European Union

Poland's President Duda has vetoed a controversial law put forward by the ruling PiS party which would have given an advantage to bigger parties in the European elections in 2019. Smaller parties would have had a hard time winning any seats at all if the law had been passed. Did Duda act for or against the PiS government?

A Ukrainian human rights activist claimed on Thursday (16 August) that Warsaw had banned her from Poland and the rest of the Schengen zone in what she called "a political affair".

"The year 2015 should not be repeated and will not be repeated," German chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday after meeting her CDU party in Dresden. In 2015 she spoke the famous words "Wir schaffen das" ('We can manage this') about migrants and refugees coming to Germany in the hundred thousands for shelter and better opportunities. Anti-migrant AfD party and Pediga movement supporters demonstrated at her arrival in Dresden.

Swedes head to the polls in September in a national parliamentary election, while Bavarians vote in October in a state election. In both elections, voters' nativist sentiments may well help determine the outcome.

The foundation run by US billionaire George Soros said Thursday (16 August) that the last of its operations in Hungary would cease by 31 August, with its activities being transferred to Berlin.

Polish President Andrzej Duda on Thursday (17 August) vetoed a controversial reform of European Parliament election rules that would have essentially kept all small parties in Poland out of the running. “I refuse to sign it and am sending the...

Simon Busuttil spent 10 years as an MEP before returning to Malta to lead the opposition. He now fears for his life amid probes into high-level corruption in Malta's government.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has praised Malta for allowing disembarkation of 141 asylum-seekers and migrants rescued in the Mediterranean by the NGO boat, Aquarius, while calling for more "clarity and predictability" on where boats carrying rescued passengers can dock. "It is wrong, dangerous and immoral to keep rescue ships wandering the Mediterranean while governments compete on who can take the least responsibility," he said

Following general elections on 3 June, Slovenia's parliament is due to nominate on Friday 40-year old former actor and comedian Marjan Sarec as the new prime minister. Former prime minister Janez Jansa's anti-immigrant Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) is the biggest party with 25 seats but failed to find coalition partners to form a government. Sarec needs support from least 46 out of 90 parliamentary members to be elected.

Polish president Andrzej Duda said on Thursday that he would veto a law proposed by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, and approved in July by the Polish parliament, because it would benefit bigger parties. Under it, as much as 16.5 percent of the vote would be needed to win any seats in 2019's European elections. "This means that only two parties would have a real chance," Duda said.

Market pressure, financial exposure and a potential review of a key migration deal with Ankara has made Italy the most vulnerable country to the recent financial turmoil in Turkey.

Wegate.eu, which received €1.2m in EU money since its launch almost two years ago, has less than a thousand registered users - from a possible possible target audience of at least 10 million.

One year to the day since the terror attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils, the commissioner for home affairs spells out what action the EU is taking now to protect against further attacks.