Domestic Politics
The European Parliament shifted its plenary session from Strasbourg to Brussels due to the coronavirus epidemic. President David Sassoli on Monday announced a ban on access to some visitors to lower the risk of spreading the virus. [Politico]
Following the emergence of a video depicting Greek authorities allegedly attacking migrants coming from Turkey, Margaritis Schinas, the vice-president of the European Commission, urged Greek authorities to respect international law. While Turkey claimed that a migrant was killed by gunfire during the incident, Greece has denied all accusations.[Euronews]
The French government passed the controversial retirement policy by invoking its rarely used special power to implement the law without a vote. This move was criticised by the opposition, who believe that the French Prime Minister, Edouard Phillipe, snuck in the pension reform while public attention is trained on the coronavirus outbreak.[Euronews]
International Relations
The Foreign Policy Chief of the European Union called for better relations with Russia and Turkey following the cease-fire in Syria. The crisis in Syria severely impacts the EU due to the refugee and migration influx. This comes after Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish President, announced his decision to refrain from stopping refugees from entering Europe after 33 Turkish soldiers died in Syria.[Politico]
After the conclusion of the first week of talks between British negotiators and the EU, Michel Barnier said that the agreement with the UK will be difficult but possible. The two sides agreed on technicalities in areas such as transport and energy and the need to ensure fair economic competition between the two parties. [BBC]
Health
Countries in the EU denied Italy’s request for assistance in fighting the coronavirus outbreak as countries worry about running out of face masks and other medical resources for their own citizens, officials, and diplomats. However, on Friday, EU health ministers will meet in Brussels to convene on boosting their cooperation to counter the epidemic. [Politico]
To contain the outbreak in Italy, the government announced the closure of all schools for 10 days. Italy is witnessing the largest number of cases outside Asia, with the death toll rising to 107. [BBC]
Society
Secret files on Pope Pius XII, who was accused of failing to help Jews during World War II, will be opened for the first time on Monday. This comes in response to decades-long requests from scholars and Jewish groups for access to the files, which contain letters, cables, and correspondence.[CNN]
Image Source: The Sun