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Politics
The 10 times EU Parliament pulled its weight and flexed muscles
Est. 13minThe European Parliament concluded its legislative work on 25 April after five years of intense policymaking. Looking back, from health to economy, passing by rule of law and agriculture, here are the ten moments the European Parliament successfully asserted its power.
The Italian Brief
Est. 2minThe EU occupies a more prominent role in the upcoming Italian general elections on Sunday. For the first time, some parties put their European political family affiliation, the European People’s Party (EPP) and Renew Europe, in their electoral insignias. In …
Commissioners assemble: Class of 2019-2024
Est. 1minEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's executive began work on the 1 December. Read here all the details and figures on the self-dubbed "geopolitical Commission". After a lengthy approval process, which saw three candidates rejected by the European Parliament and …
European Political Parties and Foundations: The ’tissue’ that connects?
Est. 2minTo the average European citizen, the political groups in the European Parliament, which help shape EU-wide legislation, are a vaguely familiar concept. But there is much less knowledge of the European political parties (as opposed to groups) and the think-tanks …
The UK’s EU referendum: On the path to Brexit?
Est. 1minFollowing the Conservative Party’s victory in the 2015 general election, the UK is set to hold an in/out referendum on its membership of the European Union before the end of 2017.
Europe ‘à la carte’: The whats and whys behind UK opt-outs
Est. 1minSince becoming a member in 1973, the United Kingdom has negotiated opt-outs on key parts of EU legislation, and a sizeable rebate from the EU annual budget. But do they really serve the best interests of the UK and Europe?
Voting on Brexit: The EU issues shaping the UK election
Est. 1minThe May 7 UK general election will go a long way towards deciding whether Britain will stay in the European Union, or choose to leave, after forty years of uneasy relations.
From 9/11 to Charlie Hebdo: The EU’s response to terrorism
Est. 1minThe European Union has pledged closer cooperation in the fight against terrorism following the killing at Charlie Hebdo, building on measures already taken in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US, and subsequent bombings in Madrid and London. EURACTIV gives a round-up of existing and upcoming initiatives.
The Juncker Commission 2014-2019
Est. 1minAfter months of deliberation, Commission President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker presented his team, and the new executive structure, on 10 September.
![European Commission Berlaymont sign [Photo: Frédéric Simon]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/05/new_commission.jpeg)
The next European Commission: What challenges?
Est. 1minIn the autumn of 2014, a new team of commissioners will take charge of the EU executive. As Europe's economic storms calm down, the next Commission can set its sights on a number of long-term challenges when drafting its programme. An overview of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
The EU top jobs: Who’s next?
Est. 1minOn 22-25 May, EU citizens cast their ballots to elect 751 members of the European Parliament. But MEPs will not be the only ones to perform a game of musical chairs: 2014 will also bring about change in many of the top positions in the EU.
European elections 2014: Different this time?
Est. 1minAfter the financial and sovereign debt crisis, state bailouts and budget cuts, the May 2014 European elections were expected to take the pulse of public confidence towards the European Union. For the first time, voters will also indirectly choose the next president of the European Commission, giving citizens a fresh chance to shape the future of Europe.
EU spending: Added value through cooperation
Est. 1minDoes one euro spent at the EU level bring more benefits than if it’s spent at the national or regional level? This is a question that will dominate in the coming months as policymakers try once more to make the case to increase the EU’s own resources and redraft the funding map to boost sustainable growth and jobs.
German elections 2013: Don’t mention Europe
Est. 1minThe European Union’s economic and financial challenges left the bloc in no doubt that its most populous member state is also its most politically powerful. On 22 September 2013, Germans will decide in a federal election whether that power remains within its current ruling conservative coalition led by incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), or whether to entrust it to the Social Democrats or a new coalition. In the run up to the elections, Europe has largely remained off the agenda.
The Lithuanian EU Presidency – ‘A fresh Baltic breeze’
Est. 1minLithuania, a country of 3.2 million which joined the EU in 2004, will assume its first presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July. Lithuania considers itself one of the most successful countries to overcome the economic and financial crisis and to return to sustained recovery and growth. It is the first Baltic country to take the EU stint.
Italian elections 2013: A nation at a crossroads [Archived]
Est. 1minItalians head to the polls on 24-25 February to replace a technocratic government charged with halting the country’s economic and fiscal decline. But after wearying months of austerity and instability, voters appeared to have no clear favourite among familiar faces as well as wildcard candidates. EURACTIV Italia reports.
EU budget 2014-2020: The €1 trillion deal
Est. 1minIs €1 trillion too much or not enough to fund the many activities of the European Union for the next seven years? This is the main question that European institutions and the 27 member countries’ leaders will have to answer early next year.
The Cyprus EU presidency: Breaking with tradition
Est. 1minThe Cyprus EU presidency in the second half of 2012 will provide political leadership to the Union but “not in the traditional way”, officials say. Rather, it will be a “Brussels-based presidency”, with most of the country's officials operating from the European capital and focusing on EU affairs. Meanwhile, the island's long-standing reunification talks with Turkey will be dealt with on a separate track.
The Danish EU presidency: Bridge over troubled water [Archived]
Est. 1minWith the euro debt crisis, Denmark's presidency of the EU council coincides with one of the most difficult moments in the Union's history. As Denmark is not member of the euro zone, it is prepared to take a back seat in the troubleshooting effort, but would strive to keep the countries from both sides united - "a bridge over troubled water" as European Affairs Minister Nicolai Wammen described it.
Europe’s new treaty: Towards a multi-speed Union
Est. 1minAll 27 EU countries – except Britain and the Czech Republic – have agreed on a new treaty for tighter fiscal discipline and deeper economic integration to save the euro currency. The treaty came into force on 1 January 2013.
The press in Europe: Freedom and pluralism at risk
Est. 1minThe European Union has long been hailed as one of the areas of the world with the greatest press freedom. However, NGOs and international organisations warn that this may be under threat as the media becomes increasingly concentrated in ever fewer hands and some governments engage in politically-motivated lawsuits and outright censorship.
Who runs EU energy policies?
Est. 1minThe EU is putting in place an ambitious energy policy in a bid to improve security of supplies and achieve bold CO2 reduction targets. But how does the EU decision-making process function on energy-related issues? And what is the role of the industry sector and interest groups?
The European Citizens’ Initiative
Est. 1minThe European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) is the EU's foremost instrument of direct democracy and the first of its kind in a transnational context. Introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, will be used from 1 April 2012.
The Hungarian EU Presidency [Archived]
Est. 1minBudget talks, farm reform and economic governance top the agenda of Hungary's EU presidency, but the country's six-month stint at the bloc's helm has been overshadowed by criticism of a controversial media law adopted by Budapest.