EU-China Summit: Restoring peace and stability in Ukraine is a shared responsibility

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Union and China held their 23rd bilateral Summit via videoconference on 1 April 2022. President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, held the Summit meeting with China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang, followed […]

EU-China Leaders’ meeting: Delivering results by standing firm on EU interests and values

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Union (represented by President of the European Council, Charles Michel and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen held a leaders’ meeting with China (represented by President Xi Jinping) via videoconference on 30 December 2020. The European Union (represented by […]

“China needs to convince the EU that it is worth having an investment agreement” but not the EU to convince China? China-EU Leaders’ Meeting 2020 calls for mutual “transparency, reciprocity and respect”

Last Monday, the very important China-EU Leaders’ Meeting took place through videoconference due to the COVID-19 pandemic, between China’s President Xi, the President of the EU Council Michel and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. There is no doubt that after the wide criticism regarding the EU’s mistakes during June’s China-EU […]

The end of Spitzenkandidat: EU leaders concluded unexpectedly on EU top jobs

The EU leaders finally came to a conclusion after three long days of tough negotiations where German Chancellor’s suggestion to appoint Frans Timmermans as next European Commission president has been turned down by Italy and eastern countries. The solution was given with the nomination of a woman and particularly German Defence Minister Ursula von der […]

Charles Michel advocates a strong Europe that acts where it can add real value

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. Belgium’s Prime Minister Charles Michel debated the future of Europe with MEPs and and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday 03-05-2018. This is what he told them. “I want a strong Europe that acts where it can add real value”, he said, […]

Catalonia secessionist leader takes Flemish ‘cover’; Spain risks more jingoist violence

The Catalonia crisis and the aftermaths after its diffusion can offer valuable lessons for the nature of jingoist politics and the motives, goals and the character of its main actors, on both sides of the fence. The Catalan secessionists led by Carles Puigdemont proved experts in setting the fire, but were incapable of making anything […]

The Franco-German axis considers that all EU needs now is more armaments

Last Friday in Bratislava, the Slovak capital, the 27 EU leaders met for the first time without the British Prime Minister. Reportedly they diagnosed that the Union has a grave problem, distancing itself from the people. Of course, the frustration of voters with the EU has not manifested itself just in the Brexit. Brussels have […]

For how long will terror and economic stagnation be clouding the European skies?

Some days ago the European statistical service, Eurostat confirmed that the inflation rate in the euro area for February was well into the negative part of the chart at -0.2%. This is an infallible sign that Eurozone remains in the stagnation or even the recession region of the economic cycle for a sixth year in […]

Is there a chance for the West to win the war on terror?

On the night of 13 November 2015 in Paris, after the ISIS operatives had hit almost simultaneously a concert hall, a major football stadium and some restaurants and bars leaving 130 dead and hundreds injured, the French President Francois Hollande said “we are at war”. Last Tuesday morning the same kind of ‘armed forces’ and […]