MEPs

Irish members of the European Parliament from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael say they will oppose the EU–Mercosur trade agreement in any European Parliament vote, signaling fresh headwinds for a pact that has stalled for years over environmental and agricultural concerns. The coordinated stance by MEPs from Ireland’s two dominant centrist parties underscores persistent resistance to the agreement, which would lower tariffs and open markets between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and…

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Minister for Decentralization and former Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa again faced MPs on Tuesday 27 October. He was accused of using his influence to allow the creation of the municipality of Minembwe, where his community, Banyamulenge, is in the majority. He was questioned on a whole range of issues, from the legality of the procedure used to the boundaries of…