World
Commissioner mutiny grows over von der Leyen's controversial hire
Four senior lieutenants aren’t happy on hearing that fellow CDU member Markus Pieper starts his taxpayer-funded duties next week
A rebellion by senior EU commissioners concerning a controversial hire made by President Ursula von der Leyen shows no sign of abating, as Markus Pieper prepares to start his lucrative post next week.
MEPs and activists have called for von der Leyen to rethink the appointment of Pieper, a member of her own German Christian Democrat party, who’s now expected to take up duties in his €17,000-per-month job of Envoy for Small and Medium Sized Businesses next week.
They were joined by commissioners Josep Borrell, Thierry Breton, Paolo Gentiloni and Nicolas Schmit — who have raised concerns over transparency and collective decision-making, in a 27 March letter previously reported exclusively by Euronews.
The quartet appear unimpressed by an 8 April response to their letter from EU Human Resources Commissioner Johannes Hahn, seen by Euronews, which states that the decision to hire Pieper was “within the usual margin of discretion for such senior appointments”.
“This was not the point we raised in our letter,” said the four commissioners in a response also seen by Euronews, reiterating their request to discuss how to respond to European Parliament queries on the matter.
The commissioners’ letter — which is, pointedly, addressed to von der Leyen rather than Hahn, and appears to have been sent on 8 April immediately after receiving Hahn’s response — also says that “a broader discussion is warranted on the transparency and the collegiality of the process surrounding high-level appointments in the Commission.”
Commissioners are worried von der Leyen, who is bidding for a second term in office, is hijacking the supposed collective responsibility of the EU executive’s highest decision making body, given that she tabled the Pieper appointment for a day on which Borrell and Breton were set to be absent on official business.
Those concerned about von der Leyen’s objectivity also cite her recently naming Sauli Niinistö, the former Finnish President who’s also a fellow member of the European People’s Party, to write a report on defence policy.
But Hahn said the Pieper appointment “is fully in line with the Commission’s rules and established practice … all procedural requirements were fully observed.”
“The purpose of each stage is to ensure that the best qualified candidates pass to the next one; there is no ranking at the final stage based on the previous stages,” Hahn added, addressing rumours that Pieper had been outperformed by two other female candidates before being interviewed by von der Leyen’s own chief of staff.
Pieper “signed his employment contract on 31 March and he is expected to take up duties on 16 April 2024,” Hahn said.
On 4 April, European Commission Chief Spokesperson Eric Mamer told reporters that his understanding was that no contract had yet been signed, but corrected his error the following day.
A European Parliamentary amendment calling for the appointment to be rescinded is scheduled to be debated on Wednesday, and MEPs appear unhappy with the rushing through of the apparent case of political favouritism.
“This does not look good at all,” Daniel Freund (Germany/Greens) told Euronews in a statement, saying that the 16 April start date suggested von der Leyen was “pushing this through in expedited procedure.”
“Jobs in the Commission have to be filled based on merit,” Freund added. “If that wasn’t the case here, the whole procedure has to be repeated.”
One other candidate, MEP Martina Dlabajová (Czechia, Renew) has also raised a formal complaint with the Commission over the process, her office confirmed.
Asked if von der Leyen would hold the debate requested by the four Commissioners, a Commission spokesperson said it could be addressed under any other business, and confirmed the 16 April start date.
World
Kim Jong Un calls for North Korea to build 2 large warships per year in major naval expansion push: report
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called for a major expansion of the country’s naval forces, suggesting the regime should build two large warships each year for the next five years.
Speaking at a commissioning ceremony for a new destroyer, Kim suggested North Korea should build two warships comparable in size to its 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class vessel each year over the next five years, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim was celebrating the deployment of the new multipurpose destroyer at the port of Nampho. In April, he observed launches of two cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from the vessel.
The destroyer successfully completed military operational tests over the past 14 months, according to KCNA.
KIM JONG UN OVERSEES CRUISE MISSILE LAUNCHES FROM PRIZED NEW NORTH KOREAN WARSHIP
North Korea launched two cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from the destroyer Choe Hyon, April 12, according to North Korean state media. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP)
Kim previously hailed the development of the Choe Hyon as a major step toward expanding the operational reach and preemptive strike capabilities of North Korea’s military.
Kim also said the navy’s nuclearization is “advancing along its own course,” contributing to the country’s nuclear deterrence.
The naval buildup comes as Kim seeks to strengthen what analysts have long viewed as one of the weaker branches of North Korea’s military.
NORTH KOREA RELAUNCHES WARSHIP THAT SUFFERED EMBARRASSING FAILURE DURING INITIAL LAUNCH
The new multipurpose destroyer Choe Hyon during its commissioning ceremony at Nampho port, North Korea, Tuesday. (KCNA via REUTERS)
KCNA reported that Kim intends to deploy another 5,000-ton destroyer, the Kang Kon, along with larger 10,000-ton strategic warships.
The Kang Kon was first unveiled in May of last year but was damaged during a failed launch at the northern port city of Chongjin. The vessel was later relaunched following repairs.
By adding new capabilities, North Korea’s navy would become “something incredible beyond imagination,” Kim said.
NORTH KOREA RELEASES IMAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the commissioning ceremony of the new multipurpose destroyer Choe Hyon at Nampho port, North Korea, Tuesday. (KCNA via Reuters)
“Building a modernized naval base has emerged as a desperate and essential task,” he added.
State media reported that Kim is also reviewing plans to construct new naval bases.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observes strategic cruise and anti-warship missiles test-fired from the destroyer Choe Hyon, April 12. (Korean Central News Agency/Reuters)
Speaking during a meeting of the Workers’ Party’s Central Committee on Monday, Kim said the navy would undergo changes to its status, role and scope of operations.
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He did not elaborate on what those changes would entail.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond and Reuters contributed to this report.
Global Sumud Flotilla group says six others remain in detention and are expected to be released within 24 hours.
Published On 24 Jun 2026
Four pro-Palestinian campaigners detained in Libya for about a month have been released, the Global Sumud Flotilla group has said.
In a statement on Wednesday, the organisation said Achraf Khoja from Tunisia, Matias Rodriguez from Uruguay, and Domenico Centrone and Leonarda Alberizia, both from Italy, had all arrived in Tunis. Six others are expected to be released in the next 24 hours, it added.
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In an earlier statement, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani welcomed the news of the released Italians, saying the two, along with Rodriguez, who has Italian citizenship, were handed over to Italy’s consul in Benghazi. They will return to Italy on Wednesday, he said on X.
More than 400 activists were arrested last month in international waters on board dozens of vessels while sailing towards Gaza to break a siege imposed on the enclave by Israel.
The activists held in Libya were part of a separate group which tried to reach the strip by land. They had staged a hunger strike in protest at their detention, the Global Sumud Flotilla said.
According to Amnesty International, on May 24, 2026, an armed group affiliated with Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF), which is allied to the de facto authorities in eastern and southern Libya, the Libyan National Army, arrested the 10 humanitarian activists from eight different countries as they were en route to the city of Sirte to negotiate the convoy’s passage with local authorities.
The activists were seeking approval from the authorities for the convoy to continue the journey through Libya and Egypt to reach Gaza.
“Following periods of enforced disappearance ranging from two to nine days, prosecutors interrogated them before ordering their pretrial detention pending investigations into charges of ‘assembly without authorization,’” Amnesty said.
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