Russia's war stifles EU pandemic recovery

European leaders welcomed France's re-election of centrist president Emmanuel Macron Sunday (24 April) as a vote of confidence in the EU.

Le Pen has switched from talk of Frexit to talk of primacy of French law — but her softer language masks just as hard an attack on the EU project as ever.

There are just two candidates left to choose from in French elections Sunday: Macron and Le Pen. But a third figure, Russia's Putin, also hangs in the air.

Slovenia's prime minister Janez Janša is pinning hopes on his pro-Ukrainian stance in a tight election race this Sunday — a watershed moment for the country's democracy.

The Luxembourg-based European Public Prosecutor's Office became operational last June. In seven months they clawed back €147 million in assets from the EU budget.

Germany remains the main obstacle to European sanctions on the Russian oil & gas industry. When will the Zeitenwende ['turning point' in German energy policy] finally deliver?

Finland is expected to kick off a debate on the country's potential Nato membership. But Russia has clearly voiced opposition towards any potential enlargement of the western military alliance.

Several failed candidates in French elections have urged their voters to back president Emmanuel Macron in the second round to keep out far-right contender Marine Le Pen.

While Zemmour makes Le Pen look less extreme, the result is that far-left and centre-right voters are divided between her and Macron.

MEPs called for an immediate and "full" embargo on Russian oil, coal, nuclear fuel, and gas in response to atrocities in Ukraine. But a coal ban is the only likely move for now.

The war in Ukraine has turned attention to the long-standing ties between some European political parties and the Russian government.

EU budget commissioner Johannes Hahn on Tuesday informed the Hungarian authorities that a letter on the official launch of the so-called conditionality mechanism will be sent soon.

Although overshadowed by the war in Ukraine, one key campaign instrument of Fidesz was the anti-LGBTQ referendum scheduled parallel to the elections.

"Of course, communism like it was under Stalin is not going to come back. What will return, however, is national socialism. Not Hitler's, but Putin's." Otto von Habsburg, the son of the last Habsburg emperor, said this back in 2002.