Polish media and opposition fight to save press freedom from state control
OPEN DEMOCRACY – Government’s controversial bill ‘would wipe out one of last institutions to hold authorities accountable’ and could lead to US sanctions.
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Citizen Deliberation in Light of an Insurrection
EU SCREAM – Alberto Alemanno discusses the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Releasing Europe’s democratic genie
SOCIAL EUROPE – The Conference on the Future of Europe might sow the seeds of a genuine European political space.
Coalition led by B Lab Europe calls for mandatory stakeholder governance across the EU
PIONEERS POST – A coalition of 60 companies led by B Lab Europe is calling for an EU-wide change in company law to make stakeholder governance mandatory in the bloc.
Lack of citizens at EU’s citizens’ debate raises eyebrows
THE. GUARDIAN – Analysis: legitimacy of Future of Europe talks called into question as only a quarter of citizens likely to take part
These sixteen countries are now using the EU’s COVID travel pass (EUDCC)
EURONEWS – Sixteen countries have begun using the EU’s ‘Digital COVID certificate’ (EUDCC) to enable their citizens to easily travel across the bloc.
Will the EU’s Covid travel pass save the summer or create chaos?
RFI – Trumpeted as a quick fix to the holiday travel dilemma, and eagerly awaited by Europe’s struggling tourism sector, the certificate is intended to allow rapid movement between EU states without additional quarantine or coronavirus tests. Critics say it’s a recipe for delays and confusion.
EU leaders discuss repercussions for Belarus after Ryanair ‘hijack’
CNBC – Outraged European leaders are gathering in Brussels on Monday to discuss how to punish Belarusian authorities, after the forced landing of a Ryanair flight and subsequent arrest of a journalist on board.
The EU wants its citizens to shape its future. And fend off a euroskeptic surge
CNBC – The EU launched Sunday the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Anti-EU lawmakers strengthened their support following the sovereign debt and migration crises of the last decade.
Green wave — Vaccine comms lessons — New pesticides regime
POLITICO EU Influence – For the Brussels influence industry, AstraZeneca’s tarnished reputation is a cautionary tale — and a new client pitch.
Child rights — Transparency during corona — German side jobs scandal
POLITICO EU Influence – The Commission is expected to present a new EU strategy on the rights of the child next week, along with a proposal for a Council recommendation on a European child guarantee.
The dangerous illusions of an EU ‘vaccine passport’
OPEN DEMOCRACY – Is the push for a vaccine certificate driven by an economic desire to boost travel and tourism rather than the safety of all Europeans?
Europe facing ‘uphill battle’ with Covid vaccines as Italy blocks AstraZeneca shipment
CNBC – Europe’s coronavirus vaccine rollout has been thrust into the spotlight once again after the Italian government blocked a shipment of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines to Australia.
Will COVID-19 spark reform of the EU’s borderless Schengen Area?
EURONEWS – Several EU countries are moving to reinstate border checks and travel restrictions over a troubling surge in coronavirus variants.
Facing up to the demands of post-Brexit business travel
Financial Times – Working trips between the EU and UK will still be possible — but with more planning and paperwork.
Amid vaccines row, EU adopts regulation to control export of COVID-19 jabs
EURONEWS – The European Commission has adopted a regulation to control the export of coronavirus vaccines manufactured in the EU, amid a row with vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca, and warnings of a brewing vaccine war with the UK.
Letter: Set up common travel areas on UK-Ireland model
The loss of the freedom to settle, work and travel on the continent has smashed the amount of rights associated with UK citizenship.
The future of Europe will be institutionalised
Financial Times – EU’s planned Conference on the Future of Europe delayed over who should run it
Covid-19 Vaccine Passports Are a Ticket to Nowhere
BLOOMBERG – Gloomy visions of an inoculated elite lording it over everyone else won’t get needles in arms any faster.
Commission to revamp campaigning rules after von der Leyen video storm
POLITICO – EU chief’s participation in a Croatian election campaign video sparked criticism.
Italy’s government could soon collapse over a dispute about EU funds
CNBC – The latest political dispute is coming at a particularly painful moment.
Future of Europe conference: one year on standby
EU OBSERVER – The troubled Conference on the Future of Europe, intended to reconnect the European project with its citizens, remains in deadlock due to an ongoing institutional dispute over who will chair it.
EU still lacks a ‘silver bullet’ for bringing autocrats to heel
FINANCIAL TIMES – Budget stand-off over rule of law ends in neither victory nor defeat for Hungary and Poland.
Věra Jourová, Europe’s ‘lonesome sheriff’
POLITICO – Under fire in battles over EU values, Commission VP shoots from the lip.
All eyes on EU court for decision on religious slaughter
EU OBSERVER – Stunning animals before slaughter and avoiding unnecessary suffering is surely the least we owe these fellow sentient beings.
EU representatives and voters without borders
EURACTIV – Almost 30 years after the first transnational European party was formed, the European Parliament has proposed that in the 2024 European elections, all voters should be able to vote, in addition to their national representatives, for a second set of representatives, elected in a single European college.
With Phil Hogan’s departure, Ursula von der Leyen bets on ethics
POLITICO – Irishman’s exit shows the Commission president won’t tolerate the impression that her top team can act with impunity.
How Hogan’s resignation presents Von der Leyen with a fresh headache
EURONEWS – “This certainly will become a headache for Von der Leyen and the new [European] Commission because this will lead to a reshuffle of her college – this is very likely.” Alberto Alemanno, EU Analyst.
Von der Leyen admits ‘mistakes’ in Croatian campaign video
POLITICO – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s soundbite for a Croatian political campaign video lasted all of two seconds. But the repercussions have already lasted much longer and won’t be over anytime soon.
We lived the European dream. Will any politician stand up for open borders?
THE GUARDIAN – Millions of us built our lives on the promise of free movement. Under cover of coronavirus, that dream is disappearing…
EU members clash over pandemic economic rescue package
THE GUARDIAN – France and Netherlands at odds on finance ministers’ €500bn compromise
Trump’s travel ban on many European countries is ‘politically motivated,’ analysts say
CNBC – The travel ban comes at a time when the number of cases is rising in both the Europe and the United States. The two countries agreed in January to improve their trade links, by negotiating a deal before the end of the year.
The EU won’t fix its democratic deficit with another top-down ‘conference’
THE GUARDIAN – Europe needs a new mechanism for involving citizens, not another talking shop chaired by the polarising Guy Verhofstadt.
Choosing Ursula von der Leyen Weakens the European Parliament
BLOOMBERG – Parliament has been building its authority lately. Accepting the Council’s decision for Commission President reverses that.
What the EU elections will — and won’t — tell us about the future of Europe
CNBC – Ahead of this year’s EU elections, Macron finds himself fighting the nationalist and Euroskeptic party of Marine Le Pen once again. In Italy, the elections will be a test on the anti-establishment coalition government, which has been in power for roughly a year.
There are 17 million mobile EU citizens. We deserve a political voice
THE GUARDIAN – Those of us who reside in another member state live more ‘European’ lives than anyone. Yet we feel disenfranchised.
How Brexit may harm the new EU parliament
EU OBSERVER – Amid frantic negotiations, the EU-27 leaders ultimately conceded a further extension to the UK to ratify the withdrawal agreement by 31 October 31.
Emmanuel Macron takes on Viktor Orban and Matteo Salvini
THE ECONOMIST – In European politics, the big divide is not open v closed but innovator v conservative
Europe Up for Grabs: The Looming Battle Lines of the 2019 European Parliament Elections
CARNEGIE EUROPE – A new wave of pan-European parties and movements could profoundly shake up and further polarize EU politics ahead of the 2019 European Parliament elections.
How the EU Can Help Protect Whistleblowers
BLOOMBERG – The public may cheer a whistleblower, but it’s not easy to be one. While they expose fraud and abuse that otherwise would remain veiled, whistleblowers in Europe often face retaliation by their employers and other repercussions. A new proposed European Union directive seeks to change that; it might also prove useful in countering the erosion of democratic values in the bloc’s east.
How Civil Society in Europe Can Defend Itself
BLOOMBERG – The Soros-funded university in Hungary isn’t the only non-governmental organization under attack in Europe.
Why France’s Presidential Elections Will Go Down To The Wire
The debate on the European Union confirmed the antithetical views of the two candidates, underlining their irreconcilable understanding of the European project.
Why A Liberal And Pro-EU Citizen Cannot Celebrate French Presidential Hopeful Macron’s Win
In our highly-polarized nations, an electoral victory no longer ensures, nor translates, into societal acceptance and popular support for change.