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        <script>window.__basedcache__={"12588239297382":{"v":{"data":[{"id":"ar199bfdc3","headline":"New EU fiscal rules will bake-in austerity in gift to far-right","abstract":"Fresh research from the New Economic Foundation suggests that MEPs voting for the new EU economic governance rules will lock-in underinvestment in health, housing, education, and the environment — whoever 'wins' the June elections.","type":"article","publishDate":1713775640907,"contributorsText":"Esther Lynch","img":{"id":"fi960d3564","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/36f24f4f6ef02eddbd83f646b21527de.jpeg","credit":{"source":"Andre Taissin","sourceUrl":"https://unsplash.com/@andretaissin"}},"headerImageCaption":"Voting for fresh austerity measures two months before the European elections is a recipe for disaster","section":[{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"806f303338","title":"Opinion","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ar3cdfa533","headline":"The European far-right: reasons to be pessimistic — and optimistic","abstract":"Here are five reasons why and how the far-right will shape the next half decade of European integration, and five reasons to remain (cautiously) optimistic.\n","type":"article","publishDate":1713771000000,"contributorsText":"Kai Arzheimer ","img":{"id":"fie1936852","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fie1936852/b2c619b6-b2ca-4dd7-a490-ac7070c7dc94-8b882efc-c4a2-41db-af80-e18ae66508e0-aa58df87-50f7-4989-aa68-bc706e74cbc9.jpeg","credit":{"source":"Unsplush","sourceUrl":"https://unsplash.com/es/fotos/una-multitud-de-personas-con-carteles-y-pancartas-HQjvhaIJbXQ"}},"headerImageCaption":"“‘Fuck AfD [Alternative for Germany]’ reads a placard at a German demo against the far-right party, which in 2023 secretly advocated for ‘remigrating’ millions of German citizens","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80178480d0","title":"Analysis","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ar8976c5d4","headline":"How EU hopes to ‘shield’ elections against Moscow’s propaganda","abstract":"With people spending an average of seven hours online per day and social media being the main source of information globally, many voters in Europe are likely to encounter disinformation campaigns — ranging from the Russian war in Ukraine to migration to euroscepticism. That risks creating “a red carpet for Putin,” according to EU Commission vice-president Věra Jourová.","type":"article","publishDate":1713767400000,"author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi98a0f622","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fi98a0f622/2fabfc88-3a75-4030-ac0a-1929f6302975-dfce2168-7cf2-4137-b121-1f4733feb9ab-fb4beaa7-243a-440f-a2ee-47bcd15aad85.jpeg","credit":{"source":"EC - Audiovisual Service","sourceUrl":"https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/photo-details/P-063326~2F00-10"}},"section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"},{"id":"50b734f76d","title":"Magazine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[],"headerImageCaption":"'We believe that more than ever before the elections people should have access to the facts,' said EU Commission vice-president Věra Jourová"},{"id":"ar5e1ad75e","headline":"Iran, Israel, Ukraine, and Parliament holds record-breaking final plenary This WEEK","abstract":"MEPs final plenary in Strasbourg sees a record-breaking agenda, packed with nearly 90 final votes, including numerous headline pieces of legislation, like the battered corporate due diligence law and the controversial CAP derogation. ","type":"article","publishDate":1713762000000,"contributorsText":"Piet Ruig","img":{"id":"fiba3096d8","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/bc474aa50a134ee7bd0fa4ae9a6f07f6.jpg","credit":{"source":"Serhii Myhalchuk"}},"headerImageCaption":"Ukrainian authorities are warning Russia is set to launch a “big” offensive in June 2024 with an aim of seizing all of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts.","section":[],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arccd7cb35","headline":"EU plan to boost mobility for young Brits quickly shot down","abstract":"An EU plan to offer freedom of movement to people aged between 18 and 30 to study and work abroad in the wake of Brexit has been immediately shot down by both the UK government and opposition Labour party. ","type":"article","publishDate":1713537816833,"author":{"id":"eu7c6b1824","firstName":"Benjamin","lastName":"Fox"},"img":{"id":"fi3f405315","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/74f2d6e2b169c35512513ecea48fbf18.jpg","credit":{"source":"foshie"}},"headerImageCaption":"An EU proposal to allow students and young people to study and work in the UK and vice versa has been quickly shot down by London.","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"araf0e030f","headline":"Polish local election results bode well for a PiS revival at June's European elections","abstract":"The results of the local government election in Poland leaves PiS well positioned for the European parliament in June where a lower turnout points to a good result for their strongly-motivated voters.","type":"article","publishDate":1713531916993,"contributorsText":"KRZYSZTOF BOBINSKI","img":{"id":"fi25fe5064","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/651452cdfc4192b43b321d05c95042fd.jpg","credit":{"source":"ois.org.pl"}},"headerImageCaption":"Jarosław Kaczynski and his Law & Justice (PiS) will be fielding a strongly eurosceptic set of candidates, which is very much in tune with Kaczynski’s underlying sovereignist stance","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80178480d0","title":"Analysis","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ar7ba1c1f4","headline":"EU playing 'catch up' on migrant returns, commission admits","abstract":"The EU is stepping up its attempts to increase rates of readmission and returns of failed economic migrants and asylum seekers as part the ‘external dimension’ of its migration policy, a senior EU Commission official has told MEPs.  ","type":"article","publishDate":1713527614340,"author":{"id":"eu7c6b1824","firstName":"Benjamin","lastName":"Fox"},"img":{"id":"fie12beee5","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/a33f7d6505ee1118edff72bf2c6f96fd.jpeg","credit":{"source":"Miko Guziuk","sourceUrl":"https://unsplash.com/@mikoguz"}},"headerImageCaption":"Most African governments have been pushing for new systems of legal pathways and exchange programmes at all levels but are reluctant to agree to any new commitments to readmit illegal migrants","section":[{"id":"50192d9286","title":"Migration","type":"section"},{"id":"5041632de8","title":"Africa","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arf377f63e","headline":"EU reliant on Russian LNG for time being, finds report","abstract":"The European Union will remain reliant on Russian overseas liquified natural gas supply for some years to come, warned energy watchdog Acer, amid calls to cut off supply completely. ","type":"article","publishDate":1713525730103,"author":{"id":"eud6dc869c","firstName":"Wester van","lastName":"Gaal"},"img":{"id":"fi07162f50","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/b7ed937c728c91f915ca1dbbde959a0a.jpg","credit":{"source":"kees torn","sourceUrl":"https://www.flickr.com/photos/68359921@N08/46613640365/"}},"headerImageCaption":"Russian LNG made up 16 percent of the bloc's total imports last year","section":[{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"},{"id":"50adaaad9b","title":"Ukraine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar61f6482a","headline":"Finland frames asylum seekers as security threat","abstract":"Finland is prepping legislation to clamp down on migrant border crossings to counter perceived hybrid attacks by Russia.","type":"article","publishDate":1713522839577,"author":{"id":"eu09e46885","firstName":"Nikolaj","lastName":"Nielsen"},"img":{"id":"fibcc04ecf","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fibcc04ecf/fc7e5c18-bd40-4b9a-9451-51e115570ed3-7e2de43e-bd84-4303-a129-b98f4b5ef148-7797f1a3-03ea-446e-9e50-d74c04d6e26e.jpeg","credit":{"source":"Petteri Orpo","sourceUrl":"https://www.instagram.com/p/C58DBlbtPg3/?img_index=2"}},"headerImageCaption":"Finland's prime minister Petteri Orpo along with European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen","section":[{"id":"50192d9286","title":"Migration","type":"section"},{"id":"50230f8941","title":"Nordics","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar40603053","headline":"How the EU sought to offshore migration ahead of the elections","abstract":"Migration is always a major theme at EU elections — not least because the far-right and nationalist parties help make it so, campaigning on little else, despite the cost-of-living crisis and Ukraine war. Here EUobserver takes a deep dive into the recent deals Brussels has done to ‘offshore’ the issue beyond the EU’s borders.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1713520800000,"contributorsText":"Wester van Gaal and Nikolaj Nielsen","author":{"id":"eu09e46885","firstName":"Nikolaj","lastName":"Nielsen"},"img":{"id":"fi48b3ea4d","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/f477f3d87060973b413e7a05de632d1e.jpg","credit":{"source":"EC - Audiovisual Service","sourceUrl":"https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/photo/P-061342~2F00-01"}},"headerImageCaption":"Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and far-right Italian prime minister Georgia Meloni with Tunisia’s autocratic leader Kais Saied in June 2023\n","section":[{"id":"50192d9286","title":"Migration","type":"section"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar78cd76b2","headline":"Preventing another Spitzenkandidaten hangover","abstract":"As different Spitzenkandidaten now compete for different kinds of things, the process is most likely to cause confusion among the voters. Worse, it may even be seen as another failed promise of EU democratisation.","type":"article","publishDate":1713518239401,"contributorsText":"Ben Crum","img":{"id":"fia844c3b2","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/38c040d1b64de5729e48a10fe24a579a.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Parliament"}},"headerImageCaption":"Five years ago, Frans Timmermans of the S&D fought Manfred Weber of the EPP as 'Spitzenkandidaten' - neither of them got it, instead Ursula von der Leyen, who wasn't even running, was appointed","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar02714b2d","headline":"Another big 2024 election? - India’s","abstract":"Electorates of 987 million voters (India) and 400 million (Europe) both go to the polls in spring 2024 — what will the results mean for relations between New Delhi and Brussels? ","type":"article","publishDate":1713513600000,"contributorsText":"Priyanka Shankar","img":{"id":"fic51e6bcd","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/5aee35ac5996a9a06b99d46882413d11.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Commission","sourceUrl":"https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/photo-details/P-057580~2F00-64"}},"headerImageCaption":"The results of the general elections in India could also have “a crucial impact” on future relations between India and the EU, according to Idoia Villanueva Ruiz, a Spanish MEP of the European Parliament’s Left political party and member of the parliament’s delegation for relations with India\n","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80178480d0","title":"Analysis","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ar5a183787","headline":"EU summit pledges 'new competitiveness deal' to counter China and US","abstract":"EU leaders' summit ended with a call for a \"new competitiveness deal” to counter Chinese and US dominance in the global arena — but the level of ambition on further integrating the single market remains to be seen.  ","type":"article","publishDate":1713464195635,"author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi913bc987","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fi913bc987/3124da1e-24fc-4db4-8966-c3f4eae30447-4f3efd44-d435-4b2e-94fb-3914cbed6118-51e967b7-1be2-4d6f-afb4-6916170afccc.jpeg","credit":{"source":"European Union","sourceUrl":"https://newsroom.consilium.europa.eu/photos?keywords=letta"}},"headerImageCaption":"Former prime minister Enrico Letta (left, with Charles Michel) joined leaders to present his 147-page report, warning that fragmentation is the biggest obstacle to the economic growth of the 27-nations bloc","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar0a0149ce","headline":"Brexit has driven increased UK medicine shortages, research finds","abstract":"The fallout from the UK’s exit from the EU has contributed to major medicines shortages in the UK, according to a new report published on Thursday (18 April). ","type":"article","publishDate":1713458209348,"author":{"id":"eu7c6b1824","firstName":"Benjamin","lastName":"Fox"},"img":{"id":"fid1265219","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/4fcb662731959212195bc767818072b8.jpg","credit":{"source":"Freestocks.org","sourceUrl":"https://unsplash.com/photos/nss2eRzQwgw"}},"headerImageCaption":"\"Pharmacy teams have seen the problems get worse in this country over recent years, putting more patients at risk,” said Paul Rees, the chief executive of the UK’s National Pharmacy Association. ","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar7c378c48","headline":"New EU anti-Russian interference plan: prevention or prosecution?","abstract":"With the latest foreign interference scandal hitting the European Parliament, Belgian and Czech prime ministers suggest strengthening EU prosecuting agencies. But pro-transparency groups say more prevention is needed.\n","type":"article","publishDate":1713455340134,"contributorsText":"Piet Ruig","img":{"id":"fif01e942d","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fif01e942d/5a22b20a-e8ca-4cae-87e3-907f614cc158-827b9418-a2b5-4797-8ae9-ddad0d7f4f09-d5c48c95-0c44-4c8b-9f84-3f70fdf0df49.jpeg","credit":{"source":"European Union","sourceUrl":"https://newsroom.consilium.europa.eu/events/20240418-special-european-council-april-2024-day-2/Arrivalsanddoorsteps-27532/184195"}},"headerImageCaption":"Belgian PM Alexander De Croo: \"We have to be very clear that attempts like this are not acceptable and we have to do everything to defend our democracy\"","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arc508cb1d","headline":"Vestager says no to looser merger rules, contradicting Letta","abstract":"Battlelines were drawn as EU competition commissioner Margarethe Vestager defended merger controls — and slammed the idea that looser rules would improve competitiveness, as suggested in former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta's report 24 hours ago.","type":"article","publishDate":1713443637691,"author":{"id":"eud6dc869c","firstName":"Wester van","lastName":"Gaal"},"img":{"id":"fi1c380d2b","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/8e41b557dcb39d3a88e9d408c73000ab.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Commission","sourceUrl":"https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/photo/P-044088~2F00-03"}},"headerImageCaption":"EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager is seen as a competition hardliner. ","section":[{"id":"503f501420","title":"Digital","type":"section"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar368ac22c","headline":"EU rules seen as insufficient to fix nutrient pollution","abstract":"From rivers and lakes to lagoons and seas, numerous aquatic environments across Europe are grappling with a silent yet ubiquitous threat – an excess of nutrients that disrupt their ecological balance and imperil their very existence. And experts say current policies are not going to fix the problem.","type":"article","articleFormat":2,"publishDate":1713435685052,"contributorsText":"Marcello Rossi and Davide Mancini","img":{"id":"fie6fc4dd0","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/e4092a6a7d4a4f7aaa1f8e6e8f7d8091.jpg","credit":{"source":"Wikipedia"}},"headerImageCaption":"In the recent Biodiversity and Farm to Fork (F2F) strategies, the European Commission recognised the need to reduce nutrient losses by at least 50 percent and fertiliser use by at least 20 percent by 2030.","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"8088e5421e","title":"Feature","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ar33c1d720","headline":"‘Qatargate’ — a missed opportunity to clean up the European Parliament","abstract":"The Qatargate corruption scandal, which saw a handful of MEPs arrested by the Belgian police, and the seizure of €1.5m in cash, could have injected momentum into the EU’s transparency agenda — but despite promises of radical reform, including a 14-point plan by parliament president Roberta Metsola to tackle corruption, the results are less impressive than the rhetoric\n","type":"article","publishDate":1713435652858,"author":{"id":"eu7c6b1824","firstName":"Benjamin","lastName":"Fox"},"img":{"id":"fi014e8fa6","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/e3fd59196599cf582769b9a998d71c90.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Parliament"}},"headerImageCaption":"The Qatargate corruption scandal, which saw a handful of MEPs arrested by the Belgian police, including parliament vice-president Eva Kaili, and the seizure of €1.5m in cash, could have injected momentum into the EU’s transparency agenda.","section":[{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"},{"id":"50b734f76d","title":"Magazine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arc0971203","headline":"Forced return of migrants hurts home countries too","abstract":"What hasn’t been much discussed is the likely impact of the new EU pact on migration and asylum's more forced returns on migrants’ home communities – and it’s not good news.","type":"article","publishDate":1713432788877,"contributorsText":"Zina Weisner","img":{"id":"fiad263c01","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/b9417649bf0757196bf1c5902e727a2f.jpg","credit":{"source":"Investigative Reporting Project Italy (IRPI)"}},"headerImageCaption":"A team of researchers has spoken to more than 13,000 young adults across 26 communities in Africa, Asia and the Middle East about the impact of forced returns on local development","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"50192d9286","title":"Migration","type":"section"},{"id":"5041632de8","title":"Africa","type":"section"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar192503b6","headline":"Kyiv opens string of new Africa embassies, in diplomatic push","abstract":"Ukraine continues to expand its diplomatic footprint in Africa. ","type":"article","publishDate":1713429921706,"author":{"id":"eu7c6b1824","firstName":"Benjamin","lastName":"Fox"},"img":{"id":"fi6b96ba96","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/01da14f145a6315b3ac517f7b6688b2d.jpeg","credit":{"source":"The Presidential Office of Ukraine","sourceUrl":"https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/zvernennya-prezidenta-ukrayini-volodimira-zelenskogo-do-yevr-75465"}},"headerImageCaption":"At the end of 2023, Ukraine had only 11 embassies across the 54 African countries, compared to Russia’s 44","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"5041632de8","title":"Africa","type":"section"},{"id":"50adaaad9b","title":"Ukraine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar333aa43e","headline":"Ukraine seeks to regain EU focus amid Israel/Iran crisis","abstract":"With Russia's renewed attacks on Ukraine, calls to increase military support to Kyiv are rising – but fears of a huge escalation in the Middle East were also at the heart of discussions during the first day of the special European Council.","type":"article","publishDate":1713387798914,"contributorsText":"Elena Sánchez Nicolás, Piet Ruig","author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi07a4d76c","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/973a84f8377c2987d24f70eac514820a.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Union","sourceUrl":"https://newsroom.consilium.europa.eu/photos?keywords=zelensky"}},"headerImageCaption":"Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the West could do more to help defend Ukraine's skies — citing Israel's air defences against Iran","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ara8cca60c","headline":"Hungary drifts closer towards conservative ECR alliance ","abstract":"A rightwing conference in Brussels is stoking interest on possible future political allegiances ahead of the European elections in June.","type":"article","publishDate":1713386154068,"author":{"id":"eu09e46885","firstName":"Nikolaj","lastName":"Nielsen"},"img":{"id":"fi292159f2","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fi292159f2/4f4dd3ba-9066-4801-a800-75fd847a6b2a-72f6cfd5-2bc4-4c82-ba07-a182e1dd99cb-f10311af-0d7a-4518-b5de-61e6ab0d2f88.jpeg","credit":{"source":"Zoltan Kovacs","sourceUrl":"https://twitter.com/zoltanspox/status/1780578135416700984/photo/1"}},"headerImageCaption":"Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orbán at the National Conservative Conference in Brussels","section":[{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80178480d0","title":"Analysis","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ar4f080a10","headline":"Single market re-re-re-launch: will EU leaders listen this time? ","abstract":"Former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta presented his report on relaunching the single market at Wednesday night's summit — the third of its kind in a little over a decade. Will EU leaders listen this time? ","type":"article","publishDate":1713378717850,"author":{"id":"eud6dc869c","firstName":"Wester van","lastName":"Gaal"},"img":{"id":"fid1c12158","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/e03040544b3c36ed30dc9b10a5373ddc.jpg","credit":{"source":"Bellabona Foto"}},"headerImageCaption":"Enrico Letta said that the 'biggest enemy of my report is the bookshelf'","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar36791fb6","headline":"Minimum wage was 'game changer' in one-third of EU states","abstract":"The EU's adequate minimum wage directive is already having a 'game-changer' effect in one-third of EU countries, according to a new report by the European Trade Union Institute. But the fight is not over yet. \n","type":"article","publishDate":1713367193593,"contributorsText":"Piet Ruig ","img":{"id":"fi8e8f20cf","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/bd5383681396bce5b0cc24b1d9f6432a.jpg","credit":{"source":"Unsplash"}},"headerImageCaption":"Though inflation also played a role in raising minimum wages, the adequate minimum wages directive was an important driver of the increase","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"508bf89c3a","title":"Health & Society","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arca43a6b3","headline":"EU leaders commit to social progress – without Sweden and Austria ","abstract":"The EU has committed to upholding its so-called social model, but without the support of Austria and Sweden. Meanwhile, critics have questioned the increased focus on competitiveness and lack of fiscal support.\n","type":"article","publishDate":1713366851935,"contributorsText":"Piet Ruig","img":{"id":"fi79f3cd3b","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fi79f3cd3b/6dbc7223-c110-4c73-be3e-00fa8f3b70cd-cdff9347-0bfa-4eae-ac8f-85d1b4de5a79-f8037480-ced6-44d5-9b21-8a32d6612cfa.webp","credit":{"source":"Belgian EU presidency","sourceUrl":"https://belgian-presidency.consilium.europa.eu/en/events/european-pillar-of-social-rights-the-la-hulpe-declaration-on-the-future-of-social-europe/"}},"headerImageCaption":"At the high-level conference on the European Pillar of Social Rights in La Hulpe, the EU, the social partners and civil society signed a declaration — without the support of Austria and Sweden","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"508bf89c3a","title":"Health & Society","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arac346678","headline":"Tusk now needs to win over Poland's conservative core","abstract":"The local election results underscore how many voters are still unconvinced by the Polish prime minister’s leadership.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1713365603670,"contributorsText":"Hugo Blewett-Mundy","author":{"id":"euc7f898e4","firstName":"Matthew","lastName":"Tempest"},"img":{"id":"fi2129c9a3","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/d553f3a503b0d751a4fd95965f1e3bdc.jpg","credit":{"source":"consilium.europa.eu"}},"headerImageCaption":"Now in government, Donald Tusk should reconsider his approach in light of the deeply-divided Polish electorate. 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And also possibly a youthful and idealistic ‘shield’ against more reactionary and right-wing middle-aged voters? \n","type":"article","publishDate":1713355938349,"author":{"id":"eu4d84e821","firstName":"Paula","lastName":"Soler"},"img":{"id":"fi9833b661","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fi9833b661/ba181927-0d07-43ba-8cee-dfa81d5b1a36-0fb2edd6-a312-4132-aef0-8f3eb475c053-c269eaaf-0f1e-42d7-aa5b-382086075acc.jpeg","credit":{"source":"Photo by Creative Christians on Unsplash","sourceUrl":"https://unsplash.com/photos/group-of-people-standing-on-brown-floor-HN6uXG7GzTE"}},"headerImageCaption":"‘If as a young person, you are never approached by a political party and their proposals do not speak to you, why would you go out and vote?’\n","section":[{"id":"508bf89c3a","title":"Health & Society","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"},{"id":"50b734f76d","title":"Magazine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"8088e5421e","title":"Feature","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ard429f5da","headline":"Will June elections change ‘Brussels So White’?","abstract":"Black and brown members of the current European Parliament represent only three percent of the assembly’s composition — even though racial and ethnic minorities make up at least 10 percent of the EU population.","type":"article","publishDate":1713342389908,"contributorsText":"","author":{"id":"euec42ca62","firstName":"Shada","lastName":"Islam"},"img":{"id":"fi375641c4","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/788f9e62c2a13f3ae3d85249f0945e80.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Commission"}},"headerImageCaption":"Although they may talk-the-talk, Europe’s progressives are not pushing — at least not collectively, visibly and forcefully enough — for a more racially-inclusive EU","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"},{"id":"50b734f76d","title":"Magazine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar77652c78","headline":"Welcome to the new EUobserver","abstract":"New website, same EUobserver. 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","type":"article","publishDate":1713329700021,"author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi84c72205","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fi84c72205/2d9ce9d9-fff8-41c5-804c-a07683231ccd-a1aa947f-5485-4825-81b4-16db562b85f7-4d41c17c-9faa-46d7-9ada-8a2fa68d0143.png","credit":{"source":"EUobserver"}},"headerImageCaption":"As seen with the sudden eruption of farmers’ protests, the EU 2024 elections will take place in a very polarised political climate,","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"},{"id":"50b734f76d","title":"Magazine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar85b2ecb0","headline":"More talk, not enough walk? Five years of EU youth policy","abstract":"As Europe’s youth is plagued by multiple crises, young people have received increased attention from EU policymakers and politicians. But concrete progress has been limited, say critics.","type":"article","articleFormat":1,"publishDate":1713329120942,"contributorsText":"Piet Ruig","img":{"id":"fiecf22e44","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fiecf22e44/e4d6f3cf-ea2e-4634-bf17-748fe5851021-d2af2ee2-9613-447f-b778-d8d650cac2f8-6c2d0c07-d08d-4495-894a-5a6f5dea90fc.jpeg","credit":{"source":"European Parliament","sourceUrl":"https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/photo/erasmus-programme-students_20181204_EP-080755A_DHO_203"}},"headerImageCaption":"It is estimated that Erasmus+ grants still cover less than half of the expenses for more than half of the participants, pricing out poorer students. ","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"508bf89c3a","title":"Health & Society","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar827bf304","headline":"EU leaders mull ways to arrest bloc's economic decline","abstract":"With Europe falling behind the US and losing ground to China, the special European Council will focus mainly on Europe's economic competitiveness in the global arena. But talks will also cover Ukraine, Turkey and the Middle East.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1713292407000,"author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi74189528","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/d8808a4e46901a47065802606fd6c95c.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Union","sourceUrl":"https://newsroom.consilium.europa.eu/events/20231215-european-council-december-2023-day-2/Roundtable-26778/177976"}},"headerImageCaption":"One of the big topics to be discussed during the summit will be how to make the Capital Markets Union a reality","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arf0d24bb3","headline":"Police ordered to end far-right 'Nat-Con' Brussels conference","abstract":"The controversial far-right \"National Conservatism\" conference taking place in Brussels was ordered to halt at the behest of the local neighbourhood mayor — in what critics described as a publicity victory for the populist right.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1713276482000,"contributorsText":"Piet Ruig","author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi439efde9","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/ffa3178026af93ea381dce611b62625f.jpeg","credit":{"source":"National Conservatism Twitter account","sourceUrl":"https://twitter.com/NatConTalk/status/1780196857202753893/photo/1"}},"headerImageCaption":"The conference was already forced to move locations twice, after public pressure","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar8cf587ae","headline":"How Hungary's teachers are taking on Viktor Orban","abstract":"Orban and his administration are pursuing a strategy of running-down public education in Hungary. They have been explicit in their aims and how their assault on 'non-Christian' teachers is a small price to pay for the cultural shift they want.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1713264754000,"contributorsText":"Tibor Dessewffy","author":{"id":"euc7f898e4","firstName":"Matthew","lastName":"Tempest"},"img":{"id":"fi72bd2505","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/e91bfeec38b1ddef9e0f20b0d2178e52.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Parliament","sourceUrl":"https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/photo/ep-press-conference-briefing-before-the-eu-summit-press-conference-by-jozsef-szajer-epp-vice-chair-viktor-orban-prime-minister-of-hungary-gergely-gulyas-minister-of-the-prime-ministers-office-and-bertalan-hav"}},"headerImageCaption":"One group that has been caught in the crosshairs of Viktor Orban's attacks on public education, is Tanítanék ['I Want to Teach'], a grassroots movement of teachers","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"508bf89c3a","title":"Health & Society","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar9f1d8225","headline":"What do we actually mean by EU 'competitiveness'?","abstract":"Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi are coming up with reports on the EU's single market and competitiveness — but although 'competitiveness' has become a buzzword, there's no consensus on a definition for what it actually means.","type":"article","articleFormat":1,"publishDate":1713264743000,"contributorsText":"Judith Arnal","author":{"id":"euc7f898e4","firstName":"Matthew","lastName":"Tempest"},"section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"807976613d","title":"Column","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ar6f7a12ea","headline":"New EU envoy Markus Pieper quits before taking up post","abstract":"Markus Pieper has decided not to take up his role as the EU's small and medium-sized enterprises envoy, in a surprise U-turn following strong criticism over his appointment.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1713252058000,"author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi494df95a","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/3521851779906c756bf8184996b7f345.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Parliament","sourceUrl":"https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/photo/ep-plenary-session-eu-funding-allocated-to-ngos-incriminated-in-the-recent-corruption-revelations-and-the-protection-of-eu-financial-interests_20230213_EP-144939E_FMA_EVD_0038"}},"headerImageCaption":"Markus Pieper was appointed on 31 January — despite claims that two female candidates were more qualified. He quit on Tuesday, the day he was supposed to take up the role","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar9038a014","headline":"EU puts Sudan war and famine-risk back in spotlight","abstract":"The EU is hoping to put the international spotlight back on Sudan amid a war where half the population is at risk of famine. And Josep Borrell, EU foreign policy chief, also warned of Russia's presence in the country.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1713190431000,"author":{"id":"eu09e46885","firstName":"Nikolaj","lastName":"Nielsen"},"img":{"id":"fi56e90f91","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/195d7a89d037278f02f2f9f599095cb8.jpeg","credit":{"source":"UNDP","sourceUrl":"https://twitter.com/UNDP_Sudan/status/1741449831002853738/photo/1"}},"headerImageCaption":"The UN says only 1-in-10 of the hungriest people in Sudan are in areas they can reach and deliver aid","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"5041632de8","title":"Africa","type":"section"},{"id":"50adaaad9b","title":"Ukraine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ara31da609","headline":"EU to blacklist Israeli settlers, after new sanctions on Hamas","abstract":"EU states are planning to impose, for the first time, visa-bans and asset-freezes on six extremist settlers on Friday (19 April) in a bid to chill Israeli aggression.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1713187443000,"contributorsText":"Andrew Rettman","author":{"id":"eu87ebf9ee","firstName":"Andrew","lastName":"Rettman"},"img":{"id":"fi5c82f996","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/4c1da6dba6086b4fab3c1aacc74acac5.jpg","credit":{"source":"Nikolaj Nielsen","sourceUrl":"https://euobserver.com/"}},"headerImageCaption":"Israel has intensified its military occupation of the West Bank since the 7 October attack","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar3c330f76","headline":"Private fears of fairtrade activist for EU election campaign","abstract":"I am not sleeping well, tossing and turning at night because I am obsessed about the EU election campaign, worried by geopolitical tensions, a far-right next parliament, and a backlash against the Green Deal, writes Sophie Aujean of Fairtrade International.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1713186039000,"contributorsText":"Sophie Aujean","author":{"id":"euc7f898e4","firstName":"Matthew","lastName":"Tempest"},"img":{"id":"fic78aa434","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/2633e32748837cc4d61706d83e88bd70.jpg","credit":{"source":"electoralcommission.org.uk"}},"headerImageCaption":"The June European Parliament elections, and the next EU leadership face the challenge of moving from ambitious laws on climate and sustainability — to their enforcement. And in a context where many are opposing the Green Deal out of political games","section":[{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar13108259","headline":"Brussels venue ditches far-right conference after public pressure","abstract":"The Concert Noble venue pulled out of the conference featuring far-right figureheads like Eric Zemmour and Viktor Orbán after public pressure from activists","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1713178518000,"contributorsText":"Piet Ruig","author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi0b93b745","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/58fcd626074b0acd94d2e18aa1da6228.jpeg","credit":{"source":"Wikimedia","sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Concert_Noble_Brussels_12.JPG"}},"headerImageCaption":"The Concert Noble ballroom venue cancelled the National Conservatism (NatCon) conference — after public pressure","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar10721d4d","headline":"How German police pulled the plug on a Gaza conference","abstract":"Within hours of the Palestine Congress opening in Berlin, police armed with pistols and batons imposed a ban on the congress — lasting the entire weekend.","type":"article","articleFormat":2,"publishDate":1713172817000,"contributorsText":"Danny Callaghan","author":{"id":"euc7f898e4","firstName":"Matthew","lastName":"Tempest"},"img":{"id":"fic974da31","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/d216c5190b7f3ae3334660ad3a6e2a06.jpeg","credit":{"source":"Danny Callaghan"}},"headerImageCaption":"A total of 930 officers deployed on Friday to police the event, according to the Bundespolizei. After an initial 850 tickets had been sold, only up to 250 attendees were permitted entry into the venue before police interventions shut down the congress","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"8088e5421e","title":"Feature","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"are16b12bd","headline":"EU special summit, MEPs prep work, social agenda This WEEK","abstract":"EU leaders gather in Brussels for a special two-day summit this week, while MEPs will prepare for the last plenary session of the legislature. In Italy, G7 foreign affairs ministers will convene from Wednesday to Friday.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1713157203000,"author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi74189528","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/d8808a4e46901a47065802606fd6c95c.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Union","sourceUrl":"https://newsroom.consilium.europa.eu/events/20231215-european-council-december-2023-day-2/Roundtable-26778/177976"}},"headerImageCaption":"Some EU member states are pushing for adding a discussion on Ukraine's air defence needs during the summit","section":[{"id":"5050d2d5c0","title":"Agenda","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar255b809a","headline":"EU leaders condemn Iran, urge Israeli restraint","abstract":"Major Western nations have condemned Iran's retaliatory strike on Israel, with EU foreign ministers to hold snap talks on Tuesday amid fears of escalation.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1713128403000,"author":{"id":"eu87ebf9ee","firstName":"Andrew","lastName":"Rettman"},"img":{"id":"fie696a61f","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/5be94ce63e6e0979556e66d8ade40ddc.jpg","credit":{"source":"idf.il"}},"headerImageCaption":"Israeli Air Force jets — Israel has indicated it won't strike back immediately after Iran's overnight drone and missile attack","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar42d90026","headline":"UK-EU deal on Gibraltar only 'weeks away'","abstract":"EU and UK negotiators said that a new post-Brexit settlement for Gibraltar was just weeks away from completion following four-way talks in Brussels on Friday (12 April).","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712943459000,"author":{"id":"eu7c6b1824","firstName":"Benjamin","lastName":"Fox"},"img":{"id":"fi8172bf94","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/6b0751b023262be54410963b71564390.jpg","credit":{"source":"Tony Evans"}},"headerImageCaption":"A new post-Brexit settlement for Gibraltar is just weeks away, negotiators said following talks on Friday","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar15104c10","headline":"Belgium declares war on MEPs who took Russian 'cash'","abstract":"Belgian spies have evidence MEPs took Russian money, Belgium's prime minister has said, while announcing a potentially explosive judicial inquiry.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712943016000,"author":{"id":"eu87ebf9ee","firstName":"Andrew","lastName":"Rettman"},"img":{"id":"fi8b71b57f","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/39bcdb61d6c3e320f8ffc9566b251533.jpg","credit":{"source":"europa.europarl.eu"}},"headerImageCaption":"Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo, who currently holds the EU presidency","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"50adaaad9b","title":"Ukraine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar0b091c2f","headline":"Brussels Dispatches: Foreign interference in the spotlight","abstract":"Less than 10 weeks away from the European elections, the integrity of public debate is even more in the spotlight.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712939877000,"contributorsText":"Jeanne Ollivier","author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fia049686d","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/4d479b1fe2b0a05e0e24d30ab5b01c18.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Commission"}},"headerImageCaption":"Eurobarometer figures published last December confirm European citizens' distrust of the European Union","section":[{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar2e117c5c","headline":"Calling time on Amazon's monopolism and exploitation","abstract":"As Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos just reclaimed the title of the richest person on Earth, its workers cannot even take a bathroom break under the pressure of meeting inhumane performance targets.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712916169000,"contributorsText":"Agnes Jongerius and Oliver Roethig","author":{"id":"euc7f898e4","firstName":"Matthew","lastName":"Tempest"},"img":{"id":"fi4dc7a6fa","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/c970485cffacc93f03117e3dee52b864.jpg","credit":{"source":"Unsplash"}},"headerImageCaption":"The multinational must respect European rules and values if it wants to do business and make profit in Europe","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"508bf89c3a","title":"Health & Society","type":"section"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar545a698d","headline":"Resist backlash on deforestation law, green groups tell EU","abstract":"European environmental groups have urged the EU Commission to stand firm on implementing the bloc's landmark anti-deforestation legislation — despite a backlash from governments in South America, Africa and some EU ministers.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712913482000,"author":{"id":"eu7c6b1824","firstName":"Benjamin","lastName":"Fox"},"img":{"id":"fi28b87502","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/0cf081d77c1c19bf4d687c04077eced6.jpeg","credit":{"source":"Taylor Flowe","sourceUrl":"https://unsplash.com/@taypaigey"}},"headerImageCaption":"The EU Commission has unveiled new funding programmes for African coffee producers to comply with the bloc's anti-deforestation law","section":[{"id":"5041632de8","title":"Africa","type":"section"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ard959f28c","headline":"China's high-quality development brings opportunities to the world","abstract":"China's Two Sessions provided an important window into Chinese economic resilience and opportunities in the global market, with a strong message for more cooperation among trading partners.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712911366000,"contributorsText":"Gang Peng","author":{"id":"eu31f83c46","firstName":"Alejandro","lastName":"Tauber"},"img":{"id":"fi0b1ce59d","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/7add8c070fbbb4229ed727876dc42dd0.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Union","sourceUrl":"https://newsroom.consilium.europa.eu/photos?keywords=EU%20china"}},"headerImageCaption":"As two major forces, two major markets and two major civilisations in the world, China and the EU share extensive common interests.","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"50a6a0fafb","title":"Stakeholders","type":"section"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arf9a5f325","headline":"Ukraine tops aid list again, but EU spending slumps","abstract":"Ukraine was the biggest single recipient of international aid in 2023 for the second year in a row, but EU aid spending dropped by nearly 8 per cent, according to new data published on Thursday.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712851898000,"author":{"id":"eu7c6b1824","firstName":"Benjamin","lastName":"Fox"},"img":{"id":"fi1f2fe122","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/da818231719fe2897a7a29f68ce30265.jpg","credit":{"source":"Matt Brown","sourceUrl":"https://www.flickr.com/photos/londonmatt/51923829596/in/photolist-2n7kcxj-2naMnDk-2n9JUMX-2njJzxL-2osLpnD-2n6nqDH-2n5GWhs-2n5EtDD-2oZSMin-2o78FEb-2nn4oGH-2n6EM5Q-2opvGs9-2nkfGUK-2nsK3yk-2o9Htae-2n6EMQc-2nnY2Cs-2n8G2CJ-2n6FURA-2n6EkRr-2mZAHbA-2omW5Xd-2najE"}},"headerImageCaption":"Ukraine was the biggest single recipient of international aid in 2023 for the second year in a row. Much aid is now being spent 'in country' on housing refugees, including from Ukraine","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"5041632de8","title":"Africa","type":"section"},{"id":"50adaaad9b","title":"Ukraine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arecd6340e","headline":"Who did Russia pay? MEPs urge spies to give names","abstract":"MEPs have urged intelligence services to publish the names of who was paid by Russia, while pointing fingers at the EU's far right.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712841212000,"contributorsText":"closing","author":{"id":"eu87ebf9ee","firstName":"Andrew","lastName":"Rettman"},"img":{"id":"fie68ee0b3","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/2e9e412421b599b0f6261a1b850cf837.jpg","credit":{"source":"europarl.europa.eu"}},"headerImageCaption":"French Liberal MEPs led calls to know which EU-deputies took Russian money","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar37b8c5ab","headline":"'PieperGate' crisis re-opens doubts on von der Leyen's future","abstract":"A majority of MEPs call for U-turn on Markus Pieper's controversial appointment as SME envoy and a new, more transparent process — raising questions about the leadership style and re-election chances of EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712840003000,"author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi8d05c44c","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/6210de0850da55de3334799422cf66b1.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Parliament","sourceUrl":"https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/photo/press-conference-on-the-revision-of-the-renewable-energy-directive_20230912_EP-155639A_EVD_113"}},"headerImageCaption":"The 60-year-old German politician Markus Pieper, an ally of Ursula von der Leyen, will take up the €17,000-per-month post as EU envoy next week — despite accusations other candidates were better qualified","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80178480d0","title":"Analysis","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ar4d8a5ba3","headline":"The Bolsonaro-Orbán far-right nexus","abstract":"Defeated far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has given various reasons for sheltering at the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia — none of them make sense.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712830602000,"contributorsText":"Raphael Tsavkko Garcia","author":{"id":"euc7f898e4","firstName":"Matthew","lastName":"Tempest"},"img":{"id":"fib6c76070","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/789200369f7f8f3222a77b4215a1f7ee.png","credit":{"source":"Government of Brazil","sourceUrl":"https://twitter.com/govbrazil/status/1494363310564818944/photo/1"}},"headerImageCaption":"Viktor Orbán declared on Twitter that he admired the former Brazilian president — a few days before the embassy sleepover in Brasilia","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arfd6800ce","headline":"Don't kill cohesion policy","abstract":"Some groups on the right of the EU political spectrum are openly questioning the need for this major investment instrument, risking depleting cohesion funds aimed at investment for the future, writes Marcos Ros Sempere of the Socialists & Democrats.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712829467000,"contributorsText":"Marcos Ros Sempere","author":{"id":"eu31f83c46","firstName":"Alejandro","lastName":"Tauber"},"img":{"id":"fi060a79c4","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/d1bf4f159ad84ae9634ac799f12b5be5.jpg","credit":{"source":"Mika Baumeister on Unsplash","sourceUrl":"https://unsplash.com/photos/group-of-men-in-orange-suit-standing-near-building-during-daytime-74tW4FXP4Hw"}},"headerImageCaption":"If the EU fails in cohesion policy, this would be an unforgivable gift to the far-right","section":[{"id":"508bf89c3a","title":"Health & Society","type":"section"},{"id":"50a6a0fafb","title":"Stakeholders","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar80697c00","headline":"Rural Europe's turn to far-right triggered by 'political neglect'","abstract":"Far-right parties are set to win big in June's European elections. Populist support is on the rise, not least in rural communities, as a \"geography of discontent\" sweeps the continent.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712815203000,"contributorsText":"Lorenzo Buzzoni, Marta Portocarrero and Paulo Pena","author":{"id":"euc7f898e4","firstName":"Matthew","lastName":"Tempest"},"img":{"id":"fi315bb1c3","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/5b8961ccc0c8770e5d9f63634ad9fe64.jpeg","credit":{"source":"Investigate Europe"}},"headerImageCaption":"Investigate Europe's reporters travelled to four rural communities — in the Netherlands, Portugal, France, and Germany — to understand what is driving voters to side with far-right parties","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80e452251d","title":"Investigation","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ar834feb0d","headline":"EU should use 'all means' to end war in Gaza: Belgian minister","abstract":"The EU should use \"all means\" possible to end the violence in Gaza, including sanctions, a peace conference, and a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, Belgian development cooperation minister Caroline Gennez told EUobserver.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712812854000,"author":{"id":"eu4d84e821","firstName":"Paula","lastName":"Soler"},"img":{"id":"fi689f5d42","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/32acf42b515b8ab06bc7721b700e0528.jpg","credit":{"source":"EC - Audiovisual Service","sourceUrl":"https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/photo-details/P-062790~2F00-05"}},"headerImageCaption":"Belgian development minister Caroline Gennez: “Germany and other member states are calling for a ceasefire, so the logic would be that weapons don't serve the cause\"","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80d5f984c1","title":"Interview","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ar1c1e5cf8","headline":"EU loses €33m an hour in super-rich's unpaid taxes","abstract":"Oxfam demands more action from MEPs, as the EU governments lose €33 million every hour in unpaid taxes from Europe's super-rich.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712811604000,"author":{"id":"eu4d84e821","firstName":"Paula","lastName":"Soler"},"img":{"id":"fi2672eb4b","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/58d998c285ceb98e42e7db832f28b90b.jpg","credit":{"source":"Starr-Environmental","sourceUrl":"https://www.flickr.com/photos/starr-environmental/35958663580/in/photolist-WMxxUh-E46xTX-H4Fzuh-BLFuSd-5BYRru-Jo4g5F-FKLDLA-nQoP8Y-uL5d8Q-E75QMg-o5R7zm-rDvgzr-EYFKZi-XBwBAk-JmrQdQ-9TpviC-NqsAuC-NYe33J-kSyG9r-XKkBB7-EN12LC-KBhj4f-H4FzKC-R3KYpq-MoNptK-24D2G"}},"headerImageCaption":"A private jet. Oxfam estimates a super-rich wealth tax of between two and five percent could raise €286.5bn a year","section":[{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"},{"id":"508bf89c3a","title":"Health & Society","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ardeca0385","headline":"Price-cap could slash 60 percent of Russian LNG earnings: report","abstract":"According to a new report, Russian overseas gas exports could be cut by 60 percent without endangering European energy security.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712811603000,"author":{"id":"eud6dc869c","firstName":"Wester van","lastName":"Gaal"},"img":{"id":"fi540265bb","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/ffb3c0f334bd83be98aa5717d446f59a.jpg","credit":{"source":"Manuel Ernst - NASA Earth Observatory","sourceUrl":"https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146508/drifting-with-broken-sea-ice"}},"headerImageCaption":"Russia’s Arctic gas plan project has been plagued by delays","section":[{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"},{"id":"50adaaad9b","title":"Ukraine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arf3ea23e2","headline":"Migration pact hailed as 'huge' EU win, amid human-rights fears","abstract":"MEPs have given their final approval to the EU's long-delayed immigration and asylum pact, which EU Commission president von der Leyen heralded as a \"huge achievement for Europe\".","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712771551000,"author":{"id":"eu7c6b1824","firstName":"Benjamin","lastName":"Fox"},"img":{"id":"fi5e7d9573","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/f4b6e30fb57a37c9872c0f5fbb433c00.jpg","credit":{"source":"EC - Audiovisual Service"}},"headerImageCaption":"Ursula von der Leyen heralded the EU's new migration pact as a \"huge achievement for Europe\"","section":[{"id":"50192d9286","title":"Migration","type":"section"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"are69fa981","headline":"Two Russian bankers left in EU limbo, despite court victory","abstract":"Two Russian bankers have come closer to wriggling off the EU blacklist due to flimsy evidence, auguring badly for similar court rulings expected before summer.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712754727000,"author":{"id":"eu87ebf9ee","firstName":"Andrew","lastName":"Rettman"},"img":{"id":"fica18f3f1","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/a6ae3b58ce496bc14edc5e153ef4c516.jpg","credit":{"source":"LetterOne Group"}},"headerImageCaption":"Russian banker Mikhail Fridman, pictured here in 2015","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"50adaaad9b","title":"Ukraine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar36f96e52","headline":"Polish elections, education in Africa, Germany's day in court","abstract":"This week, local elections in Poland, the EU's role in education across Africa and, of course, Germany's day in the International Court of Justice over Gaza's genocide claim.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712746350000,"contributorsText":"Martin Gak & William Glucroft","author":{"id":"eu31f83c46","firstName":"Alejandro","lastName":"Tauber"},"img":{"id":"fi37f01707","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/f8fd4dcb7ab459698f2475cb8467de28.png","credit":{"sourceUrl":"https://euroscopic.substack.com/"}},"section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"5019a5cd48","title":"Rule of Law","type":"section"},{"id":"5041632de8","title":"Africa","type":"section"},{"id":"5051ac8e6a","title":"Euroscopic","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar3d4e744c","headline":"The problem of corruption in Ukraine — and a solution","abstract":"Sunlight is the best disinfectant— so in a way, it is encouraging to see corruption scandals coming to the fore, as this may deter potential future graft, a key prerequisite for Kyiv's eventual EU accession.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712745370000,"contributorsText":"Pieter Cleppe","author":{"id":"euc7f898e4","firstName":"Matthew","lastName":"Tempest"},"img":{"id":"fi2075401f","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/f3fdb3b34bb9aea587335b902414991c.jpeg","credit":{"source":"Jesus Monroy Lazcano","sourceUrl":"https://unsplash.com/@socratech"}},"headerImageCaption":"Last year a 83,800 strong public petition forced president Volodymyr Zelensky to make more stringent an electronic asset declaration registry — reporting the incomes and assets of Ukrainian officials and their family members","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"50adaaad9b","title":"Ukraine","type":"section"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar6792c9e1","headline":"EU losing China tech-race, as Beijing prepares to host German CEOs","abstract":"China's clean-tech hegemony posed a threat to Western security, the EU's anti-trust tsar has warned — in a dig at Germany.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712687421000,"author":{"id":"eu87ebf9ee","firstName":"Andrew","lastName":"Rettman"},"img":{"id":"fi7e96ac62","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/351b8da20b216ebcff702cc28708e96e.jpg","credit":{"source":"ec.europa.eu"}},"headerImageCaption":"'We have seen how one-sided dependencies can be used against us,' said EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"503f501420","title":"Digital","type":"section"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"are253e869","headline":"Economic plans of EU 'Big Three' are evidence of low ambition","abstract":"The economy ministers of the EU's 'Big Three' — France, Germany, and Italy — have set their sights on slashing red-tape to boost small businesses. But their broader policy agenda lacks ambition.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712680150000,"author":{"id":"eu7c6b1824","firstName":"Benjamin","lastName":"Fox"},"img":{"id":"fi7aa35de2","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/cd811771410ab7454668c605ea6b02bb.jpg","credit":{"source":"Dean Calma / IAEA","sourceUrl":"https://www.flickr.com/photos/iaea_imagebank/51716644575"}},"headerImageCaption":"French economy minister Bruno Le Maire: 'One of the main pillars of this strategy is simplification and the reduction of red tape. Standards are expensive'","section":[{"id":"50230f8941","title":"Nordics","type":"section"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80178480d0","title":"Analysis","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"areb053046","headline":"Ukraine's farmers slam EU import controls on food products","abstract":"The paradoxical move to tighten EU import controls on agricultural goods from Ukraine, despite the EU's vocal support for Kyiv, has sparked criticism from Ukrainian farmers. Overall, it is estimated the new measures could cost the Ukrainian economy €330m.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712675988000,"author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi7975a18b","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/54306d1a7a55abd6ea86b9fe54b9ca64.jpg","credit":{"source":"grrrrl","sourceUrl":"https://www.flickr.com/photos/11619899@N00/258112812/in/photolist-oNTWU-2i22Jok-2iajvsv-2ktpEmH-QQFUSp-QUCz7G-RTmWDt-2j4uuWt-2hzgTLG-Sat2pT-2hxHZSp-2m4RLdS-QMGQpQ-2fvjeGL-2n5mT6E-T1V29C-2nZz3Qu-2ibsqNm-2dJ2d6w-2nqu232-2oSUAco-2oSPv9z-2hVG81u-2c7HaoJ-2gWjy"}},"headerImageCaption":"Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia still have illegal, unilateral, bans on Ukrainian grain imports","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"50adaaad9b","title":"Ukraine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar5e5fe254","headline":"Germany tells ICJ Gaza hearing arms sales to Israel 'defensive'","abstract":"German lawyers rebutted responsibility for war crimes in Gaza at the second day of the hearing at the International Court of Justice, and said that nearly all its arms sales to Israel were \"defensive in nature.\"","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712666324000,"author":{"id":"eud6dc869c","firstName":"Wester van","lastName":"Gaal"},"img":{"id":"fi142e08f0","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/c981837915b23a72fb65c7b8fa6aacde.jpg","credit":{"source":"International Court of Justice","sourceUrl":"https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/multimedia_galleries/20240408-193-08.jpg"}},"headerImageCaption":"Germany’s director of legal affairs Tania von Uslar-Gleichen 'firmly rejected Nicaragua’s accusations'","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar9a4fc744","headline":"This 'deregulation' lobbying now threatens EU economy","abstract":"Next week's EU summit (17-18 April) will discuss the strategic agenda for the next five years. The current \"competitiveness agenda\" is to a large extent driven by a big lobbying campaign — so far, not well covered by the media.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712660767000,"contributorsText":"Mats Engström","author":{"id":"euc7f898e4","firstName":"Matthew","lastName":"Tempest"},"img":{"id":"fi96591cbd","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/f4901e2ca46a9377f64bcd5fb35e2ee9.jpeg","credit":{"source":"Waldemar","sourceUrl":"https://unsplash.com/@waldemarbrandt67w"}},"headerImageCaption":"With money from the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, Europe Unlocked engages with policy makers in EU capitals as well as in Brussels. 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They even conduct the \"war on terror\" half-heartedly because it is a war.","type":"article","articleFormat":1,"publishDate":1712653634000,"contributorsText":"Caroline de Gruyter","author":{"id":"euc7f898e4","firstName":"Matthew","lastName":"Tempest"},"img":{"id":"fib7e5c3f3","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/9586be58f7620c6c028f34f5af69e4a3.jpg","credit":{"sourceUrl":"http://www.carolinedegruyter.eu"}},"headerImageCaption":"While the US usually always fights wars far away from its territory, Europe is often a battleground itself","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"50adaaad9b","title":"Ukraine","type":"section"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"807976613d","title":"Column","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ar602532e8","headline":"EU navies in Red Sea escorted some 70 ships","abstract":"EU frigates have helped 68 merchant vessels get through the 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authoritarianism in less absolute terms might be key to dealing with the 'hybrid democracies' and 'soft authoritarians' popping up across Europe.","type":"article","articleFormat":1,"publishDate":1712231556000,"contributorsText":"Michael Meyer-Resende","author":{"id":"eu31f83c46","firstName":"Alejandro","lastName":"Tauber"},"img":{"id":"fi1a1198a3","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/e6984021e6e7461a9f3e0e583d23bee6.jpg"},"headerImageCaption":"Hybrid regimes should not be confused with a new variant of democracy that we should get used to – what many call \"illiberal democracy\". Their violations of democratic norms are serious, blatant and ongoing.","section":[{"id":"5019a5cd48","title":"Rule of Law","type":"section"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"807976613d","title":"Column","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ar2b87b141","headline":"EU ombudsman sounds alarm on tobacco lobby influence","abstract":"Veteran European ombudsman Emily O'Reilly has cautioned about the risks of tobacco lobbying's influence on the European Commission.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712214242000,"author":{"id":"eud6dc869c","firstName":"Wester van","lastName":"Gaal"},"img":{"id":"fi55a3c61d","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/66d425925270423b3bbdbe943adf6dda.jpg","credit":{"source":"EU Ombudsman","sourceUrl":"https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/multimedia/photos"}},"headerImageCaption":"Emily O'Reilly has been the EU ombudsman since 2013.","section":[{"id":"508bf89c3a","title":"Health & Society","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arba716d6d","headline":"Shell sets out its stall in climate case appeal","abstract":"Shell is battling to persuade judges in The Hague to reverse a court ruling ordering significant reductions in climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712168363000,"author":{"id":"eud6dc869c","firstName":"Wester van","lastName":"Gaal"},"img":{"id":"fi8df33bb6","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/89a7117d5fd8397939266010c85b703f.jpg","credit":{"source":"Municipal Archives of Trondheim"}},"headerImageCaption":"Shell claims that it is not reponsible for their customers behaviour.","section":[{"id":"5019a5cd48","title":"Rule of Law","type":"section"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arcd610dbd","headline":"Turkish elections, anti-Zionist bank freeze, Schengen neophytes","abstract":"Talking through Sparkasse's freeze of an anti-Zionist peace organisation, Turkey's election, German weed and Schengen neophytes.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712161159000,"contributorsText":"Martin Gak & William Glucroft","author":{"id":"eu31f83c46","firstName":"Alejandro","lastName":"Tauber"},"img":{"id":"fi37f01707","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/f8fd4dcb7ab459698f2475cb8467de28.png","credit":{"sourceUrl":"https://euroscopic.substack.com/"}},"section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"5051ac8e6a","title":"Euroscopic","type":"section"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar6b4afbde","headline":"Pro-transparency groups demand probe into German MEP","abstract":"Pro-transparency groups are demanding scrutiny into conflict of interests allegations of Markus Ferber,  a centre-right MEP from Germany.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712155058000,"author":{"id":"eu09e46885","firstName":"Nikolaj","lastName":"Nielsen"},"img":{"id":"fi4b30e6bb","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/d687c6de279a6103c2601ca25b01431d.jpg","credit":{"source":"European Union 2024 - Source : EP","sourceUrl":"https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/photo/econ-public-hearing-with-claudia-buch-chair-of-the-supervisory-board-of-the-ecb_20240321_EP-166911A_LMR_178"}},"headerImageCaption":"Ferber has in the past been cleared of any wrongdoing but the latest reports are rousing renewed pressure for a fresh probe.","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"are641f512","headline":"MEPs give teeth to Parliament's anti-harassment training","abstract":"With 15 votes in favour, nine against and no abstentions, MEPs agreed to introduce concrete sanctions for any elected office-holder who fails to complete mandatory anti-harassment training within the first six months of their mandate.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712152524000,"author":{"id":"eu4d84e821","firstName":"Paula","lastName":"Soler"},"img":{"id":"fi5b07b6a3","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/b0985279d16924af1fc1d98052d2d382.jpg","credit":{"source":"EP/Laina Le Lardic","sourceUrl":"https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/photo/antonio-tajani-ep-president-meets-with-theresa-reintke-to-formally-hand-over-metoo-petition-that-had-received-more-than-100000-signatures_20180312_EP-067738A_DLL_005"}},"headerImageCaption":"The training consists of five different modules, ranging from successful team management to harassment prevention","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"508bf89c3a","title":"Health & Society","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arc3247d20","headline":"Will Senegal's new president break from the EU?","abstract":"Elected on a tide of youth and radicalism, Senegal's new president Bassirou Diomaye Faye has promised to take the country out of the West African CFA franc — a currency viewed by many as a relic of French colonialism.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712080780000,"author":{"id":"eu7c6b1824","firstName":"Benjamin","lastName":"Fox"},"img":{"id":"fi02e5ea64","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/3a03ac731c6c6bfaa1c43465855f4ee6.jpeg"},"headerImageCaption":"Senegal will remain a “certain and trustworthy ally\" but needs to “win more” from its relationship with Paris, Bassirou Diomaye Faye has said","section":[{"id":"5041632de8","title":"Africa","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar92061086","headline":"EU impotent in Lebanon, as Gaza war tests ties","abstract":"The EU lacks the influence and joint strategy to become a big player in Lebanon, despite its extensive involvement in Lebanese politics and society, recent months have shown.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712073932000,"contributorsText":"Cosette Molijn","author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi3290c556","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/9647b499be9aae890e01b41665c45ca9.jpg","credit":{"source":"aldask"}},"headerImageCaption":"Pro-Hezbollah poster in Lebanon - Israel has threatened to escalate","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80178480d0","title":"Analysis","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"ar0dbfb329","headline":"Belarus 'war' comments prompt EU rebuke","abstract":"The EU is equipping itself to face down threats coming from Belarus and Russia, following fresh comments that Minsk wants no conflict but is still preparing for war.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712068926000,"author":{"id":"eu09e46885","firstName":"Nikolaj","lastName":"Nielsen"},"img":{"id":"fiad8a6968","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/3c3a037813af68e127bf753773fc8283.jpg","credit":{"source":"Kremlin.ru"}},"headerImageCaption":"Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko (l) with  Russian president Vladimir Putin","section":[{"id":"50adaaad9b","title":"Ukraine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"arb1b34b26","headline":"EU awaits Israeli 'clarification' on killing of seven aid workers in Gaza","abstract":"On 1 April, an Israeli air strike killed seven aid workers from the US-based charity World Central Kitchen, the organisation said after immediately pausing its operations in the region — while the EU Commission calls Israeli authorities for clarification.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712062087000,"author":{"id":"eu4d84e821","firstName":"Paula","lastName":"Soler"},"img":{"id":"fi523ff947","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/a7f2c3fcf77fe32d6a7be90b53320932.jpeg","credit":{"source":"UNRWA/Mohammed Hinnawi","sourceUrl":"https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/photos/war-gaza-100-days-100-photos"}},"headerImageCaption":"So far, at least 32,845 Palestinians have been killed in the war — 13,750 of them children","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"}],"articleType":[]},{"id":"ar00065324","headline":"New German party BSW looks left and right for voters","abstract":"The new splinter party BSW could outpoll the leftist Die Linke and the liberal FDP in the European elections. But it is not clear whether they want to join The Left or instead fish for votes on the right.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1712061765000,"contributorsText":"Marion Bergermann","author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi33fcf0f0","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/7348f28fa4d0b21ea5238a5d296353a2.jpeg","credit":{"source":"Die Linke","sourceUrl":"https://flickr.com/search/?user_id=34289572%40N06&view_all=1&text=Wagenknecht"}},"headerImageCaption":"The new party of Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) does not want to label itself as left-wing, centrist or right-wing","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80178480d0","title":"Analysis","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"arad4a2b33","headline":"'A race to the bottom': How the CAP green ambitions unravelled","abstract":"The EU's easing of green agricultural policy conditions as a response to farmers' protests has sparked controversy. Critics fear that short-term quick fixes are not a solution for the sector, while others cite a CAP-Green Deal gap.","type":"article","articleFormat":0,"publishDate":1711958405000,"contributorsText":"Piet Ruig","author":{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"},"img":{"id":"fi400ed570","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/935fb3443c8c786bbce9fff9e0ecfda3.jpg","credit":{"source":"Paula Soler/EUobserver"}},"headerImageCaption":"Critics have slammed the latest easing of environmental conditions under the Common Agriculture Policy as further weakening a policy that was never sufficiently ambitious in the first place","section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political","type":"section"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy","type":"section"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80178480d0","title":"Analysis","type":"articleType"}]},{"id":"arc946eafc","headline":"How elite Russians get off the EU blacklist","abstract":"Just eight people got off the EU blacklist in the past two years, most of them in out-of-court deals involving friends in high places or EU passports.","type":"article","articleFormat":2,"publishDate":1711958404000,"author":{"id":"eu87ebf9ee","firstName":"Andrew","lastName":"Rettman"},"img":{"id":"fi4e70111f","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/1e2b68f6298b09a6f4a83104ab5e69b1.jpg","credit":{"source":"ec.europa.eu"}},"headerImageCaption":"Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov (l) was blacklisted immediately after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022","section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World","type":"section"},{"id":"50adaaad9b","title":"Ukraine","type":"section"}],"articleType":[{"id":"8088e5421e","title":"Feature","type":"articleType"}]}]},"c":8751505305382,"s":102242},"9690298612751":{"v":{"carousel":[{"id":"ar199bfdc3","headline":"New EU fiscal rules will bake-in austerity in gift to far-right","abstract":"Fresh research from the New Economic Foundation suggests that MEPs voting for the new EU economic governance rules will lock-in underinvestment in health, housing, education, and the environment — whoever 'wins' the June elections.","body":"<p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: start;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">MEPs will soon be in listening mode as they head out into town squares and village halls to speak to voters ahead of the June European elections. And what they’re most likely to hear is concerns about the cost-of-living, jobs, health, housing, the environment and education.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">That’s not a partisan view but the&nbsp;</span><a href=\"https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/3218\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">results</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">&nbsp;of more than 62,000 interviews with citizens in every member state carried out for the European Commission earlier this year.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">But, before MEPs head back to campaign in their constituencies, there are still a number of crucial issues to resolve: chief among them are the plans for new EU economic governance rules.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">And, if they vote in favour of those rules, it will mean it will mean the EU will be unable to take action on all of the issues that matter to their constituents.</span><br></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Again, that’s not a personal hypothesis, but the finding of in-depth research for the </span><a href=\"https://etuc.org/en\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">ETUC</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> by the </span><a href=\"https://neweconomics.org/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">New Economics Foundation.</span></a><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The European Commission itself says that investment in Europe’s social infrastructure is already €192bn a year less than required to meet the needs of citizens. </span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Specifically, investment needs to be raised annually by €120bn in health, €57bn in affordable housing and €15bn in education. </span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">However, the </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/*/ar7fc13812\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">new economic governance rules</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> would place strict numerical debt and deficit reduction requirements on the majority of member states.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Under the rules, 18 member states including Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland would not be able to meet the minimum level of investments needed in health, housing and education.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">When green investment needs are taken into account, just three member states would be left with the fiscal capacity to meet the EU’s own investment targets.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">This report was so important because there has been no transparency from policymakers about what the fiscal rules would mean for workers and member states.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Radio silence</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">None of the advocates for these rules have told us how social and climate policies will be financed in future if their reform is adopted.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">We fear that it will be – once more – working people and the most vulnerable who will pay the price through fewer jobs, lower wages, inadequate social protection, underfunded public services, and increasingly dangerous working conditions due to more extreme weather.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">That would lead us back to the kind of social and economic problems that the last round of austerity created but, it would also be a gift to the far-right.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The far-right were the main beneficiaries of the mistrust in the political system created by the austerity measures imposed by the EU following the 2008 crisis, according to recent academic&nbsp;</span><a href=\"https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/political-disruptions-fiscal-austerity\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">research</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Voting for fresh austerity measures two months before the European elections is a recipe for disaster.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Politicians serious about stopping the far-right this time were recently given some good&nbsp;</span><a href=\"https://ecfr.eu/publication/getting-the-european-parliament-election-right/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">advice</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">&nbsp;by the European Council on Foreign Relations: stop aping them and offer a real alternative.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">That alternative is increased public investment which creates quality jobs and stimulates the economy, allowing member states to reduce their debt through growth.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">This is actually the path which Europe has been following with such success over the past four years.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The EU’s antiquated Maastricht-era debt and deficit rules were suspended in 2020 in order to deal with the economic and social fallout from the pandemic.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Member states have massively scaled up their investment with the support of the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">According to the European Commission’s own&nbsp;</span><a href=\"https://www.etuc.org/en/pressrelease/eu-celebrates-impact-public-investment-cutting-it\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">assessment</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, this investment has enabled the economy to “bounce back”, seen unemployment drop to “record-low levels”, and been a “considerable boost for the green transition.”</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Austerity has been tried and failed. Investment has been tried and succeeded.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">That made a long overdue reform of the EU’s economic governance rules inevitable.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unfortunately, an objective analysis of economic strategy was ultimately abandoned in favour of continued blind obedience to outdated and discredited doctrines from the economic textbooks of the 1980s.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">European citizens are being offered more of Margaret Thatcher’s market fundamentalism, when they are asking for the social Europe envisaged by Jacques Delors.&nbsp;</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">To make things worse, the Recovery and Resilience Facility will close in 2026 with no plans for a replacement.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">If the EU is going to limit the spending of member states, the very least it needed to do is to ensure that there is a central mechanism available to maintain levels of investment needed to achieve its own objectives.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">However, even that fund would need to be three to four times bigger than the Recovery and Resilience Facility to make up for the shortfalls in spending these fiscal rules will create.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">That is why I am calling on members of the European Parliament to vote against the proposed economic governance rules.</span><br><br><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Europe needs economic rules that work for people and the planet – not austerity 2.0.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br></p>","contributors":[],"publishDate":1713775640907,"section":[{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy"},{"id":"50dee1923e","title":"Opinion"}],"articleType":[{"id":"806f303338","title":"Opinion"}],"img":{"id":"fi960d3564","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/36f24f4f6ef02eddbd83f646b21527de.jpeg","caption":"No money empty piggy bank austerity"}},{"id":"ar5e1ad75e","headline":"Iran, Israel, Ukraine, and Parliament holds record-breaking final plenary This WEEK","abstract":"MEPs final plenary in Strasbourg sees a record-breaking agenda, packed with nearly 90 final votes, including numerous headline pieces of legislation, like the battered corporate due diligence law and the controversial CAP derogation. ","body":"<p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">This week, MEPs will be gathering in Strasbourg for the final plenary session before the European elections in June. Their record-breaking agenda is packed with nearly 90 final votes, including numerous headline pieces of legislation, like the battered corporate due diligence law and the controversial Common Agricultural Policy derogation.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Still, MEPs efforts will be partly overshadowed by the foreign affairs council on Monday (22 April), with EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg to discuss Ukraine, Sudan and the latest developments in Iran/Israel.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">EU defence ministers will be joining morning discussions on Ukraine amid the country’s wider struggle against Russian attacks.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“The most important discussion Monday will be to identify what&nbsp; member states can do individually and collectively to support aerial defence for Ukraine. That’s the most important discussion,” a high ranking EU official told reporters in Brussels.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Ukrainian authorities are warning Russia is set to launch a “big” offensive in June 2024 with an aim of seizing all of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The meeting in Luxembourg will be followed with talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) spanning Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, where EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell will speak as well.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The threat of war between Israel and Iran has also made it onto the agenda of the parliament, with a debate on Iran’s attack on Israel on Wednesday, followed by a resolution on Thursday. MEPs will also have another discussion on Israeli forces’ continued killing of civilians in Gaza on Tuesday.</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Record-setting agenda</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The Strasbourg parliament's record-breaking agenda covers the other main theme of last week’s summit as well. On Tuesday morning, MEPs will debate the </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/*/ar4f080a10\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">council’s conclusions on the Letta report</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> and the 2024-2029 strategic agenda, to be adopted by the council in June. The debate also covers the EU’s new fiscal rules, which are headed for a final vote directly afterwards.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">A leaked draft for the strategic agenda mentioned climate change only in passing, particularly enraging the Greens, who have also vehemently opposed the new spending rules.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The Greens will be swallowing another bitter pill later in the week, with Thursday’s vote on controversial CAP ‘simplification’ measures, which remove several environmental conditions from the agricultural subsidy.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">But the agenda also contains various pieces of legislation that have been eagerly awaited by progressives, with final votes on the forced labour ban, the platform work directive, and the gender-based violence law.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Even the battered and beleagured </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/news/ar1c43e36e\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> (CSDDD), looks to be finally reaching the finish line on Wednesday, having been subjected to painful renegotiations after member states unexpectedly withdrew support. Doubts remain, however, whether it will end up winning council approval.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">On Thursday, MEPs will also vote on the establishment of an independent ethics body, amid increasing concerns over Russian interference in the lead-up to the elections.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Though the Parliament will probably catch most of the attention, another institution will be hosting a plenary session as well, with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) convening on Wednesday and Thursday. Commissioner Věra Jourová will attend the first day, commissioner Johansson on the second.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">EU commissioner and Socialists &amp; Democrats '</span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/eu-political/ar78cd76b2\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Spitzenkandidat</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">' Nicolas Schmitt will be on the campaign trail at an event in Strasbourg on Wednesday, together with MEPs Raphaël Glücksmann and Katarina Barley, while commissioner Janusz Wojchiechowski tours China on a “high-level mission” to promote European agricultural food and beverage exports.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><br><br><br></p>","contributors":[],"publishDate":1713762000000,"section":[],"articleType":[],"img":{"id":"fiba3096d8","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/bc474aa50a134ee7bd0fa4ae9a6f07f6.jpg"}},{"id":"ar3cdfa533","headline":"The European far-right: reasons to be pessimistic — and optimistic","abstract":"Here are five reasons why and how the far-right will shape the next half decade of European integration, and five reasons to remain (cautiously) optimistic.\n","body":"<p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">From June 6 to 9, citizens of the European Union's 27 member states will elect the 720 members of the world's most powerful supranational parliament. Many political analysts anticipate that the recent far-right mobilisation in member states will now more directly influence the European Union's policies and politics&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Here are five reasons why and how the far-right will shape the next half decade of European integration, and five reasons to remain (cautiously) optimistic.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><b><strong class=\"rte-bold\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The far-right is on the rise across Europe&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Over the past three decades, 'cultural' issues (often with significant economic implications) have </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/news/ar51d227c3\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">gained prominence</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> across Europe. Among these, immigration and multiculturalism are the most important. Other examples include gender equality and diversity, perceptions of climate change, attitudes towards European integration, and even views on vaccination and Russia. Despite the seemingly disparate nature of these issues, they are connected to underlying values and identities, which are increasingly influential in European societies. The primary beneficiaries of this trend are far-right parties, which try to keep political debates centred on these questions.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><b><strong class=\"rte-bold\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The far-right is branching out&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">'Far-right' serves as a convenient shorthand encompassing three distinct groups of parties, united by nativism — a paranoid form of nationalism rooted in (perceived) ethnicity that views non-native persons and ideas as a threat to the nation. This ideology often merges with a populist worldview, pitting the (ethnically) 'pure people' against allegedly corrupt elites.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Extreme-right parties openly reject democracy, while more modern radical-right parties target its liberal and deliberative aspects, such as minority rights, the court system, and the media. The latter approach often yields greater success, inspiring (or infecting) a third group of formerly centre-right parties to adopt radical-right policies and rhetoric. A prominent example is </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/eu-elections/ara8cca60c\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Viktor Orban's Hungarian Fidesz party</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, which started as a liberal-conservative party in the 1990s. Across 31 European countries surveyed by the PopuList project, (populist) far-right parties have approximately doubled their vote share since the 1990s.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><b><strong class=\"rte-bold\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The far-right is coming for the big(ish) member states&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Under the principle of degressive proportionality, the four most populous EU member states — </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/news/arc8e852f9\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Germany</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, France, Italy, and Spain — collectively hold nearly 45 percent of the seats in the European Parliament. Recent polls indicate the far-right as the leading party in France and Italy (where </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/news/ar0decbe15\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Georgia Meloni's Fratelli d'Italia</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> [Brothers of Italy] governs alongside Matteo Salvini's Lega [League]), and securing second place in Germany. Although far-right support in Spain has waned since its peak in 2022, Vox still remains tied for third place in most polls. Additionally, the far-right is making significant strides in states with slightly smaller populations but substantial delegations, ranking second in Poland and Romania, and first in the Netherlands.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><b><strong class=\"rte-bold\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Social media (and malign actors) make everything worse&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Many citizens still perceive European Parliament elections as second-order contests with seemingly low stakes, making them vulnerable to disinformation campaigns by far-right parties, affiliated organisations, and their supporters outside the EU. While major players like Google and Meta have stepped up their efforts to combat disinformation, Twitter's new leadership disbanded many moderation teams and reinstated some formerly banned far-right actors. Other platforms like Telegram, a key channel for the far-right, lack effective content moderation. Additionally, the availability of affordable generative AI allows the mass production of propaganda and disinformation on a scale unimaginable just three or four years ago.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><b><strong class=\"rte-bold\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The pro-integration core will (somewhat) erode&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">For decades, the European project has been shaped by an informal coalition of centre-right and centre-left parties. In 2019, this coalition lost its majority in the European Parliament for the first time. However, robust performances by Green and liberal parties, coupled with low party cohesion, maintained support for further integration. In this cycle, however, centre-left, green, and liberal parties are expected to lose seats, resulting in a reduction of the core of MEPs supporting integrationist and progressive legislation.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">And now for the good news.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><b><strong class=\"rte-bold\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The projected gains of far-right parties are relatively modest&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Models from Europe Elects and the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) suggest that the combined seat share of the rightwing European Conservatives &amp; Reformists (ECR) and far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) groups may increase from 18 percent in the current parliament to 24-25 percent in the next. While this would be an impressive feat, it's hardly a far-right takeover of the European Parliament. The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) is poised to maintain its status as the largest group, holding around 25 percent of the seats, followed by the centre-left Socialists &amp; Democrats (S&amp;D) group, which is expected to suffer some moderate losses.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><b><strong class=\"rte-bold\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The centre will (mostly) hold (but there is a catch)&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Collectively, the centre-left, centre-right, and liberal parties are projected to still hold more than 50 percent of the seats in the parliament. Despite anticipated losses, the Greens are likely to retain most of their seats, too, ensuring the continuation of a broad pro-European majority. However, legislative behaviour in the European Parliaemnt is characterised by fluidity, and less cohesion, than in many national parliaments, with coalitions forming on a per-issue basis. As the left-of-centre camp shrinks, the EPP and the liberals may align more frequently with the rightwing and far-right, bringing about a marked rightward shift in certain policy fields (e.g. environment).&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><b><strong class=\"rte-bold\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The far-right remains politically divided&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Due to their inherent xenophobia, collaboration among far-right parties in the European Parliament is often fractious. Currently, some far-right MEPs are unaffiliated, while eight far-right parties form the (nationalist and eurosceptic) Identity and Democracy (ID) group, and 20 ideologically more-diverse parties sit as </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/*/ar0f07be13\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">. Orban's Fidesz is considering joining either group, but potential disagreements over Orban's stance towards Russia may lead some current ECR members to leave in that scenario. And there is even speculation that the (mainstream right) European People's Party (EPP) could offer membership in the club to Meloni's Brothers of Italy.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><b><strong class=\"rte-bold\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The presence of far-right MEPs in the chamber shows that European democracy actually works&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">For four decades, spanning from the early 1950s to the early 1990s, \"Europe\" operated as an elite project with minimal public involvement. Paradoxically, the increasing levels of far-right mobilisation against and within the EU can be viewed as evidence that European integration has become so politicised that it can no longer proceed by stealth. In any case, it forces the pro-European parties to take a stand and effectively campaign for their vision of Europe.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><b><strong class=\"rte-bold\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The rise of the far-right is not unstoppable&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Three decades of research indicate that the gradual decline of the centre-left and centre-right, coupled with the ascent of the far-right, is structurally rooted in the transformation of European societies and economies. Nevertheless, this research also underscores that the voter potential of the far-right is not limitless, and that mainstream parties retain substantial agency to influence the political process to their advantage.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\"><br></p>","contributors":[],"publishDate":1713771000000,"section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80178480d0","title":"Analysis"}],"img":{"id":"fie1936852","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fie1936852/b2c619b6-b2ca-4dd7-a490-ac7070c7dc94-8b882efc-c4a2-41db-af80-e18ae66508e0-aa58df87-50f7-4989-aa68-bc706e74cbc9.jpeg"}},{"id":"ar8976c5d4","headline":"How EU hopes to ‘shield’ elections against Moscow’s propaganda","abstract":"With people spending an average of seven hours online per day and social media being the main source of information globally, many voters in Europe are likely to encounter disinformation campaigns — ranging from the Russian war in Ukraine to migration to euroscepticism. That risks creating “a red carpet for Putin,” according to EU Commission vice-president Věra Jourová.","body":"<p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">In the run-up to June’s Europe-wide voting, both politicians and IT experts have been sounding the alarm over the impact of disinformation and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) on the electoral campaign — and democracy itself. But what can be done to tackle these threats? Are people ready to discern facts from fiction, and are authorities taking enough action to uphold electoral integrity?&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The simple answer is that there is no easy fix. The EU has opted for a holistic approach involving collaboration between governments, tech companies, media, and civil society — under the umbrella of a new law which still has to prove itself in the battle against misinformation and manipulation by artificial intelligence.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The impact of disinformation and AI fakery is “much bigger” today than in the previous 2019 European elections, prompting “stronger vigilance” and proactive preparation for the campaign, EU Commission vice-president Věra Jourová told EUobserver in an interview. “We believe that more than ever before the elections people should have access to the facts.”</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">With people spending an average of seven hours online per day and social media being the main source of information globally, many voters in Europe are likely to encounter online disinformation campaigns ranging from the Russian war in Ukraine and migration to euroscepticism.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Russia, Jourová said, has always been “the master of brainwashing” and the European Parliament elections offer an opportunity for the Kremlin to put forward its anti-Ukraine narrative. “Putin desperately needs us to betray Ukraine” — but Russia needs a “European mouth” to spread its </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/eu-political/ar2dc1aed1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">disinformation campaign</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, she said.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">By “European mouth,” Jourová was referring to political forces and parties both outside and inside national parliaments, including those in government, such as in Slovakia or Hungary, who are advocating for a peace agreement against Ukraine’s interest. “This is the reality that we need to work with. We cannot undo it overnight”. But if Europe underestimates the power of influence of the Kremlin on public opinion, then it risks creating “a red carpet for Putin” before the election, she warned.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The Czech commissioner has been touring EU capitals in recent weeks to discuss with governments, national authorities, online platforms, civil society and other actors about the best practices to counteract disinformation during the campaign period. “Only if we are able to cooperate and join forces will we be able to create some kind of shield against Russian propaganda,” Jourová said.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Even though </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/eu-and-the-world/ar1edbcde6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">some fake news can be easily spotted</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> by the average voter, the well-prepared, coordinated, disinformation campaigns, that can spread rapidly online, and catch fact-checkers and online platforms off-guard, are the ones concerning policymakers. The main issue however is that there is no silver bullet to tackle this problem.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Understanding the nature of these offensives can help. Tech solutions, such as social media labels and fact-checks tagged on to posts, can help. Legislative efforts can help. But concerns remain, especially regarding the exponential growth and power of AI — a tool able to produce millions of messages, instantly amplifying what Jourová calls “verifiable lies”.</span></p><blockquote class=\"rte-blockquote\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“Given the enormous tensions in society, as can be seen from this year’s farmers’ protests, it will not take much to light a fire”</span></blockquote><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The Digital Service Act (DSA), one of the flagship EU Commission tech legislations, aims to tackle disinformation by setting specific obligations on online platforms to identify and mitigate risks linked to elections. But these June European elections will be a key test for the effectiveness of the DSA. And whether or not the new rules have enough teeth will depend on their enforcement.</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Hot-button subjects</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Disinformation narratives — often simply referred to by the shorthand ‘fake news’ — usually vary from country-to-country, as they are highly dependent on the national or even local public debate. Nevertheless, there are some cross-border hot-button themes expected to be at the core of false narratives in the run-up to June’s election. Most prominently, climate change, particularly the impact of the Green Deal, migration, and Europe’s support for Ukraine.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“It will notably be the usual suspects — and yes, I mean Russia — that will try to propagate disinformation with the help of AI and </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/news/ar5e5dab75\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">deep fakes</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> on those issues which are currently the biggest bones of contention in Europe: migration and climate change,” the president of Eindhoven University of Technology, Robert-Jan Smits, told EUobserver. He argues the main goals are also to create “unrest and polarisation” in society from which extremist parties can then benefit. “Given the enormous tensions in society, as can be seen from this year’s farmers’ protests, it will not take much to light a fire”.</span></p><figure><img src=\"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fi1d90dd2c/8f78d917-8b06-4da9-ad51-337bbb1f21a5-0104aa89-355c-49a6-a3b4-624fc6ce6cdb-f26766b3-388c-4efb-930e-f503ea877b0c.jpeg\"></figure><p class=\"rte-p\"><br></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Key patterns which can help citizens spot disinformation campaigns include emotionally-charged language, and framing complex topics in black-and-white. Plus, trying to attribute false claims to authorities and using conspiracy theories to explain complicated events.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">When asked about narratives likely to surface during the EU election campaign, Jourová explained she tends to look back to previous narratives, and assessing whether they were predictable or not is key. “We have a tendency just to look into the dark future, [but] we should look at the dark past.”</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">As a US cultural and political import now gaining ground in Europe, disinformation campaigns at elections also target the legitimacy of polling, by spreading unfounded allegations of voter fraud, foreign interference, and unfair practices, according to Giovanni Zagni, a member of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO). But other key areas recently identified by EDMO as targets for disinformation campaigns are minority groups, the Israel-Gaza war and the recent farmers’ protests. Finally, euroscepticism is also expected to be a source of propaganda efforts.</span></p><blockquote class=\"rte-blockquote\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“Platforms can no longer monetise the virality of disinformation and hate content”</span></blockquote><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The targets</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Experts point out that certain demographic groups are more likely to be targeted by disinformation campaigns than others. “The more vulnerable parts of society, for example, people at risk of poverty or losing their jobs due to economic changes and environmental regulations, are easy targets for cheap, crude and sometimes outlandish false stories,” Zagni told EUobserver. He said a typical example is to make people afraid and angry towards groups seen as competition for public services — like migrants.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">But farmers have also been the target for fake news. In France, a recent disinformation campaign saw the creation of a fabricated Euronews TV programme, plus a fabricated letter from Vadym Omelchenko, Ukrainian ambassador in Paris, suggesting Ukraine was asking farmers to halt ongoing protests.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Social media platforms use algorithms to target specific demographic groups with tailored content, including propaganda and sometimes disinformation. By analysing users’ data such as location, age, gender, education level, employment status, family status, and online behaviour, platforms can target those more likely to accept and share a particular message. However, this lucrative business behind disinformation has prompted a ban under the DSA on analysing users’ political opinions, sexual orientation or health for advertising purposes.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“The platforms now have </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/eu-political/ar400ff01b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">clear responsibilities</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">,” said EU commissioner for the internal market Thierry Breton during a plenary debate in February. “Platforms can no longer monetise the virality of disinformation and hate content”.</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Watch out for deep fakes</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Tactics used by disinformation dark actors include creating and disseminating false stories or conspiracy theories, fabricating fake experts and websites to increase the credibility of the narrative, flooding social media with the same message from different fake accounts created by automated bots, and most recently, creating </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/rule-of-law/ar7948713d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">AI-generated deep fakes.</span></a></p><blockquote class=\"rte-blockquote\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“In 2024, we see daily deepfake scams and it’s rising fast”</span></blockquote><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Deep fakes are AI-generated videos, or voice recordings, that convincingly portray people (usually famous, or politicians) saying or doing things they never did. And even though deep fakes thus far make up only a fraction of disinformation campaigns, they are a worrying trend due to their potential to rapidly spread online and take both electoral candidates and fact-checkers by surprise.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">This was the case during last October’s parliamentary election campaign in Slovakia when a deepfake audio circulated where a presidential candidate and an investigative journalist were supposedly talking about rigging the elections. The fake recording was shared on Facebook during the 48-hour pre-election moratorium period, during which media and politicians were meant to stay silent. Before the vote, Juorová had warned that elections in Slovakia were \"fertile soil\" to advance Kremlin pro-war narratives.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Dutch MEP Bart Groothuis warned: “In 2024, we see daily deepfake scams and it’s rising fast”. Groothuis said the EU should be better prepared, obliging online companies to detect deepfakes and label them as such. While not an obligation, the commission has urged online platforms to adopt algorithmic systems to detect watermarks and other indicators of AI-generated content and label them as such.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Interestingly, whether people believe false information doesn’t rely solely on how realistic it appears. Instead, factors such as repetition, narrative appeal, perceived authority, group identification, and the viewer’s state of mind can matter more, according to a report recently published by the Carnegie think tank.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">And, conversely, generative AI can be seen as a potential tool in combating disinformation — by assisting fact-checkers in rapidly sorting and categorising claims, finding relevant accurate information, and conducting comparisons between claims and verified facts.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><br></p>","contributors":[{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"}],"publishDate":1713767400000,"section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections"},{"id":"50b734f76d","title":"Magazine"}],"articleType":[],"img":{"id":"fi98a0f622","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fi98a0f622/2fabfc88-3a75-4030-ac0a-1929f6302975-dfce2168-7cf2-4137-b121-1f4733feb9ab-fb4beaa7-243a-440f-a2ee-47bcd15aad85.jpeg"}},{"id":"ar40603053","headline":"How the EU sought to offshore migration ahead of the elections","abstract":"Migration is always a major theme at EU elections — not least because the far-right and nationalist parties help make it so, campaigning on little else, despite the cost-of-living crisis and Ukraine war. Here EUobserver takes a deep dive into the recent deals Brussels has done to ‘offshore’ the issue beyond the EU’s borders.","body":"<p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Recent EU agreements with Tunisia, Egypt and Mauritania come with promises of reforms, economic stability, and a mix of programmes that span education to energy.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">But at their core is the EU's prerogative to stem irregular migration primarily towards Italy and Spain amid budgetary concessions to governments with their own motives.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"Most countries consider that they're already doing enough. They have no inclination to assist the EU,\" said Catherine Woollard, director of the Brussels-based European Council on Refugees and Exiles.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"It doesn't mean that they won't play a game on this and try to extract benefits and concessions and other advantages from offering or pretending to offer support and hosting of people that Europe doesn't want,\" she said.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">In June of last year, a senior European Commission official made similar off-record comments on Tunisia.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"My feeling at this point is that especially countries in the neighbourhood will not sign up to any purely migration flow arrangements,\" he told the journalists.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">So when the European Commission published its blueprint agreement with Tunisia around two weeks later, it listed migration at the bottom of issues ranging from agriculture to the green energy transition.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">First it promised €900m in macro-financial assistance, following a reform programme from the International Monetary Fund, as well as direct budgetary support.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">And it cited an agreement on renewable energy production, as well as a roadmap on energy market reforms, and an 220km submarine power line to Italy that had already been planned for years.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">EU officials claim that the production of green electricity in Tunisia could take place at a cost of about two cents per kilowatt hour, compared to around 10 cents for industry in Europe.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">They also say green hydrogen could be transported to the EU through four existing gas pipelines, amid future plans to link Tunisia into the EU electricity market.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Another EU official, also speaking off the record, said other states with migratory challenges also presented opportunities in terms of trade and intensified economic ties.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"This is clearly true for Egypt and Morocco,\" he had said, last summer.</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Cracks</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Six weeks after the Tunisia agreement was signed, irregular migrant arrivals in Italy were almost 70 percent higher than six weeks prior.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Yet EU officials and leaders would continue to spin the so-called memorandum of understanding as one that encapsulates the pressing issues important to Tunisia, whose economy is wrecked.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">At an event in late September, Nicole de Moor, Belgian state secretary for asylum and migration, praised it as a template for similar agreements elsewhere.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"What the deal is really about is to help Tunisia — a country with major problems to build a full-fledged state with economic opportunities,\" she said.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Within a week of de Moor's comments, the first serious cracks began to appear.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">In October, Tunisia's autocrat president, would chide the European Commission over its \"charity\" and \"derisory\" aid, putting the deal in jeopardy when the Brussels-executive attempted to send funds to curb irregular migration.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">And in December, Saied got his €150m in direct budgetary support from the EU despite repeated alarms from Amnesty international over widespread abuses.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"We have also seen that this has not lead to decreasing the number of arrivals to Europe, or deaths at sea,\" said Hussein Baoumi, foreign policy advocacy officer at Amnesty International.</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Blueprint applied elsewhere</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Around the same time, the European Commission was pressuring Morocco to take back foreign nationals.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Rabat refused despite having received over €1bn from the EU between 2014-2022. Instead, Morocco wants recognition over its bogus territorial claims on the Western Sahara where it is increasingly siting its wind and solar farms as demand for renewable power grows.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Western Sahara Resource Watch, a Brussels-based NGO, </span><a href=\"https://wsrw.org/en/news/report-morocco-uses-green-energy-to-embellish-its-occupation\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">estimates</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> that by 2030 the occupied Western Sahara could be supplying half of all of Maroccan wind energy and a third of its solar energy, much of it headed for Europe.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">However, Marrocco has mostly evaded scrutiny and by leveraging migration to help secure disputed EU trade deals that include the Western Sahara. The European Commission has in the past complied, only to see such deals shredded by the European court of justice, which says all investment there must be with the consent of the local Saharawi people.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">But there have been reports of forced displacements and draconian repression of peaceful resistance. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention </span><a href=\"https://wsrw.org/en/news/un-body-asks-for-immediate-release-of-saharawi-prisoners\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">recently</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> demanded the release of Saharawi activists who were imprisoned 13 years ago in retribution for their activism against economic plunder.</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Golden age</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Then, in January, the EU announced the dawn of a \"golden age\" with Egypt, a country hosting some nine million refugees.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The proclamation builds on an association agreement signed two years ago, including a proposal to increase gas supplies to the EU.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">At the time, it was announced imports from Israel would involve gas being processed at Egypt's liquefaction plants before being shipped to Europe as liquefied natural gas.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"EU has developed itself to be the first investor in Egypt,\" said Olivér Várhelyi, the EU commissioner in charge of countries like Egypt.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"Egypt can become not only a reliable supplier of gas, but also a reliable source of renewable energy,\" he said in comments to the press in January.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">But his statements also came with the deployment of €50m as a financial incentive for Egypt to prevent migration into Europe as well as new coast guard vessels, following alarms that Palestinians fleeing the Gaza Strip could attempt to seek refuge in the EU, as highlighted by Margaritis Schinas, the vice-president of the European Commission, only three days after Hamas attacked Israel.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni has also announced a vaguely defined plan to invest up to €5.5bn in energy for migrant deals in in Northern Africa, which includes potential deals with Egypt. But details of specific projects remain sparse, and 80 African civil society organisations have since </span><a href=\"https://dont-gas-africa.org/italy-summit\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">criticised</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> the Italian plan, saying it \"perpetuates a cycle of inequality\".</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"Egypt desperately needs to raise foreign revenues,\" Riccardo Fabiani, the North Africa expert at International Crisis Group, a not-for-profit conflict prevention organisation based in Brussels, told EUobserver. \"The reality is that the EU doesn't have a big vision for Egypt.\"</span></p>","contributors":[],"publishDate":1713520800000,"section":[{"id":"50192d9286","title":"Migration"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections"}],"articleType":[],"img":{"id":"fi48b3ea4d","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/f477f3d87060973b413e7a05de632d1e.jpg"}},{"id":"ar02714b2d","headline":"Another big 2024 election? - India’s","abstract":"Electorates of 987 million voters (India) and 400 million (Europe) both go to the polls in spring 2024 — what will the results mean for relations between New Delhi and Brussels? ","body":"<p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Despite Europe being the birthplace of democracy some 2,000 years ago, India is its largest home now — as Ursula von der Leyen herself said, during her first visit to India as president of the European Commission.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue — India’s flagship geopolitical conference — two years ago, von der Leyen lauded India's parliamentary election saying it is witnessed by the world \"with admiration.\"</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“The outcome of decisions made by 1.3 billion people [in India] resonates around the globe. This is especially true for Europe,” she said, adding that despite the geographic distance and other cultural differences when the EU and India look at each other, they do so “as close friends” and not “as strangers.”</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Two years on, both the </span><a href=\"https://www.ceps.eu/ceps-events/enhancing-eu-india-relations-a-partnership-beyond-trade/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“close friends” </span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">who are also among the world’s largest democracies are heading to the polls, with nearly 987 million people eligible to vote in India between 19 April to 1 June (counting is on 4 June) — and an estimated 400 million people eligible to vote in the EU between 6-9 June.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">While both these elections are significant domestically, the outcome could also have “a crucial impact” on future relations between India and the EU, according to Idoia Villanueva Ruiz, a Spanish MEP of the European Parliament’s Left political party and member of the parliament’s delegation for relations with India.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“If the election results strengthen parties that promote equality, respect human rights and strengthen multilateralism and international law, we could see more cooperation in the face of global challenges, such as the fight against climate change, the promotion of gender equality or the extension of workers' rights between India and the EU,” she said.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The general elections in India will see the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the country’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to which the current prime minister Narendra Modi belongs, go up against the newly formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.), led by the Indian National Congress political party.</span></p><figure><img src=\"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fica95d9a1/cc23d971-ee11-425b-b96b-a195457eb5d3-e96de27d-4934-46fd-b2b7-a9bb9a6e9abd-a44c0309-125f-4aac-97cc-237f9fcd574e.jpeg\"></figure><p class=\"rte-p\"><br></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Meanwhile, Europe’s parliamentary elections will see voters in every EU member state choose MEPs to represent them in Brussels and Strasbourg. There are currently seven groups in the European Parliament — the European People’s Party (EPP), Socialists and Democrats (S&amp;D), Renew Europe, the Greens/European Free Alliance, the rightwing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) and The Left. These MEPs are integral when it comes to electing top leaders of the 27-member bloc including the European Commission President, the EU’s foreign policy chief and the president of the European Council.&nbsp;</span></p><blockquote class=\"rte-blockquote\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“EU-India relations have been on a tremendous upswing in recent years\"</span></blockquote><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Villanueva added that if citizens decide to support more nationalist and exclusionary policies and values, such as those of current Indian PM Modi or his allies in Europe, “we could see a weakening of multilateralism that could lead to increased tensions in areas such as global security, trade, ecological transition, women's rights or the protection of minorities.”</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Like-minded partners?</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Since the early 1960s, the European Union and India have been working together to improve trade and business relations. But in recent years their relations have evolved into a strategic partnership with New Delhi and Brussels seeking to cooperate more in addressing geopolitical issues.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“EU-India relations have been on a tremendous upswing in recent years, not least due to the China factor where rude awakenings like the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes in India —&nbsp; where Chinese and Indian troops engaged in violent clashes along the Indo-China border — and China’s divide-and-rule tactics and weaponisation of supply chains during the pandemic in the EU, pushed the 27 member bloc and India towards a closer and more ‘strategic’ embrace,” said Shairee Malhotra, associate fellow for Europe at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">But the EU has also been wary of </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/news/arcd75013a\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">India’s relations with Russia</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> since the onset of the war in Ukraine. While Indian officials have called for “the immediate cessation of violence and hostilities” between Russia and Ukraine, the country has not cut off ties with Moscow.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“If I look at the history of India post-independence, Russia has never hurt our interests,” said India’s external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, in a recent interview with German daily Handelsblatt.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"The relations of powers like Europe, the US, China or Japan with Russia, have all seen ups and downs. We have had a stable and always very friendly relationship with Russia. And our relationship with Russia today is based on this experience. For others, things were different, and conflicts may have shaped the relationship. We, on the other hand, had a politically and militarily much more difficult relationship with China, for example,\" he added.</span></p><blockquote class=\"rte-blockquote\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"Under Modi’s India, adherence to human rights and democratic values has been eroded, institutions weakened, and civil society and media freedom are under attack\"</span></blockquote><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">With the war in Ukraine continuing to rage, Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, assistant professor at the National Dong-Hwa University in Taiwan, said that while some differences remain between India and the EU, they have acknowledged each other’s position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Ferenczy highlighted that the EU’s enthusiasm for India as a like-minded partner is now mainly growing in light of an aggressive China.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“The two share an interest in protecting the Indo-Pacific as free and inclusive, and share a fear of China’s growing power. Trade diversification is a common interest as both seek as independent a role as possible in the Sino-American rivalry,” Ferenczy said.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The EU is India's largest trading partner in goods and services, with bilateral trade of over €100bn.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">But according to Malhotra, if predictions of a sharp shift to the right come true at the EU elections, </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/news/arcab21683\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">trade and economics could be a policy area that could be affected</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> — with the arrival of more free-trade sceptics in the European Parliament.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“This could lead to greater protectionism at the EU level and adversely impact the chances of an EU-India FTA. Also, the anti-immigration nature of these parties makes the prospect of the EU addressing India’s concerns for a more liberalised visa regime even slimmer,” Malhotra said.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Talks to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with India have gained momentum in the EU. But in January, the European Parliament passed a resolution urging EU leaders to consider an EU-India FTA only if based on “comprehensive </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/news/ar21f9d4ba\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">human rights</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> and sustainability impact assessments.”</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">‘Good friends do not shy away from criticising one another’</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">While the EU, through its delegation in India, has resumed a local human rights dialogue with New Delhi, leaders of the bloc have largely been muted towards condemning the Modi government over its rights violations.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">India’s Modi has been criticised globally by NGOs over his treatment of minorities, particularly Muslims in India, and his government’s crackdown on media organisations and rights bodies, among other clampdowns.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The main reason [behind the EU leaders’ silence] lies in trade and geopolitical concerns according to Claudio Francavilla, associate director for EU advocacy at Human Rights Watch.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“The EU intends to develop close relations with India, a country whose economy and regional and global influence are expected to rise significantly over the next few years…However, silence on human rights abuses risks represents a serious strategic mistake,” Francavilla warned.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">He also noted that the EU itself also does not get a free pass when it comes to human rights issues, with Islamophobia, anti-semitism, anti-immigration sentiments and breaches in the rule of law on the rise across the continent.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“But in Europe, one can at least rely on strong institutions, procedures and courts to intervene…Under Modi’s India, adherence to human rights and democratic values has been eroded, institutions weakened, and civil society and media freedom are under attack. This authoritarian drift risks intensifying in the longer term, and as that happens it will be harder and harder for Europe and India to be ‘like-minded’ partners,” Francavilla said.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">He added that “they should remember that good friends do not shy away from criticising one another when need be, and intervene when mistakes are being made.”</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Moreover, with leaders of both regions currently in campaign mode, pre-election issues such as AI being used to manipulate elections and misinformation are also on the rise on both continents.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Malhotra thinks that both the EU and India can also learn a lesson or two from each other to tackle such problems.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Highlighting how the EU passed the world’s first regulation on Artificial Intelligence through its </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/*/ara035f477\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">AI Act</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> in December last year, she said that “India could take a leaf out of the EU’s book and consider bringing its own law to regulate AI and make it more responsible.”</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“On the other hand, the EU can learn from India’s long-term approach — articulated in its Vision 2047 — instead of a political leadership that mainly thinks in terms of political cycles, up to the next election,” she said.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><br></p>","contributors":[],"publishDate":1713513600000,"section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80178480d0","title":"Analysis"}],"img":{"id":"fic51e6bcd","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/5aee35ac5996a9a06b99d46882413d11.jpg"}}],"order":{"carousel":["ar199bfdc3","ar5e1ad75e","ar3cdfa533","ar8976c5d4","ar40603053","ar02714b2d"]}},"c":5890791843740,"s":67588},"5733535540108":{"v":{"mustRead":[{"id":"ar77652c78","headline":"Welcome to the new EUobserver","abstract":"New website, same EUobserver. Come explore its updated look, features and possibilities for the future with us.","body":"<p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Hello there. If you’re reading this, we’ve successfully managed to transfer over to our new home. I’ll tell you, it was not easy.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">EUobserver has be en around since the year 2000, publishing over 70,000 articles since its inception as one of the first EU-focused news publishers on earth – and certainly online.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Over the decades (yes, decades) our humble site has carved out a unique niche in the Brussels media landscape, not only operating as a non-profit, but also with a particular view on the EU. A view that emphasises the human and humane angle of EU policy, the stories less-covered, and takes the voices of civil society seriously.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">In fact, we believe our role is to be a kind of two-way informational bridge between civil society – representing groups of people with common interests – and policy-makers.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">EUobserver has also uncovered countless stories through dedicated investigative work by our highly-experienced journalists. Our pan-European reporting has been used as a basis of stories published by some of the most influential news publications in the world. We also co-publish investigative reporting from some of the most influential and thorough partners, like </span><a href=\"https://www.investigate-europe.eu/\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Investigate Europe</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, </span><a href=\"https://www.lighthousereports.com/\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Lighthouse Reports</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, </span><a href=\"https://www.desmog.com/\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">DeSmog</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> and many others.</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Independence</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">We’ve always strived to be fiercely independent, not only of outside influence from advertisers, industries and politics, but also financially – first of all, by creating one of the first membership programmes in EU media, but also by consciously not taking core funding from EU institutions.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The new website is the next step in this evolution. And also it looks pretty good, if I may say so.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">At the moment, we rely on foundations, advertising and memberships for our income. The goal of the new website is to become self-sustaining through primarily memberships, both from individuals and from institutions.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">As other great publications have shown, it’s possible to provide enough value to readers that they’re willing to pay for being a part of it. Look at </span><a href=\"https://correctiv.org/\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Correctiv</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> in Germany, </span><a href=\"https://www.mediapart.fr/\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Mediapart</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> in France, </span><a href=\"https://www.tortoisemedia.com/\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Tortoise Media</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> in the UK and </span><a href=\"https://www.ftm.eu/\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Follow the Money</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> in the Netherlands (but now also in Brussels).&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Today, we’re introducing a few new membership tiers – at a lower price. The goal is to use the new membership income to invest into more journalism on more topics, which will then provide even more value for our readers.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">We’re also adding a new membership tier for people under 25 for just €1 per month, because we believe it’s important for young people to stay informed on the EU, affordably. Especially with the European Parliament elections less than two months away.</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">You are not a news consumer</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">At EUobserver we’ve always tried to value your time by being as concise as possible in our reporting and our newsletter.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The new website is also a reflection of this (and a dream come true for me as a publisher).</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">If you’d be so inclined, you could navigate everything on the website just using the filters in the Latest News section on the website. For example, if you’re only interested in Investigations that have to do with Ukraine, you can select these filters in the drop-down menus to only see the articles fitting this interest.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The reason behind this is that most news sites have become way too cluttered in a quest for trying to highlight every ‘important’ story in every single category – thereby making choices for readers on what they should think is important.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">We believe in our readers’ ability to discern what’s important for them. So we’re giving you the choice of what you see. It’s an experiment in shifting away from the idea of readers as news ‘consumers’ to the idea of readers as news *generators*, an idea recently put forward by journalist Ezra Klein.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Not that we ask you to write the news (although with our new comment feature you can share your thoughts and tips as a supporting member), but that your choices matter. If you choose to spend time on our website, you’re also choosing to not spend that time on a social media giant. You’re sending a signal to society that you value quality journalism above something else.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">And that’s important. Your choices matter. They matter for our continued existence and growth, but also for the support that allows for the production of valuable journalism.</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Features galore</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The website will support this idea with a few more experimental features that will allow more flexibility for members to choose how you receive articles: i.e. if you only want to get updates about Rule of Law, via Whatsapp, at the end of the day. This option is still in the works, but should be coming pretty soon.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Supporting members also will have the possibility to share gift articles with friends (through the little gift icon on article pages).&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">And finally we’ve also re-introduced the Ticker on the homepage, which is where we share links to stories and news from across the web that we (and hopefully you) think are interesting – even if they’re published by ‘competitors’.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Speaking of competitors, I’m proud to say that in a ranking of the most influential publications in the EU, EUobserver is the only independent publisher left – and moving up the ladder. We’re not owned by another corporation or private equity firm, we can’t make a profit, which means that all our income flows into journalism, and we can’t be bought or sold, even if we wanted to.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The new website is an investment in EUobserver’s future, one I’m both proud and scared to be responsible for.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Proud because I believe in our mission and that our coverage matters. Scared because founder Lisbeth Kirk trusted me with the role of publisher, and I do not want to let her legacy down – I have tremendous respect for the publication she’s built and maintained over almost 25 years.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Then again, we have the best possible people to do this. Our editorial department is staffed exclusively by incredibly knowledgeable, devoted and kind individuals. Our sales department understands perfectly from whom we do and don’t want to take money. Together with you, our readers, we have the chance to build something special.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The new website was partially made possible by generous support from our core funders; </span><a href=\"https://www.adessium.org/nl/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Adessium Foundation</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, </span><a href=\"https://www.schoepflin-stiftung.de/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Schöpflin Stiftung</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> and </span><a href=\"https://isocrates.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Isocrates Foundation</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">. We worked together with </span><a href=\"https://www.based.io/home\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">the developers</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> who built the Eurovision voting infrastructure – it’s slightly overpowered for our humble needs, but it also means the website is extremely fast and built towards the future.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Expect a lot of new stuff from us in the future. We’ll be releasing a very intricate and hopefully accurate Poll of Polls for the upcoming EU elections soon. We’ll keep publishing high quality investigations and reporting, both by ourselves and a group of dedicated freelance journalists across Europe and the globe. And we have a couple of exciting new sections in the works, which we’ll all unveil in due time.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">For anyone who has been used to reading us over the years, first of all thank you, and second, the new website will require some adjustments – but I’m sure you’ll adapt quite easily. And feel free to get in touch with me if you have any comments, requests or improvements you’d like to share.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">And to all of you still to read our website and get to know us, thank you for being here. Thank you for spending time with us, thank you for supporting us and thank you for caring about the journalism we produce.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">With the upcoming elections in the US, UK and EU, turmoil in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, economic uncertainty and a necessary green transition, there has never been a more important time to read and support quality journalism.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><br><i><em class=\"rte-italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">We're also giving away 50% off forever to 1,000 new members –&nbsp;</em></i><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/register\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><i><em class=\"rte-italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">use the code NEWEUOBS in the updated checkout.</em></i></a></p>","contributors":[{"id":"eu31f83c46","firstName":"Alejandro","lastName":"Tauber"}],"publishDate":1713330626286,"section":[{"id":"505e0db4ca","title":"Inside EUobserver"}],"articleType":[],"img":{"id":"fi5eb4dc77","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fi5eb4dc77/243f4b43-33b7-4d71-9603-b9f5c72d9355-698a91e0-ccef-4256-ba6e-74977ac137dd-ca02ed94-0810-4f3d-895a-91a912c51431.png"}},{"id":"ar368ac22c","headline":"EU rules seen as insufficient to fix nutrient pollution","abstract":"From rivers and lakes to lagoons and seas, numerous aquatic environments across Europe are grappling with a silent yet ubiquitous threat – an excess of nutrients that disrupt their ecological balance and imperil their very existence. And experts say current policies are not going to fix the problem.","body":"<p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">From rivers and lakes to lagoons and seas, numerous aquatic environments across Europe are grappling with a silent yet ubiquitous threat – an excess of nutrients that disrupt their ecological balance and imperil their very existence.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">This pollution is largely</span><a href=\"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52021DC1000#:~:text=Based%2520on%2520the%2520data%2520of,is%2520the%2520most%2520prominent%2520source.\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> the by-product of factory farming and intensive agriculture</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, where</span><a href=\"https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/74460\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> too much manure and man-made fertiliser</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> is spread on farmland to grow crops, resulting in nutrient-rich runoff getting into downstream waterways.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The leakage of these substances, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, can trigger algae bloom, eventually leading to</span><a href=\"https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/eutrophication.html\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> eutrophication</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> – a reduction in oxygen levels in water bodies. This can</span><a href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0964569118308743\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> undermine their ability to provide vital ecosystem services</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, and, in severe cases, cause mass deaths of fish and other species.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Nutrient contamination can also have adverse effects on people’s health, as</span><a href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/1353028\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> toxins released during algae blooms</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> can contaminate drinking water sources and heighten the risk of the spread of waterborne illnesses. </span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">One</span><a href=\"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ijc.31306\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> study</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> observed a link between nitrates consumed through drinking water and an increased risk of colorectal cancer.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The EU has had ambitious policies and regulatory frameworks aimed at reducing nutrient inputs from agriculture since the 1990s.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Yet the farming sector remains the main source of nutrient pollution in Europe.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">In the recent</span><a href=\"https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/biodiversity-strategy-2030_en\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> Biodiversity</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> and</span><a href=\"https://food.ec.europa.eu/horizontal-topics/farm-fork-strategy_en\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> Farm to Fork</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> (F2F) strategies – two cornerstones of the Green Deal – the European Commission recognised the need to make food production more sustainable, setting goals for</span><a href=\"https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/sustainability/environmental-sustainability/low-input-farming/nutrients_en\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> reducing nutrient losses by at least 50 percent and fertiliser use by at least 20 percent by 2030</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">However, experts contend that such lofty targets are not attainable without better implementation of existing strategies and stricter, more ambitious policies. </span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Scientists also say greater reductions would be needed to achieve sustainable nutrient flows.&nbsp;</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Limited effectiveness</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The main EU law focusing on nutrient emissions to water is the</span><a href=\"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1561542776070&amp;uri=CELEX:01991L0676-20081211\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> Nitrates Directive</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> (ND).</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The directive, introduced in 1991, requires member states to develop policies to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus emissions from farming, along with monitoring nutrient levels in water bodies.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">National governments are asked to designate sensitive zones known as</span><a href=\"https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/figures/nitrate-vulnerable-zones-eu\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> Nitrate Vulnerable Zones</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> (NVZs). Within these areas, protection measures such as capping the use of nitrogen-based fertiliser must be adopted to mitigate the risk of contamination.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The ND is also one of the Statutory Management Requirements that European farmers need to comply with to receive Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) subsidies, with funding reduced. in cases of non-compliance.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Despite setting fairly rigorous standards, the directive's effectiveness has been limited.&nbsp;</span></p><blockquote class=\"rte-blockquote\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">More than a third of rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, as well as more than 80 percent of marine waters in the EU,</span><a href=\"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52021DC1000#:~:text=Based%2520on%2520the%2520data%2520of,is%2520the%2520most%2520prominent%2520source.\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> </span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">still suffer from some degree of eutrophication due to excessive nutrient levels</span></blockquote><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">While nitrate concentrations in surface and groundwater</span><a href=\"https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/nutrients-in-freshwater-in-europe\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> have decreased</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> across the EU since the directive's introduction, a</span><a href=\"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2021:1000:FIN&amp;qid=1633953687154\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> considerable percentage of monitoring stations</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> still indicate nitrate levels above the maximum limit.</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Low progress and derogations</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Moreover, more than a third of rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, as well as more than 80 percent of marine waters in the EU,</span><a href=\"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52021DC1000#:~:text=Based%2520on%2520the%2520data%2520of,is%2520the%2520most%2520prominent%2520source.\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> still suffer from some degree of eutrophication</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> due to excessive nutrient levels.</span></p><figure><img src=\"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fid827b3b8/7b135031-ac99-46ef-a51a-11a62fba2376-ae0174c4-9178-4594-bd42-02d715c65279-c25af378-e9d8-4b6d-881b-6a83ebb4cff6.png\"></figure><p class=\"rte-p\"><br></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers</span><a href=\"https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/common-agricultural-policy/agri-food-supply-chain/ensuring-availability-and-affordability-fertilisers_en#nutrient-and-fertiliser-use-in-the-eu\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> </span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">does not seem to have been affected, with consumption that has remained relatively stable since 2000.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Progress has been</span><a href=\"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2021:1000:FIN\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> particularly slow</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> over the past decade.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Erik Gerritsen, an ecologist and public policy expert at Rotterdam-based consulting firm Trinomics, says that states have often struggled to integrate the directive into domestic law.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“National implementation often takes place sectorally, within policy domains such as the water domain or the agricultural domain,” explained Gerritsen.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">As a result, multiple cross-sectoral objectives need to be realised simultaneously at regional and local levels. Although efforts have been made to create linkages between directives, requirements such as monitoring and reporting may be different, creating gaps in enforcement.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Gerritsen said progress may have been hindered by loopholes. </span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The</span><a href=\"https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/water/water-framework-directive_en\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> Water Framework Directive</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, the broader regulatory framework to which the ND belongs, allows countries to designate water bodies that may never achieve “good ecological status” – even if they are located near intensive agricultural areas, he says.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"It is just possible to set less strict goals for them,\" said Gerritsen.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Furthermore, countries can ask for exemptions: in September 2022, the EU Commission granted</span><a href=\"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022D2069\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> a derogation</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> to the Netherlands allowing the application of grazing livestock manure up to 230 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare per year in NVZs. The highest amount of nitrogen that can be applied annually is</span><a href=\"https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/water/nitrates_en\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> 170 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">That was the sixth such derogation granted to the country since 2005 and was made despite</span><a href=\"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022D2069\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> over half</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> of freshwaters monitored across the country being reported eutrophic from 2016 to 2019.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Similar derogations are in place for Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands, as well as for Flanders in Belgium, Emilia Romagna, Piemonte, and Veneto in Italy, and England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">No fines&nbsp;</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">While the implementation of EU law is a national responsibility, it is ultimately the responsibility of the Commission as the guardian of the treaties to ensure that member states comply and that adequate mechanisms are in place where they do not.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">In cases where a member state fails to comply with a court ruling, the European Commission is empowered to initiate infringement procedures, which involve legal action that may ultimately lead to cases being brought before the EU Court of Justice and result in fines.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Individuals or organisations can also submit complaints directly to the EC, either through the EU’s Ombudsman or by petitioning the European Parliament. Based on the information received, the Commission can then decide whether or not to take the case further.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Data from the EC</span><a href=\"https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/?lang_code=EN&amp;typeOfSearch=true&amp;active_only=0&amp;noncom=0&amp;r_dossier=&amp;decision_date_from=&amp;decision_date_to=&amp;DG=ENV&amp;title=Nitrates&amp;submit=Search\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> </span><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">reveals</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> that infringement procedures have been launched against every EU member state in the realm of water-related legislation since the 1990s, most of which to check the accurate transposition of community water legislation into national laws.</span><a href=\"https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/?lang_code=EN&amp;typeOfSearch=true&amp;active_only=0&amp;noncom=0&amp;r_dossier=&amp;decision_date_from=&amp;decision_date_to=&amp;DG=ENV&amp;title=Nitrates&amp;submit=Search\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> </span><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Twenty infringement procedures</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> of non-compliance with the ND have also been initiated.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">But proceedings that result in court referrals and fines are rather rare. According to the EU infringement database, only ten infringement procedures related to water policy have led to countries being penalised so far.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Sergiy Moroz, a policy manager for water and biodiversity at the European Environmental Bureau, noted that infringement procedures are usually so long and cumbersome that “they can drag on for years,” to then be dropped or left pending.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Last year, the EU</span><a href=\"https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/brussels-closes-german-nitrate-pollution-case-after-decade-long-tussle/\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> </span><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">closed a case against Germany</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> for breaching the terms of the ND that was initiated in 2013.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Another example is Italy, which was</span><a href=\"https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/EN/MEMO_18_6247\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> </span><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">served a formal notice by the EC in 2018</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> for failing to designate NVZs, properly monitoring water bodies, and implementing additional measures in regions affected by nitrate pollution. Despite receiving</span><a href=\"https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/IT/INF_20_2142\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> </span><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">a further formal notice in 2020</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> and</span><a href=\"https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/EN/inf_23_525\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> </span><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">a reasoned opinion in 2023</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, the issue remains unresolved to this day.</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">More is needed</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Modelling by the Commission’s own science and knowledge service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), has revealed that measures under existing legislation and policies, even if fully implemented, will</span><a href=\"https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/zero-pollution-monitoring-and-outlook-workshop-2022-05-25_en\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> </span><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">only reduce nutrient losses by 30 percent</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“This is far from the 50 percent target and clearly shows that the EU needs to put forward additional measures to bridge this gap,” said Jerry van Dijk, associate professor of restoration ecology and biodiversity conservation at Utrecht University in The Netherlands.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">That was the aim of the</span><a href=\"https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12899-Nutrients-action-plan-for-better-management_en\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> </span><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Integrated Nutrient Management Plan</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> (INMAP). But the strategy, for which the preparatory public consultation already closed in the summer of 2022, is still missing.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Last September, 14 NGOs and three academics, including van Dijk,</span><a href=\"https://eeb.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Letter-to-COM-re-INMAP_Sept-2023-FINAL.pdf\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> </span><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">sent a letter</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> to the Commission stressing the need to “ensure that this key component of the European Green Deal is delivered swiftly.”&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">However, it seems increasingly unlikely that this will happen before the elections set for next June, as the EU executive has not set out a date for when it does plan to present it.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“We have no date for the publication of this document,” Fabien Santini, deputy head of unit in the Commission’s agricultural service, told the press during an event at the European Parliament last year.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">van Dijk suggested actions can be taken also by strengthening the CAP to bring it in line with the Biodiversity and F2F strategies. This would include setting legally binding targets for reducing nutrient losses and improving the indicators for nutrients balance reporting.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unfortunately, the most recent version of the policy, which was formally adopted in 2021 and will last through 2027, does not set any clear objective for reducing nutrients losses or fertiliser use.</span><a href=\"https://eeb.org/library/soil-and-carbon-farming-in-the-new-cap-alarming-lack-of-action-and-ambition/\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> </span><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Assessments</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> of draft national CAP plans have also found a substantial lack of action on environmental objectives, including nutrients management.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Nevertheless, much greater reductions than those planned could be needed. In the</span><a href=\"https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC129059\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> </span><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Knowledge for INMAP report</span></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, JRC researchers concluded that the EU should reduce its annual mineral fertiliser input by about 60 percent to reach sustainable nutrient flows.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“Such cuts may sound daunting, but we know for a fact that this can be done without sacrificing yields,” said van Dijk, “It is a necessary piece of the transition puzzle towards a greener farming future.\"</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><i><em class=\"rte-italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">This reporting for this piece was supported by </em></i><a href=\"https://www.journalismfund.eu/\" class=\"rte-link\"><u><i><em class=\"rte-italic rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Journalismfund Europe</em></i></u></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">.</span></p>","contributors":[],"publishDate":1713435685052,"section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political"},{"id":"50739332cc","title":"Green Economy"}],"articleType":[{"id":"8088e5421e","title":"Feature"}],"img":{"id":"fie6fc4dd0","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/e4092a6a7d4a4f7aaa1f8e6e8f7d8091.jpg"}},{"id":"ar5c04a015","headline":"EU eyes teen turnout as next generation votes","abstract":"Lowering the voting age is a way of making mid-to-late teenagers feel listened to — but it is also a way of creating a habit, increasing the likelihood of them voting throughout their lives. And also possibly a youthful and idealistic ‘shield’ against more reactionary and right-wing middle-aged voters? \n","body":"<p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">In a novel experiment, around 270,000 teenagers in Belgium will be able to vote for the first time in the EU elections in June, in an innovative attempt by one of the 27 member states to give 16- and 17-year-olds a say.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">At the most recent 2019 elections, the bloc saw a historically impressive turnout, with 50.6 percent of eligible citizens going to the polls.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">And that increase was mainly driven by the under-25s — although paradoxically they were also the age group with the lowest overall turnout.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Now, the EU is hoping for a new youth surge in turnout for the 2024 election, and wants the idealism of the younger generation to act as a barrier against populism, as the far-right is expected to gain ground across Europe.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"Young Europeans will become a wall of democracy next June against this wave of populism and hate that threatens to attack Europe,\" said EU Commission vice-president Margaritis Schinas back in January, when he publicly asked US singer Taylor Swift to help get young Europeans out to vote.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The general voting age in the EU is 18 — but Belgium is not the only member state that will allow people that age to vote. Austria has done so since 2007, Malta since 2018 and Germany adapted its electoral law in early 2023, while in Greece, teenage citizens can go to the polls as soon as they turn 17.</span></p><figure><img src=\"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fidfd80e13/61cf02cc-62ad-4d14-878d-f69ab41411d6-3268ab6b-d517-416e-9353-5f697a5a2f64-aa5bc866-5f7e-4efb-9f7f-194ac5e4b864.jpeg\"></figure><p class=\"rte-p\"><br></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The 2019 European parliamentary elections took place against a backdrop where climate change was one of the main concerns of young Europeans, who organised themselves to protest for change in the ‘Fridays for Future’ movement.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"In 2019, there was also a Brexit effect, because many young people realised what happens when you stay at home,\" said Jaume Duch, director general for communication at the European Parliament, in an interview with EUobserver.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">But the </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/news/ar47d65e3e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">2024 elections will be even more political</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, Duch said, citing the multiple crises that followed 2019: not least, the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine — so the parliament wants to reinforce some messages to young people before polling day.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“If you don't defend it, the EU is there today and who knows tomorrow,\" he argued. \"And also, the European Union goes hand-in-hand with democracy, and democracy has to be defended when the elections come\".</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">According to the latest Eurobarometer, 57 percent of Europeans are interested in the EP elections. That is six percentage points more than five years ago, but will this interest translate into votes?&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">How does the EU want to engage with the youth vote? What do European youth organisations think is wrong with existing ways of engaging with young people? And, most importantly, what do these young people themselves have to say?</span></p><blockquote class=\"rte-blockquote\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“If as a young person, you are never approached by a political party and their proposals do not speak to you, why would you go out and vote?”&nbsp;</span></blockquote><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The view from youth organisations&nbsp;</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Europe has made very little progress since 2011 on young people’s well-being, freedoms and rights (and no progress at all in the past six years), according to data published in late 2023 by the European Youth Forum (EYF) — an umbrella group representing over 100 youth organisations.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“I'm afraid that because of this lack of progress, the motivation to engage in this kind of democratic process might have gone down,” said Rareș Voicu, an EYF’s board member.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">National youth councils and organisations are actively working to campaign and inform young people about the June elections, but they cannot do it alone, Voicu stressed.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“At the end of the day, it's up to political parties to include issues which matter to them in their manifestos,” he commented. “If as a young person, you are never approached by a political party and their proposals do not speak to you, why would you go out and vote?”&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Earlier this year, the commission announced the introduction of so-called ‘youth checks’ — a tool to analyse how draft policies impact the lives of young people now and in the future.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"Young people will not participate in spaces where they don't feel that it makes sense for them to participate or that something will come out of it,” Voicu highlighted.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">However,&nbsp; a major problem also lies in the lack of political representation by the young, says the EYF, with only 2.6 percent of MPs worldwide under 30 — and just 37 out of 705 </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/news/are1b9a00c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">existing MEPs under 35.&nbsp;</span></a></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">What the European Parliament plans</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Part of the European parliament's campaign in the run-up to the elections will focus on the importance of intergenerational dialogue.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"We are going to highlight the fact that the older generations are passing the baton to the younger people,\" explained Duch.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"The baton, precisely in the sense of defending the democratic principles, values and rights that make up the European Union beyond the single market.”&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">A message that the institution plans to adapt to the language of the younger generations and to spread through the channels most used by them, such as social networks like TikTok, as well as through content creators and celebrities.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"All stakeholders in society need to be very present on social media, not just the parliament,\" Duch warned.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“We should not be afraid of using them, (...) because the percentage of people who receive information or disinformation through these channels is increasing, and so are the negative consequences,\" he said, when asked whether the parliament fears that the predicted rise of anti-EU parties could be fuelled by young voters who are unaware of how the EU really affects their daily lives.</span></p><h2 class=\"rte-h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">What (some) young people say</span></h2><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Every young generation has its own concerns, but this one in particular, the so-called 'Generation Z' (those born between 1996 and 2012), is more difficult to see as a unified generation, given the growing ideological gender-divide, as a recent analysis shows.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">To take one example, in Germany, the so-called ideological gap is as high as 30 percentage points — between increasingly conservative young men, and their progressive female counterparts.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">A similar gap was seen in Poland in 2023, when almost half of male voters aged 18-21 backed the far-right Confederation party. Only one-sixth of their female counterparts did.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">So what do some of these teenagers themselves have to say about an EU that they might not know much about, or often feel is distant? Is voting at 16 a mature enough age to have a democratic say?</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Manolis, a 17-year-old Greek, is not really familiar with how the EU works, nor with its legislative powers and initiatives, so he will not vote for any candidate, even though he feels his concerns are not being adequately addressed by politicians.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"What upsets me most is unemployment,\" Manolis told EUobserver.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"I consider myself a well-educated teenager, and I am outraged by the prospect of either having to move to another country </span><a href=\"https://euobserver.com/*/ar7eec58fb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">to find a job,</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> or having to tolerate the reality of low wages and long working hours in Greece,\" he said.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">For Youssef, the problem is that he feels politicians are doing nothing to give him more opportunities in life. He is also a 17-year-old Belgian citizen from the Brussels commune of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, where his family has lived since they moved from Morocco for work more than 20 years ago.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"I know that European decisions are made here, in the same city as me, but I don't feel that they are addressed to me, so what difference would this vote make in my life?\" he said.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Anastasia is 20, from a Slovakian family, but also living in Brussels and plans to cast a blank ballot as she does not truly follow politics.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"I don't think it's smart to let 16 and 17-year-olds vote because they're still young, innocent,\" she told EUobserver via a text. \"Even adults sometimes aren't educated enough to vote\".&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"If we want to vote because we feel involved and informed, why not let us?\" argues Juliane, a 16-year-old German, who finds this an interesting idea.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"People like Greta Thunberg have been listened to about climate change by older generations since she was my age or so,\" Juliane pointed out.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Lowering the voting age is a way of making mid-late teenagers feel listened to, says EYF board member Voicu — but it is also a way of creating a habit, increasing the likelihood of them voting throughout their lives and breaking down the barrier between young people and democratic processes earlier.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“So who knows, [if you vote earlier] maybe you're going to be more motivated to run for office in your twenties?” Voicu concluded.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\"><br></p>","contributors":[{"id":"eu4d84e821","firstName":"Paula","lastName":"Soler"}],"publishDate":1713355938349,"section":[{"id":"508bf89c3a","title":"Health & Society"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections"},{"id":"50b734f76d","title":"Magazine"}],"articleType":[{"id":"8088e5421e","title":"Feature"}],"img":{"id":"fi9833b661","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/fi9833b661/ba181927-0d07-43ba-8cee-dfa81d5b1a36-0fb2edd6-a312-4132-aef0-8f3eb475c053-c269eaaf-0f1e-42d7-aa5b-382086075acc.jpeg"}},{"id":"ard429f5da","headline":"Will June elections change ‘Brussels So White’?","abstract":"Black and brown members of the current European Parliament represent only three percent of the assembly’s composition — even though racial and ethnic minorities make up at least 10 percent of the EU population.","body":"<p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“Brussels So White” is not just a hashtag — it’s the reality of an often inward-looking Eurocentric mindset. As anyone who has interacted with the EU institutions quickly realises: those working ‘for Europe’ are mainly white.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">That is because Europe’s definition of diversity is not very inclusive. It applies, quite correctly, to the varied geographies, histories, languages and cultures of the 27 EU member states.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Over the years, after persistent pressure, ‘gender diversity’ has been added to the list, as has diversity related to sexual orientation and people with disabilities. In contrast, a strong commitment to building an ‘anti-racist’ Europe where black and brown Europeans can feel at home, remains just that: a nice promise.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The European Commission does not keep statistics on the ethnicity of its staff. We do know, however, that black and brown members of the current European Parliament represent only three percent of the assembly’s composition even though racial and ethnic minorities make up at least 10 percent of the EU population.</span></p><blockquote class=\"rte-blockquote\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">\"How are we going to convince non-white Europeans that EU institutions are relevant, credible and an attractive place to work?\"</span></blockquote><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Are the June elections to the European Parliament going to change – or at least make a dent - in the EU institution’s systemic problem of inadequate racial representation? Will they make the EU less navel-gazing and Eurocentric?</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The short answer to both questions is no, not really. The longer one, it’s going to be tough, painstaking and complicated – for several inter-connected reasons.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">First, because xenophobic and openly-racist </span><a href=\"https://eu-observer.based.dev/*/ar9325db04\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">far-right parties</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, which are expected to increase their number, role and influence in the next EU assembly – and possibly also send senior officials to the European Commission – are unlikely to include many Europeans of colour in their electoral lists. Their worldview can therefore be expected to be similarly racist and Orientalist.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Second, while they are not openly-bigoted in an ‘in your face’ kind of way, Europe’s centre-right politicians have either openly or tacitly, embraced the extremists’ political agenda and xenophobic view of the world.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><strong class=\"rte-bold\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Centre-right and far-right collaboration?</strong></b></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">They also seem set on working together.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">As </span><a href=\"https://eu-observer.based.dev/news/ardff7e276\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) Spitzenkandidat [lead candidate]</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen has already publicly confirmed she will work with the parliament’s rightwing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group — whose members include the French far-right politician Eric Zemmour</span><u><span class=\"rte-underline\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">.</span></u></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Third, although they may talk-the-talk on making Europe more diverse, Europe’s progressives are not pushing — at least not collectively, visibly and forcefully enough — for a more racially-inclusive EU.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">There is yet another very important — fourth – problem: persuading black and brown Europeans to go out to vote, stand as parliamentary candidates and/or apply for EU jobs.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">With few role models for reference, “how are we going to convince non-white Europeans that EU institutions are relevant, credible and an attractive place to work?” asks Dutch socialist MEP Mohammed Chahim.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The problem is not just restricted to the EU. Voters are losing confidence in their mainstream national politicians across Europe.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The disconnect seems to be particularly acute for black and brown people.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Research by the Social and Cultural Planning Office in the Netherlands underlines that people with a “migration background” feel excluded from and have less confidence in national Dutch politics because “topics they consider important are downplayed or pushed aside”.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Celine Febrequette of the Diaspora Vote organisation is trying to change just that through recently-mandated young “ambassadors”, tasked with getting more non-white Europeans to the polling booths.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“We are reaching out to community leaders. But it is not easy to convince everyone to vote,” she admits. “The EU is just not seen as important to their daily lives.”</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><strong class=\"rte-bold\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Foreign policy</strong></b></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">For Europeans of colour, it is not just a question of wanting more emphasis on social inequalities and systemic discrimination. There is also concern about European foreign policy.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The EU’s belated failure to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, sanction Israel for human rights violations and the bloc’s hasty, ill-judged decision to stop aid to </span><a href=\"https://eu-observer.based.dev/*/ara1453ca1\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">UNRWA</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> are adding to the disconnect between EU institutions and Europeans of colour — but most especially Muslims.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">There is also the fact that escaping racism even once inside the EU institutions is not easy.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The European Commission's&nbsp;first-ever survey on diversity, inclusion and respect at the workplace released last year warned that EU institutions had failed to create an inclusive culture for Europeans of colour and people with disabilities.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">MEP Monica Semedo, one of only a handful of black politicians in the European&nbsp; Parliament, told me that while she was always “an exception” in her native Luxembourg, it was only when she came to the European Parliament as a young Afro-European woman that she felt “people were acting so differently around me.”&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">“There is so much to do to make Europe more inclusive,” she underlines. “An important step is to eliminate discrimination in education” and also to get EU institutions to approve the 2008 directive on ensuring equal treatment and ending discrimination in all areas, not just employment.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">As Europeans get ready to vote, the European Network Against Racism has warned political parties to ensure that their election campaigns and mandates are free from hate and discriminatory speech and acts, including at the highest political level.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">It is important advice. Experience shows, however, that hate-mongers and racists will continue to get media attention and top billing in the crucial months ahead.&nbsp;</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">After the elections, there will be love-ins between far-right politicians and their ostensibly less extreme colleagues. Most dangerously, </span><a href=\"https://eu-observer.based.dev/*/ar92f6b704\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"rte-link\"><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">unless progressives step in to stop the drift</span></a><span style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">, the far right’s xenophobic and ethno-national discourse will creep even further into mainstream EU politics and policymaking. “Brussels So White” was tough enough for Europeans of colour. Its new iteration looks set to be even more challenging.</span></p><p class=\"rte-p\"><br></p>","contributors":[{"id":"euec42ca62","firstName":"Shada","lastName":"Islam"}],"publishDate":1713342389908,"section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections"},{"id":"50b734f76d","title":"Magazine"}],"articleType":[],"img":{"id":"fi375641c4","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/788f9e62c2a13f3ae3d85249f0945e80.jpg"}},{"id":"arecd6340e","headline":"Who did Russia pay? MEPs urge spies to give names","abstract":"MEPs have urged intelligence services to publish the names of who was paid by Russia, while pointing fingers at the EU's far right.","body":"<p>MEPs have urged intelligence services to publish the names of who was paid by Russia, while pointing fingers at the EU's far right. </p><p>Two French liberal MEPs led the calls for culprits' names in a plenary debate in Brussels late on Wednesday (10 April).</p><p>\"We demand the names, the numbers, who was paid, which party, by which intermediary, for which objective, and how much,\" said Valérie Hayer. </p><p>Nathalie Loiseau said: \"the [intelligence] services must make public what they know\" before the European Parliament elections in June. </p><p>\"People have a right to know if they are voting for honest candidates or bought candidates,\" she said. </p><p>\"That elected representatives accepted money from a hostile foreign power is just something else and I'm disgusted,\" Loiseau added.  </p><p>Hayer had called for the debate on Russian interference <a href=\"https://euobserver.com/world/158309\">following revelations</a> by Czech and Polish intelligence services on 27 March that MEPs and MEP-candidates had been paid by Russia to spread propaganda. </p><p>The intermediary was allegedly a pro-Russian website based in Prague called Voice of Europe and run by a pro-Kremlin oligarch. </p><p>The sums were \"tens of thousands of euros\", the Czechs and Poles said, but they did not say who was paid, pending further investigations. </p><p>\"We will not publish further details for now,\" BIS, the Czech domestic intelligence agency, told EUobserver.</p><p>A contact from another EU country's spy service, which is also taking part in the counterintelligence probe, said: \"The intelligence services in the Czech Republic and Poland have communicated about this in public ... other services involved prefer not to communicate on this topic\".</p><p>Hayer and Loiseau's calls to name names were echoed by centre-right, centre-left, and green MEPs from around Europe on Wednesday. </p><p>And suspicion has centred round far-right EU deputies who gave interviews to Voice of Europe, some of whom were present at the debate. </p><p>\"[Russian president Vladimir] Putin has found links at the heart of our institutions, starting with far-right deputies and national leaders, who call themselves nationalists, pretend to defend their countries, but in reality work for a hostile foreign tyranny,\" said French socialist Raphaël Glucksmann. </p><p>Glucksmann also called out social-media firm X and its owner Elon Musk for continuing to host Voice of Europe content, despite the Czech accusation. </p><p>Czech liberal MEP Dita Charanzová said other EU states should follow Prague's example in taking Voice of Europe videos offline. </p><p>Czech green Markéta Gregorová said knowing that intelligence services were monitoring Russian pay-offs to MEPs made her feel \"calmer\".</p><p>But she added \"we don't need the Voice of Europe or ID MEPs to show us we have a big effing problem\" in terms of Russian hybrid warfare, referring to the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the EU Parliament. </p><p>Two of those who gave interviews to Voice of Europe, but who haven't been accused of taking Russian money, also took the floor to clear their names on Wednesday. \\n  \\nSpanish far-right Vox party MEP Hermann Tertsch said former conservative and socialist German chancellors had done more to advance Russian interests in the EU than any far-right MEPs.</p><p>He also said the leftwing Spanish government helped Russia via its close ties with Russian allies Cuba and Venezuela. </p><p>\"I've spent 20 years working and 40 years writing against Putin,\" Tertsch said. </p><p>Marcel de Graaff, an independent Dutch MEP, accused the EU of \"violation of Christian rights\", via its support of Covid vaccines and abortion.</p><p>But he said \"any criticism [of the EU] is demonised,\" indicating that his links to Voice of Europe were being used as slurs against him. </p><p>The Czech EU values commissioner, Věra Jourová, told MEPs she would crack down on online platforms that spread Russian lies, but said espionage or corruption allegations were matters for individual member states. </p><p>MEPs also called for an internal investigation into the Russia revelations, but the EU Parliament can do little beyond imposing a fine on deputies who did not declare payments from third parties. </p><p>The parliament found, also on Wednesday, that <a href=\"https://euobserver.com/eu-elections/158047\">Latvian MEP Tatjana Ždanoka</a> had breached its code of conduct on declaring income and gifts, following accusations she had worked with Russian spies.</p><p>But Ždanoka's only sanction was to pay a €1,750 fine, the Politico website reported.</p>","contributors":[{"id":"eu87ebf9ee","firstName":"Andrew","lastName":"Rettman"}],"publishDate":1712841212000,"section":[{"id":"5002452f20","title":"EU & the World"}],"articleType":[],"img":{"id":"fie68ee0b3","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/2e9e412421b599b0f6261a1b850cf837.jpg"}},{"id":"ar37b8c5ab","headline":"'PieperGate' crisis re-opens doubts on von der Leyen's future","abstract":"A majority of MEPs call for U-turn on Markus Pieper's controversial appointment as SME envoy and a new, more transparent process — raising questions about the leadership style and re-election chances of EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.","body":"<p>The European Parliament on Thursday (11 April) called on the EU Commission to rescind Markus Pieper's controversial appointment as SME envoy — and launch a \"truly transparent and open process\" for the selection of a new candidate for the post. </p><p>The amendment, calling for the annulment of the controversial nomination, was carried with 382 votes in favour, 144 against and 80 abstentions.</p><p>But the commission has confirmed that Pieper will take the €17,000-per-month post next week anyway. \"We have institutional autonomy,\" a commission spokesperson said, arguing that the institution is responsible for its own recruitment policy.</p><p>The appointment of German MEP Pieper as small and medium-sized enterprises envoy has sparked concerns and criticism not only from the parliament but also from other EU commissioners and <a href=\"https://transparency.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Joint-letter-on-the-appointment-of-Markus-Pieper-MEP-as-EU-SME-Envoy.pdf\">activists</a> — raising questions about the decision-making process and the future of commission president Ursula von der Leyen herself.</p><p>Von der Leyen, who is seeking a second term for herself and her centre-right European People's Party (EPP) at the helm of the EU executive, will need the support of the parliament to be re-elected but this appears increasingly uncertain.</p><p>Pieper, who is a member of von der Leyen's domestic German Christian Democrats (CDU) party, was appointed on 31 January — despite claims that two female candidates were more qualified. </p><p>\"There are significant doubts if Pieper was the best candidate for the job in this recruitment process, not only in the European Parliament but also in the EU Commission,\" Green German MEP Daniel Freund told EUobserver. </p><p>\"Jobs in the commission have to be filled based on merit. If that wasn't the case here, the whole procedure has to be repeated,\" he said.</p><p>The commission has repeatedly defended that the appointment was done by the book, but the lack of transparency and so far silence from the Berlaymont to MEPs' questions on the matter has backfired. </p><p>The commission's own guidelines argue that any recruitment should be based on merit, gender balance and geographical balance.</p><p>The other two candidates — Czech liberal MEP Martina Dlabajová and Swedish Confederation of Swedish Enterprise deputy director general Anna Stellinger — outqualified Pieper on all three criteria. </p><p>And Dlabajová and Stellinger were even rated at least 30 percent higher than Pieper in the recruitment assessments, according to several sources.\\n \\n<h2>Divisions within the college</h2></p><p>The vote in the parliament has been the latest in the 'PieperGate' saga, which last week saw EU commissioners (Josep Borrell, Thierry Breton, Paolo Gentiloni and Nicolas Schmit) calling for a discussion to respond to MEPs' concerns over allegations of favouritism.</p><p>On Wednesday, during the regular weekly meeting in the commission, a dozen commissioners from von der Leyen's EPP defended Pieper's appointment</p><p>In the absence of Gentiloni and Schmit, Breton and Borrell raised concerns about the lack of collegiality — a legal principle of the commission's internal decision-making to act collectively.</p><p>And the French commissioner even came up with a proposal for a reply to the European Parliament, arguing that the commission should admit that Pieper was not the most suitable candidate for the post. </p><p>Breton has previously advocated for Dlabajová as the best person for the job.</p><p>Pieper, who would have to report to Breton as commissioner for the internal market, was appointed on 31 January during a college meeting in which the French commissioner was absent.</p><p><h2>Von der Leyen's 'presidential-ism'</h2></p><p>The exchange of letters between the four commissioners, and EU human resources commissioner Johannes Hahn on behalf of the EU commission president, is yet another sign of <a href=\"https://euobserver.com/eu-elections/158102\">internal frustrations</a> within the commission about von der Leyen's closed style of leadership, and micro-management. </p><p>That is in addition to internal EU political splits over her refusal, as figurehead of the bloc, to criticise Israel in the ongoing Gaza conflict.</p><p>\"The Pieper appointment symbolises at best the process of presidentialisation of the college of commissioners that has occurred under von der Leyen's clock,\" Alberto Alemanno, professor of EU law at HEC Paris said.</p><p>\"This [presidentialisation] has been not only raising eyebrows among colleagues but also instigated unprecedented dynamics of antagonism that defy the very idea of collegiality that should govern the operation of the commission,\" he also said.</p><p>In discussions with officials familiar with the situation, there's a notable sense of dissatisfaction with her decision-making processes — but also a relief about the public debate currently taking place. </p><p>\"The good thing is that the issue of governance is now out in the public knowledge,\" one official told EUobserver.</p>","contributors":[{"id":"eu83cf6ae2","firstName":"Elena Sánchez","lastName":"Nicolás"}],"publishDate":1712840003000,"section":[{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political"},{"id":"509704cb00","title":"EU Elections"}],"articleType":[{"id":"80178480d0","title":"Analysis"}],"img":{"id":"fi8d05c44c","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/6210de0850da55de3334799422cf66b1.jpg"}},{"id":"arf3ea23e2","headline":"Migration pact hailed as 'huge' EU win, amid human-rights fears","abstract":"MEPs have given their final approval to the EU's long-delayed immigration and asylum pact, which EU Commission president von der Leyen heralded as a \"huge achievement for Europe\".","body":"<p>MEPs gave their final approval on Wednesday (10 April) to the EU's long-delayed immigration and asylum pact, which European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen heralded as a \"huge achievement for Europe\". </p><p>The package of 10 regulations and directives approved by MEPs, which will come into effect in 2026, amounted to the <a href=\"https://euobserver.com/migration/158318\">biggest overhaul of the EU's immigration and asylum rules</a> in over a decade. </p><p>It included new arrangements on burden-sharing quotas that would require governments to pay financial compensation to front-line countries if they refused to take their quota. </p><p>However, governments would be able to offset their financial obligations under this mechanism if they helped pay for tougher border security in another EU country. </p><p>Other controversial points include provisions to allow asylum seekers to be sent to 'safe' third countries for their claims to be processed, which critics say could allow the EU to replicate the UK's agreement <a href=\"https://euobserver.com/africa/158166\">to send asylum seekers to Rwanda</a> while their claims were handled. </p><p>Meanwhile, the principle of outsourcing border control by providing funding to third countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, and Egypt, all of whom have agreed to 'cash for migrant control' deals with the EU in recent months, will also be enshrined in the new regime. </p><p>Although many civil society groups have been highly critical of the new rules, European Parliament president Roberta Metsola told reporters at a press conference following the vote that MEPs had \"shown that Europe lives up to its responsibilities\". </p><p>\"Migration is a European challenge that must have a European solution,\" also said von der Leyen. </p><p>She emphasised that the pact would mean \"more secure European borders\", a phrase which her centre-right European People's Party (EPP) was likely to repeat in the run-up to the June EU Parliament election. </p><p>Von der Leyen added that the EU executive would continue to negotiate arrangements with third countries on migration transit and returns. </p><p>Ahead of the vote, a cross-party group of lawmakers, including Swedish centre-right MEP Tomas Tobé, French liberal Fabienne Keller, and Spain's Juan Fernando López Aguilar of the Socialist and Democrat (S&D) group, who had led parliament's negotiations on the files, had urged their colleagues to approve the package.  </p><p>Tobé called on MEPs to show \"loyalty\" to negotiations, which originally started in 2016. </p><p>Although few national ministers or MEPs involved in the files were very enthusiastic about the final compromise, the von der Leyen commission had made adopting new immigration and asylum rules a key promise in its mandate. </p><p>Migration is set to be one of the main campaigning lines ahead of the June European elections, where the EPP is anxious not to be outflanked by nationalist and far-right parties. </p><p>But for its part, rights group Amnesty International's Eve Geddie said that Europe had \"missed a vital opportunity to build a migration and asylum system that places human rights at the centre\". </p><p>\"EU institutions are now shamefully co-signing an agreement that they know will lead to greater human suffering,\" she added. </p><p>Ahead of the vote, officials briefed press that several of the files would be decided by narrow majorities. </p><p>Files on crisis situations, where member states were allowed to take emergency measures to cope with spikes in migration, and the processing of asylum claims were adopted by slim margins of 32 and 29 votes, respectively.  </p><p>Insiders briefed that around one-third of MEPs in the S&D would vote against all the laws, though a large number of centre-left and liberal MEPs voted against most of them. </p><p>The Greens and The Left groups led opposition to the package.</p>","contributors":[{"id":"eu7c6b1824","firstName":"Benjamin","lastName":"Fox"}],"publishDate":1712771551000,"section":[{"id":"50192d9286","title":"Migration"},{"id":"506324822d","title":"EU Political"}],"articleType":[],"img":{"id":"fi5e7d9573","src":"https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/f4b6e30fb57a37c9872c0f5fbb433c00.jpg"}}],"order":{"mustRead":["ar77652c78","ar368ac22c","ar5c04a015","ard429f5da","arecd6340e","ar37b8c5ab","arf3ea23e2"]}},"c":668617856445,"s":78494},"8117591503476":{"v":{"data":[{"headline":"EU elections","date":1717884000000},{"headline":"EU elections","date":1717797600000},{"headline":"EU elections","date":1717711200000},{"headline":"EU elections","date":1717624800000},{"headline":"Lithuanian presidential elections","date":1715464800000},{"headline":"Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council","date":1715032800000},{"headline":"Informal meeting of the General Affairs Council","date":1714428000000},{"headline":"Informal meeting of the General Affairs Council","date":1714341600000},{"headline":"Agriculture and Fisheries Council","date":1714341600000},{"headline":"Informal meeting of health ministers","date":1713909600000},{"headline":"Informal meeting of health ministers","date":1713909600000},{"headline":"Informal meeting of health ministers","date":1713823200000},{"headline":"Informal meeting of health ministers","date":1713823200000},{"headline":"Foreign Affairs Council","date":1713736800000},{"headline":"Foreign Affairs Council","date":1713736800000}]},"c":13079410717171,"s":1025},"14179662864941":{"v":{"data":[{"headline":{"en":"The philosophical case for a four-day workweek"},"src":"https://jacobin.com/2024/04/marx-spinoza-four-day-workweek"},{"headline":{"en":"Belgian elections guide: What Belgium's parties stand for"},"src":"https://www.brusselstimes.com/politics/1010080/belgian-elections-guide-2024#Echobox=1713758549"},{"headline":{"en":"Greece and Spain under pressure to provide Ukraine with air defence systems"},"src":"https://www.ft.com/content/cc322202-97da-40e6-bdd2-ae1c89deea10"},{"headline":{"en":"Orbán: Freedom of speech is in bad shape in Europe"},"src":"https://telex.hu/english/2024/04/19/orban-freedom-of-speech-is-in-a-poor-state-in-europe"},{"headline":{"en":"Italian judge vindicates migrant rescue workers"},"src":"https://twitter.com/MSF_Sea/status/1781274629576835473?t=FveIQh0W1hZYJZL4p3DDTg&s=31"},{"headline":{"en":"EU report shows: employment up, average working hours down"},"src":"https://twitter.com/Stan_ds/status/1780975684761899106"},{"headline":{"en":"Book: A Europe of Capital"},"src":"https://rosalux.eu/en/2024/a-europe-of-capital/"},{"headline":{"en":"Antimarket: Capitalism 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class="k r"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:64px;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:start;min-width:100%" class="ssvjh9"><div class="ht hu b5 hv dg bv dct6ml kowbca" style="background-position:center -100px;background-image:url(https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,w=1582/5aee35ac5996a9a06b99d46882413d11.jpg)"><h2 class="c7 cf cg ch oz3u7r _1q4eddr _9x1sq c3q9lo _4vprv2" style="color:var(--white);position:absolute;display:inline-flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:0;bottom:20px;margin-left:-24px"></h2></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:0;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:space-between;max-width:33%;padding-right:26px" class="_8sp753"><div class="hw"></div><h2 class="c7 cf cg ch oz3u7r _1ti8vjs" style="color:var(--black);display:none"><a href="/eu-and-the-world/ar02714b2d">Another big 2024 election? - India’s</a></h2><span class="co cp cw" style="font-family:GeistRegular;color:var(--grey);text-decoration:none">3 days ago</span><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:12px;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:start;margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:20px"><a href="/section/5002452f20"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">EU &amp; the World</span></a><a href="/article-type/80178480d0"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">Analysis</span></a></div><div class="c7 cw d9 _150jpfw v3ktue _8mu7lq _1p9mi6m _1v5npaz _1h8xwyr yz64aj _18qfyyg tq69qt shy7gc _18qgrsu _143c5sd _17sqer0 mxxezy" style="font-size:18px;line-height:30px">Electorates of 987 million voters (India) and 400 million (Europe) both go to the polls in spring 2024 — what will the results mean for relations between New Delhi and Brussels? </div><a href="/eu-and-the-world/ar02714b2d"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">Read it</span></a></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:64px;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:start;min-width:100%" class="ssvjh9"><div class="ht hu b5 hv dg bv dct6ml kowbca" style="background-position:center -100px;background-image:url(https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,w=1582/36f24f4f6ef02eddbd83f646b21527de.jpeg)"><h2 class="c7 cf cg ch oz3u7r _1q4eddr _9x1sq c3q9lo _4vprv2" style="color:var(--white);position:absolute;display:inline-flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:0;bottom:20px;margin-left:-24px"></h2></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:0;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:space-between;max-width:33%;padding-right:26px" class="_8sp753"><div class="hw"></div><h2 class="c7 cf cg ch oz3u7r _1ti8vjs" style="color:var(--black);display:none"><a href="/green-economy/ar199bfdc3">New EU fiscal rules will bake-in austerity in gift to far-right</a></h2><span class="co cp cw" style="font-family:GeistRegular;color:var(--grey);text-decoration:none">5 hours ago</span><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:12px;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:start;margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:20px"><a href="/section/50739332cc"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">Green Economy</span></a><a href="/article-type/806f303338"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">Opinion</span></a></div><div class="c7 cw d9 _150jpfw v3ktue _8mu7lq _1p9mi6m _1v5npaz _1h8xwyr yz64aj _18qfyyg tq69qt shy7gc _18qgrsu _143c5sd _17sqer0 mxxezy" style="font-size:18px;line-height:30px">Fresh research from the New Economic Foundation suggests that MEPs voting for the new EU economic governance rules will lock-in underinvestment in health, housing, education, and the environment — whoever 'wins' the June elections.</div><a href="/green-economy/ar199bfdc3"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">Read it</span></a></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:64px;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:start;min-width:100%" class="ssvjh9"><div class="ht hu b5 hv dg bv dct6ml kowbca" style="background-position:center -100px;background-image:url(https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,w=1582/bc474aa50a134ee7bd0fa4ae9a6f07f6.jpg)"><h2 class="c7 cf cg ch oz3u7r _1q4eddr _9x1sq c3q9lo _4vprv2" style="color:var(--white);position:absolute;display:inline-flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:0;bottom:20px;margin-left:-24px"></h2></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:0;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:space-between;max-width:33%;padding-right:26px" class="_8sp753"><div class="hw"></div><h2 class="c7 cf cg ch oz3u7r _1ti8vjs" style="color:var(--black);display:none"><a href="/news/ar5e1ad75e">Iran, Israel, Ukraine, and Parliament holds record-breaking final plenary This WEEK</a></h2><span class="co cp cw" style="font-family:GeistRegular;color:var(--grey);text-decoration:none">9 hours ago</span><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:12px;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:start;margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:20px"></div><div class="c7 cw d9 _150jpfw v3ktue _8mu7lq _1p9mi6m _1v5npaz _1h8xwyr yz64aj _18qfyyg tq69qt shy7gc _18qgrsu _143c5sd _17sqer0 mxxezy" style="font-size:18px;line-height:30px">MEPs final plenary in Strasbourg sees a record-breaking agenda, packed with nearly 90 final votes, including numerous headline pieces of legislation, like the battered corporate due diligence law and the controversial CAP derogation. </div><a href="/news/ar5e1ad75e"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">Read 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style="margin-left:4px;margin-right:11px"><span class="z3410u">by Esther Lynch</span></a></div><div class="ci"></div></div></div><button class="ci r l bv ff k fg dg c0vzui _5yrser _1ti8vjs" style="color:var(--black);height:30px;width:30px;border-radius:50%;user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-webkit-user-select:none;display:none;cursor:pointer"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:8px;width:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:center"><span class="cn cw d7 d8 _1j3zqid"><svg width="8" height="11" viewBox="0 0 8 11" fill="none" style="transform:rotate(90deg);transition:0.2s"><path d="M1.5 10L6 5.30435L1.5 1" stroke="var(--grey)" stroke-width="2"></path></svg></span></div></button></div><a href="/green-economy/ar199bfdc3"><h3 class="c7 cj ck ca" style="color:var(--black)">New EU fiscal rules will bake-in austerity in gift to far-right</h3></a><div class="k ap aq l"><a href="/section/50739332cc"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" 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style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:8px;width:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:center"><svg width="8" height="11" viewBox="0 0 8 11" fill="none" style="transform:rotate(90deg);transition:0.2s"><path d="M1.5 10L6 5.30435L1.5 1" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2"></path></svg></div></button><div class="k ab q am an _9ntyv0"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:0;width:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between" class="_2nllxi"><div class="k ab q in"><div class="k"><div class="co cp cw cx cb bw cc cd ce _1lwklq9" style="font-family:GeistRegular;color:var(--grey);text-decoration:none"><a href="/bio/eu83cf6ae2" style="margin-left:4px;margin-right:11px"><span class="z3410u">by Elena Sánchez 
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style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:0;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:space-between;transform:translateX(-0%);transition:transform 0.3s ease-in"><div target="_blank" style="min-width:25%;text-decoration:none;padding-left:16px;padding-right:16px;border-left:2px solid var(--orange);height:fit-content" class="_4r62fk _1bt5zif"><div class="k ab"><span class="co cp cw" style="font-family:GeistBold;color:var(--orange);text-decoration:none"></span></div><p class="c7 cl cm ck" style="font-weight:400;color:var(--black);margin-top:6px">Foreign Affairs Council</p></div><div target="_blank" style="min-width:25%;text-decoration:none;padding-left:16px;padding-right:16px;border-left:2px solid var(--orange);height:fit-content" class="_4r62fk _1bt5zif"><div class="k ab"><span class="co cp cw" style="font-family:GeistBold;color:var(--orange);text-decoration:none"></span></div><p class="c7 cl cm ck" style="font-weight:400;color:var(--black);margin-top:6px">Foreign Affairs 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style="font-family:GeistBold;color:var(--orange);text-decoration:none"></span></div><p class="c7 cl cm ck" style="font-weight:400;color:var(--black);margin-top:6px">Informal meeting of the General Affairs Council</p></div><div target="_blank" style="min-width:25%;text-decoration:none;padding-left:16px;padding-right:16px;border-left:2px solid var(--orange);height:fit-content" class="_4r62fk _1bt5zif"><div class="k ab"><span class="co cp cw" style="font-family:GeistBold;color:var(--orange);text-decoration:none"></span></div><p class="c7 cl cm ck" style="font-weight:400;color:var(--black);margin-top:6px">Agriculture and Fisheries Council</p></div><div target="_blank" style="min-width:25%;text-decoration:none;padding-left:16px;padding-right:16px;border-left:2px solid var(--orange);height:fit-content" class="_4r62fk _1bt5zif"><div class="k ab"><span class="co cp cw" style="font-family:GeistBold;color:var(--orange);text-decoration:none"></span></div><p class="c7 cl cm ck" style="font-weight:400;color:var(--black);margin-top:6px">Informal meeting of the General Affairs Council</p></div><div target="_blank" style="min-width:25%;text-decoration:none;padding-left:16px;padding-right:16px;border-left:2px solid var(--orange);height:fit-content" class="_4r62fk _1bt5zif"><div class="k ab"><span class="co cp cw" style="font-family:GeistBold;color:var(--orange);text-decoration:none"></span></div><p class="c7 cl cm ck" style="font-weight:400;color:var(--black);margin-top:6px">Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council</p></div><div target="_blank" style="min-width:25%;text-decoration:none;padding-left:16px;padding-right:16px;border-left:2px solid var(--orange);height:fit-content" class="_4r62fk _1bt5zif"><div class="k ab"><span class="co cp cw" style="font-family:GeistBold;color:var(--orange);text-decoration:none"></span></div><p class="c7 cl cm ck" style="font-weight:400;color:var(--black);margin-top:6px">Lithuanian presidential 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style="border-top:2px solid black"><button class="ci r l bv ff k fg dg j55797 _1316jf6" style="color:var(--white);background-color:var(--orange);height:21px;width:21px;border-radius:50%;user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-webkit-user-select:none;margin-left:19px;min-width:21px;min-height:21px;cursor:pointer"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:8px;width:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="13" height="10" viewBox="0 0 13 10" fill="currentColor"><path d="M12.068 5.45962C12.3219 5.20578 12.3219 4.79422 12.068 4.54038L7.93144 0.403806C7.6776 0.149965 7.26605 0.149965 7.0122 0.403806C6.75836 0.657647 6.75836 1.0692 7.0122 1.32304L10.6892 5L7.0122 8.67696C6.75836 8.9308 6.75836 9.34235 7.0122 9.59619C7.26605 9.85003 7.6776 9.85003 7.93144 9.59619L12.068 5.45962ZM0.608398 5.65L11.6084 5.65V4.35L0.608398 4.35L0.608398 5.65Z"></path></svg></div></button><div class="ed cd k q am vywzsv"><h3 class="c7 cj ck ca" style="color:var(--black);margin-bottom:4px">The philosophical case for a four-day workweek</h3><div class="k"><div class="co cp cw cx cb bw cc cd ce" style="font-family:GeistRegular;color:var(--grey);text-decoration:none">https://jacobin.com/2024/04/marx-spinoza-four-day-wo<!-- -->...</div><div class="ci"></div></div><div class="k ap aq l"></div></div></li></a><a class="dp b k" href="https://www.brusselstimes.com/politics/1010080/belgian-elections-guide-2024#Echobox=1713758549" target="_blank"><li class="l ec ak b k _1ksthn4 _10m8r96" style="border-top:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.12)"><button class="ci r l bv ff k fg dg j55797 _1316jf6" style="color:var(--white);background-color:var(--orange);height:21px;width:21px;border-radius:50%;user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-webkit-user-select:none;margin-left:19px;min-width:21px;min-height:21px;cursor:pointer"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:8px;width:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="13" height="10" viewBox="0 0 13 10" fill="currentColor"><path d="M12.068 5.45962C12.3219 5.20578 12.3219 4.79422 12.068 4.54038L7.93144 0.403806C7.6776 0.149965 7.26605 0.149965 7.0122 0.403806C6.75836 0.657647 6.75836 1.0692 7.0122 1.32304L10.6892 5L7.0122 8.67696C6.75836 8.9308 6.75836 9.34235 7.0122 9.59619C7.26605 9.85003 7.6776 9.85003 7.93144 9.59619L12.068 5.45962ZM0.608398 5.65L11.6084 5.65V4.35L0.608398 4.35L0.608398 5.65Z"></path></svg></div></button><div class="ed cd k q am vywzsv"><h3 class="c7 cj ck ca" style="color:var(--black);margin-bottom:4px">Belgian elections guide: What Belgium&#x27;s parties stand for</h3><div class="k"><div class="co cp cw cx cb bw cc cd ce" style="font-family:GeistRegular;color:var(--grey);text-decoration:none">https://www.brusselstimes.com/politics/1010080/belgi<!-- -->...</div><div class="ci"></div></div><div class="k ap aq l"></div></div></li></a><a class="dp b k" href="https://www.ft.com/content/cc322202-97da-40e6-bdd2-ae1c89deea10" target="_blank"><li class="l ec ak b k _1ksthn4 _10m8r96" style="border-top:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.12)"><button class="ci r l bv ff k fg dg j55797 _1316jf6" style="color:var(--white);background-color:var(--orange);height:21px;width:21px;border-radius:50%;user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-webkit-user-select:none;margin-left:19px;min-width:21px;min-height:21px;cursor:pointer"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:8px;width:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="13" height="10" viewBox="0 0 13 10" fill="currentColor"><path d="M12.068 5.45962C12.3219 5.20578 12.3219 4.79422 12.068 4.54038L7.93144 0.403806C7.6776 0.149965 7.26605 0.149965 7.0122 0.403806C6.75836 0.657647 6.75836 1.0692 7.0122 1.32304L10.6892 5L7.0122 8.67696C6.75836 8.9308 6.75836 9.34235 7.0122 9.59619C7.26605 9.85003 7.6776 9.85003 7.93144 9.59619L12.068 5.45962ZM0.608398 5.65L11.6084 5.65V4.35L0.608398 4.35L0.608398 5.65Z"></path></svg></div></button><div class="ed cd k q am vywzsv"><h3 class="c7 cj ck ca" style="color:var(--black);margin-bottom:4px">Greece and Spain under pressure to provide Ukraine with air defence systems</h3><div class="k"><div class="co cp cw cx cb bw cc cd ce" style="font-family:GeistRegular;color:var(--grey);text-decoration:none">https://www.ft.com/content/cc322202-97da-40e6-bdd2-a<!-- -->...</div><div class="ci"></div></div><div class="k ap aq l"></div></div></li></a><a class="dp b k" href="https://telex.hu/english/2024/04/19/orban-freedom-of-speech-is-in-a-poor-state-in-europe" target="_blank"><li class="l ec ak b k _1ksthn4 _10m8r96" style="border-top:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.12)"><button class="ci r l bv ff k fg dg j55797 _1316jf6" style="color:var(--white);background-color:var(--orange);height:21px;width:21px;border-radius:50%;user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-webkit-user-select:none;margin-left:19px;min-width:21px;min-height:21px;cursor:pointer"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:8px;width:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="13" height="10" viewBox="0 0 13 10" fill="currentColor"><path d="M12.068 5.45962C12.3219 5.20578 12.3219 4.79422 12.068 4.54038L7.93144 0.403806C7.6776 0.149965 7.26605 0.149965 7.0122 0.403806C6.75836 0.657647 6.75836 1.0692 7.0122 1.32304L10.6892 5L7.0122 8.67696C6.75836 8.9308 6.75836 9.34235 7.0122 9.59619C7.26605 9.85003 7.6776 9.85003 7.93144 9.59619L12.068 5.45962ZM0.608398 5.65L11.6084 5.65V4.35L0.608398 4.35L0.608398 5.65Z"></path></svg></div></button><div class="ed cd k q am vywzsv"><h3 class="c7 cj ck ca" style="color:var(--black);margin-bottom:4px">Orbán: Freedom of speech is in 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fill="currentColor"><path d="M12.068 5.45962C12.3219 5.20578 12.3219 4.79422 12.068 4.54038L7.93144 0.403806C7.6776 0.149965 7.26605 0.149965 7.0122 0.403806C6.75836 0.657647 6.75836 1.0692 7.0122 1.32304L10.6892 5L7.0122 8.67696C6.75836 8.9308 6.75836 9.34235 7.0122 9.59619C7.26605 9.85003 7.6776 9.85003 7.93144 9.59619L12.068 5.45962ZM0.608398 5.65L11.6084 5.65V4.35L0.608398 4.35L0.608398 5.65Z"></path></svg></div></button><div class="ed cd k q am vywzsv"><h3 class="c7 cj ck ca" style="color:var(--black);margin-bottom:4px">Italian judge vindicates migrant rescue workers</h3><div class="k"><div class="co cp cw cx cb bw cc cd ce" style="font-family:GeistRegular;color:var(--grey);text-decoration:none">https://twitter.com/MSF_Sea/status/17812746295768354<!-- -->...</div><div class="ci"></div></div><div class="k ap aq l"></div></div></li></a><a class="dp b k" href="https://twitter.com/Stan_ds/status/1780975684761899106" target="_blank"><li class="l ec ak b k _1ksthn4 _10m8r96" style="border-top:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.12)"><button class="ci r l bv ff k fg dg j55797 _1316jf6" style="color:var(--white);background-color:var(--orange);height:21px;width:21px;border-radius:50%;user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-webkit-user-select:none;margin-left:19px;min-width:21px;min-height:21px;cursor:pointer"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:8px;width:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="13" height="10" viewBox="0 0 13 10" fill="currentColor"><path d="M12.068 5.45962C12.3219 5.20578 12.3219 4.79422 12.068 4.54038L7.93144 0.403806C7.6776 0.149965 7.26605 0.149965 7.0122 0.403806C6.75836 0.657647 6.75836 1.0692 7.0122 1.32304L10.6892 5L7.0122 8.67696C6.75836 8.9308 6.75836 9.34235 7.0122 9.59619C7.26605 9.85003 7.6776 9.85003 7.93144 9.59619L12.068 5.45962ZM0.608398 5.65L11.6084 5.65V4.35L0.608398 4.35L0.608398 5.65Z"></path></svg></div></button><div class="ed cd k q am vywzsv"><h3 class="c7 cj ck ca" style="color:var(--black);margin-bottom:4px">EU report shows: employment up, average working hours down</h3><div class="k"><div class="co cp cw cx cb bw cc cd ce" style="font-family:GeistRegular;color:var(--grey);text-decoration:none">https://twitter.com/Stan_ds/status/17809756847618991<!-- -->...</div><div class="ci"></div></div><div class="k ap aq l"></div></div></li></a></ul><button class="ci r l bv ff k fg dg _1i4ywnf _11vc6zm" style="color:var(--white);background-color:var(--black);padding:0px 18px;height:30px;border-radius:20px;user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-webkit-user-select:none;margin-left:auto;margin-top:42px;cursor:pointer"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:8px;width:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:center"><span class="cn cw d7 d8 _1j3zqid">More</span></div></button></div></div><div class="b p1ikjm" style="height:76px"></div><div class="b en eo ep eq" style="padding-top:48px"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:0;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:center;transform:translate3d(0px,0px,0px)"><div class="k r"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:64px;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:start;min-width:100%" class="ssvjh9"><div class="ht hu b5 hv dg bv dct6ml kowbca" style="background-position:center;background-image:url(https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,w=1582/f4b6e30fb57a37c9872c0f5fbb433c00.jpg)"></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:0;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:space-between;max-width:40%;padding-right:26px" class="_8sp753"><div class="hw"></div><h2 class="c7 cf cg ch oz3u7r _1ti8vjs" style="color:var(--black);display:block;margin-bottom:24px"><a href="/migration/arf3ea23e2">Migration pact hailed as &#x27;huge&#x27; EU win, amid human-rights fears</a></h2><span class="co cp cw" style="font-family:GeistRegular;color:var(--grey);text-decoration:none">11 days ago</span><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:12px;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:start;margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:20px"><a href="/section/50192d9286"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">Migration</span></a></div><div class="c7 cw d9 _150jpfw v3ktue _8mu7lq _1p9mi6m _1v5npaz _1h8xwyr yz64aj _18qfyyg tq69qt shy7gc _18qgrsu _143c5sd _17sqer0 mxxezy" style="font-size:18px;line-height:30px">MEPs have given their final approval to the EU's long-delayed immigration and asylum pact, which EU Commission president von der Leyen heralded as a "huge achievement for Europe".</div><a href="/migration/arf3ea23e2"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">Read it</span></a></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:64px;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:start;min-width:100%" class="ssvjh9"><div class="ht hu b5 hv dg bv dct6ml kowbca" style="background-position:center;background-image:url(https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,w=1582/fi5eb4dc77/243f4b43-33b7-4d71-9603-b9f5c72d9355-698a91e0-ccef-4256-ba6e-74977ac137dd-ca02ed94-0810-4f3d-895a-91a912c51431.png)"></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:0;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:space-between;max-width:40%;padding-right:26px" class="_8sp753"><div class="hw"></div><h2 class="c7 cf cg ch oz3u7r _1ti8vjs" style="color:var(--black);display:block;margin-bottom:24px"><a href="/inside-euobserver/ar77652c78">Welcome to the new EUobserver</a></h2><span class="co cp cw" style="font-family:GeistRegular;color:var(--grey);text-decoration:none">5 days ago</span><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:12px;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:start;margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:20px"><a href="/section/505e0db4ca"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">Inside EUobserver</span></a></div><div class="c7 cw d9 _150jpfw v3ktue _8mu7lq _1p9mi6m _1v5npaz _1h8xwyr yz64aj _18qfyyg tq69qt shy7gc _18qgrsu _143c5sd _17sqer0 mxxezy" style="font-size:18px;line-height:30px">New website, same EUobserver. Come explore its updated look, features and possibilities for the future with us.</div><a href="/inside-euobserver/ar77652c78"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">Read it</span></a></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:64px;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:start;min-width:100%" class="ssvjh9"><div class="ht hu b5 hv dg bv dct6ml kowbca" style="background-position:center;background-image:url(https://files-production-saulx-eu-observer-production-en-ci-hyp-xx0.based.dev/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,w=1582/e4092a6a7d4a4f7aaa1f8e6e8f7d8091.jpg)"></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:0;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:space-between;max-width:40%;padding-right:26px" class="_8sp753"><div class="hw"></div><h2 class="c7 cf cg ch oz3u7r _1ti8vjs" style="color:var(--black);display:block;margin-bottom:24px"><a href="/eu-political/ar368ac22c">EU rules seen as insufficient to fix nutrient pollution</a></h2><span class="co cp cw" style="font-family:GeistRegular;color:var(--grey);text-decoration:none">4 days ago</span><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:12px;width:100%;align-items:start;justify-content:start;margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:20px"><a href="/section/506324822d"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">EU Political</span></a><a href="/article-type/8088e5421e"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">Feature</span></a></div><div class="c7 cw d9 _150jpfw v3ktue _8mu7lq _1p9mi6m _1v5npaz _1h8xwyr yz64aj _18qfyyg tq69qt shy7gc _18qgrsu _143c5sd _17sqer0 mxxezy" style="font-size:18px;line-height:30px">From rivers and lakes to lagoons and seas, numerous aquatic environments across Europe are grappling with a silent yet ubiquitous threat – an excess of nutrients that disrupt their ecological balance and imperil their very existence. And experts say current policies are not going to fix the problem.</div><a href="/eu-political/ar368ac22c"><span class="d5 dh cm c9 di dj dg _17svc6y" style="font-family:GeistRegular;font-weight:400">Read it</span></a></div></div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:16px;width:auto;align-items:center;justify-content:end;margin-top:24px;padding-left:26px;padding-right:26px" class="_138zml0"><button class="ci r l bv ff k fg dg j55797 _1316jf6" style="color:var(--white);background-color:var(--orange);height:30px;width:30px;border-radius:50%;user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-webkit-user-select:none;cursor:pointer"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;gap:8px;width:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:center"><span class="cn cw d7 d8 _1j3zqid"><svg width="8" height="11" viewBox="0 0 8 11" fill="none" style="transform:rotate(180deg)"><path d="M1.5 10L6 5.30435L1.5 1" stroke="currentColor" 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