MEP scrutiny of conflict of interest for Commissioners-designate: A democratic tool or a scam?

Since European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced her proposals for the new batch of European Commissioners, the legal affairs committee, also known as JURI, has been in charge of examining each candidate’s conflict of interest declarations.

However, many members of the committee from the Greens and The Left walked out of the meeting, arguing that the examination was a total scam as the Parliament has no real powers to investigate — so what is the point of scrutinising financial interests? We spoke to MEP Manon Aubry (The Left/France) to see what she says about the issue.

On today’s agenda: this Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be in Cyprus for the 11th summit of the southern countries of the bloc, discussing EU-Jordan relations and Mediterranean priorities for the new institutional cycle.

And in case you missed it, EU justice ministers have once again failed to agree on the controversial EU regulation to detect online child sexual abuse content.

For the proposal to be adopted, a minimum of 15 of the 27 member states, representing at least 65% of the EU population, must support it — and the numbers are not there yet, EU diplomats say.

Lastly, what is the most popular EU country for studying abroad? Think of a sunny and beautiful country in southern Europe, and you’ll get the answer: Spain is the most attractive short-term study destination for European students — but watch out. The top picks change when it comes to long-term study.