Today (18 September) at the Strasbourg plenary, MEPs will have their full plenary debate on the EU’s budget for 2025.

EU top diplomat Josep Borrell on Wednesday (18 September) urged Georgia to withdraw a controversial "family values" bill denounced as curbing the rights of LGBTQ people, warning it would harm the country's chances of joining the bloc.

The European Union's General Court annulled the Commission's €1.49 billion fine on Google for anticompetitive behaviour with its AdSense product on Wednesday (18 September), leaving the Commission just over two months to appeal.

The head of Russia's nuclear testing site said on Tuesday (17 September) his secretive facility was ready to resume nuclear tests "at any moment" if Moscow gave the order.

A false claim circulating on social media that Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris left a 13-year-old girl paralysed after an alleged hit-and-run is the work of a covert Russian disinformation operation, according to Microsoft.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was briefed last week during his trip to Kyiv on elements of a Ukrainian plan to push Russia to end the war, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday (17 September).

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about how member states reacted to von der Leyen's allocation of Commission portfolioss, and so much more. 

GERB leader and former prime minister Boyko Borissov expressed his gratitude for the innovation, research and start-ups portfolio European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen allocated to Bulgarian commissioner-designate Ekaterina Zaharieva.

Romania's Social Democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said he was satisfied with the People, Skills and Readiness portfolio allocated to Romania in the next European Commission. At the same time, the Liberal Party, a coalition partner in the government, appeared to find the portfolio somewhat disappointing.”

Finland celebrates double victory after appointment of MEP Henna Virkkunen to become Vice-President of the Commission and Commissioner for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy. 

At least nine people were killed on Tuesday (17 September) and nearly 3,000 wounded when pagers used by Hezbollah members - including fighters and medics - detonated simultaneously across Lebanon.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed his satisfaction with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s decision to assign the highly coveted budget, anti-fraud and public administration portfolio to Polish candidate Piotr Serafin.

Polish emergency services are fully equipped and well prepared to deal with the ongoing flood crisis, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday, adding that there was no immediate need to request the activation of the EU's civil protection mechanism.

The ruling coalition removed Michal Šimečka (PS/RE) from his position as deputy speaker of parliament in a vote on Monday, with 76 MPs voting in favour of his removal in a secret ballot - the narrowest possible majority, as even three coalition members did not vote in favour of his dismissal.

Europe is set to face immense socio-ecological challenges in the coming decades, including extreme heat and flooding, with dire impacts for community health and city infrastructure. There is, however, good news: we have a powerful tool at our disposal: Nature-based Solutions (NbS). NbS use the power of healthy ecosystems to mitigate climate change impacts while enhancing biodiversity. With such clear benefits, why are NbS absent in 65% of key EU environmental and sustainability policies?

Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro expressed satisfaction with former finance minister Maria Luís Albuquerque being appointed to the 'crucial' financial services portfolio in the new von der Leyen Commission.

The Slovak government is pleased with the portfolio given to its nominee, five-time commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, who has added trade, economic security and transparency to his roster, while Transparency International Slovakia reminds of his "non-transparent" 2019 presidential campaign. 

The wildfires that have been raging in mainland Portugal since Sunday, particularly in the central and northern regions, have left seven dead and at least 40 injured, affected dozens of properties and forced the closure of roads and motorways.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's nomination of Italy's European Affairs Minister Rafaele Fitto for the coveted post of executive vice-president has been welcomed by Italy's ruling parties, although opposition parties voiced mixed reactions.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's proposal for a new college of commissioners did not go down well with the governing coalition parties in her home country on Tuesday, despite them previously backing a second von der Leyen-led executive.