Russia says if Israel floods tunnels in Gaza it would constitute a ‘war crime’
Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy has denounced Israel's apparent plans to flood tunnels in the Gaza Strip, saying it would…
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Politics
Latest reporting and analysis on politics.
Is Donald Tusk really the most influential person of 2023? Why Politico has called it wrong
Listening to and reading the Western media, one can get the impression that a new European legend has been born: Donald Tusk, almost certain to return as Poland's…
Breton berated over ‘half-baked’ plan to regulate AI
Enthusiasts and business leaders have spent the weekend berating Brussels' so-called "digital enforcer", Thierry Breton, over the newly agreed EU deal to regulate…
EXPLAINER: What Ukraine needs to do to keep its EU membership bid alive
The European Union's 27 leaders could decide at a summit this week whether to launch formal membership talks with Ukraine, a step that would provide a much-needed…
EU ministers consider next steps in response to Israel-Hamas war
European Union foreign ministers on Monday consider possible next steps in response to the Middle East crisis, including a crackdown on Hamas’s finances and travel…
Is the short-lived Morawiecki government undemocratic?
On Monday November 27, Polish President Andrzej Duda appointed a new government led by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, expected to last only until Monday (December…
Pirates’ MEPs pull support for EU Digital ID plan over ‘mass surveillance’ fears
"Over-identification will gradually erode our right to use digital services anonymously. Mark Zuckerberg should have no right to see our ID!"
Spain expels two US Embassy staffers on alleged spying and bribery charges
The Spanish Government has expelled two alleged spies from the US Embassy in Madrid after they apparently bribed Spanish intelligence officers to reveal classified…
EC takes heat over new Pfizer vaccine contract after ‘secret texts’ scandal
A decision by the European Commission to give a vaccine-production contract to US pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer has raised eyebrows within the European Parliament.
AfD in Saxony classified as ‘extremist’
The State Office for the Protection of the Constitution Saxony (SOPCS) has designated the right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party an “extremist”…
Slovak President blasts Government’s prosecution reforms, threatens veto
Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová said on Friday she would likely veto the Government's planned fast-track changes to criminal law that include scrapping a special…
Ukraine’s Parliament approves minorities bill, seen as key for EU talks
The Ukrainian Parliament has approved three bills necessary to start European Union accession talks, including one on national minorities' rights, a critical…
EU watchdog demands ban on Facebook and Instagram ‘behavioural advertising’
The European Union's data protection watchdog has demanded Facebook and Instagram owner Meta be banned from processing user data for “behavioural advertising”.
Dutch Government heightens terror alert level for Paris
The Dutch State Department has lifted its travel advisory code for Paris from green to yellow due to increased potential terror threats.
Spain’s Calviño beats EC’s Vestager to take European Investment Bank crown
Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister and economy minister Nadia Calviño has beaten European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager for the top job at the European Investment…
Blast from the past: Sikorski and other allies return in Tusk’s new Cabinet
Donald Tusk, who is set to officially become Poland’s Prime Minister in a few days, has unveiled the Cabinet that will serve under him.
Xi warns top EU chiefs not to regard China as a ‘rival’
The European Union has received what seems to be a warning from Chinese President Xi Jinping for the bloc not to view his country as a “rival”.
Azerbaijani President Aliyev announces snap election
Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, has signed a decree implementing a snap presidential election in the nation to be held in February next year.
‘Traitorous’ Ukrainian opposition MP ‘assassinated’ in Russia
Sources within the Ukrainian Government have claimed responsibility for the assassination of Illia Kyva, a prominent pro-Russian member of the country's political…
Qatargate: Has Socialist Euro MP Marie Arena been protected?
The newly appointed investigating judge, Aurélie Dejaiffe, wants Arena, a Belgian politician, to be investigated but has got nowhere with her request, it is claimed…
Budget crisis ‘pushing German Government to edge of collapse’
Germany's Government risks collapse amid a budget crisis that has put coalition partners sharply at odds, according to political experts.
Spanish PM Sánchez wobbles as hard-left party quits governing coalition
Less than a month after his re-election as Spain’s leader, Sánchez must deal with the decision of the five MPs who make up Podemos to quit the Sumar group in…
What is the real Donald Trump doctrine in foreign affairs? At its core is a belief in American exceptionalism – but it is certainly not isolationism
With polls now regularly placing Donald Trump ahead of Joe Biden in next year’s US presidential election, the extraordinary prospect of his return to the Oval…
Albanian opposition wants to block asylum agreement with Italy in the courts
The centre-right Democratic Party (DP) in Albania is going to the country’s Constitutional Court to fight an asylum agreement between the progressive Albanian…
G7 leaders agree to ban imports of Russian diamonds from January next year
As part of efforts to limit Moscow's income from precious stones and to support Ukraine, the Group of Seven (G7) countries will ban imports of Russian diamonds from…
EU thrashing out landmark AI rules in marathon overnight talks
The two sides agreed to a provisional deal on how to regulate fast-growing generative AI systems such as ChatGPT in the early hours, overcoming one of the biggest…
Spain looking to overcome ‘doubts’ about making Catalan, Basque and Galician official EU languages
Spanish ambassadors to the other 26 European Union Member States have received a document from José Manuel Albares, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, detailing…
EC ‘aims to create single market for defence’
The European Commission wants to create a "single market for defence" to better prepare the European Union for times of crisis, according to a leaked document.
Spain’s Puigdemont locks horns with EU’s Borrell again, this time over ‘sexist speech’
Spanish Junts leader Carles Puigdemont has grilled the European Commission on "sexist speech" by Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat.
Let’s give Austria-Hungary a chance – Europe needs some Habsburg values
Discussion on Russian state television emerged this week which saw Russian propagandists arguing for the re-establishment of "the great Austro-Hungarian territory"…