Tuesday

19th Mar 2024

Investigation

How AI proved Russia's 2018 presidential election was fixed

Many of the Russian programmers who investigated the legitimacy of president Vladimir Putin's last election victory in 2018 have been forced to flee the country fearing prosecution, amid concerns over attempts to hold the country's electoral process accountable.

Latest News

  1. Borrell: 'Israel provoking famine', urges more aid access
  2. Europol: Israel-Gaza galvanising Jihadist recruitment in Europe
  3. EU to agree Israeli-settler blacklist, Borrell says
  4. EU ministers keen to use Russian profits for Ukraine ammo
  5. Call to change EIB defence spending rules hits scepticism
  6. Potential legal avenues to prosecute Navalny's killers
  7. EU summit, Gaza, Ukraine, reforms in focus this WEEK
  8. The present and future dystopia of political micro-targeting ads

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us

Agenda

EU summit prep work and von der Leyen's Egypt visit This WEEK

MEPs will hold a debate with EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen about the next European Council on Tuesday. Later this week, on Sunday, von der Leyen will be in Egypt for talks regarding a potential 'cash-for-migrant-control' deal.

Far-right picks Danish MEP as token 'lead candidate'

Europe's far right has chosen a Danish MEP who believes Muslims are rapists to speak in a showcase 'Spitzenkandidaten' pre-EU election debate next month — but stressed he is not their lead candidate.

EPP backs von der Leyen as lead candidate to hold off far-right

Ursula von der Leyen has been confirmed as the center-right lead candidate to become the next EU Commission president, following June's elections. However, more than one-third of the EPP delegates did not exercise their vote at the Bucharest congress.

Defence joins migration in EU centre-right manifesto

The centre-right European People's Party (EPP) has unveiled its priorities for the next parliamentary term, as European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is expected to get confirmed as the party's lead candidate in the June elections.

Belgium braces for Flemish far-right gains, deadlock looms

Recent polling puts the Flemish nationalist parties, the right-wing N-VA and far-right Vlaams Belang at a combined majority in the Flemish parliament, leading to fears about a far-right government take-over — even sparking worries about the future of Belgium itself.

Podcast

Podcast: Hyperlocal meets supranational

In this week's Euroscopic podcast; antisemitism and confusion in France and Germany, Sweden joins NATO, Novaya Gazeta Europe editor Mikhail Komin on Ukraine and EU and a chat with DiEM25, an EP election hopeful campaigning in Berlin.

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Von der Leyen appeals for 'new EU defence mindset'

EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen urged "a new European defence mindset" to strengthen the bloc's defence capabilities. But will her latest proposal, to use Russian assets for Ukraine's military needs, stir up controversy?

Von der Leyen rejects extremist parties, leaves door open to ECR

Launching her campaign for a second EU Commission president mandate, Ursula von der Leyen rejected collaboration with extremist parties but left the door open to working with rightwing ECR — which may go from fifth to third-largest party in June.

'Nightmare' 2024 sees Orbán struggle ahead of EU elections

Viktor Orbán admits that 2024 "could not have started any worse" for his government. The sex-abuse scandal that led to the resignation of the president provides an opportunity for Hungary's opposition — but their fragmentation could be a major obstacle.

Frontex to far-right, Leggeri epitomises EU contradictions

Fabrice Leggeri, the ex-Frontex boss who has now joined the French far-right National Rally, is a product of the internal contradictions at the EU: the competing interests among EU states and a European Commission too weak to manage their demands.

Podcast

Podcast: Trump, Nato, EU top jobs, migration

Strategic autonomy, Trump's belligerent Nato remarks and the consequences for EU. Also, our own Andrew Rettman on EU top jobs and the role of the radical right. Finally, third-country migration deals. Listen.

Brussels Dispatches: Why Brussels matters

We've partnered with the newsletter Brussels Dispatches to bring their accessible, personable and high level overview of why the EU and the upcoming European Parliament elections matter and what's at stake.

Suspected Russian agent MEP is 'not the only one', MEPs warned

MEPs from all political groups bar the far-right ID voiced concerns about the EU's vulnerability concerning the large-scale interference and disinformation campaigns waged by Russia against the EU — a phenomenon some branded as 'Russiagate'.

Analysis

Von der Leyen kills EU pesticides ban in election sop to farmers

Ursula von der Leyen's symbolic decision to withdraw the flagship plan to halve use of pesticides responds to political resistance against the EU Green Deal — not only from protesting farmers in the streets but also within her party ranks.

Interview

Lead Green MEP: 'The economic system is failing farmers'

EUobserver sat down with one of the two newly-elected Green Spitzenkandidates, Bas Eickhout MEP, vice-chair of the environment committee, to discuss the farmers' protests, as well as the challenges facing the Green Deal and the group's priorities for June's elections.

Opinion

How Article 7 could actually defeat Orbán already

The unanimity criteria should not discourage member states from seeking the deployment of Article 7 against Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán. If exercised wisely and strategically, peer pressure may bear fruit.

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA