France to release prisoners to combat prison overpopulation
The French Government is preparing measures for automatic or facilitated early releases of certain prisoners as a way to ease chronic and record-level overcrowding…
Democracy
Latest reporting and analysis on democracy.
‘News story’ that sparked mass protests against AfD ahead of German elections ‘completely fabricated’, court rules
A widely shared story by left-wing investigative outlet Correctiv in Germany, which claimed that at a “secretive” gathering ahead of the 2024 elections in Germany,…
AI firm Anthropic turns to Christian leaders for advice on AI morality
The artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic convened around 15 Christian leaders from Catholic and Protestant traditions, academia and business at its headquarters…
Paris garden memorial to terrorist victims vandalised again
The memorial garden in Paris, known as the Jardin du 13 Novembre 2015, located in the 4th arrondissement just in front of the Hôtel de Ville, was vandalised again…
Violent attacks against German teachers double in 10 years
German schoolteachers are increasingly at risk of violent aggression.
German municipalities to get right of first refusal to keep right-wingers from buying property
Germany’s ministry of construction has submitted a new draft law that would give municipalities the right to buy up property rather than let it fall into the hands…
City of Brussels named ‘European Capital of Democracy’
The City of Brussels has been officially proclaimed the European Capital of Democracy for 2026 by an initiative linked to the Council of Europe.
A €44 billion question: Can Poland be bound without lawful democratic consent?
The controversy surrounding the European Union’s SAFE loan mechanism has revealed something far more troubling than a mere policy dispute over defence financing.
Iran: Opposition fears new massacre of political prisoners
The left-leaning opposition movement, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), sounded the alarm over an escalation of executions targeting political prisoners…
French MP Arnault accuses ‘far right’ of exploiting Quentin Deranque’s death
French far Left MP Raphaël Arnault accused the country's Right of exploiting the killing of right-wing activist Quentin Deranque for political gain, in an hour-long…
Europe doesn’t understand Trump and his politics of results
In Berlin this past Sunday, a sign was hoisted atop the crowd against the blue-grey sky that looks like an oversized meme.
Israeli police block Latin Patriarch from Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, sparking sharp international condemnation
In a move Catholic leaders described as lacking precedent in centuries, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and…
Former Oxford professor and prominent Islamist gets 18 years for rape
A Paris criminal court has sentenced Swiss Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan to 18 years imprisonment for the rape of three women in France between 2009 and 2016.
EU’s top court rules flaws in appointment do not automatically disqualify Polish judges
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that flaws in a judge’s appointment does not automatically mean that the judge lacks independence to adjudicate cases…
German leftist fury after CDU minister announces funding cuts to their NGO honey pot
Several left-wing NGOs have slammed Germany’s education minister Karin Prien (Christian Democratic Union, CDU) for planned funding cuts for a contentious “pro…
German police raid facilities of hard-left group suspected of attacks on electricity grid
Hundreds of police officers have raided nineteen sites connected with the hard-left scene throughout Germany in the early morning hours of March 24 to search for…
European policies on smoking alternatives ‘block innovation and harm reduction’
Experts say that policies aimed at protecting the public against the negative effects of smoking have serious adverse effects, damaging public health.
Anarchist activists killed in Rome blast while preparing explosive device
The death of two anarchists while allegedly preparing an explosive device has drawn intense attention to Italy’s domestic security landscape.
Polish court rules foreign same sex marriages must be recognised
Poland’s top administrative court (NSA) ruled that the country's public authorities must recognise same-sex marriages performed elsewhere in the European Union…
Major win for privacy? EU chat control hits wall
European Union lawmakers have moved to block untargeted mass scanning of private communications, a practice that would have allowed authorities to screen messages…
Home office working increases fertility rate, international study finds
A study covering 38 countries by the German economic think-tank ifo Institut in co-operation with Stanford University shows couples who work from home are more likely…
ECJ says member states must change gender of citizens even if national laws forbid it
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled member states must allow their citizens to have their gender changed in official documents – even if this contravenes…
Major police operation targets France’s ‘DZ Mafia’ drugs gang
French authorities have launched what officials describe as the largest operation ever carried out against the criminal group known as the DZ Mafia, as part of an…
Swiss vote to enshrine use of cash in Constitution, end tax penalty for married couples
Swiss citizens have voted on several contentious issues in four nationwide referenda – approving a constitutional right to use cash, ending tax penalties for married…
Concerns grow over influence on EU of foreign propaganda and new media
A panel discussion hosted by MEP Dominik Tarczyński yesterday explored growing concerns about foreign influence in Europe and the role of new media in addressing…
Belgian media outlet officially reprimanded for publishing JD Vance speech in full
A right-leaning news outlet in Belgium, 21News, violated journalistic ethics by publishing the complete transcript of the speech made by US Vice-President J D Vance…
Warrant or not, the cops are coming: Polish government breaches ban on double jeopardy
In recent months Poland has seen an unprecedented situation.
EC says European Social Fund can be used to fund abortions
The European Commission has confirmed that European Union member states may use the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) to support access to legal abortion services,…
French prosecutors probe Al-Fayeds over sex trafficking
He traded on the glamour of owning Harrods, the Paris Ritz and luxury yachts, but Mohamed Al-Fayed was at the centre of a dark web of alleged abuse, say French lawyers…
AfD avoids immediate ban after German court suspends its ‘extremist’ status
A German administrative court in Cologne ruled yesterday that the country’s domestic intelligence agency may not classify the right-wing Alternative for Germany…