EU institutions, UK-EU relations, and Brexit aftermath
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.
The European Union joined on 15 May the Enlarged Partial Agreement of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, a foundational step in what may prove one of the most ambitious accountability mechanisms of the post-1945 era.
The European Parliament opens its Strasbourg hemicycle to the public on Sunday 17 May 2026 for the institution’s flagship Open Day, with a full civic and cultural programme designed to bring citizens face-to-face with the work of MEPs.
EU co-legislators reached agreement in the early hours of 7 May 2026 on the AI Act Digital Omnibus, deferring high-risk AI obligations from 2 August 2026 to 2 December 2027 whilst adding a prohibition on AI nudification applications and AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Co-rapporteurs Kokalari and McNamara characterised it as ‘simplification without weakening safety’.
The European External Action Service is watching with unease as Trump and Xi open a two-day summit in Beijing on Thursday 14 May 2026, with Brussels concerned about potential US softening on Taiwan and a possible bilateral accord on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
EU defence ministers met this week to discuss reinforced military support for Ukraine and EU defence readiness as Middle East conflict reshapes the security landscape.
A new Commission report finds uneven enforcement of the 2009 Employers Sanctions Directive and recommends targeted reforms to protect labour standards.
MEPs prepare to vote on legislation strengthening protection of EU strategic sectors from risky foreign investments, in a key plenary session this month.
The European Environment Agency’s annual progress report confirms the bloc is on track for the 2030 target, but flags transport and buildings as persistent weak points.
The European External Action Service is finalising a 19th sanctions package focusing on tankers and intermediaries facilitating circumvention of the G7 oil price cap.
