An expert on European Union affairs says Hungary’s EU presidency programme has “little weight.” Zsuzsanna Vegh, an expert on the politics of Central and Eastern Europe and programme officer at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, said that, instead, it highlights the extent to which the prime minister and his European allies are…
Photo by Kuzzat Altay on Unsplash MEPs in Strasbourg have adopted three resolutions on alleged human rights violations in three countries: Türkiye, China and Iraq. They voiced “deep concern” about the ongoing “deterioration of democratic standards” in Türkiye, and the targeting of independent journalists, activists and opposition members. The sentence against Bülent Mumay…
MEPs have agreed on the calendar for the hearings of the EU commissioners-designate. The hearings will start on 4 November and take place until 12 November. The Conference of Presidents also decided on a division of duties among committees for the confirmation hearings. The detailed schedule of which Commissioner-designate will be heard and at what time…
MEPs are calling on the EU to speed up financial aid for victims of the devastating floods affecting a quarter of European countries. Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Germany have all been hit by extreme weather conditions, resulting in the deaths of 23 people. MEPs say the loss of life and the…
Photo by Ben Morris on Unsplash Former Italian PM Mario Draghi has outlined his ambitious blueprint for improving Europe’s competitiveness through closer cooperation in core areas and massive investment in shared objectives. Draghi is the author of a major report on European competitiveness commissioned by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the…
Photo by Allan Wadsworth on Unsplash More than 700 workers “united” on Tuesday in front of the European Parliament, Strasbourg, France, to call upon the EU institutions for urgent action to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains and labour intermediation. The European action organised by the EFBWW (European Federation of Building and Woodworkers), EFFAT…
Photo by Lukas S on Unsplash MEPs return to their work after the summer break facing a packed agenda in Strasbourg this week. One of the first tasks is the ongoing discussions about the new College of Commissioners. On this, the leader of one of the leading mainstream groups in the parliament says…
The centre-right European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the European Parliament has been constituted. Nicola Procaccini (Fratelli d’Italia, Italy) and Joachim Brudziński (PiS, Poland) are the new joint leaders Assita Kanko (N-VA, Belgium), Hermann Tertsch (Vox, Spain), Alexandr Vondra (ODS, Czech Republic) and Charlie Weimers (Sverigedemokraterna, Sweden) are its deputy leaders. Meanwhile, Denis Nesci (Fratelli d’Italia) and Kosma Złotowski (PiS, Poland) have been elected as co-treasurers. …
The Left Group in the European Parliament has decided to welcome Movimento 5 Stelle to its ranks. The Left and M5S say they have agreed to join forces with what they call “a reciprocal observer status.” A statement confirming the move said, “We are confident that we will cooperate in a constructive and productive way…
In recent years, relations between Russia and the European Union have become markedly strained. Against the backdrop of tensions related to the annexation of Crimea, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and interference in electoral processes in a number of Western countries, the Kremlin has been actively developing a strategy to influence and undermine EU unity….
