Rule of Law
The Brief – Remembering D-Day and its legacy to Europe
Est. 6minToday’s 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings is an opportunity to remember a great military victory against the Nazis but also - on the day European elections start - an important reminder to voters of the values that were fought for, which become the basis of the EU.
Why the EU benchmarking on the rule of law needs to be revised
Est. 6minThe European Union needs to create clearer benchmarks for the rule of law and judicial reform in Ukraine, which could then be replicated for other reform areas, write Snizhana Diachenko, Liubov Akulenko, and Viktoriia Melnyk.
EU ministers, candidate countries kickstart rule of law reform talks
Est. 5minEuropean affairs ministers and their counterparts from EU candidate countries started talks on Tuesday (30 April) on how to strengthen the rule of law both within the bloc and in countries seeking to join it.
Emails reveal how Bolt tried to shape Estonia’s opposition to gig work directive
Est. 11minIn October 2023, mobility company Bolt, headquartered in Estonia, offered to draft a letter on behalf of the Estonian government to push back against the platform work directive — liaising directly with a government official who is a former Bolt employee.
Von der Leyen bows to pressure as Pieper drops SME envoy job
Est. 3minSME Envoy post will be filled after the elections, the Commission President announced, as German politician Markus Pieper renounced the post on the eve of his first day, and pressure mounted against the Commission President for the appointment deemed "unfair".
Hungary’s foreign influence office ‘makes Moscow look meek’
Est. 4minA new government agency to "protect Hungary's sovereignty" which starts work Thursday (1 February) will have a "chilling effect" on the country's democracy, critics warn.
Cyprus says US experts to help probe Russia sanction busters
Est. 3minExperts from the United States have arrived in Cyprus to help police investigate cases where Russian oligarchs were allegedly enabled to bypass sanctions, a Cypriot official said Monday (4 November).
Hungary to receive €920 million EU recovery funds: What’s next?
This week, the Beyond the Byline podcast delves into the European Commission's recent decision to approve the release of 920 million euros as part of Hungary's recovery and resilience plan. The decision raises concerns over incomplete achievements in areas such as …
Hungary still short on criteria to receive EU funds, say Commissioners
Est. 4minThe stand-off between Brussels and Budapest will continue after two EU Commissioners told MEPs that the EU executive is still not ready to unlock billions of euros in recovery funds for Hungary.
Let’s debate amnesty: Constitution or politics?
Est. 5minWe must see the amnesty law as a unique opportunity to counter the rejection that Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont incites in public opinion, writes Juan Fernando López Aguilar.
French police accused of using facial recognition software illegally
Est. 4minFrench national police have been illegally using the Israeli facial recognition software Briefcam since 2015, the French investigative media Disclose reported.
EU Commission: Release of frozen EU funds for Hungary not negotiable
Est. 4minThe European Commission is not negotiating the release of EU funds for Hungary but is assessing the rule of law compliance, European Commissioner Johannes Hahn told EU lawmakers on Tuesday (7 November), responding to concerns that Budapest could use its …
The Brief – Bulgaria tops global rule of law progress? Must be a joke
Est. 6minCan global rule of law reports, even those from prestigious organisations, be trusted? Today, my clear answer is no, after seeing the news that my native Bulgaria tops the Rule of Law Index 2023 in terms of progress made, published by the US-based World Justice Project.
Tusk flies economy to Brussels for big ticket talks
Est. 7minPolish opposition leader and potential future prime minister Donald Tusk arrived in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss the chance to launch the nation’s recovery money, frozen due to the rule of law concerns in Poland. Piotr Maciej Kaczyński and Dariusz Dybka explain the stakes.
French government dissolves far-right Catholic association
Est. 3minThe French government dissolved the fundamentalist Catholic association Civitas on Wednesday (October 4), stating that the group seeks to "wage war against the Republic" by spreading anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, homophobic and conspiracy theories.
Bulgaria and Romania off the hook for judicial deficiencies
Est. 3minThe European Commission's monitoring of Bulgaria and Romania under the so-called “Cooperation and Verification Mechanism” (CVM) officially ended after 16-and-a-half years on Friday (15 September), with much of the work in the meantime taken over by the annual Rule of Law cycle covering all member states.
French left demands resignations over police response to riots
Est. 4minFrench opposition leaders have called for the resignation of the Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and police chief Frédéric Veaux in a row over the police's heavy-handed response to the riots that have swept across French cities in recent weeks.
EU looks the other way as Greek spyware mess heralds more trouble
Est. 6minGreek government ministers have been under spyware surveillance, including when communicating with their European peers, according to the latest findings. But EU institutions insist on considering the matter a national affair.
Hungary’s blocked EU funds: MEPs concerned over ongoing rule of law issues
Est. 3minHungary needs to fulfil all conditions required to unblock EU funds as soon as possible to ensure they reach citizens and businesses, EU lawmakers from the budgetary control committee said, as rule of law problems persist.
Hungary must go further to access EU funds, says Commission
Est. 3minThe impasse between the EU and Hungary over access to the bloc’s post-pandemic recovery funds remains, despite moves by Hungarian lawmakers this week to adopt new laws to address EU rule of law concerns.
The Brief — The ‘dream team’ of Greek MEPs
Est. 8minSince the 2019 EU elections, political debate in Athens has, for the first time, been more focused on Brussels than domestic politics. One might think that Greek public opinion has taken on a fresh passion for EU affairs, but unfortunately, …
‘Don’t grant EU funds to Hungary’, MEPs tell Commission
Est. 3minPolitical group leaders representing over 70% of the European Parliament have urged the European Commission to deny Hungary’s request to any more EU recovery funds in the latest front in the battle between EU lawmakers and Viktor Orbán’s government.
Spain’s housing problem used as political tool ahead of elections
Est. 3minSpain’s two main parties, the ruling centre-left PSOE (S&D) and the centre-right Popular Party (PP/EPP) are both using the housing crisis as a way to gain votes ahead of elections set for later this year. The first to start the conversation …
MEPs accused of missed opportunity after blocking Qatargate reform
Est. 4minThe European Parliament decided against introducing mandatory registration of meetings between interest groups and MEPs on Wednesday (19 April) in a move criticised by pro-transparency campaigners.