Germanyโ€™s old-school conservatism is well and truly over

Even if Merz stumbles across the finish line and secures a coalition government, the death knell for Christian democracy may well have been sounded.

โ€˜Vicious cycleโ€™: far-right parties across Europe are inspiring imitators

Hardline agendas, especially on immigration, are copied by mainstream conservatives in vain effort to win back votesFar-right parties could become the largest force on the right in Europe within a decade, experts have said, as mainstream conservative p…

Slovakia leads EU charge to rein in supermarket power

Slovakiaโ€™s right-wing government is spearheading a push to strengthen EU rules on unfair trading practices, saying the current reforms donโ€™t go far enough.

Serbia detains, expels 14 foreign citizens attending NGO forum

Serbia’s highest state officials, without providing evidence, claim in their statements that student blockades and protests are under the influence of Western intelligence services.
The post Serbia detains, expels 14 foreign citizens attending NGO foru…

Austriaโ€™s Kickl brings Europeโ€™s anti-populist firewall crashing down

Herbert Kickl’s rise ends a firewall that has kept populist politicians out of power in EU countries for decades.

Croatia populist president re-elected in landslide

Zoran Milanoviฤ‡ took more than 74% of the vote and Dragan Primorac, backed by the centre-right HDZ party that governs Croatia, almost 26%.
The post Croatia populist president re-elected in landslide appeared first on Euractiv.

Ukraine can join NATO โ€” if allies are willing to be bold

Right now, Russia knows all it needs to do to prevent a country from joining is to invade and partially occupy it โ€” and that needs to change.

Croatia’s President Milanoviฤ‡ wins re-election with nearly 74% of the vote

Croatia’s opposition-backed president, a critic of the European Union and NATO, has overwhelmingly won another five-year term on Sunday, defeating a candidate from the ruling conservative HDZ party in a runoff vote, near-complete official results showed.

Populist incumbent sailing to victory in Croatia presidential election

Pro-Moscow candidate leads rival by almost 4:1 margin according to exit poll.

Alleged pro-Russian interference hangs over Croatian election

Known for his populist rhetoric, Zoran Milanoviฤ‡ is seen by some as a credible counterweight to the ruling centre-right HDZ party.
The post Alleged pro-Russian interference hangs over Croatian election appeared first on Euractiv.

Croatiaโ€™s firebrand president dominates election, poised for second term

Often compared to Donald Trump, Zoran Milanoviฤ‡ secured a substantial victory in the first round of the country’s presidential election. That should worry the EU.

Incumbent Milanoviฤ‡ on track to win Croatiaโ€™s presidential election

During his fis first term Milanoviฤ‡ has clashed with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkoviฤ‡ over foreign and public policy and has fiercely criticised the EU and NATO over their support for Ukraine.
The post Incumbent Milanoviฤ‡ on track to win Croatia’s…

โ€˜Croatiaโ€™s Trumpโ€™ wins first round of presidential election but now faces runoff

Incumbent Zoran Milanoviฤ‡, a combative critic of NATO and the EU, finished well ahead of the ruling party candidate but just short of a majority.

Croatia’s president wins election, exit poll shows

President Zoran Milanovic, in the first round, won 51.48% of the vote, while Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling conservative HDZ party, came second with 19.29%. The election comes as the European Union and NATO member country of 3.8 million p…

Croatia’s President Milanovic faces off against ruling party candidate

Croatiaโ€™s left-leaning president, an outspoken critic of Western military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, is running for reelection in the Adriatic Sea state, but is unlikely to get an outright majority in the first round of voting on S…

Europeโ€™s slow but โ€˜inevitableโ€™ march to allow assisted dying

The U.K. is the latest country to move toward legalizing the controversial yet evermore popular practice.

Croatia set to reelect its โ€˜Donald Trumpโ€™

Zoran Milanoviฤ‡, a critic of the EU and NATO, is expected to come in first in Sundayโ€™s presidential election.

All eyes and hands on deck ahead of Croatiaโ€™s presidential elections

โ€œI do recognise the patterns: spread lies to put doubt in peopleโ€™s minds and primarily attack female politicians,” Geese told Euractiv
The post All eyes and hands on deck ahead of Croatia’s presidential elections appeared first on Euractiv.

EU climate chief Wopke Hoekstra goes to war with airlines

EU plans to hike airlines’ green taxes are “complete bullshit,” says lobby chief Willie Walsh.

Ugandan runner due to arrive in London after 516 days and 7,700 miles on the road

Deo Kato says journey from Cape Town gave him hope in humanity, despite facing racism from police and passersby on a daily basisA Ugandan athlete who arrives in London this weekend after running 7,730 miles (12,440km) from South Africa to raise awarene…

US set to sanction Serbiaโ€™s main oil company over Russian ownership, Vuฤiฤ‡ says

Britain and the EU would likely follow Washington in introducing sanctions against NIS, Serbian president says in TV interview.

Romania and Bulgaria get the Schengen green light

The internal land borders will be lifted as of January.

Easy does itย โ€”ย ECB can keep cutting gradually in December, says Croatiaโ€™s Vujฤiฤ‡

Political uncertainty stalking the eurozone, however, is best navigated with a meeting by meeting approach.

Croatiaโ€™s PM fires health minister arrested in corruption raid

EU prosecutor’s office in Zagreb starts probe into eight people.

Brusselsโ€™ global infrastructure plan isnโ€™t challenging Beijing โ€” itโ€™s relying on it

EU-funded projects abroad are being built by Chinese companies.

How Brexit helped Britain lose the Chagos Islands

After more than half a century, the U.K. is passing sovereignty of the disputed territory back to Mauritius. Why now?

NATO deputy chief visits Croatia amid political rift over Ukraine

The leaders of the European Union and NATO member nation have been quarrelling for weeks over sending officers to the alliance’s mission in Germany to train Ukraine soldiers.

Hollywoodโ€™s villains were once Russian or Chinese. Now theyโ€™re us โ€“ people from the Balkans | Ana Schnabl

Brad Pitt and George Clooneyโ€™s new film Wolfs shows that while geopolitical realities have changed, western prejudice hasnโ€™tI recently watched the new bro-flick Wolfs . In my defence: I was sick and therefore lacking in imagination. I didnโ€™t fall for t…

Ukraine war briefing: Bomb shatters historic landmark in Kharkiv

Prized Derzhprom building in Kharkiv damaged in attacks injuring 19; North Korean foreign minister heads to Russia as Nato chief says Kim Jong-unโ€™s troops are in Kursk. What we know on day 979See all our Ukraine war coverageA Russian guided bomb attack…

How one engineer beat the ban on home computers in socialist Yugoslavia

In Lewis Packwoodโ€™s book Curious Video Game Machines, Voja Antoniฤ‡ explains how he built a console and published instructions for anyone to make their ownVery few Yugoslavians had access to computers in the early 1980s: they were mostly the preserve of…

The EU wants to deport migrants. It needs the help of Syriaโ€™s Assad.

Syria is the elephant in the room as EU leaders talk migration.

European Mediterranean states to meet in Cyprus over Middle East, migration

Leaders from nine Mediterranean nations, joined by Jordan’s King Abdullah II, will meet in Cyprus on Friday to discuss Middle East conflicts and migrant flows. France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Slovenia, and Croatia will focus on …

Leaked: Tense correspondence between EU commissioner hopefuls and Parliament

Still, the 23 nominees were cleared by the institution’s legal committee for hearings in early November.

Hellish heat and primal fear: Croatian firefighters on frontline of climate crisis

Firefighters are stoic about the risks they face but say climate change has affected every part of the jobA short drive and a world away from the tourist-thronged old town of Split, past retirees clambering out of cruise ships and stag parties stumblin…

Croatian police accused of burning asylum seekersโ€™ phones and passports

Exclusive: photos of burnt belongings โ€“ including documents needed to apply for asylum โ€“ are the latest alleged evidence of brutality on EU bordersCroatiaโ€™s border police force appear to be burning clothing, mobile phones and passports seized from asyl…

In Dubrovnik, Zelenskyy courts European leaders in drive for military aid

The Ukrainian leader has stepped up efforts to rally international backing amid doubts about future US support after the November presidential election in the United States.

At least 14 killed in Bosnian floods after torrential rainstorm overnight โ€“ย video

At least 14 people died in floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday and others were missing as torrential rain and landslides destroyed homes, roads and bridges across the centre of the country, officials said. Bosnia’s presidency said it had request…

Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy says west โ€˜dragging outโ€™ delivery of long-range weapons

At a media appearance with new Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted western delays in supplying weapons. What we know on day 954See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageNatoโ€™s chief Mark Rutte has told Ukrainian president Volod…

The Guardian view on Austriaโ€™s election: yet another wake-up call | Editorial

The Freedom partyโ€™s first ever victory is the latest in a string of far-right triumphs in Europe. Business as usual is not a credible mainstream responseThe sequence has become dismally familiar. Piling up votes in provincial and rural areas at the exp…

What a Trump victory would really mean for Europe

A win for the former president would surely further galvanize the bloc’s populist parties and encourage their normalization โ€” much as it did in the US.

A path towards freedom: the new route to Europe for desperate Chinese migrants

Revealed: a small but growing number of Chinese people are travelling to the Balkans with the hope of getting into the EU In a sleepy Bosnian town, barely five miles from the border with the European Union, a crumbling old water tower is falling into r…

Balkan plot to dig up Yugoslav leader Titoโ€™s remains hits a wallย 

Belgrade mayor wants Titoโ€™s remains moved back to his native Croatia, triggering a debate hotter than a Balkan summer.

Animal fears, hatred and a commissioner for cruises: Behind the new European Commission

A new Commission minus Thierry Breton is a much less fun Commission.

Meet the commissioners: Class of 2024

Everything you need to know about Ursula von der Leyen’s team for her second term.

Ursula von der Leyenโ€™s new European Commission

Commission president hands out the top jobs in her new team.

The EU must soon open its doors to new members โ€“ its survival depends on it | Nathalie Tocci

The days when Viktor Orbรกn could block negotiations on a whim should be over โ€“ and the western Balkans should finally benefit Russiaโ€™s invasion of Ukraine has revived EU expansion as an imperative. For years, โ€œenlargementโ€ has been a low priority โ€“ Cro…

Weather tracker: Francine looking likely to be next Atlantic hurricane

An area of low pressure in the Gulf of Mexico is moving landward, and is expected to bring intense rainfallFrancine could soon be the next to be ticked off the list of Atlantic hurricane storm names this week. On Friday, a broad area of low pressure em…

The great Commission puzzle: Who we think will get each portfolio

Ursula von der Leyen is about to hand out key jobs in her team. Hereโ€™s POLITICOโ€™s version of the next Commission.

The other European proxy war

Serbia gets pulled โ€” and pulls itself โ€” sharply between East and West. Where it ends up will help decide which Great Power emerges triumphant.

I didnโ€™t know what to expect from the Youth Sports Games. But they blew me away | Adrian Chiles

To see the kids kicking balls around at the international tournament in Croatia is more than just a joy; itโ€™s a miracleEven though I didnโ€™t know Graham Norton, I ended up playing simultaneous chess alongside Nemanja Vidiฤ‡. I should explain. A couple of…

Closing the backdoor: The new TurkStream is here. Can the West stop it?

Martin Vladimirov is director of the Energy and Climate Program at the Center for the Study of Democracy. Announcing its plans for what could be called TurkStream 2 on Aug. 21, Turkey finally dropped all pretenses. According to the countryโ€™s energy minister, Alparslan Bayraktar, the state-owned gas monopoly BOTAลž would now be able export around [โ€ฆ]

Southern Europe is sick of tourists

Water scarcity, overcrowded streets and rising housing costs are infuriating locals.

Croatian popstar calls Serbia leader Vuฤiฤ‡ a โ€˜dictatorโ€™ after border ordeal

Singer says she was questioned on the Srebrenica genocide and on her support for protestors opposing EU-backed lithium mining.

China hits back at electric vehicle tariffs with probe into EU dairy

Beijing claims Europe is creaming off fat profits from oversubsidized cheese.

Hungary says Croatia is unreliable for oil transit, sparks outrage in Zagreb

Slovakia and Hungary on Friday (2 August) rebuffed a European Commission suggestion that they could replace lost Russian oil supplies via an alternative route through Croatia, saying the country is unreliable for oil transit.

Croatiaโ€™s Dubravka ล uica renominated as EU commissioner

Commissioner for democracy and demography poised to clinch second term.

EU countries fail to probe beatings, sexual assaults on migrants by police, report says

Croatia, Greece and Hungary specifically โ€œdid not effectively investigate incidents of ill treatment and loss of life during border management,” an EU probe found.

EU states โ€˜not properly investigatingโ€™ reports of rights violations at borders

Fundamental rights body warns of flawed approach to credible accounts of ill-treatment and loss of lifeAuthorities in EU member states are not doing enough to investigate credible reports of violations of human rights, including deaths, on their border…

Youโ€™ve had two years: EU eyerolls at Hungaryโ€™s request for help with Russian oil

After failing to reduce their reliance on Moscow for energy, Hungary and Slovakia now want help from Brussels.

EU Commission urges six member states to appoint authorities for DSA enforcement

The European Commission has initiated infringement procedures for Belgium, Spain, Croatia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Sweden, asking them to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), according to a Friday (26 July) press release.

Croatia bans 3 top Montenegrin politicians over Holocaust resolution

The trio were declared personae non gratae โ€œdue to systematic actions to disrupt good neighborly relations.”

Who will be the next European commissioners?

What we know so far about Ursula von der Leyenโ€™s next top team.

Gunman arrested after killing at least six people in nursing home in Croatia

Five residents, including gunmanโ€™s mother, and one employee killed in shooting in town of Daruvar, say policeA gunman has opened fire in a nursing home in Croatia, killing at least six people, including his mother, officials have said.Five residents an…

Hungary facing fuel crisis as Ukraine turns up heat on Russian oil supplies

Sky-high prices and electricity shortages could hit Hungarians within “weeks” after Kyiv imposed a partial ban on Russian oil passing through its territory.

European heatwave forecast to hit peak as health warnings issued

Tourists and residents swelter in heat as temperatures rise to 44C in Spain, with forest fires in Greece and CroatiaA fierce heatwave is continuing to roll across southern and central Europe, bringing temperatures of up to 44C (111.2F) to parts of Spai…

Von der Leyen is in! Let the fighting over the next European Commission begin.ย 

EU leaders will fight back against โ€œtoo powerfulโ€ von der Leyen as she assembles her team.

Improving lung cancer survival in Europe

Political commitment to screening is crucial.

Holocaust vote throws wrench in Montenegroโ€™s EU bid

The tiny Western Balkan nation wants to join the EU by 2028 โ€” but tensions with Croatia could scupper that.

Ten war victims found in mass grave at Croatian garbage dump, more expected

Excavators dug through piles of waste at a garbage dump surrounded by sunflower fields in Croatia on Thursday (27 June), searching for bodies of victims killed in war more than three decades ago, after remains of 10 people were found earlier this month.

Balkan tensions burst onto the pitch at Euro 2024

‘Kill the Serb!’ ‘F**k Macedonia!’ Violent chants and regional rivalries tarnish Europe’s summer football tournament.

The Investigator review โ€“ harrowing documentary details search for justice after Balkan wars

Viktor Portelโ€™s film follows Czech investigator Vladimรญr Dzuro as he returns to sites of torture and death, and meets survivors as well as supporters of perpetratorsRevisiting the blood-soaked conflicts that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, …

Power outage hits several Balkan states as heat overloads system

A major power outage hit Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and most of Croatia’s coast on Friday (21 June), disrupting businesses, shutting down traffic lights and leaving people sweltering without air conditioning in the middle of a heatwave.