How COVID-19 is shaping the way Europeans think about politicians

COVID-19 is an unprecedented doom loop between a severe health crisis and grave economic repercussions. Government interventions to handle the outbreak and its aftermath first stopped public life in its tracks and then entirely reshaped it. This has left us in a kind of “new normal”, in which social interactions and labour conditions will probably … Read more

Corporate due diligence rules agreed to safeguard human rights and environment | News

The new directive on corporate sustainability due diligence, informally agreed by EU co-legislators on Thursday, sets obligations for companies to mitigate their negative impact on human rights and the environment such as child labour, slavery, labour exploitation, pollution, deforestation, excessive water consumption or damage to ecosystems . They will have to integrate so called “due … Read more

Deal to better protect consumers from damages caused by defective products | News

The provisional agreement on the liability of economic operators for damage caused by defective products aims to respond to the increase in online shopping (including from outside the EU) and the emergence of new technologies (such as AI) as well as to ensure the transition to a circular economic model. In order not to stifle … Read more

Unrest in the US has prompted soul-searching in Europe

In the wake of the shocking events in Washington, DC, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, published a blog laden with sound and fury, beseeching Europeans to heed the “wake-up call for all democracy advocates around the world world” and to “stand up immediately to every violation of the independence of democratic institutions”. Many … Read more

UK’s Sunak likens Italy’s Meloni to Margaret Thatcher – POLITICO

ROME — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak likened Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Margaret Thatcher as he called on European leaders to channel the old Conservative British leader’s “radicalism” and challenge decades-old rules around refugees. “Thatcher understood that ideas are only important if they can be implemented,” Sunak said in a speech at the … Read more

Bulgaria and Romania should be in Schengen by end of 2023, says Parliament | News

In a resolution adopted on Wednesday with 526 votes in favour, 57 votes against, and 42 abstaining, Parliament stresses that both countries have already fulfilled the necessary requirements to be admitted into Schengen. MEPs regret the Council’s decision of 8 December 2022 to reject their membership “without presenting any legal justification related to accession criteria”. … Read more

Will European countries ever take meaningful steps to end colonial legacies?

Centuries of European colonialism have had a tremendous impact on shaping inequities within and among countries, many of which are yet to be effectively addressed. This may seem like a trivial statement, but it is only recently being recognised by EU countries. In 2019, the European Parliament passed a Resolution on the Fundamental Rights of … Read more