EurActiv.com

EU news and policy debates across languages

21/11/2016

EU employees set to hand in petition against Barroso

Public Affairs


VideoPromoted
Public Affairs 21-11-2016

Who is lobbying for lobbyists?

To ensure that no group gains an unfair advantage over the others, it is crucial that consultations are carried out in full transparency.
News
Public Affairs 18-11-2016

Hungary asked Kremlin lobbyist to airlift Oettinger to Budapest

The Hungarian government yesterday (17 November) explained that EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger's controversial flight to Budapest on board a Kremlin lobbyist's private jet took place as part of Hungary's contacts with the businessman.
Interview
Public Affairs 17-11-2016

Gomes: Outrageous that Oettinger gets away with it because he’s German

Günther Oettinger is simply not suitable for European Commissioner, but he gets away just because he has the support of the EPP and of Germany,  MEP Ana Gomes (S&D, Portugal) told EurActiv.com in an exclusive interview.
News
Public Affairs 17-11-2016

Oettinger in fresh row over Kremlin lobbyist's jet

Germany's European Commissioner Günther Oettinger yesterday (16 November) defended his decision to fly in a Kremlin lobbyist's private jet, days after being caught in a row over derogatory comments about Chinese people.
News
Elections 16-11-2016

Romanian PM praises work of 'zero government'

Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş has marked the completion of his first year in office by labelling his technocratic cabinet a “zero government”: “zero corruption, zero populism and zero lies”, in a barb aimed directly at his critics. EurActiv Romania reports.

Opinion
Global Europe 14-11-2016

Trump win is a red flag for French 2017 elections

Politicians can err in believing that vote choice is influenced by rational decision-making, but we’ve seen in the past months how emotion can trump logic, writes NoelleAnne O’Sullivan.
Opinion
Public Affairs 14-11-2016

Lessons from the Barroso affair: How to reform Commission ethics

After months of procrastinating, Jean-Claude Juncker has now suggested extending the cooling off period for former Commission presidents. Unfortunately, the proposal is too weak to prevent scandals like ‘Barrosogate’ from happening again.
Opinion
Global Europe 10-11-2016

Time to take back control – the morning after Trump

Much like with Brexit, the question facing EU leaders and influencers after Donald Trump’s election is what next? The crux of the answer is: more of the same, writes Tom Parker.
News
Public Affairs 07-11-2016

Juncker steps in to close ‘Oettigate’, revolving door controversies

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker stepped in over the weekend to quash the controversy surrounding homophobic comments by Germany’s Commissioner in Brussels and moves by former members of the executive who recently joined business lobby groups.
Video
Public Affairs 03-11-2016

Commission grilled over Oettinger apology for ‘slitty eyes’ speech

The European Commission today (3 November) faced a grilling from journalists after Germany’s Commissioner Günther Oettinger apologised for mocking women and gay marriage, and calling the Chinese "slitty eyes".

News
Public Affairs 03-11-2016

Former Barroso Commissioners still enjoying big paydays

Former Commissioners are enjoying fat transitional allowances, even though they may already be working in the private sector or even if their time at the executive was only fleeting, according to German media. EurActiv Germany reports.

News
Public Affairs 03-11-2016

Oettinger finally apologises for ‘slitty eyes’ speech

Germany’s Commissioner Günther Oettinger today (3 November) finally apologised, a week after calling the Chinese “slitty eyes”, and mocking women and gay marriage, in a secretly-filmed after dinner speech.


Interview
Digital 02-11-2016

Media scholar: Let’s be modest about creating a European public sphere

Attempts at creating Europe-wide media have so far fallen flat. But that doesn’t mean all are doomed to fail, according to Belgian Professor François Henderyckx, who says media bosses haven’t really learned the lessons of past mistakes.
News
Public Affairs 02-11-2016

'There is no scandal': Oettinger refuses to apologise for ‘slitty eyes’ speech

EXCLUSIVE/ Under-fire Commissioner Günther Oettinger this morning (2 November) refused to apologise for describing the Chinese as “slitty eyes” and mocking women and gay marriage.
News
Public Affairs 02-11-2016

Georgieva resigned from the Commission at very short notice

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker only learned that his deputy Kristalina Georgieva would take a job at the World Bank on the same day she resigned from the EU executive (28 October), a source close to Juncker told EurActiv.com.
News
Public Affairs 31-10-2016

Commission won’t apologise for Oettinger’s ‘racist and homophobic’ speech

The European Commission today (31 October) repeatedly refused to apologise for or investigate racist and homophobic remarks made by Germany’s EU commissioner in a secretly-filmed after-dinner speech.
News
Public Affairs 31-10-2016

Barroso cleared of wrongdoing by EU ethics committee

Former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso did not breach EU ethics rules but he may have been unwise to take a controversial top job at US investment bank Goldman Sachs after leaving office, an EU panel said today (31 October).
News
Public Affairs 31-10-2016

Oettinger defends Chinese 'slitty eyes' comment

Germany's European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger on Sunday (31 October) defended his use of the term "slitty eyes" for Chinese people which triggered outrage after they were revealed in a leaked recording of a speech to business leaders.
Interview
Digital 24-10-2016

Edwy Plenel: Europe needs participative media against populism

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker must  operate in a participative democracy if he wants to carve a proper plan to re-launch the European construction. That is true also for the media, Edwy Plenel said in an interview with EurActiv.com.
News
Social Europe & Jobs 21-10-2016

Populism in Europe stoking violence, say gay activists

Activists at Europe's biggest annual gay rights conference warned today (21 October) that populist political movements across the continent are stoking violence against minorities.
VideoPromoted
Digital 19-10-2016

Big data and policy making

Big data has the potential to advance collective decision-making processes. For example, data mining has become increasingly popular to obtain a better understanding of what is relevant to the public.
News
Public Affairs 18-10-2016

Journalistic investigation digs into Commissioner Georgieva’s past

A journalistic investigation alleges Commission Vice President Kristalina Georgieva, who was a candidate for UN Secretary General, has skeletons in her closet. The study also suggests that the EU keeps appointing leadership figures without vetting them.
News
Future EU 14-10-2016

EU grandees seek plan to revive pride, wake up Europe after Brexit vote

Faced with the shocks that have disrupted the European construct, a number of opinion-makers, former Commissioners, ministers, and parliamentarians have slammed the European 'intellectual disease' which has prevented leaders using common sense to reignite the sense of pride in the EU project - starting with the young generation.
News
Public Affairs 12-10-2016

EU employees set to hand in petition against Barroso

Hundreds of thousands of EU officials and citizens have signed a petition calling for a suspension of pension rights to former European Commission president José Manuel Barroso for taking a job at Goldman Sachs.