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Austria is set to lift its veto on Romania's and Bulgaria's full accession to Europe's free-passport Schengen area during a meeting of interior ministers from Austria, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary in Budapest on Nov. 22, the Financial Times reported on Nov. 19, citing sources close to negotiations.

Romania, Bulgaria: Austria To Lift Veto on Romania's and Bulgaria's Full Schengen Membership

Lithuania

Germany

Finland

Latvia

France

Estonia

Spain

Italy

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled her team of Commissioners, a press release by the Commission shows Sept. 17. 

EU: Von der Leyen Unveils New European Commission

China

Europe

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The European Union launched two investigations under its Foreign Subsidies Regulation into Chinese solar panel manufacturers bidding in a public procurement procedure for the construction of a 110 megawatt solar park in Romania, the European Commission revealed in a press release published on April 3.

EU, China: Brussels Opens Anti-Subsidy Probes Against Two Chinese Solar Panel Manufacturers

Bulgaria and Romania joined Europe's passport-free Schengen area for air and sea travel, 13 years after their application, according to a March 31 press release by the European Commission.

Romania, Bulgaria: Countries Join Europe's Passport-Free Schengen Area for Air and Sea Travel

Luxembourg

Malta

Czech Republic

Denmark

Greece

Sweden

Belgium

Portugal

Poland

Croatia

Cyprus

Slovakia

Slovenia

Ireland

Hungary

The European Commission recommended reducing the European Union's net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 compared with 1990 levels, Reuters reported Feb. 6. 

EU: Brussels to Exclude Agriculture from 90% Emissions Reduction Target for 2040

Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

European Union member states unanimously agreed to a 50 billion euro ($54 billion) financial support package for Ukraine as part of their joint budget through 2027, for which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban lifted his veto on the initiative, Reuters reported Feb. 1.

EU, Ukraine: EU Leaders Unanimously Agree to New 50 Billion Euro Aid Package for Kyiv

Bulgaria and Romania have reached an agreement with Austria to join Europe's passport-free Schengen area for air and sea travel starting March 2024, Reuters reported Dec. 28, citing Romania's interior ministry. 

Romania, Bulgaria: Romania and Bulgaria to Join Europe's Schengen Area For Air and Sea Travel in March 2024

Negotiators from EU member states and the European Parliament reached a preliminary agreement to overhaul the bloc's asylum and migration rules, Reuters reported on Dec. 20.

EU: Bloc's Institutions Reach Agreements on New Asylum and Migration Rules

Assessments

Global Elections

Opinion polls ahead of Romania's parliamentary elections scheduled for Dec. 1 indicate four main possible coalition government scenarios.

2024 Elections: Romania

Snapshots

The EU flag is projected on the facade of Romania's parliament building in Bucharest on the eve of Europe Day on May 8, 2024. 

Romania's financial risks are manageable in the short-to-medium term, but failure to reduce its fiscal and current account deficits could expose the country to external shocks.

The Financial Risks of Romania's Twin Deficits

United Kingdom

A photo taken on Jan. 20, 2024, shows cars driving by campaign billboard posters in Sao Pedro do Estoril, Portugal, ahead of the country's March 10 parliamentary elections. 

Social Issues

Of the various European countries holding elections this year, Portugal, Belgium, Austria, Romania and the U.K.'s votes have the potential to yield the most drastic leadership and policy changes.

Previewing Europe's 2024 National Elections

A woman waves a French flag in support of protesting farmers as a tractor drives by in Agen, southwerstern France, on Jan. 25, 2024.

Farmers across Europe are protesting environmental regulations, foreign competition and falling government support, which will likely impede Brussels' ability to enact climate reforms and negotiate new trade deals.

Growing Farmer Protests Add to the EU's Political Woes

United States

Members of the European Parliament take part in voting on the Artificial Intelligence Act during a plenary session at the European Parliament.

Cyber

The EU's recently negotiated Artificial Intelligence Act will bolster the European Union's dominance as a regulatory heavyweight in emerging technologies, yet anticipated enforcement challenges and stringent stipulations with the Act risk impeding AI innovation within the bloc.

EU Lawmakers Clinch Agreement on Artificial Intelligence Act 

Columns

On Geopolitics

Demonstrators hold Spanish flags during a protest called by the country’s far-right Vox party in Madrid, Spain, on Nov. 12, 2023. 

Far-right parties are expected to perform strongly in sub-national, national and EU elections next year, portending significant shifts in governance and policies.

In Europe, Far-Right Parties Are Again on the Rise

An EU sign is seen at a Romanian border crossing.

Bulgaria and Romania have set out to join the EU's passport-free zone by the year's end, but Austrian and Dutch skepticism will likely keep delaying their membership and the associated economic benefits.

The Challenges Facing Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen Bids

Belarus

Russia

A Polish soldier stands by anti-tank obstacles by the metal wall constructed at the Belarussian border in Bialowieza, Poland, on July 08, 2023. 

Military & Security

In Romania's case, Russian aggression is more likely to occur by accident. But in Poland, such aggression would have higher chance of escalation because it'd likely be by design.

Russia's Activities Near Romania and Poland Risk Sparking Another NATO Crisis

The Romanian flag is waved above a teachers' protest in Bucharest, Romania, on June 9, 2023. 

Policy disputes over how to address the country's mounting economic issues will make it hard for Bucharest to quell growing protests, combat inflation and avoid EU sanctions.

Romania's Divided Government Struggles To Reduce Its Fiscal Deficit

The Romanian and EU flags are seen at the European Commission's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium in February 2017.

Pushback from other EU members is impeding Bucharest's bid to join the passport-free zone, which would have both economic and political consequences for the country.

The Risks of Romania's Protracted Accession to the EU's Schengen Area

Moldova

Power lines are seen on the outskirts of Balti, the second-largest city in Moldova, on Nov. 2, 2022. 

Russia’s gas cut-offs are making Moldova increasingly vulnerable, with widespread blackouts, rampant inflation and growing pro-Russian anti-government protests. 

Will Moldova Be the First To Fall in Russia’s Energy War on Europe?

Refugees from Ukraine walk at the Ukrainian-Romanian border in Siret on March 2, 2022. Though the war is creating significant social and security challenges for Romania that EU assistance will only partially mitigate, it is also leading to temporary political stability.

The Ukraine Conflict

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Though the war is creating significant social and security challenges for Romania that EU assistance will only partially mitigate, it is also leading to temporary political stability.

Romania's Security and Social Challenges, and Political Benefits, From the Ukraine War

Romania is located in southeastern Europe, north of the Balkan Peninsula and on the western shore of the Black Sea. The Carpathian Mountains divide Romania into three parts. To the south is the Wallachian Plain, the core of contemporary Romania where its capital, Bucharest, and its old oil center, Ploiesti, are located. East of the Carpathians is the Moldavian Plain, where the city of Iasi sits, which is an important economic and cultural center. To the northwest of the Carpathians is Transylvania, a more rugged, hilly region.      None of the three parts are easy to defend. Transylvania was occupied by the Hungarians in several stages starting in the 11th century, and then fell under Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian rule. Wallachia and Moldavia were constant battlegrounds for the Ottomans, the Habsburgs and later the Russians.    After becoming a nation-state in the late 19th century, Romania had a precarious existence, balanced between foreign powers. Romania spent most of the 20th century trying to find its balance with monarchy, authoritarianism and democracy. During the Cold War, Romania was ruled by a Communist dictatorship loosely aligned with the Soviet Union. Like most of the former Soviet satellites, after the fall of communism, Romania aligned itself with NATO and the European Union.    The crisis in Ukraine has reignited Romania’s traditional fears of foreign aggression and its strategy to become more independent on energy. Bucharest is worried about events in neighboring Moldova, where the breakaway region of Transdniestria is under Russian influence, and in the Black Sea. As a country surrounded by large powers, Romania’s main geographic challenge is to remain united and limit the influence of foreigners.

SITUATION REPORTS

Romania, Bulgaria: Austria To Lift Veto on Romania's and Bulgaria's Full Schengen Membership

EU: Von der Leyen Unveils New European Commission

EU, China: Brussels Opens Anti-Subsidy Probes Against Two Chinese Solar Panel Manufacturers

Romania, Bulgaria: Countries Join Europe's Passport-Free Schengen Area for Air and Sea Travel

EU: Brussels to Exclude Agriculture from 90% Emissions Reduction Target for 2040

EU, Ukraine: EU Leaders Unanimously Agree to New 50 Billion Euro Aid Package for Kyiv

Romania, Bulgaria: Romania and Bulgaria to Join Europe's Schengen Area For Air and Sea Travel in March 2024

EU: Bloc's Institutions Reach Agreements on New Asylum and Migration Rules

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