World

Why does the vote to approve the new Commission matter?

Published

2 months ago

November 26, 2024

Why does the vote to approve the new Commission matter?

The new Commission is set to be approved by the European Parliament with a large majority, but how this majority is shaped will be worth watching.

A positive outcome is all but guaranteed when the European Parliament votes on whether to approve President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen’s new team of commissioners in its entirety, but there are good reasons to monitor Wednesday’s vote in the Strasbourg closely.

Parliament will vote to approve the incoming Commission, having previously endorsed all 26 commissioners through a backroom deal among centrist groups: the European People’s Party (EPP), the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), and Renew Europe.

The new Commission requires an absolute majority of votes cast to be approved and take office in December. While this outcome seems likely, who votes for and against it remains somewhat uncertain. This is significant because it could shape and influence the parliamentary majority for the entire legislative term.

A twist in the pro-EU majority?

In July, Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected with 401 votes. At that time, the vote was conducted by secret ballot, though groups had publicly declared their intentions. Beyond the three centrist groups, the Greens/EFA group also supported von der Leyen. The Left group and all right-wing political forces voted against or abstained, with a few exceptions among the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).

The result suggested a majority in the European Parliament resembling that of the previous legislature: centrist pro-EU groups, with close cooperation from the Greens.

However, the situation now could be very different. Firstly, the new Commission lineup includes Raffaele Fitto, a vice president from the right-wing Brothers of Italy party.

While von der Leyen has emphasized collaboration with “pro-EU”, “pro-Ukraine”, and “pro-rule of law” political forces, the chair of her EPP group in Parliament, Manfred Weber, has hinted at a broader coalition. He envisaged a “broad centre in the European Parliament, from the Greens to ECR.”

“My majority, if I may say so, is becoming real. And that makes me happy because we need broader stability in the European Parliament,” Weber said during a press conference in Strasbourg on Tuesday.

Such a majority could shift EU policy significantly rightward on issues such as migration and the environment. However, it also remains to be seen how von der Leyen’s grand centrist alliance holds in the voting tomorrow.

Defections and Divisions

Spain’s centre-right Partido Popular (PP) has announced it will not support the Commission due to the inclusion of Spanish Vice President Teresa Ribera, a member of its rival centre-left PSOE (S&D) party, in the lineup, according to the Spanish press agency EFE. The PP has not clarified whether its MEPs will vote against or abstain.

Within the Socialists, several MEPs are also dissatisfied with the new Commission’s composition. Dutch and Belgian members plan to vote against it, while other delegations may abstain, according to sources from the group. French Socialists have already declared their opposition. “We do not accept a far-right executive vice president such as Raffaele Fitto. I will vote against his inclusion in this Commission,” MEP Claire Fita told Euronews.

The deepest divisions, however, are among the Greens/EFA group on the left and the Conservatives on the right.

The Greens claim to be part of a “four-group majority” in the European Parliament and are ready to “work constructively” while opposing the far right. However, the group itself is split, as revealed during a meeting on Monday evening. Only a slim majority, led by German MEPs, supports the Commission, while French, Austrian, and Italian members plan to vote against it, according to multiple sources.

On the right, some members of the ECR group are eager to join the new majority, while others remain firmly opposed.

The Brothers of Italy, the largest delegation in the group, will vote in favour, as the new Commission includes one of its members as vice president. Other ECR delegations are expected to follow suit, according to group sources.

However, Polish and French members will oppose the Commission, including prominent French MEP Marion Maréchal, niece of far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who has criticised the designated commissioners. “Beyond the lack of competence of [French commissioner] Stéphane Séjourné, we face a commissioner for energy transition known for her anti-nuclear stance, a commissioner for demography who views immigration as a solution to declining birthrates, and a commissioner for equality who champions a pro-LGBTIQ+ agenda,” she told Euronews.

As the vote will be cast openly, the new commissioners will see which MEPs they can rely on. Two thresholds will be critical for their success: the 401 votes von der Leyen secured in July and the 461 that approved the previous Commission in November 2019.

Click to comment

World

Kate returns to cancer center where she was treated to offer gratitude to medical teams

Published

57 minutes ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

Kate returns to cancer center where she was treated to offer gratitude to medical teams

LONDON (AP) — The Princess of Wales visited the hospital where she was treated for cancer on Tuesday, offering gratitude to the medical teams who helped her and give support to patients now undergoing treatment.

Kate, as she is commonly known, conducted the solo engagement at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, a world-leading state-of-the art cancer center known for its pioneering research. It hadn’t been previously disclosed that she had been treated there.

“I was just saying, coming in the front entrance here, having made so many quiet, private visits, actually it’s quite nice,” she said after arriving at the hospital’s main entrance.

Her Kensington Palace office stressed that she would continue to return to public-facing engagements, albeit gradually. The palace described the visit as reflecting her “own personal cancer journey.’’

The royal family was hard hit by health concerns last year, beginning with the announcement in January 2024 that the king would receive treatment for an enlarged prostate and Kate would undergo abdominal surgery.

In February, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles was receiving treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer. Six weeks later, Kate said she, too, was undergoing treatment for cancer, quieting the relentless speculation about her condition that had circulated on social media since her surgery.

She announced in September that she had completed chemotherapy.

World

Malaysia is home to the world's largest hotel, with over 7K rooms for guests

Published

2 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

Malaysia is home to the world's largest hotel, with over 7K rooms for guests

Hotels around the world hold impressive records for their height, age and impressive suites for guests. If you’re looking to stay at the world’s largest hotel, Malaysia is where you can find it.

Malaysia is home to the First World Hotel, which, according to Guinness World Records, is the largest hotel of any around the globe, for the number of rooms it offers.

The hotel is made up of 7,351 rooms, according to the Resorts World Genting website, among the three towers part of the property. The last time rooms were added to the property was 2015, taking the count from 6,118 to the current 7,351.

First World Hotel in Malaysia holds the Guinness World Record for the largest hotel by the number of rooms it contains. (iStock)

SET SAIL ON WORLD’S LARGEST CRUISE SHIP, WHICH CAN ACCOMMODATE OVER 7,000 GUESTS PER VOYAGE

There are quite a few different room options to choose from with a stay at First World Hotel, including a standard room, deluxe room, superior deluxe room, triple room and the world club room.

The smallest rooms in the hotel offer around 180 square feet of space, while the largest are laid out over about 430 square feet, according to the Resorts World Genting website.

There are three eateries on site. Guests can grab a bite at The Food Factory, The Junction or the Ice Cream Parlour, without leaving the comfort of the hotel.

First World Hotel is surrounded by forest, creating unique views for those who stay on the property. (iStock)

A LOOK AT THE WORLD’S LONGEST SNAKE WHICH MEASURES OVER 32 FEET, A RECORD-BREAKING SLITHERING SERPENT

Surrounding the hotel is the scenic rainforest, providing picturesque views for guests.

There are also additional offerings around the Resorts World property to explore.

First World Hotel is just one of several hotels part of Resorts World Genting. Among others are Crockfords, Resorts World Awana and Genting SkyWorlds Hotel.

A close-up of First World Hotel in Malaysia

First World Hotel includes three towers, filled with different room options for guests to book. (iStock)

WORLD’S BIGGEST SPIDER COMES FROM NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA, CAN MEASURE AS LARGE AS A DINNER PLATE

For those looking to add a little thrill to their travels, there are two different theme parks part of Resorts World Genting. There’s Skytropolis Indoor Theme Park, as well as Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park.

Skytropolis includes rides like bumper cars, tea cups, carousels and a Ferris wheel.

Genting SkyWorlds is made up of several different lands inspired by popular films. There’s Studio Plaza, Eagle Mountain, Central Park, Rio, Andromeda Base, Liberty Lane, Epic, Robots Rivet Town and Ice Age, according to the theme park’s website.

Resorts World Genting includes an outdoor and an indoor theme park for a thrilling trip. (iStock)

Besides the theme parks, there are lots of dining and shopping opportunities around Resorts World Genting.

As a whole, Resorts World has unique locations all around the world. There are several Resorts World locations in the United States, including in Las Vegas and New York City.

Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital.

World

NATO to bolster Baltic military presence after power cables cut

Published

2 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

NATO to bolster Baltic military presence after power cables cut

NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte pledged to send drones, frigates and aircraft to the region as he highlighted a concerted campaign of ‘cyber-attacks, assassination attempts and sabotage.’

NATO will increase its military presence and technological innovation in the Baltic Sea to protect critical infrastructure from sabotage, the head of the transatlantic alliance said at a Helsinki Summit on Tuesday.

Safeguarding infrastructure “is of utmost importance,” Mark Rutte told reporters, citing energy from pipelines and the 95% of internet traffic that is secured through undersea cables.

In the last two months alone, there’s been damage to one cable between Lithuania and Sweden, another between Germany and Finland, and others between Estonia and Finland.

Investigations are underway, but NATO’s Secretary General believes there is cause for grave concern.

“We have seen elements of a campaign to destabilise our societies through cyber-attacks, assassination attempts and sabotage,” Rutte said, with Russia the presumed culprit.

In response, NATO is increasing surveillance via a small fleet of maritime drones, while an enhanced surveillance operation called “Baltic Sentry” involves frigates and maritime patrol aircraft.

“We will respond decisively when critical infrastructure in our neighbourhood is at risk. Protecting it requires both national and international action,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb said.

Leaders of NATO countries in the Baltic region also pledged to push for robust enforcement, especially when it comes to the Russian shadow fleet of tankers used by Moscow to evade Western sanctions on oil sales.

“We need to make full use of the possibilities allowed by international law to take action against suspicious vessels,” Stubb stressed.

Last month, Finnish police seized a tanker carrying Russian oil, citing suspicions the ship had damaged the Estlink-2 power cable which connects Finland and Estonia by dragging its anchor along the seabed on Christmas Day.

“Ship captains must understand that potential threats to our infrastructure will have consequences, including possible boarding, impounding and arrest,” Rutte said.

Ahead of the meeting, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said monitoring was difficult in practice, as around 2,000 ships pass through the Baltic every day.

“Let’s face it, we can’t ensure 100% protection, but if we send a bold signal, I think such incidents will decrease or even stop,” Rinkēvičs told journalists in Helsinki.

Germany will also participate in the Baltic Sentry mission, Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed in separate remarks to reporters.

“We will participate with everything we have in the way of naval capabilities; that will vary, as far as the concrete possibilities of deployment are concerned,” Scholz said, when asked if Germany had made a specific promise on the contribution of ships or planes.

Additional sources • AP