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The centre-right EPP, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), and the liberal Renew Europe group are drafting their own wish lists for the 2024-2019 EU term this week

EPP, Socialists, Liberals finalise wishlists for von der Leyen’s second term

By: EBR | Thursday, July 4, 2024

The three EU Parliament groups of the centrist majority diverge on some key policy issues for the next mandate, according to draft action plans

Tusk and Scholz held a joint press briefing after the Polish-German intergovernmental consultations in Warsaw on Tuesday, during which they were asked about the reparations claims for Nazi crimes during World War II made by Poland’s previous conservative PiS (ECR) government.

Polish president slams Tusk for saying Poland will drop German reparations claims

By: EBR | Wednesday, July 3, 2024

President Andrzej Duda took aim at Prime Minister Donald Tusk for saying Poland had given up on war reparations claims against Germany launched by the previous conservative PiS government

“Two paths are opening up […]: an alliance of evil with the Front Populaire assembled behind Jean-Luc Melenchon, which would drive the country into mayhem, insurrection and ruin,” Bardella said.

French elections: Far-right attains historic 34% as France enters uncharted territory

By: EBR | Tuesday, July 2, 2024

The French far-right has secured a historic 34% share of the vote in the first round of snap legislative elections, with the left coalition a somewhat distant second

Poland wants to discuss a revision of the ETS2 during the next European Council meeting scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

Poland aims to revise EU green policies during Council presidency

By: EBR | Thursday, June 27, 2024

The Polish government may use its position at the helm of the EU Council presidency in the first half of 2025 to revise some key green EU policies

That would also apply if the CDU would select the Greens to form a coalition government. Like the SPD, it has a strong left wing and, whatever else it may claim, is very much focused on expanding welfare spending.

The Domestic Political Economy of Germany’s Debt Brake

By: EBR | Thursday, June 27, 2024

The SPD and the Greens, the two left-of-center parties in Olaf Scholz’s traffic light coalition are continuing to make a lot of public noise about the need to relax Germany’s debt brake

The EIB’s defensive investments aim to prevent direct war with Russia by investing in military preparedness and creating credible deterrence.

EIB: defense suddenly more important than climate?

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, June 26, 2024

The European Investment Bank has always strongly profiled itself as the ‘climate bank’, which has placed emphasis on ethical and sustainable investment

Bardella has made assurances that he does not want to “call into question the commitments made by France on the international stage,” but this does not stop many EU diplomats and officials from expressing concern.

EU aid to Ukraine could be under threat by Rassemblement National’s rise to power

By: EBR | Wednesday, June 26, 2024

With the French legislative elections on 30 June, the far-right Rassemblement National’s (RN) long-standing friendship with the Kremlin is causing concern in both Brussels and Kyiv

This best-case outcome would hardly be material for the sort of vaulting initiatives Macron tends to favor.

France’s High-Stakes Election Showdown

By: EBR | Tuesday, June 25, 2024

On Sunday, France will hold snap parliamentary elections announced by President Emmanuel Macron after his party’s stunning defeat in the European Parliament elections

Of course, several hurdles remain to be cleared. The European Council has to propose the new commission president to the European Parliament, which will probably decide on her election mid-July.

Europe’s New Leadership Faces a Teamwork Test

By: EBR | Friday, June 21, 2024

Despite some last-minute bickering among party groups, the European Council, which represents the EU member states, appears on track to decide on who will get the EU’s top jobs

The EU executive announced that so-called “excessive deficit procedures” (EDP) will be initiated against Belgium, France, Italy, Hungary, Malta, Poland, and Slovakia, whose deficits exceeded the bloc’s fiscal limit of 3% of annual GDP in 2023.

EU Commission ups pressure on seven countries’ public spending; spares Estonia for defence investment

By: EBR | Thursday, June 20, 2024

The European Commission issued formal warnings to seven member states for violating the bloc’s budget rules

The EU is developing plans to require airlines to track and report their contribution to climate change from January 2025 – not only from carbon dioxide, but also soot, nitrogen oxides and water vapour.

EU drafts plan to exempt long-haul flights from new emissions rules

By: EBR | Wednesday, June 19, 2024

The European Commission has drafted plans to exempt long-haul flights from rules on monitoring their non-CO2 emissions, after international carriers lobbied for an opt-out

“For oats, this average is 2.440,56 tonnes,” the European Commission said in a press release on Tuesday (18 June). Imports since the beginning of 2024 “are above this volume,” the bloc’s executive added, announcing the reintroduction of the tariff quota from the 2016 free trade agreement with Ukraine.

The EU triggers emergency brake on oats imports from Ukraine

By: EBR | Wednesday, June 19, 2024

The cereal is the first agricultural product that will no longer be exempted from duties as of Wednesday

Russia’s war in Ukraine is putting big pressure on EU member states to boost defense spending, revamp the EU’s enlargement policy, and counter the Kremlin’s pervasive disinformation campaigns.

The Timely Revival of the Weimar Triangle

By: EBR | Tuesday, June 18, 2024

These are uncertain times for the EU

‘We have a unique civil service system’, Willem-Alexander emphasised, ‘The fact that a civil servant is loyal to whom so ever is the political boss, is a fantastic system that I strongly support. But, of course, everyone is free to look for another job if that does not suit his or her conscience. And to use his or her qualities elsewhere’.

Dutch King: civil servants who do not want to work for Wilders’ ministers can look for another job

By: N. Peter Kramer | Monday, June 17, 2024

King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands has responded to the unrest amongst government officials about the possible participation of the PVV

While Macron as the Commander-in-Chief could probably still send existing weapons (or possibly even soldiers) to Ukraine, parliament could deny him the funds for any major new initiative.

Macron/Le Pen: Cohabitation in France?

By: EBR | Friday, June 14, 2024

The outcome of the snap elections to the French parliament, to be held in two rounds on June 30th and July 7th, is uncertain

In April, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg issued an unprecedented judgment that said Bern had violated the human rights of a group of older Swiss women, the KlimaSeniorinnen, by failing to tackle climate change.

Swiss parliament snubs European court climate ruling

By: EBR | Thursday, June 13, 2024

The lower house of the Swiss parliament voted to reject a ruling ordering Switzerland to do more to combat global warming

This influence is now called into question with a fresh political crisis in France and elections scheduled for 30 June and 7 July, where the far-right Rassemblement National is expected to perform well.

Resurgent ALDE moves to retake Liberal lead from defeated French

By: EBR | Tuesday, June 11, 2024

France’s influence within the liberal Renew Europe group is under threat with the Renaissance delegation down 10 seats

This week underlines Ukraine’s dilemma of simultaneity: it needs to deal with fighting a war, advancing its recovery, and pursuing EU membership at the same time.

Zelensky’s Diplomatic Offensive

By: EBR | Tuesday, June 11, 2024

The different dimensions of Russia’s war against Ukraine will be at the forefront this week in a series of events around the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin