Italians followed Giorgia Meloni’s advice and made history at the polls yesterday, securing her rightwing bloc a comfortable victory of more than 40 per cent of the total vote. While waiting for the final result, which will define the balance of power within the ruling coalition, we’ll look at how Meloni’s relationship with the EU is shaping up in comparison with that of her predecessor, Mario Draghi.
Archiv: EU governmental councils
Veni, vidi, veto: Giorgia Meloni’s march on Brussels
More than useless, Brussels had been hostile, she added: “We are facing the most powerful and violent attack against governments of sovereign nations opposing the dictatorship of politically correct ideology.” As examples, she cited the EU’s attempts to punish Poland and Hungary for democratic backsliding and efforts “to humiliate the British people who have freely chosen Brexit.”
EU’s contempt for encryption puts all Europeans at risk
Every Internet user will find themselves more easily surveilled by the state and other actors. For Central and Eastern Europeans, where analogue surveillance and political retaliation were conducted within their lifetimes, the proposal would be a depressing rollback of the freedoms hard-won by previous generations.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community, abuse survivors, refugees, and minority groups that are the targets of discrimination or attack, will no longer find refuge on the Internet. Professions such as journalists, who depend upon encryption to keep themselves and their sources safe, will be less able to investigate corruption and criminality. The murders of Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak and Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in recent years are a reminder of the high stakes for reporters who are exposed.
EU parliament majority now in favor of banning AI surveillance in public
(23.09.2022)
According to the document, some EU countries are pushing to add more exemptions for law enforcement.
These include the police being able to use real-time facial recognition (RTFR) to prevent any “substantial threat” to critical infrastructure. The exceptions join the list, which already includes searching for kidnapping victims and suspects of crime.
German liberal Svenja Hahn told Politico that negotiations are still ongoing, but the EU parliament will formally try to secure its position on the matter by the end of the year.
A guide to the AI Act, the EU’s upcoming AI rulebook you should watch out for
(28.08.2022)
The unfolding of this is being attentively watched by other global players as the law will also have an effect outside the EU.
Currently, the EU Parliament and EU Council are each negotiating the draft written by the EU Commission within their own institutions. After this, the three bodies will go into trilogue negotiations.
Here is a guide for you to understand this new regulation and the political processes around it.
Quietly, without any announcement, the Commission’s #ChatControl #CSAM scanner draft legislation has been added to the agenda of the EU Parliament. My Civil Liberties Committee will be in the lead:
As the EU bails out Germany, we should thank God we left
The result is that the EU faces a winter like that endured by Britain under Sir Edward Heath: with energy rationed, perhaps through planned outages. For fans of the EU Sir Edward has long been a totemic figure: the Prime Minister who took us into the bloc without bothering to ask the people in a referendum. How ironic that the EU’s energy policy is now leading it down the same road as Heath’s Britain.
A flyer for the conference gives a taste of the fare on offer. „Social media monitoring“, „defeating encryption“, „TOR/DarkNet traceback“ etc. etc. 2/3
(14.06.2022)
EU, UK join US in Launching Online ‘Disinformation’ Policies, ‘One-World Governance’ of Social Media
These steps come as part of a broader crackdown on the “spread of disinformation” called for by the Act, requiring platforms to “flag hate speech, eliminate any kind of terrorist propaganda” and implement “frameworks to quickly take down illicit content.”
Regarding alleged “disinformation,” these platforms will be mandated to create a “crisis response mechanism” to combat the spread of such content, with the Act specifically citing the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the “manipulation” of online content that has ensued.
I’m on NPR, warning smaller platforms that they need to start gearing up for DSA compliance and singing the praises of career civil servants in Brussels.
The EU has proposed the most sophisticated mass surveillance system ever deployed outside of China & the USSR. It will mandate device-scanning, including encrypted messages.
(11.05.2022)
@matthew_d_green will dive into the details on tomorrow’s live show, 4pmEDT
Digital Services Act
On 22 April 2022, European policymakers reached an agreement on the Digital Services Act.[7] The final stage before the two bills come into law, is the vote by representatives of the individual parliaments and policymakers from the 27 member nations, which is considered to be a formality.
EU poised to impose sweeping social media regulation with Digital Services Act
The DSA, and its partner regulation, the Digital Markets Act, were introduced to the European Parliament in 2020. The European Commission said the regulations were intended to accomplish two goals: “create a safer digital space in which the fundamental rights of all users of digital services are protected” and “establish a level playing field to foster innovation, growth, and competitiveness, both in the European Single Market and globally.”
Replying to @matthew_d_green The term „grooming“ is being actively used in right-wing US political speech to indicate *any* advocacy for liberal values. So the potential for this sort of surveillance project to spiral truly out of control into abject political fascism is bounded only by the imagination.
This document is the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen. It is proposing a new mass surveillance system that will read private text messages, not to detect CSAM, but to detect “grooming”. Read for yourself.
(May 10, 2022)
The EU wants to scan all chat messages, using the guise of combating child abuse
The proposal states that, at the request of a government agency, “Providers of hosting services and providers of interpersonal communication services that have received a detection order shall execute it by installing and operating technologies to detect” CSAM.
We obtained a copy of the proposal for you here.
Europe Reluctantly Readies Russian Oil Embargo
Officials are drafting a phased import ban on Russian oil products, but the measure won’t be floated until after the second round of the French elections at the earliest.
2/6 Despite growing momentum behind a EU initiative to embargo Russian energy, Germany 🇩🇪 has been one of the most reticent Member States to consider a total embargo, citing heavy economic and social costs.
An EU embargo on Russian oil in the works – French minister
„I hope that in the weeks to come we will convince our European partners to stop importing Russian oil,“ Le Maire told Europe 1 radio.
Germany is trying to turn the EU into a ‚Fourth Reich‘, says head of Poland’s ruling party as Brussels SUES to stop the country over-ruling European laws
– One of Poland’s leaders said Germany is trying make EU a ‚German Fourth Reich‘
– Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 72, is the head of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party
– He added: ‚If we agreed with this modern-day submission we’d be degraded‘
Poland’s Constitution of 1997
Article 4
1.Supreme power in the Republic of Poland shall be vested in the Nation.
2.The Nation shall exercise such power directly or through their representatives.
Article 5
The Republic of Poland shall safeguard the independence and integrity of itsterritory and ensure the freedoms and rights of persons and citizens, the security ofthe citizens, safeguard the national heritage and shall ensure the protection of thenatural environment pursuant to the principles of sustainable development.
(…)
Article 7
The organs of public authority shall function on the basis of, and within the limits of,the law.
Article 81
.The Constitution shall be the supreme law of the Republic of Poland.
2.The provisions of the Constitution shall apply directly, unless the Constitutionprovides otherwise.
Why Is Poland Fighting the Supremacy of European Union Courts?
(08.10.2021)
Poland threw down the gauntlet to the European Union on Thursday when its Constitutional Tribunal issued a judgment that the Polish Constitution in some cases supersedes rulings by the bloc’s highest court.
The Polish judgment, which is a direct challenge to the primacy of European law, one of the cornerstones of the European Union, will only take effect once it is published by the government in an official journal, which could take some time.
How a Scholz-Led Government Could Transform Germany and Europe
Social Democrat Olaf Scholz is the favorite to become Germany’s next chancellor, but he’ll need a messy three-party coalition to form a government, according to the polls.
The path to power for the SPD and its preferred partner the Green Party is complicated. It would probably involve either a more centrist alliance with the business-friendly Free Democrats, or a shift in the opposite direction in a tie-up with the anti-capitalist Left party.
5 things to know about EU’s Fit for 55 climate package
(21.07.2021)
It’s the first time that a major economy is radically overhauling its climate rules, and is being watched around the world.
The Fit for 55 package will be announced on July 14.
Legislative train: Fit for 55 package under the European Green Deal
The following initiatives were announced for second quarter (Q2) of 2021. The Commission has announced a postponement of the initial batch to 14 July 2021:
– Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), including maritime, aviation and CORSIA as well as a proposal for ETS as own resource
– Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and a proposal for CBAM as own resource
– Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR)
– Revision of the Energy Tax Directive
– Amendment to the Renewable Energy Directive to implement the ambition of the new 2030 climate target (RED)
– Amendment of the Energy Efficiency Directive to implement the ambition of the new 2030 climate target (EED)
– Reducing methane emissions in the energy sector
– Revision of the Regulation on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF)
– Revision of the Directive on deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure
– Revision of the Regulation setting CO₂ emission performance standards for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles
The following initiatives are announced for fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021:
– Revision of the energy performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)
– Revision of the Third Energy Package for gas (Directive 2009/73/EU and Regulation 715/2009/EU) to regulate competitive decarbonised gas markets
Imperialist EU punishes nations it dislikes, says Hungary’s Viktor Orban
(20.06.2021)
In a contribution to the EU’s “future of Europe” debate this summer, Orban, 58, accused von der Leyen and the European institutions in Brussels of “imperialistic” diktats to “punish democratically elected governments it does not like”.
“[This] will inevitably lead to a lack of democracy,” he
German official rebukes Hungary for blocking EU criticism of China
(04.06.2021)
„Hungary again blocked an EU statement on Hong Kong. Three weeks ago it was on Middle East. Common foreign and security policy cannot work on the basis of a blocking policy,“ German Foreign Office State Secretary Miguel Berger wrote on Twitter.
„We need a serious debate on ways to manage dissent, including qualified majority voting.“
Fractious EU summit rejects Franco-German plan for Putin talks
A Franco-German plan to restart talks with Vladimir Putin has been rejected at a fractious EU summit that resulted in a decision to explore economic sanctions against Russia instead.
The two-day gathering in Brussels also included an “emotional” debate over LGBT rights in Hungary, …
Europe’s Divisions on Vivid Display Over Hungary and Russia
In general, the Germans have always believed in keeping lines of dialogue open with Russia almost no matter how it behaves, while Mr. Macron has been trying to reset France’s relations with Moscow, with little success.
In this case, the prime mover was Germany, with French support.
‚More like the USSR at every turn!‘ Britons chilled as EU to censor UK television content
Scheming eurocrats provoked outrage when it emerged they were drawing up plans to pull our critically-acclaimed shows like The Crown and Peaky Blinders from European streaming services. The news – which emerged in a memo sent to the EU’s 27 member states – was quickly compared to Soviet Russia which was notorious for its thought police tactics.
European Union Prepares to Cut Brit Film and TV Content Post Brexit
The EU is considering proposals to exclude British programs from European quotas, a move that could severely hit international sales of U.K. films and TV series to the EU.
Dawn of vaccine passports: EU set to agree this week to allow in British tourists who can prove they’ve had Covid jabs with UK and US are both tipped to join Europe’s ‚green list‘
The European Union’s new plan would see member states adopting uniform entry requirements, meaning vaccinated holidaymakers from low-risk countries – such as the UK – would be able to enter France, Spain, Italy and other hotspots.
Britain will be included on an EU expanded ‚green list‘ of permitted holiday travel on Wednesday as the bloc’s ambassadors are set to confirm a European Commission proposal lift restrictions on well-vaccinated nations, it is understood.
It will also be recommended that member states prepare digital portals allowing Britons to use the NHS app as a vaccine passport, the Daily Telegraph reports.
EU and India agree to restart trade talks at ‚landmark‘ summit
“The EU and India are opening a new important chapter in our relationship. We are the world’s two largest democracies. We are natural partners,” European Council chief Charles Michel said.
Merkel opposes US move to waive vaccine IP, the drive behind the commodity supercycle
German chancellor says waiver would have serious implications for production worldwide
ROADMAP FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIONS BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION BASED ON THE COMMISSION COMMUNICATION AND THE COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION ON STRENGTHENING COOPERATION AGAINST VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASES
(March 2019)
Examine the feasibility of developing a common vaccination card/passport for EU citizens (that takes into account potentially different national vaccination schedules and), that is compatible with electronic immunisation information systems and recognised for use across borders, without duplicating work at national level.
ROADMAP FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIONS BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION BASED ON THE COMMISSION COMMUNICATION AND THE COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION ON STRENGTHENING COOPERATION AGAINST VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASES
(March 2019)
Examine the feasibility of developing a common vaccination card/passport for EU citizens (that takes into account potentially different national vaccination schedules and), that is compatible with electronic immunisation information systems and recognised for use across borders, without duplicating work at national level.
ROADMAP FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIONS BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION BASED ON THE COMMISSION COMMUNICATION AND THE COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION ON STRENGTHENING COOPERATION AGAINST VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASES
(March 2019)
Examine the feasibility of developing a common vaccination card/passport for EU citizens (that takes into account potentially different national vaccination schedules and), that is compatible with electronic immunisation information systems and recognised for use across borders, without duplicating work at national level.
EU postpones issuing ‘vaccination passports’
The EU decided Thursday to postpone the issuing of vaccination certificates to people immunized against COVID-19 and opted to strongly deter all unnecessary travel within the bloc and with third countries to curb the spread of the virus.
Leaders of the EU met via videoconference to discuss the novel coronavirus pandemic and vaccination efforts in member states.
European Commission Working On Standard COVID Passports
(20.01.2021)
The European Commission is exploring proposals to introduce vaccine passports, a move that will facilitate greater travel across borders within the EU. Member states will discuss the idea at a summit this week, with many already signaling their approval for a passport-style document.
European leaders to discuss vaccination speed and immunity passports
Amid rising infections and new strains of COVID-19, EU leaders will meet on Thursday (January 21) to discuss how best to tackle the pandemic. It comes amid continued criticism that the vaccination drive has been too sluggish.
European leaders welcome Brexit deal as least-worst outcome
Merkel said the German cabinet would meet by telephone on 28 December to decide its stance, but added that the agreement “cannot finally enter into force until the European parliament has also given its approval”.
PM Orbán Sticks to Veto of EU Budget if Rule of Law Conditionality Stays
Commenting on a proposal by European People’s Party group leader Manfred Weber that decisions on issues concerning the rule of law should be left up to the European Commission while disputes should be settled by the Court of Justice of the European Union, Orbán said: “Everyone’s talking all kinds of nonsense and this is also true for Mr. Weber.”
“We’re not stupid, we weren’t born yesterday . we can put two and two together,” the prime minister said, insisting that Weber’s proposal meant that the EU wanted to “force anything onto member states that can be painted as a rule of law issue with a simple majority vote”.
Compromise on offer for Poland as EU leaders seek deal on budget
Speaking during a working visit to Prague, where he met Czech President Milos Zeman, Duda said: “There is a preliminary agreement drawn up. Work on it is still underway.”
He added: “The agreement is the result of very strenuous efforts by Poland, Hungary but also the German presidency” of the EU.
According to leaked documents from the @ORF , secret services from the so called „five eyes“ are initiators of the EU Resolution in the #encryptionban. For them this would be a very easy way to monitor all our messages and data, without the possibility to hide them.
INCLO CALLS ON STATES TO DEFEND END-TO-END ENCRYPTION
Fourteen members of INCLO express grave concerns regarding recent moves by various groups to breakencryption. We note with alarm calls from the Council of the European Union, the EuropeanCommission, and the Department of Justice in the US, with support from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, Japan and the UK, to allow police authorities intercept encrypted communications.
Joint statement by the EU home affairs ministers on the recent terrorist attacks in Europe
(13.11.2020)
We will also examine with interest the Commission’s announced proposal to designate hate speech and hate crime and incitement as criminal offences that are provided for and regulated under European Union law.
In the same vein, the Council must consider the matter of data encryption so that digital evidence can be lawfully collected and used by the competent authorities while maintaining the trustworthiness of the products and services based on encryption technology.
EU faces crisis as Hungary and Poland veto seven-year budget
The EU is facing a crisis after Hungary and Poland vetoed the bloc’s historic €1.8tn (£1.6tn) budget and coronavirus recovery plan over attempts to link funding to respect for democratic norms.
The move unravels months of negotiations over the scale and terms of the EU’s spending and sets the stage for a stormy videoconference meeting of the bloc’s leaders on Thursday.
Dendias in Vienna for talks with Pompeo, EU foreign affairs council
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias will meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Vienna on Friday to discuss developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Dendias will also meet with Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg,
The Digital Services Act package
The new Digital Services Act package should modernise the current legal framework for digital services by means of two main pillars:
First, the Commission would propose clear rules framing the responsibilities of digital services to address the risks faced by their users and to protect their rights. The legal obligations would ensure a modern system of cooperation for the supervision of platforms and guarantee effective enforcement.
Second, the Digital Services Act package would propose ex ante rules covering large online platforms acting as gatekeepers, which now set the rules of the game for their users and their competitors.
The EU Digital Services Act: What it is and Why it Shouldn’t Happen
(30.09.2019)
Crucially, the Commission shifted the focus from ISSs to platforms.1 Soon thereafter, the language in the many policy documents on platforms changed. Platforms, the Commission claimed, need to act “responsibly” if they are to continue to benefit from insulation. In its highly controversial Copyright in the DSM Directive the Commission suggests that even ISSs falling under Article 14 ECD need to have effective protective technologies and that they cannot rely on the article if they do not. ‘Active’ providers cannot rely on the protection as they are not responsible enough in the Commission’s mind.
Germany thinks Facebook isn’t doing enough to censor “hate speech” and plans to intervene
Germany has decided that it wants to take advantage of the present sentiment towards Facebook and not let off. This week, Berlin called for more action at a meeting on Monday of the bloc’s justice ministers.
“We cannot accept the public debate being distorted and poisoned,” said German Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht. “Voluntary commitments and self-responsibility are not enough.”
Opening remarks by Christine Lambrecht, Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection of Germany, at the Informal meeting of Justice Ministers (via video conference), on 6 July 2020, in Berlin.
(…)
Merkel Braces for the Backlash as Trump Re-Election Bid Wobbles
Merkel even cited the U.S. election as a risk factor for the EU on a videoconference with her fellow leaders on Friday, according to one official.
In a nutshell, #EU’s „help“ to fight #COVIDー19:
– Only credit lines (#loans)
– No mutualised debt (#Eurobonds)
– No currency issued to countries (#monetary #sovereignty)
– Free money for financiers, not the real economy
– Skyrocket the #debt/#GDP ratio => more #austerity soon.
Tonight’s Eurogroup risks being a total car crash. Far from red lines evolving, North & South could not be further apart. *All 4 parts* of the package are at risk. People should not be under any illusions about how broken the politics are.
Short thread, based on chats 1/
Swift EU deal needed or ‚we all collapse‘ says Di Maio An
The Eurogroup is trying to find a compromise between Italy, France and Spain, on the one hand, who want ‚coronabonds‘, and northern deficit hawks like the Netherlands, Denmark and Finland who advocate the use of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), rejecting any mutualizing of debt.
TODAY The presser following the #Eurogroup video conference will be online.
EU accredited journalists will be able to ask questions remotely, register using the link that you can find here with all the instructions https://europa.eu/!hM37Wf
Deadline: today at 15.00
Open letter: Civil society urges Member States to respect the principles of the law in Terrorist Content Online Regulation
On 27 March 2020, European Digital Rights (EDRi) and 12 of its member organisations sent an open letter to representatives of Member States in the Council of the EU. In the letter, we voice our deep concern over the proposed legislation on the regulation of terrorist content online and what we view as serious potential threats to fundamental rights of privacy, freedom of expression, etc.
Italy’s virus is a different strain from Wuhan’s
(28.02.2020)
„A group of researchers from Milan’s University Hospital was able to identify the strain of the Italian virus. The researchers state that when compared to what was known about the Chinese virus, a mutation has occured and this discovery will allow to reach(?) the genetic code of the virus, its specific characteristics in order to find out the time and spread speed of the virus. This should be an important first step to develop specific treatment for the infected. The scientific community has already communicated this discovery to Brussels [to the European Union headquarters] and even President Materelli has already congratulated the researchers (…)“
Syria: German Foreign Minister calls for humanitarian zone to be established in Idlib
Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said the ceasefire needs to be strengthened by adding a no-fly zone over the province to stop further bombings of hospitals.
“It would be wise to add a no-fly zone,” he told reporters as he arrived for a meeting with EU counterparts in Zagreb.
EU to Step Up Naval Enforcement of Libya Arms Embargo
European Union foreign ministers agreed to revive a naval mission in the Mediterranean Sea to enforce the internationally backed arms embargo on Libya, a move likely to encounter stiff challenges given the recent arms buildup by regional powers in the North African country.
Arrival and doorstep by Heiko MAAS, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, at the Foreign Affairs Council, taking place on 20 January 2020, in Brussels.
(video)
Europe’s unelected leader: Ursula von der Leyen’s coronation is an insult to democracy.
Ursula von der Leyen has been confirmed as the next president of the EU Commission, winning a vote in the European Parliament by 383 to 327.
But despite the involvement of MEPs, the process that put von der Leyen in place was nothing short of a coronation.
Netanyahu accuses Europeans of appeasing Iran like they did Germany in the ’30s
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, offers Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for its scaling back of parts of its nuclear program until 2025.
The United States, which under former President Barack Obama was the driving force behind the deal, pulled out last year under President Donald Trump and snapped back sanctions on Iran and third parties that do business with the Islamic Republit.
Arrival and doorstep by Federica MOGHERINI, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, at the Foreign Affairs Council, taking place on 15 July 2019, in Brussels.
(video)
UK, France, Germany call for dialogue with Iran
Ahead of the foreign affairs council on Monday 15 July, the foreign ministers of the UK, France, and Germany issued a joint statement calling for dialogue between all parties involved.
The EU’s scurrilous anti-democratic dealings prove once again that it is beyond reform
(05.07.2019)
There has been plenty of earnest talk since the financial crisis about reform and facing up to the challenge from the populist and authoritarian right. The appointments have shown that most of it was hot air
The EU is a sham democracy, and its pitiful new leaders are the proof
Thank you, Eurocrats, for being yourselves. The best cure for Europhilia is always to observe the EU’s big beasts at their unguarded worst, wheeling and dealing in their natural habitat, unencumbered by any attachment to democracy, accountability or even basic morality.
The spectacle of the past few days made for compulsive watching: we witnessed rare footage of the secretive process that propels so many retreads and second-rate apparatchiks into positions of immense power in Brussels and Frankfurt, utterly disregarding public opinion.
French ECB Presidential Hopeful Tells Germans He’s Their Friend
(28.06.2019)
France’s top contender for the presidency of the European Central Bank is appealing to Germans to treat him as one of their kind.
Speaking — in German — to an audience of family businesses in Berlin on Friday, Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau highlighted his cultural and ideological links to the country. He said he shares German values, such as solidity, stability and realism, and understands the nation’s fears over financing other countries’ debts.
Weidmann Is Top Dog Again in ECB Race After Shifting Policy View
(Published: February 17, 2018, 12:00 AM EST | Updated: June 28, 2019, 7:00 AM EDT)
On the eve of a meeting of European Union leaders to discuss the bloc’s top policy positions, Bloomberg’s poll of economists shows the Bundesbank president edging out his French rival Francois Villeroy de Galhau. Finnish central-banking veteran Erkki Liikanen tied with Villeroy for second place. Current Finnish Governor Olli Rehn took fourth, overtaking France’s Benoit Coeure.
Macron: new ECB leader will not be picked at summit
French president Emmanuel Macron said arriving at the EU summit on Sunday that the decision on Mario Draghi’s successor at the helm of the European Central Bank will only be taken after the political posts such as the presidents of the EU commission and EU council.
EU summit: Centre-left Timmermans tipped for top post
EU leaders will gather in Brussels shortly for talks to decide who should get the EU’s top jobs, including a new Commission president.
Reports say the current favourite to head it is Dutch centre-left politician Frans Timmermans. He is a Commission first vice-president.
EU surveillance state: This week the Justice and Home Affairs Ministers debated increasing the surveillance in their Member States. US authorities could soon also wiretap legally in Europe. #5G #DataRetention #eEvidence #cloudACT
AG William Barr Doesn’t Want The Government Spying On The President But Thinks It’s OK If It Spies On Everyone Else
Let me restate that: William Barr is opposed to certain, very narrow subsets of domestic surveillance. Specifically, Barr doesn’t think the government should have spied on Trump and his campaign staff, if that’s what actually happened, which Barr doesn’t actually seem to know.
But if you’re literally anyone else, domestic surveillance is just another name for national security, whether you’re a random Verizon customer or one of the world’s most useful websites.
The Wikimedia Foundation sued the federal government over domestic surveillance back in 2015. The suit lives on four years later …
Security Union: Commission receives mandate to start negotiating international rules for obtaining electronic evidence
Today, EU Member States agreed to give two mandates to the Commission to engage in international negotiations to improve cross-border access to electronic evidence in criminal investigations.The Council agreed to provide the Commission with negotiating mandates for negotiations with the United States and for the Second Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe “Budapest” Convention on Cybercrime.
Why are Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel clashing over who should be the next European Commission president?
Each political group in the European parliament – the centre-left socialists, the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the liberals, greens etc, propose a lead candidate. In theory, the candidate from the group that comes top becomes the president.
But this system isn’t written into the treaties, and has only been used once in 2014 – it’s not clear whether it will survive. Member states don’t like it because it takes power away from them and gives it to the parliament, and they’re under no legal obligation to follow it.
This is highly potentially highly significant: Sanchez and Macron are trying to get a social democrat (Frans Timmermans) to block Weber’s bid for the Presidency of the European Commission. The UK media are (of course) largely ignoring this.
Portugal’s Costa says Weber should not be Commission chief
(28.05.2019)
The interview took place late Monday, just after Costa had a conference call with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the Netherlands‘ Mark Rutte and Belgium’s Charles Michel.
The European Parliament is a democratic facade for a system dominated by unelected bureaucrats
In the speech I made on that occasion, I tried to point out that democracy was not achieved simply by holding elections; what mattered was what the elections were to, and for. Were we electing representatives to a body by which we agreed to be governed? Or were we simply providing a democratic facade for a political system dominated by unelected bureaucrats and central bankers, who exercised a power of government over us to which we had not consented?
Spain still ready to vote against Brexit unless it sees changes on Gibraltar
“Following my conversation with Theresa May, our positions remain distant. My Government will always defend the interests of Spain. If there are no changes, we will veto Brexit,” he tweeted as he landed in Havana for a two-day visit to Cuba.