Who works for whom in the new EU power structure
POLITICO reveals the lines of command in Ursula von der Leyenโs second term.
Competition and Industrial Policy
5 takeaways on Ursula von der Leyenโs new Commission
As the dust settles after weeks of wrangling, here are the key things you need to know.
Ursula von der Leyenโs new European Commission
Commission president hands out the top jobs in her new team.
Spainโs Teresa Ribera gets top job in charge of competition, climate in new Commission
Ursula von der Leyen appoints the socialist politician as her No. 2.
Lithuaniaโs Andrius Kubiliusย named defense and space commissioner
He will work on developing the European defense union and boosting our investment in capacity,โ said Ursula von der Leyen.
Ursula von der Leyen tightens grip before unveiling her team
Thierry Breton is out of the way, ridding the European Commission chief of her fiercest internal critic.
โAnyone but himโ: Inside Ursula von der Leyenโs long breakup with Thierry Breton
The split between the Commission president and her biggest internal critic had been brewing for years.
French European Commissioner Thierry Breton resigns, attacks von der Leyen for โquestionable governanceโ
In a fiery letter, Breton accused the Commission chief of trying to get Emmanuel Macron to ditch him.
Youโre on your own implementing Draghi report, Lagarde tells governments
โStructural reforms are not the responsibility of the central bank โ they are the responsibility of governments,โ European Central Bank president says.
ECB cuts interest rates again as inflation cools
The central bank has trimmed its growth forecasts owing mainly to weak domestic demand.
EU rejects Chinese proposals to avoid duties on EVs
Offer of price floors or volume caps would not offset the injury caused by Chinese subsidies, European Commission says.
Vestagerโs victories see her quit on a high
Court wins against Apple and Google seal the EU antitrust chief’s legacy as a forceful foe of Big Tech.
โฌ13B legal win over Apple made me cry, says shocked EU competition chief
Margrethe Vestager said sheโd been told to brace for defeat on Appleโs challenge against tax state aid finding.
Google loses court battle over first EU antitrust fine
The Court of Justice said Googleโs practice of favoring its own shopping search results over rival services โwas discriminatory.โ
European Commission scores stunning court win in โฌ13B Apple tax row
Competition czar Margrethe Vestagerโs surprise victory against Apple vindicates her finding that the tech giantโs Irish tax deals were illegal aid.
EPP plots to limit Socialist Riberaโs economic powers
Spainโs green ‘socialist heavyweight,’ Teresa Ribera, is in talks about a role in EU industrial policy, disconcerting center-right politicians.
Europeโs new normal: High energy bills, fading industry and one chance to fix it
German manufacturers are being strangled. The EU is feeling the pinch. Mario Draghi on Monday warned the EU may be staring at โslow agony.โ
Mario Draghiโs plan to fix a broken Europe already looks impossible
The Draghi report is full of good intentions to mend a continent losing its way. But while the vision is bold, the politics are practically impossible.
Musk praises Draghi, calls for less EU red tape
Elon Musk’s X is subject to a Commission probe on compliance with the bloc’s content-moderation rulebook.
Buy your guns, missiles and tanks at home, Draghi tells EU countries
The EU should push countries to buy from the bloc’s military industrial complex, Draghi said in his new report.
Margrethe Vestagerโs legacy faces day of reckoning in Apple and Google rulings
The EUโs top court rules on final appeals of Appleโs state aid payback and Googleโs first big antitrust fine.
Draghi says EU must spend twice as much as it did after WWII
AI is an opportunity for Europe while common borrowing is needed to fund defense, former ECB chief says in landmark report. Read the full paper here.
Secretive Draghi is echoing Soviet Union restructuring
Like Gorbachev’s Perestroika, the report from the former ECB chief could herald a change of historic proportions. It’s far less innocuous than it sounds.
Europeโs Draghi report unleashed: These are the 5 things to watch
A blueprint to make the EU more competitive with the rest of the world is published on Monday. It’s likely to prove controversial.
โNobody in Politics Is Able to Say Itโ: The Truth About Latino Voters
A top political strategist explains how the Latino vote is shifting.
Volkswagenโs week from hell risks getting worse
The carmaker’s executives are locked in a stalemate with workers as the company’s future hangs in the balance.
Oasis fiasco prompts UK Ticketmaster probe
Competition and Markets Authority looks back in anger after “dynamic pricing” row.
Barรงa fans fail in court bid for EU to probe Messi transfer
Top EU court says supporters can’t demand the European Commission investigate any unfair subsidy to French football clubs.
EU court rips up Commissionโs killer acquisition tool
Judges tell merger regulators to stop scooping up anti-competitive deals outside revenue thresholds.
Donโt expect Britain to copy EU and American tariffs on Chinese cars
The UK is mulling an alternative strategy to its allies that could lead to a surge of imports of Chinese EVs.
Europe needs concrete action on connectivity policy
Policymakers have already recognized the need for a new digital approach. Done right, it can take us into a more prosperous, fair and flourishing future.
Oasis Ticketmaster fiasco prompts UK probe into โdynamic pricingโ
British Culture Secretary said it was โdepressing to see vastly inflated prices excluding ordinary fans.โ
Defense firms need full access to EU cash as Putin haunts Europe, Draghi says
Looming threats must spark major rethink of European defense policy, according to draft of new report seen by POLITICO.
Hungary blows up at Spain after Russia links scuppered bid for train giant
Ganz-Mรกvag Europe threatened broad legal action against Madrid over it vetoing a deal to purchase Spanish train-maker Talgo.
Draghi to present EU competitiveness report to senior lawmakers next week
Ex-ECB chief will brief political groups of European Parliament before official launch in coming weeks.
China decides not to impose tariffs on EU brandy
Announcement will come as a relief to French cognac makers.
Spain blocks Hungarian rail bid over possible Russia ties
Spain says the bid by the Hungarian company โ formerly a Russian subsidiary โ poses a risk to national security.
New mandate, new opportunity: A competitiveness strategy for European life sciences
We have an important chance to regain Europeโs edge in one of its most important sectors โ and, in turn, help people live longer and feel better.
Germanyโs slow-motion move away from China
Germany is starting to distance itself from China, but the auto industry isnโt so keen.
Italian government ramps up pressure on carmaker Stellantis
Industry Minister Adolfo Urso confirmed the government is courting Chinese carmakers.
China hits back at electric vehicle tariffs with probe into EU dairy
Beijing claims Europe is creaming off fat profits from oversubsidized cheese.
Elon Muskโs Tesla gets lower EU duties on made-in-China EVs
The win for the U.S. mogul comes amid fraught relations with the EU.
The European Commission hopefuls with one thing on their mind
EU governments are battling for their people to get roles linked to the economy.
Meloniโs head-on collision with Italyโs only carmaker
The prime minister is pressing the heir of the once mighty Fiat to make more cars in Italy.
Belgian bankruptcy dents Europeโs microchip dreams
Concerns about Chinese ownership impacted government’s thinking to keep microchips factory afloat.
Huge lithium-mining protest triggers crisis meeting in Serbia
Environmental activists fear the project will pollute land and water in Serbia’s western Jadar region.
Sun, sand and strikes: Italyโs beach clubs shut down to protest EU law
Beach licenses in Italy are set to be awarded through a competitive bidding process, threatening decades-old family businesses.
Teresa Ribera faces nuclear hurdle to running EU green policy
Nuclear-friendly lawmakers and countries like France don’t want the EU’s potential next green chief to thwart an atomic revival.
DOJ, states win Google search antitrust case
โGoogle is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,โ Judge Mehta wrote.
After a whirlwind 5 years, Bretonโs back for more
POLITICO looks back on the French commissioner’s first stint at the Berlaymont.
Emmanuel Macron nominates Thierry Breton for another term at European Commission
France wants its current commissioner to serve another term.
Trump vs. Bidenโs historic climate agenda
President Joe Biden may no longer be on the 2024 ballot โ but his legacy is. And former President Donald Trump would have multiple tools to thwart his ambitions on energy, infrastructure and climate change.
Italyโs Meloni vows to โrelaunchโ relations with China
Visit demonstrates โthe will to start a new phase,โ says Meloni, after Rome decided to quit Beijingโs Belt and Road initiative.
Yellen says $3T of fresh capital is needed annually to fight climate change
The Treasury secretary called the shift to a low-carbon global economy โthe single greatest opportunity of the 21st century.โ
Slovakia proposes โtechnical solutionโ to blocked Russian oil supplies
Slovakia and Hungary have criticized Ukraine for halting Lukoil’s supplies.
Franceโs Gourmey submits first EU application for cultivated meat
The Paris startup wants Europeans munching cell-grown foie gras by 2026.
EU takes Germany and Italy to court over migrant worker โdiscriminationโ
Commission cites โfundamental” EU principle that “people are treated equally without any distinction based on nationality.โ
Macron meets Musk, worldโs top executives amid political turmoil and Olympics
French president will use the occasion to pursue his charm offensive among foreign investors.
Who will be the next European commissioners?
What we know so far about Ursula von der Leyenโs next top team.
EU โreadyโ to negotiate as Hungary-Ukraine oil row boils over
The European Commission also said it doesn’t see any ‘immediate’ oil supply risks after Ukraine partially banned Russian oil exports to Europe.
Football bosses ask EU to intervene in FIFAโs new match schedule
Football players and leagues filed a complaint with the European Commission to try to rein in footballโs governing body.
Hungary demands EU action against Ukraine as Russian oil spat escalates
Budapest argues it’s facing an energy crunch after Kyiv imposed a partial ban on Moscow’s oil transiting the country.
15 experts predict what Bidenโs dropout means for the 2024 election
Political analysts and historians weigh in on an unprecedented moment in American politics.
Hungary facing fuel crisis as Ukraine turns up heat on Russian oil supplies
Sky-high prices and electricity shortages could hit Hungarians within “weeks” after Kyiv imposed a partial ban on Russian oil passing through its territory.
Microsoft signs antitrust truce with OVHcloud
With a second cloud pact in weeks, Microsoft has definitely mitigated the threat of an EU probe โ for now.
Von der Leyen is in! Let the fighting over the next European Commission begin.ย
EU leaders will fight back against โtoo powerfulโ von der Leyen as she assembles her team.
ECB leaves rates unchanged, keeps door open to September cut
Spotlight on Lagardeโs press conference as uncertainty over French budget policy swirls.
Von der Leyen bets big on housing
Commission president vows to free up cash for affordable homes and create the bloc’s first-ever housing commissioner.
To do: 6 thorny issues lurking in MEPsโ inboxes
From creating an EU-wide money market to protecting kids online, POLITICO looks at what lies ahead for lawmakers.
The MEPs who actually matter
Here are 11 EU lawmakers to keep your eye on in the new term.
Germanyโs Scholz set for rare meeting with Serbiaโs isolated Vuฤiฤ to finalize lithium deal
European Commission to also attend signature in Belgrade on Friday
French government set to resign, ushering in indefinite transition periodย
The Attal administration will now serve as a caretaker government until a new prime minister is appointed.
The Trump-Vance ticket is a repudiation of free-market conservatism
The last time he chose a running mate, Donald Trump tried to reassure people with traditionally conservative economic views. Not this time.
What Washington thinks of Keir Starmer
After years of Conservative turmoil, the new British prime minister has been welcomed by Democrats and Republicans alike.
EU to boycott Hungaryโs foreign affairs summit
Increasingly exasperated by Viktor Orbรกnโs obstruction of EU foreign policy, Brusselsย is contemplating an unprecedented step to boycott Hungary’s foreign affairs summit next month.
EUโs biggest losers hold Ursula von der Leyenโs fate in their hands
Commission president could be forced to rely on Greens and liberals to secure a second term, weeks after they were rejected by voters in the European election.
Draghiโs EU competitiveness plan set to be delayed until September
Von der Leyen likely won’t have time to focus on Mario Draghi’s report until after the summer as she’s so focused on winning her second term.
Britain finally has a female chancellor. It only took 800 years.
Meet Rachel Reeves: the chess-playing former banker who needs to get the U.K. economy rolling.
Italian airline deal wasnโt cleared to help my boss: EUโs Vestager
European Commission came under heavy Italian political pressure to allow Lufthansa to buy Italy’s troubled airline.
Microsoft clinches deal to avert EU cloud probe
Software giant’s truce with cloud providers ends a two-year dispute and the threat of an antitrust probe.
The future of packaging in Europe
We need to change how the EU packages food and beverages to transition to a low-carbon circular economy.
EU firms up duties on Chinese EVs, skirting Berlinโs pressure
By cementing the duties, Brussels is holding its ground against Chinese โย and German โย opposition.
Tesla received EU inspectors last week at its Chinese factories
Such an inspection could result in Tesla getting a lower duty than the average of 21 percent on Chinese EV-makers.
Lufthansa wins EU approval for its Italian airline deal
BRUSSELS โ Lufthansa won European Union approval to buy a stake in Italyโs state-owned carrier ITA Airways after last-ditch concessions eased high tensions between Rome and Brussels. The German airline, already the biggest in Europe by revenue, now adds Italian routes to its network, guaranteeing the future of the loss-making Italian airline, the successor to [โฆ]
Investors too confused by French election to panic โ yet
Markets will certainly make their position known if politicking threatens to stretch public finances.
European markets open higher on relief at French election results
Stocks bounce sharply as the first round of voting leaves Le Pen’s National Rally looking short of securing a majority in parliament.
Le Pen pushes back against Macron picking Breton as EU commissioner
New fight brews between French president and surging far right ahead of snap election.
Microsoft and Google AI deals get EU antitrust scrutiny, Vestager says
“We cannot just sit back and see how things pan out,” the competition commissioner said.
Macron wants Breton to return as EU commissioner in a blow to the far-right
National Rally had claimed it should nominate the French commissioner if it wins the parliamentary election โย but the president wants Breton back in Brussels.
German ministers dash to China in bid to escape retaliation over EV duties
Transport Minister Volker Wissing calls duties a โdestructive approachโ on third visit by a government leader in recent weeks.
What if Macron is enemies with his next prime minister?
A liberal president constantly fighting a far-right prime minister would be a recipe for political catastrophe.
Lufthansa to charge up to โฌ72 per ticket to cover climate costs
The surcharge goes into effect for tickets booked from June 26 and departing from European countries.
Second suspect identified in European Investment Bank corruption probe
Former EIB official Henry von Blumenthal is in the crosshairs of EU prosecutors, his lawyer confirmed to POLITICO.
EU prosecutors launch bombshell corruption probe into former European Investment Bank chief
Investigators raided Werner Hoyerโs house as part of an “abuse of influence” investigation.
Apple gets EU warning over app store rules
The iPhone maker is the first company to be told it may not be complying with the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
Wie Merz und Scholz um den Osten kรคmpfen
Prรคsentiert von EFPIA.
Germanyโs Habeck blames Chinaโs Russia support for worsening Berlin-Beijing relations
Habeck said the EU’s proposed tariffs on imports of EVs from China are โnot a punishment,โ but compensation for the advantages granted by Beijing to Chinese companies.
Why Washington Is Waiting on โSuper Marioโ
The former Italian prime minister is preparing to issue a sweeping report on economic competitiveness that sets up Europe to take on China โ and America.
EU approves first-ever sanctions on Russian gas
Itโs a notable evolution in strategy for the EU, and came after Germany and Hungary held up a deal for weeks.