Italy poised to elect far-right rulers
Italy has lurched closer to electing a far-right government in September after a centre-left coalition broke down on Sunday.
Column
Albania's post-communist dream has lessons for Ukraine
Comparisons between post-communist Albania and current-day Ukraine are fascinating — and make many pertinent parallels. Ukrainians have a similar determination to belong to "the rest of Europe" as Albanians.
Opinion
Finally, the victims of Utøya got a memorial
A legal battle between locals on the one hand and the state and the labour youth organisation on the other side postponed the inception of the memorial in remembrance of the victims of Anders Behring Breivik.
News in Brief
- Sweden overtakes France as EU's top power exporter
- Italy's far-right star in European charm offensive
- Another migrant tragedy claims 50 lives in Greek waters
- Russia hits area near town with 120 rockets, says Ukraine
- UN expects more ships to get Ukrainian grain out
- Greece to end bailout-era oversight
- Denmark to train Ukrainian soldiers in urban warfare
- Russian helicopter flies into Estonia's airspace
Column
Is it goodbye to 'pacifist' Germany?
Many Germans saw the country as a benign power that will always favours diplomacy and peace-making over the use of force. Not any more.
Podcast
The curious case of the racial Muslim
Legal scholar Sahar Aziz says people who identify as Muslim are often perceived in racial terms, like black and brown people, in white-dominated societies. That makes Muslims on both sides of the Atlantic the subject of similar forms of racism.
Opinion
Why Bosnia & Herzegovina is not ready for the EU
Due to a total capture of the country's institutions and economy by corrupted ethno-nationalist elites, Bosnia & Herzegovina did not advance on key reform areas such as democratisation and improvement of the rule of law — arguably even backsliding.
Greek PM embroiled in spyware scandal
Greece has become embroiled in a wiretapping scandal that led to the resignation of its intelligence chief as well as the Greek prime minister's top aide.
Opinion
How Ukraine made the case anew for an EU army
The Kremlin attacked Ukraine because it believed it could afford to. It perceived nuclear deterrence between Russia and the West as reciprocal, and therefore almost a non-issue. It also saw, in military terms, Europe is disappearing from the world map.
'We must take back institutions', Orban tells US conservatives
Viktor Orbán delivered the opening address at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, where he was met with a "heroic welcome".
Orbán's 'racist' speech condemned, after week's delay
The uproar over Viktor Orbán's speech hides Hungary's deep economic woes — fuelled by steep inflation, rising energy costs, and the unsustainability of the price cap policy.
Opinion
Exploiting the Ukraine crisis for Big Business
From food policy to climate change, corporate lobbyists are exploiting the Ukraine crisis to try to slash legislation that gets in the way of profit. But this is only making things worse.
Orbán: West should focus on 'peace' not winning in Ukraine
As well as calling for direct US-Russia peace talks, Viktor Orbán cited the "great replacement" theory, which claims there is a plot to dilute the white populations of the US and European countries through immigration.
Opinion
Happy Birthday, Esperanto! 'Language of peace' turns 135
Esperanto's supporters include Alfred Hermann Fried, co-winner of the 1911 Nobel Peace Prize, and Lord Robert Cecil, the winner of the 1937 Nobel Peace Prize — not to mention communist revolutionaries like Ho Chi Minh, Mao Zedong, and Josip Tito.
Hungary seeks to buy more gas from Russia
Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orbán is facing one of his biggest challenges of his more than a decade-long rule, as the economic pressures keep mounting, and EU funds remain suspended due to rule-of-law concerns.
Draghi's grip on power finally unravels
Italy looked set to lose its highly-respected prime minister Mario Draghi on Thursday, after his attempt to relaunch his grand coalition government ended with right-wing parties joining the populist Five Star Movement (M5S) in deserting him.
Hungarians rally against Orbán's moves to shore up finances
The tax increase comes when inflation is at a two-decade high at 11.7 percent, the forint is at record lows, and rising energy prices are making matters worse for households.
ECB set to raise rates, amid monetary and political turmoil
The European Central Bank is set to increase interest rates in the eurozone at its governing council meeting on Thursday —amid monetary and political turmoil.
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Latest News
- Russian coal embargo kicks in, as EU energy bills surge
- Only Western unity can stop Iran hostage-diplomacy
- Kosovo PM warns of renewed conflict with Serbia
- EU Commission shrugs off Polish threats on rule-of-law
- EU urged to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians
- Russia puts EU in nuclear-energy paradox
- Almost two-thirds of Europe in danger of drought
- West needs to counter Russia in Africa, but how?
Kroes' Uber lobbying needs wide investigation, say campaigners
Transparency campaigners are demanding the European Commission launch a full investigation into Uber lobbyist and former commission vice-president Neelie Kroes.
Italy back in chaos, as Draghi quits over 5-Star snub
Italy was plunged into fresh political turmoil on Thursday as prime minister Mario Draghi announced his resignation after a key ally within his grand coalition government boycotted a parliamentary vote.
MEP accused of 'disrespecting' female moderator
Some 100 representatives of civil society organisations, including Transparency International EU and Oxfam, accuse German Green MEP Reinhard Bütikofer of disrespecting a moderator because she was a woman of colour and want him reprimanded.
EU Ombudsman: Missing texts with Pfizer CEO are 'wake-up call'
The EU Ombudsman said missing texts between European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and the boss of Pfizer are a "wake-up call" for all institutions about how they should handle work-related instant messages in the digital era.
Pressure on EU Commission as report shows rule-of-law retreat
The EU's own report acknowledged positive development in some member states — but particularly criticises Poland and Hungary, along with jibes at Slovenia, Malta, Greece, Ireland and Spain, among others.
EU greenlights Croatia to join euro in January
In a signing ceremony held in Brussels EU finance ministers formally approved Croatia joining the eurozone on January 1, 2023.
EU court points to future resurrection of Russian gas pipe
Russia has won the right to challenge EU laws meant to stop dirty tricks in gas markets, at the same time as waging gas wars against Europe.
EU Commission to probe Kroes' Uber lobbying
In 2016, it was revealed former EU commission vice-president Neelie Kroes failed to disclose her role in an offshore company. Now, she is engulfed in controversy once again over Uber.
Opinion
North Macedonia's EU accession talks — a 'rotten deal'
One would think that for a country waiting 21 years to start accession talks with the EU, the opportunity to finally do it would be cause for all around festivities and national celebration — instead, for days now, mass protests.
MEPs urge putting abortion in EU rights charter
The European Parliament has called to include the right to legal and safe abortion into the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, following the critical ruling overturning abortion rights in the US.
Podcast
Bonjour, Vladimir
French journalist Guy Lagache spent the first six months of this year in close proximity to Emmanuel Macron, making a film that ended up focusing on the French president's Putin strategy.
Russia-influence debate leads to MEP mudslinging
European lawmakers from across different political factions sought to distance or deny any links to the Kremlin regime in a Strasbourg debate on Russian influence.
Johnson quits, leaving Brexit headaches to successor
British prime minister Boris Johnson has resigned as Conservative party leader, starting a race among Conservative MPs to replace him as prime minister but leaving a range of issues — Brexit, Northern Ireland, and Scottish independence — for his successor.
EU should freeze all funds to Hungary, says study
A cross-party group of MEPs presented a legal study suggesting the European Commission freeze all EU funds to Hungary, due to ongoing rule-of-law issues.
Legal action looms after MEPs back 'green' nuclear and gas
The European Parliament greenlighted the commission's controversial proposal to include gas and nuclear investments in the so-called EU taxonomy — sparking criticism and legal threats from the climate community
EU readies for 'complete Russian gas cut-off', von der Leyen says
The European Commission will present an emergency plan in the coming weeks to secure enough gas supplies for next winter. EU ministers are expected to meet in Brussels to discuss it shortly after.
