Priority

Hands off minority schools!

EFA MEP Miroslavs Mitrofanovs on minority education

'Hands off Russian minority schools in Latvia!' This was the slogan of a demonstration held outside the European Parliament building in Strasbourg on Wednesday 4 July, to highlight the threat to the system of minority education in Latvia. Demonstrators included schoolchildren and socia...

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HDP and democracy in Turkey

Statement from EFA MEP Jordi Solé (Catalonia)

EFA MEP Jordi Solé, a member of the European Parliament's Turkey delegation, has praised the performance of the pro-minority HDP party in Turkey's recent presidential and parliamentary elections. The party was able to increase its parliamentary representation, and field a candidate...

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Open Arms – 'Saving Life is not a Crime' – MEP Ana Miranda

Press release from EFA MEP Ana Miranda (Galicia)

Greens/EFA MEP Ana Miranda, who is on board the ship Astral operated by NGO Open Arms, has called for action at EU level to prevent the criminalisation of NGOs engaged in search and rescue work in the Mediterranean. The ship which assisted in the rescue of 59 people from the Mediterranean sea ove...

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Bridging the digital language divide

Press release from EFA MEP Jill Evans (Plaid Cymru)

Greens/EFA MEP Jill Evans (Plaid Cymru) hopes her new report 'Language Equality in the Digital Age' will make an important contribution to bridging the digital language divide. This could lead to Siri speaking Welsh, or Alexa speaking Lithuanian, whilst making it easier for sign language ...

en | cy

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Democracy©-Tobias-Keckel — ©-Tobias-Keckel

No double standards on EU's human rights commitment

Press release from EFA MEP Jordi Solé (Catalonia)

Catalan MEP Jordi Solé has called upon the EU to avoid double standards in its commitment to human rights and democracy around the world. The EFA MEP spoke in the European Parliament's debate today about the EU's annual report on human rights and democracy in the world, in the pres...

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Catalonia police violence — Jordi Borras

Altsasu case – concerns over fundamental rights and judicial independence in Spain

Statement from EFA MEPs Ana Miranda & Jordi Solé

MEPs from the EFA Group in the European Parliament have voiced concerns about the independence of the Spanish judiciary and fundamental rights in Spain. The MEPs criticised this week's 'disproportionate' sentencing of several youths from the small Basque town of Altsasu, who were invo...

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Syrian and Iraqi refugees arrive from Turkey to Lesbos, Greece — Ggia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

New study shows how EU-Turkey deal is turning refugees into detainees

Asylum

The European Union's agreement with Turkey is failing to uphold the rights of refugees in Greece, according to a new study commissioned by the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament.

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European flag 530x390 — © Alexander Briel

EU should act when Member States fail on fundamental rights

Press release from EFA MEP Jordi Solé (Catalonia)

Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya MEP Jordi Solé has called on EU leaders Donald Tusk, Jean-Claude Juncker and Antonio Tajani, to 'be brave and show leadership' in helping find a political solution to the conflict between Catalonia and Spain. Jordi Solé was speaking in today...

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EFA MEP Miranda calls for Corsican rights recognition

Press release from EFA MEP Ana Miranda (Galicia)

EFA MEP Ana Miranda (Bloque Nacionalista Galego) has called on France to recognise Corsica's 50 year national struggle, and the rights of bilingual citizens, in line with the European Charter of Minority Languages. Ana Miranda made the call following the address of French President Emmanuel M...

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The time for warnings has passed – the EU must trigger article 7

Hungary

Greens/EFA MEP Judith Sargentini has today presented her report on the European Parliament's investigation into whether or not Hungary is in breach of the values of the European Union. Sargentini's report recommends that the Council initiate Article 7 proceedings against Hungary.

en | de | fr

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70549 language diversity — © Ayse Nazli Deliormanli

Action to end language inequality in Europe

Press release from EFA MEP Jill Evans (Wales)

Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans today presents her draft report on ‘Language equality in the digital age’ to the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee. The report identifies the issues facing minority and lesser-used languages in Europe. English is currently the most ...

en | cy

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EFA welcomes new MEP

Miroslavs Mitrofanovs joins EFA Group

Miroslavs Mitrofanovs has joined the European Free Alliance Group in the European Parliament, part of Greens/EFA. He replaces Tatjana Ždanoka who has left the European Parliament to focus on her party's campaign for the Latvian national elections to the Saeima due to be held in October this ...

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