But at the party’s congress in Lyon, where delegates were plotting how to avoid expected losses in this June’s EU election, green politicians repeatedly insisted it was their conservative and far-right opponents, not them, that had left farmers in dire straits. They even made their case directly to farmers, who were invited to air grievances … Read more
“We listen to European farmers … We are addressing short-term challenges,” von der Leyen posted on X during the meeting. Earlier Thursday, von der Leyen told a news conference that the Commission would work with the Belgian presidency of the Council on a proposal to cut the administrative burden on farmers ahead of the next … Read more
They fumed as to why the EU executive was issuing the target now, of all moments, with anti-green rage simmering, the far right pouncing, the EU election looming, and farmers blockading the front gates of the legislature. “Everyone was shooting at the 2040 target,” said one EPP official who, like others, was granted anonymity to … Read more
Macron, under siege from French farmers who oppose the Mercosur trade accord, wants to raise the issue at an informal summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday, along with other grievances that have sparked a wave of rural protests across France. Speaking in Sweden on Tuesday, Macron said he would discuss his concerns with … Read more
Heavy lifting ahead For her plan to work and to attract the necessary firepower, expertise and resources, Meloni needs buy-in from the EU. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, who could find herself in need of Meloni’s support after the June EU election to secure a second term, has confirmed she will attend the … Read more
People attend the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, January 18, 2024. Denis Balibouse | Reuters The potential for generative artificial intelligence, when interest rates might be cut, and the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip were key topics at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this … Read more
BRUSSELS — Ursula von der Leyen is readying plans for a second five-year term as European Commission president and her party is pressing her to launch the official campaign as soon as possible, according to two officials informed about her thinking. The timing of a potential announcement, not confirmed by people close to von der Leyen, … Read more
STRASBOURG — MEPs demanded the EU Council explore the possibility of stripping Hungary of its EU voting rights in a clash with Budapest over the rule of law. In a vote Thursday at the European Parliament, a majority of MEPs backed a nonbinding resolution calling on the other 26 EU countries’ governments to use a sub-clause … Read more
More than 20 senior European foreign affairs politicians have called on Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to investigate allegations of fraud in December’s election in Serbia. “We call on the EU to conduct an independent investigation of all reported election irregularities and claims of fraud,” the politicians wrote in a letter seen by POLITICO … Read more
BRUSSELS — The Brits are making a comeback in the EU capital. Exhibit A: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s international policy shop is wrapping up a hiring spree in Brussels. In just a year, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) went from virtually non-existent in the Brussels bubble to recruiting some half-dozen … Read more
