Welcome to Rapporteur. This is Eddy Wax, with Nicoletta Ionta in Strasbourg.
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Need-to-knows:
- Czechia: Billionaire populist Andrej Babiš’ ANO party wins parliamentary election
- France: Bruno Le Maire returns as armed forces minister in Lecornu’s new government
- Gaza: Negotiators meet in Egypt for indirect peace talks between Hamas and Israel
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From the capital
Ursula von der Leyen will once again face her critics this week, as the left and right fringes of Parliament vie to bring down the Commission. The sight of von der Leyen debating populist lawmakers, flanked by her commissioners in Strasbourg, has become repetitive.
It’s fitting that the confrontation returns to France. As we reported last month, the motions of censure are partly the fruit of French politicians bringing their domestic fights to Brussels. Last night in Paris, the far right and far left were again threatening to censure Sébastien Lecornu’s newly announced government.
Von der Leyen is expected to parry today’s debate, and her Commission will survive Thursday’s twin votes. Yet the tallies will be closely watched for any sign that her support in Parliament has weakened since she survived a similar challenge in July.
She will again rely on the centre-right and centre-left to reject the motions. But that alliance has become increasingly unreliable – and the problem starts with its leaders: Manfred Weber, who heads the European People’s Party group, and Iratxe García, the Socialists’ leader.
“They have the most toxic relationship in the European Parliament, probably in Brussels,” said one EU official who has observed them closely. “There is no respect. It holds up progress.”
Their personality contrasts are striking. García, a Spanish feminist who is not afraid of emoting in public, is the opposite of Weber, a buttoned-up Bavarian conservative who betrays little on his face.
During the Qatargate scandal, I saw them arguing loudly in Parliament’s corridors.
Though still on speaking terms, the two veteran MEPs have had several major bust-ups since then – over Teresa Ribera’s nomination as commissioner, García’s threat to torpedo the EU-US trade deal, and the rollback of the Green Deal.
Their recurring fights, like those of a long-married couple, follow familiar lines. She accuses him of drifting towards the far right; he says she did the same with the far left in the previous term, and divides progressives into good Danish socialists and bad Spanish ones.Some see their fractious relationship as an Iberian issue. In Madrid, the EPP and Socialists are sworn enemies, especially when conservatives align with Vox, the Patriots-affiliated far-right party.
It might be a case of mutually beneficial destruction. “Weber’s attacks on her help to unite more people behind her in the group,” one Socialist MEP said of García. Weber’s refusal to always work with the S&D gives him more room for manoeuvre – including with the far-right – on key policies, and wins him points in Spain.
A fresh push to forge a binding coalition pact among von der Leyen’s allies has gone nowhere. A more modest plan to coordinate the Commission’s 2026 work programme, potentially uniting the EPP, S&D and Renew, is now being explored.For von der Leyen, the Weber-García dynamic matters. Even when they agree, it could spell trouble for her, for instance, if both signal they’re about to rebel over the next EU budget.
The more rancour between the EPP and S&D, the greater the risk that the Socialists might one day join a motion of censure. And that would put the Commission in much greater danger than anything seen so far.
“Patience wears out eventually,” García warned Weber last month.
Gaza peace talks open in Egypt
Donald Trump urged all sides to “move fast” as negotiators gather in Egypt today for indirect talks between Israel and Hamas to end the Gaza war, after the militant group accepted parts of a US-drafted peace plan, including freeing hostages and transferring administration to Palestinian technocrats.
Israeli strikes continued over the weekend despite Trump’s appeal for a halt on Friday, and officials said the coming days could decide whether a ceasefire – and the release of hostages – is finally within reach.
New French govt, same old faces
Bruno Le Maire, Emmanuel Macron’s longtime economy minister, is returning to government in a new and unlikely role: France’s minister for the armed forces. PM Sébastien Lecornu’s top team, unveiled last night, features few surprises beyond Le Maire’s comeback.
Apart from new Economy Minister Roland Lescure, most of the previous centre-right government under François Bayrou stays in place, and so do its troubles, Laurent Geslin reports from Paris – a looming budget fight and threats of censure from both the far-left France Unbowed and far-right National Rally.
In a social media post last night, Bruno Retailleau, head of the centre-right Les Républicains, criticised the new government’s composition, which includes three ministers from his party, and said he would convene a meeting with members today.
Czech mate for Ukraine?
Andrej Babiš, the billionaire former prime minister, has returned to the centre of Czech politics, leading his ANO movement to a decisive election victory in parliamentary elections with 34.5% of the vote.
Though short of a majority, the result dealt a blow to the governing pro-European coalition and could complicate the bloc’s efforts to maintain unity over the war in Ukraine. “It’s the pinnacle of my political career,” he declared, pledging to make the Czech Republic “the best place to live in the European Union.”
Babiš has vowed to scrap Czechia’s ammunition initiative for Kyiv – an effort that has supplied millions of shells since 2022 – and accused Czech arms dealers of profiteering. He insists he remains loyal to NATO and the EU, but his rhetoric has turned sharply nationalist. “We were very reliable partner. And we are patriots for Europe,” he said Sunday. “Europe is suffering.”
Macron’s digital diatribe
Emmanuel Macron on Friday warned that the European public sphere risks a “nervous breakdown” fuelled by online hatred and conspiracy theories. In a speech marking German reunification, he said social media platforms run by “either large American entrepreneurs or large Chinese companies” had been “entrusted naively” with the democratic space and must now be made accountable.
France has been advocating for an EU-wide digital age limit of 15, an idea gaining ground across the bloc and the Commission. Last night, Macron named Naïma Moutchou as his new digital minister, replacing Clara Chappaz.
Frontex eyes drone duties
A migration summit in Munich on Saturday quickly turned into a defence debate after EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner hinted at expanding Frontex’s mandate to include drone defence, just as suspected drone sightings twice disrupted Munich Airport.
The Commission has already earmarked €150 million for Frontex to invest in drone technology, and Brunner revealed that another €250 million from the Border Management Fund would go specifically to drones, potentially covering surveillance systems, anti-drone defences, and cross-border coordination to protect critical infrastructure.
The capitals
BERLIN 🇩🇪
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Sunday warned that Europe’s next-generation fighter jet project could collapse by year’s end if partners fail to resolve a long-running industrial feud. The €100 billion Future Combat Air System – jointly led by France’s Dassault Aviation, Germany’s Airbus Defence, and Spain’s Indra – has been stalled by disagreements over design control, with Madrid siding with Berlin against Paris.
ROME 🇮🇹
Italy came to a standstill Saturday as millions joined nationwide protests over Israel’s blockade of Gaza-bound aid flotillas, defying a government ban that branded the strike illegal. Across the country, streets filled with demonstrators before tensions flared in Rome, where clashes left dozens injured. PM Giorgia Meloni stood by the police; unions vowed to appeal the ruling.
MADRID 🇪🇸
Spain’s political and judicial crises deepened as a court summoned PM Pedro Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, to face trial on corruption-related charges tied to her university work. The case follows a separate probe into Attorney General Álvaro García Ortiz, accused of leaking sensitive data to the press. Both deny wrongdoing, and Sánchez has accused conservative judges and media of orchestrating a campaign to discredit his government.
WARSAW 🇵🇱
Norway will deploy additional F-35 fighter jets to Poland starting Monday, joining Dutch and Polish aircraft in air patrols over Polish territory, officials said. More planes are due later this month as part of a NATO response to recent drone incursions. The move underscores “the strength of our collective defence,” Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who served as NATO secretary general, said last week in this capital.
BRATISLAVA 🇸🇰
Slovak PM Robert Fico said he is “proud” that his Smer-SD party will be expelled from the Party of European Socialists, which Rapporteur was first to report last month. Speaking at a World War II commemoration, Fico denounced the move as punishment for his outreach to Moscow and Beijing and defended his meetings with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, while hailing Babiš’ Czech election win as a boost for regional cooperation.
Schuman roundabout
EURONEWS BLUES: Euronews entered another round of layoffs and contract cuts last week. Sources told Rapporteur that the network is in dire financial straits, with basic supplies running short at its Brussels headquarters. The broadcaster, which recently won three EU-funded tenders, has significantly reduced travel and did not send anyone to cover last week’s informal European Council meeting in Denmark. Despite public money, the Portuguese-owned outlet remains in precarious shape.
NEW PUSH FOR KIRK COMMEMORATION: The Patriots will attempt to get the Parliament to hold a minute of silence today for Charlie Kirk, the assassinated American activist aligned with the MAGA movement. Roberta Metsola will decide whether to grant the request, but there was no majority when it was discussed among political groups last week, one source told me. Parliament Veep Katarina Barley shot down a similar request raised by the ECR last month.
Also on Euractiv
Commission seeks new funding ideas to surge EU drone production
The European Commission is looking into the current EU budgets and existing legal frameworks to…
3 minutes
As the war in Ukraine reshapes Europe’s defence priorities, the Commission is weighing a plan to boost drone production at home, according to sources.
Still in its early stages, the effort involves searching existing budgets for funds. One idea would replicate the EU’s earlier Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), established to help replenish the bloc’s depleted stockpiles after critical shortages in Ukraine.
Inside the EU’s private assessment on Trump’s massive aid cuts
Donald Trump’s deep cuts to US foreign aid open the door for the EU to…
6 minutes
Trump’s decision to slash $14 billion in US foreign aid has shaken global relief systems and handed Europe both a dilemma and an opportunity.
A confidential EU working paper, circulated among national offices and obtained by Euractiv, warned the cuts could fuel famine, revive ISIS in Syria, and stall global health programmes. Yet behind the scenes, officials see a chance for the bloc to wield more influence abroad, even as its own aid budgets are shrinking and funds are being repurposed toward industrial investment.
Agenda
➡ Von der Leyen in Strasbourg, meets Metsola and Bundestag President Julia Klöckner
➡ Plenary session in Strasbourg, with debates on the motions of censure against the Commission, intergenerational equity, and the review of the visa suspension mechanism
➡ EP Bureau meets in Strasbourg
➡ Kallas attends the Gulf–EU Ministerial Council in Kuwait
➡ Hearing with ECB President Christine Lagarde in the ECON committee
➡ Hearing with Albuquerque on taxonomy in the ENVI committee
Contributors: Claudie Moreau, Magnus Lund Nielsen, Jacob Wulff Wold, Alessia Peretti, Inés Fernández-Pontes, Laurent Geslin, Elisa Braun, Aleksandra Krzysztoszek, Natália Silenská, Jeremias Lin
Editors: Christina Zhao, Sofia Mandilara
This story has been updated with remarks by Bruno Retailleau, president of Les Républicains.
