We have been warning from the very start that Mobility Package 1 runs counter to the basic European values and the concept of the Single Market. In no way does the proposed approach to the issue resolution help in boosting the Single Market, on the contrary - it only undermines it. More than that, the EU is not getting any stronger when the states of the EU periphery are pitted against those of the centre, says Ilhan Kyuchyuk, MEP from MRF, Vice President of ALDE, in an interview to Europost.

Despite popular misconceptions, the European Council, which is composed of the national heads of state or government, and the Council of Ministers, which is composed of national ministers, remain the most important institutions in the EU. Corporate interests find different ways to influence the legislative process in the bloc, and not all of these channels go through the Commission. Lobbyists also fulfil vital functions in a democracy by providing information to MEPs and policy makers about the likely effects of policies, says Dimitar Toshkov, social scientist, in an interview to Europost.

Citizens are quite aware of the strengths and weaknesses of populist parties. They are good communicators. On the other hand, they are unable to provide sustainable solutions. At the same time, there is a concern that, unfortunately, traditional and mainstream parties cannot provide those sustainable solutions either, unless they start innovating. This has been identified as a shortcoming of the traditional and mainstream parties and an area which is in need of bigger improvement, says Assya Kavrakova, Executive Director of the European Citizens Action Service (ECAS), in an interview with Europost.

In some cases, there is divergence in 90% of the ingredients, which is unacceptable and will soon become illegal. The companies will be obligated to provide clear information about every single product, so that consumers can make a well-informed purchase decision, says Emil Radev in an interview to Europost.

Political and economic factors interact. From a purely economic point of view it is difficult to understand and manage things like Brexit or the migration crisis. Populist policies are economically harmful, yet they sometimes receive political support, says Prof. Clemens Fuest, President of the Munich-based ifo Institute for Economic Research, in an interview with Europost.

What is transpiring with the Mobility Package is unprecedented in the history of the EP - never have MEPs been so strongly and irreversibly divided. I do not believe that it is possible for the MEPs on the Transport Committee to go over all the amendments and synthesize them in a way that they can be voted in such a short time. At stake is the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people, so it would be criminal to approach the issue from a purely bureaucratic standpoint and with haste, says Andrey Novakov, Bulgarian MEP from EPP/GERB, in an interview with Europost.

In the coming elections, people should choose between two different political agendas. The one endorsed by the left-wing and progressive forces calls for a different financial and political model that would put the interests of the people first. The other one entails the very same policies that have caused all issues above, endorsed by the conservative, populist and far-right political forces, i.e. the ones that have failed to deliver a better future for the people, says Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Vice-President of the European Parliament and Head of the SYRIZA Party Delegation, in an interview with Europost.

The EU is more accustomed to respond to various emergencies rather than address the underlying structural issues. The next EU multi-annual financial framework will be very important, above all in light of the growing Euroscepticism, Simone Romano, Italian economist says in an interview with Europost.

The EU is facing many challenges, and besides the visible ones such as Brexit and migration, maybe the political cohesion within the Union is the most difficult one. Since its establishment, the EU has been a huge success in terms of avoiding conflicts on the continent, in terms of developing an internal market, free trade agreements and job creation, Ambassador of Denmark to Bulgaria says in an interview with Europost.

There is a shared understanding that high quality education can reduce socio-economic inequalities and help create a more competitive and cohesive Europe. This is the goal we have set for ourselves with the European Education Area, a space in which learning and knowledge should no longer be hampered by geographical barriers in the EU - and where citizens develop a strong sense of their identity as Europeans, says Tibor Navracsics, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, in an interview to Europost.