Politico

Austria, France, Germany, Denmark and Norway have called on Brussels to extend the length of time members of the passport-free Schengen area can reintroduce border controls from two to four years.

Alarmed by China's expanding economic role and its huge investments in the region's infrastructure projects, NATO's onetime Secretary General Javier Solana believes the Balkan countries could "change their motivation and become part of the EU's institutional model."

Politico writer David Patrikarakos presents the surreal situation of the Greek island of Mykonos, a place that has not been affected the least by the economic crisis plaguing the entire country for the past six years.

Dutch police on Thursday arrested two company directors suspected of playing a significant role in a sprawling international scandal involving fipronil contamination in eggs, reported Politico.

Belgium and the Netherlands have for the past two weeks struggled to account for their failure to stop fipronil — a toxic insecticide banned for use on farm animals — entering barn eggs.

IllustrationPhoto: REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

"I'm not in favor of the Western Balkans joining the EU soon," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said.

However, in his interview for Politico, Juncker revealed that he was also against "taking away European perspective" from the region.

“I’m not in favor of the Western Balkans joining the EU soon,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said.

BRUSSELS - Due to insufficient European funds for reconstruction in the Balkans, Serbia and its neighbours, which are desperately in need of investment in infrastructure, are turning to an old ally - China, Politico.eu reported.

"To turn his 'passion' into reality, the Serbian president is relying not just on Europe, but on an old ally farther east - China," the report said.

As Europe is unable and unwilling to finance the rebuilding of the Balkan countries, they - Serbia above all - are turning to their old allies, such as China.

This is according to the influential US website Politico, which took a look at Beijing's role in Serbia, and Belgrade's stance toward China as part of a series of articles dubbed "China looks West."

On Thursday, former President Barack Obama will make his first public political appearance since leaving the White House in January.

Obama will be attending a fundraiser at a private home in Washington, D.C. hosted by former Attorney General Eric Holder, and that will be attended by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Germany creates American jobs, Angela Merkel said Tuesday, in response to criticism from the White House over Germany exporting significantly more than it imports, reported Politico.