The decision to postpone early general elections until September will enable Mark Rutte’s government, which tendered its resignation on 23 April, to present a package of spending cuts to the EU. It was on this issue that Rutte lost the support of Geert Wilders’ Party of Freedom.
Cuts first, and then the campaign – NRC Handelsblad
In a move expected to re-launch talks on financial aid to Budapest, the Hungarian Prime Minister has promised the President of the European Commission that the statutes of the Hungarian central bank will be modified by parliament in compliance with EU demands to safeguard the bank’s independence.
Orbán concludes agreement with Barroso – Magyar Hírlap
Leading with a headline that puns on the word beard (“bart” in German), the daily announces the publication of an Amnesty International report which deplores anti-Muslim discrimination in Europe. Many of the victims are veiled women and men who wear beards.
Against every reason – Neues Deutschland
The writer, journalist, MEP and founder of the left wing party Bloco de Esquerda, Miguel Portas died of cancer on April 24, in Antwerp. He was aged 53. His passing comes on the eve of the 38th celebration of the Carnation Revolution of 1974, which put an end to 41 years of dictatorship in Portugal.
Miguel Portas 1958-2012 – i
Bawag II which will focus on the biggest financial scandal ever to come before the courts in Austria is set to begin on 25 April. The verdict of Bawag I, which meted out sentences to seven Bawag PSK bank executives charged with embezzling 1.7 milliard d’euros, was largely invalidated by a subsequent decision by the Austrian supreme court.
Remake of monster trial – Die Presse
The Leveson Inquiry, which is investigating abusive used by journalists working for News Corp, has revealed that the UK Minister for Culture, Jeremy Hunt, supplied confidential information to the media empire controlled by Australian-American tycoon Rupert Murdoch which helped it acquire the BSkyB multimedia business.
Minister for Murdoch – The Guardian
Warsaw is organising an alliance of 13 member states to ensure that the EU budget for 2013, which is currently under negotiation, will not be reduced. However, several net-contributor countries (Great Britain, France, the Netherlands and Austria a.k.a. the “coalition of misers”) want a reduced budget in 2014.
New EU budget: coalition of misers blocks Poland – Dziennik Gazeta Prawna
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