General strike hits planes, trains and services in Portugal
Widespread disruption hit Portuguese air travel and trains, hospitals and schools today as the unions called the biggest nationwide strike action for more than a…
Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
Ex-PMs Verhofstadt and Renzi call for regime change in Iran
Former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt and former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi said they support regime change in Iran, endorsing the National Council…
Exclusive: Brothers of Italy seeks to bridge diverging US and EU interests
Despite speculation that Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni -- a politician with a famously close relationship with US President Trump -- is now adopting a more…
Conservative gatherings spark fierce debate in Italy’s culture war
In Italy, the cultural war is no longer just a metaphor.
Foreigners in Germany much less worried about right-wing extremism than ethnic Germans
Germans without a migrant history are considerably more afraid of right-wing extremism than migrants and foreigners living in the country.
Water leak at Paris Louvre Museum soaks valuable books on ancient Egypt
A water leak at the Louvre Museum damaged several hundred books held in the library of the Department of Egyptian Antiquities.
Italy’s Left splits over anti-Semitism bill, exposing deep ideological fault lines
A legislative push against anti-Semitism has blown up into a fierce internal fight within the Italian Left.
EU’s crackdown on X shows desperation not strength
The recent rabid, full-on attack on Elon Musk's X by the European Commission represents a new chapter in Brussels’ attempts to purge the public square of inconvenient…
Blasphemy law victim thanks God — and European Parliament — for release
Pakistani blasphemy law victim Shagufta Kausar thanked both God and the European parliament for her release from a Punjabi prison while in Brussels yesterday.
Attempt to censor a right-wing publisher sparks cultural firestorm in Italy
Italy has once again become the epicentre of a culture clash — this time over the attempted exclusion of a right-wing publisher with clear ties to the ruling party,…
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.
Top brands suspected in Italy sweatshop probe
Gucci, Prada, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent are among 13 luxury brands suspected of using subcontractors who exploited Chinese workers in Italy, according to documents…
Swiss man jailed for Facebook comment criticising trans ideology
A man from Switzerland has been handed a prison sentence for posting a comment on Facebook that supposedly denigrated trans people.
Poland’s Supreme Court rejects EU attempts to regulate judicial system
A joint session of two chambers of the Polish Supreme Court has adopted a resolution that rejects the right of the European Union to regulate Poland’s judicial…
Defiant conservatives gather to ‘battle for soul of Europe’
The Brussels Mathias Corvinus Collegium’s (MCC) two-day Battle for the Soul of Europe conference attendees gathered in Brussels yesterday to challenge what they…
A Baby Jesus without a face, a continent that will not look the divine in the eye
For God’s sake, those maniacs now simply did away with the face of Jesus.
Dutch ‘green transition hurts working class while rich reap subsidies’
In the Netherlands, low-income and vulnerable citizens are disproportionately shouldering the financial and health burdens of climate policies, whilst wealthier…
German church replaces 100-year-old nativity scene over racism accusations
The protestant parish council in Ulm has retired a traditional nativity scene which has adorned Ulm Minster – Germany’s tallest church – for decades after…
Poland bans fur farming
Poland has become the 17th European Union member state to ban fur farming .
In Italy, UN envoy Albanese accused of justifying violence against journalists
In Italy, Francesca Albanese, the UN envoy responsible for the occupied Palestinian territories, is at the centre of a political firestorm.
Macron proposes ‘labelling’ for ‘reliable’ news outlets
French President Emmanuel Macron has floated the idea of creating an official media “label”, claiming it would identify "trustworthy" journalism and help fight…
German journalist claims ‘massive restriction of press freedom’ by hard-left at anti-AfD protests
Paul Ronzheimer, deputy editor-in-chief of Germany’s most-read newspaper Bild, has claimed a “massive restriction of press freedom” after left-wing protesters…
Head of baby Jesus stolen from controversial Brussels nativity scene
The head of an infant Jesus figurine has been stolen from a newly installed Nativity scene in Brussels' historic Grand Place.
Pro-Palestinian Activists Raid La Stampa: Press Freedom Debate Erupts in Italy
A fierce debate over press freedom has erupted in Italy after the newsroom of La Stampa was raided, occupied, and vandalised by left-wing, pro-Palestinian activists.
Chinese online giant Shein boycotts EP hearing on sale of illegal products
Chinese online fast-fashion retailer Shein has refused to attend a European Parliament hearing on the sale of illegal and unsafe products.
Monaco’s Prince Albert bars legalisation of abortion in principality
Prince Albert II of Monaco has declined to sign a law legalising abortion in the tiny principality, thus preventing the practice from acquiring legal validity.
What? I start with freedom for a Danish MP and end up with Chinese sex dolls
Freedom is never free. It is not free of cost, or of supervision, or of limits.
Louvre jacks up ticket prices for non-EU visitors by 45 per cent
The world-famous Louvre museum in Paris will significantly increase ticket prices for tourists from most countries outside the EU starting in 2026.
Another national rift over Islam: France weighs ban on Ramadan fasting for minors
A proposal by French right-wing senators to prohibit Ramadan fasting for minors under 16 reignited the debate in the country over religious freedom.
Polish journalist charged over reporting Warsaw demonstration
A Polish journalist was charged with disturbing the peace at a Warsaw demonstration he was covering as a reporter, asking questions of participants at the gathering.