Work one day for free, French asked in latest budget plan
France's national budget is so strained that lawmakers are pushing a proposal to make the French work an extra seven hours each year without pay - the equivalent…
Politics
Latest reporting and analysis on politics.
Member states doubt EU database for biofuels, saying market distortions are likely
The Union Database for Biofuels (UDB), which came into effect on November 21, is part of the Clean Energy for All Europeans package of the Renewable Energy Directive…
Alleged €3.5 million fraud in Austria of EU recovery funds, says European Prosecutor’s office
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has announced the arrest of 15 people suspected of defrauding more than €3.
German Chancellor Scholz’s leadership of Socialists in peril
The growing unpopularity of Germany's Social Democrats (SPD), trailing the opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) and Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the polls, has…
Ex-Dutch State Secretary denies racism was reason for resignation
Nora Achahbar, the former Dutch State Secretary for Benefits and Customs, has denied racism within the government had anything to do with her leaving office.
French supermarket giant Carrefour vows to not sell Mercosur-sourced meat
Amid France's opposition to the European Union-Mercosur trade deal, major French supermarket chain Carrefour has pledged not to sell meat linked to the agreement,…
Russia threatens to attack US military base in Poland, claiming it poses ‘nuclear threat’
Russia has claimed that a new US ballistic missile base in Redzikowo, northern Poland, increases the level of nuclear danger and that it is a prime target in any…
Banks take fright as Marxists take power in Belgium
Banks are refusing to finance cash-strapped towns in Belgium's French-speaking south as avowed Marxists take power in local government.
German ex-chancellor Merkel publishes memoir targeting several leaders, including Trump
Former German chancellor Angela Merkel’s memoirs, Freedom: Memories 1954–2021, offer a look at her approach to global leadership, including her relationship…
Italy and Romania push back against EU anti-smoking proposals
Recent efforts by the European Union to implement stricter regulations on smoking and tobacco alternatives have sparked controversy, with some member states raising…
Ford to slash 14% of European workforce, citing EV transition and intensifying competition
Ford said on November 20 it would cut around 14 per cent of its European workforce, blaming significant losses in recent years compounded by weak demand for electric…
Polish Government freezes energy prices in run-up to presidential elections
The Polish Government has announced a freeze on energy prices for households at just over €100 per megawatt-hour (MWh) for the first three quarters of 2025, the…
Think-tank accuses EU of undermining rule of law
In a new report, the Hungarian Nézőpont Institute (Nézőpont Intézet) has taken shots at the European Union, accusing it of violating the rule of law.
EPP to approve Commissioner Ribera despite initial threats
The European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament has proposed an agreement with the Social Democratic (S&D) and Liberal Renew groups to unblock the approval…
Election of Brussels mayor who tried to shut down conservative event declared invalid
A Brussels court has declared the local election in the Brussels municipality of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode invalid on suspicions of fraud.
CDU agrees coalition with offshoot of former East German Communist party
Almost three months after elections in the State of Thuringia, eastern Germany, a three-party coalition has been agreed between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU),…
Beria inspires establishment? Show me the man and I will find the crime
There exists in Vienna a curious organisation, which, if you went by its title – The Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA, in the German acronym)…
Xi asks Germany’s Scholz to help kill EU EV tariffs
Chinese President Xi Jinping told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on November 19 that he hoped Germany could help the EU and China to resolve the issue of tariffs…
Majority of Ukrainians favour peace negotiations, poll finds
A majority of Ukrainians favour their country engaging in peace negotiations with Russia to end the war in the region, a poll has found.
Polish presidential candidate pledges ‘strategic bitcoin reserve’ if elected
Sławomir Mentzen, presidential candidate for Poland’s radical-right Confederation party, has pledged that if elected he would turn the country into a “cryptocurrency…
Zelensky tells EP Russia can be pushed ‘towards a just peace’
Zelensky expressed gratitude to the European Union for its support and said Ukraine and its allies had succeeded not only in “preventing Putin from taking Ukraine”…
Bardella rules RN French election candidates must have ‘no criminal convictions’
Jordan Bardella, president of the French hard-right party National Rally (RN) has stated that any RN candidate for the next national election must have a clean criminal…
€600 fine for German who used poop emoji against Greens’ leader?
German media has revealed that a man was fined over a social media post that described Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and…
Three-party ‘losers coalition’ takes shape in Austria
Three Austrian political parties may soon form a ruling coalition aimed at keeping the election's winner, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), out of power.
Elon Musk’s X sues Irish state body over censorship rules
Elon Musk's X social media platform has launched a legal case against Ireland's media regulator over the country's new online censorship rules.
Austrian Air Force grounded for days as flight controllers take time off
The Austrian military was rendered unable to monitor and protect the country’s airspace because its Air Force’s flight controllers had taken time off in lieu…
EP’s S&D holds Commission hostage to force through climate candidate Ribera
This strategic shift has been designed to see Ribera appointed to the new Commission despite her controversial management of the catastrophic flooding that hit Valencia,…
Farmers blockade Paris over ‘unthinkable’ EU-Mercosur deal
French farmers have taken to blockading Paris over a trade deal between South American Mercosur countries and the European Union.
Dutch Government survives ‘racism’ crisis
The Dutch cabinet under Prime Minister Dick Schoof has avoided collapse following a marathon meeting with the leadership of the coalition parties.
Poland supports long-range missile strikes on Russia, slams Scholz for Putin phone call
Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski has welcomed US President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to strike targets in Russia with long-range ATACMS missiles.