‘Strict anti-tobacco legislation has backfired,’ KPMG study indicates
European countries have been struggling with illicit tobacco trade but their own policies were making matters worse, a study has shown.
Politics
Latest reporting and analysis on politics.
Conservative populism is changing: Poland’s PiS now has competition from the Right
Polish president-elect Karol Nawrocki’s victory shows that conservative populism remains strong in that vital country.
Germany’s Die Linke demands ‘heat holidays’ for workers
German left-wing party Die Linke has demanded a reduction in working hours when workplace temperatures rise above certain levels.
Farage’s Reform doesn’t collapse, it mutates, surprises and grows claws
Reform UK’s saga is a kaleidoscope of ambition, chaos, and sheer bloody-mindedness.
Merz rejects anti-Semitism, yet his policy would leave Hamas in power
The new German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, made an excellent impression in Washington last week.
EU defence ‘not enough to deter’ potential adversaries, summit told
Europe's defence capacities and its planned improvements were not enough to scare away its armed adversaries, military experts warned.
Polish president-elect opposes Ukraine’s proposed EU membership
Poland’s president-elect Karol Nawrocki has voiced opposition to Ukraine’s proposed accession to the European Union in his first interview with foreign media…
Wilders and PVV jump in Dutch polls after leaving coalition
Geert Wilders and his Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) jumped in the election polls after leaving the Netherlands' ruling coalition.
Much-needed critical minerals require ‘investments, not commitment’, IEA warns
Investment in critical minerals has started to fall, just as global demand accelerates, warned the International Energy Agency.
Flawed methods or right-wing tilt? TikTok’s ‘political influence’ under NGO’s scrutiny
NGO Global Witness has alleged that TikTok’s algorithm disproportionately promoted "far-right political content".
Italy PM Meloni makes parental consent mandatory for pupils’ sex education
No school in Italy would now be able to include a pupil in a workshop or educational programme on sexuality without the prior and explicit agreement of the student's…
ECHR to national governments: You can talk but we won’t listen
A “disquieting” and “troubling” letter is circulating in Europe. It is “chilling” and aims to “scare and pressure”.
EC funding fuelled ‘green’ NGOs’ litigation against European companies
The European Commission paid activists to target private companies in the courts, expanding Europe's shadow lobbying scandal, according to German news reports.
Polish PM Tusk’s coalition partner polls members on joining opposition
The Polish People's Party (PSL), Poland's ruling centre-left coalition member, has polled its members on whether it should consider teaming up with the current opposition…
Tens of thousands protest against Spanish PM Sánchez’s government
Spain's main opposition party, the centre-right People's Party's (PP), held a protest in Madrid under the slogan "Mafia or Democracy" that organisers said attracted…
What is the state for, welfare or defence? It is no longer possible to have both
While the entire world has been enthralled by the public feud between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, the world has also continued to move on.
Black Hawks down: Poland back-pedals on purchase of US helicopters
Poland has cancelled the procurement procedure for the purchase of 32 Lockheed Martin S-70i Black Hawk helicopters for the Polish Army.
Vote losers allege electoral fraud as Polish justice minister casts doubt on result
The campaign manager of the losing Polish presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski has encouraged people to submit reports of irregularities during vote counting…
Poland’s young swing right and reject Tusk’s government
Young Polish voters turned out en masse to reject PM Donald Tusk's centre-left government in the June 1 presidential election, according to exit polling by OGB polling…
Europe, are half the voters now fascist? England’s metropolitan Left thinks so
The British playwright David Hare writing in the usually conservative magazine The Spectator last week presented a sixteen-point checklist for fascism.
‘Economic liberalism no longer working,’ international officials warn
Japan’s economy minister Minoru Kiuchi has warned that the risks of economic liberalism now rivalled its benefits as a growing number of governments have been…
‘Europe overestimates Ukraine,’ says its ambassador
The European Union has grown accustomed to the war in Ukraine and was overestimating the country’s resilience, Ukraine’s ambassador to the EU in Brussels said.
Catalonia launches parallel diplomatic corps to Madrid
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)-led government has continued its strategy of concessions to Catalan separatist-minded parties in exchange for parliamentary…
Dutch election set for Oct 29 after government falls
The Netherlands will hold snap elections in October 2025, authorities announced June 6, after right-wing leader Geert Wilders pulled out of the ruling coalition,…
Is It real or is it German intelligence? On online ‘authenticity’
One of the main planks of EU efforts to regulate the internet has always consisted of a commitment to take action against the “manipulative” and “inauthentic”…
US sanctions four ICC judges over alleged ‘politicisation and abuse of power’
The US Department of State has sanctioned four individuals serving as judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Ukraine protests at Poland’s move to mark Volhynia massacre as ‘genocide’
Ukraine has criticised Poland’s decision to create a new national day of remembrance commemorating Polish victims of the Volhynia massacre carried out by Ukrainian…
Germany’s Merz links rise of anti-Semitism at home to mass migration
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has linked the rise in anti-Semitism in his country to mass migration over the past decade.
Poland’s top conservative lawyer tells us: ‘The left-liberal’s plan has failed in Poland’
Sunday’s election in Poland was important not only for the Poles themselves but also for Europe, and it is no wonder it attracted widespread comment in the international…
Portuguese former naval admiral, now pollsters’ favourite, sets out stall for president
Ex-admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo has given his first interview as an official candidate for the Portuguese presidency, presenting himself as pro-life and, as president,…