Italian PM Conte wins confidence vote but loses overall majority

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte survived a vote of confidence Tuesday (19 January) but failed to secure an overall majority in parliament, leaving his ruling coalition severely weakened as it battles the coronavirus pandemic.

Italian PM faces Senate confidence vote as pandemic rages

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will on Tuesday (19 January) face a vote of confidence in parliament, seeking the Senate's support for his teetering government as it battles a deadly coronavirus pandemic.

CDU leadership election: What’s in store for Europe?

Germany's ruling conservative CDU will choose its new leader on Saturday. Whoever of the three candidates wins has the best chance of becoming the next chancellor - and thus one of the most powerful people in Europe. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Italy plunged into political crisis with ‘all options open’

Italy was plunged into political crisis Wednesday (13 January) after former premier Matteo Renzi withdrew his party from the ruling coalition, risking the collapse of the government in the middle of a raging coronavirus pandemic.

The Brief – Of German vaccines and dark horses

Germany's Christian Democrats are set to elect their new leader among the three candidates vying for top post this weekend. But the winner might not necessarily go on to become the party's designated candidate to run for the chancellorship in this year’s general election.

The three men vying to succeed Merkel

Germany's conservative CDU party will pick a new leader on Saturday (16 January) from three candidates: moderate Armin Laschet, arch-conservative Friedrich Merz and outsider Norbert Röttgen.

Conte faces showdown with aggrieved coalition party

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte faced a cabinet showdown on Tuesday (12 January) with a small coalition partner that could bring down his government and unleash political chaos on Italy as it struggles to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Italy to spend 222 billion euros of EU funds to revive economy

Italy plans to spend more than €222 billion from various European Union funds to revive its coronavirus-battered economy, a draft government document seen by Reuters showed on Thursday (7 January).

Starting Germany’s election year, the CSU presents its digital agenda

The Bavarian-governing party, the Christian Social Union is adopting its digital strategy this week. Among other things, it calls for a digitally sovereign Europe, but some of the plans smack of national unilateralism. EURACTIV Germany reports. 

Latvia health minister fired in vaccine row

Latvia's prime minister on Tuesday (5 January) fired his health minister in a row over coronavirus vaccination policy, straining ties within the governing coalition.

Mario Draghi to replace Conte? Virus-hit Italy gripped by political crisis

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has more than enough on his plate as he deals with a raging coronavirus pandemic, but also faces the more immediate challenge of staying in office.

Italian government totters as Conte, Renzi divide deepens

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte faces a showdown with his coalition partner and former premier Matteo Renzi this week that could bring down his government even as it struggles to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asked about future, Barnier says he wants to serve France

The European Union's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Tuesday (29 December) he saw himself serving his home country, France, in some capacity following his work on negotiating Britain's exit from the EU.

Spain passes budget in boost for minority government

Spain's Senate approved Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's budget for 2021 on Tuesday (22 December), boosting his minority Socialist-led government after years of political instability.

Romania to get a government for Christmas

Three Romanian centre-right parties signed a coalition agreement for a future government led by ex-banker Florin Cîțu, following the results of parliamentary elections held 6 December, party representatives announced Monday (21 December).

Hungarian opposition forces unite to beat Orban in 2022

The leaders of six leading opposition parties of Hungary officially agreed on Sunday (21 December) to join forces in the 2022 parliamentary elections to defeat Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz, in power since 2010.

EU summit aftermath: Slovak PM diagnosed with COVID

Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovič has tested positive for COVID-19, the government office said on Friday (18 December). The announcement comes after the French presidency said that Emmanuel Macron had been diagnosed with coronavirus, which he might have contracted at an EU summit both leaders attended the previous week.

Erdogan ‘openly interferes’ in Bulgarian politics, pundits say

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has started to interfere openly in Bulgarian domestic politics, pundits said after he made an unprecedented video address to Bulgaria's mostly ethnic Turkish Movement of Rights and Freedoms (DPS).

Macron and the moguls: media strategies ahead of the presidential election

Behind the corporate battle for French media company Lagardère, there’s a political tug-of-war involving the country’s richest man, a media magnate and President Emmanuel Macron.

Romanian prime minister resigns, but centre right likely to hold on to power

Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban resigned on Monday (7 December) after his centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL) came second to the Social Democrats (PSD) in Sunday's parliamentary elections. However, Orban, remains the leader of PNL and hopes to be involved in talks on forming a new government coalition.

Romanian PM claims election win but one exit poll differs

Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban claimed victory in the national election on Sunday (6 December) seen as pivotal for the country's future in the European mainstream, although one exit poll showed his ruling Liberals (PNL) losing by a narrow margin.

Fiscal reform, corruption in focus in Romania parliamentary election

Romanians head to the polls on Sunday (6 December) in a national ballot key to restoring the country's reputation among investors, with the incumbent, reform-oriented centrists of Prime Minister Ludovic Orban holding a narrow lead over opposition Social Democrats.

Farmers angered by pandemic rules to play key role in Romanian election

Romanians vote in a parliamentary election on Sunday (6 December) with rural voters’ anger over coronavirus restrictions set to complicate efforts by its centrist prime minister to restore judicial independence and the country’s reputation among investors.

MEPs rap Bulgarian nationalist colleague who aggressed protesters in Sofia

Reactions started pouring in after MEPs received a shocking video in which Angel Dzhambazki from the nationalist party VMRO (ECR-affiliated) is seen aggressing protesters during an anti-government demonstration in front of the VMRO headquarters in Sofia last week.