Berlin court upholds road-salt ban despite hundreds of ice-related accidents
A Berlin court has thwarted an emergency plan of the city government to allow the use of road salt to keep pavements useable after an unprecedented cold spell turned…
Bureaucracy
Latest reporting and analysis on bureaucracy.
EC opens formal investigation into Musk’s Grok after sexualised pics go viral
The European Commission has launched a formal investigation into X under the Digital Services Act (DSA), focusing on the platform's recommender systems and the integration…
Bureaucracy costs German companies €62 billion a year
German companies are paying around €62 billion a year to cover the cost of bureaucracy and administrative demands, both from Berlin and Brussels.
Kremlin rules out talks with ‘semi-literate, incompetent’ EU bureaucrats
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has categorically ruled out any negotiations with Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas or the European Union's broader…
Merz says EU crippled itself with over-regulation, proposes ’emergency brake’
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said the European Union has hobbled its own competitiveness through excessive regulation and bureaucracy.
Italy’s privacy watchdog hit by probe into alleged corruption
The Italian Data Protection Authority (GPDG) is under criminal investigation following raids on its Rome headquarters by the country's Financial Guard (GdF).
Dutch court invalidates marriage after use of ChatGPT to ‘liven up’ ceremony
A Dutch court ruled a couple's marriage was invalid after a civil registrar used ChatGPT to draft a "lighter" ceremony speech–which omitted legally required declarations.
Poland’s EU post-pandemic funding under threat as Tusk rows back on labour law reform
Some €2.5 billion worth of Poland's post-pandemic European Union funding could be under threat because of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Swiss local authorities admit inspections failure at burnt-out bar
Swiss local authorities admitted Tuesday they failed to conduct periodic fire and safety inspections over the past five years at a bar where an inferno killed 40…
45,000 Berlin households left without electricity for days after Antifa destroys power line
Large areas of Berlin’s Southwest were left without electricity for several days in sub-zero temperatures after an attack claimed by hard-left group Antifa on…
How Brussels is moving to bailout Europe’s left-wing NGO industry
Brussels is panicking—and for once, the reason has nothing to do with Russian tanks or climate deadlines. The real crisis is informational.
Wave of cyberattacks expose French failure to protect public digital systems
France’s national postal service fell victim to a cyberattack December 22, disrupting parcel distribution days before Christmas.
Transparency International ‘pressured party to remove MEP demanding transparency on EC contracts’
Transparency International, an anti-corruption group advocating for openness and accountability, faces hypocrisy allegations after reportedly attempt to quash an…
For the EU, ‘Europe’ is just a post-national administrative state
What is "European sovereignty”?
Ex-AfD MPs found Javier Milei Institute for ‘radical deregulation’ in Germany
A team including several current and former right-wing MPs from Germany and Austria has founded a new think-tank that aims to push deregulation to the top of the…
German city in GDPR probe after wishing citizen ‘happy birthday’
The German university town of Tübingen in Baden-Wurttemberg is facing investigation for a potential violation of the European Union’s General Data Protection…
Most German welfare recipients ‘not looking for work’, study finds
Most recipients of the German Bürgergeld (citizen’s stipend) are not actively looking for work.
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.
Farmers not convinced EC simplification rules will simplify
Farmers in the European Union are not convinced by simplification of the rules promised to their sector by the European Parliament, Council of the EU and MEPs.
International Criminal Court ditches Microsoft Office ‘to remain autonomous’
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is to replace Microsoft software with the openDesk software offered by German company Zendis.
France: Court overturns Marseille mayor’s cancellation of Christian film
A decision to cancel the screenings of the Christian film Sacré Coeur (Sacred Heart) at a public venue has been overturned.
German firms hire 325,000 staff since 2022 just to handle bureaucracy
Most new jobs created by German companies in the past three years came in response to the ever-growing bureaucratic onus put on the private sector.
Rejection of EU forest law rekindles debate over EC’s powers
The European Parliament has rejected the European Union Forest Monitoring Law proposal.
US revokes German left-winger’s visa over posts on Charlie Kirk assassination
A prominent German left-wing activist has had his visa revoked by the US Department of State for celebrating the assassination of Conservative influencer Charlie…
German researchers fail to measure extent of social benefits as there are too many
Munich-based ifo Institute for Economic Research specialists were unable to find the total amount of social benefits people received in Germany due to the high number…
French court ends probe into Paris mayor’s Dior, Burberry ‘expenses’
France's Council of State has ended its investigation into Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo's expense reports, which included items of luxury clothing.
‘Simpler’ EU sustainability rules spark confusion
The European Commission says it is simplifying reporting rules, but the industry says it is making them more complicated.
Polish parents follow President, pull kids from sex-education classes
The Polish Government has suffered a set-back with the introduction of a new school subject called "health studies”, which includes sex education.
Albanian PM appoints world’s first AI-generated minister
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said he had appointed the world's first AI-generated government minister to oversee public tenders, promising its artificial intelligence…
Meta and TikTok defeat European Commission in court on DSA fees
The European Commission has suffered a major defeat in court over its plans to make large tech platforms pay it to enforce the Digital Services Act.