Without real power of enforcement, the Ombudsman’s strength lies in the exercise of ‘soft power’, an approach based on the idea that change within an administration comes from understanding where shortcomings occur and an openness to remedying them. Continue reading
Against the background of the many challenges which the European Union has faced in recent years, the European Parliament has taken the lead in launching and hosting a series of high-profile debates on the Future of Europe, intended to run for the whole of 2018. Continue reading
In the aftermath of the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union (EU), following the referendum of June 2016, the EU launched a profound reflection on the Future of Europe, which continues in various fora and institutions. Continue reading
Written by Silvia Kotanidis, At the January plenary sitting, the European Parliament (EP) is due to elect its 30th President, to hold the office until the next European parliamentary elections, due in 2019. The President has an important and increasingly visible function in the EU institutional and international setting, mirroring the influential role of the … Continue reading