Future EU Archives

Alone, we fail. Together, we overcome. This was true 70 years ago and still is today, writes Antonio López-Istúriz White. Antonio López-Istúriz White is a Spanish MEP and Secretary General of the centre-right European People's Party.  Five years after the end of the …

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic there is a temptation to revert to nationalism and close borders. But working together and eschewing damaging short-term measures is the best response to the crisis, writes Henning vom Stein.

The political attacks against the Hungarian Government's response to the coronavirus work against a strong and unified Europe, argues Judit Varga.

Even if coronavirus has a negative effect on attitudes to immigration, it will be bad news for Europe’s radical right, argue Dr James Dennison and Professor Andrew Geddes.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has sent a letter to the party leaders of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), accusing both political opponents and allies of spreading fake news about the Hungarian coronavirus law that enabled his government to rule by decree without set time limits.

The Hungarian parliamentary elections in April 2010 changed the country – for worse. Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz took power for the second time. Today, ten years later, we can see how the prime minister has turned his country into an illiberal state, ignoring the basic principles of the rule of law, writes MEP Udo Bullmann.

Amid the range of appeals and open letters on the policy-changes need to combat the coronavirus, one constant is that all are demanding an effective common EU response to the pandemic, writes Roberto Castaldi.

The management of COVID-19 cases seems to be working more on the basis of Darwin's well-known theory of natural selection, where the strong survive, rather than on any European strategy, writes Bashkim Smakaj.

For French president Emmanuel Macron, there is no way around Coronabonds, a position he made perfectly clear last Friday to the northern Naysayers, particularly Berlin. Because his own political future is at stake.

The EU must swiftly propose and adopt sanctions against the latest 'democratic backsliding' by the Hungarian government, say leading European politicians, media and civil society leaders in an open letter whose signatories include former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, and EURACTIV founder Christophe Leclercq.

European Council President Charles Michel has voiced regret that Europe’s way of working, also evident during the coronavirus crisis, is ‘too slow’ and called for more solidarity with countries that have been hard-hit by the pandemic, like Italy and Spain.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen believes the “real Europe is standing up” to the coronavirus crisis now. In a written interview with EURACTIV's media partner Efe, she spoke about a broad range of issues, from the challenges facing the Eurogroup earlier this month to the expectations for the summit of European leaders this week.

Italy is staring down the barrel of the worst recession since World War II, which could bolster the far-right and damage the country's love affair with the European Union, analysts say.

The first draft programme of Germany's EU Presidency contains mainly empty wording. There are no concrete goals for the Green Deal, with new initiatives only in the case of hydrogen. The coronavirus pandemic is to blame. EURACTIV Germany reports.

From financial problems to migration and Brexit, the European Union has faced multiple challenges so far. Nowadays, Europe is being hard-hit by another “black swan” – the COVID-19 pandemic. How can the EU learn from its mistakes in order to better face future unpredictable crises, asks Nicolae Stefanuta.

Pope Francis prayed for tens of thousands of coronavirus victims in an unprecedented livestream Easter Sunday message delivered from a hauntingly empty Vatican to a world under lockdown.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Friday (10 April) that the Netherlands' attempt to block economic support to fight the coronavirus raised questions about the future of the European Union.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte warned Thursday (9 April) that the European integration project was at risk if EU member states do not find an economic response to the coronavirus crisis.

The coronavirus crisis comes just as Germany was about to finalise its rotating EU presidency programme, which begins on 1 July. EURACTIV Germany obtained a draft of the programme, which shows how much of a role the virus is set to play during the six month stint in charge.

EU countries are nearing an economic rescue plan for European countries worst hit by the coronavirus outbreak, sources said on Monday (6 April), but not at the level of ambition called for by Italy and Spain.

The coronavirus outbreak hit the world just a few weeks after Robert Shiller published ‘Narrative economics'. Europe now presents the American economist a unique case study.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Friday (3 April) he has "no time" for scathing criticism by EU allies of sweeping powers he took on this week to tackle the coronavirus threat.

South Korea is an inspiration for fighting the coronavirus and the UN chief is exemplary for global leadership, at a time when the US is incapacitated, and the EU -- still in need of unity, writes Stavros Papagianneas.