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Kosovos foreign minister announced during a televised interview on Wednesday that the small Eastern European nation would seek candidate status within the European Union by the end of the yeara step that potentially lays the groundwork for its eventual integration into the body, but one that is unlikely to result in acceptance until a resolution of its ongoing issues with its northern neighbor Serbia.

We said we would apply this year, and we will apply this year, Kosovar foreign minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz told the nations KlanKosova television network, reiterating an earlier vow by the countrys government. We also notified our international partners that our goal is to apply this year, because we want to enjoy EU candidate status.

In justifying the Kosovar governments decision, Gervalla-Schwarz observed that more than ninety percent of the countrys population supported membership in the EU and NATO as soon as possible, according to recent polling.

Kosovos potential accession to the European Union will inevitably be complicated by its diplomatic conflict with Serbia, which ruled Kosovo as a province throughout most of the twentieth century. Formerly a majority-Albanian region within the overwhelmingly-Serb Serbia, a group of Kosovar rebels declared Kosovos independence in 1998, prompting a year-long guerrilla war against the Serbian government of Slobodan Milosevic. After a seventy-eight-day NATO air campaign on the side of the Kosovars, Serbian forces withdrew from Kosovo; the province formally declared its independence in 2008 but remains unrecognized by five EU member states and roughly half of the United Nations, including the organization itself.

Serbia has never acknowledged the countrys independence, regarding it as a rebellious province, and has offered support to ethnic Serbs living within Kosovoactions that Pristina deems as violations of its sovereignty. The dispute has also complicated Serbias bid to enter the EU; Belgrade has enjoyed candidate status for the organization since 2012, but EU officials have emphasized that its normalization of relations with Kosovo would be a priority and a requirement for its accession.

In her interview, Gervalla-Schwarz emphasized Kosovos democratic credentials, noting that it had been a leader of democracy in our region.

There is no reason for Kosovo to be treated differently from other regional countries, which are nowhere near as democratic, she observed.

Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic told the Serbian parliament on Tuesday that the EU had urged Serbia to recognize Kosovo as a precondition for entry into the bloc but vowed that he would not do so while in office.

Trevor Filseth is a current and foreign affairs writer for the National Interest.

Image: Reuters

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Kosovo Makes a Push for European Union Membership - The National Interest Online

Europes liberals welcome the European Commission's work over the past year when tackling COVID-19, supporting Ukraine or pushing for the green and digital transitions, but the rule of law and democracy cannot be taken for granted.

European Commission PresidentUrsula von der Leyen deliveredher speech on the State of the European Union (SOTEU) focusing on the Unions action to support Ukraine, tackle the energy crisis and the inflation, lead on the digital and green transitions while upholding democracy within and outside the Union, and become a true global leader.

Europes liberals welcome the European Commissions work over the last year, especially regarding the path towards COVID-19 recovery and the support to Ukraine, and the several proposals presented to strengthen democracy, our economy and our fight against climate change.

We strongly support tying Ukraine with the European Union further, as proposed by President von der Leyen, by granting itseamless access to the Single Market. We applaud the idea of connecting Ukraine to the European free roaming area.

We agree that we mustcontinue investing in all types of energies and technologies such as hydrogen to decarbonise our system and we welcome the measures presented to reduce the hiking energy prices and continue our efforts to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we must ensure that democracy and rule of law arerespected within the Union. The principle of conditionality needs to be applied without exceptions.

We welcome the European Commissions willingness to follow up on the Conference on the Future of Europe and establish a Convention to discuss reforms.

Liberalleaders react to the State of the Union

ALDE Party co-PresidentIlhan Kyuchyuk MEP declared:

"Putin will fail, Europe will prevail". Glad to hear from von der Leyen that the EU's solidarity with Ukraine would be "unshakeable." Todays fight is simple, it is a battle of autocracy vs democracy. Of authoritarianism vs freedom,

ALDE Party Vice President Dita Charanzov MEP warned:

I welcome the proposal of von der Leyen to solve the energy crisis in Europe. A cap on the price of electricity and the use of extraordinary profits is OK, but not won. The devil will be in the detail. Capping the price of gas is still in play, but the reform of the market with emission allowances has unfortunately not been announced. Only the ministers will decide.

ALDE Party Vice President Svenja Hahn MEP commented:

Von der Leyen wants seamless access to the EUs Single Market for Ukraine. The common market has made the EU strong. Would be great opportunity for Ukraine to rebuild its economy. I am looking forward to hearing the specific proposal from the Commission.

Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Olha Stefanishyna stated:

Welcome the decision of the European Commission to work with Ukraine to ensure seamless access to the Single Market,' as President von der Leyen announced. Ukraine will do its part. With a full-scale war on our soil, we continue the reforms which bring Ukraine closer to EU membership.

Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas added:

True, our sanctions work and "are here to stay." Why else would the Russian army take chips from dishwashers? Why else would Aeroflot planes be grounded? And I add: why else would the Kremlin use every terror tactic to get us to lift sanctions? So, we must go even further.

Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Margrethe Vestager expressed:

New European Hydrogen Bank, 2023 year of skills, Critical Raw Materials Act, delivery of NextGenEU We invest in new energy, in our people. This is our leap into the future. Powerful #SOTEU2022 in unprecedented times. Now lets work together to deliver this!

Vice-President of the European Commission Vra Jourov stated:

We must continue to fight for democracy in Europe every day. Von der Leyen will continue to insist on judicial independence and on protecting EU budget through the conditionality mechanism. We have to protect the Rule Of Law andwill propose a stronger anti-corruption framework.

European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton commented:

RawMaterials have become the new oil & gas at the heart of our EU economy. President von der Leyen announced today in her SOTEU address the launch of a "Critical Raw Materials Act". My views on how to ensure a secure andsustainable access

European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenari declared:

I strongly welcome von der Leyen's SOTEU announcement to double our rescEU firefighting air fleet. No country can fight the increasingly devastating climate crisis alone, most dramatically visible during forest fires season affecting ever larger parts of Europe.

The President of the European investment Bank Werner Hoyer expressed:

I welcome von der Leyens proposals in her SOTEU speech toaccelerate the Green Hydrogeneconomy. This is crucial for climate action andfor EUenergy security. The EIB Group will continue to work with the European Commission and our partners to support the green hydrogen sector.

President for the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament Stphane Sjourn declared:

A week ago, I asked President von der Leyen to tax energy companies. Today, she announced more than 140 billion to help families face the rise of prices and accelerate green investment.

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Liberals on the State of the European Union - ALDE Party

Ranked: The Most and Least Livable Cities in 2022

Pandemic restrictions changed the livability of many urban centers worldwide as cultural sites were shuttered, restaurant dining was restricted, and local economies faced the consequences. But as cities worldwide return to the status quo, many of these urban centers have become desirable places to live yet again.

This map uses annual rankings from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) to show the worlds most livable cities, measuring different categories including: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.

The ranking attempts to assess which cities across the globe provide the best living conditions, by assigning a score on 30 quantitative and qualitative measures across the five categories with the following weightings:

Of the 30 factors within these categories, the qualitative ones are assigned as acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable, or intolerable by a team of expert analysts. Quantitative measures are given a score based on a number of external data points. Everything is then weighted to provide a score between 1-100, with 100 being the ideal.

Of the 172 cities included in the rankings, many of the most livable cities can be found in Europe. However, three of the top 10 are located in Canada: Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto.

Vienna has been ranked number one many times, most recently in 2019. According to the EIU, the Austrian capital only fell out of the top slot during the pandemic years because its famous museums and restaurants were shuttered.

Only one Asian city, Osaka, makes the top 10 list, tying with Melbourne for 10th place.Notably, not a single U.S. city is found in the top ranks.

Editors note: Two cities tie for both the #3 and #10 ranks, meaning that the top 10 list actually includes 12 cities.

Some of the least livable cities in the world are located across Africa and Central Asia.

Many of the least livable cities are within conflict zones, contributing to the low ratings. However, these regions are also home to some of the worlds fastest growing cities, presenting many opportunities for ambitious residents.

Lets take a look at the cities that moved up the global rankings most dramatically compared to last years data.

Moving Up: The 10 Most Improved Cities

Heres a look at the cities that fell the most in the rankings since last years report.

Moving Down: The 10 Cities That Tumbled

According to the report, a number of cities in New Zealand and Australia temporarily dropped in the ranking due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Its also worth noting that some Eastern European cities moved down in the rankings because of their close proximity to the war in Ukraine. Finally, Kyiv was not included in this years report because of the conflict.

As of 2021, around 57% of the worlds population lives in urban centers and projections show that people worldwide will continue to move into cities.

While there are more amenities in urban areas, the pandemic revealed many issues with urbanization and the concentration of large populations. The stress on healthcare systems is felt most intensely in cities and restrictions on public outings are some of the first measures to be introduced in the face of a global health crisis.

Now with the cost of living rising, cities may face pressures on their quality of life, and governments may be forced to cut spending on public services. Regardless, people worldwide continue to see the benefits of city livingits projected that over two-thirds of the global population will live in cities by 2050.

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Visualizing The European Union's Aging Population by 2100 - Visual Capitalist

Based on original studies commissioned by the European Committee of the Regions, as well as academic research, contributions from other European institutions and open source documentation, this report provides facts and data for policy-makers and relevant stakeholders. The main findings and recommendations will be echoed in the annual address on the State of Regions and Cities in the European Union, to be delivered by the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro at the plenary session in October 2022.

This year's report focuses on the most pressing challenges that EU cities and regions are facing: the economic and social consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine, the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessary recovery, the climate emergency and energy transition, the fight against inequalities, and the future of democracy building on the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

The report will also feature its "Regional and Local Barometer", presenting the views of elected representatives from across Europe surveyed in partnership with IPSOS.

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The State of Regions and Cities in the European Union - European Committee of the Regions

WASHINGTON, September 2, 2021 Federal Trade Commissioner Noah Phillips said at a Hudson Institute webinar on Monday that hes concerned about the direction the competition watchdog is moving toward considering recent events.

Phillips said the left-leaning voices in Washington and the appointment of Lina Khan to chair the agency has left him wondering about the legacy of the last 40 years of competition regulation in America which have been hallmarked by the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. That legislation effectively gave the FTC the ability to review mergers and acquisitions before they were finalized, rather than afterward, which governed pre-legislation.

Under Biden-appointee Lina Khan, Phillips described how the FTC has done away with the process of early termination. In the past, this process made it unnecessary for every single company to provide advanced notice and advanced approval for mergers. Historically, parties have been able to come to the agencies and say, Youre not interested in this, can we just go ahead and finish our deal, and the agencies have said yes.

He said this is no longer the case, and that every single merger must provide advanced notice and approval. What were introducing is an inefficiency in the market for transactions that we have no interest in pursuing, just for the sake of it. I think thats a problem, he continued. My concern is that it is making merger enforcement less effective, less efficient, and less fair.

Phillips pointed to left-of-center and leftist voices in Congress, such as Rep. David Cicilline, D-New York, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, who, at the outset of the pandemic, wanted to ban all acquisitions and mergersregardless of their merit. He described this view as falling outside of mainstream perspectives, but noteworthy nonetheless.

I dont think that is what most people believe, Phillips remarked. I dont think that is what Hart-Scott-Rodino envisions.

This webinar took place only a couple of weeks after Phillips spoke at the Technology Policy Institutes 2021 Aspen Forum, where he voiced similar concerns, stating that he feared that this new direction would make it more difficult for the FTC to hear cases that it should, and defended the commissions record against critics who said it was lax under the Trump Administration.

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FTC Forum Hears Evidence that U.S. Should Follow European Union Privacy Model - BroadbandBreakfast.com