Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticized the European Union’s new foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, and Council President António Costa for expressing support for Ukraine on behalf of the bloc on Monday. He said had he conveyed those sentiments in a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier in the day. … Read more
Von der Leyen has made Draghi’s suggestions the center of her second term as Commission president, incorporating their main conclusions ― apart from joint EU borrowing ― in the political program she asked the European Parliament to support over the summer. Presenting her new team before the Parliament on Wednesday, von der Leyen announced the … Read more
On Wednesday, Parliament approved the set of 26 commissioners, with 370 MEPs voting in favor, 282 voting against and 36 abstaining. Their confirmation marked the end of a monthslong transition process, which began with June’s European election and saw weeks of political infighting between the bloc’s left- and right-wing groups. Commissioners — one from each … Read more
Skoda Kodiaq automobiles on the production line at the Volkswagen AG plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images A small landlocked country in the heart of Europe appears to be uniquely exposed to President-elect Donald Trump’s “America First” economic agenda. Nicknamed the “Detroit of Europe” due to … Read more
In the line of fire Criticism of EU corporate disclosure regulation is not new. In a leaked policy paper drafted by former German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, the minister said Berlin should seek to abolish the EU regulation on sustainability reporting rules, among others. The suggestion echoed one made by French Prime Minister Michele Barnier … Read more
The negotiator role would also involve acting as an EU “sherpa” — representing the prime minister in negotiations with the bloc — and leading talks with Brussels on a proposed security cooperation agreement. It will also include dealing with existing Brexit agreements and upcoming changes to EU border rules that aim to digitalize entry to … Read more
Consider Anca Gheorghe, a 23-year-old Roma woman from Romania. She attended a poorly resourced school with unqualified teachers and faced unfair discrimination, leaving her with limited opportunities. Left with virtually no other options, she joined an EU-funded vocational program to train as a hairdresser, hoping for financial independence. Yet, there are already enough hairdressers in … Read more
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a trained medical doctor, put her skills to use mid-flight on Wednesday after a passenger suffered an emergency during her return to Brussels from the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. The Commission president stepped in to provide medical assistance to a passenger who “needed medical attention,” after … Read more
In exchange for supporting Italy’s hard-right commissioner nominee Raffaele Fitto, which the socialists initially refused to do, S&D and Renew demanded that the EPP commit to sticking with the centrist mainstream majority, rather than turning to a right-wing majority in the Parliament. But the agreement falls short of that, and does not add a new … Read more
Brazilian officials held a bilateral meeting with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday. Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Carlos Fávaro told reporters on Monday: “The deal would be very good for Brazil and the EU,” and added: “We have never been so near to finalizing this deal.” Scholz argued that delays would harm … Read more
