‘Stratosphere jumper’ Baumgartner dies in paragliding accident
Record-breaking Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner has been killed in a paragliding accident in Italy.
Democracy
Latest reporting and analysis on democracy.
AfD candidate blocked from mayoral race in Germany over ‘loyalty to Constitution’ concerns
Uwe Detert, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidate for mayor of the German city of Lage, has been barred from running.
Fertility rate of German women drops to 30-year-low
German women are having fewer children at the lowest rate since 1996.
Belgian soldiers to hide faces from AI on national parade
Belgian soldiers must hide their faces at the military parade during the country's national holiday over concerns about artificial intelligence and advanced video…
German Chancellor Merz wants to cut rent subsidies for welfare recipients
Germany’s new Conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced plans to reform the country’s burgeoning social welfare programme.
BBC ‘breached guidelines’ with Gaza documentary narrated by Hamas official’s son
An internal report by the BBC concluded that the media giant breached its own editorial guidelines by failing to disclose that the narrator of a Gaza documentary…
Suspected arson attack shuts major German high-speed rail links
A fire under a railway line in Hirschaid, Bavaria, caused the shut-down of the high-speed rail connection between the German capital Berlin and the South German…
Dutch war-hero escapes prosecution for tackling protester
Decorated Dutch war-hero Marco Kroon will not be prosecuted for blocking a pro-Palestinian protester during a Second World War remembrance event but did receive…
Voters asked the main achievements of Starmer’s first year, answer: ‘Nothing’
It’s a year since Keir Starmer and Labour were elected to govern the UK.
Ukraine in the EU would mean ‘€2.5 trillion’ costs forced on EU taxpayers
Where should political power ultimately lie? Eurocrats believe that the burden of responsibility is too heavy for the simple citizen to bear;
Berlin court allows petition that would limit private car use to 12 rides per year
The constitutional court of Berlin has green lighted a planned citizens’ petition to limit drastically the use of private cars in the German capital, including…
Council of Europe human rights chief warns ‘free speech under threat’ in Germany
Council of Europe Commissioner on Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty has expressed concern about limits on free speech and peaceful assembly in Germany.
Majority of Swiss still support neutrality despite global tension
Almost nine out of 10 Swiss citizens say they supported their country's neutral stance.
Austrian politicians are threatening gun controls after school shooting
On June 10, Austria suffered one of the deadliest school shootings in its history when a man killed 10 people and injured 11 more at his former high school before…
Spanish judges and prosecutors threaten to strike over government reforms
Major Spanish associations of judges and prosecutors called for a demonstration outside the Supreme Court on June 28, warning that a strike would follow on July…
Exclusive: Lawyer behind George Simion tells us what really happened in presidential campaign
Question: Mrs. Silvia Uscov, you coordinated the legal team of the sovereignist-conservative candidate George Simion.
Fruitcake intellectuals who don’t care about ‘thought’
In Italy, self-styled “intellectuals” have recently been commemorating the centenary of The Manifesto of the Anti-Fascist Intellectuals in 1925.
Danish parliament agrees compulsory military service for women
Denmark said it would introduce compulsory military service for women starting in 2026.
Workers’ rights ‘deteriorating’, EU bodies warn
Labour rights have been coming under strain across the European Union, according to warnings issued by several groups including EU bodies citing what they said was…
Flawed methods or right-wing tilt? TikTok’s ‘political influence’ under NGO’s scrutiny
NGO Global Witness has alleged that TikTok’s algorithm disproportionately promoted "far-right political content".
Teaching assistant fatally stabbed at French school
A French teaching assistant allegedly stabbed by a pupil outside a school in northeastern France has died of her wounds.
ECHR to national governments: You can talk but we won’t listen
A “disquieting” and “troubling” letter is circulating in Europe. It is “chilling” and aims to “scare and pressure”.
What is the state for, welfare or defence? It is no longer possible to have both
While the entire world has been enthralled by the public feud between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, the world has also continued to move on.
Scepticism widespread as Bulgaria prepares to join eurozone
Bulgaria's newly announced accession to the eurozone on January 1, 2026 as the currency union’s 21st member state has been met with scepticism by many Bulgarians.
‘Social media incompatible with democracy,’ warns French digital council
Co-President of the French National Digital Council, Gilles Babinet, has warned that social media "in their current forms are not compatible with democracy".
National values are love for a people, a territory and its history
In his first inaugural address in 1861, President Lincoln spoke about the "mystic chords of memory" that connect the American people through a collective memory…
German intelligence agents run hundreds of ‘dubious’ fake accounts on social media
The government of the German state of Brandenburg has admitted that its local intelligence bureau runs 287 fake accounts on social media.
France approves assisted dying bill that seeks to avoid ‘suicide tourism’
France's National Assembly has taken a big step toward legalising assisted dying, passing a bill on its first reading that would allow patients to seek medical help…
Collapse in number of new builds in Germany fuels fears of worsening housing shortage
New apartment construction in Germany has collapsed since 2024, new data show. Higher interest rates and higher construction costs were behind the collapse.
Belgium and Spain suspect manipulation in Eurosong vote, demand action
The Spanish and Belgian public broadcasters questioned the points awarded to Israel’s Eurovision entry and have announced there were possible irregularities.