Government & Politics

Prepare for tough love on migration as Denmark takes over EU presidency Denmark's prime minister Mette Frederiksen pioneered hard-line migration policies despite being on the left. Now she's bringing her special formula to the EU stage.

(Politico) Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has built a reputation for herself as Europe’s tough-love social democrat, with a hard line on migration that’s earned her more critiques from the left than from the right. Now she’s getting a chance to test-drive […]

Crime

Imported Muslim extremism is threatening Greece 'Using the cover of the Syrian war to illegally enter the country' has also turned some of Athens’s neighborhoods into 'no-go zones for women once the sun sets.'

(European Conservative) The image of Athens as one of Europe’s safest capitals is threatened by a wave of lawlessness, misogyny, and extremism imported by recent immigrants, many of them from Muslim-majority countries, primarily from Pakistan. Local analysts say that the increased number […]

Government & Politics

Judges block Albania model again and order return of 7 migrants to Italy Italian judges overturned detention orders for seven migrants sent to Albania, blocking Italy's outsourcing plan for the second time. The ruling sparks further tensions between the judiciary and government.

(Euronews) A court in Rome has suspended the approval of detention orders for seven migrants who were relocated last week to a repatriation centre in Albania established by Italy. Monday’s ruling has blocked the Italian government’s efforts for the second time to […]

Government & Politics

Macron, hard-line interior minister agree to disagree on immigration crackdown after first meeting The meeting was described as an opportunity to share perspectives — without the goal of reaching an agreement.

(Politico) When Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau headed over to the Elysée palace to meet President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, he wasn’t looking for commonality. He went to stand his ground. Macron and Retailleau spoke face to face for the first [time] since […]

Government & Politics

In shift to the right, von der Leyen endorses ‘return hubs’ for rejected asylum seekers The European Commission has signalled a willingness to offshore migration procedures, echoing growing calls from member states.

(Euronews) Ursula von der Leyen has offered her strongest endorsement yet to the controversial project of establishing so-called “return hubs” outside the European Union territory to transfer asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected. The idea was reflected in a letter the […]

Clerics & Preachers

Albania is planning a new Muslim state inside its capital Prime Minister Edi Rama says he wants to give members of the Bektashi, a Shiite Sufi order, their own Vatican-style enclave as a way of promoting religious tolerance.

(NY Times) The Muslim cleric preparing to lead what, if everything goes as planned, will become the world’s smallest state, has laid-back plans for the tiny new country. His hoped-for Muslim state in Tirana, Albania’s capital, will be a Vatican-style sovereign enclave […]