Von der Leyen gets the green light, but the biggest challenges are yet to come

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© European Union 2019 – Source : EP

Today, a majority of MEPs decided to give the green-light to the new von der Leyen Commission. About 65% of MEPs backed the new College of Commissioners, whereas only 22% of Parliamentarians voted against von der Leyen. This means that, after a difficult process, the new legislative cycle can finally start. However, if you think von der Leyen’s life will be any easier after clearing this major hurdle, you might want to reconsider: the biggest challenges are yet to come, as the latest trends show that coalition building on EU policy initiatives is going to be more difficult than ever. Continue Reading

Winners and losers of EU politics – May 2018 (MFF, CAP, etc)

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Who gets what from the EU money, the regulation of the labour market, mandatory labelling, subsidies for farming (CAP) and a new investment fund for the Eurozone were the chief topics on which continental political forces fought during the latest plenary session of the European Parliament.

In the key showdown, MEPs  took a stand on the Commission’s proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework. Continue Reading

Exclusive interview with MEP Ludvigsson: what role for Sweden in tomorrow’s EU?

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The decision by the UK to leave the European Union has put Sweden, one of its main partners, in an awkward position. As highlighted by our previous report on Nordic countries, Swedish policymakers are not particularly enthusiastic about the Franco-German acceleration towards a multi-speed Europe, in particular when it comes to the Defence Union and the deepening of the Monetary Union. Continue Reading

The policy implications of the proposed post-Brexit seats redistribution in the European Parliament

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Given the upcoming UK withdrawal from the European Union, EU Parliamentarians are scrambling to share the spoils, namely the British seats in the European Parliament. The current draft proposal by the EP Committee on Constitutional Affairs aims at redistributing 27 UK seats to 14 currently under-represented EU countries and keeping the remaining 46 UK seats as a reserve for potential pan-European lists and future EU enlargement. Continue Reading

Interview: Co-Chair of the Greens/EFA Ska Keller on the future of Europe

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The European Greens are at a crossroads. Green parties are struggling to counter the rise of right-wing parties across the continent and put environmental protection back to the forefront of the political agenda of EU Member States.  Their closest partners, the Social Democrats, are also losing power in most countries, as they were not in the position to capitalize on the backlash against economic and social globalization. Continue Reading

Czech Elections 2017: MEPs Predict the Future Stance of Prague in International Relations

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Confidence in the future of the EU is fragile. While there is renewed optimism due to the defeat of Eurosceptic parties in the Netherlands, France, Germany and Austria, the ongoing Brexit negotiations fuel the anti-establishment voices, including that of the frontrunner to become the next Czech prime minister, Andrej Babiš.

 “Europe is a great project. But European politicians should seriously ask why the UK is leaving. Continue Reading

Dutch coalition forecast: would the Christian Union fit in the new government?

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The Dutch national elections took place more than 100 days ago and yet we don’t know what the new government will look like. After coalition talks with the green party (GroenLinks) collapsed as a result of disagreements on migration policy, the conservative Christian Union (ChristenUnie, CU) came into view as a possible fourth government party. Earlier we reported this possibility (i.e. Continue Reading

What can the EU expect from the German federal election?

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The future of many EU policies largely depends on the outcome of German election in September. Indeed, the potential end of the grand coalition, made up of the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democrats, could alter the position of Berlin on issues such as the EU defence policy and the future of the Eurozone.

According to its supporters, the grand coalition brought harmony and balance to German politics. Continue Reading

How did Belgian EU Parliamentarians vote on social rights?

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VoteWatch Europe combined its political expertise with its dataset on the voting records in the EP to analyse how Belgian European Parliamentarians positioned themselves on several economic and social issues, ranging from the introduction of a European minimum wage to the establishment of an Eurozone budget. This report was commissioned by the Belgian Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (ACV-CSC) with the purpose of tracking the voting behaviour of Belgian MEPs on social rights.  Continue Reading