EU Confidential Boiling in Brussels: Climate fights and Orbán vs. Pride
Jul 4, 2025
Max Griera, an EU Politics Reporter at POLITICO, and Aitor Hernández-Morales, POLITICO’s Cities Correspondent, dive into Europe's intense summer heat and its climate implications. They explore the EU's ambitious 2040 climate targets amid political tensions and challenges like the crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights during Budapest Pride. Additionally, they discuss how city mayors are tackling urgent housing crises and seeking support from Brussels, revealing a critical intersection of urban policy and climate action.
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EU's 2040 Climate Target Loopholes
- The EU's new 2040 climate target aims for a 90% emissions cut but includes controversial flexibilities like carbon credits.
- These flexibilities allow outsourcing emission reductions abroad, which critics say weakens the EU's own efforts.
Denmark's Climate Presidency Challenge
- Denmark's presidency faces the tough job of building consensus on ambitious climate goals amid political shifts to the right.
- They must simultaneously negotiate 2040 targets and 2035 interim goals to meet Paris Agreement requirements.
Bjorn Seibert's Power in EU Commission
- Bjorn Seibert wields significant centralized power as Ursula von der Leyen's chief of staff, overseeing major commission decisions.
- His control and influence have caused concerns about an authoritarian drift within the EU Commission.