MEPs express deep concern over rising violent crime in Brussels
In an open letter to Belgian interior minister Annelies Verlinden and Brussels Minister-President Rudi Vervoort, MEPs have expressed their "deepest concerns on the…
Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
Controversy over praying imam in Brussels Parliament
A video of a Pakistani Imam singing a sura from the Quran in the Parliament of Brussels is causing an uproar.
ECHR: Laws weakening encrypted communications breach human rights
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has made a new landmark decision, ruling that laws that weaken data protection violate human rights.
Farmer protest supporters are ‘poisoning’ political discourse, Antifa minister claims
Germany's interior minister Nancy Faeser has demanded anyone supporting the farmer protests cease doing so, saying the movement was "poisoning" political discourse…
International condemnation for Russia as Navalny dies in prison
Alexei Navalny, main figurehead of Russia's political opposition, has died in jail.
Read the latest outpouring in Foreign Affairs – and wonder at the European establishment’s sheer lack of understanding of the United States and Donald Trump
Just as the American Democrats and Never Trump Republicans have been propelled into full panic mode by the high possibility that President Trump will be reelected,…
European Court of Human Rights upholds ban on ritual animal-slaughter
In a landmark case, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has ruled that a ban on the ritual slaughter of unanaesthetised animals does not violate the…
Cork city councillors demand action over deteriorating bus services
Cork, Ireland
French Council of State rules tighter controls needed over CNews channel
The highest administrative court in France has ruled that the national regulator for audio-visual and digital communication (Arcom) has to tighten its control over…
Fourth Brussels shooting leads to first death and ‘looks like an execution’, says city Mayor
A person was shot and killed in the early hours of February 14 in the Brussels commune of Saint-Gilles, the fourth firearms incident in the city in quick succession.
Berlin claims censoring ‘hate’ benefits online freedom of speech
The German Government has claimed that one way to enhance freedom of speech within the country would be through tighter controls regarding "hate" online.
Why secret Galicia is so special
The region of Galicia in north-western Spain remains a Spanish secret that foreigners rarely know about.
Europe celebrates Carnival and the Year of the Dragon
Across Europe, thousands celebrated Carnival time - and, in some areas, the Chinese New Year.
Little buzz in EC over MEP’s sex-toy query
Brussels is not planning to impose any specific legislation on sex toys in the "near future", the European Commission said.
EU bodies agree stricter rules to protect ‘gig economy’ workers
European Union institutions have reached a provisional agreement on new rules aimed at protecting a subsection of “gig economy” workers within the bloc.
Foxy business? Spain’s Eurovision Song Contest entry ruffles feathers
The song Zorra, the Spanish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest by the duo Nebulossa, is splitting opinion in Spain.
Brittany reunification sparks controversy in Loire-Atlantique
Britanny - Loire Atlantique, France
Greek Government ‘leaking support’ over proposed LGBTQ law
Greece’s centre-right Government is said to be "leaking support" to populist parties over its intentions to pass new legislation promoting LGBTQ rights.
EC targets Hungary over ‘sovereignty bill’
A disciplinary proceeding has been initiated by the European Commission due to recent legislation concerning "subversive" interactions between foreign individuals…
MEPs grill ‘digital enforcer’ Breton over ‘Stalinist censorship’
"We must not allow neo-Marxists in Europe to destroy free speech because they want to impose their vision of the world on us," one opponent said
Just day from Brussels: Namur, its citadel and cobblestone streets
A citadel that was once one of Europe’s mightiest fortresses still overlooks the town of Namur, the capital of Belgium’s Wallonia region.
The EU’s ‘hate speech’ laws are an attack on free speech itself: This year’s European elections may be the last chance to defend our rights
After last November’s attack on a Dublin Catholic school, graffiti reading “Irish lives matter” appeared on the Falls Road in West Belfast.
Dutch Government may defriend Facebook over ‘privacy issues’
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s outgoing Government is considering banning the use of Facebook for all public authorities.
Europe’s Empires don’t survive: This is something the European Commission still needs to learn
The European Union will have to decide: Does it want to give in or resist the temptation to turn into an empire?
Get your motors running: End of the (cheap) road for SUV drivers in Paris?
Parisians are to vote on whether to hit owners of 4x4 vehicles with parking fees as high as €18 an hour – three times the current rate.
It’s not rubbish: EU cleans up its act
Consumers will be given greater rights to have goods such as washing machines and smartphones repaired under new rules agreed by the European Union
Catalonia bans smartphones in school
Catalonia, Spain
Grand Est Region, France, gives its offices to Ukrainian Regional Representation in Brussels
Committee of the Regions, Brussels - Grand Est, France
Polish Government ‘blacklists’ cultural bodies and Catholic Church
Polish news portal wpolityce.
The Catholic Church and surrogacy: Why Pope Francis is speaking out so loudly on wombs for rent
Pope Francis is making the Church's stand on surrogacy a central issue of his papacy.