Elections
Márki-Zay: My government would be ‘grand prize’ for the EU
A Hungarian government with Péter Márki-Zay at its helm would be like winning the “grand prize” for the EU, the independent Christian conservative mayor of Hódmezővásárhely told EURACTIV in a phone interview. Péter Márki-Zay is one of the two candidates...
MEP Freund: Von der Leyen, EPP still shielding Bulgaria’s ex-PM Borissov
In an exclusive interview, MEP Daniel Freund tells about his recent visit to Bulgaria, revealing the frustrations of the caretaker government which did not receive support from the EU Commission in its efforts to tackle money-laundering.
Sven Giegold: ECB should start ‘digging into’ financial crime in Bulgaria
To join the Euro, Bulgaria needs to tidy up with financial crime, and the European Central Bank (ECB) should be doing its job and finally start “digging into this”, MEP Sven Giegold told EURACTIV in a telephone interview.
Communist candidate in French 2022 election: ‘We are very different from Mélenchon’
In an interview with EURACTIV France, Communist Party candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, Fabien Roussel, said he wants to be the candidate for the youth and the working man and criticised Europe for pitting the French worker against the Polish one.
Major political groups harbour corruption – Greens’ Freund
The major European political groups tolerate corruption and malfeasance among the member parties, says Green MEP Daniel Freund, who also analyses the weaknesses of instruments to fight the misuse of EU funds.
‘We wanted to stop the right-wing authoritarian trend,’ says Green Austrian MP
In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, Green Austrian MP Lukas Hammer spoke about his party's negotiations with the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) while drafting the coalition agreement and why his party took the risk of accepting tough migration policies in exchange for increased climate protection.
Michael Ignatieff: Hungary will not be a single-party state forever
The democratic transition is not over in Central and Eastern Europe and we will continue our mission of training people and creating "free minds, people who think", Michael Ignatieff, a Canadian academic and president of the Central European University, told EURACTIV Slovakia.
Ciolos: Romanian PSD government can only be trusted after it resigns
In an exclusive interview, the former Romanian prime minister and former European Commissioner, Dacian Cioloș, said his newly-formed political force will be able to tap into a reformist wave that will change his country - and help change the EU.
Austria’s ‘video crisis’ exposes poor treatment of media – media expert
In an interview with EURACTIV, Reporters Without Borders Austria President and distinguished journalist Rubina Möhring spoke about the effects of the controversial 'Ibiza video' and why Austria is getting ever so close to the Hungarian media model.
Victor Ponta: The ruling PSD in Romania is becoming like Fidesz
In a wide-ranging interview, the former Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who has founded a new centre-left force, Pro-Romania, doesn’t mince his words criticising his former party, the ruling PSD. The Party of European Socialists (PES) should, if necessary, show PSD the red card, he says.
Campaign leader: +Plus party is much more than the person of Dacian Ciolos
The new Romanian party, +Plus, founded by former EU Commissioner Dacian Cioloș, is in talks to run for the European elections in coalition with the Save Romania Union (USR), the new force's campaign leader told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Czech MEP: I want to be ECR’s lead candidate, not an EU top job candidate
Czech MEP Jan Zahradil has recently announced his intention to become the ECR's lead candidate for the 2019 European Elections. He is a supporter of a multi-speed Union, with freedom for member states to pursue a foreign policy that best suits their own interests.
Verhofstadt sides with Macron for the European elections
The Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the European liberals and democrats (ALDE), confirmed in an interview with our partner Ouest-France that he will be campaigning with French President Emmanuel Macron at the European elections in May 2019. The common movement will be launched in October.
Vestager: ‘I’d like a Facebook that I pay, with full privacy’
In an exclusive interview, the EU's antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager, told EURACTIV.com that the US social network Facebook is on her radar screen but not the e-commerce giant Amazon, which is also suspected of abusing its dominant position.
Victor Negrescu: The Romanian Presidency will build consensus around the citizens
In a wide-ranging interview, Victor Negrescu, the Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs, presents the priorities of the upcoming Romanian Presidency (1 January-30 June 2019), during which the European elections will be held, as well as the first post-Brexit EU summit.
Dacian Ciolos: ‘We need to show Romanians that politics is not the mafia’
As Romania prepares to hold the rotating EU presidency at the start of 2019, EURACTIV met with Dacian Cioloș. The former prime minister and agriculture Commissioner has just set up a party in Romania similar to Emmanuel Macron's En Marche, with one eye on the European elections.
MEP Kathleen Van Brempt ‘dares’ to challenge Udo Bullman to lead S&D group
With the slogan "Dare to change", Belgian MEP Kathleen Van Brempt has submitted her candidacy to lead the group of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, a year before the EU elections.
Czech minister: Government to hold series of public debates on EU future
The Czech government has responded to the challenge laid down by French President Emmanuel Macron and is going to start a series of public discussions on what shape the EU should take in the future, Aleš Chmelař, Czech State Secretary for EU affairs, told Aktuálně.cz.
Russia’s EU ambassador: ‘Donbass is part of Ukraine’
In a wide-ranging interview on Monday (5 March), Russia’s ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov discussed Syria and eastern Ukraine, the current tensions between Gazprom and Naftogaz, as well as the Italian election.
+Europa candidate: Italy risks departing from basic EU values
The stakes are high for Italy ahead of the vote on 4 March, as it runs the risk of becoming yet another EU country that departs from basic European values such as the rule of law, candidate Alberto Alemanno told EURACTIV.
Dan Barna: Save Romania Union similar to Macron’s En Marche
Dan Barna, President of Save Romania Union (USR), told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview that his force, which largely represents educated urban voters, could join the European political family of Emmanuel Macron’s La République En Marche! party.
German analyst: ‘The coalition agreement has more of Juncker than Macron’
In the draft of the German coalition agreement presented on Wednesday by the CDU/CSU and the SPD, the parties want to pursue a “departure for Europe” in the next four years. EURACTIV Germany spoke to Matthias Kullas about the European policy aspects of the draft text.
Alain Lamassoure: Transnational lists – a crazy idea
The European conservatives are opposed to the project of transnational lists for the European elections, but risk losing during the vote on the matter on 6 February