Politics
Boris Johnson set to become PM as Conservatives announce new leader
Boris Johnson is expected to be elected leader of Britain's governing Conservative Party and the country's next prime minister on Tuesday (23 July), tasked with following through on his "do or die" pledge to deliver Brexit in just over three months’ time.
Ren Zhengfei: ‘Very likely’ Huawei products will be used in UK core 5G networks
Huawei 5G equipment will most probably be used in core aspects of the UK's future 5G network infrastructure, the founder of the Chinese telecommunications giant, Ren Zhengfei has said. His claim runs contrary to the previous stance held by the UK cabinet, which was to permit the company access only to 'non-core' aspects of the country's 5G networks.
Sea rescue activist: We hope for ‘coalition of the willing’ to support our rescue operations
In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, David Starke, the chief executive officer of SOS Méditerranée Germany, spoke about his sea rescue organisation and others resuming operations at sea after Italy's closing of ports and investigations led against sea rescuers prompted a six-month hiatus.
The Brief – Washing away the guilt
The largely unconventional and disputed 1907 experiment by US physicist Duncan MacDougall postulated that the human soul weighs 21 grams, no more, no less. The valiant doctor measured the body weight of dying humans just before and after their passing and concluded that the soul does have exact physical weight.
Huawei blocks over a hundred products from market due to security concerns
The Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has blocked more than a hundred products from being released on the market due to concerns that the items do not meet security standards, EURACTIV has learnt.
Parliament’s top jobs at a glance
All boxes of the European Parliament's complex power-sharing puzzle have now been ticked, after last week's appointment of Slovak conservative Lucia Ďuriš Nicholsonová as chairwomen of the Social Affairs Committee. EURACTIV brings you all chairs of the Parliament's 22 committees at a glance.
Hong Kong ‘needs Europe’s support,’ says leading activist, as violence strikes city
Europe’s support in Hong Kong is needed to “urge Beijing to accept requests from the Hong Kong people,” leading activist Joshua Wong has told EURACTIV, as violence took hold of the city yesterday (21 July) with armed mobs attacking residents, protesters and journalists.
Boris Johnson says trade deal can break Brexit deadlock
Boris Johnson, favored to become Britain’s new prime minister, said on Sunday (21 July) the country could agree a free trade deal to leave the EU that would remove the need for one of the more problematic parts of a previous agreement.
SOS Méditerranée relaunches migrant rescue missions off Libya
Humanitarian group SOS Méditerranée said Sunday (21 July) it has relaunched rescue efforts off Libya seven months after it abandoned operations using its ship Aquarius and despite a refusal by European ports to accept the migrants.
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.Editor's picks
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.
France eyes Selmayr’s post to balance German Commission presidency
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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.
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.