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.
Politics
Latest reporting and analysis on politics.
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)…
US Congress queries EC chief over election campaign funding in Poland
The chairman of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Brian Mast, has demanded that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen clarify…
Ukraine could collapse. What will that look like?
A scenario European leaders would do well to consider, as Kyiv enters the Washington-sponsored peace process with profound frustration: with the White House determined…
NGOs file complaint against Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein’s ‘irregular’ lobbying
Two Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have filed a complaint against Chinese-owned fast-fashion group Shein's lobbying practices with the French High Authority…
‘Wind energy more expensive, less stable and less secure,’ Swedish report finds
A new study by Swedish think-tank the Scandinavian Policy Institute (SPI) has warned that the promotion of wind power as being cost-effective and reliable was misleading…
Meta shuts out identitarians and nationalists across Europe
Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, has closed down pages from identitarians and nationalists across Europe.
Poland’s PiS candidate tilts Right ahead of presidential election decider
Poland's Conservative (PiS) presidential election candidate Karol Nawrocki has pledged that he would oppose abortion and “stop the Ukrainisation of Poland” in…
Romania’s Călin Georgescu retires from politics
Călin Georgescu, who was the leading candidate in last year's Romanian presidential elections until the courts barred him from running, has said he will quit politics.
Austrian lawfare tried to wreck him, but honest Kurz gets up again
The Austrian People’s Party is the Western hemisphere’s longest-serving government party, having been in the government as a senior or junior coalition partner…
Polish presidential challenger to sue news outlet over ‘pimp’ allegations
Polish Conservative (PiS) presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki says he will sue the liberal-leaning portal Onet for alleging he had at one time been a pimp.
Germany says allies lift range ties on weapons for Kyiv
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany along with Ukraine's other key Western backers have lifted range restrictions on weapons they send to Kyiv to fight…
Euro-champions to be built on subsidies, but where can the EU find markets?
Moving with its usual lightning speed, the European Commission has pencilled in the end of 2027 for new guidelines designed to relax competition rules and permit…
Want to become a Brussels Signal foreign correspondent? We’re hiring!
Remedia Europe is hiring reporters with strong on-the-ground knowledge of their country or region to contribute to Brussels Signal, our fast-growing, Brussels-based…
‘Green investing rules could be legally exploited to weaken EU firms,’ report warns
Hostile foreign powers no longer need hackers or armies to target the European Union — they can now do it with investment portfolios, shareholder votes and sustainability…
Another U-turn: Trump lets the EU off the hook – for now
US President Donald Trump has once again reversed course on a steep tariff hike for the European Union.
Austrian ex-chancellor Kurz acquitted of perjury allegation that led to his resignation
Sebastian Kurz, the chancellor of Austria from 2017 until 2021, has been acquitted of perjury accusations.
EU pours money into Pakistan and enables authoritarianism
The EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) is a golden ticket. It offers developing nations duty-free access to European markets. The catch?
Bi-partisan beer gathering stirs up a storm in Poland’s presidential election
A storm has erupted in Poland after right-wing Confederation party presidential candidate Sławomir Mentzen shared a beer with the ruling party candidate Rafał…