Opinion Archives

[DE] Schwächt Covid-19 Italiens Regionen? Die Frage ist, ob die krisenbedingte Zentralisierung sich verfestigt.

July 28, 2020Karl Kössler2020, Coronavirus, Covid-19, italy, regionalism

Die Zeit von Covid-19 ist für Dezentralisierung in all ihren vielfältigen Formen keine leichte. Auch der Regionalismus in Italien sieht sich aktuell einem medialen Kreuzfeuer der Kritik ausgesetzt. Das zentrale Argument ist dabei, dass eine koordinierte politische und rechtliche Antwort auf die Pandemie einer einzigen und klaren Befehlskette bedürfe – ein Argument, das Proponenten des…

Looking for European Solidarity in Times of Crisis

July 21, 2020Birgit Sandu Gociu2020, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Together for Cohesion

The outbreak of the Corona virus crisis and especially the consequent debates over what role the European Union (EU) should play in its wake, have led many to question whether it is even possible to talk about “European solidarity”. Despite some member state’s evident reluctance, in an attempt to answer this question, my claim is…

The 11th of all EU-r rights: freedom of expression and how the Charter contributes

July 14, 2020Gabriel Toggenburgall EU-r rights, Charter of Fundamental Rights, freedom of expression, fundamental rights, GNT, religion

Can we say, read and hear whatever we want? Or do States limit our “freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas”[1]? Well, sometimes States indeed prescribe what sort of views can be held and what kind of information can be shared.[2] Take for instance the recent example of a law…

[IT] La Web Tax italiana

July 7, 2020Giovambattista PalumboItalia; web tax; Parlamento europeo;

Il 13 dicembre 2018 il Parlamento europeo, riunito in plenaria, aveva votato ed approvato due relazioni, che chiedevano all’Europa di introdurre un sistema comune di tassazione per i servizi digitali. Il Parlamento europeo aveva in sostanza suggerito alcune modifiche alle proposte già avanzate a marzo 2018 dalla Commissione europea, aggiungendo all’elenco dei servizi che possono…

Revamping EU Disability Policies post-COVID-19: The Role of the Conference on the Future of the EU

June 30, 2020Delia Ferri and Charles O'SullivanConference on the Future of the EU, Covid-19, disability, eu, European Convention on Human Rights, European law

This year, 2020, not only marks the tenth anniversary of the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) by the European Union (EU), it also marks the conclusion of the European Disability Strategy 2010–2020 (EDS). Beginning mid-2019 the Commission engaged in an evaluation process of the effectiveness and legacy…

2020 – A very special Winter School

June 23, 2020Uwe Fromm2020, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Federalism and Language, Winter School

I arrived in Innsbruck on February 16th, 2020. It was a beautiful sunny and warm day, and I was very excited about what would happen during the upcoming two weeks, of which I would spend one in Innsbruck and one in Bolzano. Not only are both wonderfully picturesque cities, which (admittedly) I had never visited…

North Macedonia’s bumpy road to the EU

June 16, 2020Natalija Shikovaeu, European integration, North Macedonia

In March 2020, the General Affairs Council decided to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and endorsed the Commission Communication on a revised methodology. The decision was accepted by members of the European Council and was highly welcomed among the member states and supporters of the EU enlargement process. In the unfavourable conditions because of…

Blood is blood: A journey into an unexpected world of subtle discrimination

June 9, 2020Cecilia Gialdinicoronavirus; blood donations; Europe; restrictions;

Those who know me are very much aware of my two major features: selflessness and integrity. To put it in less poetic terms, I suffer from a severe form of RCS (Red Cross Syndrome) and I am powered by the moral law within me which causes me to be very generous but also an unbearable…

The 10th of all EU-r rights: the freedom of conscience, thought, religion and how the Charter contributes

June 3, 2020Gabriel Toggenburgall EU-r rights, Charter of Fundamental Rights, freedom of thought, fundamental rights, GNT, religion

We all would like to be free as a bird. And in a way we are: our thoughts are by definition free. Still, in a given society, there is a risk that our convictions or religions put limitations on our opportunties. Imagine, for instance, you were a medical doctor in a leading position who was…

The Covid-19 Whistleblowers

May 26, 2020Cristina Fernández GonzálezChina, Coronavirus, corruption, Covid-19, european union, whistleblower

Before the world moved into the unknown direction of what the WHO classifies as a pandemic, Li Wenliang, a doctor in Wuhan, had already warned authorities of an extremely contagious disease. Any testimony or interview with him was silenced. The director of the hospital where Wenliang worked was also reprimanded for having warned of the…