Educare interruptus: Tusk pulls out of sex education reform after coalition split
New sex education classes for Polish school children will be optional rather than compulsory, Donald Tusk's government declared January 16.
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TikTok, five other Chinese firms hit by EU privacy complaints
TikTok, Shein, Xiaomi and three other Chinese companies were named in a privacy complaint filed by Austrian advocacy group Noyb, which alleged the firms were unlawfully…
EU car industry calls for CO2 fine relief to avoid ‘irreparable’ harm to competitiveness
The European automobile industry has called on the EU to roll back CO2 emission fines to avoid crippling the bloc's competitiveness.
Imperialism not a replacement for good governance, it is its consequence
In this third and final part of our series on neo-Imperialism I would like to start with the most important observation: Successful and lasting imperialism is a…
ECHR upholds criminal conviction for malicious obstruction of traffic by unions
The European Court of Human Rights has unanimously upheld a Belgian court decision convicting the Belgian Socialist Union on a charge of blocking roads during a…
NGOs gained influence under von der Leyen, while companies lost theirs
NGOs had much more contact with the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen, compared with her predecessor Jean-Claude Juncker.
Commission announces ‘action plan’ for EU health cyber attacks–but no funding
Ursula von der Leyen's European Commission announced an "action plan" January 15 to respond to a sharp rise in cyberattacks against the EU health sector--but the…
Austria will scrap ‘green’ subsidies, say coalition negotiators
The Austrian Freedom Party and the People’s Party pledged cuts in "climate subsidies" to curtail Austria's ballooning budget deficit.
EU plans to give away €1.9bn in ‘humanitarian aid’ in 2025
The European Union is planning to give away €1.9 billion of taxpayer money in so-called "humanitarian aid" this year, the European Commission has announced.
France’s first trans mayor resigns, citing “toxic” environment
France's first transgender mayor Marie Cau, who was elected in 2020, has resigned from office citing a "toxic" environment and transphobia.
French drug usage higher than ever: over 1m people used cocaine in 2023
France's 'high society' has apparently grown, as experimenting with drugs has soared. Cocaine consumption in the country exploded, with 1.
German army withdraws from Twitter/X
Germany's defence ministry and army announced they were ending their activities on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Wilders: Cut spending on climate policies and Ukraine to fund tax cuts
Dutch hard-right leader Geert Wilders called on his country's government to cut spending on climate policies and the Ukraine war to fund tax cuts.
What did European liberals ever get from trusting Joe Biden?
Next week American President-elect Donald Trump will drop the “elect,” and President Joe Biden will pick up "former” before his name.
Incidents across Italy’s rail network lead to suspicions of sabotage
Magistrates of the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office are investigating a series of incidents on the Italian railways suspecting potential sabotage.
Denmark’s prime minister summons business leaders following Trump’s Greenland threat
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the country's business leaders to a meeting on January 16 after US President-elect Donald Trump last week threatened…
Polish opposition conservatives slam Zelensky for interference in presidential poll
Poland’s opposition Conservatives (PiS) have attacked Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president had met with the centre-left Tusk government’s presidential…
Irish coalition buckles, vows to continue carbon tax hikes
Members of Ireland's new coalition government have reversed their criticism of carbon tax policies, undertaking instead to continue the regular increase in the highly-unpopular…
Eurocrats ignore Trump influence while welcoming Gaza ceasefire
Eurocrats have welcomed the introduction of a ceasefire in Gaza while ignoring incoming US President Donald Trump's influence on getting the deal.
Tusk provides no evidence for claims Russia planned terrorist attacks on airlines
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said that Russia had been planning ‘acts of terror’ against both Polish and international airlines, but provided no evidence…
Swedish debt collectors begins seizures at doomed green-tech Northvolt
'Green' darling Northvolt faced seizures by the Swedish Enforcement Authority, Kronofogden, the country's debt collector, over unpaid bills.
Not such close allies: US restricts AI chip exports to Poland
The US government has decided to exclude Poland from the list of 18 countries given unrestricted access to US AI chip exports, meaning the Poles will have restricted…
All parties except AfD to push on with German energy transition
Energy policy has figured highly in Germany's February 23 elections, the country's first since Berlin severed ties with Russia, its long-time gas supplier.
Dominion: Trump’s new grand strategy?
With Donald Trump only days away from being sworn into what will likely be the most “imperial” of US presidencies since Franklin D.
Only Europeans have downbeat view of second Trump presidency, poll finds
Story reposted with corrected graphic
Relatives of Israeli hostages say EU not doing all it can for their release
Relatives of 94 Israeli and international hostages still held by Hamas said the EU has not used its influence and resources to bring the hostages home.
Police officers who join Alternative for Germany face ‘termination’
Members of Germany's federal police active in the hard-right "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) party risk disciplinary procedures and an end to their employment, leaked…
Danes to rely on bean burritos to achieve green transition goals
Major Danish grocery chains and the Danish Consumer Council have launched a campaign to encourage Danes to eat more beans and less meat to achieve the country's…
Falling birth rates? More than just technocratic, it is a cultural question
Last week Turkey announced that it was introducing a series of incentives designed to increase the Turkish birth rate.
Swedish government tightens naturalisation requirements with focus on ‘honest living’
Sweden's government has called for toughening the country's citizenship requirements by increasing the necessary time in the country to eight years and introducing…