In the first plenary at the European Parliament, over 50% of MEPs are entering the Strasbourg chamber for the first time. Today, 18 July, the European Parliament will decide whether to elect Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission president.
Who are the European Parliament’s newcomers? In this episode, Radio Schuman interviews some first-timer MEPs, including ex-prime ministers and a famous influencer on TikTok.
We take a quick peek on the other side of the channel, where about 45 countries are expected to meet in the UK for a summit of the European Political Community. EU-UK relations will be under scrutiny there, with a new government in London, and leaders will discuss whether to convene an EU-UK summit, an EU diplomat told Euronews.
We also consider how several EU countries are unhappy about European Commission’s boycott of the Hungarian presidency, a move seen as an electoral strategy used by Ursula von der Leyen, seeking re-appointment today as European Commission president.
On our summer theme, we look at howdrones combat over-tourism on Greek beaches.
Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.