#EU: New York Times Sues EC Over Pfizer Texts With President

[world politics news]

The New York Times is taking the European Commission to court over the executive institution’s failure to release text messages between its president Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#EU: Euro Parliament Rejects Commission Candidates From Romania, Hungary

[world politics news]

The European parliament has rejected EU commissioner candidates from Hungary and Romania over alleged conflicts of interest, in a blow to the incoming president, Ursula von der Leyen.

The unprecedented move by MEPs ratchets up pressure on Von der Leyen, who must get her team of 26 EU commissioners approved next month if her new commission is to be ready for its launch day on November 1st.

The rejections will be seen by many in Hungary and Romania as politically motivated. Hungary in particular has been highly critical of the EU, which has voted in the past to restrict the country's voting rights over its legal reforms.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#EU: German Defense Min. Narrowly Wins Election As EU Commission Pres.

[world politics news]

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has become the new EU Commission President.

Controversially, she was the only candidate presented to members. Yet, she still only managed to win by 9 votes.

The vote was 383 to 327 in the European Parliament, with von der Leyen barely scraping past the minimum support from 374 MEPs that was required.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#EU: European Gov't Wants To Scrap Member State Veto On Tax Policy

[world politics news]

The European Commission has proposed scrapping member states’ veto on tax policy, in a move that could see levies imposed on EU countries against their will.

The EU government in Brussels says the requirement of unanimity for tax policy is out-dated and that moving to a system of qualified majority voting would help speed up the legislative process.

The Irish government immediately spoke out against the proposal. Ireland is a low-tax nation that would be greatly affected by the change.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ITALY: Senate Passes 2019 Budget; Compromise With EU Staves Off Disciplinary Action

[world politics news]

The European Commission reached a deal with Italy over the national budget this week, after months of disagreements, narrowly avoiding disciplinary action by the European body. The budget grows the deficit by 2.04%, down from the deficit of 2.4% of GDP proposed budget originally Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's government. The final text of the budget arrived at the Italian senate after a series of extensive changes, which angered opposition lawmakers.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UK: Ahead Of #Brexit, EU Is Already "Discriminating" Against UK Aid Agencies, Says UK Development Minister

[world politics news]

The UK’s development minister has accused the European Commission of discriminating against UK aid agencies, in a move that could scupper future partnerships after the UK leaves the EU. Speaking at a hearing of the UK Parliament’s International Development committee, Penny Mordaunt said the Commission was deliberately ignoring an agreement allowing UK agencies to continue to access EU humanitarian aid funds while it negotiates a new post-Brexit deal.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#IRELAND: Euro. Commission Taking Action Against Ireland Over Non-Compliance With Seafarer Regs

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The European Commission is taking action against Ireland for allegedly failing to comply with EU law on the mutual recognition of seafarers’ qualifications.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#EU: European Council Pres. Donald Tusk Re-Appointed, Despite Oppo. From Home Country

[world politics news]

European Council President Donald Tusk has been re-elected for a second term, despite opposition from his home country, Poland. According to initial reports, Tusk secured the votes of 27 out of 28 EU leaders at the European summit in Brussels.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#IRELAND:Gov't Makes Post-Brexit Bid To Have EU Drug Agency Relocate From London To Ireland

[world politics news]

Minister for Health Simon Harris is to mount a bid to bring the European Medicines Agency from London to Dublin. The European Union agency will be obliged to leave the UK as a result of Brexit and Harris says he intends to make the strongest possible case for it to move to Ireland.

#THENETHERLANDS: Voters Reject EU-Ukraine Trade Deal In Referendum; "Continental Crisis" Feared

[world politics news]

Voters Wednesday rejected a European Union trade deal with Ukraine, with many citing the Eastern European nation's corruption as the reason. The vote, which barely met the criteria of 30% of registered voters - a rare low turnout in Europe - was the first under a new law requiring parliament to reconsider any vote if 300,000 voters sign a petition ordering a popular referendum. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had warned that a Dutch No vote could lead to a “continental crisis." The deal could mean trouble for Ukrainian Pres. Petro Poroschenko and is a victory for Euro-skeptics.

#EU: Euro Parliament Fails To Close Emissions Loopholes, Despite Public Anger

[world politics news]

MEPs have failed to veto loopholes in air pollution limits on new diesel cars, despite public anger in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Nitrogen oxide emissions will now be allowed at twice the EU’s 80mg per km limit from 2019 and 50% more from 2021, despite the exemptions being deemed unlawful in a separate vote by the parliament’s legal committee last night.

#ITALY: PM Renzi In Escalating Conflict With Merkel, EU, Over Migrant Funding

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The tensions between Rome and Brussels have intensified, with a tough exchange of words in the light of the unfolding refugee crisis. Rome is blocking a European Union plan to provide Turkey with €3 billion in aid, claiming that the amount earmarked for the country (approximately €300 million) should be exempted from the public deficit.

#EU: Euro Comm. Pres. Juncker Says "Quite Sure" Deal Can Be Reached With UK To Meet Its Demands To Stay In EU

[world politics news]

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says that he is "quite sure" the EU and Britain would reach a deal at February’s summit on London’s renegotiation demands to stay in the bloc before a UK referendum this Fall on whether to leave the EU. He said he hopes it can even be moved up to this summer if a deal is reached early.

#SPAIN Two Months Before Elections, Conservative Gov't Slapped By #EU For Deficits

[world politics news]

Spain has been reprimanded by The European Commission, which ordered the country to submit a new draft budget with lower deficit estimates to avoid violating the bloc's tough spending rules, a blow for the government ahead of the Dec. 20 general election.

Pictured: Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy.

#UK: European Commission VP "Terribly Annoyed" By How Often EU Critic Farage Is Correct

[world politics news]

European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans says he is "terribly annoyed" how many times UK Independence Party Leader Nigel Farage correctly diagnoses problems with the European Union, especially on the issue of migration. "I get terribly annoyed when he's right. And on some issues he is right too often."

#EU: Member States Balking At New EU Quota System For N. African Refugees

[world politics news]

The European Commission wants EU nations to accepts quotas as a fairer way to distribute asylum seekers, but many are balking at the proposed numbers. A bloc of nations - Poland, Hungary, the Czech  Republic and Slovakia - rejected the plan outright, while France and Germany sought "corrections" to the quota figures.

Background: Italy's PM Matteo Renzi is pushing the commission hard for the new quotas because it has taken the brunt of most migrants in the past few years, due to its proximity to north Africa.