#EUFridays by JEF Hungary #9

The Passing of David Sassoli

This Tuesday, the president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, passed away at the age of 65.

Today is a sad day for Europe. Our Union loses a passionate European, a sincere democrat and a good man. David Sassoli was a man of deep faith and strong convictions. Everyone loved his smile and his kindness, yet he knew how to fight for what he believed in. In 1989, he was in Berlin, among the young Europeans when the Wall came down. And ever since, he has stood on the side of democracy and of a united Europe. In over a decade of service in the European Parliament, he constantly defended our Union and its values. But he also believed that Europe had to strive for more. He wanted Europe to be more united, closer to its people, more faithful to our values. That is his legacy.” – Ursula von der Leyen.

Putin’s Threats Rebound – Finland and Sweden on the brink of joining NATO

Last year, Russia exhorted NATO against the inclusion of Finland and Sweden. However, on New Year’s Eve, Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö made an electrifying speech, touching not just the topics of pandemic and ecology but the case of the EU’s sovereignty and security in the region. This threat made by the Kremlin also aroused a similar reaction from the Swedes. Now, it appears that Finland and Sweden are closer to joining NATO than ever as the Russian government’s belligerent rhetoric shifted the time-hallowed party policies of the former adversaries of the NATO membership.

Bulgaria to Join the Schengen Area in Six Months and the Eurozone in Two Years:

Although a relatively recent Eurobarometer shows volatile support for the adoption of the euro as the nation’s currency, according to Bloomberg author Slav Okov, the four-party coalition is still steadfast on joining the Eurozone and the Schengen Area in a relatively short period of time. Alongside the former two, the coalition government of Bulgaria pledged to fight the pandemic more effectively, and prime minister Petkov said that his government is going to look for ways to improve NATO’s logistics.

Super Green Pass’ Rules Scaled Up in Italy

In December, Italy introduced the so-called “super green pass”, which on the contrary to the standard “green pass”, cannot be acquired by a negative test result but only by vaccination and recovery. As of this Monday, the mentioned “Super Green Pass” is required in bars, restaurants, and public transport. In conjunction with these new measures, vaccination will be mandatory for people over the age of 50 from February 15.

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