About: European elections 2019
Austrian ex-chancellor Kern to run for centre-left Spitzenkandidat
As expected, opposition leader Christian Kern said yesterday (18 September) he would run as top candidate for the Austrian Social Democrats in the European Parliament elections next year, aiming to help build a strong counterweight to growing nationalist forces.
Czech MEP: I want to be ECR’s lead candidate, not an EU top job candidate
Czech MEP Jan Zahradil has recently announced his intention to become the ECR's lead candidate for the 2019 European Elections. He is a supporter of a multi-speed Union, with freedom for member states to pursue a foreign policy that best suits their own interests.
EPP unsure about retaining or expelling Orbán’s party
The European Parliament's vote to censure Hungary presents the assembly's dominant centre-right bloc with a dilemma over whether to retain its populist Hungarian allies or expel them months before elections.
Macron’s party neck-and-neck with far-right in 2019 EU election opinion poll
French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist LREM party is neck-and-neck with the far-right Rassemblement National, formerly the National Front, for the May 2019 European Parliament elections, according to poll results published on Thursday (13 September).
Poland worried by EU vote to censure Hungary
Poland on Wednesday (12 September) said it was very worried by the European Parliament's rare decision to launch a procedure against Hungary for posing a "systemic threat" to the EU's founding values.
Austria’s far-right to keep distance from Bannon
The Austrian far-right has said it is not eager to collaborate politically with Donald Trump's former adviser Steve Bannon over forming a pan-European right-wing movement.
MEPs kick off electoral campaign after Juncker’s State of the Union speech
Jean-Claude Juncker's last State of the Union speech before the next European elections turned into a stocktaking of his mandate and a platform for political groups to set up their priorities for the electoral campaign.
Juncker goes to war against disinformation and online terrorist content
The European Commission is set to pursue a crackdown on the spread of online terrorist content and disinformation, its president Jean-Claude Junker announced in his State of the Union address on Wednesday (12 September).
Greece’s New Democracy leader says Article 7 on Hungary should be activated
Greece’s centre-right New Democracy party said yesterday (12 September) that it would vote in favour of the Sargentini report on activating Article 7 against Hungary.
Salvini sees populist-conservative coalition guiding the new EU Commission
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who also leads the far-right League party, said on Tuesday (11 September) he wants the new European Commission to be led by conservatives and populists.
Tsipras urges ‘progressives’ to join forces against neoliberalism and populism
Greek Prime minister Alexis Tsipras told progressive and pro-European parties on Tuesday (11 September) to join forces against “extreme” neoliberalism and far-right populism, whose discourse has become dominant within conservative forces.
Austrian far right invites Orban to form joint bloc
The leader of Austria's far-right party raised the prospect Monday (10 September) of forming a common bloc in the European Parliament with the party of nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
Macron aide: We’re not discussing alliance with Verhofstadt
A senior member of Emmanuel Macron's La République en Marche party has rejected an alliance with liberals in the European Parliament ahead of EU elections in May next year.
President Juncker, give towns and regions the support that Europe needs!
Europe faces massive challenges, from migration to climate change and all points between. As Jean-Claude Juncker gears up to make his final address to this European Parliament, Frédéric Vallier calls on the Commission boss not to forget the role of cities and regions.
Ska Keller: Manfred Weber’s openness to the far right is ‘quite crazy’
In an exclusive interview, Ska Keller, co-chair of the Greens-EFA group, shared what she expects from next week's State of the Union speech and the vote on whether to trigger punitive Article 7 measures against Hungary, as well as weighing in on Manfred Weber's bid to lead the EPP into the EU elections.
Macron takes election dig at Merkel and EPP over Hungary
French President Emmanuel Macron took a rare public dig at German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday (6 September) by questioning her party's ties with Hungary's right-wing leader as the EU prepares for an election next year.
Macron seeks new ‘progressive’ coalition for 2019 European elections
French President Emmanuel Macron wants to shake up the EU political ecosystem, hoping to forge a new progressive alliance at the end of this year for the 2019 European Parliament elections, a source in his office said on Wednesday (5 September).
Merkel chooses Weber as candidate for EU top job
Angela Merkel has given her backing to fellow German conservative Manfred Weber's bid to front the centre-right's campaign in next year's European Parliament elections, several German newspapers reported on Thursday (30 August).
Italy threatens to veto EU’s long-term budget over migration crisis
Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio on Monday (27 August) threatened to veto the European Union's seven-year budget plan should the bloc not do more to share the burden of migrant arrivals.
Commission to crack down on data misuse ahead of European Elections
The European Commission is set to announce plans to clamp down on the misuse of personal data retrieved from social networks in the run-up to the 2019 European Elections, the Financial Times reported on Sunday (26 August).
Merkel eyes German EU Commission chief: report
Chancellor Angela Merkel is focusing on securing the European Commission presidency for a German candidate, rather than backing Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann to succeed Mario Draghi at the helm of the European Central Bank (ECB), Handelsblatt reported.
Polish president vetoes change to European parliament election rules
Polish President Andrzej Duda on Thursday (17 August) vetoed a controversial reform of European Parliament election rules that would have essentially kept all small parties in Poland out of the running. “I refuse to sign it and am sending the...