Latest news with #EPPCongress
Euronews
08-05-2025
- Business
- Euronews
E-government services spectacularly ignored by EU citizens: Why?
Over a quarter of a century after the explosion of the World Wide Web, the digital revolution in the EU appears to have stopped halfway. The latest Eurostat report on the bloc's digitalisation shows 44% of the population lacks basic digital skills. More concretely, over 150 million people can't do things like searching for information online, sending emails or other communications, installing software, protecting personal data or creating digital content. Miles away from the 80% digital literacy target set by the EU for 2030. The lowest rates were reported across Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Latvia and Italy, while the Netherlands, Finland, Ireland and Denmark sit at the other end of the spectrum. Low digital literacy is also one of the reasons why e-government services aren't being widely utilised. Of all people who used the internet over 12 months in the EU, only 47% did it to obtain or check information from public authorities' websites - for example, checking opening hours, laws, benefits, or general services. The highest rates of e-service users were found in Denmark, Finland and Cyprus. Bulgaria, Romania, and Italy are in the lowest spots across the EU. "I think there's a story of two Europes" tells Euronews digital transformation expert Benjamin Welby. "One that has firmly embedded digital in society, and the other where it is emerging. There are such huge variations between country at the more granular level but there is consistency in terms of what those averages are." Eurostat shows that the most popular activities among those who do use the internet are overwhelmingly related to communications, like emails (87%) or instant messaging (85%). The third most popular online activity is looking up or buying goods and services (81%). In this category, the best-selling items are clothing (70%), streaming subscriptions (46%), event tickets (38%), transport tickets (38%), food delivery (33%), hotel bookings (33%) and make-up (31%). Following online shopping, most people use the internet for online banking (72%), reading online news sites (70%), social networks (70%) and searching for health information (63%). The European Union should maintain sanctions on Russia and must diversify its energy supplies because Moscow is using energy for blackmail, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker told Euronews in an exclusive interview. In a discussion at the margins of the EPP Congress in Valencia, Stocker, who leads a three-party coalition, said the EU needs to differentiate between Russia and Putin and prepare for the future with President Vladimir Putin no longer in power. "Russia is not just Putin," Stocker said. "Dealing with Putin is extremely difficult, but Russia will still be there when he's no longer in power. For now, we see Russia as a threat — Austria included — due to its destabilising actions and disinformation campaigns targeting Western democracies. Right now, Russia is not a partner. But that won't always be the case — leaders don't stay in power forever." Stocker added it's too soon to talk about relaxing economic sanctions on Russia, as a possible ceasefire in Ukraine is at present out of sight. He thinks any peace deal must respect Ukraine's terms. "That's not something I see at the moment, though I would welcome it," he said of a truce. "But any ceasefire or peace agreement must not be imposed. Ukraine must define the terms under which peace can be achieved. From what I can see, Putin has no interest in that right now. If a peace agreement comes, the EU will decide its position then. Until that happens, the sanctions must remain in place." The chancellor also highlighted the need to further reduce the EU's energy dependence on Russia. The European Commission is considering plans to divorce Europe from Russian energy imports completely. "We've learned the hard way that it's not wise to be so dependent on a single supplier, especially when energy becomes a tool of blackmail," he said. "That's why we're diversifying our energy sources and becoming independent from Russian gas. The key issue is dependency, and it's clear now that this dependency was neither a good policy nor a sustainable solution. We are ending it." Stocker also said he supports new plans to rearm Europe as the security guarantees of the post-Cold War era fade away. "For a long time, we were under the illusion that war was a thing of the past in Europe," he told Euronews. "I was born in 1960, after the war. The ruins were being rebuilt, and I grew up believing that war would never return to Europe. We designed our defence systems around that belief. But now we see that was a misconception. So we must redesign our defence — better, and with more responsibility. Austria is participating in the EU's joint defence procurement programme. "We are militarily neutral, but that doesn't mean we won't invest in our defence," Stocker said. "On the contrary, we're doubling our defence spending to 2% of GDP. We've already significantly increased the budget in recent years. So we are investing in our defence within the framework of our neutrality. " But unlike Sweden or Finland, Austria is not considering joining NATO. "NATO membership is not up for discussion in Austria, both because of our neutrality and because we aim to manage our defence spending efficiently," Stocker said. "For example, the Sky Shield procurement platform isn't an EU initiative; it's a European one, including Switzerland. It lets us buy systems cost-effectively and ensures they're compatible, while keeping command and deployment decisions entirely in Austrian hands." Talking about migration, Chancellor Stocker said the EU's Migration Pact was a big step in the right direction, but he added Brussels needs to take action now. "We're not adopting a Trump-style 'build the wall' approach, but we do need a strong, secure external border, one that's properly monitored, where asylum procedures happen right at the border. That's one key element. The second is having safe third countries where people can be returned." The chancellor added that 100% of those migrants without the right to stay in Europe should leave. "We do want people who have no legal right to stay in Austria or Europe to leave. If only 20% of those without a residence permit are actually returning, as we've heard, that's simply not enough. It should be 100%. Even if we can't reach that completely, it must remain our goal."
Euronews
08-05-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Europe must plan for a post-Putin Russia, Austria's chancellor says
The European Union should maintain sanctions on Russia and must diversify its energy supplies because Moscow is using energy for blackmail, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker told Euronews in an exclusive interview. In a discussion at the margins of the EPP Congress in Valencia, Stocker, who leads a three-party coalition, said the EU needs to differentiate between Russia and Putin and prepare for the future with President Vladimir Putin no longer in power. "Russia is not just Putin," Stocker said. "Dealing with Putin is extremely difficult, but Russia will still be there when he's no longer in power. For now, we see Russia as a threat — Austria included — due to its destabilising actions and disinformation campaigns targeting Western democracies. Right now, Russia is not a partner. But that won't always be the case — leaders don't stay in power forever." Stocker added it's too soon to talk about relaxing economic sanctions on Russia, as a possible ceasefire in Ukraine is at present out of sight. He thinks any peace deal must respect Ukraine's terms. "That's not something I see at the moment, though I would welcome it," he said of a truce. "But any ceasefire or peace agreement must not be imposed. Ukraine must define the terms under which peace can be achieved. From what I can see, Putin has no interest in that right now. If a peace agreement comes, the EU will decide its position then. Until that happens, the sanctions must remain in place." The chancellor also highlighted the need to further reduce the EU's energy dependence on Russia. The European Commission is considering plans to divorce Europe from Russian energy imports completely. "We've learned the hard way that it's not wise to be so dependent on a single supplier, especially when energy becomes a tool of blackmail," he said. "That's why we're diversifying our energy sources and becoming independent from Russian gas. The key issue is dependency, and it's clear now that this dependency was neither a good policy nor a sustainable solution. We are ending it." Stocker also said he supports new plans to rearm Europe as the security guarantees of the post-Cold War era fade away. "For a long time, we were under the illusion that war was a thing of the past in Europe," he told Euronews. "I was born in 1960, after the war. The ruins were being rebuilt, and I grew up believing that war would never return to Europe. We designed our defence systems around that belief. But now we see that was a misconception. So we must redesign our defence — better, and with more responsibility. Austria is participating in the EU's joint defence procurement programme. "We are militarily neutral, but that doesn't mean we won't invest in our defence," Stocker said. "On the contrary, we're doubling our defence spending to 2% of GDP. We've already significantly increased the budget in recent years. So we are investing in our defence within the framework of our neutrality. " But unlike Sweden or Finland, Austria is not considering joining NATO. "NATO membership is not up for discussion in Austria, both because of our neutrality and because we aim to manage our defence spending efficiently," Stocker said. "For example, the Sky Shield procurement platform isn't an EU initiative; it's a European one, including Switzerland. It lets us buy systems cost-effectively and ensures they're compatible, while keeping command and deployment decisions entirely in Austrian hands." Talking about migration, Chancellor Stocker said the EU's Migration Pact was a big step in the right direction, but he added Brussels needs to take action now. "We're not adopting a Trump-style 'build the wall' approach, but we do need a strong, secure external border, one that's properly monitored, where asylum procedures happen right at the border. That's one key element. The second is having safe third countries where people can be returned." The chancellor added that 100% of those migrants without the right to stay in Europe should leave. "We do want people who have no legal right to stay in Austria or Europe to leave. If only 20% of those without a residence permit are actually returning, as we've heard, that's simply not enough. It should be 100%. Even if we can't reach that completely, it must remain our goal." A new series of US products has been targeted for potential EU tariffs including aerospace champion Boeing, in case negotiations with the US administration end in deadlock, the European Commission announced on Thursday. 'We believe there are good deals to be made for the benefit of consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic,' Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement adding, however: 'At the same time, we continue preparing for all possibilities.' Since mid-March the US has imposed 25% tariffs on EU aluminium and steel, 25% on cars and a 10% blanket tariff on all EU imports. US products that could be hit by the EU include agri-food products such as processed fruits, nuts, vegetables, as well as fish, industrial products such as automotives, electrical equipment, engines and machinery. The list also targets Boeing and Bourbon Whiskey. The new retaliatory measures, if used by the EU, will add to the list of US products already hit by EU tariffs which were suspended after US President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause in the war waged against his trading partners around the world after threatening them with so-called "reciprocal" tariffs on 2 April, which would have hit EU imports with 20% tariffs. US tariffs now cover 70% of EU exports to the US and could rise to 97% if further US investigations into pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and other products result in more tariffs. The list of US products targeted by the EU will now be open to consultation by EU industries until 10 June, before approval by EU member states, as well as possible restrictions on certain EU exports of steel scrap and chemical products to the US worth €4.4 billion. The level of EU tariffs that could hit the new list of US products will be decided at a later date. On Thursday, the Commission also announced it will challenge the 10% blanket tariffs and tariffs on cars before the WTO. US services are not threatened by Thursday's proposed EU countermeasures, but an EU official said that all 'options were on the table' if negotiations with the US fails. EU top officials were in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday, led by Sabine Weyand, chief of DG trade at the Commission, to meet their US counterparts. The discussion appear to have been fruitless, as no deal has been announced. The EU official said that the EU was not presenting a 'retaliation' package but was looking for a 'rebalancing' of the trade relation with the US, if no deal was reached.
Euronews
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Shooting sprees 'not over yet' in Sweden: Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson
ADVERTISEMENT The centre-right leader of Sweden had just touched down in Valencia to join his party members from all over the continent when news of another deadly incident in Sweden emerged. Tuesday, the first day of the EPP Congress, coincided with yet another shooting, this time in the city of Uppsala, adding to the ongoing wave of gang-related violence in Sweden. For the last ten years, we have had a lot of gang-related shootings in Sweden. Ulf Kristersson Prime Minister of Sweden In an interview with Euronews, Ulf Kristersson said he had made "enormous efforts to increase the police's capabilities to find them, stop them and to use all different methods to detect them before they commit their crimes". He insisted that the amount of shootings were decreasing but were not over yet. But Sweden's security issues are not only internal, following several underwater cable incidents in the Baltic sea during the last few months. The damage is believed to result from ships dragging their anchors along the seabed. Kristersson refrained from assigning responsibility, but noted that the circumstances raise suspicion. We do not blame countries without very precise information. Ulf Kristersson Swedish Prime Minister However, he said that when he speaks to people acquainted with the conditions on the Baltic Sea, they say the chance that vessels might drop their anchors without noticing and suddenly damage cables – "that simply does not happen.' In response to the security situation following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sweden also became the latest member of NATO in March 2024. A couple of months later, Donald Trump was elected US President, prompting questions about the country's reliability in the face of a potential aggression against European allies. The Prime Minister has no doubts however. "We are definitely much safer as one of the 32 in the Alliance." Ulf Kristersson Swedish Prime Minister However, the US is not the only NATO ally raising concerns. Swedish journalist Joakim Medin was recently arrested in Turkey and charged with insulting the President and belonging to a terror organisation. Joakim, after today's judgement. 'The fact that NATO countries have different opinions on various issues is nothing new," said the Prime Minister. adding that Sweden and Turkey have very different views on freedom of speech. "That does not mean that we are very concerned with the fact that a Swedish journalist is put on trial today'. Ulf Kristersson Swedish Prime Minister The trial is ongoing, and the legitimacy of the case has been widely criticised by politicians and human rights organisations.
BreakingNews.ie
30-04-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Harris welcomes election of Mairead McGuinness as vice president of European People's Party
Tánaiste Simon Harris has welcomed the election of Mairead McGuinness as vice-president of the European People's Party (EPP). The EPP Congress took place in Valenica, Spain, where EPP delegates elected a new EPP presidency, including a new party president, 10 vice-presidents, a secretary general, and treasurer. Advertisement The EPP includes 84 parties and partners from 44 countries, the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Parliament, 12 EU heads of state and government, and 13 members of the European Commission. The EPP Group is the largest political group in the European Parliament with 188 Members from all EU Member States. Speaking after the vote, the Tánaiste said: 'I am delighted that Mairead McGuinness has been elected by her colleagues from across Europe to serve as a vice president of the EPP. 'The overwhelming level of support that Mairead received underlines the high regard she is held in across Europe being elected alongside other EU Prime Ministers and EU Commissioners. Advertisement 'Mairead's election is also a vote of confidence in the Fine Gael party. Fine Gael has not held a vice presidency position since the election of Minister Helen McEntee to the role in 2019. "When I was elected leader of Fine Gael last year, I stated that one of my key priorities was increasing Fine Gael's engagement with the EPP and regaining the vice presidency position within the party." 'Mairead will bring a wealth of experience and a respected voice to this role where she will help shape the polices of the biggest political party in Europe.' Following her election, Ms McGuinness said: 'I am very grateful to my EPP colleagues for expressing confidence in me to serve as their vice president. "The EU faces significant uncertainty given current geopolitical instability at present and therefore Ireland's voice at the heart of the EPP has never been more important. 'I want to thank all my colleagues who expressed confidence in me today by electing me to this position. I look forward to beginning my work immediately."
