Italian government faces a split over citizenship reform debate
A proposal to grant Italian citizenship to foreign nationals who complete 10 years of education has the coalition government in Rome divided.
Citizenship
Pressure builds for Israeli investigation after US citizen killed in West Bank
According to eyewitness accounts, 26-year-old Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers during a protest against West Bank settlement expansion on Friday.
Durovโs family signed lease for home in Paris in 2018, ex-partner says
The Telegram CEO agreed to pay for a house for his family in the French capital the same year he first met with Emmanuel Macron.
Want babies? Donโt start vaping, Putin warns schoolkids.
Russian president tells pupils: Think you’re cool? Think again.
US-Bulgarian citizen arrested in Sofia for burning Russian flag
A woman with dual US-Bulgarian citizenship was arrested and then released for protesting outside the Russian Cultural and Information Centre in Sofia, writing “murderers” in chalk on the building and burning the Russian flag.
Maduroโs gift to Putin: 2 mercenaries who fought for Ukraine extradited to Russia
The Colombians joined a foreign legion in Ukraine in summer 2023. Now they’re jailed in Moscow after being captured in Caracas.
Emmanuel Macron finally admits he gave Telegram chief French citizenship
President’s team initially said the foreign ministry made the call to grant Russian-born Pavel Durov a French passport.
3 unsolved mysteries in the case of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov
Why does the Russian-born tech tycoon have so many nationalties? And where do his loyalties lie?
Telegram CEO charged in France for โallowing criminal activityโ on messaging app
Pavel Durov, who has French citizenship, faces prosecution over alleged failure to suppress spread of sexual images of children and calls for violenceThe head of Telegram, Pavel Durov, has been charged by the French judiciary for allegedly allowing cri…
Telegram CEOโs brother also wanted by French authorities
Arrest warrants for Pavel and Nikolai Durov were issued months earlier than previously known.
Russia says France better come up with strong evidence against Telegram CEO
Kremlin needles Emmanuel Macron over Pavel Durov arrest.
The bewildering politics of Telegram
Here are two big reasons the controversial app just became a global flashpoint.
Franceโs love-hate relationship with Telegram
President Emmanuel Macron is an avid user of the app and his government granted Pavel Durov a French passport. That didn’t shield the Telegram CEO from arrest.
Telegram is a bigger headache than Elon Muskโs X for the EU
France’s arrest of tech prodigy spotlights messaging service that shelters those who want to avoid government attention.
Telegram founder arrest part of cybercrime inquiry, say prosecutors
Investigation into Pavel Durov relates to appโs alleged failure to stop spread of child sexual abuse materialPavel Durov, the Russian-born billionaire co-founder of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested in France in connection with an investigation …
France extends detention of Telegram chief Pavel Durov
Telegram said its CEO “has nothing to hide” as his surprise detention became an online flashpoint over free speech.
Italian citizenship reform at the heart of right-wing coalition’s debates
The victory of the country’s volleyball team, led by Nigerian-born player Paola Egonu, has led to heated discussions on the conditions for obtaining Italian citizenship for the children of immigrants.
Italyโs foreign minister says country needs more African students
Foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday (22 August) that he wanted more African students to come to Italy, in remarks that may exacerbate a coalition squabble over immigration and citizenship rights.
Nigel Farage could be the real winner if Labour lets teens vote
The Reform UK leader is wooing young people just as Labour wants to lower the voting age.
Ukrainian suspect in Nord Stream explosion haunts Polish-German relations
In todayโs edition of the Capitals, find out more about Polish-German relations hitting a low point due to a suspect in the Nord Stream explosion, the Italian coalition showing cracks over the current citizenship debate, and so much more.
Italian coalition split in citizenship reform debate
A new rift has emerged within Italyโs governing coalition over the controversial and hotly debated issue of citizenship reform, with Lega (ID) and Fratelli dโItalia (ECR) warning their ally Forza Italia (EPP) not to join forces with the opposition on t…
Rise in DNA tests being used to claim citizenship of other countries
Many people want to uncover their ancestry, but โ driven by Brexit โ others also hope to regain access to the EUSome do it to explore their ancestral heritage or an unknown part of their identity. Others are hoping to find parents, siblings and new rel…
Todayโs prisoner exchanges are not like the Cold War
With ordinary citizens being picked up simply to be used as exchange fodder, no Westerner is truly safe in hostile countries anymore.
Ukraine war briefing: Turkey launches new Ukrainian warship
Crimea under missile and drone attack; Estonia to clamp down on sanctions evasion via its Russian border. What we know on day 891The Ukrainian first lady, Olena Zelenska, has attended in Turkey the launch of the Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi, an anti-submarine…
Trumpโs first try at pivoting to Harris blows up in his face
The former president suggested Harris only recently โbecameโ Black.
Democracy in dark times: Hopeful lessons from Greeceโs 50-year odyssey
The country’s half-century milestone cements that only democracy and international cooperation can provide solutions to 21st-century challenges.
Ukraine war briefing: Trump vows to end war in call with Zelenskiy
US Republican nominee tells Ukrainian leader that as president he would โbring peace to the worldโ; Russian attack on childrenโs playground kills three. What we know on day 878 Donald Trump said he had a โvery good callโ with Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Fri…
A Dilemma of Two Communities: How the Portuguese-speaking Countries Mobility Agreement Might be Conflicting with EU Law
Ana Rita Gil*, Aylin Yildiz
Noorda** & Lucas Ricardo***
* Professor, Law Faculty of the
University of Lisbon, Portugal. Researcher at the Lisbon Public Law. Email:
anaritagil@fd.ulisboa.pt.
** Postdoctoral Researcher at the
…
Do a good deed for your country โ stay home
Many Westerners continue to travel to hostile nations, knowing their home countries would move mountains to get them free. But thatโs a luxury we can no longer afford.
Putinโs people still hold top Olympic rolesย
Outrage builds ahead of Paris 2024 Games over senior Russians in prominent positions.
Letโs be a bit more honest about what a โEuropean identityโ looks like
Emphasizing Europeโs โJudeo-Christianโ heritage and looking only to antiquity betrays the European project, excluding the various peoples and entities that shaped the Continent.
โItโs going to be tightโ: Macronโs centrists struggle to deter voters from backing far right
With the first round of Franceโs snap election on Sunday, the presidentโs allies are desperate to shore up supportStanding in a courtyard framed by the white walls of one of Marseilleโs Armenian churches, Sabrina Agresti-Roubache โ Franceโs secretary o…
Kremlin sends migrants to dig trenches in occupied parts of Ukraine
“We need good working hands for that,” said Aleksandr Bastrykin, head of the Russian Investigative Committee.
From the US to France, the far right swears itโs patriotic. But is it betraying our countries? | Alexander Hurst
Iโve watched the rise of Trumpism and the National Rally โ and the fake narratives about nationhood they peddle to votersI was waiting for a friend in a bar when Donald Trump was convicted on all counts by a jury of his peers. Naturally, I bought the b…
Russia tortured and disappeared Ukrainians in Crimea, says human rights court
European Court of Human Rights ruled Russia is guilty of suppressing human rights in occupied Crimea
Far-right leader Bardella unveils immigration program ahead of snap elections
Jordan Bardella confirmed Monday (June 24) that he intended to abolish France’s “droit du sol”, birthright to citizenship, after the snap elections, and said he would restrict Schengen space to EU citizens only.
Trump keeps flip-flopping his policy positions after meeting with rich people
Top CEOs were seen nodding their heads when Trump talked about finding ways to keep American-educated talent at home.
What to expect from a Lepenist government
It’s far less important to know how Le Pen exorcised her party’s past demons than how a National Rally government will exercise power.
Centrists from US to Germany move right on immigration
As elections loom in the U.S., the U.K. and France, the fraught politics of migration are a key issue animating voters on both sides of the Atlantic.
Putin, Farage and pesky teens: 5 people the Tories blame for a Labour โsupermajorityโ
Keir Starmer’s Britain will mean prisoners, teenagers and Vladimir Putin stealing from your grandma for decades. Maybe.
A โFree Russiaโ passport could undermine Putin
Welcoming those who want to break with the Russian leaderโs regime would mobilize a key community to help Ukraine to victory.
In the Baltics, the stateless who canโt vote in the EU election
What if you want to vote in the European election, but you canโt?
Romanian government pushes for mandatory language tests for regaining citizenship
Regaining Romanian citienship could soon involve passing a compulsory language exam, according to a new government bill amending the country’s citizenship law to stamp out potential abuses, which was submitted to parliament on Thursday.
US warns its dual citizens will be stuck in Ukraine amid mobilization drive
The new rule closes a loophole which allowed dual citizens who hold a permanent residency abroad to leave Ukraine.
Why Iโm racing to get my French citizenship before the EUโs Entry/Exit System launches in October
As a Brit, the introduction of the EES means Iโm more desperate than ever to get my French citizenship.
Europeโs cultural identity โ thatโs what weโre fighting for
In the last three decades, weโve enjoyed the luxury of not having to ask ourselves what it is we stand for. But those times have passed.
Germanyโs domestic intelligence agency can continue to surveil far-right AfD, high court rules
The court ruled that the agency is justified in classifying Alternative for Germany as a suspected extremist organization due to statements “against the principals of democracy.”
Anatomy of a scroll: Inside TikTokโs AI-powered algorithms
Israel or Palestine? What users see in their social media feeds related to the Middle East crisis and other global political events is determined by opaque AI-powered curation systems.
Moldova fights to free itself from Russiaโs AI-powered disinformation machine
With an EU referendum and a presidential election in October, the Ukraine-bordering Eastern European country fends off a barrage of disinformation, cyberattacks and Kremlin-backed political corruption.
Italian towns split over moves to end honorary citizenship of Mussolini
Ustica stripped local recognition for fascist dictator in law snaring all those deceased, but debate continues elsewhereA simple vote last Friday was enough to strip Walt Disney of his honorary citizenship of Ustica, as the tiny Sicilian island of 1,30…
โBlatantly illegalโ: Zelenskyy administration under fire for denying services to Ukrainian men abroad
Row escalates while Russia holds upper hand on the battlefield.
Spain to scrap cash-for-visas scheme
Sรกnchez said golden visas are “not the model of the country that we need.”
Lukashenko contradicts Putin, says Moscow terrorists were fleeing to Belarus, not Ukraine
Although the ISIS jihadist group claimed responsibility for the Crocus music hall attack, Russia’s president blamed Kyiv.
Resistance is futile: the new Eurodac Regulation โ part 4 of the analysis of new EU asylum laws
Professor Steve Peers, Royal Holloway University of LondonPhoto credit: Rachmaninoff, via Wikimedia CommonsAmendments to this blog post since its original publication are marked by asterisks.* Most recent amendment: June 18 2024. Just before…
Chega: 5 things to know about Portugalโs surging far-right party
Hard-line policies and racism controversies have marked its journey to becoming Portugal’s third-largest political force.
Biden campaign launches $30M ad onslaught
Itโs part of an aggressive attempt to capitalize on the momentum from the State of the Union address
Is a womanโs place in the home? Ireland is poised to decide.
A vote to axe sexism from Ireland’s constitution is in the balance amid pushback from left and right.
Ukrainians are still waiting for Abramovichโs billions
Proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC are embroiled in a property rights quagmire.
How Germany is learning to love its army
If Germany really is coming to terms with the notion of hard power for a moral purpose, Boris Pistorius will have played no small part in that.
British woman who joined ISIS loses fresh appeal against loss of citizenship
Begum left the U.K. to join Isis when she was just 15 โ but now cannot return from Syria.
Ex-FBI informant charged with lying about Bidens arrested again
Alexander Smirnov, who claims to have Russian intelligence links, taken into custody after meeting at lawyersโ offices in Las VegasThe former FBI informant who is charged with lying about a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving Joe Bidenโs famil…
Zelenskyy allows foreigners to serve in Ukraineโs National Guard
Kyiv is desperate for more soldiers.
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 728
Russia hands back 11 Ukrainian children under deal struck by Qatar; US dual national arrested in Russia over alleged $51 Ukrainian charity donationSee all our Ukraine war coverageUkraine said on Tuesday it was fighting off dozens of Russian attacks โ a…
Russia arrests dual-US citizen on treason charges
The FSB accuses 33-year-old woman, who is reportedly a Los Angeles resident, of fundraising for Ukraine.
Russia arrests woman with dual US-Russian citizenship for ‘treason’
Russia’s FSB security services said on Tuesday it had arrested a US-Russian woman suspected of treason for raising funds for the Ukrainian army.
Who is Yulia Navalnaya, Putinโs new enemy?ย
For years she sought to avoid the limelight. Now Alexei Navalny’s widow is vowing to continue his fight.
Do I want to watch arthouse films with fascists? No thanks, Berlin | Fatma Aydemir
With Germany rocked by revelations about the AfD, the Berlin film festivalโs excuse for inviting them never made senseWhen the Berlin international film festivalโs co-director Mariette Rissenbeek declared in an interview last week that the festival doe…
โItโs non-negotiableโ: French MPs angry at move to restrict citizenship on Mayotte
Far right says measure should be adopted across France but critics say change breaches fundamental constitutional rights France unveils plan to curtail right to French citizenship in Indian Ocean island of MayotteEmmanuel Macron has been accused of wal…
EU lead candidates denounce French government announcements in Mayotte
French candidates leading the EU election lists have hit back at French Interior Minister Gรฉrald Darmaninโs announcement of a tailor-made constitutional amendment on citizenship for the overseas region of Mayotte.
How Marine Le Pen turned respectable (and why you shouldnโt be fooled)
Once perceived as beyond the pale, the National Rally leader is increasingly seen by French voters as, well, normal.
France unveils plan to curtail right to French citizenship in Indian Ocean island of Mayotte
Interior minister Gรฉrald Darmanin plans to change constitution to remove birthplace right to citizenship on island that is part of FranceFrench authorities have announced a controversial plan to amend the constitution to revoke birthplace citizenship o…
HBO drops pro-Kremlin actor from White Lotus after uproar
Role in hit TV drama to be recast after Kyiv slammed the choice of Putin-backing Miloลก Bikoviฤ.
Russian scam for obtaining Bulgarian citizenship exposed
The Bulgarian counterintelligence agency SANS has been accused of failing to act on reports by a high-ranking local politician of a potential channel that allows Russian spies to infiltrate Europe by gettingย Bulgarian citizenship thanks to false docum…
Ukraine disses HBO for hiring pro-Putin Serb to star in The White Lotus ย
Kyiv is unhappy with the American TV giant’s casting selection.
Ukraine hits out at HBO for casting pro-Russia actor in new season of White Lotus
Serbian Miloลก Bikoviฤ was awarded a medal by Vladimir Putin and supports Russian invasion, says KyivRussia-Ukraine war โ latest updatesUkraineโs foreign ministry has criticised the US TV network HBO for giving a Serbian actor it says backs Russiaโs inv…
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 701
Russian military plane carrying Ukraine prisoners of war crashes; president Zelenskiy accuses Moscow of playing with lives of UkrainiansSee all our Ukraine war coverageA Russian military transport plane has crashed in the border region of Belgorod, acc…
Zelenskyy hails diaspora for their support, proposes dual citizenship
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Ukrainians abroad on Monday (22 January) for their support during Russia’s invasion, and proposed changing the constitution to allow dual citizenship.
Germany eases rules for foreigners seeking citizenship
New law cuts time that applicants must live in the country and lifts ban on dual nationality for those from outside EU
The UK just extended the right to vote to 3.5M people living abroad
Campaigners hope they can influence UK lawmakers.
Macronโs camp fears new threat from left-wing star
Raphael Glucksmann, who will likely be the Socialist Partyโs lead candidate, could attract disaffected voters on Macronโs left flank.
Putin gives Russian citizenship to accused Bosnian Serb war criminal
Ratko Samac is wanted by authorities over atrocities.
Canada reverses course after blocking Russian anti-war activistโs citizenship
Maria Kartashevaโs in-absentia conviction over blogposts about Ukraine war threatened application for Canadian citizenshipCanada has reversed course after initially blocking a Russian anti-war activist from receiving citizenship because she had run afo…
Macron starts overhaul as French PM Elisabeth Borne resigns
President kicks off 2024 with a reshuffle after series of crises left his governing coalition seriously bruised.
Macron keeps France guessing as reshuffle rumors swirl
President holds informal talks amid speculation Elisabeth Borne could be ousted as PM.
Putin offers citizenship to foreigners who fight for Russia
President Vladimir Putin issued a decree on Thursday (4 January) allowing foreign nationals who fight for Russia in Ukraine to obtain Russian citizenship for themselves and their families.
Putin to grant citizenship to foreigners fighting for Russia
Applicants must prove they signed up for at least one year, according to Kremlin decree.
The visionary legacy of Jacques Delors
Anyone who wants to be the former leaderโs heir must strive to not just complete his unfinished project but relaunch it with the same personal commitment, rigor and creativity.
Vuฤiฤโs key to Serbia election victory: Media capture
President uses government-friendly stations to cast himself as defender of ordinary Serbs โ on everything from Kosovo to sausage prices.
Relaunch the Polish-Ukrainian relationship
The election of a new Polish government could present an opportunity for a fresh start.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak becomes Serbian citizen days before general election
American technology entrepreneur and co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak, has been gifted Serbian citizenship by President Aleksander Vucic, just days before national elections. Wozniak, an American citizen born in California, has no family or historica…
Taking Rights Away Seriously: the Councilโs position on the long-term residents Directive
Professor Steve Peers, Royal Holloway University of London
Photo credit: JLogan, via Wikimedia
commons
Although the Commission …
European citizenship for people from Turkey, Ukraine and the UK? Why not? | Lorenzo Marsili
The EU could welcome individuals as well as countries โ and create a new kind of citizenship for the modern worldImagine an Italian, a Ukrainian and a Briton having a meal in Berlin. They can all order ร la carte in the restaurant, yet only the Italian…
Berlin braces for Erdoฤanโs anti-Israel vitriol
The Islamist leader raises hackles in a country that professes a historic duty toward the Jewish state, but he also has many fans in the Turkish diaspora.
Meet David Cameronโs Indo-Pacific fixer: An ex-MEP known for championing Beijing
The new UK foreign secretary has been pictured with Nirj Deva in London, Sri Lanka and the UAE.
Indi Gregory: Critically ill baby granted Italian citizenship
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says she will defend Indi Gregory’s life until the end.
This global right-wing movement wants to save the world. It just needs a plan
Londonโs Alliance for Responsible Citizenship Conference brought together big-name right-wingers from around the globe โ but struggled to agree a clear message.
Portugal to speed up citizenship process for Hamas hostage
Portugalโs justice minister will speed up the process of analysing the request for Portuguese citizenship made by an Israeli hostage of the Islamist movement Hamas, Foreign Minister Joรฃo Gomes Cravinho said on Monday, describing the matter as one of โg…
Darmanin vs. Benzema! French minister slams footballer for stance on Israel-Hamas war
French interior minister again says star is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, a claim denied by Benzema’s lawyer.
EU raises security concerns as it reveals five Caribbean states have sold 88,000 โgolden passportsโ
European Commission says it will revise rules on visa-free travel after scale of trade in citizenship exposedRevealed: thousands who bought โgolden passportsโ through Dominicaโs $1bn schemeLuxury rooms and a swim-up bar: hotel with funding from Dominic…
Russia detains Radio Free Europe journalist with dual citizenship
Russia has detained an editor at US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) for failing to register as a foreign agent while visiting Russia for a family emergency, the broadcaster said.