European Union

Investor George Soros has warned of the impact advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence could have in the hands of authoritarian states. He stressed that China's leader Xi Jinping could become the most dangerous threat to democracy - particularly as he is expanding his influence through global investments. Not all commentators agree.

This Tuesday evening the British parliament will vote on amendments to the Brexit deal negotiated by May and the EU which it rejected around two weeks ago. The main points are the removal of the "backstop" and a postponement of the EU exit date to avoid a no-deal Brexit. Journalists show little understanding for the impasse.

An adviser to the EU's top court said on Tuesday the dispute settlement contained in the free trade deal with Canada was in line with EU law. Advocate general Yves Bot said the 2016 agreement does not "adversely affect" the autonomy of EU law or question the ECJ's exclusive right to interpret EU law. Belgium's Wallonia backed the trade deal, on condition that the European Court of Justice checked it.

The so-called Juncker Plan, the EU commission's flagship fund, has been effective in raising money for investments, but "the amounts of investment mobilised may be overstated", according to a European Court of Auditors' report. The auditors found that often the Juncker Plan just replaced other financing from the EU and the European Investment Bank. The report also states that most investments went to a few larger 'old' member states.

According to Advocate General Bot, the mechanism for the settlement of disputes between investors and States provided for by the free trade agreement between the EU and Canada is compatible with EU law

The industry of innovative medicines is concerned with a recent vote in the European Parliament on the stockpiling of generic drugs, saying that it causes uncertainty over innovation in the pharmaceutical field.

British ignorance, dishonesty, and navel-gazing have made a no-deal Brexit "very" likely, a senior EU official has said.

Transparency International says Hungary has registered its lowest score for political rights since the fall of communism in 1989. Their new report on corruption perception also finds fault with Malta.

Socialist, green and leftist political parties should learn from governments in Southern Europe and unite against rising right-wing anti-European populism ahead of the EU elections, leftist Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has said.

We propose several changes to the EU, derived from the political philosophy behind the current Polish government, and what Poles expect from the EU - this could be seen as a manifesto Poland wants the next European Commission to tackle.