Orbán's relations with Brussels at boiling point

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had a tense exchange at the Strasbourg plenary on 9 October, after Orbán outlined his country's EU Council Presidency initiatives.

Orbán stressed the need for stricter migration controls, questioning the EU's approach to Ukraine. Von der Leyen responded with a strong defence of Europe’s military and financial support to Kyiv. The clash highlighted deepening divisions within the EU, as Orbán called for...

EU ministers' not-so-subtle rightward shift on migration

Thursday’s Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting has laid bare the stark shift in EU member states' approach to migration, as right-wing politics gain ground across the bloc.

While ministers are due to discuss issues related to Schengen and security, the focal point will be a working lunch where ministers will explore new migration deals with third countries and how to make the return of irregular migrants more efficient.

The obvious harder line that is being taken on both asylum and irre...

ICRC urges end to hostilities as Israel-Hezbollah conflict threatens regional spill over

The situation in the Middle East is rapidly deteriorating. Though not officially termed a war, the escalating conflict across Gaza, northern Israel, and southern Lebanon suggests a new regional conflict in the Middle East is rapidly taking shape.
Israel’s operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Beirut, which resulted in the death of one of Hezbollah’s leaders, has triggered missile retaliation and caused severe civilian casualties. More than 550 people, among them dozens of children...

Draghi: The EU to consider report's proposals or face 'slow agony'

Mario Draghi handed his highly anticipated report on European competitiveness to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, outlining the urgent need to boost productivity to achieve the EU’s political and economic goals.
Without significant progress, Europe risks falling further behind global competitors, particularly in the tech sector. The report highlights the importance of a well-coordinated transition to climate neutrality, ensuring that decarbonisation also supports growth. With...

The EU's plan to reshape its defence policy

As the EU gears up for a new era in defence, the focus is shifting to how the Commission and Parliament will align their differing interests. The new subcommittee’s upgrade signals a stronger push for a unified strategy, but uncertainties persist.
With a new Commissioner set to take office, how will their approach influence the EU’s defence policy? And with the Mario Draghi report on the horizon, should we anticipate bold suggestions on defence?
To dive into what the future holds for EU’s defenc...

Wildfires: The prevention tactics the EU must focus on

Wildfires are once again raging in the south of Europe. With rising temperatures and global warming, wildfires have become a prominent issue for Europe, particularly in the summer, showing that the need for effective prevention and management is critical. 
But what lessons have we learned in recent years, what is the effectiveness of existing measures, and what are the future steps necessary to mitigate these destructive events? 
To break down these questions, we are joined by Balazs Ujvari, spo...

Ursula von der Leyen: round two

Ursula von der Leyen convinced 401 members of the European Parliament to vote in her favour, out of 707. This time, she was re-elected as Commission President with a 41-vote lead, emerging from the first plenary with a stronger mandate.
Before the vote, von der Leyen delivered a lengthy speech reaching out to centrist and left-wing parties, while excluding the far-right. She outlined the priorities for her next mandate, appearing more confident than ever, but also raising some questions. 
To bre...

A French 'non' to the far right

Defying expectations the French left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front, overtook Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, coming first during the second and final round of France’s snap elections on Sunday (7 July).
The left-wing coalition, however, has not secured an absolute majority, therefore questions arise about who will be the country’s next prime minister, and which parties could collaborate to form a government. 
To break down what the future holds for French politics, I’m joined by our Par...

Von der Leyen battles for Parliament support, Orbán forms far-right group

Ursula von der Leyen is campaigning to secure a second term as Commission president after her party’s success in the European Parliament elections and her nomination by EU leaders. She is negotiating with key groups, including the Socialists, the liberals, and the Greens, to secure the 361 votes needed for her confirmation in Parliament.  
At the same time, far-right leaders across Europe, including Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, are forming a new alliance with nationalist parties from Austria and the...

French far-fight defeats Macron’s centrists

The French headed to the polls on Sunday (30 June) to decide on their next government after President Emmanuel Macron announced a snap election in response to strong performance for France’s far-right in the European elections.

Jordan Bardella’s far-right Rassemblement National emerged victorious in this first round of legislative elections, with a record score of 34%. But what messages is this result sending ahead of the definitive second round on Sunday (7 July), and what could the outcome me

Everything we know about the Draghi report

The forthcoming report by former Italian prime minister and former European central bank president, Mario Draghi, on the future of European competitiveness is a valuable opportunity to shape the EU policy agenda for the coming EU legislative term and beyond.

The report will focus on the EU’s aim to leverage its numerous strengths and competitive advantages while also tackling existing challenges and facilitating the twin transition towards a sustainable and digital economy.

But why has Draghi’

All that changed on election night

More than 360 million European citizens had the right to vote in this weekend’s European Parliament elections. Across Europe, the overall turnout was around 51%, and the results had knock-on effects on individual countries.

Who were the big winners according to the latest exit polls, who were the losers, what happens with the non-affiliated, and in which EU countries were these make-or-break elections?

To talk about what happened during the election night we’re joined by Aurelie Pugnet, Euract

Will the new Dutch coalition fight the EU or seek solutions?

Four Dutch parties, including Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom, have agreed on a government programme emphasising nationalism and a tougher stance on Europe.

They plan to seek opt-outs from some European policies, particularly migration, despite knowing these efforts will likely fail. Does this mean they’re going for a strategy of confrontation with Europe or one of cooperation? And will their Eurosceptical approach damage the country’s credibility in the EU?

To understand better the

EU elections: The influence of Eastern Europe on Brussels politics

Much has changed over the past two decades: The EU has evolved and expanded, with thirteen new members. The 2004 Big Bang enlargement altered Europe’s geopolitical landscape and, though its pace has slowed since then, new member states continue to influence and shape the EU’s agenda and policies.

In this episode, we’re looking together with Alexandra Brzozowski, Euractiv’s Global Europe editor, at what is happening in Eastern Europe and why the geopolitical weight of these countries is increasi

What will happen to the EU's 119 pending legislative files?

After the European Parliament elections in June, the fate of 119 legislative files unfinished in this mandate will hang in the balance.

The new parliament must decide whether and how to address these pending issues. This decision is expected to fuel political debates and shape the direction of EU policymaking in the upcoming five-year term, as indicated by recent polls.

But are all these files to be affected? To look into the fate of the unfinished files we are joined by Max Girera, Euractiv’s

Push for permanent RRF faces scrutiny amidst latest €600m fraud in Italy

In this episode of our daily ‘Today in the EU’ podcast, we take a deep dive into the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

The EU’s economic chief Paolo Gentiloni called for turning the bloc’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) into a “permanent” resource, arguing that its temporary nature hasn’t helped the programme would unleash its full potential. However, the European Court of Auditors is warning about the risk of frauds when it comes to EU funds after cases of embezzlement were detec

VDL on tightrope: Indulging the right without losing the left

In this episode of our daily Today in the EU podcast, we are talking about Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s effort to gain support from both ends of the political spectrum.

Von der Leyen faces a tricky dilemma as she will have to woo right-wing voters, including new members of the European Parliament, without scaring away the left-of-centre parties, whose votes she needs to win her second term. But what will keeping this precarious balance look like for von der Leyen? How is she goin

Nature restoration law: Is it really the end for flagship Green Deal policy?

In the latest episode of Euractiv’s Today in the EU, we’re focusing on the nature restoration law, which has been at the forefront of discussions among national governments in the Council, while the European Parliament has seen its fair share of drama.

Despite the compromise reached between Parliament and national governments in February, which notably diluted the Commission’s original proposal, there is now not enough support amongst member states.

To break down what is happening with one of

NATO new era: Who’s fit for its top job?

On the latest episode of Euractiv’s Today in the EU, all eyes are on the NATO military alliance, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary with two new members: Finland and Sweden. Lying ahead in 2024 is a mission to maintain unity and find a new secretary general, all while navigating through the hot waters of helping Ukraine without being dragged into a war with Russia.

To break down who are the top candidates for the alliance’s top position and assess what lies in store for NATO in the futur

Political manoeuvring intensifies ahead of June EU elections

On the very first episode of our daily podcast Today in the EU, we are looking at the upcoming European elections.

Campaigns are heating up, with the political parties showing their claws ahead of polls opening in June. According to Euractiv’s polling provider, Europe Elects, the national-conservative ECR group is set to overtake the liberal Renew Europe group as the fourth-largest political force.

We sat down with Euractiv’s network journalist Max Griera to break down the numbers and trends a

European Parliament's presence on banned TikTok raises security concerns

The European Parliament wants to use TikTok to engage voters ahead of the EU elections in June. However, some are calling the move contradictory – as in March 2023, both the European Commission and Parliament banned TikTok from official devices. Despite their positions having since ameliorated, cybersecurity concerns persist.

We spoke with Julia Tar, Euractiv’s Technology reporter to find out about the transparency regarding its use and how can TikTok be safely used during the electoral campaig

Could Trump's NATO remarks threaten European security?

With NATO defence ministers gathering in Brussels on Thursday (15 February), the meeting is being overshadowed by former US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks Washington might not protect European allies who are not spending enough on defence from a potential Russian attack.

They also come ahead of the Munich Security Conference (16-18 February), the ‘Davos of defence’, where some of the world’s top security leaders meet to discuss crises and future threats.

We ask Alexandra Brzozowski, E

Greens: What’s the plan for June's European elections?

This week, the Beyond the Byline podcast looks at the Greens congress, their pro-electoral pledge and the candidates representing the party in the elections.

In anticipation of the European Elections this coming June, parties are gathering in congresses to finalise their candidate selections and strategies for their electoral campaigns.

Earlier this month, the European Greens convened their congress to finalise their manifesto and to select their lead candidates for the EU elections. We asked

Cutro shipwreck deemed not of particular interest by Italian authorities

This week, the Beyond the Byline podcast delves into the chain of events that led to the sinking of a boat carrying around 200 people off the coast of Cutro, southern Italy, on 26 February 2023 – in which at least 94 people lost their lives.

Italian officials at the Frontex monitoring room in Warsaw deemed the sighting of the migrant boat as ‘not of particular interest’ hours before it hit a shallow point in the water and sank, according to the Frontex incident report obtained by Euractiv.

We
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