Future EU Archives

Austria will follow the United States and Hungary in backing out of a United Nations pact on migration over concerns that it will blur the line between legal and illegal migration, the right-wing government told media on Wednesday (31 October). The EU Commission regretted the decision. 

Merz, Kramp-Karrenbauer, Spahn and Laschet – portraits of the four candidates to succeed Angela Merkel as CDU chair. EURACTIV Germany’s media partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.

As Europe's most powerful leader, Angela Merkel's decision to quit as German chancellor in 2021 spells uncertainty and possibly paralysis for the EU as populists rally, diplomats and analysts warn.

Justice Commissioner Věra Jourová made it clear today (26 October) that the EU is worried about government attempts in Bucharest to violate the independence of the judiciary, also in the perspective of the upcoming Romanian EU Presidency.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday (26 October) warned eastern EU members not to fall out of step with the bloc's principles, singling out Hungary and Poland whose nationalist governments have clashed with Brussels.

French MPs from the right-wing 'Les Républicains' party refused to take their seats during the adoption of a Parliament resolution on the respect of the rule of law in the EU, which notably targets Hungary. EURACTIV France reports.

Hungary's Central European University, a graduate school founded by US financier George Soros, said it was being forced out of the country by the nationalist government and would switch to enrolling new students in Vienna.

Central Europe could become more positive to the core EU in the likely case of another major economic crisis, which would oblige them to marry the eurozone family, writes Wojciech Przybylski, who also looks at several other, more dramatic, scenarios for the region.

The Romanian Justice Minister on Wednesday (24 October) formally asked the president to sack public prosecutor Augustin Lazar, a strong critic of the left-wing ruling party's judicial reforms, just months after the country's top anti-graft prosecutor was also dismissed.

Fears of the populist right seizing control of the European Parliament after the 2019 elections are greatly exaggerated, says Piotr Buras. But the new European Parliament and Commission that will come out of the election will certainly be more colourful, he says.

Poland's Supreme Court chief justice asked 23 of the court's judges to return to work on Monday (22 October), days after the European Union's top court ordered Poland to "immediately suspend" their retirement under a disputed law.

Alexander Stubb, one of the EPP's two candidates to be the next European Commission president, has urged Greek and Cypriot conservatives to remember how he handled the financial crisis and make an “educated and personal” choice at the party’s congress next month.

A lack of clarity in the Brexit negotiations has left many British expatriates living in Spain uncertain about just how the UK's withdrawal from the EU will affect their lives in the future, the head of the group 'Brexpats in Spain' told EURACTIV's media partner EFE in an interview Saturday (20 October).

Poland's governing nationalists came out on top in regional elections Sunday (21 October), but were losing to opposition centrists in mayoral races in large cities including the capital Warsaw, exit polls showed.

A power struggle between Romania's government and judiciary is reaching a tipping point that risks driving a new wedge between the European Union and its eastern members over democratic standards. Justice Minister Tudorel Toader has said he will soon decide the …

The Italian government expects the European Commission to decide for the first time ever on Tuesday (23 October) to ask a member state to revise its draft budget, a government source said on Sunday.

The thorny issue of the border between Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland could sink the negotiations on Britain's exit from the European Union, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Friday (19 October).

The financial package outlined for Portugal in the next EU budget could still be improved, Portuguese MEPs José Manuel Fernandes and Pedro Silva Pereira have said, noting the urgency of concluding negotiations before next May's European Elections.

Bulgaria could end up being marginalised if pro-EU parties achieve very good results in next May’s European Parliament elections, said Bulgarian MEP Svetoslav Malinov during a discussion about the upcoming poll.

Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini denounced the "madness" of western sanctions against Russia, during a trip to Moscow Wednesday (17 October), and launched a fierce attack on the European Union.

British PM Theresa May appeared to open the way to extend the post-Brexit transition period until December 2021, as EU leaders offered an olive branch to her in a bid to break the impasse during the EU summit on Wednesday (17 October).

The European heads of state will meet in Brussels for three days. France is hoping to avoid reopening the eternal political debate surrounding migration and make progress on specific aspects, including Brexit – even though the final agreement is not ready. EURACTIV France reports.

France and Germany on Tuesday (16 October) condemned Poland for pressing ahead with controversial changes to its supreme court despite EU calls for restraint.

Italy's far right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini branded French President Macron "international shame" on Tuesday (16 October) for the French police having driven two migrants across its border and dumping them in Italy.