The EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels today to discuss the situation in Syria following the fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad. One question will be how the EU can contribute to stabilizing the country. This will also involve facilitating the return of the many refugees from Syria living in Europe.
According to the EU, it had no contact with the Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham, which is largely responsible for Assad’s overthrow. The group and people associated with it are still on the United Nations terror list and subject to EU sanctions, as you can read in today’s News.
When departing from Munich Airport, EPP leader Manfred Weber claims VIP status: a check in without queues and a luxury limousine to the tarmac. According to Till Hoppe’s and Markus Grabitz’ research, the European taxpayer pays for this delay. In their analysis, they also explain how Manfred Weber justifies the costs.
The centrist François Bayrou lacks a good justification for the office of Prime Minister of France. Nevertheless, Emmanuel Macron has appointed him as the new head of government in Paris. The left-wing alliance, which was the strongest party in the July election, and the Rassemblement National remain on the sidelines. Bayrou will therefore have similar problems uniting the National Assembly behind him as his predecessor Michel Barnier, analyzes Claire Stam. So things remains exciting in Paris.
Stay confident and get the week off to a good start!
Manfred Weber wears a gray knitted cap. It is a clear, cold winter’s day in Washington. He is here to make connections with American friends, Weber reports in a video on Instagram. The dome of the Capitol can be seen behind him. He then told the Münchner Merkur newspaper that he had met with professors, politicians and chiefs of staff in order to better assess the plans of future President Donald Trump.
The EPP party and group leader is an important man in Brussels: he leads the largest group in the European Parliament and at the same time the party family, which provides 14 of the 27 Commissioners. Weber sees himself on an equal footing with the big players in politics, the heads of state and government of the EU member states, and probably also with the players in the US capital.
His office is adorned with numerous photos showing him with powerful people, such as Angela Merkel. When Michel Barnier was recently ousted as French Prime Minister, Weber posted a picture of himself and Barnier, taken at the seat of government in Paris.
The CSU politician also likes to say that he regularly talks to the Christian Democrat heads of state and government. When tensions with social democrats and liberals in the European Parliament escalated at the end of November and threatened to delay the launch of the new Commission, several of the politicians known in EU jargon as “bosses” called him. Probably also at the request of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was worried about her majority.
Weber had set his sights on the most important EU office himself in 2019; as the election winner’s lead candidate, he laid claim to the Commission presidency. However, the leaders thwarted his plans, above all Emmanuel Macron and Pedro Sánchez. They did not trust the then 47-year-old, who had no government experience, with the job.
Weber chewed hard on the defeat. But he put it behind him, unlike his rival Frans Timmermans. Weber returned after the summer break, with a full beard. He has not buried his political ambition. Weber showed this when he was also elected head of the EPP party family in 2022. Since then, he has been traveling through Europe as the top Christian Democrat and was one of the first to visit the new right-wing head of government Giorgia Meloni in Rome. He wants to be re-elected as party leader in the spring.
His political ambitions translate into status claims. Weber not only receives a princely salary from the party and parliamentary group. He receives €14,020 a month from the party, which can be found in his declarations of personal interests as a member of parliament. Actually, if a party leader also has a mandate or government office and thus a livelihood, then leading the party is an honorary position. When Weber took over the leadership of the EPP, he demanded an extra salary.
As parliamentary group leader, he is also entitled to a parliamentary allowance of €8,419.90 net. As parliamentary group leader, he can also claim a daily allowance of €350 for accommodation, meals and incidental expenses 365 days a year. There are other privileges that Weber has fought for over the years. For example, his own company car and chauffeur in his Bavarian home and VIP treatment at Munich Airport.
According to the provider, preferential treatment currently costs €510 gross per departure. From January onwards, it will even cost €560 per departure. According to reports, Weber receives key account conditions and therefore pays correspondingly less. The service includes separate access to the VIP wing at the airport, discreet handling of check-in, baggage check-in and checks in a separate room and, as a highlight, the “exclusive VIP shuttle to your flight,” as the provider’s brochure states.
When the plane is on the tarmac, the VIP guest is taken to boarding by limousine. Weber is the last to board when all the other passengers are already in their seats and have stowed their hand luggage. The ministers of the Bavarian state government are entitled to such a VIP service, as are EU commissioners. Many commissioners only make use of this service when things have to be done particularly quickly, according to reports in Bavaria. The other parliamentary group leaders in the European Parliament do without it, as they have access to the airport lounges anyway as frequent flyers.
Weber, however, insists on the service, the costs of which add up to more than €10,000 per year for several flights per month. The Parliament’s financial administration has repeatedly made enquiries with the group because Weber is charging the EU taxpayer unusually high costs, they say.
Nor does he want to do without his own company car, which is available to him for travel at his home in the district of Kelheim in Lower Bavaria. Der Spiegel already reported on this in 2020. The service, including a driver on call, is said to cost the parliamentary group and therefore the European taxpayer around €100,000 every year. BMW, Mercedes and Audi provide politicians with vehicles in the top luxury segment at very attractive conditions. They grant high discounts on the leasing rates, as otherwise the rental of the limousines is not compatible with the budget guidelines of EU institutions.
Weber has had the company car at his disposal since 2016. The then parliamentary president Martin Schulz (SPD) had lobbied Secretary General Klaus Welle for it, as a letter available to Table.Briefings shows. While the S&D group leaders have renounced the privilege of a company car in their constituency, Weber has held on to it to this day.
Weber sees no reason to criticize his behavior. A spokesperson told Table.Briefings: “Manfred Weber is using the usual practice for top politicians at Munich Airport.” With regard to company cars and drivers, it is further stated that Manfred Weber uses his driving service, to which every group chairman is entitled, on the basis of a decision by the EP Bureau. He even goes one step further: “With the existing practice, the European Parliament saves considerable costs.” All expenses have been checked several times by Parliament’s services during audits in recent years, according to the spokesperson.
François Bayrou succeeds Michel Barnier as Prime Minister of France. The leader of the centrist Mouvement démocrate (MoDem) party is the fourth prime minister in Paris since the beginning of the year. The big question is how long he can hold on to power given the difficult political, economic and social situation.
The fact that the rating agency Moody’s downgraded France’s credit rating on Friday – just a few hours after Bayrou was appointed prime minister – could be a bad omen. “It is very unlikely that the next government will sustainably reduce the size of the budget deficits,” said the rating agency in its analysis.
Bayrou is a well-known figure in France. The 73-year-old was Minister of Education in right-wing governments between 1993 and 1997. He also ran for president three times. By stepping down in favor of Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 elections, he played a key role in bringing Macron to the Élysée Palace.
“I do not ignore the Himalaya in front of us,” said François Bayrou when he took office on Friday. In typical French rhetoric, the former professor of classical philology said he hoped to “find a new way” and emphasized the “need to break out of the silly wars” and work towards reconciliation. He alluded to the fragmentation of the National Assembly and the power struggles between the various political factions.
Bayrou has clearly identified the adoption of the budget for 2025 as his most important challenge. France’s gigantic deficit of 6.1 percent of GDP demonstrates the urgency. The agricultural sector also has high expectations of him. He is to make France heard in Brussels in connection with the Mercosur deal.
The profound social crisis in France also presents Bayrou with difficult tasks. In one year, the number of insolvencies among small and medium-sized companies has risen by more than 46 percent. According to experts, around 250,000 jobs are at risk due to restructuring plans. Social plans are also increasing at large corporations such as Michelin, ArcelorMittal, Auchan and Valeo.
Solving the problems will be extremely difficult. François Bayrou faces the same problem as his predecessor Michel Barnier. He is dependent on the National Assembly, which could bring him down if the left-wing alliance Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) and the Rassemblement National (RN) turn against him.
The NFP has declared that it will not participate in Bayrou’s government. However, the alliance is divided on the degree of criticism of the new prime minister. The left-wing populists La France insoumise (LFI) want to table another motion of no confidence as soon as possible. On the right, the Republicans (LR) have made their participation in the government dependent on what the new prime minister will present to them.
Bayrou has begun talks on the composition of his government, in which he wants to include “personalities with experience.” He wants to be a “prime minister of complementarity” with Emmanuel Macron. This declaration is important, as Bayrou is signaling his desire for independence from the president. With the fall of the Barnier government, Macron wanted to install one of his loyalists, Sébastien Lecornu. Bayrou was ultimately able to prevail.
“Unlike many people who have been given ministerial posts under Emmanuel Macron, François Bayrou owes him nothing politically,” emphasizes one MP, who requested anonymity due to the ongoing negotiations on the composition of the new government. He has also brought members of his party into all governments since 2017. This is a sign of his influence and his independence from Macron.
For the MP, Bayrou’s main political problem lies more in his lack of legitimacy. “François Bayrou as Prime Minister does not derive his legitimacy from the vote of the French people.” This is what the left-wing alliance received in the parliamentary elections. “This lack of voter legitimacy will be a burden for François Bayrou throughout his new term of office,” she predicts.
The EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels today to discuss the situation in Syria following the fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad. One question will be how the EU can contribute to stabilizing the country. This will also involve facilitating the return of the many refugees from Syria living in Europe.
According to the EU, it had no contact with the Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham, which is largely responsible for Assad’s overthrow. The group and people associated with it are still on the United Nations terror list and subject to EU sanctions, as you can read in today’s News.
When departing from Munich Airport, EPP leader Manfred Weber claims VIP status: a check in without queues and a luxury limousine to the tarmac. According to Till Hoppe’s and Markus Grabitz’ research, the European taxpayer pays for this delay. In their analysis, they also explain how Manfred Weber justifies the costs.
The centrist François Bayrou lacks a good justification for the office of Prime Minister of France. Nevertheless, Emmanuel Macron has appointed him as the new head of government in Paris. The left-wing alliance, which was the strongest party in the July election, and the Rassemblement National remain on the sidelines. Bayrou will therefore have similar problems uniting the National Assembly behind him as his predecessor Michel Barnier, analyzes Claire Stam. So things remains exciting in Paris.
Stay confident and get the week off to a good start!
Manfred Weber wears a gray knitted cap. It is a clear, cold winter’s day in Washington. He is here to make connections with American friends, Weber reports in a video on Instagram. The dome of the Capitol can be seen behind him. He then told the Münchner Merkur newspaper that he had met with professors, politicians and chiefs of staff in order to better assess the plans of future President Donald Trump.
The EPP party and group leader is an important man in Brussels: he leads the largest group in the European Parliament and at the same time the party family, which provides 14 of the 27 Commissioners. Weber sees himself on an equal footing with the big players in politics, the heads of state and government of the EU member states, and probably also with the players in the US capital.
His office is adorned with numerous photos showing him with powerful people, such as Angela Merkel. When Michel Barnier was recently ousted as French Prime Minister, Weber posted a picture of himself and Barnier, taken at the seat of government in Paris.
The CSU politician also likes to say that he regularly talks to the Christian Democrat heads of state and government. When tensions with social democrats and liberals in the European Parliament escalated at the end of November and threatened to delay the launch of the new Commission, several of the politicians known in EU jargon as “bosses” called him. Probably also at the request of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was worried about her majority.
Weber had set his sights on the most important EU office himself in 2019; as the election winner’s lead candidate, he laid claim to the Commission presidency. However, the leaders thwarted his plans, above all Emmanuel Macron and Pedro Sánchez. They did not trust the then 47-year-old, who had no government experience, with the job.
Weber chewed hard on the defeat. But he put it behind him, unlike his rival Frans Timmermans. Weber returned after the summer break, with a full beard. He has not buried his political ambition. Weber showed this when he was also elected head of the EPP party family in 2022. Since then, he has been traveling through Europe as the top Christian Democrat and was one of the first to visit the new right-wing head of government Giorgia Meloni in Rome. He wants to be re-elected as party leader in the spring.
His political ambitions translate into status claims. Weber not only receives a princely salary from the party and parliamentary group. He receives €14,020 a month from the party, which can be found in his declarations of personal interests as a member of parliament. Actually, if a party leader also has a mandate or government office and thus a livelihood, then leading the party is an honorary position. When Weber took over the leadership of the EPP, he demanded an extra salary.
As parliamentary group leader, he is also entitled to a parliamentary allowance of €8,419.90 net. As parliamentary group leader, he can also claim a daily allowance of €350 for accommodation, meals and incidental expenses 365 days a year. There are other privileges that Weber has fought for over the years. For example, his own company car and chauffeur in his Bavarian home and VIP treatment at Munich Airport.
According to the provider, preferential treatment currently costs €510 gross per departure. From January onwards, it will even cost €560 per departure. According to reports, Weber receives key account conditions and therefore pays correspondingly less. The service includes separate access to the VIP wing at the airport, discreet handling of check-in, baggage check-in and checks in a separate room and, as a highlight, the “exclusive VIP shuttle to your flight,” as the provider’s brochure states.
When the plane is on the tarmac, the VIP guest is taken to boarding by limousine. Weber is the last to board when all the other passengers are already in their seats and have stowed their hand luggage. The ministers of the Bavarian state government are entitled to such a VIP service, as are EU commissioners. Many commissioners only make use of this service when things have to be done particularly quickly, according to reports in Bavaria. The other parliamentary group leaders in the European Parliament do without it, as they have access to the airport lounges anyway as frequent flyers.
Weber, however, insists on the service, the costs of which add up to more than €10,000 per year for several flights per month. The Parliament’s financial administration has repeatedly made enquiries with the group because Weber is charging the EU taxpayer unusually high costs, they say.
Nor does he want to do without his own company car, which is available to him for travel at his home in the district of Kelheim in Lower Bavaria. Der Spiegel already reported on this in 2020. The service, including a driver on call, is said to cost the parliamentary group and therefore the European taxpayer around €100,000 every year. BMW, Mercedes and Audi provide politicians with vehicles in the top luxury segment at very attractive conditions. They grant high discounts on the leasing rates, as otherwise the rental of the limousines is not compatible with the budget guidelines of EU institutions.
Weber has had the company car at his disposal since 2016. The then parliamentary president Martin Schulz (SPD) had lobbied Secretary General Klaus Welle for it, as a letter available to Table.Briefings shows. While the S&D group leaders have renounced the privilege of a company car in their constituency, Weber has held on to it to this day.
Weber sees no reason to criticize his behavior. A spokesperson told Table.Briefings: “Manfred Weber is using the usual practice for top politicians at Munich Airport.” With regard to company cars and drivers, it is further stated that Manfred Weber uses his driving service, to which every group chairman is entitled, on the basis of a decision by the EP Bureau. He even goes one step further: “With the existing practice, the European Parliament saves considerable costs.” All expenses have been checked several times by Parliament’s services during audits in recent years, according to the spokesperson.
François Bayrou succeeds Michel Barnier as Prime Minister of France. The leader of the centrist Mouvement démocrate (MoDem) party is the fourth prime minister in Paris since the beginning of the year. The big question is how long he can hold on to power given the difficult political, economic and social situation.
The fact that the rating agency Moody’s downgraded France’s credit rating on Friday – just a few hours after Bayrou was appointed prime minister – could be a bad omen. “It is very unlikely that the next government will sustainably reduce the size of the budget deficits,” said the rating agency in its analysis.
Bayrou is a well-known figure in France. The 73-year-old was Minister of Education in right-wing governments between 1993 and 1997. He also ran for president three times. By stepping down in favor of Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 elections, he played a key role in bringing Macron to the Élysée Palace.
“I do not ignore the Himalaya in front of us,” said François Bayrou when he took office on Friday. In typical French rhetoric, the former professor of classical philology said he hoped to “find a new way” and emphasized the “need to break out of the silly wars” and work towards reconciliation. He alluded to the fragmentation of the National Assembly and the power struggles between the various political factions.
Bayrou has clearly identified the adoption of the budget for 2025 as his most important challenge. France’s gigantic deficit of 6.1 percent of GDP demonstrates the urgency. The agricultural sector also has high expectations of him. He is to make France heard in Brussels in connection with the Mercosur deal.
The profound social crisis in France also presents Bayrou with difficult tasks. In one year, the number of insolvencies among small and medium-sized companies has risen by more than 46 percent. According to experts, around 250,000 jobs are at risk due to restructuring plans. Social plans are also increasing at large corporations such as Michelin, ArcelorMittal, Auchan and Valeo.
Solving the problems will be extremely difficult. François Bayrou faces the same problem as his predecessor Michel Barnier. He is dependent on the National Assembly, which could bring him down if the left-wing alliance Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) and the Rassemblement National (RN) turn against him.
The NFP has declared that it will not participate in Bayrou’s government. However, the alliance is divided on the degree of criticism of the new prime minister. The left-wing populists La France insoumise (LFI) want to table another motion of no confidence as soon as possible. On the right, the Republicans (LR) have made their participation in the government dependent on what the new prime minister will present to them.
Bayrou has begun talks on the composition of his government, in which he wants to include “personalities with experience.” He wants to be a “prime minister of complementarity” with Emmanuel Macron. This declaration is important, as Bayrou is signaling his desire for independence from the president. With the fall of the Barnier government, Macron wanted to install one of his loyalists, Sébastien Lecornu. Bayrou was ultimately able to prevail.
“Unlike many people who have been given ministerial posts under Emmanuel Macron, François Bayrou owes him nothing politically,” emphasizes one MP, who requested anonymity due to the ongoing negotiations on the composition of the new government. He has also brought members of his party into all governments since 2017. This is a sign of his influence and his independence from Macron.
For the MP, Bayrou’s main political problem lies more in his lack of legitimacy. “François Bayrou as Prime Minister does not derive his legitimacy from the vote of the French people.” This is what the left-wing alliance received in the parliamentary elections. “This lack of voter legitimacy will be a burden for François Bayrou throughout his new term of office,” she predicts.
