About: European Parliament elections 2019
Is the Spitzenkandidat system really dead? Not if we act now
Is the Spitzenkandidat system dead? Reforms can revive it and give the process new legitimacy, argues Cristian Ghinea
MEPs to block Le Pen’s party from taking Parliament jobs
Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National and its allies are facing protest from the European Parliament's political groups, who are refusing to involve the French far-right party in a process that will decide on the Parliament's key positions. EURACTIV France reports.
EU elections 2019: This is what the parties want for our economy
A new industrial policy for Europe, more support for small-and-medium sized enterprises (SMEs), and improved tax policy are common priorities of the European political families for the next mandate, while a review of the ECB mandate is also included in the manifestos of many parties for the EU elections.
Farage: Winning EP elections only the ‘first step’ to Brexit
Winning the European elections later this month would only be the “first step” towards delivering the Brexit demanded by UK citizens, Nigel Farage, whose newly established Brexit party is dominating polls in the UK, said on Tuesday (7 May).
Macron should keep Britain twisting on its Brexit hook
With the Brexit camp in increasing turmoil, EU leaders would be wise to give Theresa May her extension and wait for the tide to continue turning, argues Denis MacShane.
‘Planning the world seven years in advance is absurd’, says EP vice-president
Rising populism and anti-EU sentiment mean the May elections are being portrayed as a “fateful election for Europe”. EURACTIV Germany spoke to Rainer Wieland from the German Christian Democrat Union (CDU) about populists, fair taxes, ‘gilets jaunes’ and citizen consultations.
Volt: Parliamentarians need to be directly electable
Founded in 2017 by three politically inexperienced students, the Volt movement has been listed as a party in 14 member states. EURACTIV spoke to its co-founder, Damian Boeslager, about the European army and the principle of unanimity, among other things. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Crisis over, crisis continues
The migration crisis in Europe is over. According to the statistics, at least. The political crisis over how and whether to reform the bloc's immigration and asylum rules remains as deadlocked as ever.
Brexit unleashed long-standing problems in the EU, Bulgarian MEP says
EURACTIV’s media partner Dnevnik has asked Bulgarian MEPs about the difficulties and achievements of the current European Parliament and their expectations for the European elections in May next year. It now publishes the replies provided by three of them.
EU needs ‘Great Review’ of powers, says ECR’s Zahradil
No EU agency can replace the role of member states, said Czech MEP Jan Zahradil, putting a ‘Great Review’ of EU powers at the heart of the manifesto for his European Conservative and Reformist (ECR) party, launched on Wednesday (28 November)
Bulgaria could be marginalised if pro-EU parties dominate EU elections, says MEP
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.
French right-wing fragmented over rule of law in Hungary
The French delegation of the EPP in the European Parliament was totally divided during a vote on triggering Article 7 against Hungary. EURACTIV France reports.
Brexit absent from Commissioners’ input for state of the EU speech
Negotiations about the UK's orderly exit and future relations with the EU did not feature in the discussions the European Commission’s top echelons held in preparation for President Jean-Claude Juncker’s last state of the union speech before next year's European elections.
Orbán compares Juncker Commission to dead frog
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said today (27 July) that a new European Commission is needed with a new approach to migration policy, adding that the days of the current EU executive are “numbered” with its mandate expiring next May.
Poland faces turbulent months at home and in EU
Will the European Union continue to allow the Polish government to deceive it over violations of the rule of law? Will the opposition manage to consolidate? Will Jarosław Kaczyński return to Polish politics? The fate of Polish democracy could be decided over the coming months. EURACTIV'S media partner Gazeta Wyborcza reports.
Poland’s ruling PiS party considers joining centre-right EPP
Politicians in Poland's ultra-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party are pushing to join the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) after next year's European elections. EURACTIV Poland's media partner, Gazeta Wyborcza, reports.
European Commission urged to deliver on new EDCs strategy
MEPs and civil society representatives urged the European Commission on 24 May to act soon on defining a new strategy following the rejection by the European Parliament last autumn of its endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDC) definition.
Trans-Europe Express – Sowing the seeds of discord
Almost certainly to the displeasure of mainstream Brussels, leaders of Europe's far-right parties came together on the French Riviera this week, saying they wanted to devise a battle plan for next year's European election.
The Brief – Selmayr stays. What next?
Is the Selmayr affair closed? That, at least, is how the Commission reads the resolution adopted by the European Parliament today.
Why rejecting transnational lists has been a missed opportunity for European democracy
Closed pan-European lists would be a game changer in how European citizens identify with EU politics, write Angelos Chryssogelos and Malgorzata Staniaszek.
Why transnational lists matter for EU democracy
We can’t dream of a better political arena for the next political leaders to grow up with an authentically European understanding of what’s next for all of us and the transnational lists will serve this dream, writes Alberto Alemanno.
EU maps out ‘credible’ Western Balkans strategy
Overcoming a decade of enlargement fatigue, the European Commission launched its long-awaited Western Balkans strategy on Tuesday (6 February), aiming to inject new momentum into EU integration and speed up the homework the six countries need to do before joining the bloc.
The Brief – Don’t rush to cheer up: EPP wants pan-EU lists for 2024
“The Parliament is the institution that was the most independent of governmental choices, the one which had consistently been the most capable of developing transnational groupings of political forces, the one that was the most imbued with European spirit and had been the most resolute in calling for a limitation of national sovereignty and for supranational development.”