The European Union’s founding promise of open governance is fraying as the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen increasingly shields its operations from public view. By narrowing the definition of official documents and withholding critical files, the institution is effectively insulating its decision-making processes from necessary scrutiny by journalists and citizens.
Thunder cracked over Brussels on the night of June 23, 2016, mirroring the atmospheric tension inside The Funky Monkey. As the 'BritPack' of London-based correspondents confidently toasted a predicted victory for Remain, the local Euractiv correspondent stood alone in his conviction that the Leave campaign was destined to prevail.
Fifteen European Union member states convened in Brussels this Tuesday to navigate the sensitive logistics of deporting Afghan nationals. While the European Commission framed the session as a strategy to remove individuals posing security threats, internal signals suggest the policy scope may extend to failed asylum seekers without criminal records.
Former EU migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos secured formal approval from the European Commission to accept a paid role at Fight Impunity, an NGO now identified by Belgian authorities as the focal point of a major corruption scandal involving illicit influence from Qatar and Morocco.
The European External Action Service, established by the 2009 Lisbon Treaty, is buckling under the weight of an impossible mandate. Three distinct roles—chair of the foreign ministers council, Commission vice president, and head of a diplomatic institution—have combined into a single, chronically overstretched position that consistently underperforms.
European lawmakers have cleared a pivotal hurdle for the digital euro, framing the project as a vital defense against external control. With Visa and Mastercard processing nearly two-thirds of eurozone card transactions, the European Parliament’s economic committee voted Tuesday to advance legislation aimed at reclaiming sovereignty over regional digital payments.
Ninety percent of passengers demand that hand luggage be included in ticket prices, fueling a legislative overhaul that finally addresses outdated air travel protections. After years of industry lobbying, the European Union has reached a deal to standardize carry-on policies and solidify existing compensation rights for flight delays.
Half of the occupied Crimean peninsula plunged into darkness Tuesday following targeted Ukrainian strikes against regional energy infrastructure. The assault, which crippled power grids in Yevpatoria, Dzhankoy, and surrounding districts, intensifies a broader campaign to isolate the territory by severing fuel supply lines and rendering the peninsula unsustainable for Russian occupation.
Ten years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union on June 23, 2016, the political landscape remains scarred by the same disconnect that fueled the decision. The shock of the result exposed a profound chasm between a remote Westminster establishment and a public demanding genuine accountability.
For years, the European political landscape was defined by the dual pressures of uncontrolled migration and climate policy. Today, those issues are receding into the background as a relentless cost-of-living crisis forces a fundamental recalibration of priorities among voters across the continent, moving economic survival to the center of public debate.
The European Union’s May decision to block Brazilian meat imports over hormone use and weak antimicrobial safeguards marks a rare instance of trade accountability. While the move earned broad support, it highlights a persistent systemic failure: the continued reliance on imported goods that violate the bloc’s own environmental and safety regulations.
Chants of “send them back” rang out in the European Parliament last Wednesday, mirroring a deeper fracture across the continent. While 19 member states now push to establish offshore “return hubs” for irregular migrants, a bloc of eight nations stands in firm opposition, questioning both the ethics and efficacy of the plan.
Oil prices have tumbled 20 percent since late May as markets bank on a successful resolution to US-Iran negotiations. Yet, while Vice President JD Vance claims a foundation for peace has been set, experts warn that the physical reality of restarting global supply chains remains dangerously underestimated.
European Union leaders pledged on Monday that Moldova’s future lies within the bloc, greenlighting formal accession negotiations in Brussels. The commitment comes with a significant financial incentive, as Brussels ties billions in development aid directly to Chișinău's success in judicial reform and anti-corruption measures.
A decisive victory in Makerfield has positioned Andy Burnham to succeed Keir Starmer, forcing a sudden pivot in British politics just weeks before a crucial Brussels summit. Starmer’s resignation on Monday, driven by plummeting poll numbers, leaves his signature project—a comprehensive reset of post-Brexit relations—hanging in the balance.
Occupied Crimea is spiraling into an acute energy and economic crisis, forcing local authorities to halt fuel sales, suspend ferry services, and cancel the summer tourist season. The blockade follows a systematic campaign of Ukrainian drone and missile strikes targeting the peninsula's logistics, fuel depots, and the Kerch Strait infrastructure.
Prime Minister Robert Fico is systematically dismantling the operating space for non-governmental organizations, moving from failed legislative attempts to weaponizing state audits and inflammatory rhetoric. A new Amnesty International briefing details how this state-led hostility has fostered an environment of harassment, intimidation, and financial insecurity for human rights defenders across the country.
Giorgia Meloni, once considered Donald Trump's staunchest European ally, has publicly shattered their rapport after the U.S. president claimed she had begged him for a photo at the G7 summit. Meloni dismissed the account as a total fabrication, marking a volatile shift in the transatlantic relationship under the current administration.
A Taliban delegation is set to arrive in Brussels within days, following the issuance of five short-term visas by Belgian authorities. The visit marks a critical juncture in ongoing, often opaque efforts by the European Commission to streamline the deportation of Afghan nationals back to their home country.
If you are a woman in Spain, your male colleague may earn 30 percent more for the same job in the private sector. Across the European Union, the average wage gap remains at 11 percent, prompting the bloc to implement a new Pay Transparency Directive aimed at ending salary secrecy.
Following a high-stakes week of summitry in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen turns her attention to Moldova on Monday. The meeting aims to sustain the momentum of Chișinău’s integration efforts, focusing on the alignment of Moldovan national law with the European Union’s extensive legal framework.
When Ireland faced its watershed 2015 same-sex marriage referendum, the campaign succeeded not through dry political debate, but by forcing a national conversation rooted in personal connection. As the UK confronts the potential ascent of Nigel Farage’s Reform party, this grassroots model offers a blueprint for countering populist momentum.
The vote was expected, but the reaction was not. As the European Parliament passed its new Return Regulation by 418 to 218, the chamber erupted into a rhythmic, unified roar: “Send them back.” For those watching from the outside, the chant signaled a shift from policy disagreement to something far more visceral.
Kylian Mbappé has thrust himself into a volatile political arena, openly urging citizens to reject the National Rally. His vocal opposition to Marine Le Pen’s party has triggered a fierce cultural backlash, with far-right representatives dismissing the football star as an elitist figure who should stick to the pitch.
Peter Heine Nielsen, longtime coach to world champion Magnus Carlsen, argues that the Russian elite has systematically weaponized the global chess circuit to project influence. From Kremlin-backed back-channels to the presence of high-profile political figures at FIDE events, chess has become a strategic theater for Russian soft power.
Since October 2023, Israeli airstrikes have damaged or destroyed at least €150 million in European taxpayer-funded infrastructure across Gaza and the West Bank. Despite the scale of the losses, Israel has not provided any financial restitution, leaving member states to grapple with the total loss of their investments.
Nineteen European Union member states have formally united behind a controversial proposal to establish offshore return hubs for rejected asylum seekers. This coalition, spearheaded by Denmark and Italy, aims to bypass traditional domestic processing by shifting the logistical burden of deportations to facilities located outside the bloc’s borders before year-end.
After three months of bureaucratic inertia, European Union leaders have directed the European Commission to draft options for restricting imports from illegal Israeli settlements. The move follows growing frustration among member states over the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and the Commission’s continued reluctance to formalize trade policy.
A sharp divide between net-contributor states and those seeking expanded funding has paralyzed EU budget negotiations, leaving leaders searching for new revenue streams. With the current proposal of 1.73 trillion euros facing stiff resistance, the bloc is increasingly looking toward novel levies to bridge the funding gap before year-end.
A series of Ukrainian drone strikes on a Moscow oil refinery has triggered a frantic, increasingly radicalized response within Russia’s pro-war camp. As the refinery remains crippled, prominent figures and propagandists are moving beyond standard rhetoric, openly calling for tactical nuclear strikes and domestic crackdowns to suppress perceived treason.
