Commission to revamp campaigning rules after von der Leyen video storm
POLITICO – EU chief’s participation in a Croatian election campaign video sparked criticism.
Europe
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.
Numérique: une intense campagne de lobbying à Bruxelles
LE FIGARO – Face au Digital Services Act et au Digital Markets Act, la mobilisation des lobbyistes du secteur était prévisible et attendue. Mais certaines méthodes ont choqué.
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.
Podcast serie: Citizen Lobbyist – Episode 7
Together with Fiorela Lavorgna and my The Good Lobby crew, we created a show that
Italy’s Election Was Quite Traditional, Actually
BLOOMBERG – The Italian election was heartening for populist forces. Yet the results do not break with a venerable Italian tradition — one that political scientist Giuseppe di Palma described in “Surviving without Governing: The Italian Parties in Parliament.” Those who are suddenly overcome with anxiety for Italy and Europe might find solace in its pages.
Macron’s many challenges ahead
1989 GENERATION INITIATIVE PODCAT – Following the French elections, we brought together 89ers and expert guest Alberto Alemanno to discuss the outcome, the challenges ahead for Macron, and the how the formerly dominant parties, the Parti Socialiste and Les Républicains, might recover.
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.
Affaire Phil Hogan: l’occasion de définir une responsabilité politique européenne
LE MONDE – La démission du commissaire irlandais sous la pression de la présidence de la Commission crée un précédent en faveur d’une autonomisation de l’examen éthique de la politique européenne, analysent les juristes Alberto Alemanno et Benjamin Bodson dans une tribune au « Monde ».
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.
A Bruxelles, l’émergence de lobbyistes « éthiques »
LE MONDE – Aux yeux de ces influenceurs qui se revendiquent « durables », le lobbying est un moyen d’expression légitime mais qui doit être rééquilibré au profit de voix qui pèsent moins dans le processus législatif, comme les ONG.
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 provoca las iras de socialistas y liberales al tomar partido en unas elecciones nacionales
EL PAÍS – La presidenta de la Comisión podría haber violado la obligación de neutralidad prevista en el código de conducta del organismo.
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
Coronavirus : « Si vous pensez que l’Union n’en fait pas assez, tournez-vous plutôt vers les capitales européennes »
LE MONDE – Le professeur de droit Alberto Alemanno s’inquiète, dans une tribune au « Monde », des solutions nationales qui pourraient se révéler plus néfastes que bénéfiques, en offrant une illusion de sécurité et de sûreté à leurs ressortissants.
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.
Alemanno: «Le rejet de Sylvie Goulard est une défaite du leadership européen»
LE FIGARO – «Les électeurs européens demandent davantage d’Europe et non davantage d’État-nation» explique Alberto Alemanno, professeur de droit européen à HEC.
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.
«Les Européens mobiles dans l’UE sont les moins représentés politiquement»
LIBÉRATION – Face aux obstacles administratifs pour voter dans un autre pays et l’emprise des enjeux locaux, le juriste Alberto Alemanno prône un collège électoral unique dans l’Union et de vrais partis européens.
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.
France-Italie : et si cette crise ouvrait de nouvelles perspectives européennes ?
TV5 MONDE – C’est une crise sans précédent, depuis l’après-guerre, entre deux pays fondateurs de l’Union européenne. La France vient de rappeler son ambassadeur à Rome, suite aux provocations verbales de Matteo Salvini, ministre italien de l’Intérieur et Luigi Di Maio, vice-président du gouvernement. Selon Alberto Alemanno, politologue, ces piques italiennes ne sont pas seulement conjoncturelles. Elles traduisent un déplacement de la polémique politique de l’espace national vers un cadre plus européen.
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
« Les partis transnationaux sont l’engrais d’une politique véritablement européenne »
LE MONDE – La nature et l’ampleur des enjeux auxquels l’Europe est confrontée appellent des solutions paneuropéennes que notre système politique communautaire fragmenté est incapable d’aborder et de mettre en place, estime Alberto Alemanno, professeur de droit à HEC, dans une tribune au « Monde ».
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.
Fair Food: finding a Balance in the Global Food-Chain
Big supermarket chains govern the food supply chain globally. Its rapid growth has to do
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.
Le modèle norvégien n’est pas une option pour Londres
Si le Royaume-Uni adopte le cadre normatif mis en place entre Oslo et Bruxelles, les Anglais devront accepter les législations européennes, contribuer au budget européen et respecter la jurisprudence de la Cour de justice de l’UE