It’s not true: €250M fraud accusation against Brussels Region falls flat
An investigation has accused the debt-ridden Capital Region of Brussels of unlawful using €250 million of EU funds meant for the metro expansion into debt servicing.
Politics
Latest reporting and analysis on politics.
Spanish Socialists drop in polls, while Vox surges
Support for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) has fallen, weighed down by numerous alleged scandals, if the most recent polls are to be believed.
EC suspected own translator to be alleged Russian spy, report states
A translator who was present at closed-door top meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in late 2024 was suspected by the European Commission of being…
Belgian pensioners take on more flexi-jobs amid EU labour shortages
In Belgium, pensioners in side jobs now worked twice as many hours as younger so-called flexi-jobbers such as students.
French police raid Nestlé over alleged bottled water fraud
French police raided the offices of Nestlé Waters as part of a widening judicial investigation into the food giant’s alleged use of illegal filtration systems…
Berlin renames major road after 300 years for political correctness
The city government of Berlin has been given the go-ahead to put in place a long-held plan to rename the major central Mohrenstraße road.
Polish maverick right-wing MEP Braun says gas chambers were ‘fake’
Grzegorz Braun MEP has claimed in a radio interview that Jews engaged in ritual murders and that the gas chambers in Auschwitz were a “fake”.
Iran reveals arrest of teenage French-German cyclist missing since June
Iran has arrested and detained a teenage French-German national on a Europe-to-Asia cycle trip who disappeared in the country on June 16, Iran's foreign minister…
Polish President suggests hanging for judges with ‘political bias’
Andrzej Duda, the outgoing President of Poland, has said that a large-scale clear-out of the judiciary may be required in Poland if judges persisted with their political…
German State of Rhineland bans AfD members from entering civil service
The German State of Rhineland Palatinate said it would cease to allow members of the right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD) into the civil service.
EU smears US with ‘isolationism’ but it forces Europe to do more
Ever since Donald Trump arrived on the world stage, liberal internationalists have thrown one particular insult his way: “Isolationist!
‘Sad victory’ says man behind motion as Von der Leyen secures European parliament backing
A much-anticipated vote of no-confidence against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen triggered by the controversial deal she made with Pfizer has…
‘System gone mad’: France’s National Rally decries police raids
France’s right-wing National Rally (RN) has denounced what it called a co-ordinated “harassment campaign” after police raided its headquarters in Paris.
EU wants tobacco tax to fund own budget, Sweden says ‘Nej’
Swedish finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson has come out aggressively against Brussels' new Tobacco Tax Directive, calling it “completely unacceptable”.
Will Portuguese Socialists listen to voters, or double-down on open borders?
The results of Portugal's May 2025 snap election sent a shockwave through the nation's political establishment.
German court slaps down library ‘warning labels’ on ‘controversial books’
Germany’s Higher Administrative Court in Münster has ruled that the city library must remove politically charged warning labels from two controversial books.
EU carbon tax ‘to cost Belgian families €250 to €400 a year extra’
The European Union's new carbon tax, the Emissions Tradings System 2 (ETS2) set to be enforced from 2027, was likely to cost Belgian families €250 to €400 a…
NGO ship’s former master Rackete quits as MEP
Carola Rackete, a German MEP known for her activism regarding NGO migrant vessels, has announced her resignation from the European Parliament.
Embattled Spanish PM Sánchez refuses to throw in towel
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told the parliament during a heated extraordinary plenary session he was not planning to resign over the corruption scandals…
Europe’s make-believe defence ‘pledges’
Last month’s NATO summit in The Hague gave off the disturbing impression of an alliance finally crossing the fine line between serious defence policy into the…
No confidence? Large abstention vote set to weaken EC chief von der Leyen
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be left reeling as up to half of the European Parliament fail to back her in an upcoming no-confidence vote,…
Polish minister ponders X ban after expletive-ridden posts by Musk’s Grok chatbot
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok has caused offence with a series of vulgar messages about Polish politicians on the US billionaire's X platform.
German CDU follower allegedly assaulted outside EP for wearing MAGA hat
A student committed to the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was allegedly attacked in Brussels after showing support for US President Donald Trump.
EU opens deficit procedure against ‘defiant child’ Austria
The European Union said it would start a deficit procedure against Austria as the country has been unable to credibly reduce its burgeoning budget shortfall on its…
Dutch war-hero escapes prosecution for tackling protester
Decorated Dutch war-hero Marco Kroon will not be prosecuted for blocking a pro-Palestinian protester during a Second World War remembrance event but did receive…
No decline in the US, it leads the West
As regular readers will have noticed, I have often dissented from the widespread view, generally uttered with a rather irritating attitude of resignation, that the…
Fiscal reversal: Italy can access cheaper loans than France
For the first time in two decades, Italy was now able to secure cheaper loans than France.
Spanish customs raid Socialist official’s house in alleged illegal tobacco probe
Anabel Mateos, recently appointed as the first Deputy Secretary for Organisation of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), had a property she owns raided by…
Voters asked the main achievements of Starmer’s first year, answer: ‘Nothing’
It’s a year since Keir Starmer and Labour were elected to govern the UK.
German Social Democrats veer further Left, hit new survey lows
Just two months after being sworn in, the German Government coalition under Chancellor Friedrich Merz does not have a majority with voters, according to latest polls.