Saturday
8th Aug 2020
I hate to break it to you, but excuses have run out. You have to look at the images of sobbing journalists in Index's newsroom, and shoulder part of the blame. Your silence, your continued procrastination led to this.
Germany took over the EU's rotating presidency with chancellor Angela Merkel pushing for an agreement on the coronavirus rescue package and EU budget.
The internationally-acclaimed author of King Leopold's Ghost, Adam Hochschild, writes on Belgium's problems with statues, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Azerbaijan ambassador to EU Fuad Isgandarov shared a virulent rant against George Floyd. Asked why, Isgandarov told this website he doesn't recall the message and forgot how he had responded to it.
France's Europe minister Clément Beaune tells the Financial Times that rule of law and fundamental rights cannot be compromised under the new €750bn EU budget recovery fund.
Six Polish cities that declared themselves as "LGBTI-free zones" have been denied funding under the EU's Town Twinning programme for failing to meet the standards of "equal access and non-discrimination".
It's worth noting that the security of the individual is at the heart of the new EU Security Union, rather than the security of the member states, or even the security of the EU.
Italy is experiencing a surge of 'nuovi poveri' [the new poor]; people who managed - barely - to make ends meet before the pandemic, and now find themselves in a very difficult situation.
Poland might uphold a treaty against domestic violence after all, its ruling party has said, amid an outcry by the EU and Council of Europe.
MEPs criticised the EU deal on the budget and recovery package clinched by leaders after five days of gruelling talks, saying it is not enough "future-oriented", and cuts too deeply into EU policies, including health, innovation, defence and humanitarian aid
European parliament president David Sassoli said certain corrections will have to be made in the budget, citing research and the Erasmus program for students, calling the cuts "unjustified".
Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko is feeling the heat of an opposition backed by public support ahead of the presidential election on 9 August. His bungling of the pandemic and the high profiles of rivals have led to widespread repression.
A compromise of 27 positions is never a thing of beauty, but this time the need for unanimity among 27 leaders really unbalanced the initial proposals in important ways.
After gruelling five-day talks, EU leaders agreed on €390bn in grants and €360bn in low-interest loans to hardest-hit member states - after much opposition from the Dutch-led 'frugal' bloc of countries.
After bilateral negotiations continued all Sunday night, mostly to try to convince the 'Frugal Four' to move their red lines, European Council president Charles Michel is expected to table a new proposal on Monday afternoon with €390bn in grants.
Demonstrators are demanding prime minister Boyko Borissov and chief prosecutor Ivan Geshev resign, following a raid on the president's office. President Rumen Radev has been a vocal critic of the government and its record on graft.
EU health policy has three faces: explicit health policy, internal market policy, and fiscal governance. Covid-19 looks like it is transforming all three for the better.
Several diplomats described Michel being "traumatised" and "paralysed" by the failure at the February summit, and some argue he has learned "not to take for granted what leaders tell him".
EU leaders will face difficult and fundamental issues on Friday-Saturday (17-18 July), when they attempt to agree on the planned seven-year €1.07 trillion budget and €750bn recovery package.
The EU's top court ruled that the EU-US data-transfer pact fails to protect EU citizens' rights to privacy - following a legal challenge from Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems against Facebook. Washington said it was "deeply disappointed" with the ruling.
The Netherlands and Spain are at opposite ends of the debate about the EU's recovery package. But they must realise they are in the same boat.
Raising the stakes, Hungarian premier Viktor Orban uses the parliament in a show of unity to push for tough conditions going into the complex and tough budget negotiations.
Although slightly elaborate, the Citizens' Initiative is an important instrument to boost popular participation in the EU legislative process, as well as to engage citizens in the policy making process of the Union.
As the EU struggles to stop breaches of rule-of-law, and democratic backsliding, in some member states, the European Parliament plans to propose one single overarching tool to effectively monitor rogue capitals.
The presidential vote split the country into two, with incumbent president Andrzej Duda emerging victorious after a campaign laced with homophobic and anti-Semitic rhetoric.
The south-eastern EU member state has seen a week of record new coronavirus cases, plus a row in a kebab shop over masks with two MPs.
Ahead of expected tense discussions next weekend among EU leaders, European Council president Charles Michel tries to find common ground: the recovery package's size, and grants, would stay - but controls would be tougher.
The German chancellor told MEPs that for her restricting fundamental rights to stop the spread of coronavirus was a "very difficult decision". She said the EU must act quick to mitigate the economic fallout.
EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen recorded a video in support of Croatia's ruling party, which the EU executive said was in her "personal capacity" - and admits it was a "mistake" that this was not made clear.
Croatia's ruling, centre-right party cruised to victory in Sunday's election despite concerns over coronavirus and the economy.
German chancellor Merkel said Europe is in the most difficult situation in its history and its answer to the corona-crisis has to be a powerful one.
The EU parliament president called death threats targeting MEPs probing possible misuse of EU funds by the Czech PM "unacceptable provocations".
Some 150 randomly-picked men and women make up Emmanuel Macron's Citizens' Climate Convention. This week Macron invited them to the Élysée Palace and promised - nearly - all of their wishes would come true .
