EU institutions, elections, parties, and governance
MEPs in Strasbourg have moved this week to delay certain high-risk provisions of the AI Act and adopt a new ban on so-called ‘AI nudifier’ systems, in a vote that signals a recalibration of how the Union balances innovation incentives against the most acute risks of generative AI.
The European Parliament and Commission convened on 21 May to evaluate the EU’s health emergency response mechanisms following a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise vessel in late April 2026, with lawmakers pressing for enhanced cross-border coordination and increased funding for the bloc’s recently established health authority. The outbreak, which occurred as the vessel…
The European Parliament and Commission convened on 21 May to conduct a comprehensive review of the EU’s health emergency response mechanisms following a hantavirus outbreak aboard the expedition cruise vessel MV Hondius in late April 2026. The incident, which prompted immediate public health interventions across multiple member states, has brought renewed scrutiny to cross-border disease…
Members of the European Parliament clashed on 21 May over proposals to impose mandatory cybersecurity assessments on advanced artificial intelligence systems, with progressive MEPs pushing for binding obligations whilst centre-right colleagues warned against stifling innovation through excessive regulation. The plenary debate centred on whether developers of frontier AI models should face compulsory red-team testing and…
The European Parliament will vote in Strasbourg on Thursday 21 May 2026 on a resolution calling for an urgent EU response to democratic backsliding in Slovakia under Prime Minister Robert Fico, citing dismantled anti-corruption bodies and undermined judicial independence.
After Parliament’s 418-207 vote on 29 April 2026 urging the Commission to trigger the rule-of-law conditionality mechanism against Slovakia, MEPs return to the case in Strasbourg this week amid renewed concerns over the Fico government’s dismantling of anti-corruption institutions.
With 508 votes in favour, 64 against and 90 abstentions, the European Parliament approved on 19 May 2026 the revised Foreign Direct Investment Screening Regulation, introducing mandatory screening across all Member States for defence, semiconductors, AI, critical raw materials and financial services.
The European Commission will table its Tech Sovereignty package on 27 May 2026, with two flagship instruments: the Cloud and AI Development Act and the Chips Act 2. The package responds to renewed concerns about Europe’s dependence on non-European cloud and frontier-semiconductor capacity.
A new round of Trump-Putin phone diplomacy revived speculation on Monday 18 May 2026 of a possible bilateral meeting before the June G7 cut-off, against the backdrop of stalled Ukraine ceasefire talks, the Iran war, and Putin’s imminent state visit to Beijing.
The European Parliament opened its May 2026 plenary session in Strasbourg on Monday afternoon. Roberta Metsola met Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at 16:15, opened the session at 17:00, and inaugurated the EU Defence Exhibition at 17:30. The week’s agenda covers Iran, Ukraine, steel and AI in trade.
