European Union

Written by Branislav Staníček.

Parliament is set to discuss the situation in Serbia during the Plenary Session held in Strasbourg this week and current anti-government protests and the Serbian authorities’ violent response in particular. President Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has governed the country since 2012, with a heavy concentration of power, media control and a weak system of checks and balances. In December 2023, just 20 months after the previous elections, Serbia held snap parliamentary elections. The SNS won by 46.7 %, far ahead of the newly formed opposition coalition Serbia Against Violence (SPN) at 23.6 %. Nonetheless, anti-government protests erupted again in November 2024, following the collapse of the renovated Novi Sad railway station. These protests intensified during summer 2025, accompanied by violence and renewed calls for snap elections. Vučić’s second and final five-year presidential term ends in 2027, when parliamentary elections are also due.

The renovated canopy collapse at the railway station on 1 November 2024, in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city, killed 16 people. Just two days before, the European Commission’s 2024 report on Serbia and its EU membership prospects warned that ‘Serbia has a tendency to circumvent its legislation in this area [of public procurement] through intergovernmental agreements and special laws’ (in Chapter 5 on ‘Public Procurement’). The reconstruction of the railway station in Novi Sad was part of a ‘capital state project’ – the construction of a high-speed railway from Belgrade to Budapest – and was based on a bilateral agreement between Serbia and China not subject to the country’s law on public procurement. Public outrage forced Serbia’s Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, Construction Minister Goran Vesić and the Mayor of Novi Sad to resign. Every day at 11:52 am – the moment the station roof collapsed – protesters halt traffic for 16 minutes of silence, to honour the 16 lives lost.

This climate of protests shifted in mid-2025. After nine months of peaceful demonstrations, tensions peaked on 28 June when a massive protest held on Belgrade’s Slavija Square – estimated at 140 000 participants – coincided with Serbia’s historic Vidovdan holiday. Police used violence against students and media representatives, resulting in four young protesters being hospitalised. On 4 July, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern about the human rights situation in Serbia and the excessive use of force to curb demonstrations; the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights similarly urged the Serbian authorities to exercise restraint. As of late August 2025, Vučić has hinted at compromise without fully yielding.

The European Parliament resolution of 8 February 2024 on the situation in Serbia following the December 2023 elections pressed for investigations into the reported irregularities. The most recent resolution, of 7 May 2025, on the 2023 and 2024 Commission reports on Serbia, supports European integration of the country while calling on Serbia to accelerate reforms on media freedom, judicial independence and fundamental rights in line with EU standards. It also notes that ‘limited progress has been made in the fight against corruption despite the adoption of a new anti-corruption strategy for 2024-2028’. On 14 May 2025, the European Parliament’s Serbia Delegation attended a meeting of the Subcommittee on Human Rights for an exchange of views on the human rights situation in Serbia in the context of the student-led protests.

Further reading

• Anti-government protests in Serbia, September 2025

Die EU-Handels- und Agrarkommissare Maroš Šefčovič und Christophe Hansen reisen diese Woche nach Neu-Delhi, um die Verhandlungen über ein Handelsabkommen mit Indien voranzutreiben – besonders der Agrarsektor sorgt für Hürden.

Le Programme Spécial d'Insertion de l'Emploi (PSIE) a ouvert, ce 08 septembre 2025, un appel à candidature au profit de plusieurs entreprises béninoises.

108 postes sont à pourvoir dans plusieurs entreprises béninoises via le Programme Spécial d'Insertion de l'Emploi (PSIE).

Les entreprises concernées opèrent dans des secteurs variés et recherchent des compétences diversifiées : technique, administratif, commercial, etc.

Les salaires nets proposés varient entre 100 000 et 250 000 FCFA, selon le poste, le niveau d'expérience et le secteur d'activité.

Les candidatures sont à déposer en ligne via le lien : https://cutt.ly/FVZDlF8

Alles deutet darauf hin, dass François Bayrou am Montagabend nicht mehr Premierminister Frankreichs sein wird. Präsident Emmanuel Macron steht damit vor schwierigen Entscheidungen – und Frankreich vor unruhigen Tagen.

Her far-right party faces mounting legal headaches, many of which strike at the heart of its financial and political machinery

Agriculture Commissioner Hansen told Euractiv that sectors such as rice and sugar could be excluded from the negotiations

Despite playing an essential role in the global supply chain of palm oil, and supporting regional and national economy, discussions on oil palm smallholders are limited in mainstream conversations.

Obwohl sie eine wesentliche Rolle in der globalen Lieferkette für Palmöl spielen und die regionale und nationale Wirtschaft unterstützen, werden Kleinbauern, die Ölpalmen anbauen, in den Mainstream-Diskussionen nur am Rande erwähnt.

The Polish Society of Surgeons proposed debating whether women should be surgeons; critics say it typifies misogyny in the profession

Dans le département des Collines, la mobilisation s'organise déjà autour de Romuald Wadagni, candidat de la mouvance présidentielle à la présidentielle de 2026.

À Glazoué, les leaders Idaasha ont réaffirmé leur soutien ce week-end, lors d'une rencontre au domicile du député Edmond Agoua, coordonnateur départemental de l'Union Progressiste le Renouveau (UP-R).
Conduits par plusieurs figures locales, dont Adahou Aron et Assongba Monlou, les responsables politiques des arrondissements ont assuré de leur engagement pour « renforcer l'ancrage du parti et garantir la victoire de Wadagni dans les Collines ».

Le député Edmond Agoua, qui s'impose comme l'un des relais clés de la mouvance dans le département, a salué cette confiance renouvelée. Il a promis de « défendre les intérêts des Idaasha et des Collines » dans les instances politiques.

À quelques mois du scrutin, les Collines apparaissent déjà comme un bastion stratégique pour la campagne à venir.
M. M.

Monday 8 September

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Monday 8 September

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Monday 8 September

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Monday 8 September

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Un homme ivre a trouvé la mort, dimanche 7 septembre 2025, dans un accident de la route à N'Dali.

Un homme originaire de Gogounou est mort dans un accident survenu, dimanche 7 septembre 2025, sur l'axe inter-États N'Dali–Malanville, peu après la sortie nord de N'Dali. La victime était propriétaire et conducteur du véhicule.

D'après plusieurs témoins, il avait pris la route en état d'ébriété après avoir quitté Nikki. Ses frères, qui l'accompagnaient, auraient tenté de l'empêcher de conduire. Face à son insistance, ils ont préféré descendre du véhicule à N'Dali.

Peu de temps après, non loin d'un hôtel, l'automobiliste a perdu le contrôle. Sa voiture a effectué plusieurs tonneaux avant de s'immobiliser.
M. M.

Le Bénin a exporté pour 11,4 milliards de FCFA de biens vers les pays de la CEDEAO au deuxième trimestre 2025. Les chiffres ont été publiés par l'Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INStaD).

Le Nigéria arrive en tête des partenaires commerciaux. Il absorbe 38,6% des exportations béninoises. Les principaux produits envoyés sont l'huile de soja (1,3 milliard FCFA), les motocycles réexportés (0,9 milliard FCFA) et les déchets ferreux (0,7 milliard FCFA).

Le Togo suit avec 27,4% de parts. Les articles en plastique dominent (1,0 milliard FCFA), devant le ciment hydraulique (0,5 milliard FCFA) et le fil machine en acier (0,2 milliard FCFA).

La Côte d'Ivoire complète le trio de tête avec 17,9% des exportations béninoises. Les tissus de coton écrus (1,5 milliard FCFA), les imprimés et les fils de coton y sont les plus demandés.

Selon l'Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INStaD), ces données proviennent des déclarations en douane et confirment le rôle clé du marché régional pour l'économie béninoise.
M. M.

L'archevêque de Cotonou, Mgr Roger Houngbédji, a dévoilé les nouvelles nominations de curés et vicaires pour l'année pastorale 2025-2026. Retrouvez ci-dessous la liste complète des affectations au sein de l'Église catholique au Bénin.

The EU believes the "best way ... to deliver the humanitarian aid" is via partner organisations working on the ground, an EU spokesperson said on Monday

Half of Afghanistan's population – the women – have been pushed out of public life by the Taliban. Credit: Learning Together.

By External Source
KABUL, Sep 8 2025 (IPS)

In recent weeks, the walls of the Afghan capital have been plastered with slogans about women’s hijab: “Unveiling is a sign of ignorance”; “Hijab is a father’s honour and the pride of Muslims”.

They are messages from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, created to enforce the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic rule on Afghanistan. Women, once again, are at the sharp end of it all.

Presented as efforts to uphold public morality, the slogans have instead weighed heavily on the mental and emotional well-being of women.

 

Walls That Echo Fear, Not Faith

Many women complain that the constant messaging makes them feel anxious and unsafe. Even those who are fully dressed up in hijab in accordance with the law have become fearful of stepping outside the house, not because of what they are wearing, but because the atmosphere has become so tense and judgmental. When they see slogans staring down at them from the walls, they “echo fear not faith”.

Women are not allowed to wear perfume; laugh out loud or speak openly in front of men. They must not interact with men who are either non-relatives or non-Muslims and are required to always walk with a male guardian in public

Parwin, a young woman traveling on a city bus with her mother, recalls a time when the walls of Kabul were covered with colorful murals promoting women’s rights, peace, freedom, and equality. She said, “Sadly, the Taliban have wiped those away and replaced them with messages that put limits on women”, she complains.

“What women need more than ever is more education not slogans that only scare them”, says Parwin.

Instead, after four years of living under Taliban rule women continue to live with fear, deprivation, and many restrictions.

Maliha, another Kabul resident, raised her concerns over a steady increase in the number of restrictions women now face: women are not allowed to wear perfume; laugh out loud or speak openly in front of men. They must not interact with men who are either non-relatives or non-Muslims and are required to always walk with a male guardian in public.

She said, “Women are born free and should not be cut off from the rest of society. These restrictions do not protect us. Rather, they push us out and exclude us from community life”.

The Taliban came with promises of ‘preserving Islamic values,’ but instead of respecting women’s dignity as recognized in Islam, they have subjected them to repression and exclusion.

Islam recognizes the dignity of women and grants them the right to work, participate in society and to have an education. Using religious values as a tool to suppress women only presents a harsh and unjust image of the faith.

Instead of focusing on dress codes and restrictions, the government should be helping women who have no home. They should be supporting widows and women with nowhere to turn to—by providing them shelter, jobs, and a way to live with dignity.

 

Restrictions That Have Paralized Life

Four years after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, life has only gotten harder for Afghan women. From the beginning, strict rules were put in place to limit their freedom and instead of easing up, those restrictions have only grown tighter.

Girls are banned from attending school after six grade or university. Women are no longer allowed to work outside their homes. In effect, half the population has been pushed out of public life.

In response to these criticisms, the spokesperson for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice told the media that these slogans are a way to promote Islamic morals.

But in reality a law passed last year with 35 articles severely restrict women’s personal freedoms.

Afghan women today are living without basic rights, and in an unsafe and deeply stressful environment.

If the Taliban continue with the policies of shutting women off women from the rest of society, it not only threatens the future of an entire generation of women, it also holds back progress and development of the whole country.

 

Excerpt:

The author is an Afghanistan-based female journalist, trained with Finnish support before the Taliban take-over. Her identity is withheld for security reasons

The measures will be implemented "immediately", Spanish PM Sánchez said