B&K Newsletter: Fuelling the Future: Europe’s €38 Billion Bet on Hydrogen Infrastructure and the Quest for Cost Efficiency
The Italian Government recently committed to allocate over €994 million in subsidies towards Hy2Infra projects designated under the EU’s Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) list. This substantial investment represents the initial phase of projects within the European Union’s Green Deal initiative. The European Commission approved the Hy2Infra IPCEI in February 2024, marking a […]
B&K Newsletter: Navigating New Horizons: Who will be the European Commissioners for the next five years?
On July 18th, Ursula von der Leyen received the endorsement of the European Parliament for a second term as President of the European Commission. She is now responsible for forming her principal team of commissioners, one from each EU member state. These commissioners, comparable to national government ministers, carry out specific policy areas such as […]
B&K Newsletter: Where the Parliament goes: who is going to play a central role in the next European Parliament
A recap of the last two weeks Last week, the European Parliament re-elected Roberta Metsola as her President and Ursula von der Leyen as the head of the European Commission, choosing continuity over an unstable scenario. This week, MEPs elected the chairs and vice chairs of the committees and subcommittees, clearly indicating who will be […]
Biden drops out; what does it mean for Europe and transatlantic relationship?
On Sunday, July 21st, 2024, President Biden made an unprecedented decision to officially withdraw from the presidential race and endorse his vice president, Kamala Harris. This move has not only redirected attention to the Democratic Party in the U.S. but has also left President Trump overshadowed until the Democratic convention in August. Additionally, for the […]
B&K Newsletter: Von der Leyen 2.0: MEPs choose stability with some change
Ursula von der Leyen has just been reconfirmed as President of the European Commission with 401 votes of the Members of the European Parliament in her favour, well above the 361-vote threshold required for an absolute majority. This vote spared European politics from being thrown into chaos and confusion, which would have required European leaders […]
B&K Newsletter: High Representative – Vice President Kaja Kallas: how the Estonian PM can shape the future of EU foreign policy
The serving Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, looks likely to become the next European Union chief diplomat, succeeding Josep Borrell as the High Representative of the 27-bloc. Six EU leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Olaf Scholz, struck the deal at the end of June for the top three EU jobs. Poland’s prime minister, […]
B&K Newsletter: The End of France’s Exceptionalism
The Long Night of the Fifth Republic Sunday, 7 July, eight o’clock, spelled the end of France’s exceptionalism in the European political landscape. The results of the second round of the legislative elections sanctioned the divorce of the French citizens from the quasi-monarchic presidential system, in which the Parliament (Assemblée Nationale) plays a marginal role […]
B&K Newsletter: Saving Private Sunak
Today, the United Kingdom begins a new chapter in its history as polls open for the 2024 general elections. Only five years ago today, the Conservative Party was distributing the initial ballots to members for the leadership contest that would eventually elect Boris Johnson as Prime Minister. Within a few months, Johnson secured the largest […]
B&K Newsletter: AI in Europe: New Rules? New Game?
It is reasonable to say that the digital markets were the main protagonists of the last legislature when it comes to the European Commission’s efforts to offer regulatory frameworks for innovative products. It is also fair to affirm that those efforts have increased mainly the repercussions of the so-called “Brussels effect”, a term coined by […]
B&K Newsletter: The EU Council Strategic Agenda 2024-2029
Every five years, before the European Commission’s appointment, EU Heads of State convene to discuss and set the EU’s political priorities for the future. The EU strategic agenda for 2024-2029, expected to be adopted by the European Council during their meeting on June 27-28, is a significant milestone shaping the upcoming legislative cycle. It will […]