New Romanian President Dan aims to boost defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP
Romania's new President Nicușor Dan said he wanted to drastically increase military spending for his country. Dan proposed that 3.
Politics
Latest reporting and analysis on politics.
US doubles steel, aluminium tariffs as OECD ministers gather
The United States doubled steel and aluminium tariffs Wednesday, casting a pall on a gathering of OECD ministers as President Donald Trump's intensifying trade war…
Polish Government’s candidate had ‘unfair advantage’, says OSCE election report
The disadvantages faced by the opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki in Poland's recent election campaign, which he managed to win against the odds, have been highlighted…
Pornhub pulls out of France in protest at new age verification law
Aylo, the owner of major adult sites Pornhub, RedTube and YouPorn, said it would suspend access to its French platforms in protest at France’s strict new age verification…
Germany could arrest Netanyahu as government adopts leftist rhetoric on Israel
Germany’s ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said it no longer excluded detaining Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit the country.
German Constitutional Court dismisses BSW’s complaints over February election
Germany’s highest court has thrown out two suits brought by the left-wing Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) party, challenging the general election result on February…
German intelligence agents run hundreds of ‘dubious’ fake accounts on social media
The government of the German state of Brandenburg has admitted that its local intelligence bureau runs 287 fake accounts on social media.
Dutch coalition collapses after Wilders leaves
Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) has blown up the Dutch Government after the coalition failed to agree on stricter asylum policies.
‘Back me or sack me’: Polish PM Tusk calls for vote of confidence
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the centre-left coalition government leader, has asked parliament to initiate a vote of confidence in his government.
German court strikes down key element of Merz’s new asylum policy
Berlin Administrative Court has ruled that rejecting asylum seekers at Germany's borders was unlawful without following the Dublin Regulation procedure.
Secret ‘no-poach’ deal led EC to uncover illegal food delivery cartel
Big food delivery apps Delivery Hero and Glovo have been hit with fines after European Union investigators discovered they worked together instead of competing with…
Ireland defends nothing, its unarmed neutrality is ‘balderdash’
Ireland is an anomaly inside an absurdity wrapped in an incongruity.
French mayor bans Palestine flag as ‘riot symbol’ after violent football celebration
A ban on the Palestinian flag in the French town of Chalon-sur-Saône has been instigated by the local mayor.
NATO demands for major German military expansion ‘may speed reintroduction of draft’
The German military will have to vastly expand its personnel count to keep up with new demands by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) – which might bring…
Regulate, never innovate: EU obsession with ‘ethical AI’ masks suicidal delusion
For centuries, Europe was the epicentre of human ingenuity. That is increasingly a fading memory.
France should ‘carve out piece of Riviera for Palestinian State’, says US ambassador
Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, has come out strongly against French calls for the recognition of a Palestinian State, saying France should give away…
Czech Justice ministry under investigation for auctioning bitcoin gift from convicted drug dealer
The Czech Ministry of Justice is under investigation for accepting and auctioning a gift of over 480 Bitcoins from a convicted drug trafficker.
More taxes on tobacco? The EC needs to leave our personal pleasures alone
The European Commission, under Commissioner for Climate Wopke Hoekstra, is preparing to overhaul the 2011 Tobacco Excise Tax Directive.
The fight is on: former boxer Nawrocki wins Polish presidential election
Opposition Conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki has won the Polish presidential election, beating Rafał Trzaskowski, the candidate of the ruling centre-left coalition…
Polish presidential election cliffhanger: exit polls within margin of error
Rafał Trzaskowski, from prime minister Donald Tusk's centre-left coalition, has a wafer-thin lead over Karol Nawrocki from the opposition Conservatives (PiS), according…
What would Camus say? France to ban smoking in public spaces
There are few photographs of Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus where those French heroes do not brandish a cigarette.
EU ‘Patriots’ rally around Orbán in Budapest
Trumpism appears to have crossed the Atlantic and raised spirits in Europe's nationalist camp, to judge by speakers at the opening day of the CPAC conference in…
25 suspects in crypto kidnapping plots to face judges in France
Twenty-five people on May 30 were set to appear before French investigating judges as part of several probes into a spate of kidnapping plots targeting cryptocurrency…
Von der Leyen wins ‘leadership’ award amid criticism over transparency and corruption
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen received the Charlemagne Prize on May 29–leading to criticism from MEPs who called the award "in blatant contradiction…
EU interventionism in national elections: Who’s next?
General relief in Brussels after the unexpected victory of Nicușor Dan in Romania, against George Simion, his opponent who had led the first round by a wide margin.
Poland elects: ‘The choice is obvious’, but third-place candidate won’t name names
Poland’s right-wing Confederation party candidate has said the "choice is obvious” in the June 1 presidential elections – but refrained from giving his endorsement…
Germany’s Conservative-led government extends rent controls until end of 2029
Germany has prolonged contentious rent control regulations until at least December 31, 2029.
Opinion split in EU quarter as terrace smoking ban looms
The imminent smoking ban applying to all Belgian restaurant and cafe terraces has split opinion among waiting staff and bar managers, particularly in Brussels' European…
France approves assisted dying bill that seeks to avoid ‘suicide tourism’
France's National Assembly has taken a big step toward legalising assisted dying, passing a bill on its first reading that would allow patients to seek medical help…
Polish security services ‘investigated PiS presidential candidate’
Poland’s internal security service (ABW) spokesman has gone on the record to state that several years ago the service investigated opposition Conservative (PiS)…