Nov. 6: It has been clear since the morning that Donald Trump will become president again in the USA; in the evening, the traffic light coalition in Germany collapses. At midday on this historic day, Friedrich Merz sits on a stage in the auditorium of Berlin’s Hertie School to talk about Europe. For 90 minutes, […]
Time is gradually running out for the new EU Commission. In order for Ursula von der Leyen to take up her second term of office on December 1 as hoped, she would need the approval of the European Parliament by next week at the latest. However, the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats are deadlocked on […]
The Social Democrats do not have it easy at the moment, not even in the European Parliament. On Thursday, they had to watch as Manfred Weber’s EPP simply ignored their angry warnings and adopted amendments to the deforestation law, with the help of the liberals and partly with the votes of the far right. As […]
The power struggle in the European Parliament over the new Commission came to a head on Wednesday. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen received the leaders of the EPP, S&D and Renew political groups at the Berlaymont yesterday to calm the waters. The one-and-a-half hour meeting with Manfred Weber, Iratxe García Pérez and Valérie Hayer […]
The European Parliament has postponed the decision on the designated Vice-Presidents of the new EU Commission, probably until next week. The group leaders of the EPP, S&D and Renew wanted to try to find a joint solution and maintain their pro-European alliance during this time, according to Parliament. The aim is still for the new […]
CDU leader Friedrich Merz urges Chancellor Olaf Scholz to immediately call a vote of confidence. The leadership of the CDU/CSU faction argues that otherwise the red-green minority government could knock down stakes internationally and in Brussels for which it lacks democratic legitimacy. In order to keep an eye on them, the CDU/CSU wants to invite […]
Paula Pinho will be the new Chief Spokesperson of the EU Commission. President Ursula von der Leyen nominated the Portuguese woman for her second term of office as successor to Eric Mamer. Pinho most recently worked as Director in the Directorate-General for Energy. She has been with the Commission since 2000 and was in the […]
What a day. The USA elects disruptor-in-chief Donald Trump as POTUS, and the government coalition in Germany collapses. On Nov. 6, 2024, the world seems to have gone a little further off the rails.However, early elections in Germany (probably in March) are not necessarily bad news for the European Union. The divided coalition would hardly […]
Following Donald Trump’s election victory, the European Union is struggling to find its ability to act. At a dinner in Budapest on the eve of the informal EU summit, the heads of state and government will discuss possible consequences today, with diplomats expecting a “very open” debate. Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke to French President Emmanuel […]
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has resolved to reduce EU reporting and information obligations for companies by at least 25 percent – and by as much as 35 percent for SMEs. The authority is currently compiling possible use cases that are to be implemented in the new legislative period. The designated Economic Affairs Commissioner […]