What the EU does for you? Just making you feel old...

No media left behind: with this entry, I’ve officially liveblogged the EUCO for all three outlets doing live coverage of the EU summit. Not sure if that makes me the only one with a liveblog grand slam, but there can’t be that many

There’s a new EU president in town: Séamus Boland elected this morning as @eesc-president.bsky.social. Yesterday, I had a chat with him — a farmer who, as he put it, “also happens to be very involved and loves drama, acting, writing plays and... showing off.”

Fascinated by how the idea of Martin Selmayr and Bjoern Seibert both roaming Brussels at once feels like Grindelwald and Lord Voldemort coexisting in the same magical era

⚠️Frictions in the Commission: the spokesperson service (aka von der Leyen) publicly called to order EVP Raffaele Fitto after he floated changes to the EU’s long-term proposal in a meeting with regional leaders. This follow-up statement made the reprimand clear.

"the food arrived late, creating that notorious Brussels imbalance between flowing alcohol and missing snacks." @gerardofortuna.bsky.social is the magic realism poet we deserved.

Truly disastrous outcome for the anti–von der Leyen camp: the far-right no-confidence motion got just 179 votes (+4 from July’s attempt), while the Left’s fared even worse with 133. This could mark the end of the motion-of-censure era

Over in Strasbourg, tensions were so high on Wednesday that the Socialists' lead negotiator on the file quit. Within the EPP, divisions are becoming more obvious. Read more in today's playbook: www.politico.eu/newsletter/b... w/ @gerardofortuna.bsky.social and @maxgriera.bsky.social

Happy birthday to Ursula @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu! In my profile for today's Brussels Playbook, I look at her unstoppable work style and share a virtual birthday card where political leaders and her own commissioners send her their best wishes. Check it out!

Von der Leyen's new three-step strategy for convincing opponents to back her underscores a more cooperative tone and a willingness to engage rather than confront. Read more in this story with @maxgriera.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/ursu...

ICYMI: It’s now official. As of today, I’ve started as Brussels Playbook author at @politico.eu, bringing you scoops, whispers, and sharp analysis from the Brussels bubble to Europe (and beyond) every Wednesday and Thursday

Today’s Brussels playbook @politico.eu is truly a piece of art @gerardofortuna.bsky.social #swiftie

Detail spotters may have noticed: every EU leader pulled up in the same ride—a BMW i7 eDrive50, fully electric and courtesy of the Danish foreign affairs ministry. This offered the most curious sight of the EUCO doorsteps so far: Italy’s Meloni stepping out of a German-made EV

Quiet atmosphere around Christiansborg Slot ahead of tomorrow’s informal EUCO in Copenhagen. Locals seem more curious than annoyed by the summit’s security checks and traffic disruptions (quite a contrast to Brussels’ summit-season routine)

Out of sight, out of mind: Best 'window' seat in these tough times for European aircraft security—if a drone attack comes, you won’t see it anyway. God eftermiddag from Copenhagen, on my way to tomorrow's informal EUCO!

EU Commission couldn’t think of a better way to mark the trade deal with Indonesia than serving something 'Indonesian' in the canteen, basically nasi goreng en croûte (yes, wrapped in pastry and baked). Not sure Indonesians would approve, but hey, it’s the thought that counts.

How likely is this proposal to succeed? Very difficult if not impossible: member states must agree, and there are staunch Israel allies like Czechia, Bulgaria, Austria, Hungary, and especially Italy and Germany which alone could tip the balance given their voting weight

Just in: The EU Commission has announced the proposal of a 'robust package of sanctions' against Israel that includes a partial supension of trade concessions. "The aim is not to punish Israel but to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza," says EU's chief diplomat Kallas

y'all know how we can fit this pic on the header?

With food issues on the menu, EU-India trade talks finally head toward the ‘end game’. Indeed, the clearest sign that things are accelerating is the arrival of agriculture on the agenda... More on @euronews.com / with @peggycorlin.bsky.social www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

The State of the European Union speech is part spectacle, part policy horoscope. My advice: watch the announcements, track what’s missing, note the language shifts. Here’s more on what to listen out for in this marathon speech. A 🧵:

Can't help thinking how France might be heading to its 5th head of government and the Vatican had 2 Popes in the same period Italy has had just 1 PM. How the tables have turned

EU farm boss Hansen will join trade czar Šefčovič in New Delhi this week (Thu-Fri). Don't get too excited, it's too soon for a deal, but yes, agri divergences are finally on the table and ready for being chewed over...

A touch morbid (or just impressively quick off the mark): I read a nice FT interview with Giorgio Armani over the weekend. Went back to check the date and the headline had already been changed to this...

We got a better deal than developing and least developed countries - yay!

New level of EU-US trade deal defense just unlocked: ‘Sure, they ripped a limb off us but hey, others lost both legs’

Von der Leyen literally changed the law protecting wolves when a horse of hers was attacked. I guess World War 3 is a go.

That's not a drill: Polish soldiers checking on the fence after Belarusian border guards were spotted peeking at the press point of EU Commission chief von Der Leyen and Polish PM Tusk following their visit to the Polish-Belarus borders. Absolutely surreal (and a bit scary)

Playing regular-season European football games outside Europe would be a ‘betrayal’ of the sport’s identity and community roots, according to the EU Commissioner Glenn Micallef. www.euronews.com/2025/08/27/e...

In another timeline, Mario Draghi—not Ursula von der Leyen—was chosen to lead the European Commission in summer 2024, setting Europe on a very different course. So, what if Draghi had taken von der Leyen’s place?

For a second, I thought the EU’s scientific funding body had cracked the code to let bureaucrats eat gigabytes instead of proteins in Brussels’ institutional canteens

The EU-US joint statement following the Trump and von der Leyen deal in Scotland is out. The first two paras say it all: EU pledges to scrap all industrial tariffs, while the US keeps the right to apply the higher of MFN rates or 15%. Not that we didn't know before, but yes: total capitulation

The transatlantic divide on cooling habits resurfaced this summer, straining cultural ties between Europeans and Americans almost as much as Trump’s tariffs or disagreements over Ukraine’s future. Here's a policy look at Europe's troubled relationship with AC: www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

Don’t miss @romanearmangau.bsky.social's curated selection of the wildest erotic novels penned by politicians, complete with quotes that go all the way... (personally, I will never forget that 'Vive la France!' one) www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

🇪🇺 ‘Becoming Ursula: a two-faced EU Commission chief?’ As Season 2 gets underway, followers of her first term might be wondering if they’re still watching the same show. Team work with the masters @gerardofortuna.bsky.social @martairaola.bsky.social ✋ www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

Pure white on blue sky and forest green

An asymmetric deal with the US offers predictability and avoids a 30% hit, they said. Nearly 3 days after it was struck, though, key sector terms remain unclear. Meanwhile, Trump says he'll slap 15–20% tariffs on the rest of the world, about the same as the rate Brussels got. 🤷

The current state of health on the other side

The large calligraphy gifted to the EU’s top diplomat, @kajakallas.bsky.social in Japan is the kanji 結 (ketsu), which means "to tie" or "to bind." Symbolically, it represents bringing people together. It’s also used in words related to relationships, like marriage

EU's von der Leyen and Costa admiring Japan's deadliest defence asset: demon slayers with their well-known katanas

Nothing more usual and visual than me on the telly talking about farmers being squeezed

If you're interested in European agricultural policy, you're probably confused after yesterday’s EU long-term budget presentation (aren’t we all?). Here’s a 🧵 to help you make sense of the new CAP. Let’s start with… how much money are we talking about?

Behind almost every major fight in Brussels, there’s a battle over money. And the battle starting tomorrow, when the EU's next long-term budget will be presented, is the mother of them all. Check my curtain-raiser on @euronews.com, ahead of tomorrow’s big reveal www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

According to a leaked draft of the EU’s next long-term budget, the Commission is planning to unify the delivery of its two largest budget items—cohesion funds and agricultural subsidies—under a single fund and scrap CAP’s “second pillar”. More on @euronews.com www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

I know it sounds harsh, but one year after backing the Commission that will be remembered for dismantling its own Green Deal, the Greens have little to show for it—except a well-paid advisory role for former leader Philippe Lamberts in von der Leyen’s cabinet. My analysis for @euronews.com liveblog:

360 MEPs voted against the motion of censure (meaning: they still support von der Leyen, one year after her reappointment). To put that into perspective: 360 votes wouldn’t have been enough to confirm her last year, as she would’ve needed at least 361.

Meloni's European lawmakers sit out in the motion of censure vote, contributing to save Ursula von der Leyen's neck. My comment on @euronews.com liveblog:

Yes, democracy may be slow, messy, and full of suspense… But compared to a linen sack in the river? We’ve come a long way. Follow the latest updates on the European Parliament's motion of censure against the European Commission brought to you by @euronews.com team

After years of reporting on the most important of #EUCO (the meals), I finally managed to disclose how much it costs to feed 27 EU leaders. Not exactly a steal, but still cheaper than a tasting menu in a two-Michelin-starred restaurant and pricier than your corner kebab combo

Although unlikely to pass, the censure motion could pave the way to broader consequences, according to its proponents, replicating the path that led in the 1990s to the voluntary resignation of the EU executive led by Jacques Santer. More on @euronews.com: www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...