News
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.
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.
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.
Erdogan says Turkey not supportive of Finland, Sweden joining NATO
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday (13 May) it was not possible for NATO-member Turkey to support plans by Sweden and Finland to join the pact, saying the Nordic countries were “home to many terrorist organisations”. Finland’s plan to apply...
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...
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.
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.
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.
With Nordics set to join NATO, Estonia wants to close Baltic security gaps
In Estonia, Finland and Sweden's looming NATO accession is seen as a spectacular flop for Russia's President Vladimir Putin and an opportunity to close a gap in Baltic Sea security.
Most Finns believe country can’t defend itself alone
In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Albania increasing imports from Ukraine and Russia, the Dutch prime minister’s address to the Ukrainian parliament, and so much more.
Czech EU presidency to prioritise fight against hybrid threats, deputy minister says
The Czech EU Council presidency will put the focus on hybrid threats, by accelerating discussions about disinformation and interference set out in the EU’s Strategic Compass, Deputy Minister of Defence Jan Havranek told EURACTIV.
EU readies €195 billion plan to quit Russian fossil fuels
The European Commission plans to unveil a €195 billion plan to stop importing Russian fossil fuels by 2027, combining a faster rollout of renewable energy and energy savings with a switch to alternative gas supplies, draft documents show.
Putin says sanctions hurting West more than Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday Western countries were worse hit by sanctions imposed on Moscow over Ukraine than Russia, which he insists has been resilient in the face of "external challenges".