The fight over the budget, known as the multiannual financial framework (MFF), will be “almost impossible,” one EU diplomat, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said. The role “will be one of the hardest in this next European Commission,” the diplomat continued. “But he’s the right guy for the job – he knows his stuff, he … Read more
Still, that deep EU knowledge provides a marked distinction between Rutte (who was Dutch PM for 14 years) and his predecessor (who comes from non-EU Norway). “I’m good friends with all the senior leaders in EU, and I’m looking forward to working with them,” Rutte said, adding that he’s scheduled meetings with European Commission President … Read more
Bernd Lange, the German MEP who heads the Conference of Committee Chairs (CCC), “will summarize” Tuesday’s discussion “and bring both proposals to CoP, highlighting a clear majority in CCC for November,” said two parliamentary officials with knowledge of the process, granted anonymity to speak freely. The only faction pushing for a mid-October start date is … Read more
Having served as the CEO of EirGrid, the Irish Transmission System Operator, I understand that the energy transition cannot happen in isolation. Collaboration with our European partners is essential as we plan and develop new energy infrastructure. We are committed to working closely with neighboring countries across the Irish, Celtic and North seas, accelerating toward … Read more
Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson considered sending troops to the Netherlands to seize a supply of five million doses of Covid vaccines held in Leiden, according to an excerpt of his forthcoming memoirs published in the Daily Mail. In the spring of 2021, the EU and U.K. were wrestling over the production of Covid-19 … Read more
The second draft timeline suggests holding the hearings between Nov. 4 and 12, with the MEPs’ vote coming in the final week of November, and the Commission taking office on Dec. 1. On Tuesday, the Conference of Committee Chairs — led by German Social Democrat Bernd Lange — will recommend one of the two options … Read more
Volodymyr Zelensky has just four months. That’s the time left until U.S. President Joe Biden leaves office. After that, who knows what’s going to happen. And that means uncomfortable questions for the EU, too. This week’s edition of EU Confidential tracks the Ukrainian president’s recent journey to the U.S. We start off in Kyiv, where … Read more
The Commission also interpreted the silence of two countries — Czechia and Greece — as assent, bringing the total to 12. On a weighted basis, that adds up to more than 60 percent of the EU population in favor of the duties. Czechia has a sizable car industry and could conceivably vote against if push comes … Read more
Former European Commissioner Thierry Breton said on Sunday that no one had forced him to resign from the EU executive but that he’d felt he “had to do it.” In his first public comments since unexpectedly quitting last week, Breton reiterated his criticism of the Commission’s “dubious governance.” Breton, who served as commissioner for the … Read more
The tit-for-tat followed the Serbian leader’s calls this week for new municipal elections in northern Kosovo to ease tensions that flared in 2023 when the Serbian community largely boycotted the ballot. The local Serbs wanted to express dissatisfaction with Pristina, but the move backfired when ethnic Albanian candidates, representing just over 3 percent of the … Read more
