politjobs.eu job alert

Finally some non-Brexit news from Brussels: Whilst Theresa May’s negotiations with the Irish DUP party following her loss of the absolute majority, are watched with a good amount of „Schadenfreude“, the European Commission is showing its teeth again – this time it’s Google taking a hit, with a record-breaking 2.42 Billion Euro fine for what DG Comp identifies as dominant position of Google Shopping. Competition commissioner Vestager means business:…

In the midst of national elections, Brussels celebrations of  the dinosaur of political successes promised to citizens go by with little notice: roaming is abolished as of 15 June (well, almost…). Indeed, more importantly, politics in Europe stays exciting: two big elections with very different outcomes will have a big impact not only on domestic politics, but on the future of the EU. Whilst Theresa May utterly miscalculated her…

Traffic chaos is the normal state of Brussels, but things can get worse: Donald Trump’s visit to Brussels turned even the most notorious car drivers into cyclists, with roads blocked from NATO to the EU institutions. And the outcome? European leaders and Trump are on no better speaking terms, on the contrary: as far as ever on climate change and continuous reproaches on NATO contributions. Trump seems determined to…

Whilst Emmanuel Macron’s election as French president is of great relief to Brussels, interest returns to Brexit and how it can be handled. With Article 50 finally triggered, and task forces in place on both sides, the devil in the detail starts to reveal itself. With a recent court ruling that all trade agreements with the UK will need approval by national and regional parliaments, fond memories of Wallonia’s…

World – and member state – politics remains in the Brussels focus. First of all “Vive la France”: the victory of independent candidate Emmanuel Macron in the first round of the Presidential elections has brought some relief for the Brussels bubble – and expectations are extremely high that he will be elected as President in the second round on Sunday. The important question is what happens then: how will…

May, Macron, Erdogan – Europe is in election mode, for better or for worse. Whilst Turkey has, by a slight but distinct majority, strengthened Erdogan, Theresa May has surprisingly called for elections in Great Britain on 8 June – thereby temporarily stealing the show from France, where the first round of the Presidential election is held on Sunday. Nowhere much to look forward to or be happy about: Erdogan’s…

She has done it – Theresa May has triggered Art. 50, and Brussels has acknowledged solemnly. Whilst the mourning is still strong, Brussels and London now get back into action mode – and Brussels is definitely strong at following processes and pursuing them to their very end. And coming to terms with each other promises to be very difficult: Commission President Tusk has outlined the EU’s negotiation guidelines –…

This week is marked by events of a very contradictory nature: the anniversary of the Brussels attacks one year ago, where 32 people died at the Brussels airport and the metro station Maelbeek – overshadowed by another atrocious terror attack in London, leaving four people and the attacker dead. On the other hand, festivities are starting to celebrate the 60 year anniversary of the European Union – and we are…

60 years of Europe, and not just one future for Europe, but five potential scenarios – this is what Commission President Juncker proposes to the Heads of State ahead of this month’s celebrations of the EU’s anniversary. Last month, it looked like there is no vision at all – now there are many, and the titles stick to your head: “carrying on”, “nothing but the single market”, “those who…

Europe without a vision and soon without a leader – that’s the essence of the past weeks. Commission president Juncker announced that he is not running for office in 2019 – and has thereby invited rumours about him leaving office even earlier. Additionally, the European Commission is postponing the vision for Europe that it had announced for March, and for the 60th birthday of the EU’s founding Treaty of…