Politics
The Brief, powered by BP – No Great Expectations
Barring a spectacular shock, a majority of Conservative party members have already voted for Boris Johnson and he will be declared as Theresa May’s successor as Prime Minister next Tuesday (23 July).
Boost Irish backstop with new protocol, says Tory-backed group
The controversial Irish border backstop should not be scrapped but instead bolstered by a protocol, according to a report published on Thursday (18 July) by an influential group of Conservative politicians.
Tweets of the Week: von der Leyen gets confirmed, Brexit MEPs get fussy, Selmayr steps down
This week, nomination has MEPs at each others’ throats; though Von de Leyen’s speech in Parliament hits all the right notes; but she only squeezes by with a minuscule nine votes.
Romania’s shift at the helm of the Council
Romania's EU presidency was a successful mandate, showcasing the country's commitment to the EU project, writes Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă.
Germany and Italy’s migration schemes are simply ways to avoid uncomfortable truths
The issue of migrants entering Europe will dominate the European Parliament's upcoming session, but the proposals already put forward are simple remakes of previously failed plans for the migrant crisis, writes Faisal Al Yafai.
Greek government picks Margaritis Schinas for EU Commissioner
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has picked the current European Commission chief spokesperson as Greece's next EU Commissioner, Greek media reported. EURACTIV predicted this nomination on 16 July.
No Deal Brexit will mean recession, warns UK budget watchdog
A ‘No Deal’ Brexit would leave a £30 billion per year hole in UK spending plans and plunge the country’s economy into an immediate recession, the UK’s chief budget watchdog warned on Thursday (18 July).
Hungary and Ukraine exchange warnings over Transcarpathia
Tensions have worsened between Budapest and Kyiv over a Ukrainian language law, which Hungary considers hostile to its minority population in the Transcarpathia region
CDU party chief enters testing grounds as she takes up defence minister post
In a surprising turn of events, the leader of the German Christian Democrats (CDU), Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, was appointed Germany's new defence minister. While the opposition is unhappy, observers are wondering whether she will do a good job, given that she had opposed to take cabinet responsibility until recently. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Signed, sealed, delivered: Important files closed by Romania
Romania’s EU presidency was partly defined by factors beyond its control, such as the European elections and the ongoing Brexit issue. But the first-time Council chair still managed to do its job: broker agreements on EU legislation. Here are some of the most notable hits.
Paris pushes its pawns in race for key EU Commission jobs
France is eager to claim the position of Secretary-General at the European Commission that will be left vacant after the departure of Martin Selmayr at the end of July. But Emmanuel Macron's quest for control in Brussels could be met with opposition. EURACTIV France reports.
Von der Leyen vote may trigger snap elections in Italy
Italy's two ruling parties clashed on Wednesday (18 July) over the election of German Ursula von der Leyen as the next president of the European Commission in a vote that could endanger Rome's hopes of securing a top job in the new EU executive.Editor's picks
Greens want four EU Commission jobs in return for von der Leyen support
The Greens in the European Parliament have spelt out their conditions for backing future legislative proposals coming out of the new Commission that will take office on 1 November. EURACTIV's media partner Ouest-France reports.
Cables reveal how Britain tried to turn France against the euro in the 1990s
British diplomats tried to establish a "very private link" with former French president Jacques Chirac with the "unavowed aim" of exposing him to the risks of a European currency union, declassified documents revealed Thursday (17 July).
UK’s Johnson suggests EU would bear some blame for no-deal Brexit
Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to be Britain's next prime minister, suggested Wednesday (17 July) that the EU would bear some responsibility if he took his country out of the bloc without a divorce deal.
The Brief, powered by BP – Building Ursula’s platform
The first question any candidate faces when running for office is why they decided to join the race. The second question is what platform of voters will help them get the job.
No Deal Brexit fears prompt financial market angst
The increasing prospect of a No Deal Brexit is prompting new concerns that there are still ‘substantial’ regulatory gaps between the EU and UK in parts of the financial services sector.
Brexit party MEP caught lying over secret Kenyan election campaign
Brexit party MEP Alexandra Phillips has admitted lying about doing secret campaign work for the disgraced data mining and campaigns consultancy Cambridge Analytica during a controversial Kenyan presidential election in 2017.
Disinformation in the EU presidency’s crosshairs
Arguably the most crucial EU elections in recent history took place under Romania’s watch in May. How did the holder of the rotating EU presidency tackle the growing challenge of disinformation, an issue that has already tainted several recent ballots?
Macron’s MEPs try to make a name for themselves
Internal discipline, "cordon sanitaire" against nationalist parties, assertiveness on environmental matters. So far, Macron's deputies in the European Parliament have shown a conception of European politics that breaks from French tradition. EURACTIV France reports.
French environment minister quits over spending criticism, lobsters
France's environment minister resigned on Tuesday (16 July) following a week of reports by an investigative website about his high spending on private lobster dinners and costly renovations of his ministerial residence.
Merkel’s favoured successor to become defence minister
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's favoured successor and the head of her CDU party will become the country's next defence minister, an official statement said Tuesday (16 July), after Ursula von der Leyen was elected European Commission president.
Top EU jobs: Is there a ‘cordon sanitaire’ against Central Europeans?
There are speculations that the next European Commission will have three vice-presidents, but none of them is from Central and Eastern Europe, writes Piotr Maciej Kaczyński.