The European Parliament’s first 2026 plenary session saw debates on the fourth motion of censure of the Commission, the Mercosur trade deal, and Hungary’s SAFE defence fund. Von der Leyen skipped the censure debate, Mercosur was referred to the Court of Justice, and Hungary’s access to SAFE funds faces opposition over alleged ‘corruption’.

‘Commissioner Kubilius’ proposal for “rotating” membership in the envisaged Council amounts to an outright disregard for the Treaties—under such a plan, some countries would commit their armed forces to a “United Army of Europe” while having no say in its command. This idea violates not only the spirit of the EU Treaties but also fundamental democratic principles…’

German MEP from the left-wing BSW Fabio De Masi sued the European Commission over its lack of transparency on arms-industry contacts. After months of incomplete replies, he argues the Commission violated EU treaties and the Parliament’s oversight rights—raising fears of a Pfizergate-like scandal amid the EU’s multibillion-euro defence spending.

‘While the saint who gave the mid-December celebration its name is known for her kindness and benevolence, in folklore the day is nevertheless more closely associated with evil—and with its female agents: witches.’

‘Some argue, however, that the EU’s “solidarity” pool is nothing but a punishment for those countries that handled migration well over the years.’

‘The Commission’s initiative…is more than just stigmatizing content deemed “false” by Brussels’s fact-checkers. It is also about setting up a closely aligned network in Europe that can coordinate to spread “correct” and “truthful” information—while being paid by Brussels.’

‘Washington proposes to recognize Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk as de facto Russian, and freeze the conflict at the battlelines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts…Naturally, the European plan disagrees with this proposal and recommends freezing the frontlines as they are, with the option to negotiate territorial swaps later.’

‘While Hungary called for more oversight and transparency, the European Parliament’s majority actively undermined these attempts.’

‘Shortly after the press conference between the two countries, the mainstream media began to sow doubts about Hungary’s diplomatic achievement. Citing anonymous sources, Reuters and the BBC started to spread rumours that Hungary received its exemption for only one year.’

‘According to the European Commission, Ukraine has made significant progress on its enlargement path, so much so that it has already met the conditions to open clusters on fundamentals, external relations, and the internal market…Berlaymont does not rule out the feasibility of Ukraine’s accession by 2028.’