Malta’s Metsola to head EU Parliament for second term
Roberta Metsola secured broad backing for a new term as president of the European Parliament on 16 July, becoming the first woman to win a second term as head of…
From the capitals
Hot TopicLatest reporting and analysis on from the capitals.
Albania grants leave to jailed ethnic Greek mayor for European Parliament opening
Fredi Beleris, an ethnic Greek who won local elections in Albania but was arrested on charges of vote-buying, has been granted a five-day leave from prison to attend…
Trump-victory trades to swell after shooting, investors say
The shooting at US former President Donald Trump's election rally raises his odds of winning back the White House, and trades betting on his victory will increase…
EU leaders defend Biden as US President comes under pressure to step down
European Union leaders have defended Joe Biden amid mounting pressure for the US President to abandon attempts to secure re-election later this year.
Slovak PM Fico’s party likely to remain out of EU parliament alliances
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on July 11 that his ruling party SMER-SSD would stay out of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European Union…
France’s biggest union threatens protests unless Macron paves way for left-wing government
France's biggest trades union, the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), has threatened national protests if President Emmanuel Macron refuses to call on the left-wing…
Poland angry as Hungary blocks €2 billion ‘peace facility’ payments
Poland has reacted with frustration after Hungary blocked a payment of around €2 billion in European Union funds intended to compensate Warsaw for its military…
AfD’s Höcke hit with criminal probe for allegedly ‘defaming’ Germany
Senior Alternative for Germany (AfD) politician Björn Höcke has been hit with another criminal probe over accusations he "defamed" the State.
Germany and Baltics mull curtailing Hungary’s Council of the EU presidency, though majority support looks unlikely
Germany and the Baltic countries are discussing possible ways to take the presidency of the Council of the European Union away from Hungary, following a "peace"…
Slovak PM Fico returns to office after assassination attempt
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico is back in office after surviving an assassination attempt in May.
German Left demands cordon sanitaire against Patriots for Europe
Germany's ruling left-wing parties demanded a cordon sanitaire against the newly founded Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament.
Elections: steady Britain, shaky France, and the always surprising America
The much and in fact excessively anticipated fear of a lurch to the Right in the French elections has not occurred and the widely anticipated movement to the Left…
National Rally base blames leaders for election defeat
Local members of the hard-right National Rally are unhappy with the party's July 7 election results, with the grassroots reportedly blaming its national leaders…
Left pressures Macron to appoint left-wing PM, demands ‘cordon sanitaire’ against RN
As the pressure to form a new French government is increasing, the Left has pushed French President Emmanuel Macron to appoint a left-wing prime minister as well…
The UK general election: Seven essential takeaways from Labour’s shallow landslide to political Islam’s breakthrough
Labour won a landslide victory – on a historically low share of the vote. Starmer’s party won 411 seats, out of 650, on just under 34 per cent of the vote.
France deploys 30,000 police officers during elections amid riot concerns
France will mobilise a massive police presence on election day amid fears of left-wing rioting. A force of 30.
French Left and Right urge voters to ignore polls
The French Left and the hard-right party National Rally (RN) both dismissed the latest projections for the next parliament, instead urging the electorate to vote…
Orbán in surprise visit to Moscow
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is expected to arrive in Moscow on July 5, a move that has both surprised and angered other EU leaders.
Germany bans VW from selling ‘sensitive tech’ to China over security concerns
Germany has banned car manufacturer Volkswagen from selling a firm possessing "sensitive technology" to China over security fears.
Is a separatist, Islamic politics emerging in Britain? Today’s election may give us clues
Britain’s Muslim population is around four million, equating to about six per cent of the populace.
Poland ditches war reparations claim against Germany
Poland has abandoned efforts to seek a new reparations package from Germany over World War II.
Macron’s father: ‘Decision to dissolve parliament made months ago’
The decision to dissolve the French National Assembly for snap elections was not due to a poor showing by President Emmanual Macron in the European Parliament elections…
France’s Les Républicains at war as senior member backs Socialists over Le Pen
Infighting has once again flared up within France's Les Républicains (LR) after a senior figure within the party voiced support for Socialists in the country.
Budapest blasts Jourová for belittling ‘Make Europe Great Again’
Budapest has blasted Vice-President of the European Commission Vera Jourová for making fun of Hungary's "Make Europe Great Again" (MEGA) motto for its Council Presidency.
German car industry urges EU to drop tariffs on China-made cars
Germany's VDA auto association has urged the European Commission to drop its planned tariffs on China-made electric vehicles in a last-ditch effort to influence…
French finance minister Le Maire says hard-left LFI is ‘danger to the nation’
French finance minister Bruno Le Maire does not want voters to support the hard-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party.
Russian and Iranian influence networks ‘target French elections’, without much success
Russian and Iranian “influence” networks have targeted voters using multiple tactics amid the ongoing French elections, it was reported.
Heavyweights in Paris to support Iranian opposition-in-exile
Dozens of political heavyweights from the West gathered over the weekend in Paris to support the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) at the same time as…
US debate: even Democrats say Biden cannot go on like this
As long-time readers of my column know, I have something of a soft spot for Donald Trump, so I think it is only fair to give the first word to those who do not suffer…
Polish Conservatives pressure Italian PM Meloni with threat to quit Parliament ECR group
The Polish Conservatives (PiS), the second-largest party in the European Conservative Reformers (ECR), have threatened to leave the European Parliament group.