EU ‘ready’ for trade talks after UK election, says Charles Michel
The EU is “ready for the next steps” on Brexit following the U.K. general election result, said European Council President Charles Michel. Speaking at an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels shortly after an...
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Charles Michel goes multi-speed to get Europe ahead on climate
On his debut as European Council president, Charles Michel revved up a multi-speed Europe. With a crafty scheme to give Poland a reprieve from implementing a new climate target that EU leaders adopted...
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Here comes European protectionism
After decades of championing the dissolution of barriers and borders, Europe is battening down the hatches. Ursula von der Leyen has set herself a monumental task for her European Commission...
View ArticleEuropean Parliament gives human rights award to Uighur activist
The European Parliament on Wednesday gave its human rights prize to jailed Uighur economist Ilham Tohti and called for him to be released “immediately and unconditionally.” The awarding of the...
View ArticleMEPs call for sanctions on Chinese officials over Uighur detentions
The European Parliament on Thursday called on EU countries to impose targeted sanctions and asset freezes on Chinese officials responsible for human rights violations toward the Uighurs. The move comes...
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Wiped phone puts von der Leyen back in contracting scandal spotlight
Ursula von der Leyen was back in the spotlight over a contracting scandal after it emerged that a mobile phone she used as German defense minister had been wiped clean of all data. Members of a German...
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EU countries gear up for post-Brexit trade battle
The EU’s Brexit unity is about to come under severe strain. Speaking from one script was Brussels’ greatest asset in the first phase of Brexit. It prevented London playing divide-and-rule and...
View ArticleVon der Leyen: UK trade deal may not be possible by end of 2020
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen questioned whether it would be possible to strike a trade deal with the U.K before the end of the Brexit transition period. In an interview with Les...
View ArticleVon der Leyen on wiped mobile: I have nothing to hide
Ursula von der Leyen insisted she has nothing to hide after a mobile phone considered key evidence in a contracting scandal at the German defense ministry was wiped clean. The European Commission...
View ArticleUkraine and pro-Russian rebels carry out prisoner swap
Pro-Russian separatists and Ukraine swapped dozens of prisoners on Sunday, the office of the Ukrainian president confirmed on Twitter. The separatists received 124 prisoners, and Ukraine’s government...
View ArticleBelgian court suspends extradition warrant for Puigdemont
Belgium will not extradite Carles Puigdemont to Spain after a court suspended a European arrest warrant against the former Catalan president, who faces charges for his role in a failed secessionist...
View ArticleUrsula von der Leyen to meet Boris Johnson
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will meet on Wednesday at 10 Downing Street, the European Commission said Friday. Downing Street confirmed...
View ArticleEuropeans call for calm after US strike kills Iran general
PARIS — European leaders have called for a deescalation of tensions between the United States and Iran after a U.S. strike in Iraq killed Qassem Soleimani, the most important Iranian military...
View ArticleEU foreign ministers schedule extraordinary meeting to discuss Iran
EU foreign ministers will hold an extraordinary meeting in Brussels on Friday to discuss the situation in the Middle East after the killing of a top Iranian general, diplomats said. Four EU diplomats...
View ArticleGermany reduces troop numbers in Iraq
Germany on Tuesday pulled some of its military personnel out of Iraq following the U.S. killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, citing security concerns. The withdrawal concerns 35 of...
View ArticleEU ministers and Borrell urge Turkey to stop interfering in Libya
The EU’s top diplomat and the foreign ministers of France, Germany, the U.K. and Italy on Tuesday called on Turkey to stop interfering in Libya. In a joint statement following a meeting at the Brussels...
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Salami tactics loom for Brexit trade talks
Facing a brutal timetable to negotiate a comprehensive deal on their future relations by the end of the year, Brussels and London are weighing up a more slice-by-slice approach to talks. While both...
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Michel Barnier’s new right hand
Her supporters say she won’t blink first in the Brexit talks, but Michel Barnier’s new deputy will need guile and nerve to hold the EU line against a rejuvenated U.K. Clara Martínez Alberola takes up...
View ArticleBrussels’ plans for EU minimum wage meet Nordic skepticism
STRASBOURG — The European Commission wants to introduce an EU-wide minimum wage, and says it will try to bring skeptical Nordic nations on board. Nicolas Schmit, the commissioner for jobs and social...
View ArticleVon der Leyen under pressure over second wiped phone
Ursula von der Leyen is facing fresh criticism over the wiping of a second mobile phone that could have been used as evidence in a parliamentary inquiry. The inquiry is looking into the alleged...
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