Amsterdam bans creation of new hotels
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
The governing coalition in Riga no longer has a majority in the City Council – early elections are not out of the question
The Latvian capital of Riga has seen its fair share of political turmoil over the last few months. With mayors changing from month to month, the city council has become fractured and unable to produce stable coalitions.
Ever since the first scandals broke out, concerning former mayor and current MEP Nils Usakovs, parties within the Riga City Council have grown more divided and antagonistic towards each other. Not only that, but some councillors left and others were expelled from their groups, making it even harder to find majorities for different policies and solutions.
The expelled members of the biggest group were then instrumental in bringing down Usakovs’ successor just 21 days after he took office and demanded snap elections, stating that the current City Council is broken beyond repair.
There might have been some truth to their words as revealed by the latest developments in the Latvian capital. The waste management crisis which took over Riga in September is yet to be resolved and the state of emergency is still in effect. The inability of the city’s latest mayor Oļegs Burovs to handle the problem has renewed political tensions in the City Council.
Last week, deputy mayor Vadim Baraņņiks was ousted from his post by the legislative body, which in turn deprived Burovs of his majority. Currently, he is governing the city in a minority coalition and is on the lookout for a new partner in a bid to prevent the calling of snap elections. Most traditional opposition parties are convinced that the only way out of the cycle of mayoral resignations is to head to the polls, but others remain lukewarm to the idea.
The future of the current city council and mayor of the Latvian capital should be decided in the next few days and weeks.
However, this option will not yet be available for the upcoming European Parliament elections in June
Two years after also being the first European country to decriminalize prostitution
Silesian is spoken by about half a million people in the south of the country
However, this option will not yet be available for the upcoming European Parliament elections in June
The tool helps identify undeclared swimming pools and garden sheds
It will serve as a virtual companion to the municipal network of libraries in the country
The tests are also experimenting with a charging point that is easier to maintain
Reportedly, the aim of the local government is to curb violence and disorder among the youth
The city thinks that it’s time to update pet-related street cleanliness rules for the 21st century
The ritual is more than 1000 years old and was originally performed by the Doges
Two years after also being the first European country to decriminalize prostitution
For English speakers that would be Saint Domnius, the patron saint of the Dalmatian capital
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team