Germany slams Hungary for blocking EU criticism of China on Hong Kong
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Monday lambasted Hungary for an “absolutely incomprehensible” decision to block an EU statement accusing Beijing of cracking down on democracy in Hong Kong. EU...
View ArticleBrussels millennials hunt for coronavirus vaccines
The latest after-work conundrum for the young people of Brussels: go sip a beer at a newly reopened bar terrace, or queue up at a local vaccination center on the off-chance of getting an unused...
View ArticleEU’s coronavirus travel plan faces ‘make-or-break’ moment
It’s crunch time for Europe’s coronavirus travel pass. Negotiators from the European Council and the Parliament met Tuesday evening to work out a common position on so-called “digital green...
View ArticleBorrell calls for Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire, but Hungary blocks joint EU...
EU foreign ministers on Tuesday failed to reach a unified position on the recent Israeli-Palestinian military hostilities, forcing the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, to issue an informal...
View ArticleAstraZeneca chief says UK got ‘priority’ access to coronavirus vaccine
The U.K. received preferential access to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, AstraZeneca chief Pascal Soriot said, while defending the jab and saying that it “has a future.” Soriot told the Financial...
View ArticleEurope Inc. wins as EU delays new business rules
Corporate lobbyists have scored a big win in Brussels after the European Commission was forced to delay a landmark proposal on making companies more accountable for human rights and environmental...
View ArticleMerkel demands immediate release of Belarus activist and partner
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Belarus to immediately release opposition activist Roman Protasevich and his partner, as she also threatened EU sanctions over the forced landing of the...
View ArticleEuropean Commission to close half of its buildings as telework is ‘new norm’
The European Commission plans to close half of its 50 office buildings across Brussels by 2030 as it aims to merge office space and allow home working beyond the pandemic. European Commissioner for...
View ArticleSwitzerland ends talks on EU partnership treaty
Switzerland on Wednesday canceled talks to salvage a long-delayed cooperation agreement with the EU, saying that it could not accept Brussels’ demands on issues like citizen’s rights and wages....
View ArticleEU-Switzerland relations head for trouble as partnership deal unravels
Switzerland on Wednesday pulled the plug on years-long efforts to sign a landmark partnership agreement with the EU, handing a major defeat to the European Commission and risking a deterioration of...
View ArticleGermany threatens sanctions ‘spiral’ unless Belarus frees prisoners
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Thursday warned Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko his authoritarian-leaning regime would face a barrage of sanctions if it did not start releasing political...
View Article‘Not acceptable.’ France asks US, Denmark for clarity on spying allegations
PARIS — France has asked the U.S. and Denmark for detail on their spying practices after revelations that Danish secret agents may have helped Washington spy on European politicians, including German...
View ArticleSnowden’s back: Spying scandal clouds EU-US ties ahead of Biden visit
Joe Biden must feel like he’s having flashbacks. Two weeks before the U.S. president makes his first visit to Europe since being elected, Danish media reported the country’s secret services helped...
View ArticleEU ambassadors approve Belarus flight ban
EU ambassadors on Friday agreed to ban Belarusian airlines from using EU airspace or airports starting at midnight, two EU diplomats said. The restrictive measures are the first in a set of sanctions...
View ArticleGermany chides Hungary (again) over blocked Hong Kong support
German patience with Hungary’s China-friendly stance snapped on Friday as Berlin publicly lambasted Budapest for the second time in less than a month for blocking an EU statement criticizing the human...
View ArticleEU ready to step up legal action as Brexit patience wears ‘thin’
Brussels warned Monday that it will proceed to the next stages of a two-fold lawsuit against the U.K. if this week’s high-level talks don’t result in solutions to a dispute over border checks in the...
View ArticleThe EU’s Brexit arsenal: How Brussels can hit the UK
Buckle up, it’s getting nasty. As European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič and U.K. Brexit minister David Frost meet Wednesday in London for a double set of talks on Brexit — both on...
View ArticleCommission threatens to sue Germany over EU law supremacy dispute
The European Commission on Wednesday launched legal proceedings against Germany over a controversial ruling at the country’s constitutional court, arguing that “the integrity” of EU law was at stake....
View ArticleEuropean Commission declares war on German arrogance
BERLIN — Castrations are never pleasant. That’s especially true for the recipient, of course, which explains the howls of protest emanating east of the Rhine on Wednesday over a European Commission...
View ArticleEU joins Biden’s call for fresh probe into coronavirus origins
The European Union is backing a push by U.S. President Joe Biden to launch a renewed investigation into the origins of the coronavirus, urging China to grant researchers “complete access” for that...
View Article