Chivalric orders

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced that some EU countries still oppose the possibility of starting negotiations on the accession of northern Macedonia to the Community. He made this statement at a joint press conference with Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

Premier Viorica Dancila said Tuesday that she had meetings in Brussels with the President and First Vice President of the European Commission on the current situation within the Government and the PSD (the Social Democratic Party, major at rule, ed.n.) and on punctually resuming talks on the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM).

The President and Vice-President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker and Frans Timmermans, hailed the "European approach" of Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and the Romanian Government's support for the European project, on the occasion of their meeting on Tuesday in Brussels, informs the Executive's press office.

In a bombshell move, centre-left Movement for Change (mainly Pasok) leader Fofi Genninata has shown ex-Pasok leader Evangelos Venizelos the door after her decision today to give former Athens Mayor Yorgos Kaminis the top spot on the party's statewide ticket after months of rumours that Venizelos would be offered the slot.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman on May 31 ratcheted up the rhetoric against arch-nemesis Iran, calling on Arab states to confront its "criminal" actions after attacks on oil installations sparked fears of a regional conflagration.

New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis talks to European People's Party chief Pablo Casado and the EPP's candidate for the next European Commission president, Manfred Weber, at an EPP summit in Brussels on Tuesday.

Ever since the United States became an empire after the Spanish-American War in 1898, US companies and US citizens have been acquiring property and interests in foreign countries, particularly in Central and South America. Nationalist and socialist governments gradually took power in these countries.

On the eve of European elections, Kathimerini spoke with European officials vying for the top position in the European Commission. Frans Timmermans, the candidate for the Party of European Socialists (PES) and current vice president of the Commission, said Europe needs a "new contract" based on equality and fairness for its citizens.

The majority of Greeks claim that membership of the European Union has benefited their country but they also believe the 28-member bloc is moving in the wrong direction, according to a public survey released ahead of Sunday's European Parliament elections.

As elections approach it is apparent that despite so many years of economic crisis, sacrifices, and traumatic experiences nothing has changed.

With PM Alexis Tsipras donning the cloak of protector of the poor and punisher of the elite, promises, handouts, and divisive tactics are the order of the day.