Fur the love of … Toy Division
What do you get when you mix EU lobbyists, journalists, and campaigners, then hand them musical instruments and animal costumes? A slick-looking yet questionable music video is the answer. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Harsh Brexit truth for EU’s minnows
Whatâs a small EU country to do about Brexit? Big players like Germany, and those with huge expatriate populations in Britain such as Poland, have leverage in the negotiations. Small countries, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
POLITICO Brussels Playbook Plus: Mother of all consultations — France untamed...
THE MOTHER OF ALL CONSULTATIONS:Â Most European Commission consultations donât rate a Playbook mention. When they come by the dozen, and feature an unprecedented list of media partners, we pay...
View ArticleEU history museum to open May 6
The European Parliament will open its long-awaited history museum â dubbed the House of European History â on May 6, just a day before the French presidential run-off vote in which Marine Le Pen,...
View ArticleInside the EU’s Brexit sherpas meeting
Delegates from the EUâs capitals have shed more light on the changes made Monday to the EU’s draft guidelines for upcoming Brexit negotiations. National representatives, referred to as sherpas,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Leave us alone, Central European University chief tells Orbán
As the EU mulls how to deal with Hungary’s crackdown on the George Soros-funded Central European University, the university’s boss has a clear message for his critics: âI just want to be left...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Brussels punches back at Viktor Orbán
The European Commission attacked Hungary on multiple fronts Wednesday, including the threat of legal action over an education bill that targets the Central European University. The Commission’s...
View ArticleGianni Pittella: make globalization work for the middle
Italy’s Gianni Pittella, leader of the socialists and democrats party group in the European Parliament, says the problems of Europeâs center-left were years in the making. âAfter the financial...
View ArticleClik here to view.
POLITICO Brussels Playbook Plus, presented by Danfoss: Brits bail out —...
BRITISH MEPs LOOK TO BAIL OUT BEFORE BREXIT: In Germany, time spent as an MEP can propel you toward the chancellery. In Poland, a sitting MEP (Andrzej Duda) became president. In the United Kingdom,...
View ArticleDavid Rinaldi — Wonk of the Week
With a long history in the EU think tank world, David Rinaldi, currently at CEPS, is a natural choice as Playbook’s second ‘Wonk of the Week.’ Rinaldi focuses on economy and finance, energy and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
EU Brexit directives: what they said and what they meant
The European Commission published Wednesday its proposed directives for Brexit negotiations with the British government. The directives flesh out, with legal references, how the Commission plans to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
British MEPs seek Westminster refuge
British Conservative MEPs are trying to jump the Brussels ship early â and some look set to succeed. MEPs Vicky Ford and Andrew Lewer are likely to swap the airy modern Brussels parliament for the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
EU leaders go on front foot in Florence
FLORENCE â The EU’s true believers went on the front foot Friday at a ‘State of the Union‘ conference in Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio, organized by the European University Institute. The conference is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Jean-Claude Juncker: ‘English is losing importance’
FLORENCE â Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, opted to deliver a speech in French on Friday morning because he said “English is losing importance” in Europe. He gave the...
View ArticleMichel Barnier wants Brexit reset
FLORENCE â In a technical but toughly worded speech â pointedly delivered in English â the EUâs Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier tried to reset the tone of Brexit discussions in a speech at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
POLITICO Brussels Playbook Plus: Timmermans, bridge builder — Brexit...
FRANS TIMMERMANS, BRIDGE BUILDER: The Commissionâs first vice president spent much of his first year in office under attack from left-wingers unhappy that he was drastically reducing the legislative...
View ArticleMacron-mania among Europe’s political establishment
Here’s a selection of the most interesting and important reactions across Europe, including the National Front Brussels roared its support. The moment Brussels learned that Emmanuel Macron will be the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
French election’s other big loser: Theresa May
Theresa May was going to be a loser whatever happened in the French presidential election Sunday night. While Emmanuel Macron is someone she can do business with, the British prime minister must also...
View ArticleClik here to view.
EU foreign policy chief to propose 43 new ambassadors
Federica Mogherini, the EU’s chief diplomat and head of the European External Action Service (EEAS), has nominated 43 new ambassadors to the bloc’s embassies around the world, according to an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Oops! Commission posts tracked changes Digital Single Market doc
It was more of an analog â rather than digital â single market scenario this afternoon at the European Commission. When the Commission launched a mid-term review of its digital single market...
View Article