From the capitals
Why Eurovision is a big deal for Ukrainians – and not only this year
For Ukrainians, the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has always been deeply connected with political issues and claims. This year, the political contextualization became even sharper after the Russian invasion of the country.
Scholz to face major litmus test in elections of largest German state
On Sunday, 15 May, voters in the largest German state, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), will head to the polls. The results in the 17 million inhabitant state will be the first time that Chancellor Olaf Scholz is being judged by voters.
The Brief – Treaty change
The public remarks made by a group of EU leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, hinting at "the need to reform" the bloc have suddenly given life to the idea of a new EU treaty that would have been very unlikely just a few months ago.
Ukraine minister seeks G7 help to export 40 million tonnes of grain
Global food security and the impact of Russia’s invasion are high on the agenda of the G7 agriculture ministers meeting on Friday and Saturday (13-14 May), with Ukrainian minister Mykola Solskyj as a special guest.
Tesla puts India entry plan on hold after deadlock on tariffs
Telsa has put on hold plans to sell electric cars in India, abandoned a search for showroom space, and reassigned some of its domestic team after failing to secure lower import taxes, three people familiar with the matter have said.
Agrifood Brief: A sad tale from the farm
This week, EURACTIV travelled to the Vendée region of Western France to meet two generations of a farming family who are struggling to make ends meet amid rising costs and a rapidly changing society.
United Kingdom hopes for a return to Eurovision glory, reverse of Brexit bias
A quarter of a century has passed since the UK last won the Eurovision Song Contest, leading to years of speculation on whether political events such as Brexit crushed their chances of winning, but this year the tables may well turn.
Lavrov says EU becoming ‘aggressive, militant, NATO appendage’
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday (13 May) said he doubted the motives of Ukraine's intention of joining the European Union, while accusing Brussels of ambitions beyond the European continent.
Agrifood Podcast: EU-Turkey agri-trade, Crop rotation debate, Deforestation Law
This week, EURACTIV’s agrifood team brings you the latest on the first high-level meeting to strengthen the EU-Turkey agri-trade and we discuss our thoughts about what to expect from these talks. We also talk about the debate in Germany over...
EU lawmakers soon to vote half the bloc’s flagship climate package
The European Parliament's environment committee (ENVI) will vote on Monday and Tuesday (16-17 May) on half the texts in the European Commission's flagship Fit for 55 package aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.
Poland pushes for digital and telecoms integration with Ukraine
Poland sent a letter to the European Commission asking them to support better digital integration of Ukraine including in the telecoms sector with other countries expected to add their voices to the call.
EU Commission proposes tax cut to incentivise equity investments
As most corporate tax systems in the EU currently prefer debt financing over equity and EU companies are highly indebted, the EU Commission proposed the introduction of a tax allowance that should incentivise the accrual of new equity rather than debt.
Musk puts $44 bln Twitter deal ‘temporarily on hold’, shares slide
Elon Musk tweeted that his $44-billion deal for Twitter Inc was “temporarily on hold” on Friday while he waits for data on the proportion of its fake accounts, sending shares in the social media platform plunging.
Veterans, propagandists in Russia start criticising the stuttering Ukraine war
Vladimir Putin's faithful propagandists, as well as a former commander of pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, have openly criticised Moscow's stuttering military campaign in Ukraine in recent days, in a sign that the presumed iron-cast internal support for the Russian president may be eroding.
Swedish security report says NATO membership would deter conflict
A day after Finland’s leaders said the country must seek NATO membership for its own security’s sake, Sweden published a revised security policy review from parliamentary parties on Friday (13 May), highlighting the advantage of becoming a member of the...
Tech Brief: the encryption question, NIS2 agreed, platform workers’ battle
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “Today’s proposal sets clear obligations for companies to detect and report the abuse of children, with strong safeguards guaranteeing...
NIS2 – All you need to know
The EU legislators have just reached an agreement on the revised Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2), flagship cybersecurity legislation. We caught up with the European Parliament’s rapporteur Bart Groothuis straight out of the trilogue to get all the details...
Commission slams Slovakia’s proposed restriction of grain, cereal exports
Slovakia has tabled a proposal that would restrict agricultural commodities exports in light of the war in Ukraine, a move the European Commission has condemned, warning any bans of this nature to destabilise markets and lead to price increases.
Academic: We are probably entering a long period of high gas prices
With Russia’s war in Ukraine, the European Union is probably entering a long period of high gas prices, warns Ilaria Conti, saying the EU should use the crisis to mandate a storage obligation on EU member states and push for higher targets on renewable energy.
Why is Eurovision so political and what is the new European Political Community?
This week, our Beyond the Byline podcast focuses on why the Eurovision Song Contest has become so politicised and whether this year’s event is a good reflection of current European affairs. Who are the traditional allies that we will see...
Commissioner Schmit: You cannot make money on social services
Social economy should not be thought of as an alternative to public services, according to the European Commissioner for jobs and social rights, who nevertheless argued there was a need for a "third way" between the private, profit-oriented economy and publicly provided services that can be served by social economy. VideoPromoted content
Media Partnership: Can the EU foster a global green transition? The international implications of achieving the EU Green Deal
At this launch event, the Open Society European Policy Institute, The Club of Rome and SYSTEMIQ presented the core findings and implications of their new report. An expert panel then reacted to the report and discussed its consequences for European policy.
First European Parliament’s COVID committee meeting reveals broad scope of topics ahead
The very first meeting in the European Parliament’s new COVID-19 committee (COVI), did not bring about any substantial debate, but revealed the broad range of topics MEPs wish to address in the quest to collect lessons learnt from the pandemic.