Thierry Breton

After weeks of fierce political horse-trading, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen unveiled Tuesday her new top team to help steward the EU through the next five years of global uncertainty.

Faced with Russia's war in Ukraine, the potential return of Donald Trump as U.S. president and competition from China, the formation of the new commission comes at a crucial moment.

France's powerful European commissioner Thierry Breton on Monday announced he was quitting his role with immediate effect, claiming EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had sought at the last-minute to bar him from her incoming team.

Thierry Breton, France's European Commissioner for the Internal Market, has resigned and withdrawn his candidacy for a future European Commission role. Breton's decision comes just a day before President Ursula von der Leyen was set to announce her new team of commissioners.

Faced with the ongoing conflict resulting from Russia's war on Ukraine, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has promised to appoint a dedicated defense commissioner, signaling Europe's commitment to bolstering its defense capabilities.

The message is meant to be clear: Europe is serious about rearming.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has largely finalized her team for the upcoming term, with several key positions already designated. According to the German newspaper "WELT," which was cited by BGNES, the role of vice-president for economic affairs is set to go to Raffaele Fitto from the Italian Brothers party.

CRRC Qingdao Sifang Locomotive Co., Ltd., a major Chinese rolling stock manufacturer, has withdrawn from a procurement tender in Bulgaria following an investigation by the EU Commission.

With the continuation of Russia's war in Ukraine, the European Commission is set to propose a significant shift towards a military economy regime within the European Union.

The European Union said Friday it will drastically increase ammunition production this year in response to Ukraine's growing pleas for support in its war against Russia, which summoned the French ambassador to protest at the country's "growing involvement" in the conflict.

In a startling revelation, former U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly told European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in 2020 that the United States would not come to Europe's aid if it were to face an attack.

Europe on Friday reached a provisional deal on landmark European Union rules governing the use of artificial intelligence including governments' use of AI in biometric surveillance and how to regulate AI systems such as ChatGPT.