Council of Presidents

The political gridlock over the formation of the new National Council for Radio and Television (NCRTV) will be transferred to a plenary session of the Greek parliament, Thursday, where the Greek government will be presenting an new amendment suspending article 2A of the previous TV law, which was ruled unconstitutional by the county’s supreme administrative court, the Council of Stat

The Greek government has backed down from its plans to introduce an interim bill that would allow TV stations to operate with temporary licenses, following opposition party New Democracy’s (ND) refusal to consent on the formation of the new National Council of Radio and Television (NCRTV) during the Parliamentary Council of Presidents session, Monday.

The Greek government is taking steps to de-escalate tensions caused over the TV license controversy, following its decision to propose Vyron Polydoras as president for the National Council of Television and Radio (NCRTV), Greece’s independent media watchdog.

The Greek government has proposed former Minister and former MP of conservative major party New Democracy, Vyron Polydoras, as the President of the National Council of Radio and Television (NCRTV), after a meeting with PM Alexis Tsipras and president of the parliament Nikos Voutsis, Saturday.

Former Macedonian foreign minister and the U.N. General Assembly's 62nd president, Srgjan Kerim, has requested Turkey's support for his candidacy to succeed Ban Ki-moon as U.N. secretary general.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev is to chair the Council of Presidents on Wednesday for the third consecutive year.

Plevneliev initiated this practice on January 22, 2013, when he gathered his predecessors on the completion of his first year in office.

President Rosen Plevneliev and his deputy Margarita Popova are due to give on Wednesday an account on the third year of their terms.

A press conference is expected at 11:00 EET and will be aired by the Bulgarian National Television.

Turkey’s top court has decided to include the head of the Union of Turkey’s Bar Associations (TBB) as a speaker at the ceremony marking the commencement of the new legislative year for 2014-2015 on Sept. 1, in defiance of President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has clearly stated he will not attend the ceremony marking the commencement of the judicial year for 2014-2015 if the head of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) delivers a speech there, pressuring Turkey’s top court to review its list of invitees.