Municipal elections show France stuck in same old patterns
The second round of France’s municipal elections on March 22 confirmed a familiar pattern: Low turnout, fragmented politics and little real change in major cities.
From the capitals
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Umberto Bossi, founder of Lega, dies: Shaper of Italy’s right-wing revolution
Umberto Bossi, the founder of Lega, has died at the age of 84 in Varese, north-western Lombardy.
Italy PM Meloni signals understanding of Hungary PM Orbán’s stance on Ukraine
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has reportedly expressed understanding for her Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán over his stance on Ukraine.
UK’s Farage says would ban mass prayer events amid iftar row
Hard-right UK lawmaker Nigel Farage, currently leading opinion polls, has said he will ban mass Muslim prayer at historic British sites if he becomes prime minister.
AI billionaire’s Rome visit fuels questions over Italian Government links
A recent visit to Rome by the US co-founder of artificial intelligence (AI) companies with links to US defence and intelligence agencies is drawing scrutiny.
Dutch parliament passes motion for ban on Muslim Brotherhood
The Dutch House of Representatives narrowly approved a motion calling for a ban on the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliated networks.
Polish ex-minister warns growing anti-EU sentiment may spur ‘Polexit’
The Polish minister for European Affairs in the last Conservative (PiS) government has said the growing hostility towards the European Union among the Polish Right…
French municipal elections: No national left-wing alliance but local deals done
In France’s municipal elections, candidates have until tonight to decide whether to merge lists, run independently, or withdraw before the second round on March…
Wrestling match: PM Tusk moves to yank away control of Polish constitutional court
The Polish parliamentary majority that supports the centre-left government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk has passed a resolution paving the way for it to change…
Is Peter Magyar panicking? Hungarian opposition suddenly looks shaky
Hungary is probably the only country in Europe where, just over a month before the elections on April 12, the picture might be so unclear, so foggy.
Polish right-wing party leader signs book of condolence for late Iran leader Khamenei
Grzegorz Braun, an MEP and leader of the right-wing Polish Crown party, visited the Iranian Embassy in Warsaw and signed the book of condolence for Ali Khamenei,…
Merz goes behind Trump’s back to mimic and mock him
Was German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s great show of respect for President Trump in the White House on Tuesday precisely that: Just a show?
Who are the mystery men shifting $80m in Ukrainian cash through Hungary?
Hungarian police have detained seven employees of Ukraine's state-owned Oschadbank while they were transporting approximately $80 million in cash and gold through…
Trump ‘calls PM Starmer loser who has no future’
US President Donald Trump has branded British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer “a loser” in private conversations, claiming the Labour leader “has no future”.
Enhanced security protection around French places of worship
Tensions in Iran are having repercussions far beyond the Middle East, prompting France to strengthen domestic security, particularly around synagogues, to prevent…
German Chancellor Merz joins Trump in criticising Spain over defence spending
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has publicly criticised the Spanish Government during an official visit to meet US President Donald Trump.
Ireland to deploy military attaches in embassies for first time
Ireland said today that it will send senior military officers to key foreign embassies for the first time, the latest step by the EU member to beef up its modest…
Trump suggests Starmer is ‘pandering to Muslims’ after refusal to back US strikes on Iran
US President Donald Trump has suggested that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is "pandering" to Muslim voters by declining to support US military strikes against Iran,…
Greens overtake Labour to hit second place in UK poll
The Green Party has surged into second place in the latest UK voting intention poll, leapfrogging the governing Labour Party for the first time in YouGov’s tracking.
The neo-Ottoman shift: Why Turkey no longer looks like a Western pillar
The myth of Turkey as an indispensable bridge between East and West is beginning to give in under the weight of its own contradictions.
‘Russian drone intercepted near French aircraft carrier in Sweden’
NATO forces intercepted a suspected Russian drone heading toward France’s 800-foot-long aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle.
Forty per cent of Berlin Police applicants fail German test
An inquiry into the qualifications of police applicants in Berlin has yielded results which politicians have called "shocking".
Paris elections: Greens face criticism over candidates’ sexual profiling
In France, ahead of the municipal Paris elections in March, the Greens Party reportedly created a file specifying the sexual orientation of the candidates whom David…
Will move by Italian MEP Vannacci bolster EU conservatives from the Right?
The former deputy leader of the Italian League party says he will join the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) group in the European Parliament.
Polish Parliament Speaker pledges country’s support for Ukraine’s EU accession bid
The Speaker of Poland's Parliament has promised to support Ukraine on its path to European Union membership.
As the US and Israel prepare for war, the EU sinks into irrelevance
The drums of war are sounding again across the Middle East.
Germany’s ruling CDU wants to stop Gaza payments via UNRWA
Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has unanimously adopted a resolution at its federal party congress in Stuttgart demanding an end to German and European…
Polish President Nawrocki blocks PM Tusk’s attempt to take over judiciary
The Polish opposition Conservatives (PiS)-aligned President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed legislation that would have placed a judicial body responsible for recommending…
Expensive Audi lands leader of German left-wing party in hot water
The leader of Germany’s left-wing Die Linke party, Heidi Reichinnek, has been accused of double standards after she was caught getting out of an Audi A8 limousine…
Samurai or Kamikaze? Japan’s rearmament and insecurity in the name of security
As the 80th anniversary of Japan’s capitulation is approaching, a strange and unsettling ritual is unfolding in the East.