Elections
Luxury home purchase haunts Spain’s far-left Podemos party
Accusations of hypocrisy have rained down on the couple that heads Spain's far-left Podemos party for buying a 600,000-euro luxury home with a swimming pool after previously condemning such extravagance.
How did EU-founding member Italy go Eurosceptic?
All eyes are on Italy as the far-right League and rebellious Five Star Movement close in on power, ringing alarm bells in Brussels as the country inches towards becoming the first EU founding member to have a euro-sceptic government.
Italian president hesitates as novice put forward as premier
Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the far-right League on Monday (21 May) proposed Giuseppe Conte, a little-known law professor, as prime minister to lead their big-spending coalition government.
Kosovo is not Catalonia, Kosovo’s Thaci tells absent Spanish PM Rajoy
Pristina ‘understands’ the decision of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy not to attend the EU-Western Balkans summit in Sofia, but “Kosovo is not Catalonia”, Kosovo's President Hashim Thaçi told EURACTIV.com.
Trans-Europe Express – Having 5-Star in ALDE wasn’t a bad idea
As Italy gets closer to having a cabinet dominated by the 5-Star Movement, the rejection of this force by the liberal ALDE group in January 2017 increasingly looks like a strategic mistake.
Erdogan mobilises diaspora, ‘friends’ in Balkans
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan holds a rally in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo to drum up support among the Turkish diaspora. Three days after the EU-Western Balkans summit in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Balkans confirm their strategic position.
Bulgarian truckers protest against ‘Macron law’
Hundreds of truck drivers blocked roads across Bulgaria on Thursday (17 May) as European Union leaders met in Sofia, protesting against proposed EU rules they say would cost them their jobs and put their firms out of business.
5-Star, League on verge of reaching government deal
Italy inched closer towards ending more than two months of political deadlock on Thursday (17 May) as anti-establishment leader Luigi Di Maio said he was confident an agreement would be reached on forming a coalition government with the far-right.
Macron’s party seen outperforming French rivals in 2019 EU elections
French President Emmanuel Macron's party is seen easily outperforming its rivals in next year's European Parliament elections, the first poll on the issue showed on Wednesday (16 May), which could give a boost to his EU reform plans.
5-Star, League want ECB to forgive €250 billion of Italy debt
The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and far-right Northern League plan to ask the European Central Bank to forgive €250 billion of Italian debt, according to a draft of a coalition programme the parties are working on.
It’s not too early for Barnier to throw his hat in the ring
Not to beat about the bushes, Michel Barnier should succeed Jean-Claude Juncker. Not just because his handling of the Brexit process has enlarged his stature, but for a number of other cogent reasons, writes Gilles Merritt.
Italy’s 5-Star, League talks progress, PM may be in sight
Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the far-right League spent the weekend locked in talks to forge a common policy programme and called the head of state on Sunday (13 May) to report on their progress towards naming a prime minister.
Tajani warns compatriots against exiting the euro
This year’s “State of the Union” conference opened in Florence on Friday (11 May), coinciding with the news that Italy is likely to get a coalition government of two Eurosceptic forces, both keen on leaving the eurozone. Speaking at the event, European Parliament President Antonio Tajani strongly warned Italy against exiting the euro.
Orbán sworn in as PM for third time, eyes 20 more years in power
Fresh from a landslide election win in April, Hungary's combative premier Viktor Orbán was formally sworn in as prime minister Thursday (10 May), and hinted at designs on power until at least 2030.
Italy’s League and 5-Star make ‘significant steps’ towards government deal
The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and far-right League have made "significant steps" towards forming a government, the two parties said Thursday (10 May) as Italy looked to end nine weeks of political deadlock.
New Hungary protest as Orbán installs ‘Christian democracy’
Thousands of Hungarians gathered Tuesday (8 May) to protest against strongman Viktor Orbán after he was nominated for re-election as prime minister for a third consecutive term during the inauguration of the new parliament.
European luminaries warn about new phase of EU ‘lethargy’
In an open letter, a number of well-known European public figures have asked EU leaders to come up with a clear plan for a "revival of the European Union", saying they feared “a new phase of lethargy” that could encourage a rise of populist parties in the European elections in May 2019.
Italy repeat election looms as parties still far apart
The prospect of an election re-run in Italy grew today (7 May) as President Sergio Mattarella held a final round of consultations to try to break two months of political deadlock with party leaders still far apart.
Democracy: Making more voices count
Let’s involve more people in decision making and inspire all levels of government, be they local, national or European, to put people first, writes Anna Lisa Boni.
Trans-Europe Express – Sowing the seeds of discord
Almost certainly to the displeasure of mainstream Brussels, leaders of Europe's far-right parties came together on the French Riviera this week, saying they wanted to devise a battle plan for next year's European election.
Hungary blasts Commission over EU funding ‘blackmail’ plan
Hungary said Thursday (3 May) that a European Union plan to link the bloc's funding payouts to respect for the rule of law amounted to "blackmail", a day after Brussels unveiled its first post-Brexit multi-year budget plan.
Slovak public broadcaster under fire after sacking 4 reporters
Slovakia's public TV and radio broadcaster has come under fire for sacking four reporters last week who had signed an open letter warning of creeping political pressure in state media.
Czech ruling party says near coalition deal to end limbo
The Czech ruling ANO party could be days away from agreeing the text of a coalition agreement with the center-left Social Democrats, an ANO official was quoted as saying today (2 May), raising hopes for an end to months of political instability.