-
Northern Europe
Danish parties doubt organ donor initiative
A civilian proposal that all citizens in Denmark are automatically registered as organ donors unless they actively object goes too far. This is the opinion of several parties in the Danish Parliament who have to decide on Friday on the matter. According to health spokesman Per Larsen, the Conservatives' parliamentary…
Read More » -
Central Europe
Lutheran Church in Northern Germany lost 400,000 members
The Lutheran Church in Northern Germany celebrates its tenth anniversary on the day of Pentecost. At the time of its establishment, it made a flying start with 2.26 million members. But over the years, the denomination lost about 418,000 people. That comes down to a loss of 18.5 per cent,…
Read More » -
Northern Europe
Swedish Christians critical of grant plans government
The Swedish governments want to tighten grant rules for religious communities. These groups are not happy with the plans and fear, among other things, more government control. The Swedish government is tightening grant rules to prevent taxpayers' money from going to extremist actors that might form a danger to public…
Read More » -
Eastern Europe
Orthodox Church of Ukraine sceptical about independence Ukrainian Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) says that it welcomes and supports all efforts of its counterpart under the Moscow Patriarchate to break with Moscow and Patriarch Kirill. However, the OCU, which belongs to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, is also sceptical about the feasibility of removing Russian influences from the…
Read More » -
Eastern Europe
Capitals of Moldova and Georgia ban Pride marches
The Moldovan capital of Chisinau will not allow an LGBT pride march in the city. In Georgia, a similar ban was imposed. “You can do whatever you want at home, but not in public”, the Chisinau mayor Ion Ceban said, according to the Russian press agency Interfax. Earlier on Tuesday,…
Read More » -
Western Europe
French man possibly murdered for being Jewish
An 89-year-old French man who was pushed out of his 17th-storey window by a neighbour may have been killed because he was Jewish, a prosecutor has said. It would be the thirteenth antisemitic murder in France since 2003. According to the prosecutor, after “elements” were collected on social networks, the…
Read More » -
Eastern Europe
Latvian court recognises same-sex couple for the first time
For the first time, a Latvian court has officially recognised the legal status of the relationship of a same-sex couple. The judge ruled that there was “a public legal relationship” between a same-sex couple. Thereby, he recognised the family relationship between the case applicants in the sense of the 110th…
Read More » -
Northern Europe
Norwegian government appoints committee for possible liberalisation of abortion rules
The Norwegian parliament will likely reject a motion to extend the abortion limit from 12 to 18 weeks. Yet, the government recently appointed a commission to look at the possibilities of liberalising the abortion regulation in the country. The committee was appointed by the Norwegian health minister on Wednesday and…
Read More » -
Western Europe
Dutch minister: National ban on abortion protests unnecessary
It is unnecessary to issue a national ban on pro-life demonstrations close to clinics. That is what Dutch health minister Ernst Kuipers writes in response to parliamentary questions from the progressive parties. That is reported by the Dutch daily Nederlands Dagblad. Although the Dutch minister acknowledges that women can feel…
Read More » -
Southern Europe
Italy slowly tightens abortion options
Italy is making it more difficult for women to have an abortion. Regional authorities are increasingly funding and giving space to anti-abortion organisations. A process that has been going on for years. “Without any publicised legislative change, without any loud political battle, the Italian population is gradually showing its opposition…
Read More »