European Union

Judges strike down age-based restrictions in landmark ruling, adding pressure to a healthcare system already stretched by rising costs and expanded patient rights.

Forssell confirms his son’s former ties to a neo-Nazi group amid mounting political pressure.

Most centrist groups opposed the motion primarily because it came from the far right, even as they criticised von der Leyen’s EPP for its own shift in that direction.

Imagine a world where your nation’s security, economy and daily life depend not on tanks and guns but on a silent, invisible race unfolding in code, chips and clouds.

"An excessive, massively overreaching encroachment on our citizens' fundamental rights and freedoms," a lawmaker said about the bill that passed the Austrian lower house of parliament on Wednesday.

With Bulgaria the latest country to join the euro area, here is a look at the euro’s history and the benefits it brings.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On 14 and 15 July, Parliament will host the 107th Rose-Roth Seminar in partnership with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA).
Committee on Security and Defence

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On 14 and 15 July, Parliament will host the 107th Rose-Roth Seminar in partnership with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA).
Committee on Security and Defence

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Poland v Commission
Advocate General Kokott: No penalty payment for Poland due to lignite mining in Turów

Katholische Schwangerschaftsberatung
Advocate General Medina: The dismissal of an employee by a Catholic organisation for leaving the Catholic Church may amount to discrimination on grounds of religion

Meta Platforms Ireland
State aid
Advocate General Szpunar: Member States may adopt support measures to ensure the effectiveness of the rights of press publishers provided that such measures do not undermine freedom of contract

Rugu
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
Advocate General Rantos: a Member State which refuses to execute a European arrest warrant on account of the conditions of detention in the issuing Member State is required to order the execution, on its own territory, of the sentence imposed in the issuing Member State

Thursday, 10 July

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Thursday, 10 July

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Written by Isabelle Gaudeul-Ehrhart.

Members’ Research Service Director Sarah Sheil moderated the conversation starting with a focus on the making of the speech, zooming out to the June 2025 publication of the book, and culminating in an exchange with the audience.

Riho Terras (EPP, Estonia), Vice-Chair of the Security and Defence (SEDE) Committee, and a former general, gave the opening keynote speech. He recalled the intrinsic difficulty with defence – we prepare for something that we hope will not happen – and that many did not want to accept that war was possible, despite successive wake-up calls in Georgia, Crimea and then Ukraine. He concluded on the importance of being able to communicate effectively on this topic.

The two guest speakers, Admiral Rob Bauer and his speechwriter Eleonora Russell, were interviewed  by Isabelle Gaudeul‑Ehrhart, leader of the EPRS Speaking with impact Community of practice. As the speech, delivered in 2023, received the highest rhetoric distinction, the Cicero Grand Award, she asked what it takes to reach excellence in speechwriting and delivery. Among the many tips shared, Admiral Bauer highlighted the critical importance of granting direct access to the speaker; and Eleonora Russell added that creating opportunities to deliver the message, and leaving one’s desk to feel as close as possible to the subject matter make for a much more successful and engaging speech. They encouraged speakers and speechwriters to dare to explore the emotions that move people and to craft accessible, concrete, beautiful lines.

Sarah Sheil then invited Rob Bauer and Eleonora Russell to develop some of the book’s themes. With their complementary roles, they explained their views, on writing on such momentous subjects, and their recommendation to ‘trust the professional’, ‘think like an investor’, ‘take responsibility’ and to ‘think in scenario’. Sarah Sheil questioned them on moving from a world of ‘me’ to fight for the ‘we’ – the book’s final call to action, at individual, national, and international levels.

In the last part of the event, the audience, composed of Parliament staff and those from other EU institutions and NATO, questioned the speakers on historical context and sensitivity, reliable data and fact-checking, and language that captures and holds an audience’s attention.

The event can be (re)watched here.

In today’s edition of The Capitals, read about fading support for Ukraine, the European Parliament backing a money laundering watchlist, and the Czech president set to unveil a Ukraine reconstruction plan.

Petr Pavel will present a comprehensive plan for Ukraine’s post-war recovery at Thursday’s summit in Rome, aiming to coordinate international support around investment, refugee return, and accelerated EU integration.

Italy’s Tribunal of Ministers is considering criminal charges against PM Meloni and top officials over the release of a Libyan general wanted for war crimes, as the ICC accuses Rome of obstructing justice.

Moscow's battlefield advances increase the urgency of Western support to Kyiv – but Volodymr Zelenskyy is having to get increasingly creative to coax aid out of them.