Several people dismissed from French ministries after positive drug tests
“There have been positive tests, and people have been removed from their positions,” Lecornu said.
Bureaucracy
Latest reporting and analysis on bureaucracy.
Brussels cancels Venice Biennale grant over Russia’s participation
The European Commission has pulled a two million euro award after the exhibition refused to exclude Russia, which its organisers say would amount to censorship.
Italian court convicts motorway bosses eight years after Genoa bridge collapse
Of the 57 people who stood trial over the disaster that killed 43, a total of 25 were acquitted or saw the charges against them expire.
Ukraine’s parliament backs new prime minister as protests hit Zelensky reshuffle
Naftogaz chief Serhiy Koretsky has taken office with the defence ministry still empty after the removal of Mykhailo Fedorov.
Gibraltar and Spain open frontier as post-Brexit EU treaty takes effect
The agreement applies provisionally from midnight and still requires formal ratification, including consent from the European Parliament.
Macron awards Starmer the Legion of Honour days before he leaves office
Only one other British prime minister has held a comparable French honour. Winston Churchill was awarded the higher-ranking Grand Cross in 1958.
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Eurocontrol freezes Polish air-traffic funds over Pfizer vaccine claim
The company is enforcing a €1.
EU ministers move to unlock Hungary’s frozen recovery billions
"We can already feel a strong wind of change across Hungary," von der Leyen said after meeting Magyar.
FIFA under fire for changing own rules after Trump phone call overturns red card
US President publicly welcomed the decision on social media, writing: “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice”.
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Panic stations over ‘hospitalgate’ as Tusk threatens his party with purges
Health Minister Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda is under heavy pressure and lacks any political allies to protect her from being dismissed.
Germany weighs denying AfD ministers access to classified files
Defence Minister said the Government was examining closely who could be granted such access.
UK education system failing white working-class children
An independent inquiry found that only 48 per cent of white working-class children reach a good level of development by age five.
Google loses final appeal against record €4.1 billion EU antitrust fine over Android practices
The company expressed disappointment but has not yet detailed next steps.
Hungary’s parliament votes to abolish Orbán’s sovereignty office
The body held wide powers to scrutinise organisations, media outlets and individuals suspected of serving foreign interests.
Ireland’s EU presidency set to cost around €185 million
To prepare, the country has doubled its permanent representation in Brussels to about 250 officials.
Austrian Supreme Court: Ryanair must scrap unfair booking fees
The ruling covers a wide range of charges that the court found to be either intransparent, grossly unfair, or both.
France and Italy resist EU plan to bar former Russian combatants
Rome and Paris fear the measure could open the door to a blanket entry ban on all Russian citizens.
Spain challenges EU ‘nationality quotas’ in civil service hiring
Spain, joined by Italy and France, challenges the EU's nationality quotas in civil service hiring, arguing they violate merit-based recruitment rules.
EU and UK postpone post-Brexit summit after Starmer quits
"The summit with UK is postponed. Postponed is not cancelled," European Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho confirmed.
European Parliament backs ban on AI sexual abuse images and delays wider AI rules
The prohibition follows public anger over sexualised deepfake images that spread on social media.
EU strikes deal to cut red tape for defence investment and procurement
National law could still allow exceptions to automatic approval where there was a serious risk to human health or national security.
Germany’s flagship rail megaproject delayed to 2031 after over 1,000 km of cables laid incorrectly
The errors occurred because cabling work began before the final technical planning for the new digital signalling system was complete.
ICC suspends chief prosecutor Karim Khan over sexual misconduct allegations
The unprecedented decision leaves the court’s high-profile investigations into conflicts including Ukraine, Gaza and the Philippines.
No smart AI assistant on Apple in EU due to DMA regulations
The company said it spent months proposing solutions, including a “Trusted System Agent”.
EU takes France and Spain to court over cybersecurity law delay
The directive sets common security standards for companies and public bodies operating in critical sectors across the EU.
Meloni says that gigantic EU bureaucracy is smothering industrial development
Italian Prime Minister called for greater competitiveness, simplification and the cutting of red tape.
Poland urges officials to ditch Signal as foreign hackers target government accounts
According to the Polish Government, the hackers have aimed to seize control of Signal accounts by impersonating the app's technical support staff.
Paris after-school staff strike over ‘repression’ as abuse scandal widens
The claims involve incidents dating back more than a decade and concern approximately 200 staff members.
UK raises welfare for additional spouses in polygamous marriages despite ban on practice
The provision applies to unions formed abroad in jurisdictions where polygamy is lawful, between partners domiciled in those countries at the time, who later relocated…
Dutch unicorn Bird slashes European workforce as CEO decries burden for tech companies in EU
Dutch communications platform Bird is cutting around 20 per cent of its global headcount.