2021 in the European Union explained

Events from 2021 in the European Union.

Incumbents

• President of the European Council
  • Charles Michel
• Commission President
  • Ursula von der Leyen
• Council Presidency
  • Portugal (Jan – Jun 2021)
  • Slovenia (July – Dec 2021)
• Parliament President
  • David Sassoli
• High Representative
  • Josep Borrell

Events

January

• 1 January – Portugal takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
• 6 January – The European Medicines Agency approves the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use within the European Union.^{[1] [2]}
• 21 January – Hungary became the first European Union country to approve the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine.^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

March

• 3 March – Hungary's Fidesz party led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán decided to leave the EPP Group, after the EPP Group's new rules.^{[8] [9]}

April

• 1 April – The Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and Italian former Minister of the Interior and leader of Northern League Matteo Salvini visit Hungary to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister: Viktor Orbán. It was wildly reported by the media they talked about forming a New Nationalist Conservative political group of the European Parliament to counter European People's Party group.^{[10] [11] [12]}

July

• 1 July – Slovenia takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
• 2 July – The leaders of "right-wing parties" from 16 EU countries, signs in several European capitals a document calling for deep reform of the EU. The document is signed by Hungary's Viktor Orbán Fidesz, Poland's Jarosław Kaczyński Law and Justice, Finland's Finns Party, Italy's Brothers of Italy and Lega, Spain's VOX, France's Marine le Pen National Rally, Bulgaria's VMRO, Austria's Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), Belgium's (Vlaams Belang), Denmark's Danish People's Party, Estonia's EKRE, Greece's Greek Solution, Netherlands(Ja21), Lithuania (Lietuvos lenkų rinkimų akcija) and Romania (Partidul Național Țărănesc Creștin Democrat.^{[13] [14]}
• 7 July — The start of the 2021–2022 Belarus–European Union border crisis begins.
• 14 July — The Polish Constitutional Tribunal rules that any interim measures from the top European court against Poland's judicial reforms were "not in line" with the Polish constitution. the Polish justice minister, Zbigniew Ziobro, said the constitutional court's decision was "against interference, usurpation and legal aggression by organs of the European Union".^{[15] [16] [17]}

October

• October 7 — The Polish Constitutional Tribunal rules that some articles in EU treaties are "incompatible" with its national legislation and unconstitutional. it also ruled that Poland's constitution takes precedence over some EU laws.^{[18] [19] [20]}

December

• 24 December – Polish Leader Jarosław Kaczyński said Germany is trying to turn the EU into a federal "German Fourth Reich".^[21]

See also

Country overviews

• European Union
• History of European Union
• Outline of European Union
• Politics of European Union
• Timeline of European Union history
• Years in European Union
• History of modern European Union
• Government of European Union

Related timelines for current period

• 2021
• 2021 in politics and government
• 2020s

Notes and References

1. News: Meijer. Bart H.. Mason. Josephine. 2021-01-06. UPDATE 3-EU regulator approves Moderna vaccine as fears grow over virus variants. Reuters. Neely. Jason. Char. Pravin. 2021-01-06.
2. Web site: 2020-01-06. Coronavirus: EU health authority approves Moderna vaccine. live. 2021-01-06. Deutsche Welle. https://web.archive.org/web/20210106122430/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-eu-health-authority-approves-moderna-vaccine/a-56142945 . 2021-01-06 .
3. News: Turak N . Russia's Sputnik vaccine gets its first approval in the EU, greenlight from UAE amid ongoing trials . CNBC . 21 January 2021.
4. News: Coronavirus: Hungary first in EU to approve Russian vaccine . BBC News . 21 January 2021.
5. News: Walker S . Hungary breaks ranks with EU to license Russian vaccine . The Guardian . 21 January 2021.
6. News: Hungary Becomes First in EU to Approve Russian Covid Vaccine . Bloomberg.com . 21 January 2021.
7. News: COVID: Hungary fast-tracks Russian vaccine with EU approval in the works DW 21.01.2021 . DW.COM.
8. Web site: Hungary's Fidesz party to leave European parliament centre-right group . the Guardian . 2 June 2021 . en . 2021-03-03.
9. Web site: Orbán's Fidesz quits EPP group in European Parliament . POLITICO . 2 June 2021 . 2021-03-03.
10. Web site: Zsiros . Sandor . Orbán, Salvini and Morawiecki form new right-wing European alliance . euronews . 2 June 2021 . en . 2021-04-01.
11. News: Populist EU Leaders Seek 'Renaissance,' Fail to Form New Party . Bloomberg.com . April 2021 . 2 June 2021.
12. News: Orban plots new populist alliance for European parliament . Financial Times . April 2021 . 2 June 2021. Hopkins . Valerie . Shotter . James . Ghiglione . Davide .
13. Web site: Orbán, le Pen, Salvini, Kaczyński join forces to impact on the future of EU. 2 July 2021.
14. Web site: Poland's Law and Justice Signs Joint Declaration with Euroskeptic Parties. Forbes.
15. Web site: Poland's judicial reform 'not compatible' with EU law, Court of Justice rules. 15 July 2021.
16. Web site: Poland's top court rejects EU court injunctions as invalid.
17. Web site: 'Legal Polexit': Poland court rules EU measures unconstitutional. TheGuardian.com. 14 July 2021.
18. Web site: Poland challenges supremacy of EU law in snub to Brussels. 2021-10-08. 2021-10-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20211008050202/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/7/poland-challenges-supremacy-of-eu-law-in-snub-to-brussels. live.
19. News: Poland's top court ruling marks major challenge to EU laws. BBC News. 7 October 2021. 8 October 2021. 8 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211008050202/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58835758. live.
20. Web site: Court ruling puts Poland on a collision course with the EU's legal order. 7 October 2021. 8 October 2021. 8 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211008060602/https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-european-union-constitution-justice-treaties/. live.
21. Web site: Polish deputy PM says Germany wants to turn EU into 'fourth reich'. TheGuardian.com. 24 December 2021.