Europe Greece Promises made to restore the rule of law and effectively tackle squatting in Mykonos have not been kept; urban planning abuses continue unabated and there have been very few cases of illegal constructions being terminated or serious fines being imposed
Europe France Friday, 23 August, President Macron will begin consultations to appoint a new prime minister, and thus a new government
Europe Croatia Compulsory military service, lasting two months, will be reintroduced in the country from 1 January 2025; compulsory conscription had been suspended in 2008 and the government began considering reinstating it after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022
Europe Germany According to Eurostat data for 2023, Germany was the largest producer of ice cream, with 612 million litres, followed by France with 568 million litres and Italy with 527
Europe Denmark The Danish government wants to attract even more African students to Danish universities and higher education: 'this is not about altruism or charity, but about safeguarding Danish interests' as Europe is shrinking, Foreign Minister said
Europe Moldova Moldova and Ukraine signed an agreement on cross-border environmental cooperation aimed at protecting the Dniester River, which supplies both countries with drinking water; experts are concerned about its proper implementation and call for vigilance
Europe Bulgaria Protesters in Sofia staged a new demonstration against an amendment banning 'propaganda' for LGBTQ+ issues in schools; nationalists held a counter-demonstration, demanding even stricter measures
Europe Kosovo 9 February 2025 - an 'optimal date that balances the preferences of all parties in need' - was set for Kosovo's regular parliamentary elections after President Vjosa Osmani consulted with political parties and the Central Electoral Commission
Europe Sweden Violent crimes committed by young Swedish citizens, often minors, specially recruited by local criminal groups have increased in Denmark in recent months; therefore, a Swedish police detachment has moved to Copenhagen
Europe Switzerland The Federal Armaments Office of Switzerland, state agency in charge of armaments and military technology, published an announcement offering a total prize of over €50.000 to the best ideas for removing the many remnants of war from lakes
Europe Finland The University Hospital of Helsinki has announced the start of extensive negotiations with employees as part of the preparation of the 2025 budget, with the aim of achieving savings of €50 million in response to a requirement of €140 million needed
Europe Serbia Work has begun on a large-scale salvage project to raise and remove a fleet of Nazi ships sunk in the Danube in the last days of World War II
Europe North Macedonia An interactive map of the free capacity of solar plants to connect to the distribution network has been launched by the North Macedonian distribution system operator Elektrodistribucija