European Parliament:
Incoming:
Nikolaos CHOUNTIS (GUE/NGL, EL) officially joined the Parliament on 20 July, replacing Manolis GLEZOS.
Substitutes of the Committees, Subcommittees and the Delegations:
Josef WEIDENHOLZER (S&D, AT) joined the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (D-ACP).
Pina PICIERNO (S&D, IT) left the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and joined the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO).
Damiano ZOFFOLI (S&D, IT) joined the Committee on Regional Development (REGI).
Bruno GOLLNISCH (NI, FR) left the joined the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and joined the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).
Sotirios ZARIANOPOULOS (NI, EL) left the Committee on Petitions (PETI).
Georgios EPITIDEIOS (NI, EL) joined the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI).
Krisztina MORVAI (NI, HU) left the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL).
National political parties:
Joachim STARBATTY (ECR, DE) and Hans-Olaf HENKEL left the Alternative for Germany (AfD). Mr LUCKE, who was founder of the AfD created a new Eurosceptic political party, named "Alliance for Progress and Renewal" (ALFA).
European Commission:
Cabinets:
Jonathan Hill's team: Chantal HUGHES is on maternity leave.
Directorate Generals:
Regional and Urban Policy (REGIO) – Directorate B: Kai STRYCZYNSKI is the new acting Head of Evaluation and European Semester Unit.
Services:
Legal Service (SJ): Pieter VAN NUFFEL reappointed President of the Commission's Personal Representative to the UN Good Offices Mission in Cyprus.
Committee of the Regions:
Members:
Joakim LARSSON (EPP, SE), Anna LJUNGDELL (PES, SE), Tomas RISTE (PES, SE) and Kalev KALLO (ALDE, EE) joined as members.
Alternates:
Krister ANDERSSON (PES, SE), Glenn NORDLUND (PES, SE), Erik PELLING (PES, SE), Ingrborg WIKSTEN (ALDE, SE), Jonny LUNDIN (ALDE, SE) and Xamuel GONZALEZ WESTLING (NGLA, SE) joined as alternates.
Public affairs:
Financial Times (FT): The British publisher Pearson decided to sell the Financial Times to Japanese media organisation Nikkei Inc.
News in a nutshell:
Member States:
Romania: Ex Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development and Administrative Reform Liviu DRAGNEA, PSD (S&D) was elected as interim President of PSD, following the resignation of Prime Minister Victor PONTA from the presidency of the party.
Greece: Prime Minister Alexis TSIPRAS, Syriza (GUE/NGL) announced a cabinet reshuffle on 17 July. He removed one Minister and four Deputies from government, following their 'no' vote on the country's bailout:
• Labour Minister Panos SKOURLETIS replaced Panayiotis LAFAZANIS as Energy Minister.
• Ex-MEP and Deputy Minister for Administrative Reform Giorgos KATROUGKALOS took over from SKOURLETIS as Labour Minister.
• Tryfon ALEXIADIS replaced Euclid TSAKALOTOS as Deputy Minister for Revenue, following the appointment of the latter as Minister for Finance earlier this month.
• Sia ANAGNOSTOPOULOU replaced Nikolaos CHOUNTIS who returned to the European Parliament (replacing Manolis GLEZOS) as Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs.
Last week Greek MPs passed two more actions required by the lenders in order to initiate talks on a third bailout.
Portugal: President Anibal CAVACO SILVA, PSD (S&D) announced that the official date for the upcoming national election will be 4 October.
Candidate countries:
Turkey: Incumbent Prime Minister Ahmet DAVUTOĞLU, leader of Justice and Development party (AKP) (AECR) ordered the provincial chairs of his party to be ready for a possible snap election. Coalition talks are ongoing, but the outcome remains uncertain.