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A pragmatic European response to a right-wing government in Jerusalem can include a clear demand that Netanyahu drops the divisive policy he pursues of aligning with Europe’s least liberal regimes, in return to greater European understanding of Israel’s legitimate security concerns. Such step would benefit the EU in three distinct ways: enhance its relevance in the Middle East; gear internally with loose member states; and increase coordination with Trump’s Middle-East policies.

Israeli Elections offer Stark Choices for Europe

By: EBR | Thursday, April 4, 2019

While the composition of the next government in Jerusalem depends on the Israeli vote, pro-active European policy can influence future outcomes. A pragmatic EU can partake in determining the looming course of action, with each of the alternative Israeli choices

Volodymyr Zelensky, who plays a history school-teacher accidentally propelled to the presidency, won around 30% of the votes, according to exit polls. With around two-thirds of the ballots counted, the actual results are indicating a similar outcome. In second place is Mr Poroshenko with 16%; Ms Tymoshenko is currently third with 13%. Mr Zelensky will now face either Mr Poroshenko or Ms Tymoshenko in the second round scheduled for April 21st. He looks likely to win then.

Ukraine puts a TV comedian in pole position to be president

By: EBR | Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Volodymyr Zelensky wins the first round of presidential elections

The downsides to both a general election and a soft Brexit mean that Mrs. May still has an outside chance of securing a majority in Parliament this week for her withdrawal agreement—perhaps accompanied by a promise to MPs to give them a greater say in the negotiations in the months ahead over the UK’s long-term relationship with the EU.

Brexit’s Endgame

By: EBR | Monday, April 1, 2019

The next ten days will bring to a head the Brexit drama. It has strained the UK’s constitution, threatened its social cohesion, terrified its businesses, appalled its friends, and delighted its enemies

EU member states will also have new recycling targets with increased responsibility for producers. The collection target for plastic bottles will have to be 90 per cent achieved by 2029, plastic bottles will have to contain at least 25 per cent recycled content by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030.The European Parliament argues that the agreement will strengthen the application of the “polluter pays” principle by introducing extended responsibility for producers to ensure that manufacturers bear the costs. This regime will apply, in particular, to tobacco and to fishing gear, ensuring that manufacturers bear the cost of collecting nets lost at sea.

EU finally seals ban on single-use plastics by 2021

By: EBR | Friday, March 29, 2019

Parliament approved a new law on Wednesday, banning throwaway plastics such as cotton bud sticks, cutlery, straws, stirrers and plates

The Christchurch terrorist, Brenton Tarrant, broadcast his attack live on Facebook in a post which was widely shared before it could be removed. Tarrant, like other Far Right extremists, also used social media to disseminate propaganda, coordinate training, organise protests, raise funds, recruit members and communicate with other extremists across countries and continents.

After the Christchurch massacre, it’s time Europe addressed some inconvenient questions

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Europe's counter-terrorism policies and operations must also cover Far Right extremists and the expanding influence of their hate-filled white supremacist ideology

By voting down Theresa May‘s deal once again decisively, the UK parliament yesterday rejected the first option, and probably for good. An exasperated EU will not reopen negotiations to further finesse details of this deal. If the UK parliament votes against a no-deal hard Brexit today, as seems highly likely, the softer Brexit variants or a new referendum would be the only options left.

Brexit Mess: The EU Angle

By: EBR | Thursday, March 14, 2019

A short eight-week delay to adjust the joint statement on post-Brexit relations accordingly would be fine for the EU27

EUROCHAMBRES President Christoph Leitl underlined that Chambers are ideally placed to promote the importance of the European elections to citizens. “Our network can decipher the jargon from Brussels into topics that touch the millions of people who work in our member businesses and the millions more with whom they are in daily contact. That is the challenge over the next three months.”

Chamber network kicks off European elections campaign

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, March 6, 2019

March 6, in the prestigious PressClub Brussels-Europe (PCBE), EUROCHAMBRES* set out its ‘#Chambers4EU’ campaign to encourage EU citizens to vote in May’s European Parliament elections and to vote for candidates who are engaged and committed to an ambitious, forward looking EU agenda

The approach is typical of Macron, who appears to like throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. Le Macronometre, a project set up by the think tank iFRAP, shows the president has initiated 60 domestic reforms, of which three have been dropped and the rest either have been legislated upon or are in progress. As implemented, though, these reforms vary in the degree to which Macron has kept his election promises; iFRAP estimates 27 percent of these to be broken, 40 percent more or less kept and 33 percent fully kept

Macron Is Getting Ahead of Himself on Europe

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 6, 2019

The French president’s European election agenda is overambitious and badly thought out

His latest speech—it’s in fact an opinion piece published in several newspapers across the EU addressing the citizens of Europe—makes no mention of Germany or that special relationship, which over the years had driven the European project. It’s as if Macron has lost any hope in Chancellor Angela Merkel helping him pull Europe out of its deep malaise and lack of self-confidence.

Macron’s Bid to Wake Up Europe

By: EBR | Tuesday, March 5, 2019

The outcome of the European Parliament elections will be decisive for the EU’s future

Today, the liberal political elites proclaim, louder than before, progress should be made in European co-operation in three key areas: Under the heading European foreign and defence policy, they demand a boost to the military self-assertiveness that would allow Europe “to step out of the shadows of the USA”; under the motto of a common European asylum policy, they further demand robust protection of Europe’s external borders and the establishment of dubious reception centres in North Africa; and, under the slogan “free trade”, they wish to pursue a common European trade policy in the Brexit negotiations as well as in the negotiations with Trump.

“New” Perspectives For Europe

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Certainly, the risks associated with a significantly changed state of the world have penetrated public awareness and have altered perspectives on Europe

The origin of the problem, in most general terms, is twofold: (1) globalization that has made the knowledge of differences in income between countries much better known and has reduced the cost of transportation, and (2) large gaps in real incomes between the European Union (especially its more prosperous North) and the Middle East and Africa.

Migration Into Europe: A Long-Term Solution?

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Why has migration become such a big problem? Many reasons can be adduced: the war in Syria, the integration of Eastern Europe, lack of new jobs in many Western countries following the Global Financial Crisis

The new mechanisms may include specific monitoring programmes in specific states, and ‘enhanced cooperation’ aimed at protecting journalists from abuses of state power, safeguarding the independence of judiciaries against political interference, and bringing legislation into line with Council of Europe standards. Such actions would probably be undertaken in combination between the Secretariat and the parliamentary assembly (or PACE), which is made up of national parliamentarians from the member states, who already conduct a range of in-country monitoring programmes.

Joint press freedom report says Europe’s democracy is in danger!

By: EBR | Monday, February 18, 2019

There will be a new focus on close-up monitoring and other ‘determined’ responses to what are recognised as real threats to democratic institutions, as highlighted in the newly-published report

In 2018, the average level of income in Poland exceeded two-thirds of the average level of the Eurozone. That is an impressive achievement for a country that only entered the EU in 2004 and had to shed the painful legacy of decades of Communist rule

Poland Is Europe’s Growth Champion. Can This Continue?

By: EBR | Monday, February 18, 2019

Key elements of the Polish success story resemble that of the German post-war economic story, especially relying on social and economic inclusiveness as a driver of economic success

We recognise that our moral, political and economic systems need to be radically reprogrammed in order to make poverty unthinkable and impossible on our continent. This reprogramming would also be the engine of economic and social development in Europe, providing wellbeing to European citizenship, including poorer and social excluded people. That is not only fair, it is smart and beneficial for all.

The next European Parliament must commit to making Europe Poverty Free

By: EBR | Monday, February 18, 2019

Almost 70 years later, the next European Parliament will inherit huge challenges of its own – including the fact that Europe’s moral, political and economic systems have led to 113 million people, 22.5% of our population, living at risk of poverty and social exclusion

During the postwar era (1945-1989) collective memories of total war—as well as the economic success of liberal democracy—ensured that neo-fascist movements remained politically marginal. However, the Great Recession (2007-13) has reinvigorated the far right as a viable political alternative. Reflecting on the present moment, China Mieville notes: ‘There has not in living memory been a better time to be a fascist. We live in a utopia: it just isn’t ours.’

The loss of European memory

By: EBR | Friday, February 15, 2019

A commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law was Europe’s answer to fascism. The loss of this European memory presents real dangers amid a resurgent populism

In short, the EU needs a new banner to rally its supporters behind, and an idea from a former Belgian social affairs minister might be just the job. “How about an EU-wide unemployment benefits scheme?” asks Frank Vandenbroucke, who in addition to teaching and research work at the University of Amsterdam, is also a member of Friends of Europe's Board of Trustees.

The EU-wide unemployment benefit idea could be a political winner

By: EBR | Wednesday, February 13, 2019

These are tough times for the EU, and getting tougher. The European Parliament elections in late May probably won't be catastrophic, but surging support for populist candidates could severely weaken the European project at a time when unity and strength are vital

Di Maio’s trip to Paris, to meet protesters against the French government, seems indeed quite undiplomatic, but it was also the last straw that broke the camel’s back. In recent months, the relationship between the two countries has grown tenser. Matteo Salvini, leader of the other Italian government party, Lega, has several times publicly criticised the French President. He called Macron ‘new Napoleon’, a ‘windbag’ and a ‘polite young man who exaggerates in champagne’.

France and Italy on a collision course

By: N. Peter Kramer | Friday, February 8, 2019

A rift between two founding countries of the EU was never that wide as the one now between France and Italy.

As such, most Eurosceptic and Far Right parties have abandoned talk of leaving the EU. Seeing the Brexit drama developing, their focus has switched to capturing power to try and change Europe from within. This will be Europe’s true challenge in the years ahead. But Brexit is doing more than just reshaping the European narrative ahead of European Parliament elections and the selection of new European Commissioners. It is also a closely-observed global cautionary tale.

Groundhog Brexit is driving us crazy- but it's also a global cautionary tale

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Groundhog Brexit is driving everyone slightly mad. But it’s also an unparalleled masterclass on the “do’s and don’ts” of leadership and democracy

On the economic front, Western sanctions in answer to Russian actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine are aggravating the country's difficulties. Already over-reliant on its oil and gas exports, the neglected and outdated manufacturing sector is suffering from a marked absence of foreign investment. Each of the last five years has seen people's real disposable incomes fall, leaving the average Russian 10% poorer than in 2014.

Why the Berlaymont will want to cosy up to the Kremlin

By: EBR | Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Russia and the European Union are at loggerheads - or to put it more diplomatically, “their efforts over more than 20 years to build a strategic partnership have clearly failed.”

The northern Europeans opposed his ideas, letting them do the running for Merkel. Not only that. European leaders didn’t offer their own views about Europe’s future. It’s as if they were afraid of challenging euroskeptics and populists, who were quick to capitalize on their silence. The Franco-German engine lacked the steam to move forward.

What Franco-German Engine?

By: EBR | Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Berlin and Paris are no longer providing the leadership Europe urgently needs to adapt to global, geostrategic shifts

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EU Actually

Far-left and far-right gains throw French mainstream parties into a quandary

N. Peter KramerBy: N. Peter Kramer

In many big towns and cities, Socialists and centre-right Republicans are tempted to make electoral pacts on their outside flanks to beat the opposition in next Sunday’s run off of the French mayoral elections.

Europe

Russia’s Imperial Retreat Is Europe’s Strategic Opportunity

Russia’s Imperial Retreat Is Europe’s Strategic Opportunity

The war in Ukraine is costing Russia its leverage overseas. Across the South Caucasus and Middle East, this presents an opportunity for Europe to pick up the pieces and claim its own sphere of influence.

Business

EU risks losing US soy imports under deforestation rules, Washington warns

EU risks losing US soy imports under deforestation rules, Washington warns

The regulation would make the bloc less attractive for American exporters, a senior USDA official said

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