European Union

The Romanian coalition government of socialists (PSD) and liberals (Alde) no longer has a majority in parliament. Alde left the coalition of prime minister Viorica Dancila over a disagreement on putting forward one candidate for the Romanian presidency. Alde leader and former prime minister, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, hoped to be the only government candidate, but PSD put forward Dancila as his opponent. Dancila is now looking for an alternative coalition.

French president Emmanuel Macron said after the G7 summit in France on Monday he "hopes" a "summit between [Iranian] president [Hassan] Rouhani and [US] president [Donald] Trump" was possible "in [the] coming weeks" to resolve the Iran crisis. Trump echoed his words, saying: "I have a good feeling" about a new US-Iran deal. The US earlier abandoned an EU-backed Iran nuclear arms control treaty, escalating tension in the Gulf.

Merkel wants a US-EU trade deal as soon as possible, she said, amid potential US tariffs on the car industry, a vital German sector in hard times.

Brasil's far-right president Jair Bolsonaro has rejected French-led aid proposals to put out Amazon fires and insulted the French president's wife on social media. France and Ireland had "overreacted" in saying the EU should block a free-trade deal with Mercosur, a South American bloc, Brasil also said. Germany has spoken out against Mercosur vetoes, but Finland has proposed banning Brazilian beef, amid tanking popularity at home for Bolsonaro himself.

With 24 out of 28 EU countries having declared candidates, the next European Commission is taking shape and the selection process is under way.

With oil use in cars expected to peak in the mid-2020s, oil companies are seeking shelter in petrochemicals – and plastics – where demand is still going strong. However, even that notion is now being challenged because of a global plastics backlash led by Europe.

The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. Before reading The Capitals today take a look at EURACTIV’s “Commissioner Tracker”. /// WARSAW Poland’s responsibility? German foreign...

On Monday (26 August), the second day of the G7 meeting in Biarritz, France, climate protection was on the agenda. Even though states agreed on a plan to tackle forest fires in the Amazon rainforest, Brazil rejected foreign aid. EURACTIV Germany reports

Ursula von der Leyen, the incoming President of the European Commission, has offered Poland the agriculture portfolio in her new executive. But designated Polish commissioner Krzysztof Szczerski ruled himself out of the task and withdrew his candidacy.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday (26 August) that the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France would hold talks in September aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump said Monday (26 August) at the G7 summit that he is prepared to meet his Iranian counterpart within weeks in what would amount to a stunning change of direction in the two countries' smouldering standoff.

The EU's digital agenda over the next mandate is set to be marked by a series of broad-ranging reforms, from artificial intelligence and data protection to cryptocurrency regulation and digital tax. EURACTIV talked to Greek MEP Eva Kaili about how she hopes the EU's digital agenda over the next five years will play out.

French president Emmanuel Macron steered a tense G7 summit towards a happy conclusion yesterday (26 August), in what will be reminded as one of the most conciliatory gatherings since Donald Trump took over the US Presidency.

Romania's ruling coalition collapsed Monday (26 August) when the junior partner announced it was pulling out in the latest setback to the governing Social Democrats two months before a presidential election.

The ruling 5-Star Movement and the opposition Democratic Party appeared on the verge of a deal to form a new Italian government on Monday (26 August) after the PD indicated it had abandoned a veto on Giuseppe Conte serving another term as prime minister.

Britain must pay its Brexit divorce bill even if it crashes out of the bloc without a deal, the EU said Monday (26 August), warning that future ties would be threatened if London failed to honour its commitments.

Figawa's position on the Draft of the Council of the European Union on the Revision of the EU Drinking Water Directive.

Kosovo's President Hashim Thaçi set 6 October as the date for an early parliamentary election on Monday (26 August), following the resignation of Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj.

The G7 Leaders met in Biarritz, France and agreed on a common declaration.

Grim as it may seem, the burning of the Amazon rainforest is an opportunity for the EU’s new leaders to prove that Brussels walks the walk when it comes to climate change.