Bestselling author Derek Blyth picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets of Belgium every day
Behind the Scenes: Unions have many layers
Everyone seems obsessed with unions these days. Whether it is political alliances, worker associations or football clubs. Maybe it is all a bit much
EU Tracker
- Tomorrow - Finns vote
Finland organises its general election to vote for a new parliament.
- Tomorrow - Bulgaria votes (again)
Bulgarians will go to the polls for yet another election after political parties failed to put together a working government.
- 1 May - Latvians vote
Latvia will vote in May for a new president.
- 13 May - Eurovision time
The Eurovision song contest final from Liverpool will be held.
- 14 May - Turkish elections
Turks will vote for a new parliament and president.
- 17 May - Microplastics
The Commission will publish new guidelines on how to reduce the release of microplastics into the environment.
- 21 May - Greeks vote
Greece will hold its first national ballot under a new system.
- 30 May - Trade and Tech Council
The next edition of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council is pencilled in for 30-31 May.
- 1 June - EPC meeting II
The European Political Community’s second-ever meeting will take place in Moldova on 1 June.
- 5 June - EU Green Week
EU Green Week kicks off on 5 June.
- 21 June - Space and defence
The Commission’s space and defence package, which will include an EU space strategy, is due to launch on 21 June (TBC).
- 30 June - Energy and climate plans
EU governments have an end of June deadline to update their national energy and climate plans (NECP), which show how countries are going to meet all of the bloc’s energy and climate laws. The Commission will assess their contributions to check that it all adds up to the right result.
- 1 July - Viva Espana
Sweden will hand over the reins of the EU presidency to Spain.
- 11 July - NATO summit
NATO members meet in Vilnius for 2023’s summit
- 30 September - Slovakians vote
Slovakia’s general election will be held (TBC).
- 2 October - Spain's energy summit
Spain will co-host a major climate summit with the International Energy Agency in a warm-up act ahead of COP28 later in the year.
- 31 December - It's coming home
Spain will hand over the EU presidency to Belgium.
