A setback for European competitiveness 🤦🏻♂️
Dear readers, This was a sad week for migrants, but also for European competitiveness, as it seems that the fear of rising anti-migration populists has now also undermined a key labour migration law, the Long Term Residence Directive (LTRD). This law was first adopted in 2003 and had not been updated since. However, after years of […]
Ukraine, we remember 🇺🇦
Dear readers, Today marks two years since Putin started his fully fledged invasion of Ukraine. 370 days of horror, of massacre, of murder. I will never forget the things I saw and the stories I heard when I visited Bucha and Irpin, the desperation of a people that saw how tanks rolled into their villages, ready […]
Munich Security Conference afterthoughts 💭
Dear readers, Security is not that complicated. It just needs commitment. I spent the last three days at the Munich Security Conference, to learn and listen. I am not a security or defense expert, but maybe we can’t afford not to be experts anymore. The 3 things that stuck with me most, are the following: […]
Introducing: The Ukraine Facility 🇺🇦
Dear readers, After a very politically intense week in Strasbourg, I can finally give you a proper update on the big news that happened earlier this week: the Ukraine Facility has been approved! This €50b in financial aid that I negotiated is a crucial step in the right direction, not only to support Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts but […]
A Christmas Post🎄
Dear all, Puh – I don’t know about you, but while I love my job, I can’t wait for the holidays to start! Cookies, winter walks, and digital detox – what more can you ask for 🙂 I will use the break to recharge for what’s to come: finishing some laws while ramping up my […]
The success of Orbán’s blackmail 💰
Dear reader, This week, the European Commission released € 10 billion to the Orbán government. Both Sophie in ‘t Veld and myself have over the course of the week strongly condemned this decision. The release of this money very simply means that the Commission has given in to the blackmail of Orbán in front of […]
The EU Asylum Deal – A better future for refugees?
Dear all, I hope you had a good start to the week. Almost ten years ago, Europe fought heavily over how to fairly distribute asylum-seekers from Syria. Back then, law-makers vowed to reform the EU’s asylum policy. They were set on finding solutions to relocate people across Europe. Since then, no agreement has been found and […]
Taking a step in the right Direction
Dear friends, readers, and Volters, About a month ago you received a newsletter telling you that our core promise during the 2019 election campaign, “Fix the EU”, was becoming real. Back then, my colleagues in the European Parliament and I voted on proposals to amend the EU Treaties on Committee level, and today those have […]
Traineeship: Media & Communication
Call for Applications German-speaking Media & Communications Traineeship We are looking for a highly motivated, creative and proactive trainee to join our team in Brussels in mid-January (flexible start date). The candidate will specifically support Damian’s media & political communication work. The traineeship will last three months, until mid-April, with the possibility of […]
The Data Act is coming
Dear friends, readers and Volters, Today, the European Parliament will vote on the Data Act, a law that we have worked very hard on. Why is it so important? The Data Act is a game changer for all products connected to the internet. It applies to a fridge, a car, a windmill and even an airplane. […]
