EU institutions, elections, parties, and governance
Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership entered its sixth day of acute leadership crisis on Monday 18 May 2026, with Wes Streeting in open contest and Andy Burnham cleared to fight a parliamentary by-election in Makerfield within weeks.
The European Union joined on 15 May the Enlarged Partial Agreement of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, a foundational step in what may become one of the most ambitious accountability mechanisms of the post-1945 era.
The European Parliament opens its Strasbourg hemicycle to the public on Sunday 17 May 2026 for the institution’s flagship Open Day, with a full civic and cultural programme designed to bring citizens face-to-face with the work of MEPs.
EU co-legislators struck a deal in the early hours of 7 May 2026 on the AI Act Digital Omnibus, postponing high-risk AI obligations from 2 August 2026 to 2 December 2027 and adding a prohibition on AI nudification apps and AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Co-rapporteurs Kokalari and McNamara framed it as ‘simplification without weakening safety’.
EU defence ministers met this week to discuss reinforced military support for Ukraine and EU defence readiness as Middle East conflict reshapes the security landscape.
A new Commission report finds uneven enforcement of the 2009 Employers Sanctions Directive and recommends targeted reforms to protect labour standards.
MEPs prepare to vote on legislation strengthening protection of EU strategic sectors from risky foreign investments, in a key plenary session this month.
The European Environment Agency’s annual progress report confirms the bloc is on track for the 2030 target, but flags transport and buildings as persistent weak points.
Paris is leading a renewed push for joint defence procurement among willing Member States, citing recent security incidents in the Mediterranean as evidence of urgent capability gaps.
Budapest singlehandedly prevented agreement on the latest €18 billion macro-financial assistance package for Ukraine, prompting frustration among other twenty-six Member States.
