Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán addressed the European Parliament this week, outlining his country’s priorities for its presidency of the EU Council. Met with overwhelming criticism, he argued that political shifts in EU member states indicate that the bloc’s climate might sooner or later shift in his favour.
Ursula von der Leyen presented her candidates for the future EU Commission. Many women are in top jobs, but she did not meet her gender parity target.
The European Parliament is holding its first plenary session since the European elections in June this week. Newly-formed far-right groups are taking the stage and MEPs from the 27 EU member states are reshaping the 720-member institution for the next five-year legislative term.
From Thursday to Sunday, voters across the European Union will go to the polls to elect the next members of the European Parliament. Campaigns are in full swing and the far right is expected to gain ground in the Parliament – but in some member states, national issues appear to be taking centre stage.
Recent polls show that in the upcoming European Parliament elections, far-right parties across the EU are set to gain voters – hence increasing their presence in the hemicycle. What are their views on the EU and how would this affect the functioning of the bloc after the elections?