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.
Bureaucracy
Latest reporting and analysis on bureaucracy.
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.
Same sex ‘marriage’ coming to Poland? No, Tusk’s regulation cannot rewrite the constitution
On May 22, Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński and Digitalization Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski signed a regulation imposing new official forms on Polish…
Meloni says that gigantic EU bureaucracy is smothering industrial development
Italian Prime Minister called for greater competitiveness, simplification and the cutting of red tape.
Europe has forgotten how to build
In 1969, Switzerland’s Beznau plant went online after roughly four years of construction. France built its nuclear fleet in the 1970s on a similar schedule.
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.
Germany’s AfD plans to replace hundreds of civil servants after election win in battleground state
The right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD) has announced it will replace up to 200 civil servants in the state of Saxony-Anhalt – if it comes into power…
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.
Canary Islands rejects hantavirus-infected vessel, citing ‘co-ordination gap’
The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has stopped the hantavirus-infected cruise ship MV Hondius from docking in the region, demanding an urgent…
Number of state employees in Germany has grown by 16% in 10 years
While employment in once key industrial sectors is in decline Germany is seeing a significant increase in people working for the state.
Berlin SPD wants to set up ‘rental police’ to combat exorbitant rents
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the German capital of Berlin has announced plans to set up a special investigative unit to examine thousands of rental contracts…
EC urges member states to adopt age-verification app
The European Commission is turning up the pressure on European Union capitals to deploy the age-verification app.
Meta ‘breaches EU digital rules over child protection’, EC says
The European Commission has found Meta to be in preliminary breach of the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) over alleged failures to protect children…
EU delegation to China ‘blocked’ from having official WeChat account
The European Union delegation to China said it was blocked from opening an official WeChat account, blaming diplomatic hurdles.
Reform UK wants ‘patriotic curriculum’ in schools, including King’s portrait and English flag
Reform UK has unveiled education proposals requiring every state school in England to fly the Union Flag and display a portrait of King Charles, while pledging to…
Ombudsman calls for stronger transparency and accountability as EU complaints surge
The European Ombudsman has highlighted a sharp rise in complaints against EU institutions and agencies in 2025, while urging greater transparency and accountability…
RN chiefs write to French business leaders amid concerns over economic programme
Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen, the co-leaders of France’s Rassemblement National (RN), have sent a joint letter to business executives offering dialogue and…
Ex-council president Charles Michel slams EC chiefs ‘authoritarian governance’
Former European council president Charles Michel attacked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, accusing her of running an "authoritarian" leadership,…
Starmer faces resignation calls as Foreign Office permanent secretary forced out over Mandelson vetting override
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing growing political pressure, including explicit demands for his resignation from all opposition leaders.
How the elites govern by ’emergency powers’ instead of democracy: Here is the list
As progressive policies find increasing backlash in western democracies, the growing tendency of the elites is to justify bypassing both public sentiment and political…
German MoD retracts demand for permission for foreign travel by men of military age
Days after a clause in Germany’s new conscription law sparked a wave of criticism, the country’s defence ministry has announced it was repealing the controversial…
Updated: German army spent €2 billion on non-functional radio system, says internal report
Germany has spent more than €2 billion on a new digital radio system for its army, the Bundeswehr – while also failing to get the system to work.
UK scraps its controversial non-crime hate incidents
The UK government has formally scrapped its system of recording non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs), which for years has controversially seen police forces divert their…
‘Rule of law?’ European Commission defies court order
On March 4, the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union convened to hear the European Commission's appeal against its own judicial defeat.
Musk’s X to challenge €120 million DSA fine in top European court
Elon Musk’s social media platform X has launched a landmark legal challenge against a €120 million fine imposed by the European Commission under the Digital…