there will be no corrective left,” warned the German SPD politician.
The European Parliament election next June is therefore crucial for the future of Europe. “We need a progressive majority in this European Parliament, we need a strong social democracy in order to still be able to implement progressive policies, liberal, people-friendly, solidarity-based policies in this European Union at all.” (23 September)
EU relaunches agreement with Tunis, €127 million allocated
Brussels (ANSA) – In support of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Tunisian authorities, the European Commission announced 60 million Euro in budget support for Tunisia and a package of operational assistance on migration worth around 67 million Euro, which will be disbursed in the coming days, contracted and delivered quickly. This first package is based on close cooperation with Tunis in the suppression of illegal trafficking networks.
This was announced by European Commission spokeswoman Ana Pisonero during the daily press briefing. The Commission “is accelerating both ongoing programmes and actions under the assistance” linked to the memorandum, she explained. “They will help us to address the urgent situation we see today in Lampedusa, also in line with the 10-point plan,” she announced. “The package we are announcing today combines both ongoing and new assistance under the support package.”
“Support of nearly 67 million Euro for migration actions will be contracted and delivered quickly,” she added. “We are committed to advancing the implementation of the memorandum by prioritising, in the field of migration cooperation, the suppression of trafficking networks and intensifying EU assistance for capacity building of Tunisian law enforcement authorities, as well as support for the return of volunteers and the reintegration of migrants in their countries of origin in full compliance.“ (22 September).
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