Future EU
The Brief, powered by VDMA – Back to the Future of Europe
As soon as the EU has a new set of leaders, it stages its traditional extravaganza in the form of a big conference to discuss the ‘Future of Europe’. Every 10 years, there is a new one. Contrary to its...
Time for the European Commission to shine
The latest successful European Citizens' Initiative, Minority SafePack, is a rare opportunity to take democratic participation seriously, after a number of previous ECis failed to garner enough attention or make an impact on EU legislation, writes Carsten Berg.
What to expect in EU policy in 2021?
To bring you up to speed with what's coming up in EU policy this year, EURACTIV’s news team has put together a series of lookaheads for the most important issues in various policy areas, from economy and foreign affairs to energy, digital, and transport.
The Brief, powered by Goldman Sachs – Two visions of England, and Europe
Aside from being great yarns, Europe and the project of European integration lie at the heart of the best work of the great spy novelist, John Le Carré, who died on Saturday.
The Brief, powered by Facebook – EU summits as storms
There are several established methodologies to measure tropical storms and hurricanes, but none for measuring EU summits. Most summits will not be remembered in EU history, Some bring memories thanks to anecdotes outside the summit room, like Jacques Chirac answering...
After a Decade of EU Pragmatism, It Is Time to Talk About Democracy Again
During the crisis-ridden last decade, the EU has stumbled into a new intergovernmentalism presented as an apparently pragmatic problem-solving approach. But side-lining the European Parliament is not just a problem for the EU’s legitimacy, but also results in negotiation deadlocks...
Portuguese presidency wants to strengthen trust in EU social model
Portugal will place Europe’s social model at the heart of its semester at the EU helm next year, giving a fresh push to the social agenda at a summit to take place in Porto in May, according to an official document seen by EURACTIV.
Boosting EU’s democratic legitimacy: Parliament seeks electoral reforms
In a new European Parliament resolution, adopted this week, EU lawmakers called for reforms, including lowering the voting age, transnational lists, and gender balance rules, ahead of the next European elections in 2024.
Poland, Hungary propose two-track way out of EU budget deadlock
Poland and Hungary reaffirmed on Thursday (26 October) their opposition to tying EU finds with the rule of law in member states and instead offered their own proposal for breaking the deadlock that is holding back the EU's €1.81 trillion seven-year budget and the recovery fund.
Conference on the Future of Europe: EU overhaul in the making?
In 2020, hundreds of EU citizens were meant to be invited to reflect on Europe’s future at a conference that will debate European policy priorities in an attempt to introduce direct democracy in EU decision-making over the course of the...
Member states stymying debate on EU’s future, says MEP
After the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the Conference on the Future of Europe, a two-year soul-searching exercise aimed at reforming the EU after Brexit, onto the back-burner, the recovery from the health crisis could present a new opportunity, Socialist MEP Gabriele...
EU scores high approval ratings, despite pandemic
A majority of Europeans have a favourable opinion of the EU's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, a recent study by the Pew Research Center, conducted before the continent began facing a second wave, has found.
Does Brexit free Europe to seek closer union?
British politicians often speak of Brexit as an opportunity to escape Brussels' shackles but does the divorce also free Europe to go its own way?
Czech centre-right parties form alliance to defeat Babiš
Three centre-right Czech parties haven signed a memorandum on forming an alliance for the next year’s general elections. The aim of Civic Democrats (ECR), Christian Democrats (EPP) and TOP 09 (EPP) is to defeat the ruling ANO party (Renew) of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.
European Parliament cancels Strasbourg session and goes virtual
The European Parliament will hold next week's plenary session by videoconference as a precaution against coronavirus, European Parliament President Davide Sassoli said Thursday (15 October), despite French insistence on resuming the assembly's monthly Strasbourg sessions.
We need to talk about the future of Europe
Our online world lends itself well to a conversation with citizens about the future of Europe. And yet, European leaders have so far failed to reach agreement, even on who should chair the long promised Conference on the Future of Europe, writes Roger Casale.
The Brief, powered by CEN-CENELEC – The triumph of the jargon
Last night the European Parliament delegation walked out of talks on the EU budget. Although the main dispute is over MEPs’ demands for extra cash for some projects, lawmakers and some EU governments also insist that there must be a strong link between the rule of law and the disbursement of EU funds.
European Parliament walks out of EU budget negotiations
European Parliament budget negotiators walked out on Thursday night (8 October) from negotiations with member states and suspended all further talks until next week, saying they "will come back to the table once there is a real will from the Council’s side to find an agreement".
Unbalanced politics leads to unchecked power
Europeans are doing well not to look down upon the democratic backsliding in the US too much. The mix is different, but all the elements are here as well. Here too, the interplay between governments and courts is all skewed, writes Sophie in 't Veld.
EU governments, parliament edge closer to deal on recovery plan
The European Union edged closer on Wednesday (7 October) to a deal over the bloc's budget and recovery package of €1.8 trillion after national governments offered concessions, but key differences remained.
The Brief, powered by CEN-CENELEC – We’re struggling too
Like so many institutions these days, the European Commission has taken its press conferences entirely online. While understanding the challenges this creates, we cannot help feeling that press relations seem to have generally started going downhill.
The Brief, powered by CEN-CENELEC – Against a Christian Europe
Tomorrow, the European Parliament is set to back Mairead McGuinness as Ireland’s new Commissioner responsible for financial services. However, during her hearing in the Economy Committee last week, MEPs failed to press the Parliament’s vice-president on perhaps the one thing...
Brace for a landmark debate – not only for Bulgaria, but for the EU
On Monday (5 October), the European Parliament will discuss in plenary the Rule of Law in Bulgaria. It may look like an event important mostly for the Bulgarians, but in fact it has a lot of incidence on the EU, writes Radan Kanev