European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced a new program expected to attract up to an additional €10 billion in investment for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

According to a statement published on the European Commission’s website, the program will establish a new direct investment fund and provide an additional financial support package of €2.3 billion.

Direct investment fund established

The fund, created with the participation of the European Investment Bank and the governments of France, Germany, Italy, and Poland, has an initial capital of €220 million.

European allies aim to increase the total resources attracted to the fund to €500 million by 2026.

The fund’s objective was announced as supporting the Ukrainian economy by encouraging direct investments, developing business infrastructure, and bringing market players together.

The newly announced financial support package consists of €1.8 billion in loan guarantees and €580 million in grant aid.

The European Commission emphasizes that the fund will be a crucial part of the investment ecosystem for the country’s long-term reconstruction.

‘Ukraine is getting closer to the EU every day’

In her statement on the matter, von der Leyen said, “Today, the EU confirms its role not only as a main donor but also as a key investor in Ukraine’s future. We have signed agreements worth €2.3 billion to rebuild homes, open hospitals, restart businesses, and ensure energy security. This is solidarity in action. Ukraine is getting closer to the EU every day in the fields of energy, education, mobility, and culture. Europe stands with Ukraine, today and tomorrow.”

Reconstruction cost exceeds $524 billion

According to World Bank estimates, the total investment required to implement Ukraine’s 10-year reconstruction plan (2025-2035) exceeds $524 billion.

The largest losses were recorded in the housing sector at $57 billion, transport infrastructure at approximately $36 billion, and the energy and mining industry at $20 billion.

Although attacks have spread across the country following the full-scale war that began in 2022, the most damage was sustained by the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, which are partially controlled by Russia, as well as the Kharkiv oblast.

According to the World Bank report, 66% of the direct damage (116 billion) and 47% of the total damage (248 billion) are attributed to these regions.

The EU’s border agency, Frontex, announced that illegal entries into the continent fell to 75,900 in the first half of 2025.

In a press release, Frontex attributed this 20% decrease primarily to stronger prevention efforts by countries of origin.

The agency, previously limited to borders between the EU and non-EU countries, has recently begun operating on borders between countries outside the EU as well.

Frontex reported a “sharp decline” in entries from the Western Balkans, the EU’s eastern border with Belarus, and West Africa.

However, illegal crossing attempts from the EU to the United Kingdom also increased by 23% to 33,200.

Frontex to increase its number of officers to 30,000

The press release stated that the Central Mediterranean route remains the EU’s busiest migration route, accounting for 39% of all irregular entries.

According to estimates by the International Organization for Migration, approximately 760 people died in the Mediterranean in the first six months of this year. In 2024, 2,300 people died in the same region.

Frontex currently has about 3,000 agents and plans to gradually increase this number to 10,000, but a recent proposal from the European Commission would raise this number to 30,000.

Meanwhile, the issue of migration continues to be at the top of the agenda for European politicians. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has pledged to push for stricter migration rules during her country’s presidency of the EU Council.

“Our citizens expect us politicians to find new solutions, and European citizens have the right to feel safe in their own countries. That is why we need to strengthen our external borders,” Frederiksen said.

Greece tightens anti-migrant legislation

Greece’s newly appointed migration minister, Thanos Plevris, said the government plans to implement new “deterrent measures” against migrants as part of its response to the recent influx from Libya.

Plevris stated that the country’s conservative New Democracy (ND) government has adopted a policy that includes “deterrent measures” as part of a new campaign to combat migration.

The policy review process will include a re-evaluation of all state benefits provided to asylum seekers and even a review of the meals provided in migrant reception and detention centers.

In an interview with Skai TV, the minister said, “From now on, the government will pursue a policy of significantly reducing benefits. Among other things, I have asked for a review of the menu provided in the camps, which are currently like hotels.”

“Isn’t there a middle ground between having nothing and having the option of three meals a day, with meat four times and fish once? The Migration Department is not a hotel,” Plevris claimed.

Athens seeks permission to detain migrants for up to five years

Plevris also stated that the ministry is working on a new law that would criminalize staying in Greece after an asylum application is rejected. This offense would be punishable by five years in prison if the person does not agree to leave the country voluntarily.

The Greek government will also vote this evening on a legislative amendment that suspends the processing of asylum applications for those arriving in Greece from North Africa and provides for their forced return to their country of origin or transit without being registered. The suspension will initially be valid for three months.

Plevris also said the government is working on a bill that would allow migrants to be detained for up to five years.

In recent weeks, about 9,000 people have arrived on the island of Crete from Libya. This number is almost double the number of arrivals on the island for the whole of 2024. About 2,000 people arrived last weekend.

However, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty called on Greek MPs to reject this amendment.

Mitsotakis defends decision to suspend asylum applications

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis defended the decision to suspend the processing of asylum applications for migrants from North Africa.

In an interview published in the German newspaper Bild on Friday, Mitsotakis described the decision as “difficult but absolutely necessary,” saying it was taken to send a strong message to human traffickers.

“Greece is not an open transit route. The journey is dangerous, the outcome is uncertain, and the money paid to traffickers is ultimately wasted. Illegal entry will not lead to legal residence,” the Greek leader said.

Mitsotakis added that Athens is ready to stop migration at its source by deepening cooperation with North African governments.

“Greece is not an open corridor to Europe. We are ready to work in close cooperation with the Libyan authorities to stop migration at its source,” the Prime Minister said.

Mitsotakis also requested more support from the European Union, stressing that the pressure on Greece requires a coordinated response.

“Greece is committed to pursuing a fair and effective migration policy, including legal pathways for migration, but the current situation requires urgent action. And this is not only Greece’s responsibility, but Europe’s as well,” the Greek politician said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has survived the first no-confidence motion against the Commission in the European Parliament (EP) after making a series of concessions.

On Thursday, a clear majority of MEPs rejected the censure motion. However, von der Leyen had to promise the Social Democrats that she would maintain the social fund as a separate fund, contrary to previous plans, and would present the anti-discrimination directive she had previously blocked to the EP.

These concessions became necessary because von der Leyen had caused significant discontent among all parliamentary groups with a questionable deal related to the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines and other measures. Observers believe that von der Leyen’s position has been weakened following the vote.

The no-confidence motion was submitted to parliament by a right-wing MEP from Romania.

Anger towards von der Leyen in Romania

The no-confidence motion against Ursula von der Leyen was triggered by intrigues during the presidential elections in Romania.

In Romania, the election results were annulled after the victory of right-wing candidate Călin Georgescu in the first round.

In the following months, Georgescu was prevented from running again in the repeat elections by the Romanian judiciary. A large part of the Romanian public believes this was done at the request of the European Commission, which had openly expressed its displeasure with Georgescu.

Von der Leyen had also announced in mid-December 2024 that she would investigate possible violations by the social media platform TikTok, whose users had run an intensive campaign for Georgescu.

Angry slogans were chanted at demonstrations in Bucharest in March, and distrust in the EU was further fueled by Western European interference in the repeat elections.

The no-confidence motion against von der Leyen was submitted by Gheorghe Piperea, an MEP from the right-wing Romanian party AUR, and was supported by George Simion, Georgescu’s defeated successor in the repeat elections.

Arrows point to von der Leyen in Covid-19 vaccine scandal

Piperea submitted his motion at a time when discontent with von der Leyen in the EP had grown significantly, extending beyond far-right groups.

One of the reasons for this is the scandal surrounding the contract the Commission President signed with Albert Bourla, the head of the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, for the delivery of 1.8 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines at a staggering cost of $35 billion.

The price is considered very high and the number of vaccine doses ordered excessive. The text messages in which von der Leyen agreed to the deal with Bourla are untraceable, much like text messages from her time as Germany’s defense minister.

In addition to the suspicious circumstances surrounding the vaccine deal, von der Leyen’s decision to approve the “ReArm EU” armament program, at an unprecedented cost of €800 billion, without consulting the European Parliament, has also significantly increased discontent.

Finally, she unilaterally withdrew the anti-“greenwashing” bill, against the will of many political groups in the EP.

A series of concessions from the president

The no-confidence motion was rejected by a majority of MEPs last Thursday. The main reason for this was that the motion was submitted by a right-wing MEP with whom political groups, especially the Social Democrats and the Greens, did not want to cooperate.

The motion was supported by the Patriots for Europe (PfE) group, including the French National Rally (RN), the Belgian Vlaams Belang, and the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), as well as the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) group, including the Alternative for Germany (AfD).

A clear majority, including the European People’s Party (EPP), the Social Democrats (S&D), and the Liberals, with 360 MEPs, voted against the motion.

However, von der Leyen had to make two concessions to secure the support of the Social Democrats in particular. The European Social Fund+ will remain an independent fund from 2028 to 2034, and the Commission will present the previously postponed anti-discrimination directive next week.

Conservative EP group divided

The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) faction was divided in the vote.

In addition to members of Romania’s AUR party, members of Poland’s PiS (Law and Justice) party supported the motion. Among these members was Patryk Jaki (PiS), one of the two leaders of the ECR faction.

However, Nicola Procaccini, the group leader of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, and the FdI group opposed the motion. The FdI has been working in close cooperation with the conservative EPP and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for some time.

The participation rate in the ECR group was extremely low at only 56%; 35 of the 79 MEPs abstained from the vote to avoid taking a side.

The disagreement within the group continues between the parties with which the EPP now systematically cooperates and those, like AUR, that are still excluded from power.

When will the era of a right-wing majority in the EP begin?

The EPP group is now going beyond cooperation with parts of the ECR group in certain areas, voting with the PfE group on some issues such as preventing migration and partially departing from the European Green Deal.

On the other hand, it is said that this only applies to draft resolutions or reports submitted to the European Parliament; the EPP group has not yet acted with the PfE on legislative decisions.

Of course, this has also succeeded in increasing the pressure, especially on the Social Democrats, to shift significantly to the right to prevent the EPP from voting with the PfE.