Karen Melchior

The European Digital Identity: Parliament’s final position

Written on 23. February 2023.

The European Digital Identity is a proposal that will allow EU citizens, residents and businesses to identify themselves, access digital services and digitally sign documents through a Digital ID and store and share “attributes” such as personal information, diplomas and licenses safely and easily using a Digital Wallet. It will provide inter-operability across the union; with signatures and attributes recognised in all member states, making it easier to work, study and travel around the Union. In 2022, I led negotiations on this law in the JURI Committee, with negotiations concluding in...

The Data Act: preserving privacy and putting citizens in control

Written on 27. January 2023.

In recent years, we have seen an explosion in the development of “smart” and “connected” devices: from home appliances to industrial machines, and medical equipment to cars. The EU wants to make better use of this data to benefit the economy. I have been negotiating on behalf of Renew in the JURI committee, to make sure the Data Economy is fair, doesn’t harm businesses, puts citizens in control of their data, and prevents abuse of data, be it by governments or companies.On Tuesday 24 January, the JURI committee voted on our opinion on the data act after months of tough negotiations. In...

C’est arrivé et donc cela peut arriver à nouveau…

Written on 26. January 2023.

Le 27 janvier est la journée internationale dédiée à la mémoire des victimes de l’Holocauste.En ces temps sombres animé par la guerre de la Russie contre l’Ukraine, il est important de rappeler que les horreurs du passé durant la seconde guerre mondiale peuvent se répéter même 80 ans plus tard…Le 25 janvier, j’ai eu l’honneur d’accueillir au Parlement, Monsieur Katznelson. Nous avons visité ensemble l’exposition Faces of Europe, exposition photographique dédiée aux femmes qui ont perdu la vie dans les camps de concentration de Ravensbrück durant la seconde guerre...

Twitter kills 3rd party app ecosystem?

Written on 16. January 2023.

Potentially anticompetitive shutdown by Twitter of third-party app ecosystem Last week, a service (API) provided by Twitter allowing third-party software to interact with the social network was shut down. For decades access via API spurred the development of a commercial ecosystem of third-party apps built around Twitter: software for tweet scheduling, business customer service, posting to multiple social networks, or analytics. Providing superior user control and experience. The shutdown of the service, around which many SMEs and indie developers have built their businesses, has paralysed...

Are Shares in Companies Undue Influence?

Written on 21. December 2022.

Karen Melchior pale faced woman with a purple shirt on looking into a mirror adjusting her short dark har.

I find it super important to have transparency and openness about potential undue influence on politicians. So I welcome any conversation and questions about this. The financial interests of politicians is part of this conversation. As uncomfortable as it is being quizzed on my personal finances and talking about them openly. This is the only way we can avoid undue influence – through transparency and openness. For me, being transparent also makes me evermore aware of not being less critical of companies I have shares. I am actually more critical, because I do not want others to be...

How will the Commission respond to a court ruling that makes it harder to investigate money laundering & tax evasion?

Written on 5. December 2022.

Last week, Russian Investigative Journalist Maria Pevchikh posted an excellent twitter thread concerning a recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union, and how it may help shady organisations — often controlled by Russian Oligarchs — hide or launder money in the European Union.1/20 Dear friends, I need to draw your attention to something super bad and super important (and it doesn’t originate from Russia for once). Last week the EU has taken a shockingly stupid and damaging decision to close down national corporate registers of beneficial owners 🧵🧵🧵...

European Parliament calls on improvement on human rights in Egypt // نص مقترح لقرار وفقا للمادة 132 من النظام الداخلي بشأن حالة حقوق الإنسان في مصر

Written on 25. November 2022.

We in Renew Europe succeed in having a plenary debate on the situation of human rights in Egypt, strongly condemning Egyptian authorities’ crackdown on civil society, including during COP27P. Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, attended and spoke at the debate on behalf of High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell The European Parliament decried a lack of rights and basic political freedoms in Egypt and reiterated its firm condemnation of the country’s widespread use of torture by security services. It also urged Egypt to cooperate fully with...

The European Digital Identity: our fight for a private digital wallet and a secure web

Written on 27. October 2022.

The European Digital Identity is a proposal that will allow EU citizens, residents and businesses to identify themselves, access digital services and digitally sign documents through a Digital ID and store and share “attributes” such as personal information, diplomas and licenses safely and easily using a Digital Wallet. It will provide inter-operability across the union; with signatures and attributes recognised in all member states, making it easier to work, study and travel around the Union.The Commission’s proposal could make tasks like getting a loan, applying to study at a...

Global Encryption Day – Stop Scanning Us

Written on 21. October 2022.

Whether citizens know it or not, encryption is at the heart of everything we do: it protects our bank cards and ID, keeps us safe when shopping online, and keeps our conversations private.On this #GlobalEncryptionDay i think it is important to recognise, however, that encryption is under attack from all sides, including in the European Union. The Commission’s “Chat Control” proposal is the latest and largest of such attacks. It would subject all our conversations to government-mandated error-prone scanning systems, effectively ending the right to private correspondence....

Jobopslag: Praktikant i Europa-Parlamentet hos Karen Melchior

Written on 13. October 2022.

Vil du opleve Europa-Parlamentet indefra, arbejde med politik, lovgivning og kommunikation i løbet af et udfordrende og socialt halvt år i Bruxelles? Så er det muligvis dig, vi søger som akademisk praktikant for Karen Melchior, medlem af Europa-Parlamentet i den liberale gruppe Renew Europe til forårssemesteret 2023. Du får arbejdsplads i Europa-Parlamentet i Bruxelles – EU’s politiske hjerte, hvor du får indblik i forskellige politikområder, politiske processer og kommunikation. Helt konkret får du:Erfaring med konkrete politikområder, interessevaretagelse, politisk kommunikation samt...

Vacancy: Communication Advisor for MEP Karen Melchior

Written on 13. October 2022.

Karen Melchior’s office is recruiting an experienced press and communications officer (Danish and English required, other EU languages a bonus) to join her team in Brussels on a full-time basis. The Communication Advisor produces and advises on communication and media outputs as well as participating in the more strategic long term work. The communication advisor will be advising team members as well as MEP Karen Melchior. Main tasks will focus on content creation for social media and website, managing and planning social media, branding of MEP Karen Melchior, designing merchandising,...

Vacancy: Executive Assistant for MEP Karen Melchior

Written on 13. October 2022.

Karen Melchior’s office is recruiting an experienced Executive Assistant / Office Administrator (English, French, and preferably Danish) to join her team in Brussels on a full-time basis. We are looking for a highly competent administrator to provide first class support to the MEP. You will be the cornerstone of the office and enable the success of the entire team through your handling and prioritisation of incoming information. So the ideal candidate is calm in a storm and enjoys empowering their colleagues. Your main tasks and responsibilities as Executive Assistant will beProactive...

Ingen politikere tør røre ved sundhedsforsikringerne, og Danmark er efterladt med et sygdomsvæsen

Written on 26. September 2022.

I sundhedsdebatten er der en elefant i rummet: de private sundhedsforsikringer. Uden private sundhedsforsikringer ingen vækst i de private hospitaler, private psykologer og fysioterapeuter. Ingen politikere tør gøre op med sundhedsforsikringerne og i Danmark har vi reelt et sygdomsvæsen og ikke et sundhedsvæsen; måske kunne mere velfungerende forsikringer og i hvert fald bedre sammenhæng mellem kommuner, regioner og stat hjælpe. Siden Lars Løkke Rasmussen for snart små 20 år siden omlagde vores sundhedssystem mod flere private behandlinger for at understøtte de offentlige og reducere...

LGBTIQ+: EuroPride in Belgrade

Written on 21. September 2022.

© 2022 Karen Melchior In our continent, you must be able to live how you wish to live, love who you want to love and be who you want to be without fear of discrimination, hate or violence.In the light of Saturday’s EuroPride Parade in Belgrade, it is with great disappointment that we have witnessed Serbian authorities turning their back on LGBTIQ+ rights by trying to cancel – and de facto ban – EuroPride. As Renew Europe members, we stressed that in a democratic country, LGBTIQ+ people and activists must be able to count on the support of the government and the...

Ursula von der Leyen’s speech on the State of the European Union (SOTEU)

Written on 21. September 2022.

© 2022 EU-EP/PB Roberta Metsola, President of the EP, welcomed Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine and gave some keynotes, where she stressed that the EU stands with Kyiv against the Russian invasion.Also the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, had clear words on the aggression: “Putin will fail and Europe will prevail.” She added that the sanctions against Russia “are here to stay.” Ms von der Leyen announced €100 million to restore damaged Ukrainian schools as well as bringing Ukraine into the EU’s free roaming area and the Single Market.On soaring energy...

Manifesto ZERO DEATH AT WORK (12th SEP 2022)

Written on 12. September 2022.

I co-signed this manifesto by the European Trade Union Syndicat in order to support workers’ rights because, despite the many advances and developments, people still die at their workplaces. MANIFESTO ZERO DEATH AT WORKPeople go to work to make a living—to provide for themselves, their families, and their loved ones. Every working day across the European Union, twelve working people do not come home from work – because they have died at work. Far from earning a living, work has killed them, and their families suffer emotionally, financially and in many other ways....

145 MEPs sign letter to Serbian leadership calling to maintain the organisation of EuroPride 2022 and deploying sufficient police protection

Written on 5. September 2022.

Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia Ana Brnabić, Prime-Minister of Serbia Cc: Jadranka Joksimovic, Serbian Minister for European Integration Emanuele Giaufret, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Stefanno Sannino, Secretary-General of the European External Action Service Stella Ronner-Grubacic, EU Ambassador for Gender and Diversity Brussels, 31 August 2022 Subject: Maintaining the organisation of EuroPride 2022 in Belgrade and deploying sufficient police protection to ensure its safety Dear President, Dear Prime-Minister, Dear Minister, Pride demonstrations are peaceful tools for...

Prague Manifesto for a free Ukraine

Written on 22. August 2022.

I co-signed the Prague Manifesto for a free Ukraine because I support the freedom of Ukraine and for all. The defeat of Russia’s aggression is Ukraine is a precondition for a whole, free, and peaceful Europe. Ukraine’s victory will renew the promise of democracy for people across the world.Prague Manifesto for a Free Ukraine On February 24th, 2022, the Russian Federation renewed its aggression and further (on full scale) invaded Ukraine in an illegal and unprovoked aggression that needs to be strongly denounced, resisted, and defeated. Russia’s attack against the mere existence of...

Hurra for accept af non-binære og transkønnede

Written on 20. August 2022.

Større accept af både transkønnede og non-binære personer i vores samfund er en sejr for os alle. Jo større forskelle vi accepterer hos hinanden desto nemmere bliver det for os alle at acceptere os selv sådan som vi er. Et andet cpr-nummer sætter ikke noget i gang. Det er der allerede. Men det er til gengæld en meget stor tjeneste at give til en lille gruppe mennesker i vores samfund. Køn er ikke binært, men som så meget andet er det en skala. Det afgøres af mere end bare kromosomer. Allerede fra treårsalderen kan man identificere det køn, man føler sig som. Og når man er fire år, har man...

Fortsætter i Europa-Parlamentet men melder mig ud af Radikale

Written on 10. August 2022.

Jeg kan ikke tvinge andre til at være helte på mine vegne, men jeg kommer ikke til at give køb på mine principper og hvad jeg føler er rigtigt i håb om fremtidige tjenester eller håndsrækninger. I nu snart et år har partiets ledelse gjort det klart, at overfor mig, prioriterer man ikke en fair proces hverken internt i partiet eller eksternt i medier. Gennem processen har jeg vægret mig ved at erkende, at partiledelsen har tilladt en sådan proces. Jeg stolede på, at der ville blive truffet en rimelig afgørelse, men processen har ikke opretholdt de basale principper, der sikrer faktuelt...