Politics of Belgium

A major ant-terror raid was conducted by Belgian authorities in the region of Schaerbeek, Brussels.

Belgian media reports claim that at least three explosions were heard and that a man was “neutralized” by police during the raid, without mention though whether the person is dead or not.

Revelations from Turkey that it had informed Belgium that at least one of the bombers in the March 22 Brussels attack was a jihadist fighter have rocked the Western European country after authorities failed to prevent the deadly assault.

The prime surviving suspect in the Paris attacks may have been plotting more operations with the help of a weapons cache and a network of associates, Belgium's Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said on March 20. 

The speaker of Montenegro's parliament, Ranko Krivokapic, is in Brussels on Monday to meet Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn ahead of crisis talks on new elections in the country, due to begin on Tuesday.

The Montenegrin opposition has been boycotting parliament for months after the ruling parties refused to implement new electoral legislation.

Turkey has expressed serious concern that Mahinur Özdemir, a Belgian deputy of Turkish origin, has been expelled from her party for refusing to call the 1915 killings of Ottoman Armenians a ?genocide,? calling on all Belgian political parties and institutions to act in common sense.  

European Union leaders agreed Oct. 24 what they hailed as the world's most ambitious climate change targets for 2030, paving the way for a new UN-backed global treaty next year.
      
The 28 leaders overcame deep divisions at a summit in Brussels to reach a deal including a commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent compared to 1990 levels.
      

Bulgaria will not give in to someone else's suggestions when setting up its new government said in Brussels Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev, reports the Club Z website.

Romania's European Commissioner-designate Corina Cretu, nominated for the Regional Policy portfolio, will be heard on October 1 by the specialized committees of the European Parliament, EurActiv informed on Wednesday.

Fresh sanctions targeting key sectors of Russia's economy are to be introduced on Friday, with the EU adding it could lift them in case of a continuous deescalation in Ukraine.

New measures will see the current blacklist expanded by 24 more Russian officials and rebel leaders, who will be imposed visa bans and asset freezes.

EU Council President Herman van Rompuy has announced the bloc put off for "a few days" the enforcement of new measures against Russia.

He tied the sanctions to the situation in Ukraine's Donbass region, where pro-Russian rebels signed last week a truce agreement with the government in Kiev.