Slovak opposition accuses PM Fico of mulling EU exit
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has faced criticism over his apparent ambiguity regarding Slovakia's membership of the European Union.
From the capitals
Latest reporting and analysis on from the capitals.
MEGA dazzle: does the MAGA playbook apply in Europe?
From the moment that America’s 47th president took his oath of office this Monday, it’s as if national conservatives around the world, together with the opponents…
Belgian TV channel delays Trump speech to check for ‘hate’ and ‘racism’
Belgian news channel RTBF refused to broadcast the inauguration speech of US President Donald Trump live, having claimed he spread a "racist, far-right, xenophobic"…
French interior minister calls for cut to Algerian immigration to address ‘anti-French sentiment’
French interior minister Bruno Retailleau has proposed reducing Algerian immigration to France and promoting assimilation to combat what he says is growing anti-French…
Trump to stop all aid to Ukraine? Claptrap
The fantasyland of contemporary Western European notions of the Western Alliance was well-illustrated this week by an article published by the former foreign minister…
Poland’s Tusk tells UK’s Starmer of dream for ‘Breturn’
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that he “dreams that Brexit will be replaced by 'Breturn'”.
Musk vs Soros: the internationalists save their outrage for just one
In the theatre of modern politics, where money, power, and influence play out like a high-stakes game of chess, two names consistently rise to the surface of every…
COSCO and the US blacklist: Europe’s ports or Beijing’s tentacles?
The United States has just delivered an almighty wake-up call to Europe, blacklisting China’s state-owned maritime leviathan, COSCO, in a bold stroke that could…
TikTok, five other Chinese firms hit by EU privacy complaints
TikTok, Shein, Xiaomi and three other Chinese companies were named in a privacy complaint filed by Austrian advocacy group Noyb, which alleged the firms were unlawfully…
Denmark’s prime minister summons business leaders following Trump’s Greenland threat
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the country's business leaders to a meeting on January 16 after US President-elect Donald Trump last week threatened…
Tusk provides no evidence for claims Russia planned terrorist attacks on airlines
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said that Russia had been planning ‘acts of terror’ against both Polish and international airlines, but provided no evidence…
Only Europeans have downbeat view of second Trump presidency, poll finds
Story reposted with corrected graphic
Power transfer: Poland’s Morawiecki replaces Meloni as ECR head
Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki replaced Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as president of the EU's European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)…
German legacy parties have ‘one shot left’ to prevent 2029 populist landslide
Germany's legacy parties have just "one shot left" to prevent a populist landslide in Germany's 2029 federal election, a senior member of the Christian Democrats…
Poland denies blocking Slovak politicians’ flight through its airspace
Poland has denied reports that it blocked a flight taken by a Slovakian delegation to Moscow from crossing its airspace.
French trust in President Macron and PM Bayrou hits rock bottom, survey shows
French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister François Bayrou have been suffering from plummeting public confidence.
Protests erupt in Austria as right-wing coalition talks begin
In Vienna, Austria, talks between the right-wing Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the Conservative People's Party (ÖVP) on forming a government coalition have officially…
Meloni’s flirtation with Starlink riles Italian opposition
Italy's potential use of Elon Musk's SpaceX's Starlink satellite service for strategic communications has raised concerns among opposition figures over a possible…
Jean-Marie Le Pen, the devil so dear to French republican elites
From his antisemitic provocations to his controversial ideological references and personal ties with fascist, collaborationist, or neo-Nazi militants, the founder…
Right mourns ‘courageous’ Jean-Marie Le Pen as Left mocks him online
France's Right is in mourning after the death of "courageous" National Rally (RN) founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, on January 7.
National Rally’s Jean-Marie Le Pen dead at 96
Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the hard-right National Front party -- now National Rally -- has died at the age of 96, sources close to his daughter Marine Le Pen…
Now Denmark’s Right eyes parliamentary majority
Denmark’s right-wing opposition parties are eyeing a potential majority in next year’s elections, setting their sights on a Conservative resurgence
Austrian President tasks FPÖ leader with forming government
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has tasked the leader of the Freedom Party (FPÖ) with forming a coalition government after a bid to assemble one without…
Italy PM Meloni lauds ‘beautiful’ meeting with Donald Trump
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has boasted that she had a "beautiful" meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump.
Norway PM worried about Musk’s meddling in Europe’s ‘internal affairs’
Norway's Prime Minister has expressed concern over Elon Musk's alleged meddling in Europe's "internal affairs".
National Rally’s Le Pen and Bardella high among French 2024 favourites
French National Rally (RN) heavyweight Marine Le Pen and her party leader Jordan Bardella have shot up the Top 50 list of France's most favourite personalities for…
Austrian voters sick of fakery, they want Kickl, the real thing
In 2023, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer appeared before a raucous crowd in a beer tent, proudly chugging a beer in one go.
No night at the opera for Hungary at Polish EU Council gala
Poland’s foreign ministry has issued an official note to the Hungarian embassy that stated it would not welcome the presence of the Hungarian ambassador to Poland…
Côte d’Ivoire latest African nation to kick out French military
Côte d'Ivoire has said it will become the latest African country to kick out French troops amid the ongoing collapse of Paris' "Francafrique" influence on the continent.
Riots mar New Year’s Eve celebrations in Belgium
Serious unrest erupted over the New Year festivities in parts of Belgium, with migrant youngsters being blamed for outbreaks of rioting, arson and attacks on security…