Negotiation

France is in a political and economic whirlwind as debate is underway on motions of no-confidence tabled following the decision by French Prime Minister Michel Barnier to trigger the controversial Article 49.3 of the Constitution to approve the 2025 budget. The procedure, which allows bills to be approved without a parliamentary vote, has provoked strong opposition parties.

France's Prime Minister Michel Barnier receives makeup touch-ups prior to a televised interview broadcast on the evening news on French TV channels TF1 and France 2, at Hotel Matignon in Paris, on Dec. 3, 2024.

BRUSSELS - The EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak has announced the next meeting of the two parties' chief negotiators within the framework of the Brussels dialogue would take place in December.

Lajcak made the announcement in a Facebook post recapping a "productive and insightful" two-week period during which he visited Geneva, Tirana, and Paris.

BRUSSELS - A trilateral meeting of Belgrade's chief negotiator Petar Petkovic, the EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak and Pristina's chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi concluded shortly before 5 pm in Brussels.

Earlier, Lajcak held separate meetings with Petkovic and Bislimi as part of a new round of the dialogue at chief negotiators level.

BRUSSELS - European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said the need to "urgently start with the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement" as well as the need for both parties to "finally be able to agree on progress in the dialogue" would be on the agenda of Thursday's round of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue iat chief negotiators level.

There are only three ways that our differences with Turkey can be resolved: With a bilateral negotiation and agreement, through the arbitration of an international court or in a military conflict. There is no other way. Each of these three scenarios involves very high risks, both political and national.

EU environment ministers agreed on the bloc's negotiating position ahead of the COP 29 United Nations climate summit in Azerbaijan next month, a council statement said.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Recep Tayyip Erdogan "instructed their foreign ministers to examine whether conditions are suitable for discussions to begin on the delineation of the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone," Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said, following the two leaders' meeting.

Former EU Commissioner Michel Barnier is appointed as the Prime Minister of France, following the decision of the country’s President, Emmanuel Macron.

The announcement from the French presidency comes approximately two months after the early elections, where no party won an absolute majority, leading to a deadlock in negotiations for the head of the new government.