Friday
18th Oct 2019
The president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker described a decision to block Albania and North Macedonia from advancing into the next phase to eventually join the European Union as a historic mistake.
These developments will largely determine who will be running the world in the coming decades and perhaps generations. If the Europeans can't find an answer over the five years, they will be toast. And we haven't even mentioned climate change.
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.
Should West help Russian opposition in its struggle against the regime, or make new deals with Putin, as France is keen to do?
The EU's new defence budget might achieve little and loose talk of a joint army could do harm, a European watchdog has warned.
French and Brazilian presidents have clashed on Twitter over the Amazon fires, as G7 and other states plan treaty to protect biodiversity.
Remarks to Congress by the US ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland, have shed light on the unusual nature of American diplomacy under president Donald Trump.
Denmark, France and the Netherlands opposed opening talks on EU accession with Albania and North Macedonia in a blow that may invite greater Russian influence in the Balkan region.
France's veto on North Macedonia enlargement will endanger the Serbia-Kosovo peace process, a senior EU official has warned, but diplomats do not expect Macron to change his mind.
Gordon Sondland, Donald Trump's ambassador to the EU, is due to appear before the House impeachment inquiry in Washington on Thursday. His predecessor as ambassador, Anthony Gardner, talks about the role, and his successor, on our EU Scream podcast.
Thursday's EU summit could see French and German leaders butt heads on enlargement after France blocked new Western Balkans talks.
France wants to pause EU enlargement pending major reforms, in what some fear could "destabilise" the Western Balkans.
EU states have agreed to stop arms sales to Turkey over its invasion of Syria, marking a nadir in relations with their Nato ally. In response, Ankara mocked the decision as a "joke".
EU foreign ministers are meeting to find a common position on the Turkish invasion in Syria. However, events are evolving quickly, as Kurdish forces asked the Syrian army to protect them.
EU diplomats stood alone against the US and Russia on Syria at the UN on Thursday, painting a bleak picture of transatlantic relations.
The EU has told Turkey to stop its attack on Syria, but Trump seems to be less worried about the 12,000 Isis fighters walking free, saying "they will be escaping to Europe".
The US announcement to give free reign to a Turkish offensive into Northern Syria has consequences for migration to Europe as well.
The EU should continue to expand in the Western Balkans and maintain sanctions on Russia, its next foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has said.
Belgium has just 30 or so counter-intelligence officers to protect the EU and Nato from Russia - and both of its chief spy-catchers face misconduct allegations.
The US has given Turkey a green light to send its forces into northern Syria, posing a threat to the West's Kurdish allies in the region.
An inaugural EU-Arctic forum is heralding a new impetus in EU efforts in the Arctic. This coincides with increased focus on the Arctic from China, Russia and the US.
While much ink has been spilled on the naming of the new migration "European Way of Life" commissioner, another shift has gone largely unnoticed - the new European Commission will no longer include a commissioner for "Development".
Two years after the former government of Carles Puigdemont held a unilateral independence referendum in defiance of the Spanish courts and constitution, the political and social conflict in Catalonia is still a key issue for both Spain and Europe.
Before Josep Borrell is confirmed as the next the EU high-representative and vice-president of the commission, he is likely to face questions during his grilling about corruption allegations and other controversial comments.
The Russian-owned company behind the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has attacked EU energy law in new arbitration proceedings that turn history on its head.
Ukraine's new president gleefully joined US leader Donald Trump in denigrating the EU back in July, a White House transcript of their phonecall has shown.
EU countries have tilted toward hawkish US diplomacy on Iran, blaming it for Saudi Arabia attacks and calling for wider disarmament talks.
Detaching the Netanyahu-era alliance with Hungary's Viktor Orban and other illiberal regimes in Europe will serve both EU unity and Israel's integrity. Scraping the deal with Poland to rewrite the history of Second World War falls under the same category.
Brussels' current vision for cooperation on defence, where third countries can contribute but have no say in decision-making and in the guidance of operations, is unlikely to be attractive to the UK.
The Soviet Union never invaded Poland in World War Two, Russia has claimed, in a new version of history with disturbing implications for modern times.
With Donald Trump unable to fill the US's traditional role of standing up to authoritarian regimes - and his inner circle even putting pressure on Kiev to investigate the Democratic frontrunner, Joe Biden - Europe should take a harder line.
Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia have demanded to open accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania this year, as Hungary's man prepares to take over the enlargement portfolio.
European voters believe that EU's foreign policies should be more coherent and effective in order to remain neutral in potential international conflicts, since most EU citizens no longer rely on the US security guarantee, according to a new report.
