Politics
The Brief, powered by BP – The forgotten man
As the UK has lurched between political and constitutional crisis, the man who crashed the ship of state into the rocks has been nowhere to be seen. Until now, when David Cameron finally emerged from self-imposed media hibernation. The ex-Prime...
UK rebuffs EU call for Brexit Irish border solution by end September
The European Union’s Finnish presidency demanded Thursday (19 September) that Britain deliver a written new Brexit proposal by the end of September or face a messy “no-deal” divorce – an ultimatum immediately rejected by London. Britain is racing toward its...
MEPs corner French far left over Strasbourg seat
EU lawmakers from the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE-NGL) recently held an intense and divisive discussion over the environmental impact of the European Parliament’s plenary sessions in Strasbourg.
Tweets of the Week: Boris runs away, Democracy Debate and Commissioner Hearings preparation
This week, Boris pulls a runner, British democracy makes MEPs shudder, and commissioner hearings may be set for a stunner.
Cooperation of four key Commissioners needed for healthy media, democracy
Democracy is at risk and requires healthy media, several portfolios from the new EU Commission are relevant. After years of fake news and weak self-regulation, this ecosystem could be rebalanced if four key Commissioners cooperate around the media sector, argues Christophe Leclercq.
The Brief, powered by BP – No question of geography
While considerable thought has been put into the geographical nitty-gritty of Ursula von der Leyen’s portfolio assignments, the real power struggle in the European Parliament hearings might take place along different lines.
Council of Europe urged to probe UK over rule of law breaches
Campaigners have called on the Council of Europe to launch a probe into the rule of law in the UK, citing “repeated violations of the spirit and potentially the letter of the European Convention on Human Rights”.
Northern Ireland’s DUP calls for Brexit ‘refit’ of Good Friday Agreement
Northern Ireland's largest party, the Democratic Unionist Party, on Wednesday called for a "refit" of the British province's 1998 peace accord "to take account of any new Brexit deal."
Table Brexit plans by September 30 or talks are ‘over’, Johnson warned
Boris Johnson has been given until September 30 to submit an alternative to the Irish border backstop in writing to Brussels, or the Brexit talks are "over", the leaders of France and Finland stated on Wednesday (18 September).OpinionPromoted content
To rekindle Europe’s competitiveness we must embrace technology and build on our values
New technologies are disrupting our lives. Citizens, businesses, governments: no one is being spared by the ongoing developments in Artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things, ecommerce, or cybersecurity. However, this digital tide does not have to be passively accepted. On the contrary: it needs to be governed and shaped into the driver for change we want it to be.
The Brief, powered by BP – Searching for a Spanish statesman
On 10 November, Spain will hold its fourth general election since 2015. The vote is the result of the lack of statesmanship among the party leaders in a critical period, especially of Socialist chief Pedro Sánchez.
Is von der Leyen on course to ease tensions with Hungary?
European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen's Commissioner pick for the enlargement and neighbourhood policy, the former Hungarian Justice Minister László Trócsányi, is appearing to be a particularly controversial one, though it may be motivated by her wish to cool tensions between Brussels and Budapest,Editor's picks
Risk of no-deal Brexit ‘very real’, Juncker tells EU lawmakers
The risk of a no-deal Brexit remains 'very real', European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned MEPs in Strasbourg on Wednesday but said he is prepared to work "day in day out, morning until night" to strike a deal.
Amid US standoff, Huawei looks for new markets in ‘brute force computing’
The Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei will substantially increase investments into high-performance computing, its rotating chairman Ken Hu announced on Wednesday (18 September). The move came as Huawei faces increasingly tense relations with the West, appearing in front of American judges this week.
Greens discuss today Five Star Movement’s EU future
The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network.
Spain to hold fresh elections after socialists and leftists fail to reach compromise
Spain will hold snap elections on 10 November, after acting PM Pedro Sánchez on Tuesday (17 September) failed to get either the support of the leftist Unidas Podemos party or the abstention of the conservative Partido Popular and liberal-centrist Ciudadanos, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.
The Brief, powered by BP – Put it in writing
Not content with breaking the two parties that have dominated UK politics for almost a century, the Brexit behemoth has set its sights on the country’s famously unwritten constitution.
EPP boss backs ‘European way of life’ job title
European People’s Party leader Manfred Weber lent his full support to the ‘Protecting the European Way of Life’ job title on Tuesday (17 September), insisting it is the best way to combat far-right narratives. The Bavarian politician told reporters: “is...
CEU provost: Academic freedom is in crisis everywhere in Europe, not only in Hungary
It is the start of a new semester at the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest. But this year, many of its students are preparing to move to Vienna, where lectures will start in October. It's because CEU, a private US university founded by the Hungarian billionaire George Soros, has been kicked out of Hungary.
Sánchez makes last call to avoid new Spanish elections
The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. ***Correction: In yesterday’s edition of The Capitals, we wrote that Commission vice-presidents were questioned in 2014 by...
Britain’s Supreme Court enters Brexit drama
The Brexit drama switches venues from Brussels to the UK Supreme Court on Tuesday (17 September) for hearings on Boris Johnson’s explosive decision to suspend parliament for over a month. The British prime minister’s first talks Monday with European Commission...
Slovak PM Pellegrini seen surviving no-confidence vote
Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini should easily defeat a no-confidence vote on Tuesday (17 September), but his government is being increasingly damaged by revelations about the reach of the main suspect in the 2018 murder of a journalist into state offices.
EU grills Hungary over rule of law concerns
EU affairs ministers grilled Hungary on Monday (16 September) over Prime Minister Viktor Orban's tightening of restrictions around free media, judges, academics, minorities and rights groups, which the bloc worries weakens democracy in the ex-communist country.