On December 18, 2025, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will address several key issues during their plenary session.
A central topic will be the impact of major online platforms’ recommender systems on democracy. MEPs are set to question Democracy Commissioner Michael McGrath about whether these systems may be undermining democratic processes and violating EU digital regulations. The discussion comes after recent elections highlighted how such algorithms can spread disinformation and foreign propaganda, potentially affecting public debate and election results. The debate is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:00.
Earlier in the day, at 9:00, a debate will take place with Commissioner McGrath marking the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War.
At noon, MEPs will vote on a draft report reviewing nearly five years of the rule of law conditionality mechanism. This system was created to prevent breaches of rule of law from threatening the EU budget. According to proposals under consideration, MEPs aim to make it easier to activate this mechanism while also seeking increased transparency and stronger protection for final beneficiaries of EU funding.
Other votes scheduled include resolutions addressing ongoing hybrid attacks by Belarus against Lithuania; motions regarding human rights concerns such as the arrest and sentencing of academics Bahruz Samadov and Igbal Abilov in Azerbaijan; mass kidnappings in Nigeria including those at St Mary’s Catholic school in Papiri; and political instability following the coup in Guinea-Bissau on November 26. Parliament will also consider a report focused on decarbonising and modernising EU fisheries, as well as appointing a member to the Executive Board of the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA).
In addition, later in the afternoon from 15:00, MEPs together with Commissioner McGrath will discuss the global increase in violent attacks targeting humanitarian workers and journalists.
Live coverage of all sessions is available via Parliament’s webstreaming platform and EbS+.
Further details about this plenary session can be found through official parliamentary newsletters or by visiting dedicated information pages.
