E-democracy

Turkey needs a genuine and strong democracy with rule of law and academic and media freedoms the same way the contemporary world enjoys, the leader of the main opposition has said, citing unemployment as the country's gravest problem that needs to be resolved.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was founded 130 years ago as the first political multilateral organization in the world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between all nations. Meanwhile the organization unites 179 national parliaments from all over the world and works closely with the United Nations.

With emerging democracies backsliding into authoritarianism and those once considered established falling prey to populism, the need to assess the evolving state of democracy has never felt more urgent.

They also include policy recommendations for improving media literacy and tackling disinformation, coping with the "geopolitisation of technology" and thwarting foreign authoritarian influence.

Reassessing 1989

AGERPRES special correspondent, Irinela Visan, reports: Minister of Foreign Affairs Ramona Manescu stated on Thursday, in the context of Romania taking over the Presidency of the Community of Democracies (CoD), that our country will promote youth participation in the decision-making process, as well as an active involvement of the private sector in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Is Humour the Best Antidote to Tyranny?

British-American author Andrew Keen has been travelling the globe to investigate what he calls "the contemporary crisis of democracy" for his Keen On Democracy podcast series.

In this episode, he talks to Michael Zantovksy, a Czech diplomat, writer and human rights activist, on how to fight authoritarianism with humour.

The Government approved, in its Wednesday's meeting, the substantiation note regarding the necessity and the opportunity to carry out the expenses related to the 'Integrated electronic system of the National Office of the Trade Register', meant to reduce the bureaucracy and the time dedicated to the registration process of companies in the Trade Register.

A bill seeking to streamline the administration, ensure its effective functioning regardless of changes in government and guarantee transparency enters the Parliament plenum on Monday.

Romania's President Klaus Iohannis welcomes the adoption by the Venice Commission of "Parameters on the relationship between the parliamentary majority and the opposition in a democracy: a checklist," according to a press statement released by the Presidential Administration.

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network launched a cross-border journalism platform on Monday aimed at shining a light on issues affecting the health of democracy across a swathe of Europe vulnerable to rising populism and authoritarianism.