EU ‘disregards censorship concerns’ in review of online policing law
European regulators are facing criticism for sidelining concerns about censorship and free speech in their ongoing review of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
Eurovision Song Contest voting rules change after Israeli success
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has unveiled a series of reforms to the voting and promotional rules for the Eurovision Song Contest, a move widely seen as…
Croatia’s EU lesson: Reforms slow to a crawl after accession
What happened after Croatia finally joined the European Union shows how fast countries are left on their own once the European spotlight fades, according to a Croatian…
French public broadcasters lodge legal complaints against conservative outlets
French public broadcasters France Télévisions and Radio France have lodged separate legal complaints against three prominent conservative outlets.
Not the Russians? Belgian journalists arrested allegedly with drone near airport
Arrests by Belgian police might indicate that the country's drone scare may be less connected to Russia than initially feared.
Austrian Government’s new bid to ban Muslim headscarves for girls under 14
The Austrian Government is trying – once again – to ban girls from wearing headscarves in schools.
Postal industry warns e-commerce and rural deliveries at risk without EU support
Europe’s public postal operators have warned they can no longer guarantee e-commerce delivery or rural connectivity without stronger political and financial support.
‘Rising suppression of Christian religious expression’ across Europe, says report
Christians in Europe are seeing their "religious expression suppressed" through an expanding web of legal action and growing public intolerance.
Franco dead since 1975, but Spain still feels the hate, the honour, even the nostalgia
Spain is gearing up for a long year commemorating the death of dictator Francisco Franco and the beginning of democracy in the country.
Eight Albanian suspects arrested over alleged plot to kill Brussels prosecutor
In a series of co-ordinated dawn raids across Brussels and Leuven this morning, Belgian federal police arrested eight men suspected of plotting an attack against…
Jews confront bad arguments and a civilisational instinct against them
It is no longer enough to hope that old laws and borrowed liberal wisdom will shield the Jewish community and Western civilisation from rising ill winds.
Germany’s Antifa among groups US sets sights on – but why?
When the US Government designated four left-wing European groups as Foreign Terrorist Organisations, many observers questioned whether they genuinely posed a threat…
British defence: Fraudulent, weak and strikes terror into no one
Jonathan Carley, 64, is the latest addition to the UK’s impressive national armoury, doubtless intended to inspire terror amongst Putin’s myrmidons.
Pas drôle du tout: Minister files complaint against comedian for joke about police
The French interior minister Laurent Nunez has filed a complaint against satirist and humourist Pierre-Emmanuel Barré for joking about the police on a radio show.
EU sets sights on ‘fat -tax’ to boost health
Brussels is likely to introduce a so-called "fat-tax" in the proposed European Union cardiovascular health plan, set to be adopted by the European Commission in…
Divided EU will not take part in WHO Tobacco Control vote as EC digs in heels
The European Union will not participate in a vote on a revised treaty at the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP11) in Geneva, Switzerland this month.
Von der Leyen’s (Anti-)Democracy Shield is an attempt at silencing dissent
It’s the European Commission’s latest dystopian invention—the so-called European Democracy Shield.
Norway public TV ‘sorry’ for calling Polish Independence parade ‘Nazi march’
Norway’s public broadcaster NRK has apologised after describing Poland’s annual Independence Day parade as a “Nazi march” during a morning TV segment, according…
Polish fans stop international football match over removal of national flag
The Poland football match against Netherlands in their World Cup Qualifier was interrupted by flares thrown onto the pitch by Polish supporters.
Germany: Crimes of opinion now a ‘mass phenomenon’
German police have raided the home of a man in the south of the country after he referred to public servants as “parasites” in a post on X.
Praising Atatürk on X: Wilders acquits Hitler’s role model
If a tweet can bury a genocide, Geert Wilders just posted it.
Polish President petitions for Communist party to be banned
Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki has submitted a request to the Constitutional Court (TK) for the delegalisation of the Communist Party of Poland (KPP).
France marks 10-year since November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks
France is commemorating the 10th anniversary of the November 13, 2015 terrorist attacks, which killed 132 people and injured 350.
Slovenia expands police power as relations with Roma worsen
The Slovenian Government has extended police powers after the fatal stabbing of 48-year-old Aleš Šutar outside a bar in Novo Mesto, a city close to the border…
EU wants Amazon, Temu, Shein to check toys are not toxic
Online giants including Amazon, Temu, AliExpress and Shein will soon have to take "responsibility" for the safety of the toys they sell in the European Union under…
Immigration: Is Germany still a serious country?
One of the fundamental obligations of public service in a liberal democracy is the requirement to set aside one’s personal opinions and fulfil the programmes of…
Irish media regulator targets X on suspicion of EU rule violations
Ireland's media regulator said it was investigating Elon Musk's social network X on suspicion of violating European Union rules by failing to let users appeal its…
Dutch AI-created anti-migrant song vanishes from Spotify after going viral
A Dutch song slamming mass migration titled We Say No, No, No to an Asylum Seekers' Centre has mysteriously disappeared from Spotify after peaking on the streaming…
EU’s top court backs but trims bloc’s minimum wages law
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has backed most of the bloc’s law on minimum wages, but clipped Brussels’ wings on how far it can go.
Berlin university cancels talk by Hamas massacre survivor over ‘security concerns’
A university in Germany has abruptly cancelled an event with an Israeli survivor of a Hamas massacre in 2023, saying the safety of the participants could not be…