Parliament

EPP calls for stronger enforcement of fiscal rules

The centre-right EPP group said that a credible economic governance framework is based on sound rules and their compliance and enforcement. “Unfortunately, the latter has not been the case for…

Read More Here

Spanish lawmakers vote on whether to draw up laws to abolish prostitution

MADRID (Reuters) - The Spanish parliament will vote on Tuesday whether to draw up legislation to abolish prostitution, cracking down further on pimping and introducing tougher penalties for men buying…

Read More Here

Hezbollah and allies lose majority in Lebanese parliament, final results show

Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies have lost their majority in Lebanon's parliament in a general election, a Reuters tally of final results showed on Tuesday, a major blow to the heavily…

Read More Here

Iraq parliament fails to elect new state president over lack of quorum

BAGHDAD, March 26 (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament failed again on Saturday to vote for a president after Iran-backed groups boycotted the session, in a setback to an alliance led by cleric Moqtada…

Read More Here

Suspect charged with arson after second blaze batters South African parliament

A new blaze broke out on Monday at the complex housing the two chambers of South Africa's national parliament in Cape Town, one day after a devastating fire swept through the buildings.…

Read More Here

15% tax rate would impact up to 20 of Malta’s largest employers / Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 30 November 2021

Latest Update- 1745 Times of Malta says an assessment of Malta’s anti-money laundering regime today by Moneyval would see the country pass with flying colours, FIAU director Kenneth Farrugia said…

Read More Here

New Austrian leader under fire in parliament, mocked as Kurz’s puppet

Opposition parties attacked Austria's new Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg on Tuesday over his ties to his predecessor Sebastian Kurz, who quit over corruption allegations, while activists outside parliament mocked him as Kurz's puppet.…

Read More Here

Afghanistan: provide humanitarian help to locals, MEPs urge

Europe must provide humanitarian aid, and reach unity on handling migration, according to MEPs speaking at an extraordinary meeting on Thursday morning. Speaking at the extraordinary meeting of the Committees…

Read More Here

Malta: MPs’ urgent debate on Daphne inquiry treads familiar ground

Parliament interrupted its summer recess to debate the findings of the inquiry looking into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, though the debate added little new to the the conversation.…

Read More Here

State responsible for Caruana Galizia assassination: inquiry / Malta News Briefing – Thursday 29 July 2021

Update 1931 - Prime Minister Robert Abela has apologised for the shortcomings by the State that led to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. PM said he had called on…

Read More Here

Malta: Former MPs push idea of full-time parliamentarians

Parliament should “evolve” with MPs being engaged on a full-time basis and receiving adequate remuneration, the Association of Former Members of Parliament of Malta is suggesting. It has made a…

Read More Here

Malta: Apap Bologna attended Baku wedding with Yorgen Fenech

Electrogas investor Paul Apap Bologna visited the Azerbaijani capital Baku with Daphne Caruana Galizia murder suspect Yorgen Fenech to attend the wedding of fellow Electorgas director Turab Musayev. This was…

Read More Here

Malta: Speaker powerless to intervene as ministers stonewall on positions of trust

Speaker Anglu Farrugia has told parliament that he cannot force ministers to provide details about the people employed by the government on a position of trust basis. Opposition MPs David…

Read More Here

Malta: MPs urged to take clear stand on abortion

MPs from both sides of the political divide should make their stance on abortion clear, Newsbook blogger Jason Grech wrote. Last week, independent MP Marlene Farrugia dropped a bombshell after tabling a…

Read More Here

Somalia’s lower house of parliament votes to cancel presidential term extension

MOGADISHU, May 1 (Reuters) - Somalia's lower house of parliament voted unanimously on Saturday to cancel a divisive two-year presidential term extension it approved last month, a move that might…

Read More Here

Malta passes Moneyval Test- Malta News Briefing – Thursday 29 April 2021

Latest Update- News Portal Briefing Times of Malta reports that Malta’s anti-money laundering regime has formally passed a review by Moneyval. MaltaToday reports that Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has called…

Read More Here

Hong Kong passes immigration bill, raising alarm over ‘exit bans’

HONG KONG (Reuters) -Hong Kong's legislature passed on Wednesday a controversial immigration bill, which lawyers, diplomats and right groups fear will give authorities unlimited powers to prevent residents and others…

Read More Here

China approves sweeping electoral shake-up for Hong Kong -HK politician

Beijing approved a sweeping overhaul of Hong Kong's electoral system on Tuesday, a senior politician who works with China's parliament on matters relating to the former British colony's mini-constitution, told Reuters. The measures…

Read More Here

Australian PM reacts to reports of sex acts in parliament

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday acknowledged mounting dissatisfaction with his handling of a series of allegations about the mistreatment of women in politics, as he vowed to drive…

Read More Here

Malta: Employers oppose proposed amendment to Interpretation Act

The Malta Employers’ Association (MEA) has condemned a proposed amendment to the Interpretation Act and urged the government take a step back to re-think it. The amendment will allow administrative…

Read More Here

EU lawmakers strip Puigdemont, two other Catalans of immunity

The European Parliament has voted to waive the immunity of the former head of Catalonia's regional government and two other separatist lawmakers, taking them a step closer to extradition to Spain, where they…

Read More Here

Malta has lowest share of female Ministers, MPs

Malta ranked last in the European Union with regard to the share of female participation in the country's decision-making institution, with the lowest shares for both Cabinet and House representation.…

Read More Here

Malta: Fearne says ‘more than one’ Opposition MP asked to skip COVID-19 queue

Health Minister Chris Fearne on Wednesday doubled down on the claim he had been asked for political favours in the roll-put of the COVID-19 vaccine, saying “more than one” Opposition…

Read More Here

Malta: Graffitti on quotas: party lists should be gender equal

Moviment Graffitti has called for gender quotas on party candidate lists instead of a proposed mechanism that will reserve a number of parliamentary seats for the under-represented sex. Earlier this month…

Read More Here

Malta: Gender equality in parliament should not be a two-party affair – PN MP

A gender equality mechanism for parliament should not be restricted to only allow candidates from the two major political parties to be elected to the House, a Nationalist Party MP…

Read More Here

Malta: Gavin Gulia elected on the seventh district

Candidate Gavin Gulia was today elected in the casual election to fill the seat vacated by Professor Edward Scicluna who has taken the post of Central Bank Governor. The three…

Read More Here

Malta: Parliament’s ethics committee has no jurisdiction over private citizen Joseph Muscat, Speaker rules

Parliament’s ethics committee has no remit to continue probing former prime minister Joseph Muscat since he is now a private citizen, Speaker Anġlu Farrugia ruled. Muscat resigned from parliament last…

Read More Here

Malta: Gavin Gulia submits casual election nomination

Gavin Gulia is the second Labour Party candidate to submit his nomination for the casual election to fill the 7th District seat vacated by Edward Scicluna. Gulia, who currently chairs…

Read More Here

Malta: Repubblika appeals to Speaker to defend parliamentary democracy

Repubblika appealed to Speaker Dr Anglu Farrugia to defend Maltese parliamentary democracy and fight the impunity. Civil society NGO Repubblika is concerned about the government’s insistence that former prime minister…

Read More Here

Malta: Casual election for Member of Parliament in the 7th constituency is announced

The Electoral Commission today started receiving nominations for the casual election to fill the vacated seat in Parliament by Prof. Edward Scicluna, who resigned as member to occupy the post…

Read More Here

How does Britain’s parliament approve the Brexit trade deal?

Britain and the European Union agreed terms of a trade deal on Thursday after months of knife-edge negotiations and seven days before transitional arrangements come to an end. That gives…

Read More Here

EU Parliament says it will decide on Brexit deal in new year

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Parliament said on Thursday it will analyse the post-Brexit trade deal clinched by the EU and Britain in detail before deciding whether to approve the…

Read More Here

COVID-19: deal to give go-ahead to the new Recovery and Resilience Facility

Today, Parliament’s negotiators agreed with Council on the instrument designed to help EU countries tackle the effects and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The text, agreed on Friday by negotiators…

Read More Here

Maltese Editors’ Perspectives

Times of Malta reacts to the withdrawn call for resignation of National Book Council chairman Mark Camilleri. It says that, while his expletives were unnecessary, the call for his resignation…

Read More Here

Rule of law mechanism should apply by January, MEPs insist

In yesterday's resolution, MEPs insisted that the Rule of Law mechanism should apply as of January 1. The European Council had issued a declaration to suspend the Rule of Law…

Read More Here

Malta: Sixfold increase in yearly requests for work permits from Filipino workers since 2013

There were 1,661 Filipino nationals who were granted new residency and work permits in 2019, information tabled in parliament shows. The figures show a sixfold yearly increase in permits granted to…

Read More Here

Fists and pig guts fly in Taiwan parliament debate on U.S. pork

Legislators from Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party threw pig guts and exchanged punches with other lawmakers in parliament on Friday as they tried to stop the premier taking questions,…

Read More Here

Malta: Four new Cabinet Ministers sworn in

Today, at St. Anton’s Palace, four new ministers were sworn in before the President of the Republic George Vella. Justyne Caruana, Clayton Bartolo, Miriam Dalli and Clyde Caruana were sworn…

Read More Here

Maltese Editorials’ Perspectives

The Times of Malta discusses the Standards' Commissioners criticism of MPs who take up public appointments or jobs. It endorses having full-time MPs who are adequately paid to fulfil their…

Read More Here

EP negotiators still pushing for better long-term EU budget

During the fourth trilateral talks with Council and Commission, the European Parliament’s negotiators underline that a lot remains to be done before an acceptable agreement can be reached. “During this…

Read More Here

Malta: Parliament debates Constitutional changes to have next president elected by two-thirds majority

Parliament has started debating a Constitution change which will see the next president elected by a two-thirds majority in the House. The Constitutional change will come as part of the…

Read More Here

WATCH: Vittorio Sgarbi carried out of parliament by his arms and legs after ‘yelling’ abuse at fellow MPs

Art critic and lower house deputy Vittorio Sgarbi, was carried out of parliament by his arms and legs on Thursday after yelling abuse at fellow parliamentarians. Art critic and lower…

Read More Here

Malta: NGOs to resume protests ‘for truth and justice’ outside parliament

Civil society NGOs Repubblika and #occupyjustice are to resume protests outside parliament seeing 'truth and justice'. The protests had reached their peak late last year amid revelations related to the…

Read More Here

MEPs will not back Brexit deal at any cost

Parliament will not back a Brexit deal at any cost, warned several MEPs commenting on the ongoing negotiations about the future relationship between the EU and the UK. They…

Read More Here

COVID-19 and German constitutional court decision top meeting with ECB’s Lagarde

MEPs quizzed ECB President Christine Lagarde for the first time since the pandemic and the German constitutional court’s ruling on the ECB’s bondbuying programme. During the quarterly ‘Monetary Dialogue’ with…

Read More Here

Malta: Castaldi Paris, Tua submit nominations in election to replace Chris Cardona

Ian Castaldi Paris and Rachel Tua have submitted their nominations for the casual election to replace Chris Cardona in Parliament. Cardona's resignation has left a vacancy in the eighth district. Seven…

Read More Here

EU top diplomat denies giving China a pass

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament raised concerns with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell over allegations that the EU’s diplomatic arm toned down criticism…

Read More Here

Malta: Cardona presents the letter of resignation from Parliament

NET News is informed that in the coming hours, Cardona's resignation from the Parliament is expected to be announced. Net News reports that the resignation letter has already been presented…

Read More Here

“This is the time to show that the EU is based on solidarity at all levels” – EP S&D Leader

“This is a crucial moment in our history. We need a Recovery Plan only comparable to the Marshall Plan. In this Parliament, we have been able to overcome ideological divisions…

Read More Here

European Parliament seeks reassurances and reimbursements for Erasmus+ students

The 165,000 current Erasmus+ exchange students and 5000 EU volunteers need reassurance that they will be reimbursed and retain their status, MEPs say. In a letter addressed to Commissioner Mariya…

Read More Here

EP offers its buildings to local communities in support of pandemic response

The European Parliament has offered its building as well as a fleet of cars and lorries to the Brussels regional authorities in its efforts to support the community to deal…

Read More Here

“We won’t leave Europe’s women alone” – European Parliament

The European Parliament's Women’s Rights committee Chair, Evelyn Regner, urged the EU and member states to increase support to victims of domestic violence during the COVID-19 crisis. Both globally and…

Read More Here

Australia suspends parliament to honour Black Summer’s bushfire victims

Australia suspended parliament on Tuesday to honour the victims of a national bushfire crisis that has killed 33 people, as more than 100 fires remained ablaze across the country's east…

Read More Here

Malta close to a standstill as drama unfolds in parliament, court and on the streets

Employers have expressed their concern about the present political situation that has brought the country “close to a standstill” and have requested a meeting with President George Vella over the…

Read More Here

British PM sets out plans in Queen’s Speech (LIVE)

Policies on crime, immigration, health and the environment form the heart of Boris Johnson's new legislative agenda, to be unveiled in the Queen's Speech. Plans to end the free movement…

Read More Here

Italian Parliament votes to reduce number of MPs

The Lower house on Tuesday voted to cut Italy's parliamentarians from 945 to 600, by 553 votes to 14 with two abstentions. After its definitive approval, the bill has now…

Read More Here

Parliament resumes as Johnson prepares to face MPs

British MPs returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday morning following the Supreme Court's ruling it was not lawfully suspended. The UK's highest court ruled that Boris Johnson's decision…

Read More Here