Future EU Archives

France wants to make access to European funds conditional on the European minimum wage and respect for the rule of law, the state secretary for Europe, Amélie de Montchalin, told EURACTIV Slovakia in an interview.

Europe should increase its economic assertiveness abroad and put forward a new strategy to face China’s rivalry, as the challenges posed by Beijing are already affecting the way European countries are preparing to compete with global powers, experts and diplomats agreed on Thursday (12 July).

Many women in Europe still live in precarious conditions. To deal with this, solidarity between women is an essential tool, according to participants of the conference "Elles font bouger l'Europe" (Women make Europe move). EURACTIV France reports.

German nominee for Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, continued her charm offensive with European political families on Wednesday (10 July), as MEPs tried hard to pin her down on climate protection, rule of law and reform of the bloc's institutional structures.

MEPs made no secret of their unhappiness at how names for EU top jobs emerged last week. At the European Parliament’s constitutive meeting in Strasbourg, lawmakers did not attempt to hide their disappointment at being simply swept aside, especially after polls …

"A sustainable Europe - a sustainable future". This is Finland's motto to kickstart its presidency in the European Council for the next six months. The Finnish programme seeks to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest, expand the digital internal market and strengthen military cooperation. EURACTIV Germany reports. 

The distribution of the various key positions within the European institutions needs to take into account a delicate balance between geographical and political origin. In this complex exercise, some fared better than others. EURACTIV France reports.

The European Parliament's new president, David Sassoli, is “reasonably optimistic” about the vote on whether to confirm Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission president next week, EU sources told EURACTIV.com.

The European Greens have set tough conditions for giving their approval to designated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who started her charm offensive among political parties in Brussels on Monday (7 July), ahead of next week's vote in the European Parliament.

Leftovers are, by their very nature, often overlooked and forgotten. Let’s not forget this one. The outgoing European Parliament passed last March a resolution calling, among other things, on the next Commission to review the controversial appointment of Martin Selmayr as secretary-general of the EU executive.

In a wide-ranging interview, Russia's Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov, speaks about nuclear arms control, the EU elections and top jobs, the situation in Ukraine, including the MH17, and America's bid to challenge Russian gas.

He was probably the most surprising – and arguably the most controversial - pick of the whole EU top job package: Joseph Borrell, Spain’s incumbent foreign minister.

The practice of shutting the far-right out of influential positions in the European Parliament has been around for over a decade. Now it has a name: cordon sanitaire.

Lawmakers of the newly constituted European Parliament slammed EU leaders on Thursday (4 July) for their 'backroom package deal' on the EU's top jobs, with a potential inter-institutional conflict looming ahead as the chamber's decision to approve it is on a knife-edge.

Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National and its allies are facing protest from the European Parliament's political groups, who are refusing to involve the French far-right party in a process that will decide on the Parliament's key positions. EURACTIV France reports.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Council's pick for the EU Commission boss, had been setting up her prestigious 'Agency for Innovation in CyberSecurity' in Germany. However, due to concerns raised by the German court of auditors, it will be her successor at the defence ministry who will have to pick up the pieces. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Former German Justice Minister Katarina Barley told EURACTIV in Strasbourg that she wants to vote against Ursula von der Leyen, the European Council's proposed candidate for the European Commission presidency. EURACTIV Germany reports.

The European Parliament elected Socialist David-Maria Sassoli as its new president and picked its extended leadership on Wednesday (3 July), after EU leaders trashed out a surprise package deal for the EU top jobs during a marathon summit the previous …

Embattled at home in politically divided Belgium, Mr Nice Guy on European stage - outgoing Belgian Prime Minister Chárles Michel, whom EU leaders designated to take over the European Council helm from Donald Tusk, might prove to be an unexpected, but suitable pick.

A lawyer by training, Christine Lagarde has been nominated to succeed Mario Draghi as president of the European Central Banck (ECB). The IMF director has an atypical profile, due to her lack of banking experience and question marks over her past. EURACTIV France reports.

The European Council finally agreed on a pick for the Commission presidency and rallied behind Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday (2 July). But it sets up a potentially ugly encounter with the European Parliament, which might not sanction her appointment.

German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen, a compromise name for the next  European Commission President, is a non-divisive political figure on EU stage and quiet tactician hardly known outside Germany. But her career at home has often been marked by scandals.

Although it has not been committed to paper, EU leaders suggested that Bulgaria’s Sergei Stanishev, president of the Party of European Socialists, would be the president of the new European Parliament for the next 2.5 years, as part of a package agreed at the EU summit on Tuesday (2 July).

The election of the European Parliament's president was scheduled to take place during the inaugural session in Strasbourg. But the deadlock between EU leaders over the European Commission presidency has put that on hold. EURACTIV France reports.