Thursday
18th Jul 2019
Warsaw and Budapest are boasting about their support for von der Leyen after the german is confirmed only by a small margin of MEPs, but the illiberals should not expect the softening of rule of law scrutiny.
The vote on von der Leyen showed the fundamental change in EU politics. The rise of the European Parliament, the power of political parties, and the fragmentation of politics, are new realities to be taken into account.
Why are more women from Poland and Croatia seeking pregnancy terminations abroad?
The first-ever female president of the European Commission wants half of her team of commissioners to consist of women. But most of the commissioners put forward so far by EU member states so far have been male.
EU states ought to undergo a yearly "Rule of Law Review Cycle" to help stop countries such as Hungary, Poland, and Romania from backsliding on EU norms, the European Commission has said.
Golden Dawn has elected one of its most prominent members to the EU parliament, the former MP Ioannis Lagos.
The European Commission is to propose annual rule-of-law reviews on all EU states, but Poland is "optimistic" that Ursula von er Leyen will let it off the hook.
Appalled over Coca-Cola sponsoring the recent Romanian EU presidency, MEPs have asked Finland, the new holders of the rotating post, to put an end to such practices. But Helsinki, whose presidency is sponsored by BMW, has no such plan.
Five years after the MH17 tragedy we are still facing the question: will Russia be punished for 298 innocent victims? Will all those involved be brought to justice?
Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday obtained a narrow majority of support in the European Parliament to become the first-ever female president of the European Commission.
Malta is about to put on trial three men it says killed journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017, but only a public enquiry might show who ordered the murder, her son has warned.
European Commission presidential-hopeful Ursula von Der Leyen delivered her key appeal in the European Parliament to secure the post. Her appeal appeared to appease most of the political groups - but a lack of specifics, and opposition from Greens remain.
EU relations with Turkey hit a new low with sanctions on Monday, but European arms sales to its Nato ally continue unabated.
Poland's former prime minister, Beata Szydlo, has cried foul after failing to get an EP committee chair a second time, in a fiasco which could spell trouble for the European Commission presidency vote on Tuesday.
European Commission candidate Ursula von der Leyen has pledged a "fresh start" on migration and new powers for the EP in letters seeking socialist and liberal support.
Renew Europe MEP Asger Christensen, from Denmark, earns €20,000 per month as a farmer. He became a member of the agriculture committee, which could create a conflict of interest situation.
Unhappy socialist and liberal MEPs could upset German's bid to be next EU commission chief, making an even worse mess in the top jobs system.
I will not lament the decision-making process that resulted in a package deal on the new leadership in Europe. I respect this result, which was in accordance with the treaties and therefore not undemocratic, albeit unsatisfactory.
MEPs will vote to confirm - or not - on Tuesday the new commission president, Ursula von der Leyen - a candidate put forward at the last minute by the EU leaders, and grilled by lawmakers recently in Brussels.
The EU court in Luxembourg has annulled sanctions on Ukraine's former regime, in a symbolic blow to European foreign policy in the former Soviet region.
Belarus may be hosting the European Games, but Vladimir Putin is not playing games when it comes to Belarus' independence. The West needs to get serious as well.
MEPs will vote next Tuesday on the new commission president candidate, but her approval is far from certain. Von der Leyen will have to rely on votes from the right wing of the parliament to get the top job.
France has passed a new tax on tech companies that will affect US global giants like Facebook. Donald Trump has threatened retaliatory tariffs over it. The EU commission says it will "coordinate closely with French" on the next steps.
Eurozone banks, such as Deutsche Bank, might be much more vulnerable to a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis than EU "stress-tests" have said, according to a new audit.
The European Parliament's powerful civil liberties committee (Libe) has elected anti-separatist Spanish MEPs for its chair and vice-chair positions. The issue risks complicating efforts by pro-Catalan factions to have the debate on independence raised to the EU level.
The fourth largest group in the parliament does not back EU leaders' nominee for the commission top job, pushing Ursula von der Leyen's possible base further to the right.
Former communication chief of the Hungary's Fidesz party, Balazs Hidvegi, wants a senior spot on the European Parliament committee working on migration and law. His nomination was delayed following a surprise decision by the centre-right EPP group.
While an end to detention is necessary, particularly for those intercepted at sea and returned to centres, this alone will not make Libya a safe country. No one should be returned to Libya until the rule of law is restored.
The German defence minister sought the votes of liberals, socialists and greens to be approved as the new commission president. MEPs were largely unimpressed.
EU diplomats have discussed which sanctions to slap on Turkey over gas drilling in Cypriot waters, amid Ankara's ongoing mockery of Europe.
The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg has delivered a blow to Denmark's strict family-reunification laws. The ruling will likely cause headaches for its new left-leaning government given its stance on immigration, and opens up 8,000 pending cases.
Turkey's ruler railed against the EU and continued to escalate a gas-drilling dispute on Monday, amid dire predictions for the Turkish economy.
An Austrian privacy campaigner vs Facebook over the future of data transfers to the US case opened at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg on Tuesday. The European Commission, meanwhile, says the Privacy Shield pact is working fine.
