German Green minister’s plea to opposition over ‘right-wing populism’
Green minister Robert Habeck has begged Germany's most popular opposition party to avoid embracing right-wing populism
Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
German teacher ‘fired for views on mass migration’
A German special-needs school teacher in the university town of Landau has been stripped of her job by local courts over her opinions regarding migration, local…
Europe was made on the pilgrim road to Santiago de Compostela: you wouldn’t know it going off the current state of EU politics
The recent death of John Brierley, who through his guidebooks became a Camino de Santiago institution, reminded me about the various, intriguing ways in which the…
New French education minister says school uniforms will help ‘restore authority’
Gabriel Attal, the new French education minister, wants to re-introduce school uniforms in a bid to "restore authority" in educational establishments and combat…
Commissioner insists EU online censorship law ‘is compatible with free speech’
Under the incoming law, certain social media firms that fail to censor speech the EU disapproves of will face being banned from the bloc within a matter of hours,…
Niger coup ‘no done deal’, France insists, even as support grows
The military coup in Niger has not yet succeeded, the French Government has insisted, while stating it is “illegitimate” and “deeply dangerous” for the region.
Swedish Prime Minister ‘extremely worried’ about rise of Quran burnings
A growing number of Swedes are requesting permission to burn Qurans, causing consternation among the Swedish police and increasing outrage in the domestic Muslim…
Brussels ‘hellhole’ video goes viral
A sharp rise in crime around the Brussels-Midi train station has gained public attention in Belgium after a video of a family left stranded there on the night of…
WAKEY WAKEY! Finland celebrates ‘National Sleepy Head Day’
Finland is celebrating its "National Sleepy-Head Day" on July 27 in a tradition dating back beyond the Middle Ages and which can be something of a rude awakening…
UK opposition party chief opposes gender self-identification
The UK’s Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has stated that gender self-identification "is not the right way forward".
Twitter encryption rules ‘dangerous and concerning’, MEP tells EC
Twitter's new rules surrounding the encryption of private messages have been called "dangerous and concerning" in a letter penned by an MEP to the European Commission.
‘Most ancient settlement in Europe’ discovered in Albania
New discoveries in Albania could change what we know about ancient European history.
EC chief von der Leyen backs wolf-hunting after her pony’s death
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen voiced support for the killing of European wolves during her latest visit to Germany.
Burning the Koran shouldn’t be illegal — but it is moronic
You are perfectly free and entitled to run full speed and headfirst into a brick wall. It is not illegal.
Israeli parliament approves divisive legal reforms amid warnings of ‘civil war’
The Israeli Parliament has passed a divisive law limiting the power of the country’s Supreme Court.
Slovakia’s Covid-19 worship ban taken to Europe’s top human rights court
A challenge against the 2021 Covid-19 restrictions on public worship in Slovakia has been filed at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
France demands hate-speech clampdown ahead of EU Digital Services Act
Authorities in France have demanded big tech corporations increase efforts to clamp down on hate speech ahead of the implementation of the European Union's Digital…
Nobel prize-winning physicist’s IMF speech cancelled due to his questioning of the climate crisis
US Nobel Prize winner Dr John Clauser has had his speech cancelled at a conference organised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Feel bad man? Frogs have no EU rights, EC claims
Frogs being farmed for food have no welfare rights under European law, the European Commission has said.
Just Stop Oil activists get taste of their own medicine
The radical activists behind UK-based Just Stop Oil are renowned for their disruptive methods and often draw public criticism.
Cheers! Boffins say beer is good for your health
Portuguese scientists said they have found evidence that moderate consumption of beer may be good for our gut health and that both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer…
Berlin mayor wants to enshrine LGBTQI+ in German Constitution
The Governing Mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has promised to amend the constitution and add “sexual identity”…
Tusk calls for march against Polish abortion laws ahead of national elections
A political storm has erupted in Poland over a woman being interrogated by the police after she took an abortion pill.
Is this a joke? Lavalier microphones are sexist, says French MEP
A French MEP for the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party has lashed out online against certain types of microphones, calling them “sexist”.
Miss Italy chief bans transgender women from beauty pageant
The Miss Italy beauty pageant has banned transgender women from competing in the contest.
Skulls and Benin bronzes: where do you draw the line to avoid emptying Europe’s museums?
The current drive for European museums to return artefacts to their countries of origin shows no sign of losing its righteous momentum (as with most of today’s…
‘Barbie films feature anti-Semitism’, German broadcaster claims
A number of Barbie films are laced with anti-Semitism, a German public broadcasters has claimed.
Swedish Embassy in Baghdad stormed and set on fire
Hundreds of Iraqis stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad on July 20, enraged by the Quran burnings that have taken place in the Scandinavian country.
Protests continue in Israel
A tense and volatile atmosphere continues to engulf the small Middle Eastern nation of Israel.
European Parliament goes Cold Turkey after Michel membership promise
MEPs say there is little chance of Turkey joining the European Union anytime soon.