European Union

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.

EU and UK officials cut short their summer holidays, resuming Brexit talks in Brussels on Thursday (16 August). Future trade relations and the Northern Ireland border topped the agenda.

Brussels has recently encouraged Italy to increase expenditure in infrastructure, EU officials said on Thursday (16 August) in response to Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini’s allegations that the bloc's austerity policies were partly responsible for Italian bridge collapse. 

The European Parliament's Brexit steering group has criticised the UK government's plan to register EU citizens wanting to stay in the UK post-Brexit in alphabetical order. "We believe such an approach would be complicated, arbitrary and could create unnecessary confusion and uncertainty for millions of EU citizens already living in limbo," they said Thursday. The UK will have to register some 3.6 million EU citizens.

Bayer shares registered yet another sharp decrease on Thursday (16 August), dropping as much as 6.5% in Frankfurt to hover near the 76 euros level as investors fear the German chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant may face numerous litigations in the US after its controversial merger with Monsanto. 

The European Commission has rebuked Italy's deputy premier Matteo Salvini's comments on EU "constraints" related to the Genoa bridge disaster. The commission wanted "to make a few things clear", spokesman Christian Spahr said Thursday. "For the record, under the agreed fiscal rules, member states are free to set specific policy priorities, for instance the development and maintenance of infrastructure. In fact, the EU has encouraged investment in infrastructure in Italy."

Fingers are being pointed after the collapse of the motorway bridge in Genoa. Economic Development Minister Di Maio has blamed the motorway operator Autostrade, and Interior Minister Salvini complained that EU budget constraints were making Italy unsafe. Commentators take a closer look at these accusations.