European Union – European Neighbourhood Monitor

An Endless Appetite for Taxes: Inside the EU Commission’s Policy Mindset

This summer, the European Commission unveiled five new proposed “own resources” to fund the EU’s next long-term budget — the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) covering 2028–2034. While two of these ideas, the “Corporate Resource for Europe” (CORE) and the “Tobacco Excise Duty Own Resource” (TEDOR), have drawn the loudest resistance from member states, the real […]

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Belgium’s Health Care Battles: When Welfare States Tighten Control

European Union / ENM

By Pieter Cleppe In Belgium, the debate over the future of the welfare state has found a focal point: Frank Vandenbroucke (picture). The veteran socialist, who serves as Belgium’s federal health minister, has become emblematic of how Europe’s welfare systems, under intense financial strain, are turning to centralised and coercive measures to impose savings and

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A Crisis of Trust

European Union / ENM

How the EU’s NGO Funding Machine is Losing Public Confidence By Pieter Cleppe Once hailed as the world’s most trusted institutions, NGOs have seen their credibility erode. Two decades ago, the Edelman Trust Barometer ranked NGOs above corporations, governments, and media. Today, businesses are more trusted than NGOs. This shift isn’t accidental—it’s the result of

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A Craving for Power and Money: The EU Commission’s Budget Proposal

European Union / ENM

By Pieter Cleppe The European Commission’s proposed 2028–2034 long term EU budget exemplifies its growing craving for power and money. Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed to strongly increase the “MFF” or Multiannual financial framework from €1.2 trillion to €2 trillion. Also, Brussels seeks to shift fiscal power from member states

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On Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizergate

European Union / ENM

By Lars Patrick Berg MEP According to a report by the news platform Euractiv, a Belgian lobbyist has filed a lawsuit against a second term of office of the President of the European Commission. Today, Ursula von der Leyen had to appear in an expedited public hearing before the Brussels Court of First Instance. In

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