Every Monday, the Research Trainees of the CERESE assess the news of the previous week. You can read their opinions below:

I like the news that the European Union and the United Kingdom agreed to a new framework about Northern Ireland. The new terms of the agreement about Northern Ireland were published on Monday, February 27th. It should be noted that the land border is a sensitive issue because of Northern Ireland’s troubled political history. The new framework aims to simplify the current one regarding the import of goods from the UK towards Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In particular, in the new dual system, goods will be subjected to different regulations depending on their final destination on the island of Ireland.

I like the news that France is forming an 11-nation European alliance about nuclear energy. Eleven European Union member-states, led by France, will join this group, with the aim of strengthening European cooperation and the development of new infrastructure in the field of nuclear energy. The Energy Ministers of France, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia participated in a meeting held in Stockholm. Their main requests were about freeing Europe’s economy from carbon emissions, creating new nuclear projects based on innovative technologies, and operating the old nuclear power plants by using renewable sources.

I dislike the news that 79% of the refugees from Ukraine have difficulties in making a living in the host countries of the European Union. The rapid implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive by the EU has allowed people who fled Ukraine because of the war to settle quickly, work, travel, and access services across the community. However, according to a survey conducted recently, a large percentage of refugees are deprived of their basic rights to education, housing, and privacy, leading to depression.

I dislike the fact that the Turkish government is trying to limit criticism about its handling of the recent big earthquake. Ankara temporarily blocked access to Twitter. Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) has imposed sanctions on three TV channels that criticized the government, following revelations that the Red Crescent was asking the earthquake victims for a fee in exchange for tents, instead of donating them. Devlet Bahçeli also called on football clubs to “urgently take the necessary measures” for matches to be played without fans, after the chants of resignation by Fenerbahçe fans during the game against Konyaspor.