World

What could an EU Commissioner do to tackle the housing crisis?

Published

2 years ago

August 13, 2024

What could an EU Commissioner do to tackle the housing crisis?

Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has promised MEPs an EU commissioner with a mandate on housing, an area of limited competence for the bloc – how might these new powers be unveiled in practice?

Between 2010 and the end of 2023, average rents in the EU increased by almost 23% and house prices by nearly 48%, leading to protests in cities from Dublin to Amsterdam or Lisbon about the loss of purchasing power.

The lack of affordable housing and the rising cost of living have even featured prominently in national and European election campaigns – so while seeking MEPs’ approval, von der Leyen did her best to address these concerns in her speech to the European Parliament.

“People are struggling to find affordable homes,” the president of the EU executive told the mid-July plenary in Strasbourg. “I want this Commission to support people where it matters most, and if it matters to Europeans, it matters to Europe.”

In her policy guidelines for the next European Commission, von der Leyen stressed the urgency of tackling the housing crisis, proposing the first-ever European affordable housing plan and a commissioner responsible for the policy area, as the Socialists had demanded as a condition for backing her second mandate.

“The Union should deliver a housing plan that not only targets the really needy, but responds to the crisis that affects everyone, you know: so students, single-person families, single parents, young workers…” David Rinaldi, policy director at the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), told Euronews.

But so far there is a significant investment gap in social and affordable housing, and member states can only use public funds to target the most vulnerable groups.

“In terms of state aid, we would like to see the recognition of social and affordable housing for all – beyond disadvantaged groups or social groups with fewer opportunities – as a service of general economic interest,” said Christophe Rouillon, president of the PES group in the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).

Housing has not been a priority in EU-level discussions, and housing ministers only resumed joint discussions on European challenges in this policy area in 2022 after a decade of stalemate – but socialists, the left and civil society organisations insist that much more can be done at EU level to tackle this crisis, starting with a commissioner or vice-president with a mandate to promote dialogue and investment.

“The EU can influence housing through financial regulation, competition law, energy efficiency, regulatory and planning standards, cohesion policy, climate action, urban/rural and social policies,” added Rouillon.

To address the growing investment gap, von der Leyen’s policy plans will also include a review of state aid rules to give member states more flexibility to support housing, as well as a proposal to allow member states to double planned cohesion policy investment in affordable housing.

“We will work with the European Investment Bank on a pan-European investment platform for affordable and sustainable housing to attract more private and public investment,” the policy programme says.

More money will come from the Social Climate Fund, which will mobilise at least €86.7bn between 2026 and 2032 for actions and investments to support the most vulnerable groups, the EU executive president claimed.

Regulate short-term rentals like Airbnb, demand socialists

Some of the Social Democrats’ key proposals on housing, including binding targets to progressively eliminate homelessness by 2029 and a legislative initiative to regulate short-term rentals, were not included in the president’s policy programme.

“For some people, it (Airbnb and other platforms) is a source of income, but it should not somehow threaten the quality of life in a city,” Rinaldi said, as the rise in housing and rental prices leads some citizens to move out of urban centres.

On average in the EU, 19.6% of people’s disposable income was spent on housing in 2022 – but for those considered at risk of poverty (with a disposable income below 60% of the national median income), housing costs accounted for almost 38% of their disposable income.

The FEPS policy director stressed that the bloc could provide guidelines and a framework for urban centres to build on the success of some local initiatives, such as the restrictive measures introduced in Barcelona to tackle the housing crisis.

As for tackling homelessness, which affects an estimated 890,000 people across the EU, according to a 2023 report published by FEANTSA, there is still no concrete proposal on the political programme.

Housing is also an issue where it is important to share good practices, argued MEP Li Andersson (Finland/The Left), chair of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, in an interview with Euronews.

“There are countries, for example Finland, that have worked a lot on homelessness and have had quite good results for a long time, so it shows that these kinds of social problems can be solved,” she said.

“Homelessness is a housing issue, the most urgent one,” FEANTSA director Freek Spinnewijn wrote on X following von der Leyen’s announcement of a housing commissioner, adding: “Make sure the fight against homelessness is part of her/his responsibilities.”

Von der Leyen has given member states until 30 August to nominate two candidates for the college of commissioners for the next five-year mandate. Only then will she decide who will head which portfolio – and what powers they will have.

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World

UN Human Rights Council chief cuts off speaker criticizing US-sanctioned official

Published

13 minutes ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

UN Human Rights Council chief cuts off speaker criticizing US-sanctioned official

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The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) abruptly cut off a video statement after the speaker began criticizing several United Nations officials, including one who has been sanctioned by the Trump administration. The video message was being played during a U.N. session in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday morning.

Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the and president of Human Rights, called out several U.N. officials in her message, including U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who is the subject of U.S. sanctions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against Albanese July 9, 2025, saying that she “has spewed unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism and open contempt for the United States, Israel and the West.”

“That bias has been apparent across the span of her career, including recommending that the ICC, without a legitimate basis, issue arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant,” Rubio added.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Francesca Albanese (Getty Images)

“I was the only American U.N.-accredited NGO with a speaking slot, and I wasn’t allowed even to conclude my 90 seconds of allotted time. Free speech is non-existent at the U.N. so-called ‘Human Rights Council,’” Bayefsky told Fox News Digital.

Bayefsky noted the irony of the council cutting off her video in a proceeding that was said to be an “interactive dialogue,” an event during which experts are allowed to speak to the council about human rights issues.

“I was cut off after naming Francesca Albanese, Navi Pillay and Chris Sidoti for covering up Palestinian use of rape as a weapon of war and trafficking in blatant antisemitism. I named the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, who is facing disturbing sexual assault allegations but still unaccountable almost two years later. Those are the people and the facts that the United Nations wants to protect and hide,” Bayefsky told Fox News Digital.

“It is an outrage that I am silenced and singled out for criticism on the basis of naming names.”

Bayefsky’s statement was cut off as she accused Albanese and Navi Pillay, the former chair of the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory; and Chris Sidoti, a commissioner of the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. She also slammed Khan, who has faced rape allegations. Khan has denied the sexual misconduct allegations against him.

Had her video message been played in full, Bayefsky would have gone on to criticize Türk’s recent report for not demanding accountability for the “Palestinian policy to pay to kill Jews, including Hamas terror boss Yahya Sinwar who got half a million dollars in blood money.”

When the video was cut short, Human Rights Council President Ambassador Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro characterized Bayefsky’s remarks as “derogatory, insulting and inflammatory” and said that they were “not acceptable.”

“The language used by the speaker cannot be allowed as it has exceeded the limits of tolerance and respect within the framework of the council which we all in this room hold to,” Suryodipuro said.

The Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 26, 2025. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

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In response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, Human Rights Council Media Officer Pascal Sim said the council has had long-established rules on what it considers to be acceptable language.

“Rulings regarding the form and language of interventions in the Human Rights Council are established practices that have been in place throughout the existence of the council and used by all council presidents when it comes to ensuring respect, tolerance and dignity inherent to the discussion of human rights issues,” Sim told Fox News Digital.

When asked if the video had been reviewed ahead of time, Sim said it was assessed for length and audio quality to allow for interpretation, but that the speakers are ultimately “responsible for the content of their statement.”

“The video statement by the NGO ‘Touro Law Center, The Institute on Human Rights and The Holocaust’ was interrupted when it was deemed that the language exceeded the limits of tolerance and respect within the framework of the council and could not be tolerated,” Sim said.

“As the presiding officer explained at the time, all speakers are to remain within the appropriate framework and terminology used in the council’s work, which is well known by speakers who routinely participate in council proceedings. Following that ruling, none of the member states of the council have objected to it.”

Flag alley at the United Nations’ European headquarters during the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 11, 2023. (Denis Balibouse/File Photo/Reuters)

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While Bayefsky’s statement was cut off, other statements accusing Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing were allowed to be played and read in full.

This is not the first time that Bayefsky was interrupted. Exactly one year ago, on Feb. 27, 2025, her video was cut off when she mentioned the fate of Ariel and Kfir Bibas. Jürg Lauber, president of the U.N. Human Rights Council at the time, stopped the video and declared that Bayefsky had used inappropriate language.

Bayefsky began the speech by saying, “The world now knows Palestinian savages murdered 9-month-old baby Kfir,” and she ws almost immediately cut off by Lauber.

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“Sorry, I have to interrupt,” Lauber abruptly said as the video of Bayefsky was paused. Lauber briefly objected to the “language” used in the video, but then allowed it to continue. After a few more seconds, the video was shut off entirely.

Lauber reiterated that “the language that’s used by the speaker cannot be tolerated,” adding that it “exceeds clearly the limits of tolerance and respect.”

Last year, when the previous incident occurred, Bayefsky said she believed the whole thing was “stage-managed,” as the council had advanced access to her video and a transcript and knew what she would say.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

World

Did the EU bypass Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s €90 billion loan?

Published

1 hour ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Did the EU bypass Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s €90 billion loan?

A post on X by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has triggered a wave of misinformation linked to the EU’s €90 billion support loan to Ukraine, which is designed to help Kyiv meet its general budget and defence needs amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.

Hungary said earlier this week that it would block both the loan — agreed by EU leaders in December — and a new EU sanctions package against Moscow amid a dispute over oil supplies.

Shortly afterwards, Metsola posted on X that she had signed the Ukraine support loan on behalf of the parliament.

She said the funds would be used to maintain essential public services, support Ukraine’s defence, protect shared European security, and anchor Ukraine’s future within Europe.

The announcement triggered a wave of reactions online, with some claiming Hungary’s veto had been ignored, but this is incorrect.

Metsola did sign the loan on behalf of the European Parliament, but that’s only one step in the EU’s legislative process. Her signature does not mean the loan has been definitively implemented.

How the process works

In December, after failing to reach an agreement on using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s war effort, the European Council agreed in principle to provide €90 billion to help Kyiv meet its budgetary and military needs over the next two years.

On 14 January, the European Commission put forward a package of legislative proposals to ensure continued financial support for Ukraine in 2026 and 2027.

These included a proposal to establish a €90 billion Ukraine support loan, amendments to the Ukraine Facility — the EU instrument used to deliver budgetary assistance — and changes to the EU’s multiannual financial framework so the loan could be backed by any unused budgetary “headroom”.

Under EU law, these proposals must be adopted by both the European Parliament and the European Council. Because the loan requires amendments to EU budgetary rules, it ultimately needs unanimous approval from all member states.

Metsola’s signature therefore does not amount to a final decision, nor does it override Hungary’s veto.

The oil dispute behind Hungary’s opposition

Budapest says its objections are linked to a dispute over the Druzhba pipeline, a Soviet-era route that carries Russian oil via Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia.

According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Hungary and Slovakia imported an estimated €137 million worth of Russian crude through the pipeline in January alone, under a temporary EU exemption.

Oil flows reportedly stopped in late January after a Russian air strike that Kyiv says damaged the pipeline’s southern branch in western Ukraine. Hungary disputes this, with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accusing Ukraine of blocking it from being used.

Speaking in Kyiv alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the pipeline had been damaged by Russia, not Kyiv.

He added that repairs were dangerous and could not be carried out quickly without putting Ukrainian servicemen in danger.

Tensions escalated further after reports that Ukraine struck a Russian pumping station serving the pipeline. Orbán responded by ordering increased security at critical infrastructure sites, claiming Kyiv was attempting to disrupt Hungary’s energy system.