EU Report

Poland&Ukraine to cooperate in ammunition production, maintenance of armored vehicles and artillery, and strengthening of air defense. It was announced by Herman Smetanin, Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine, outlining the results of signing a memorandum on expanding the existing industrial cooperation between the Polish arms group PGZ (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa) and the Joint Stock Company Ukroboronprom. Along with the Polish deputy defense minister, the economic mission also included 10 representatives of the largest state-owned arms companies interested in cooperating with Ukraine. The details of the meetings have not yet been disclosed. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇵🇱

Why are false rumours about Brigitte Macron being transgender resurfacing? False rumours that Brigitte Macron is transgender have been spreading for years. Now Candace Owens, an American far right 'commentator', has published a video repeating them and gaining millions of views. The debunked conspiracy theory that Brigitte Macron was born a biological man and transitioned to become a woman has been pushed many times in recent years. On Friday, far-right US 'commentator' Candace Owens released a video titled Becoming Brigitte: An Introduction. In it, she rehashes the dumb claim that Macron was born a man and went by Jean-Michel Trogneux. She also claims to be the target of a legal threat from the French president. The defaming video, which lasts 40 minutes, goes on to tangentially link the Macrons to a wider conspiracy involving paedophiles and an elite world order. 🤦‍♀️🥱 The rightwinger of course offers no evidence to back up her claims - no wonder, there is none. The tactic of baselessly labelling someone as transgender is not specific to Brigitte Macron. Many high-profile women have faced similar conspiracy theories towards them. The phenomenon is known as "transvestigation". “The practice maliciously targets public figures — from Madonna to Olympic boxer Imane Khelif to Kyle Rittenhouse and even Michelle Obama — and then ‘investigates’ them offering fake pseudo-scientific ‘evidence’ that they are transgender, with the underlying bigoted and ignorant implication that being a transgender person is a bad thing.” The brainless theories are often linked to broader conspiracies about global control, depopulation, or other secret agendas. Perhaps far-right puppet Candace can make next time a video "How to become a real journalist and commentator" - of course she would need thousands of lessons to learn even the basics necessary for just the introduction. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇺🇸

Exhibition "Prisoners of War." The exhibition "Prisoners of War" in Valencia tells about the struggle for the freedom and independence of Ukraine through the stories of the Ukrainian military who were captured, survived after brutal torture and returned home. In captivity, Ukrainians faced inhumane treatment, which we have not heard of since the Nazi concentration camps. This exhibition is not only about pain, but also about the strength of the spirit, about the struggle that continues. The support of the international community is of great importance for Ukraine. The opening of the exhibition will take place on February 15 at 12:00, and will be attended by Anastasia Shevchenko, activist, Russian politician, former political prisoner and Stanislav Dutov, a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a former prisoner of war. From February 16 to February 19, the exhibition will be open from 10:00 to 20:00. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇪🇸

A German court has decided to grant asylum to Russians who face mobilization and being sent to the front in Ukraine. The Administrative Court of Berlin has decided to grant asylum to Russian men fleeing conscription and participation in the war in Ukraine, Zeit Online reports. The Berlin Administrative Court ruled that they are entitled under asylum law to special protection and cannot be returned to Russia, where they face forced mobilization. At the same time, applicants must have compelling grounds for claiming that they are in serious danger and cannot be protected by their own State. Several Russian citizens filed lawsuits in a German court after the initial refusal of the migration department to provide protection. The Trial Chamber accepted their arguments, pointing to the high probability of forcible dispatch to the front and the risk of committing actions that violate international law. The court emphasized that there is credible evidence of increased pressure by the Z-regime on those liable for military service in order to force them to sign contracts and then send them to the war zone. The decision has not yet entered into force and can be appealed to a higher authority. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇩🇪

Protesters in Serbia blocked three bridges over the Danube in Novi Sad. Participants in Serbian protests blocked three bridges in Novi Sad. February 1 marked exactly three months since the tragedy at the local railway station, when 15 people died due to the collapse of a concrete canopy. The action was called "Three months - three bridges." The local outlet Danas estimated the number of protesters who came to the blockade of the Freedom Bridge at 10,000 people. In addition to participants from Novi Sad, protesters from Belgrade and neighboring cities are also taking part in the blockade of bridges. Students and activists from the capital walked 80 kilometers to Novi Sad on foot: their journey took two days, the day before the column was met in the city center. Anti-corruption mass protests that began after the tragedy at the train station in Novi Sad have not subsided for several months. One of the main demands of the protesters was initially a fair investigation into the causes of the tragedy and bringing the perpetrators to justice. Soon, the protests grew from student to nationwide and political demands began to be voiced at them. As of 2 February 2025 , the protests have spread to 200 cities and towns in Serbia and are ongoing. The protesters have already achieved the resignation of the Novi Sad Mayor Milan Djurić, the prime minister Milos Vučević and the government of the country. But will continue to function in a technical status until a new one is elected, the country's prime minister said. Protesters insist on the formation of an expert transitional government without the participation of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party and the opposition. Experts say that the president Vucic has “made Serbia what Russia was like in the early 1990s, leaning towards a criminal, corrupt state with no rule of law.” The “strategic ambiguity,” of keeping plied with Russian gas, Chinese infrastructure, European investment, and even glitzy American construction projects, came at cost of domestic discontent. "People are fed up with this rhetoric … where Vucic says one thing for internal consumption and another thing for international consumption.” Latent discontent with the government found its expression in the Novi Sad station tragedy. Now, what began as mourning has turned into a challenge for the president, especially because they were largely free of “political” signs such as EU flags, which Vucic has previously used to discredit demonstrations. He regularly labels protesters as “foreign agents” attempting to stage a “color revolution.” But these protests have also drawn in broad swaths of Serbian society, as farmers and even judges. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇷🇸

Protesters Block Highway in Tbilisi. Harsh Arrests Underway Protests against the suspension of European integration, which began on November 28, 2024, continue in Georgia. Protesters blocked the highway near the Tbilisi Mall. This road connects the capital with the western regions of the country. The police began to disperse the protest and cleared one lane of protesters, Paper Kartuli writes. According to Ekho Kavkaza, the former Tbilisi mayor and oppositionist Gigi Ugulava and one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change Nika Melia were detained at the protest. TV Pirveli cameraman Niko Kokaia was injured during the protests. Photos and videos: SOVA, Paper Kartuli, Pirveli, Ekho Kavkaza 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇬🇪

Application of fines up to 6% of the worldwide annual turnover in case of: Breach of DSA obligations Failure to comply with interim measures Breach of commitments And apply periodic penalties up to 5% of the average daily worldwide turnover for each day of delay in complying with remedies, interim measures, commitments (following lack of compliance with College decision imposing remedies, interim measures or making binding commitments). Around 5bn is the annual turnaround (2022), 6% daily is around 800.000$. Daily. Those fines and regulations were a compromise with some more hardline EU members which wanted a full ban already before Musk. Keeping Twitter in the EU will become a harder position to defend now. Read more @EU_Report

Reminder Trade as EU shield against Trump threat Brussels – After Mercosur, Mexico, with a renewed agreement announced today (Jan. 17). The European Union expands its trade reach into an area of the world that has always been the subject of U.S. interests. For some, it is a show of strength by the President of the EU Commission, especially with regard to the free trade agreement with the countries of South America, which is a subject of criticism and reservations. Indeed, it demonstrates patience, ability, and a sense of strategy. The EU closed trade deals with the American continent before Trump takes office in the White House, securing new partners while waiting to see how the next U.S. administration will move forward. Read more @EU_Report

An Ukrainian POW confessed in an russian video murder of 10 civilians in the Kursk region - following the indications of the so-called investigator. The Investigative Committee has published on the official website a video of the interrogation of Ukrainian soldier Yevgeny Fabricenko, who, according to them, are accused of being "involved in the murders of civilians in Russkoye Porechnoye in the Kursk region." In the published footage Fabricenko confesses to two rapes allegedly committed by him on the same day, as well as to the murder of 10 civilians, including the elderly. However, throughout the interrogation, you can notice that the "investigator" is actively prompting the military man with the necessary answers. So, at the beginning of the interrogation, the ICR officer directly orders: "Tell me about the crimes you committed." Further, Fabricenko, stammering heavily, begins to detail the events of which he is accused. In one of the episodes, he mentions that his colleague "Motyl" took a grenade out of his bag. The "investigator" immediately corrects him: "From the pouch." The prisoner of war looks inquiringly at the interlocutor and, after a short pause, repeats the corrected version. The published video includes footage allegedly showing the victims of Fabricenko and his colleagues. However, the video has undergone severe blurring, which makes it impossible to determine what exactly is captured in it. Vladimir Osechkin, a Russian human rights activist and founder of the Gulagu.net project stated earlier on air of the program "And Graham Struck" that, according to his sources, the FSB received an order to force Ukrainian prisoners of war under torture to 'confess to crimes committed by them in the Kursk region'. "Putin will use this data, which is being extracted from the prisoners of the Armed Forces of Ukraine right now, for Trump, contrary to the conclusions of the independent UN commission, as well as opposed to the findings of the investigation of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and the International Criminal Court, to dump a whole bunch of these testimonies, evidence under video, with sentences, with accusations. <... > There will be following the rhetoric: "Not everything is so simple. They (Ukrainians) are not so white and fluffy. Look at what they have done in Russia in relation to the civilian population, to women, to children." The task for the FSB now is to make the most of the situation in the Kursk region to influence Trump and his entourage in order to equate the aggressor and the victim. Equalize, and then minimize support for Ukraine," he explained. What will you bet that Trump will fall for it? @freerussia_report

Norwegian authorities have detained the Silver Dania vessel with a Russian crew. It is suspected of damaging a cable in the Baltic Sea. At the request of Latvia, the ship Silver Dania was detained in Norway on suspicion of damaging an underwater fiber-optic cable between Latvia and Sweden, the Norwegian broadcasting corporation NRK reports. The Coast Guard escorted the ship to the port of Tromsø on the morning of January 31. According to NRK, the cargo ship belongs to the Norwegian shipping company Silversea, but its entire crew consists of Russian citizens. The Silver Dania was built in 1989 and registered in Norway and now operates between St. Petersburg and Murmansk. The submarine cable between Latvia and Sweden, owned by the Latvian Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC), is laid at a depth of more than 50 meters. Its damage became known on the morning of January 26, 2025. It is one of the ships under suspicion. "The crew and shipping company are cooperating with the Norwegian authorities and joined voluntarily," the police wrote in the press release on Friday morning. "The police are now on board the ship to search, conduct interrogations and secure clues." The ship's owner Tormod Fossmark says that the "Silver Dania" has sailed off Gotland at the time when the cable was damaged. He stated that it is understandable that Latvian authorities want to check out the ship, and expects to be checked out of this case. "We hope we can get a clarification on this soon. We have sailed at a steady speed of 13 knots and have not had any anchor out. This would have been seen on the AIS data if we had had [dragging] an anchor." 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇳🇴

The U.S. will detonate a small amount of plutonium. very likely enabling Russia to declare "untied hands." US scientists are preparing for an important plutonium experiment scheduled for this spring, NPR reports. It will take place in the Nevada desert, in the secret underground laboratory PULSE. The experiment is part of the Stockpile Stewardship program, which aims "to ensure the safety and reliability of U.S. nuclear weapons without conducting full-scale nuclear tests". Such "subcritical" experiments that do not trigger a nuclear chain reaction, combined with computer simulations, allow scientists allegedly "to study the behavior of aging plutonium in nuclear weapons." NPR notes that the experiment is being conducted amid rising global tensions and signs that nuclear powers may resume nuclear weapons tests. At the same time, pro-Kremlin bloggers and commentators were quick to say that if it takes place, it will untie the hands of the Kremlin in terms of conducting nuclear tests. However, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty is currently not in force because it has not been ratified by key countries, including the US. Russia withdrew ratification in 2023, stating that Russia would not begin nuclear tests unless the United States did so. Thus, in the event of an experiment, the Russian side can formally declare that they now have a free hand. As often, the difficulty lies in the definition. What's a nuclear test and what not? Statements go in the direction of "our experiments are tests, and yours are not." US insists a chain reaction must begin in the material, therefore it's not a nuclear test and therefore no reason to break promises. @freerussia_report @EU_Report

Trump started first trade wars with tariffs - against Canada and Mexico. Trump said his 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico are coming on Saturday, but he’s "still considering whether to include oil" from those countries as part of his import taxes. At the moment he claims that his decision will be based on "whether the price of oil charged by the two trading partners is fair", although he previously justified the basis of his threatened tariffs that it pertains to "necessary measures to stop illegal immigration and the smuggling of chemicals used for fentanyl." The risk of tariffs on Canadian and Mexican oil could undermine Trump's repeated pledge to lower overall inflation by reducing energy costs. Costs associated with tariffs very possibly will be passed along to consumers in the form of higher gasoline prices - which he promised to halve within one year from January 20. The United States imported almost 4.6 million barrels of oil daily from Canada in October and 563,000 barrels from Mexico, according to the Energy Information Administration. U.S. daily production during that month averaged nearly 13.5 million barrels a day. Matthew Holmes, executive vice president and chief of public policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said Trump's tariffs would “tax America first” in the form of higher costs. In turn, Canada has prepared a preliminary list of American goods worth 150 billion Canadian dollars ($105 billion), in respect of which retaliatory duties will be imposed. “This is a lose-lose,” Holmes said, adding that they will try to make Trump and Americans understand that "this doesn’t make life any more affordable. It makes life more expensive and sends our integrated businesses scrambling.” But Trump showed no concerns that import taxes on the United States' trading partners would have a negative impact on the US economy, as he claims that US "has all it needs" and "doesn’t need the products that they have." He also threatened imposing 100% tariffs on BRICS members if they plan looking at alternatives "to replace the mighty US Dollar" as a means of global exchange (which is a particularly dumb and empty threat as nobody took the idea put by Putin on the table in earnest already a year ago.) Well, hopefully someone taught him by now at least which countries are members of BRICS and which not. Teaching the clown a few other geopolitical and economic basics wouldn't be a bad idea too. 🙈 🇪🇺@EU_Report

Sanctioned Russian Billionaires Exploit Dutch Legal Loophole to Conceal Finances. Companies tied to sanctioned Russian billionaires are taking advantage of a loophole in Dutch legislation to evade financial oversight, the Dutch public broadcaster NOS has reported. These billionaires exploit a provision in Dutch law that allows their companies to be classified as micro-enterprises, enabling them to conceal cash flows and avoid strict reporting requirements even as they remain under international sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. One such businessman is steel magnate Alexei Mordashov, who was sanctioned by the European Union following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His Amsterdam-registered company, SMTT Holding, is valued at 65 million euros but is classified as a micro-enterprise, meaning it is exempt from disclosing key financial data. Another example is Airport Alliance (Netherlands), a subsidiary of Russia’s majority state-owned VTB Bank. VTB is under Western sanctions and its chairman, Andrei Kostin, is a close ally of Putin. Safmar, a firm linked to Western-sanctioned billionaire Mikhail Gutseriev, is also registered as a micro-enterprise in the Netherlands Under Dutch law, a company can qualify as a micro-enterprise if it meets at least two of the following criteria: fewer than 10 employees, a balance sheet total of up to 450,000 euros, or a net turnover of up to 900,000 euros. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇳🇱 @freerussia_report

Georgia's Nightdream following the steps of the Z-regime Georgian Delegation withdraws from PACE. On January 29, the Georgian Dream party announced it would halt its participation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), following the body’s overwhelming passage of a resolution urging Georgia to schedule new parliamentary elections. The resolution passed by a vote of 114 to 13. In a resolution based on a report by Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica (Latvia, EPP/CD), the Assembly said it would reconsider the credentials at its April 2025 part-session “in the light of progress achieved” on a series of issues, including: - the organization of “new genuinely democratic parliamentary elections”, held under strict international monitoring and conditions of political independence of state institutions and election administration - immediate and effective steps to “enable Georgia to resume the European integration process” - an immediate end to police brutality and human rights abuses - the release of all political prisoners before the Assembly’s 2025 April part-session Although it approved the credentials of the Georgian delegates, the Assembly suspended a number of their rights “as a clear sign of its condemnation of police brutality and other human rights abuses”: They were not allowed to join five of PACE’s nine committees, to become rapporteurs, observe elections or represent the Assembly at certain events. The Assembly also said it would “explore ways of strengthening the participation of Georgian extra-parliamentary opposition and civil society in its actions with regard to Georgia”. These demands align with the goals of ongoing pro-European protests in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, and beyond. Thea Tsulukiani, head of the Georgian delegation, described the resolution’s terms as “unacceptable, unfair, and unfounded,” and declared the withdraw in response. “To accept this resolution would be a betrayal of our electorate and, by extension, of the majority of Georgian society,” she stated. As a result, she confirmed that the Georgian parliamentary delegation would cease its activities in PACE immediately. The PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos said he regrets the decision of the Georgian delegation. “This jeopardizes the dialogue that could help to advance democratic standards in Georgia.” 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇬🇪

Police violence in Georgia: Mikheil Kavelashvili awards GD’s Minister of Internal Affairs and other police officials Order of Honor Georgian Nightmare’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, Colonel General Vakhtang Gomelauri has, along with other police officials, been awarded the Order of Honor for their "exceptional contribution to strengthening law and order." The Order of Honor was presented to them by Mikheil Kavelashvili upon the joint nomination of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili. Irakli Kobakhidze congratulated the police officials on their receiving the Georgian state award and thanked them "for their service to the country." 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇬🇪

Ukraine has begun negotiations with the EU to replace American aid. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has begun negotiations with European partners to find alternative sources of funding for programs previously supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), says the statement of the parliamentary committee on humanitarian and information policy. The committee stressed that the United States has every right to review the effectiveness of its international assistance. However, while the audit is underway in Washington, Ukraine needs to act quickly to avoid destabilizing key state processes. "At the parliamentary level, consultations have already begun with European colleagues on the possible replacement of American aid - at least for the period until the United States makes final decisions," the Rada said in a statement published on its website. According to Ukrainian lawmakers, the normalization of projects previously funded by USAID may take from three to six months. "The scale of the problems caused by the end of American aid is much greater than it initially seemed. We did not have time to prepare," the parliament noted. Due to the funding gap, Ukraine is forced to turn to other international partners to support key social programs, including assistance to children, veterans and people with disabilities. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇺🇦

Addition to previous report A survey of Greenlanders found that 85% reject Trump and do NOT want to join the United States Opinion poll showed on Tuesday that 85% of Greenlanders do not want their Arctic island, which is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, to become part of the United States, reported the Danish newspaper Berlingske. A survey by Verian, organized by a Danish newspaper and Greenlandic Sermitsiaq, showed that only 6% of Greenlanders support the idea of joining the United States. In the same poll, 45% of Greenlanders say they perceive Trump's "interest in Greenland" as a threat. Previously Trump send his son to pay homeless people for PR videos in which they posed as Greenland citizens who "love US and want to be Americans." The poll figures debunks Trump's narrative of a Greenlandic people who want to be American, as well as the fake 'poll from Greenland' spread by two American teenagers, which has become part of a russian information campaign against Denmark. The claim has been used as part of russia's propaganda machine and was cited more than 300 times in russian state controlled media within just a few days. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇬🇱 🇺🇸@US_Report @freerussia_report

EU will disconnect another 15 russian banks from SWIFT. The European Union is preparing to disconnect about 15 more russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system as part of the 16th package of sanctions. According to Bloomberg sources, the EU countries received the corresponding proposal this week, but they didn't disclose which banks are in question. In addition, the EU proposes to introduce a phased ban on the import of russian aluminum, as well as restrictive measures against more than 70 ships of russia's "shadow fleet" that transport oil at a price above the set ceiling of $60 per barrel. If approved, it is supposed to be adopted by the third anniversary of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian banks have been consistently disconnected from SWIFT since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. However, as of September 2024, more than 200 russian credit institutions still remain connected to SWIFT. At the same time, they are prohibited from using the system for transfers within the country. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇷🇺 @freerussia_report

Roman Abramovich may face a criminal case for tax fraud with yachts. Billionaire Roman Abramovich and his company set up a fictitious scheme to lease superyachts in Cyprus to avoid paying millions of euros in taxes, OCCRP reporters found based on leaked data and correspondence from his employees. From 1999 to 2010, Abramovich assembled a fleet of 5 superyachts with a total value of about $ 1.2 billion, including the Eclipse - at that time the longest yacht in the world, equipped with two helipads and an aqua disco. These luxury vessels spent time in European waters, which implied significant operating costs. The scheme was developed using companies registered in the British Virgin Islands, each of which operated one of the yachts: Ecstasea, Le Grand Bleu, Pelorus, Eclipse and Luna. These companies leased the yachts to Blue Ocean Yacht Management in Cyprus, which, in turn, allegedly re-leased them for short cruises. However, the leaked data shows that these cruises were most often not carried out, documents were carried out retroactively, and lease agreements were created to transfer money within the structure of companies. Blue Ocean, in turn, used these treaties to obtain fuel tax credits and other costs. For example, one of the 2005 letters mentioned: "If we qualify for duty-free fuel, we will need to provide signed leases within 24 hours." The savings were significant. On duty-free fuel for the Ecstasea yacht, the billionaire saved $44,000 in one trip. Under EU law, costs such as fuel, crew services, port charges, and maintenance are subject to Value Added Tax (VAT). The exception is when the yacht is used for commercial purposes. Abramovich could have taken advantage of this loophole. Abramovich's employees developed a complex scheme: the yachts were allegedly rented out to five fictitious independent clients who paid for weekly or two-week cruises. In fact, the companies that leased the ships belonged to an offshore trust, the ultimate beneficiary of which was Abramovich himself. The scheme began to fall apart in 2010 when the Cypriot tax authorities launched an investigation. The scheme also attracted the attention of Italian authorities, who launched an investigation into unpaid fuel duties in Trieste from 2009 to 2012. However, the captains of the yachts owned by Abramovich avoided charges after lawyers convinced the Italian authorities that the vessels were used for commercial purposes. Leaked emails uncovered by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the BBC indicate an intent to defraud the tax authorities. In 2005, the director of one of Abramovich's companies wrote in a letter: "Our structure should separate the different sides as clearly as possible so that the inspector does not doubt its legality. However, it must be recognized that a meticulous inspector may discover that this is an internal structure." Professor Di Tanno told the BBC that if Abramovich's companies leased yachts to each other and evaded taxes, it could be a criminal offense. "All sides knew exactly what they were doing to hide the truth," he said. Abramovich and his lawyers continue to insist that all the company's actions were in accordance with the tax law and advice received. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇨🇾

Serbia's prime minister to resign after months of ongoing mass protests Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vučević announced his resignation on Tuesday, becoming the most high-ranking official leaving his post after the start of the mass protests in the country. "I made this decision to reduce tensions," Vucevic said at a press conference. He also said that the mayor of the city of Novi Sad will also leave its post. "Thus, we have fulfilled all the requirements of the most radical protesters." After the tragedy in November, when the collapse of the canopy railway station in Novi Sad, the second largest city Serbia, led to the death of 15 people, in Belgrade do not stop daily anti-government demonstrations. Thousands of protesters, including students, teachers and representatives of other professions took to the streets, demanding accountability for the collapse and protesting corruption and alleged lack of oversight on construction projects. More than a dozen people have been charged in connection with the Novi Sad incident, including former Transport Minister Goran Vesic - who resigned days after it happened. Now the question is whether the departures will be enough to mollify the mostly young people who have been staging regular and increasingly elaborate demonstrations. A change in the head of government is less significant than it might initially appear, because the real power in Serbia lies with Vucic. Vucevic - a trusted ally of the president - said he hoped that his decision to quit as prime minister would encourage protesters to "calm down the passions and return to dialogue". But it may also pave the way for parliamentary elections, if a new prime minister is not appointed within 30 days of the National Assembly confirming the resignation. However, a change in power currently seems unlikely. The ruling Serbian Progressive Party is well-organised – and international election monitors have noted that it dominates Serbia's media space. It comfortably won the most recent parliamentary elections just over a year ago. In contrast, the opposition remains fractured and without many allies in the media. The reaction of the protesters may be crucial to what happens next. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇷🇸