Writes on Romanian and Eastern European affairs, human rights issues and global governance. Originally from Romania, she is based in Belgium. @Raluca_Besliu
Billions in grants intended to help member states after COVID-19 emanate from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. But potentially fraudulent use of funds and concerns about transparency bring the integrity of the RRF – and the EU itself – into question.
The European Parliament elections on 9 June are a referendum on EU policy since 2019. Will voters give Europe the green light for further progress, or pull the brakes? A new Eurozine series measures the political atmosphere in the EU and its neighbourhoods at this crucial moment.
Pilot schemes show that the four-day week can increase productivity while significantly improving personal wellbeing. So what is holding back this long mooted reform? Comparison shows that some models are more popular than others among employers and employees alike.
The success of recent protests against extractivism and ecosystem degradation in Serbia and Albania highlights the potential for democratic reinvigoration around ecological issues in south east Europe. But the EU has yet to prove it can act as a credible partner in this process.
Standing up for your country’s social and ecological wellbeing can be a desperately meaningful undertaking when deep-seated corruption lies behind the struggle: the exodus of many Romanian protesters attests to the high personal risks that have compounded solidarity both at home and abroad over decades of action.