‘…just recently, during the EU–China summit hosted by Xi, not only was there no Chinese delegation to welcome European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other top EU leaders, but the Chinese autocrat also made them take a bus to reach the summit venue. This does not look like a man who is on his way out.’
The euro plunged to $1.1565 on 29 July, down 1.6 per cent since the US–EU trade deal was announced—despite Ursula von der Leyen calling it a ‘huge deal’. Markets, however, delivered their verdict: the agreement heavily favours Washington, leaving Europe with rising energy dependence and economic uncertainty.
The first-ever EU–Central Asia summit has just kicked off as Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa arrived in Uzbekistan. Brussels is now trying to assert its influence over the region, which is widely seen as one of the future economic and trade powerhouses. However, most EU member states lack the deep connections and relationships with the Central Asian republic, except for one: Hungary.
US president Donald Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports to the United States on Monday, a decision that will heavily impact the European Union’s economy. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen promised proportionate countermeasures, signalling a broader trade war between Washington and Brussels in the near future.
While the European People’s Party, led by Manfred Weber and Ursula von der Leyen, is conducting an unprecedented smear campaign against Hungary—centred around allegations of corruption—the number of corruption cases linked to the political group continues to grow. Most recently, Weber’s chief of staff has been placed under investigation by Belgian and EU authorities.
On Wednesday Viktor Orbán presented the priorities of the Hungarian EU Presidency to the plenary in Strasbourg; however, instead of addressing the pressing challenges facing Europe, MEPs—led by Ursula von der Leyen—seized the opportunity to launch a personal political attack on the Hungarian Prime Minister, demonstrating that the left-wing majority does not allow for a professional debate.
Donald Trump’s campaign team has accused EU Commissioner Thierry Breton of election meddling after he sent a letter to Elon Musk, stating that Musk had a duty to censor potentially ‘harmful content’ on X ahead of Musk’s interview with the former US president. To make matters more embarrassing, it has emerged that Breton did not even inform Ursula von der Leyen of his actions.
Ursula von der Leyen’s Europe’s Choice programme will be the working document on the basis of which the Commissioners designate will receive their portfolios and, when they take office, the mandate in which the Commission President will set out their work and expectations for the next five years. And the implementation of these visions will be the task for this period to come.
Political Director for the Prime Minister of Hungary Balázs Orbán talked to the prominent French paper Le Monde. In the piece, he discussed Hungary’s pro-peace approach to the Russo–Ukrainian war, the re-election of Ursula von der Leyen as Commission President, and Fidesz’s pursuit of joining a political group in the European Parliament as well.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán gave an interview to the Italian newspaper Il Giornale, in which he stressed that the current European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen has failed regarding everything from war to agriculture. He emphasized that there is no other choice: the European right must take over after the elections.