Exclusive: Belgian advice to circumvent EU court on migration
Belgian officials have circulated legal advice on migration to EU nations from a former president of the country’s Constitutional Court, urging them to appoint more conservative judges over those with “activist interpretations” of human rights law.
The paper, written by Marc Bossuyt and obtained by Euractiv, also encourages states to scrutinise EU migration rulings that make returning rejected asylum seekers harder, saying that they should not be deterred out of fear of infringing on the rule of law.
It was sent to a dozen governments, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Greece, as well as some others that have accused the European Court of Human Rights of overreach.
In May, Denmark, Italy and seven other countries signed a letter, first reported by Euractiv, accusing the Strasbourg court of stretching the European Convention on Human Rights “too far” in favour of individuals at the expense of national security.
Read more by Nicoletta, Magnus Lund Nielsen, and Vince Chadwick.
Save us, Draghi
Ursula von der Leyen is under pressure to show progress on implementing Mario Draghi’s competitiveness report at today’s “High-Level Conference,” marking its one-year anniversary today. Draghi – “Super Mario” – himself will deliver a keynote, amid renewed fears of the “slow agony” the Italian technocrat warned of in his 400-page study.
Growth and demand remain weak, the single market fragmented, and Chinese competition as fierce as ever – and that’s before you factor in Donald Trump’s trade war. Brussels’ attempts to heed the former ECB chief’s calls for investment, market integration, and lighter regulations have so far (mostly) yielded nothing.
The Commission’s “Omnibus” red tape-slashing proposals have stalled in the European Parliament; no steps have been taken to ease competition rules for “European champions”; and major investment has materialised only in defence – or in the US. But another conference ought to solve it.
Belarusians detained after Warsaw drone
Donald Tusk said two Belarusian citizens were detained after security officers “neutralised” a drone over government buildings in central Warsaw on Monday.
The prime minister gave no further details but said police are investigating the incident, which comes after Russian drones entered Polish airspace last week, and one entered Romania.
Teary Merz declares ‘war’ on antisemitism
Friedrich Merz grew visibly emotional at the commemoration of a rebuilt synagogue in Munich last night. The Reichenbachstrasse shul was all but destroyed in the Nazi pogroms of 1938. The German chancellor praised the building as "an expression of Jewish vitality in Germany."
Recalling the memoirs of the woman who initiated the reconstruction, Merz cited her haunting childhood question: “Had no one helped the Jews?”
Merz said he was “appalled” by a resurgence of antisemitism in Germany, calling “Never again” both a duty and a promise. He argued that his country had too often ignored how many newcomers arrived from places where antisemitism is “a state doctrine.”
“From this place I declare war, on behalf of the entire German government, on every form of old and new antisemitism in Germany,” Merz said.
France and Sweden do battle over Democracy Shield
Paris and Stockholm are trying to hammer out the Commission’s much-hyped “Democracy Shield” into shape.
Expected later this autumn, the initiative remains a loosely defined mishmash of proposals to defend Europe's democracy against threats such as foreign interference.
At today’s EU affairs ministers’ meeting in Brussels, France’s Benjamin Haddad will circulate this document and repeat his request for deadlines to implement the bloc’s digital rulebook, allocate EU funds for media literacy, and create a “reliability label” for media outlets.
The frugal Swedes, however, stress the project should stay within existing budget lines. In an unofficial document seen by Rapporteur, Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin, argued for working through current EU structures and focusing on educating citizens about the value of democracy.
Polish MEP’s car gets shot up
Waldemar Buda, a Polish member of the European Parliament, said his car was hit by nine shots in Brussels in what he described as a “planned attack.” He shared a photo online showing the damage, which he attributed to an air rifle. Buda was not in the car when the incident occurred.
Police in Brussels confirmed that a complaint was filed, according to the Flemish outlet VRT.
