The European Union

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More questions than answers as EU corruption scandal unfolds

BRUSSELS (AP) — No one answers the door or the phone at the offices of the two campaign groups linked to a cash-for-favors corruption scandal at the European Union’s parliament, allegedly involving Qatar. No light is visible inside.

https://apnews.com/article/europe-qatar-persian-gulf-tensions-brussels-european-union-7bb2dd5815a7f3115b0c89bc03759a29?

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The EU will welcome Ukraine but won't fast-track its membership application

European Union leaders are backing Ukraine's bid for membership — but through the traditional process that takes years, not the fast-tracked version that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pushing.

https://www.npr.org/2022/03/11/1086007627/european-union-ukraine-membership-fast-track

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Ukraine gets EU membership boost, but no new European aid, after setback in US

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union failed to agree on a 50 billion-euro ($54 billion) package in financial aid that Ukraine desperately needs to stay afloat, even as the bloc decided Thursday to open accession negotiations with the war-torn country.

https://apnews.com/article/eu-ukraine-hungary-russsia-war-aid-6a3a5828483121f19193f76b373ca692?

Ukraine gets EU membership boost, but no new European aid, after setback in US The European Union failed to agree on a 50 billion-euro ($54 billion) package in financial aid that Ukraine desperately needs to stay afloat, even as the bloc decided Thursday to open accession negotiations. The aid was vetoed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, delivering another tough blow to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after a funding setback in the U.S. Read more.

Why this matters: The start of accession talks was a momentous moment and stunning reversal for a country at war that had struggled to find the backing for its membership aspirations and long faced obstinate opposition from Orban.   Although the process between opening negotiations and Ukraine finally becoming a member could take many years, Zelenskyy welcomed the agreement as “a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe.”   The financial package could not be endorsed, and Ukraine is badly counting on the funds to help its damaged economy survive in the coming year. European Council President Charles Michel said leaders would reconvene in January in an effort to break the deadlock.

Related coverage ➤  Ukraine’s a step closer to joining the EU. Here’s what it means, and why it matters Hungary’s Orban says he won’t hesitate to slam the brakes on Ukraine’s EU membership How the US keeps funding Ukraine’s military — even as it says it’s out of money

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European Council latest: EU leaders seek ‘workarounds’ after Orbán blocks Ukraine aid

Hungary’s PM drops veto on future accession talks but blocks the cash Kyiv needs now.

https://www.politico.eu/article/european-council-summit-updates-eu-enlargement-ukraine-aid-budget-russia-sanctions/

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'Historic day': EU strikes major deal to reform migration policy after three years of bitter debates

Member states and the European Parliament struck on Wednesday a major deal to reform the bloc's migration policy, capping off a three-year-long ambitious effort that at times seemed doomed to fail.

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2023/12/20/eu-strikes-major-deal-to-reform-migration-policy-after-three-years-of-bitter-debates

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The far right may surge in upcoming EU elections. A quiet Dutch town explains why Triggered by economic and cultural anxieties that have whipped up fears about immigrants, people throughout the Netherlands have veered far to the right politically. It’s an extreme example of a trend being felt across the continent that could tilt the outcome of this year’s European Union parliamentary election. Read more.

Why this matters: Support for the Dutch Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders, has more than doubled since the last election in 2021. The campaign ran on slogans such as “no Islamic schools, Qurans or mosques” and “no open borders and mass immigration we cannot afford” despite less than 5% of the population being Muslim.   The rise of these figures in regional politics has prompted critics to use an unflattering German expression — “salonfähig” — to describe the former outcasts. “Salonfähig” is often used to refer to how the Nazis, after being initially shunned, eventually entered mainstream politics, before their total takeover in World War II.   In June, voters in all 27 member states of the European Union will elect their next Parliament for a five-year term. Analysts say that far-right parties, now the sixth-largest group in the assembly, are primed to gain seats and influence over EU policies affecting everything from civil rights to gender issues.

Related coverage ➤ Demonstrations against the far right held in Germany following a report on a deportation meeting EU hails a migration deal breakthrough after years of talks. Critics worry about rights abuses Europe’s far-right populists buoyed by Wilders’ win in Netherlands, hoping the best is yet to come

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European Union overcomes threat of Hungary veto to seal $54 billion aid package for Ukraine

BRUSSELS (AP) — Leaders of the 27 European Union countries sealed a deal Thursday to provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in support for its war-ravaged economy after Hungary dropped weeks of threats to veto the measure.

https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-russia-hungary-eu-summit-budget-6d0f11bc16b4b21073f92925de2046e4?

ps:Good for them!! 👍

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Farmers create chaos outside an EU summit and wrest some promises of relief

BRUSSELS (AP) — Farmers burned bales of hay, threw eggs and firecrackers at police — and wrested some promises of relief from European leaders on Thursday, the culmination of weeks of protests across the continent over excessive red tape and competition from cheap imports.

https://apnews.com/article/eu-farmers-protest-summit-4f3912f5c98a73bc550f1f38ca9e60bb?

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EU leaders agree on opening membership talks with Bosnia European Union leaders agreed in principle Thursday to open membership negotiations with Bosnia-Herzegovina, even though the Western Balkan country must still do a lot of work before talks can begin. Read more.

Why this matters: Five other nations in the region — Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia — are at different stages of the EU membership process. Since Russia’s war on Ukraine, EU officials are keener on trying to lure them away from the Kremlin’s influence.    Bosnia is riven by ethnic divisions, even decades after the 1992-95 war that tore the country apart, leaving more than 100,000 people dead and millions displaced.   Separatist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who is pro-Russia, continues to undermine the presidency and other political functions in the country. In December, Dodik told The Associated Press that he intended to keep weakening the country to the point where it fell apart.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Hungary, Slovakia remain opposed to sending arms to Ukraine to fight Russia’s invasion   Slovenia orders a Russian diplomat to leave within seven days   EU leaders mull ways to get more arms to outgunned Ukraine amid a new sense of urgency

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Another German politician is attacked as concerns rise over violence ahead of EU elections Franziska Giffey, Berlin’s top economic official, a former mayor and an ex-federal minister, was attacked at an event in a Berlin library and suffered injuries to her head and neck, police said Wednesday, in the latest attack on elected officials that raises concern over rising political violence in Germany. Read more.

Why this matters: Incidents of candidates being beaten and attacked have raised political tensions in Germany. Both government and opposition parties say their members and supporters have faced a wave of physical and verbal attacks in recent months, and have called on police to step up protection for politicians and election rallies.   In February, the German Parliament said in a report there were a total of 2,790 attacks on elected representatives in 2023. Representatives of The Greens were disproportionately affected in 1,219 cases, those from the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, in 478 cases and representatives of the SPD in 420 cases.   Mainstream parties have accused AfD of links to violent neo-Nazi groups and of fomenting an intimidating political climate. The group, which campaigns against immigration and European integration, is expected to make gains in the European polls and local elections in the fall.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Europe Day marks 1 month till EU elections. Rise of hard right, wilting of Green Deal are possible   A candidate for Germany’s key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections   Far-right parties could undermine democratic values of EU if elected to its parliament

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Europe’s far-right groups launch an unofficial campaign for the EU elections Europe’s far-right political parties have unofficially launched their campaign for next month’s European Union elections at an event organized by Spain’s far-right Vox party in Madrid, with strong messages against illegal migration and the bloc’s climate policy while declaring their support for Israel in its war against Hamas. Read more.

Why this matters: Analysts say the vote across the bloc’s 27 nations could see a strong rise of the far right. After decades in which the EU elections hardly caused a ripple, the June 6-9 voting is the most important in memory. It will indicate whether the continental political drift will match the rightward swing seen across much of the globe.   The vote is the second-biggest exercise in democracy behind the elections in India, as the bloc of 450 million people will be picking 720 parliamentarians to serve them over the next five years, with decisive votes on everything from digital privacy rules to international trade policy and climate measures.   Attendees of the campaign launch included French National Rally party leader Marine Le Pen and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy party has foundations in Benito Mussolini’s fascism. Argentina’s libertarian president, Javier Milei, was also welcomed like a star and used the spotlight to bash Spain’s socialist prime minister, and his wife — something unthinkable for most heads of state visiting a historic ally.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Argentine president begins unusual visit to Spain, snubbing officials and courting the far-right   Social divisions and hostile rhetoric in Slovakia provide fertile ground for political violence   EU agrees on a new migration pact. Mainstream parties hope it will deprive the far right of votes

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What’s at stake in the European Parliament election  Around 400 million European Union citizens are going to the polls on Thursday to elect members of the European Parliament, or MEPs, in one of the biggest global democratic events. Read more.

Why this matters: Far-right parties are seeking to gain more power amid a rise in the cost of living and farmers’ discontent. Two groups with far-right parties, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Identity and Democracy (ID), could be headed to becoming the third- and fourth-largest political groups at the European Parliament.   Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is at the forefront of citizens’ minds, with defense and security seen as key campaign issues. The economy, jobs, poverty and social exclusion, public health, climate change and the future of Europe also feature prominently.   One of the biggest questions is whether European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will remain in charge as the most visible face of the EU. Von der Leyen has recently antagonized many lawmakers by suggesting she could work with the hard right depending on the outcome of the elections.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Why Poland says Russia and Belarus are weaponizing migration to benefit Europe’s far right   As the far right pounces on EU polls, farmers take their tractors to the streets   Vatican cardinal urges Europeans to remember own migratory roots ahead of European elections

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The far-right’s election gains rattle EU’s traditional powers Far-right parties disturbed the traditional powers in the European Union and made major gains in parliamentary elections Sunday, dealing an especially humiliating defeat to French President Emmanuel Macron. Read more.

Why this matters: The star on a stunning electoral night was the National Rally party of Marine Le Pen, which dominated the French polls to such an extent that Macron immediately dissolved the national parliament and called for new elections. The election is a big gamble for him and his party, which risks further losing support while Le Pen’s National Rally could see its influence surge.   For decades, the European Union, which has its roots in the defeat of Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, confined the hard right to the political fringes. With its strong showing in these elections, the far right could now become a major player in policies ranging from migration to security and climate.   The elections come at a testing time for voter confidence in a bloc of some 450 million people. Over the last five years, the EU has been shaken by the coronavirus pandemic, an economic slump and an energy crisis fueled by the biggest land conflict in Europe since World War II. But political campaigning often focuses on issues of concern in individual countries rather than on broader European interests.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ A year of elections is revealing deep dissatisfaction among voters   Macron dissolves the French parliament and calls a snap election after defeat in EU vote   The big takeaways as the far right rocks Europe

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🗳️ Europe swings right

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

BERLIN — Europe's far right gained historic ground in continent-wide elections yesterday, with devastating losses forcing French President Emmanuel Macron to concede that the threat from nationalists can no longer be ignored, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. The center held in some countries. But a surge by the extremist right has pro-democracy parties on notice. Why it matters: As in the U.S., immigration, inflation and threats to democracy dominated the campaign, which was plagued by spurts of political violence in the final weeks before the election. 🖼️ The big picture: This year's European Parliament elections — in which 370 million people were eligible to vote across 27 countries — were ground zero for the wave of anti-incumbent fervor sweeping the globe. Conservative and hard-right parties gained ground at the expense of Macron-aligned liberal and Green parties — with the latter suffering from backlash to the EU's aggressive climate transition plans. Extremist-right parties such as Germany's AfD continue to make significant inroads with young voters, according to exit polls, a trend that has alarmed pro-democracy activists. Members of National Rally — a French far-right party led by Marine Le Pen — watch President Emmanuel Macron announce new legislative elections yesterday. Photo: Hans Lucas/Reuters 🇫🇷 In France, Macron stunned Europe last night by announcing he would hold new legislative elections later this month — three years early, and in the middle of preparations for the Paris Olympics. "The rise of nationalists and demagogues is a danger for our nation and for Europe," Macron said. "After this day, I cannot go on as though nothing has happened." 🇩🇪 In Germany, the EU's biggest and most important country, the far-right AfD party finished second to the conservatives — but ahead of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats. 🇮🇹 In Italy, right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni solidified her cult of personality with a comfortable victory that will make her one of the EU's most powerful leaders — and a potential conservative king-maker. 🇳🇱 In the Netherlands, anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders came in close second to a progressive coalition after pulling off a shock victory in November's national elections.

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European elections

 

Far-right parties are projected to win a record number of seats in the European Parliament following three days of voting across the EU's 27 member states. French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved his country's parliament and called snap elections after an EU exit poll showed a historic surge for the French far right. Exit polls also showed gains for far-right parties in Germany and Austria, among others, though the mainstream center-right European People's Party is predicted to remain the largest political grouping in Brussels. The vote will shape the political direction of the bloc at a pivotal moment for the EU, which is grappling with issues ranging from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to immigration and climate change. 

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The far right made big gains in European elections. What’s next, and why does it matter?

BRUSSELS (AP) — For decades, the European Union — which has its roots in the defeat of Nazi Germany and fascist Italy — confined the nationalist far right to the political fringes.

https://apnews.com/article/european-parliament-election-next-steps-far-right-3bc5d3549422fde8a8ec65bdba09fe36?

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Georgia suspends talks on joining the European Union and accuses the bloc of blackmail

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia is suspending talks on its bid to join the European Union for four years, its prime minister said Thursday, in view of what he described as “blackmail and manipulation” from some of the bloc’s politicians. His announcement outraged the opposition and triggered a new wave of protests.

https://apnews.com/article/georgia-cabinet-election-russia-european-union-kobakhidze-1291827f76eac552a2918b4b584fa5a0?

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Georgia protests

Days of protests have rocked Georgia following the government’s controversial decision to delay the former Soviet territory’s bid to join the European Union. Tensions have been brewing for months in the nation of 3.7 million people, where critics accuse the ruling party of following increasingly authoritarian, pro-Russia policies — a turn away from the West that has tempered hopes for Georgia’s long-promised path to EU membership. The protests have been met with a violent police crackdown as the ruling party and thousands of protesters have become locked in a battle over the country’s future and whether it should forge closer ties with Russia or Europe. Georgia, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has pursued EU membership for years, with the goal of joining the bloc written into the country's constitution.