Europe News EU's exercise in democratic accountability weeks away from conclusion The Conference on the Future of Europe asks citizens from across the continent what the bloc's priorities should be. 15/02/2022
Europe News Metsola on abortion: 'My position is the EU Parliament's position' In an interview with Euronews, the newly elected President of the European Parliament vowed to respect the hemicycle's majority opinion on abortion. 18/01/2022
View Democratic challenges have accelerated during COVID pandemic | View Pierre Peytier, from the European Network of Election Monitoring Organisations, on how the COVID pandemic has affected democracy. 24/05/2021
state of the union Europe's week: 'democracy is not a given, we have to protect it' says French MEP Loiseau The political drama in the United States pushed the COVID situation out of the headlines – for a day or two. It also saw some soul-searching over whether the same divisions could be exploited in Europe. 08/01/2021
state of the union Europe's week: A row over rule of law and fears over cultural sector In this edition we look at how relations between Brussels and Budapest soured over democratic values, and also at how the cultural sector can be revived post-pandemic. 02/10/2020
Europe News The Rule of Law: what is it and why is it important? In recent years, citizens of EU countries have taken to the streets, protesting against what they saw as democratic backsliding. The European Commission has introduced ways to limit regression on rule of law. We explain the issue that is shaking the EU's foundations. 30/09/2020
Europe News Hungary calls for EU's Jourova to quit over 'sick democracy' comment Orban's spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs said that Jourova's comments were "inappropriate and unacceptable". 29/09/2020
Europe News EU expresses 'grave concern' over developments in Hong Kong The EU’s Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell defended the 'one country, two systems' principle but no sanctions against China have been put on the table. 29/05/2020
Hungary Hungary: 'Critics silenced' in social media arrests as EU mulls powers The EU calls for emergency powers to be eased along with lockdowns, amid concern at a spate of arrests in Hungary over social media posts. 14/05/2020
Europe News EU identifies 'pro-Kremlin sources' as architects of disinformation European Commission Vice-President Vĕra Jourová says the EU 'will never fight with the same weapons.' 09/04/2020
Europe News 'Absolutely unacceptable': MEP slams Hungary's emergency COVID-19 law 'It means the suspension of parliamentary democracy in Hungary,' said one MEP, reacting to Hungary's emergency coronavirus legislation 31/03/2020
state of the union Bye-bye Britain: Brexit day is here In this special edition we look at how British MEPs feel as they leave Brussels and what exactly will change in the European Parliament when they go. Aside from less Brexit drama, the loss of British voices and political representation could strengthen some and weaken others. 31/01/2020
Europe News Croatian EU presidency says no to sanctions on Hungary and Poland The European Parlament last week requested strong action from the Croatian presidency on rule of law. Here is the reaction from the Croatian presidency. 20/01/2020
Greece Greece commemorates student uprising that doomed military junta It's the annual commemoration that is often marred by violence. 16/11/2019
Bulgaria 30 years after 1989, central Europeans say democracy is again at risk "It appears that some of the freedoms won in the 1989 revolutions are now under pressure," the report from the Open Society Foundation found. 04/11/2019
Europe News Poland law reforms 'break EU law' says European Court Poland’s government pushed through reforms that rights groups said gave it more control over courts. 24/06/2019
Europe News The Brief from Brussels - European Commission criticized over Selmayr appointment The European Ombudsman has criticised the European Commission for the way in which it appointed its top civil servant, Martin Selmayr. The ombudsman 04/09/2018
Europe News Macron's portrait of a Europe that protects people Today’s edition of The Brief from Brussels is entirely devoted to French President Emmanuel Macron’s Strasbourg speech on the future of Europe. We 17/04/2018
Europe News Falling trust and ‘toxic’ populism ‘eroding’ Europe’s institutions – E The global risk consultancy says confidence in the political establishment and voter turnout have declined steeply. But it forecasts an encouraging year for the Eurozone. 03/01/2018