EU rebuffs Montenegro plea to help repay $1B Chinese highway loan
Brussels on Monday rejected a call by Montenegro’s government to help finance a $1 billion Chinese loan for an unfinished highway project that has plunged the EU accession candidate into a debt...
View ArticleSofagate scars linger as von der Leyen, Michel hold peace talks
It was a Sofagate ceasefire but hardly a permanent peace pact. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel tried Monday to move beyond the seating...
View ArticleEU, UK vow to ‘intensify’ talks on Northern Ireland border checks
Brussels and London held “constructive” talks Thursday night to solve their dispute over Irish Sea border checks, with both sides pushing to “intensify” technical discussions in the coming weeks. The...
View ArticleEU extends Myanmar sanctions over military coup
EU countries on Monday expanded sanctions against Myanmar’s military leadership, targeting 10 additional officials and two military-controlled companies over a coup and the suppression of peaceful...
View ArticleMerkel urges talks with Russia amid ‘worryingly tense’ Ukraine stand-off
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday advocated for dialogue with Russia amid tensions over Moscow’s troop build-up at the Ukrainian border and its treatment of Russian opposition figure Alexei...
View ArticleMerkel: Retreat from multilateralism is world’s ‘biggest threat’
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday made a passionate plea for multilateral cooperation, warning the erosion of international institutions was probably the “biggest threat to the world.”...
View ArticleMerkel: EU ‘probably’ needs treaty changes, especially for health policy
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday she is open to making changes to the EU’s founding treaties, particularly in the area of health policy, and urged the bloc to find ways to make its...
View ArticleGünther Oettinger: Europe’s Mr. Revolving Door
Günther Oettinger used to be known as the European Commission’s top schmoozer, spending more time in lobby meetings than any of his colleagues. Now he’s schmoozing on the other side with equal...
View ArticleCommission announces lawsuit against AstraZeneca for vaccine shortages
The European Commission confirmed it began legal proceedings against AstraZeneca for its vaccine-delivery shortages. “Indeed the Commission has started last Friday a legal action against the company...
View ArticleNo need for Babiš to repay EU money over conflict of interest, Commission says
The European Commission said Monday it won’t claim any money back from Andrej Babiš’ business empire even though the Czech prime minister breached conflict of interest rules. On Friday, the European...
View ArticleEU Parliament promised ‘exceptional’ powers to police post-Brexit trade deal
The European Parliament will have its say on the post-Brexit trade deal after all — or at least that’s what it’s been promised. As MEPs closed in Tuesday on belatedly ratifying the EU-U.K. future...
View ArticleEuropean Parliament ratifies post-Brexit trade deal
MEPs approved the EU-U.K. future relations agreement with an overwhelming majority, the European Parliament announced on Wednesday. 660 MEPs voted in favor of the post-Brexit trade deal, while only...
View ArticleChina tells Germany to focus on trade, not human rights
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to boost trade ties but stay out of “internal affairs” such as human rights and the political situation in Hong Kong. Li’s...
View ArticleEU summons Russian ambassador over travel ban for top officials
The European Union on Monday summoned the Russian ambassador to express “strong condemnation and rejection” following Moscow’s decision to impose sanctions on eight EU officials. Russia on Friday...
View ArticlePoland’s system for disciplining judges violates EU law, says advocate general
Poland’s new system to discipline judges is “contrary to EU law” and risks undermining the independence of the country’s judiciary, the Court of Justice of the EU’s advocate general said Thursday. In...
View ArticleGermany criticizes Biden’s push to waive vaccine patents
Germany poured cold water on Thursday on a proposal by U.S. President Joe Biden to waive patents for coronavirus vaccines, saying that it sees the protection of intellectual property as a crucial...
View ArticleGreen leader says Germans must ‘take more responsibility for own security’
The German Greens’ candidate for chancellor Annalena Baerbock on Thursday called for Germany to be more active on foreign policy, but expressed skepticism about NATO’s target of spending 2 percent of...
View ArticleEU pushes back on Biden plan to waive coronavirus vaccine patents
PORTO, Portugal — EU leaders have a question for the President of the United States about waiving vaccine patents: So, how exactly is this going to go, Joe? Joe Biden may have initially set Europe on...
View ArticleHaste Ye Back! How Scotland could return to the EU
The election victory of pro-independence parties in Scotland is an urgent issue for one union — the U.K. — but it may also pose important questions down the line for another: the EU. First Minister...
View ArticleCommission ‘concern’ over UK’s immigration detention of EU nationals
LONDON — The European Commission said Monday that the condition and length of detention of some EU nationals in U.K. immigration removal centers is a “source for concern.” POLITICO reported last week...
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