European Union

Warsaw and Budapest are boasting about their support for von der Leyen after the german is confirmed only by a small margin of MEPs, but the illiberals should not expect the softening of rule of law scrutiny.

The first-ever female president of the European Commission wants half of her team of commissioners to consist of women. But most of the commissioners put forward so far by EU member states so far have been male.

EU states ought to undergo a yearly "Rule of Law Review Cycle" to help stop countries such as Hungary, Poland, and Romania from backsliding on EU norms, the European Commission has said.

The European Parliament has elected Ursula von der Leyen as the new President of the EU Commission with nine votes more than she needed. Since the heads of government ignored the actual lead candidates for the top EU post many MEPs only decided to vote for the German politician at the last minute. Reactions in the press to her election are divided.

After ten months in office France's Environment Minister François de Rugy has resigned over a spending scandal. According to French online magazine Mediapart Rugy invited guests to lavish dinners on several occasions at the expense of the state. De Rugy has announced that he will bring an action for libel. Was he condemned prematurely?

Donald Trump tweeted that four rising Democrats should go back to where they come from and solve problems there instead of trying to tell the US what to do. Although he mentioned no names, he was clearly referring to four Congresswomen of colour known as "the squad". For commentators, the episode speaks volumes about the current state of US politics.

In the dispute over Turkey drilling for gas in Cypriot waters, the EU has backed its member state and imposed sanctions against Ankara. EU funding for Turkey is to be cut and negotiations on an air traffic agreement suspended. For the opinion sections, this is not going to resolve the conflict.