European Parliament:
Incoming:
Stefano MAULLU (EPP, IT) officially joined the Parliament on Monday 13 July, in replacement of Giovanni TOTI.
Karoline GRASWANDER-HAINZ (S&D, AT) officially joined the Parliament in replacement of Jörg LEICHTFRIED as of 9 July.
Nikos CHOUNTIS (GUE/NGL, EL) will replace Manolis GLEZOS, instead of Yannis MILIOS as initially announced. Mr CHOUNTIS, who was an MEP (2009-2014) resigned on Monday as Deputy Foreign Minister for European affairs.
Substitutes of the Committees, Subcommittees and the Delegations:
Marietje SCHAAKE (ALDE, NL) joined the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula (D-ARP).
Political groups:
Laurenţiu REBEGA (RO) defected from S&D and joined ENL as Vice-President.
National parties:
Elly SCHLEIN (S&D, IT) left the Democratic Party.
Maria GRAPINI (S&D, RO) left the Conservative Party (PC) and joined the Humanist Party of Romania (PUR).
European Commission:
Cabinets:
Jean-Claude JUNCKER's team: Luc VAN DEN BRANDE appointed as Outreach towards citizens special adviser.
Directorates-General:
Communication (COMM) – Directorate A: Krisztina NAGY became the new acting Head of Europa Site Unit, replacing Robert ANDRECS.
Interpretation (SCIC) – Directorate C: Hilde VEREYCKEN became the new acting Head of Programming of Interpretation Unit, replacing David BAKER.
Regional and Urban Policy (REGIO) – Directorate A: Veronica GAFFEY appointed as Director, replacing Nicholas MARTYN.
Secretariat-General (SG) – Directorate A: Robert ANDRECS became the new Head of Written, Empowerment and Delegation Procedure, External Transmission Unit, replacing German MERINERO CORTES.
What’s new: The European Commission adopted decision to set up a High Level Group of Experts on Simplification chaired by Siim KALLAS (former Commission Vice-President) and made of maximum 12 members. The high level group will hold its first meeting on 20 October and will be set up for a three-year term. It will support the Commission in assessing the uptake by Member States of simplification opportunities to access and use the Funds.
European Council:
Eurogroup:
Minister for Finance Jeroen DIJSSELBLOEM, Labor Party (S&D, NL) re-elected as President on Monday 13 July for a two and a half year mandate.
Committee of the Regions:
Members:
André VAN DE NADORT (PES, NL) and Rob JONKMAN (ECR, NL), former alternates, became members.
José Ramón BAUZÁ DÍAZ (EPP, ES), Roberto Pablo BERMÚDEZ DE CASTRO MUR (EPP, ES), Alberto FABRA PART (EPP, ES) and Luisa Fernanda RUDI ÚBEDA (EPP, ES) left their positions.
Alternates:
Theodoros GOTSOPOULOS (PES, EL) and Marcelle HENDRICKX (EA, NL) joined as alternates. Henri LENFERINK (PES, NL), former member, became an alternate.
Bianca Maria D’ANGELO (EPP, IT), Carmen Patrizia MURATORE (EPP, IT), Clodovaldo RUFFATO (EPP, IT), María Victoria PALAU TÁRREGA (EPP, ES), Onofrio INTRONA (PES, IT), Nicola VENDOLA (PES, IT) and Paola GIORGI (ALDE, IT) left their positions.
European Central Bank:
General Council:
Dimiter RADEV joins the General Council as the new Governor of National Bank of Bulgaria, replacing Ivan ISKROV.
European Agencies:
Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER):
Alberto POTOTSCHNIG re-appointed as Director for a three-year term starting as of 16 September 2015.
Public affairs:
European University Association (EUA): Rolf TARRACH officially took over as EUA President on 1 July for a four-year mandate.
European Committee for Standardization (CEN): Vincent LAFLÈCHE elected as President. He will serve as President-elect for one-year mandate, starting from January 2016, before taking over from Friedrich SMAXWIL as CEN President on 1 January 2017 for a three-year mandate (2017-2019).
European Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation (FACE): Mayssa VANDE VYVRE joined the Secretariat as the new Communications Officer.
City of London Corporation: Ex-Minister of state for Foreign Affairs Jeremy Brown appointed as Special Representative in Brussels office to boost engagement with the EU.
News in a nutshell:
Member States:
Greece: After 17 hours of negotiations the leaders from the euro area member states agreed in principle on Monday 12 July that they are ready to start negotiations on an ESM financial assistance programme for Greece. On Wednesday evening the Greek MPs passed the bailout bill. Pro-European opposition backed the bill, while a considerable number of MPs from the ruling party Syriza (GUE/NGL) voted no, among them Syriza Ministers which is expected to lead to a reshuffle. Earlier this week the Deputy Minister for Finance, Nantia VALAVANI, Syriza resigned.
Romania: Prime Minister Victor PONTA, Social Democratic Party (S&D) stepped down from Chairman of the Social Democrat Party (S&D) and delegated his powers to Minister of Labour, Family, Social Protection and Elderly Rovana PLUMB, Social Democratic Party. Mr PONTA is facing charges for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.
President Klaus IOHANNIS rejected on 15 July the appointment of Mihai-Viorel FIFOR as Minister of Transport, in replacement to Ioan RUS. However, on 16 July he officially appointed Iulian MATACHE, who was proposed by the Prime Minister Victor PONTA.
Estonia: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES officially appointed career diplomat Marina KALJURAND (Ind) as Foreign Minister. She will replace Keit PENTUS-ROSIMANNUS, Reform party, who resigned earlier this month.
Bulgaria: Dimitar RADEV was appointed by the Bulgarian MPs as the new governor of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), taking the reins from Ivan ISKROV as of 15 July for a six-year term. Prime Minister Boyko BORISSOV, GERB (EPP) sacked the Deputy Minister for Tourism Nadya MARINOVA.
United Kingdom: Tim FARRON elected as the new leader of the Liberal Democrats Party (ALDE).
Candidate countries:
Turkey: President Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN commissioned on 9 July incumbent Prime Minister Ahmet DAVUTOĞLU, leader of Justice and Development party (AKP) (AECR) to form a new government. Mr DAVUTOĞLU started coalition talks with the Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and far-Right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), but none of the parties are willing to form a coalition with AKP. The Republican People's Party (CHP) is the only party to have expressed an interest in forming a coalition with the AKP. A second round of talks is due to take place next week.
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes HAHN brokered a deal ending the crisis in Fyrom. An agreement was reached by the political parties. On 20 October 2015, a new Minister of Interior and a new Minister of Labour and Social Affairs shall be appointed. Furthermore, the government of Nikola Gruevski, Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (VMRO-DPMNE) (PES) will submit its formal resignation in December 2015 and elections shall be held on 24 April 2016.