EU institutions, UK-EU relations, and Brexit aftermath
Members of the European Parliament engaged in heated debate on 21 May over the cybersecurity risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence systems, with lawmakers divided over whether to impose mandatory security testing requirements on developers of frontier AI models or maintain a more flexible, risk-based approach. The plenary session saw MEPs grapple with how to…
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s approval rating has plummeted to minus 46 in a YouGov poll released on 21 May, marking the lowest point since he entered Downing Street last July. The dramatic decline signals mounting public frustration with Labour’s handling of key domestic challenges, including the cost-of-living crisis, NHS waiting times, and channel crossings,…
The European Parliament and Commission convened on 21 May to evaluate the EU’s health emergency response capabilities following a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius in late April 2026, with lawmakers pressing officials on the adequacy of cross-border coordination mechanisms and surveillance infrastructure designed to prevent similar incidents. The session, which brought together MEPs from…
The European Parliament will vote in Strasbourg on Thursday 21 May 2026 on a resolution demanding an urgent EU response to democratic backsliding in Slovakia under Prime Minister Robert Fico, citing the dismantling of anti-corruption bodies and compromised judicial independence.
Following Parliament’s 418-207 vote on 29 April 2026 calling on the Commission to trigger the rule-of-law conditionality mechanism against Slovakia, MEPs return to the matter in Strasbourg this week amidst fresh concerns over the Fico government’s dismantling of anti-corruption institutions.
By 508 votes to 64, with 90 abstentions, the European Parliament on 19 May 2026 approved the revised Foreign Direct Investment Screening Regulation, establishing mandatory screening across all member states for defence, semiconductors, AI, critical raw materials and financial services.
The European Commission will table its Tech Sovereignty package on 27 May 2026, featuring two flagship instruments: the Cloud and AI Development Act and the Chips Act 2. The package responds to renewed concerns about Europe’s dependence on non-European cloud and frontier-semiconductor capacity.
A fresh round of Trump-Putin telephone diplomacy revived speculation on Monday 18 May 2026 of a possible bilateral meeting before the June G7 cut-off, against a backdrop of stalled Ukraine ceasefire talks, the Iran war, and Putin’s imminent state visit to Beijing.
The European Parliament opened its May 2026 plenary session in Strasbourg on Monday afternoon. Roberta Metsola met Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at 16:15, opened the session at 17:00, and inaugurated the EU Defence Exhibition at 17:30. The week’s agenda covers Iran, Ukraine, steel and AI in trade.
Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership reached its sixth day of acute leadership crisis on Monday 18 May 2026, with Wes Streeting in open contest and Andy Burnham cleared to contest a parliamentary by-election in Makerfield within weeks.
