US officials object to European push to buy weapons locally
US officials have told European allies they want them to keep buying American-made arms, amid recent moves by the European Union to limit US manufacturers'…
From the capitals
Hot TopicLatest reporting and analysis on from the capitals.
Norway reopens debate on EU membership
Norway has reopened a long-standing and controversial debate on European Union membership after its Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg said: "We are by definition…
German foreign minister’s “self-serving” move to top UN job sparks outrage in Berlin and New York
An unexpected career move by Annalena Baerbock, Germany’s outgoing foreign minister, is angering both UN diplomats and German politicians.
Setback for Polish PM Tusk as court rejects request to arrest former PiS minister
A Warsaw court has rejected a request by a parliamentary committee investigating the use of Pegasus spyware by the former Conservative (PiS) government to detain…
Moldova expels three Russian diplomats for ‘helping pro-Moscow MP flee prison term’
Moldova has expelled three Russian diplomats after it accused Russia's embassy of engineering the escape of a pro-Kremlin lawmaker to prevent him being jailed over…
Poland’s right-wing presidential candidate calls for tuition fees and an abortion ban
Sławomir Mentzen, right-wing Confederation party candidate in May’s Polish presidential election and who had been surging in the polls, has come under fire for…
Germany’s likely next chancellor Merz ponders name for new coalition
Germany's likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz has been looking for a fitting name for the government coalition he wanted to build.
Hungary passes law to ban Pride march, sparking protests
Hungary's parliament has passed a law to ban the annual Pride march by LGBTQ+ communities, triggering the blockade of a bridge in central Budapest in protest against…
Polish opposition warns against EU control of country’s armed forces
Poland’s Conservative (PiS) opposition to the centre-left government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk has claimed the PM was selling out the independence of the…
Irish politicians’ anger as Trump meets martial arts champ McGregor on St Patrick’s Day
Irish mixed martial arts champion Conor McGregor has drawn praise from US President Donald Trump on a St Patrick's Day visit to the Oval Office, when the Irishman…
Rwanda cuts diplomatic ties with Belgium over Congo conflict
Rwanda's Government has decided to cut diplomatic ties with Belgium over the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) conflict.
French PM rejects retirement at 62 citing economic and geopolitical challenges
French Prime Minister François Bayrou has ruled out a return to the retirement age of 62 for citizens, dismissing calls for a rollback of the controversial pension…
Another snub? China’s President Xi declines invitation to Brussels
An invitation to attend a conference in Brussels to commemorate the 50th anniversary of ties between the European Union and China has been turned down by Chinese…
Mélenchon: ‘France must lead new global order, push Russia back into Europe’
Radical French left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has declared that France must lead the reshaping of the global order.
Embattled Greek PM replaces ministers after mass protests over fatal train crash
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has named new finance and transport ministers in a reshuffle designed to shore up support for his government after mass…
Dutch reject EC’s debt-driven €800bn rearmament plan
Dutch MPs have voted against the new European Union defence plan, ReArm Europe, because it was based on shared debt among EU countries, raising Dutch concerns about…
Greenlandic election result shows independence top of voters’ concerns
In Greenland's election, the traditionally biggest parties that until recently constituted the government have suffered a major voter backlash.
Dutch newspaper to appeal against judge’s editorial ruling
De Telegraaf, the Netherlands’ largest newspaper, has announced it would appeal a controversial ruling from a judge who ordered it to clarify a comment piece about…
Sikorski tells Musk Poland will provide Ukraine with alternative to Starlink
Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski reminded Elon Musk that Poland has ordered and paid for Ukraine's Starlink internet services and that if it was…
Canada’s new PM Carney to renounce his UK and Irish passports
Canada's incoming Prime Minister Mark Carney, a citizen of both the UK and Ireland, has said he would now renounce both nationalities.
Hungary PM Orbán says financing Ukraine’s war effort would ‘ruin Europe’
The European Union cannot afford to finance Ukraine's military efforts as US financial aid is no longer guaranteed, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said.
French opposition slams Macron for ‘fear-mongering’
French President Emmanuel Macron has been left facing criticism from both the Left and Right following his 13-minute speech on Russian threats and new geopolitical…
EU-friendly Moldova insists it has not violated diplomatic norms over Russia’s ambassador
Moldova's foreign ministry has rejected allegations by Russia that it had violated diplomatic conventions by declining to formally accept the credentials of Moscow's…
Polish Right urges Zelensky to start negotiations and wants US to deal with Putin
Both Poland’s right-wing parties, the Conservatives (PiS) and the Confederation party, have supported the US President Donald Trump's attempts to kick-start peace…
US VP climbs down on France-UK ‘insults’, with Zelensky ready to sign minerals deal
US Vice President JD Vance has denied disrespecting France and the UK by describing a planned peacekeeping force in Ukraine as 20,000 troops from some "random country…
MEPs push to strip Hungary’s veto as Orbán defies EU strategy on Ukraine
Left-wing MEPs have called on Brussels to revoke Hungary's veto power as its Prime Minister Viktor Orbán refused to join the bloc line on the Ukraine war during…
Mass protest in Romanian capital in support of presidential candidate Georgescu
Thousands of Romanians took to the streets of the capital Bucharest protesting against the annulment of the presidential elections in December and voicing support…
‘A betrayal of voters’: Austria’s new government coalition pact angers all except the Left
A day after its official announcement, Austria’s incoming government has drawn ire from across the political spectrum.
UK development minister quits over PM Starmer’s cut to aid budget
British international development minister Anneliese Dodds resigned on Friday, February 28, over Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision to slash the foreign aid…
‘Russia paid for anti-government f*** PiS campaign in Poland,’ claims broadcaster
Russian intelligence services commissioned individuals in Poland to spray-paint offensive slogans attacking the then Conservative (PiS) government, it has been claimed.