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

Leave a comment Published in: EP Plenary, Insights, News, Politics & Institutions, Varia
© 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

Which MEPs are the most supportive of migration, EU enlargement, EU social policy?

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A few months into the new EP term, we are already getting a clearer picture as to where different MEPs stand on the most important issues that the EU is dealing with. VoteWatch Europe is keeping track of how each MEP voted on all the issues decided in the European Parliament. We looked closely at all the votes cast so far on 3 of the hottest topics at the moment, namely migration, EU enlargement and employment/social affairs, in order to assess how different political players are positioning themselves. Continue Reading

Winners/losers in EU decision making: climate-trade link, enlargement, chromium, migrants, Thomas Cook, Algeria churches

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While preparing to decide the fate of von der Leyen’s Commission next month, last week the EU Parliamentarians engaged in the most hectic EP plenary since the EU elections, as the different EU political families formed and changed ad-hoc coalitions in order to provide political impetus to their proposals on the future policy direction of the EU.

Due to the ever shifting coalition arrangements, there was no overall winner or loser, since those who were on the winning side on some of the topics ended up being defeated on other matters. Continue Reading

How each MEP voted on Trump, Putin, Maduro

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During the first round of votes in the European Parliament, MEPs focused on foreign relations, while the legislative debate will resume after the summer. In particular, MEPs cast their votes on the EU’s approach towards the Venezuela crisis, an European Magnitisky Act and the crisis on the US-Mexico border. Notably, the side advocating for a tougher approach vis-à-vis all three seemed to get the upper hand. Continue Reading

Dutch elections 2017: Conservative turn with rejection of radical parties

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Round-up of the elections: Liberal-Conservative turn for the Netherlands

Despite losing some seats, the current PM and leader of the People’s Party for Progress and Freedom (VVD), Mark Rutte, comes out as the clear winner of the consultation. While this is mostly good news for Europe and the liberal order, a closer look at the results and how we’ve got here is needed to understand the likely policy of the next Dutch government. Continue Reading

Large support in the EP for the new EU agency for border control, even from some euro-critic parties

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Refugees crossing the Mediterranean sea on a boat, heading from Turkish coast to the northeastern Greek island of Lesbos, 29 January 2016.

Despite the frequent clashes among both the political groups and the different national delegations in the European Parliament on how to respond to the unprecedented migratory flows, a compromise for the establishment of a European Border and Coast Guard has been supported by 68% of the MEPs. Continue Reading

Austrian thrilling elections will have far-reaching impacts on EU political developments

Leave a comment Published in: Council, Insights, News, Politics & Institutions, Society

After a passionate two-day scrutiny, Alexander Van Der Bellen (supported by the Greens) narrowly defeated his far-right wing opponent, Norbert Hofer (Freedom Party of Austria), therefore becoming the new Austrian President (50,3% vs 49,7%). Notably, the ecologist candidate only managed to win thanks to the postal votes counted today, whereas yesterday night the anti-EU Hofer was leading by some 144.000 votes. Continue Reading

So what’s driving the major shift in Austria’s political landscape?

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Radio France Internationale

25.04.2016

Radio interview of our Director Doru Frantescu about the dramatic result of the elections in Austria, where the far-right anti-EU candidate came 1st in presidential elections. None of the candidates of the pro-EU mainstream parties made it to the “final”, a situation he predicted and drew attention to in a report 2 weeks ago. Continue Reading

Austria’s elections take-aways: TTIP and EU’s migration policy under pressure

Leave a comment Published in: Constitutional affairs, Council, Insights, News, Society

A political earthquake shook Austria yesterday evening, when the far-right anti-EU candidate Norbert Hofer received about 36% of the votes, trumping every other candidate by more than 10 points. Coming just 2 weeks after the referendum in the Netherlands that rejected the EU-Ukraine agreement, this is likely to impact on the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and other trade agreements, at a time when President Obama, Angela Merkel and other European leaders are trying to build a favourable momentum in Hannover. Continue Reading

EU-Turkey cooperation on migration not to be linked to EU accession negotiation, say the MEPs

Leave a comment Published in: EP Plenary, Foreign policy, Insights, Society

Against the background of the criticised EU-Turkey political agreement on irregular migration of March 2016, EU Parliamentarians adopted a non-binding resolution supporting the engagement between the two entities on the refugee and migration crisis but also underlining that EU-Turkey cooperation on migration should not be linked to EU accession negotiation process. Continue Reading