Elections
UK and Germany criticise Trump for failing to oppose neo-Nazis
Of all the EU capitals, London and Berlin have reacted most strongly to Donald Trump’s reluctance to forcefully condemn white supremacists after a woman was killed during a white-nationalist rally in Charlottesville last Saturday (12 August).
Slovak minister under pressure in coalition row over EU funds
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Wednesday that (16 August) he wants to replace the Education Minister Peter Plavčan, who is a member of junior coalition partner the Slovak National Party (SNS), over alleged mismanagement of EU subsidies in his department.
Fico ends coalition crisis, insists Slovakia should stick to EU’s core
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico struck a deal on Tuesday (15 August) to keep his three-party coalition in power, ending a week-long crisis triggered when a Eurosceptic junior partner threatened to quit.
Schulz uses dieselgate to invigorate his campaign
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief challenger in a September election, Martin Schulz, launched a stinging attack on the country's dieselgate-tainted car industry on Sunday (13 August) as he sought to turn around a flagging campaign.
Political crisis grips Sweden as confidence vote looms
A political crisis gripped Sweden on Wednesday (26 July) after opposition parties called for a no confidence vote they would almost certainly win over a botched outsourcing deal in which sensitive material was transmitted abroad.
Schulz warned against a re-run of the refugee crisis, urged Merkel to take action
Germany needs to take action now to prevent a re-run of 2015, when some 890,000 migrants arrived in the country, said former European Parliament president and challenger of Chancellor Angela Merkel, for a September election in an interview on Sunday (23 July).
Poland’s cherry picking of EU energy rules makes no sense
When it comes to EU energy policy, Warsaw does not always adhere to the letter and the spirit of EU law and tends to select rules a la carte, adapting them to Poland's narrowly-defined interests, writes Danila Bochkarev.
End to austerity? Poll gamble exposes rift in Britain’s ruling party
An early election was meant to bind the Conservatives to Theresa May's agenda for at least five years, but instead it has badly shaken the governing party with ministers questioning its seven-year pursuit of austerity.
Meeting of minds as Netanyahu visits Orbán
Hungary welcomes Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu today (18 July) on a landmark visit that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hopes will bolster him in his battle with George Soros and deflect charges of stoking anti-Semitism.
SPD’s Schulz accuses Merkel of lacking clear plan
German Socialist Party leader Martin Schulz set out plans to boost investment and enhance European unity, accusing Chancellor Angela Merkel of making empty promises.
Thousands protest ‘coup against constitution’ in Poland
Thousands of Poles protested on Sunday (16 July) against the government’s attempts to secure full control over the judiciary. EURACTIV Poland's editor-in-chief reports from Warsaw.
State-controlled Polish TV instigated hate against Brussels journalist
Dorota Bawołek, a respected Brussels journalist, has been the target of hundreds of insulting and threatening messages on social media, after state-controlled Polish TV said she asked the European Commission politically motivated questions with intent “to harm Poland”.
EU remains silent as Poland’s government assaults top court
The EU remained silent yesterday (13 July), despite being pressed by journalists to say something following the news that Poland's governing ultraconservatives tabled a bill in parliament that would subjugate the Supreme Court to executive power.
Corbyn: Labour will negotiate for jobs
After talks with EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels on Thursday (13 July), British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn told journalists he would fight to protect jobs and citizens’ rights, and that he was “surprised” at the Commission’s decision to oust some UK national experts.
European Commission steps up infringement procedures against Hungary
The Commission opened an infringement procedure against Hungary on Thursday (13 July) for its new law on foreign-funded NGOs, and went a step further in another infringement it had launched in April over the Higher Education Law, that seeks to close the Central European University (CEU), founded by George Soros.
At Trieste trilateral, Italy laments migrant burden
In the margins of the Western Balkans summit in Trieste, Italy's Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni criticised fellow EU member states on Wednesday (12 July) for leaving his country to grapple with the migrant crisis, despite pledges made by France and Germany.
Soros ‘distressed’ by ‘anti-Semitic’ Hungary campaign
US billionaire George Soros hit back yesterday (11 July) at a Hungarian government anti-immigration poster and media campaign that he said uses "anti-Semitic" imagery.
EU enlargement: A six percent target for the Western Balkans
If the Western Balkans are to overcome almost three decades of economic stagnation and crisis, they will need to double their annual growth rates. This will need a fundamental rethink of the EU’s enlargement policy, argue Tobias Flessenkemper and Dušan Reljić.
Replacing Juncker: A centre-left struggle
French Commissioner Pierre Moscovici’s name has been linked with the EU executive’s top job once the current president’s mandate ends. If Juncker’s successor is chosen in the same way he got the job, then how good are Moscovici’s chances? Nicholas Whyte explains.
Hungarian hard right launches new anti-liberal, racist movement
Hundreds of Hungarian right-wing militants gathered in a Budapest suburb on Saturday (8 July) to launch a new political movement they hope will run in next year's parliamentary elections on a ticket that includes open racism.
Trans-Europe Express: Tanks against migrants
The rhetoric about sending troops to the Brenner Pass was especially reactionary. But Austrian Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil felt compelled to use it anyway.
Rodrigues: ‘This European Parliament can’t be led by a right-wing majority’
The European Parliament on Wednesday (5 July) failed to agree a common position on the Commission Work Programme for 2018. In an interview with EURACTIV.com, Maria João Rodrigues welcomed this as a sign that the conservative domination of the legislature is coming to an end.
PM says time to end France’s addiction to spending
Prime Minister Édouard Philippe said on Tuesday (4 July) it was time to end France's addiction to easy public spending, promising to cut expenditures over the next five years and rein in debts he said were at an unacceptable level.
Macron wants EU nations to hold debates on ‘refounding Europe’
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday (3 July) that after a "cruel decade" of crisis-management, European Union leaders needed to reform the bloc to fight Euroscepticism among the public.