Bernadette Chirac, former French First Lady, passes away at 93
Bernadette Chirac, widow of former French President Jacques Chirac and a prominent figure in French public life for decades, has died at age 93, according to reports on Saturday.
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After Orbán: how Magyar’s Hungary is redrawing the map of the European right
Six weeks into Peter Magyar’s pro-European government, Hungary is repositioning itself within the EU after sixteen years of Viktor Orban. The shift, centred on unlocking suspended EU funds and an anti-corruption drive, is reshaping the dynamics of the European right ahead of the 23-24 June European Council.
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Ukraine’s first EU cluster within reach as Hungary’s new pro-EU government eases the Orbán-era veto
With Hungary’s new pro-EU prime minister Peter Magyar having replaced Viktor Orban, Brussels is eyeing the 23-24 June European Council to open the first negotiating cluster for Ukraine and Moldova. Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has signalled a June opening under the Cyprus presidency, while Kyiv pushes for all six clusters at once.
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Hungary new government revives hopes of unblocking Ukraine and Moldova EU accession talks
After two years of deadlock, the European Union’s enlargement file is showing tentative signs of movement. A change of power in Hungary – with Peter MAGYAR stepping into the prime minister’s role in early May 2026 – has raised cautious hopes in Brussels that the Hungarian veto blocking Ukraine and Moldova could ease. The chapters…
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Brussels edges toward EU-wide social media ban for minors as von der Leyen eyes summer proposal
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has signalled the EU could propose a bloc-wide social media ban for children as early as this summer, backed by a new privacy-preserving age-verification app and growing pressure from France, Spain, Greece and Denmark to protect minors online.
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Enlargement in focus: EU prepares Western Balkans summit and June push on Ukraine and Moldova accession
The European Union is entering a pivotal phase on enlargement, with a Western Balkans summit scheduled for 5 June 2026 and a broader June package expected to bundle progress on Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans into a single coordinated push. The choreography reflects Brussels’ attempt to keep multiple accession tracks advancing in parallel without…
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Week ahead in Brussels: Competitiveness Council 28-29 May, EIC Summit, and the road to the 23-24 June European Council
Brussels-watchers face an exceptionally dense agenda this week: the Competitiveness Council convenes on 28 May for Internal Market and Industry under Cypriot chair Michael Damianos, followed by Research and Space on 29 May. The European Innovation Council Summit 2026 runs in parallel, while preparations begin for the 23-24 June European Council.
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Brussels watchdog moves to strip AfD’s European party of funding and recognition
The Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations moved on 27 May 2026 to recommend the deregistration of Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN), the far-right pan-European party closely tied to Germany’s AfD. The decision could strip the formation of its EU funding and its right to operate as a recognised European party.
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Brussels Week Ahead: Gymnich Foreign Affairs, Competitiveness Council, EU-Western Balkans Summit set crucial pre-June Council tone
Between 26 May and 1 June 2026, the EU institutional agenda intensifies ahead of the June European Council, with foreign ministers gathering for the informal Gymnich meeting on 27-28 May, the Competitiveness Council debating the Industrial Accelerator Act on 28-29 May, and the EU-Western Balkans summit setting strategic enlargement direction.
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Meta faces up to 6% global turnover fine as Commission confirms Instagram and Facebook DSA breach on minors
Following the European Commission’s preliminary findings of 29 April 2026 that Meta’s Instagram and Facebook are in breach of the Digital Services Act on the protection of minors under 13, the US tech giant faces fines of up to 6% of its global annual turnover. The case represents one of the most direct DSA enforcement actions to date.
