US reasserting their role as the primary superpower with breathtaking speed
As I have written elsewhere, I have always been suspicious of the idea of an emerging multipolar world order.
From the capitals
Hot TopicLatest reporting and analysis on from the capitals.
AfD leader’s Hungary invitation shows erosion of German far-right party’s isolation
An endorsement from Elon Musk, €5 million in financial donations this year alone, and now an invitation to meet Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán: once…
US special envoy Grenell advises Germany’s CDU to ‘purge wokeness’
Richard Grenell, US President Donald Trump’s special missions envoy, has offered the German Conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) some "free advice".
Austrian Socialists must pay right-wing party leader Kickl damages over ‘false accusations’
Herbert Kickl, leader of Austria's right-wing Freedom Party (FPÖ), has won a court case against the Socialist Party of Austria (SPÖ), which now has to pay him…
Germany: firewall against hard-right AfD ‘crumbles’ as CDU spurs protests
In Germany, thousands of protesters gathered outside the Christian Democratic Union's (CDU) Berlin headquarters.
EU proposes bans on aluminium, video game consoles in new Russia sanctions
The European Commission proposed banning imports of Russian primary aluminium imports and restricting sales of video game consoles to Russia in a 16th package…
Greece outraged over French sales of missles to Turkey
Greek Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, summoned the French ambassador in Athens over a potential sale of Meteor air-to-air missiles to Turkey.
Last-gasp push to secure French budget
A panel of French lawmakers have been meeting to thrash out the final text of a much delayed 2025 budget bill that is key to restoring investor confidence over the…
Bernard Arnault lambasts French policies, says are chasing away business
Bernard Arnault, one of the richest men on the planet, has sharply criticised the economic policies of French President Emmanuel Macron, accusing him of hurting…
What does Germany think about being a nation — strong, assertive or weak?
Elon Musk’s recent address to the AfD party in Germany has reignited a centuries-old debate: What kind of Germany does Europe truly need?
US does not want to defend Europe any more, but Europeans say ‘Ho-hum’
If you have paid attention to European defence issues and NATO conversations these past few weeks, you’d have thought that something got into the water in the…
Germany’s SPD warns of ‘firewall collapse’ as CDU/Greens may vote with AfD
In an open letter, Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) has urged the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Greens to resist any form of co-operation with the…
Thousands protest in Slovakia over PM Fico’s government
Thousands of people protested on January 26 in the central square of Slovakia's Bratislava against Prime Minister Robert Fico's government and what they saw as its…
Vienna Greens politician accused of trying to influence upcoming city vote
The Greens party in the Austrian capital Vienna has been trying to fire its only city councillor of Turkish descent.
Germany’s Baerbock: ‘I can handle Trump’s trade chief Rubio – I lived in Florida’
Germany's outgoing foreign minister Annalena Baerbock has insisted she had an advantage when dealing with US President Donald Trump and his administration - because…
French Senate votes to end lifetime perks for ex-PMs and presidents
The French Senate has voted to end lifetime benefits previously granted to former presidents and prime ministers.
Slovak opposition accuses PM Fico of mulling EU exit
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has faced criticism over his apparent ambiguity regarding Slovakia's membership of the European Union.
MEGA dazzle: does the MAGA playbook apply in Europe?
From the moment that America’s 47th president took his oath of office this Monday, it’s as if national conservatives around the world, together with the opponents…
Belgian TV channel delays Trump speech to check for ‘hate’ and ‘racism’
Belgian news channel RTBF refused to broadcast the inauguration speech of US President Donald Trump live, having claimed he spread a "racist, far-right, xenophobic"…
French interior minister calls for cut to Algerian immigration to address ‘anti-French sentiment’
French interior minister Bruno Retailleau has proposed reducing Algerian immigration to France and promoting assimilation to combat what he says is growing anti-French…
Poland’s Tusk tells UK’s Starmer of dream for ‘Breturn’
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that he “dreams that Brexit will be replaced by 'Breturn'”.
Musk vs Soros: the internationalists save their outrage for just one
In the theatre of modern politics, where money, power, and influence play out like a high-stakes game of chess, two names consistently rise to the surface of every…
COSCO and the US blacklist: Europe’s ports or Beijing’s tentacles?
The United States has just delivered an almighty wake-up call to Europe, blacklisting China’s state-owned maritime leviathan, COSCO, in a bold stroke that could…
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…
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…
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…
Only Europeans have downbeat view of second Trump presidency, poll finds
Story reposted with corrected graphic
Power transfer: Poland’s Morawiecki replaces Meloni as ECR head
Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki replaced Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as president of the EU's European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)…
German legacy parties have ‘one shot left’ to prevent 2029 populist landslide
Germany's legacy parties have just "one shot left" to prevent a populist landslide in Germany's 2029 federal election, a senior member of the Christian Democrats…
Poland denies blocking Slovak politicians’ flight through its airspace
Poland has denied reports that it blocked a flight taken by a Slovakian delegation to Moscow from crossing its airspace.