Germany Urges Swift EU Accession for Western Balkan Countries
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has issued a compelling call for the expedited integration of candidate countries from the Western Balkans into the European Union
The governments of the European Union, which had given themselves time until the end of July to choose their candidate for the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), have not yet agreed on the name of Christine Lagarde's successor, the French finance ministry reported.
"At this stage, although some candidates' names gather more support than others, there is not yet a full consensus around one name," the ministry, which is spearheading efforts to find a replacement for France's Lagarde, said, quoted by Times Live.
Five candidates are in the race: two are from southern European countries - Spain's Finance Minister Nadia Calviño and her Portuguese counterpart and current Eurogroup President Mário Centeno, two others are from the northern countries - former Eurogroup chairman and former finance minister Dutch Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem and Olli Rehn, a former Finnish EU commissioner for the economy and current head of Finland’s central bank. There is also one candidate from Eastern Europe - Bulgaria's Kristalina Georgieva, who is the second most important person in the World Bank.
Two weeks ago at the G7 finance ministers' meeting in the French city of Chantilly, French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire was tasked to hold the talks for the nomination of a European successor to Christine Lagarde this fall. The deadline for that decision was late July.
The French finance ministry denied that a decision had been taken. “Consultations are ongoing,” said a spokesperson for Bruno Le Maire, French finance minister.
Now, according to Financial Times, the IMF has set a deadline of early September.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has spoken to "all his colleagues" over the last few days, "in particular with Olaf Scholz", his German counterpart, his ministry said.
He has organised a conference call with his EU counterparts on Thursday "to update them on the latest developments following his extensive consultations, and to agree on the process to reach a consensus around one name," it added.
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A significant blow has been dealt to the media landscape in Bulgaria as the National Assembly approved a ban on gambling advertisements across television, news websites, and print media
Bulgaria's Defense Minister, Atanas Zapryanov, affirmed that the reintroduction of mandatory conscription is not under consideration amidst the country's ongoing efforts to modernize its armed forces and enhance military personnel remuneration.
In response to ongoing staffing challenges within the Bulgarian army, the caretaker government is exploring alternative solutions, with military training for security personnel emerging as a potential strategy
Former Bulgarian Prime Minister and Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader Sergey Stanishev has announced his return to politics but clarified that he will not participate in the upcoming parliamentary or European elections
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