MEPs will be meeting in Strasbourg from 20 to 23 January for a plenary session marked by the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in the United States, whose unpredictability in foreign policy is causing concern. The European Parliament will also be debating European regulations on American social networks. MEPs will also discuss the situation in the Middle East, EU defence and security and the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council.
Digital. Following the strong reactions provoked by Elon Musk’s stance on X (see EUROPE 13559/9), MEPs will debate with the European Commission on the morning of Tuesday 21 the “need to apply the DSA to protect democracy on social media platforms, including against foreign interference and manipulated algorithms”.
However, no resolution was put to the vote, a sign of Europe’s difficulties in displaying a united front against the actions of the American billionaire and future close adviser to Donald Trump.
Transatlantic relations. In the wake of Mr Trump’s inauguration in the United States, MEPs will debate with the Commission and the EU Council the geopolitical and economic consequences of his return to power on transatlantic relations. Discussions will focus on trade, but also Ukraine and the Middle East, among other issues.
Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Another highlight of the plenary session will be the speech by the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, in the Chamber to present the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU for the first half of 2025. The latter aims to define the concept of security in all its political, security and socio-economic dimensions, to contribute to discussions on the search for innovative defence funding and to speed up negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU (see EUROPE 13558/1).
Foreign affairs. On Tuesday afternoon, MEPs will debate the need to detect and counter sabotage by the Russian ‘shadow fleet’, which is damaging critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea (see EUROPE 13551/12). Following these incidents, NATO launched a new ‘Baltic Sentry’ mission to protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea (see EUROPE 13557/2).
MEPs will return to the subject of hybrid threats on Wednesday with a discussion entitled: ‘Uniting Europe against actors hostile to the European Union: it is time to strengthen our security and defence’.
On Tuesday, Parliament will once again discuss the need, in its view, to take action in the face of the oppression and “sham” elections that are continuing in Belarus. The presidential election will be held on 26 January with no other credible candidate to face Alexander Lukashenko. MEPs will vote on a resolution on the subject on Wednesday.
They will also look at the further deterioration in the political situation in Georgia (see EUROPE 13559/30). A resolution on the subject, which could call for sanctions, will be put to the vote at the February plenary session.
On Monday, MEPs will discuss the latest developments in Gaza, including the ceasefire announced on 15 January (see EUROPE 13559/3). They should focus on the need to free the hostages, end the humanitarian crisis and achieve a two-State solution.
On Tuesday evening, MEPs and the Commission will return to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan (see EUROPE 13503/5).
On the same day, they will again debate the political crisis in Venezuela, considering that the re-election of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro constitutes a “usurpation” of power. On Friday 10 January, he was invested with a mandate following elections whose legitimacy has not been recognised by the EU. In response, the EU adopted new sanctions targeting the Maduro regime (see EUROPE 13555/11). Parliament will adopt a specific resolution on the situation in Venezuela on Thursday 23 January.
At the end of the day on Wednesday, Parliament will hold emergency debates on the systematic repression of human rights in Iran, in particular the cases of Pakhshan Azizi and Wrisha Moradi, and the EU citizens taken as hostages; on the case of the Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in Algeria; and on the situation of Jean-Jacques Wondo, a Belgian military expert of Congolese origin, who has been held since 22 May 2024 in a prison in Ndolo. Resolutions on these subjects will be put to the vote on Thursday.
Spying by Hungary. On the afternoon of Tuesday 21 January, Parliament will debate media allegations that the Hungarian intelligence services have been monitoring EU officials investigating fraud.
According to Belgian and Hungarian media reports, investigators from the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and other EU officials were targeted by Hungarian spies. OLAF carried out several investigative missions in Hungary between 2015 and 2017 to look into the potential misuse of European funds in a project linked to the Prime Minister’s son-in-law, Viktor Orbán.
Networks of smugglers. On Wednesday afternoon, Parliament will debate amendments to European legislation on police cooperation and effective sanctions against criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling. The elected representatives will be basing their decision on recent UN reports.
Energy. On Monday, MEPs will discuss a European Commission statement on the advancement of the nuclear fusion industry, which could be the basis for tomorrow’s power reactors, “in support of the EU’s energy independence and innovation”.
Climate. At the end of the day on Monday, the European Commission will issue a statement on the need for climate action to combat global warming. This follows a record-breaking year in 2024.
The warmest year on record worldwide, 2024 is also the first calendar year in which the average temperature has exceeded its pre-industrial level by 1.5°C, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), in its annual climate summary published on 10 January (see EUROPE 13555/1).
Environment. On Wednesday, MEPs will revisit the failure, at the end of 2024 in Busan, South Korea, of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) for an international ‘Plastics Treaty’ (see EUROPE 13536/14).
The following day, another debate will be devoted to COP16 on desertification, which was also held at the end of last year in Riyadh (see EUROPE 13535/8).
EU funding, via the LIFE programme, for NGOs lobbying the EU institutions will be on the agenda for discussion on Wednesday. The European Commission called these practices into question in December 2024 (see EUROPE 13542/10), provoking the ire of NGOs (see EUROPE 13540/23).
Demography. On Wednesday 22, the elected representatives and the Commission will return to the implementation of the ‘Demography’ toolbox presented in 2023 (see EUROPE 13269/5). (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit and the editorial team)