Greek Farmers Fear Crop Losses Amid Uncertainty Over Bulgarian Water Supply
Greek farmers are growing increasingly concerned about the future of their crops as uncertainty looms over their access to water from Bulgaria
Golden Dawn, a Greek party often described as "neo-Nazi", will be able to run in the European elections, the country's Supreme Court ruled on Monday.
The court explained that, under Greek law, candidates cannot stand only if they are convicted and not if a probe has been launched against them, the daily Kathimerini reported.
Most of the 18 lawmakers of Golden Dawn are currently under investigation over crimes it allegedly committed over the past two years. Assault against political opponents and the murders of a Pakistani migrant and a Greek rapper last year were among deeds currently looked into.
The leader of Golden Dawn, Nikolaos Michaloliakos, is also one of those awaiting trial in jail. None of the acting MPs in the national parliament is in the party's European elections list, though.
Members of the far-right party have argued the investigations against their representatives area part of a "political persecution by Greece's Prime Minister Andonis Samaras.
Golden Dawn, as well as that of other radical parties, gained momentum amid the debt crisis that severely affected the Greek economy, society and political life and managed to become popular among those who considered themselves victims of the ruling political elite. This explains the success of the "neo-Nazi" organization at 2012's general polls, when it received 7% of the vote.
A good result is also possible at the EU election, with polls placing the party third after left-wing SYRIZA and ruling conservative New Democracy.
About 1 200 000 "phantom voters" can be found in Bulgarian elections lists, Mihail Konstantinov, formerly a high-profile official in charge of elections, believes.
Bulgaria's Central Electoral Commission (CEC) starts receiving documents for the registration of political parties and coalitions for the early elections on October 5.
A majority in the European Parliament has approved Jean-Claude Juncker to be President of the European Commission, reports BBC.
The European Parliament is expected to approve on Tuesday the nomination of former Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission.
Former Environment Minister Iskra Mihaylova has become the nomination of the European Parliament's ALDE group to chair the Regional Policy Committee.
The European Parliament has re-elected Martin Schulz for a second presidential term, with 409 votes from the 751 MEPs.