Most Europeans see Trump’s US as more a necessary partner than ally, poll finds

Findings of survey prompt call for more ‘realistic, transactional’ EU approach towards WashingtonEurope live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s return to the White House has led to a “remarkable shift” in Europeans’ view of the US, according to a survey, w…

Being a mother in the west would be a dream, I was told. But compared to Uganda, it was a nightmare | Patience Akumu

Nothing prepared me for the reality of mothering without my extended family to help. How have western women managed like this for so long?I hear the baby crying in my sleep. My mother hands him to me. I sit up to breastfeed without opening my eyes then…

An omega-3 dose a day could slow ageing process, ‘healthspan’ trial finds

Daily gram of essential fatty acid leads to ‘three to four months rejuvenation of biological age’ over three yearsA daily dose of omega-3 oils may slow the ageing process, according to a major clinical trial of interventions that aim to extend humans’ …

Chasing the Don: How EU politicians are jockeying for position with Trump

From Nigel Farage to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, EU politicians are competing for the privilege of being Europe’s Trump whisperer.

Bernard Arnault slams French tax hikes, considers investing more in Trump’s US

Europe’s richest man praises new president’s business-friendly policies.

Greek court orders extradition of Israeli billionaire on Romanian corruption charges

Beny Steinmetz was convicted of participating in a scheme to take ownership of land once owned by Romanian monarchs.

Sponsored content: Davos marks a new era of collaboration on AI

The world has entered a new era of intelligence, as artificial intelligence technologies are being rapidly developed and adopted across industries and around the globe. So, it’s apropos that the theme of the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was “Collaboration in the Intelligent Age.” With the first provisions of the European Union’s AI Act set to roll out shortly after the forum wraps, conversations in Davos were buzzing around AI.

In an ever-changing global marketplace, collaborative development and effective governance are essential to building AI ecosystems that are transparent, ethically compliant and safe. On a special branded episode of Power Play, presented by IBM, POLITICO Focus contributor David Himmel explores what true collaboration looks like, the ways open AI systems are changing the game for businesses of all sizes and how industry leaders can work with governments to ensure a return on investment that benefits everyone.

Himmel speaks with Christina Montgomery, IBM’s chief privacy and trust officer and interim leader of government affairs. She talks about the need for access to open AI development, the importance of privacy and how diverse, global collaboration will help solve the questions and challenges we face in this new age of intelligence.

Power Play is a POLITICO original podcast series. This special branded episode from IBM was produced by POLITICO Focus.

As Trump returns, the EU rediscovers the art of the trade deal

The European Union has clinched a string of pacts after the United States, its top trading partner, flipped into full protectionist mode.

Murder in the House of Ullens: The fall from grace of one of Belgium’s richest families

Police say a dispute over money is behind the shooting of Baroness Myriam Ullens.

How Trump silenced tech giants on his Paris withdrawal

Silicon Valley loudly criticized President Donald Trump when he quit the climate accord in his first term. This time? Crickets.

Trump promised some tariffs immediately. They’re not here — yet.

The president likely hasn’t made up his mind on which tariffs to enact.

EU’s new economic vision is speaking to Green Deal critics

A draft document shows Brussels putting deregulation before decarbonization.

Orbán’s new threat: I’ll end Russia sanctions unless Ukraine pumps Putin’s gas

But diplomats still expect the Hungarian prime minister to ultimately back down, perhaps as soon as Monday.

Trump says it’s Putin’s fault Ukraine war isn’t over

U.S. president also says he’ll ask NATO allies to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP.

Oxfam: ‘Centuries of wrong-headed policy decisions & bipartisan embrace of capitalist policy-making’

Billionaires’ wealth grew three times faster in 2024 than the previous year, anti-poverty group Oxfam International reported in its latest assessment of global inequality as some of the world’s political and financial elite prepared for the opening of…

Elon Musk’s salute was ‘innocent,’ insists Javier Milei

Argentina’s leader also lashes so-called woke ideology during fiery speech in Davos.

Hamas attack survivor to represent Israel at Eurovision

Yuval Raphael, who survived Oct. 7 by hiding under dead bodies in a bomb shelter, will compete in Basel in May.

NATO’s Rutte: Trump ‘is right’ and Europe’s defense spending is a ‘problem’

Transatlantic military alliance chief echoes Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy in stinging remarks at the World Economic Forum.

Von der Leyen’s Davos economic vision for Europe

In this episode, host Giada Santana speaks with economy reporter Thomas Moller Nielsen about the EU’s stance on innovation, competitiveness, and tariffs as advertised in Davos
The post Von der Leyen’s Davos economic vision for Europe appeared fir…

EU aims high ahead of mission to India in late February

Commission’s visit to India set to take place end of February, Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič tells POLITICO.

EU trade chief to Trump: Let’s deal

“Our message is very clear: We are ready to engage,” Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovic tells POLITICO.

Tech billionaires want to ‘overthrow democracy’ with social media, Spain PM Sánchez says

“The technology that was intended to free us has become the tool of our own oppression.”

Trump tells Putin to end Ukraine war or face more sanctions

“We can do it the easy way, or the hard way — and the easy way is always better,” Trump says.

The 11 tribes of Davos

Are you a 1-percenter, a bag-carrier or a blockchain bro?

Desperate for peace, Ukraine embraces Trump

The Trump presidency “might not be good — but it will be much better than under Biden,” a former Ukrainian cabinet minister says.

Zelenskyy excoriates Europe in Davos speech

Ukrainian president calls on European politicians to “be more than just bystanders” who are “reduced to posting on X after an agreement has already been made.”

EU’s biggest secessionist movement is losing momentum

And Catalonia’s new President wants to shoot it dead.

Von der Leyen announces visit to India

The EU is keen to reactivate talks on a trade agreement with New Delhi.

Global leaders join the show as Trump promises US domination

Historians say this is the first time foreign heads of state or government attended a US presidential swearing-in ceremony.

William Tell review – limbs fly as Claes Bang’s medieval hero rallies a Swiss army

A classy cast plays it straight in this enjoyably daft action epic about the crossbow sharpshooter forced to shoot an apple from his son’s headNick Hamm lets rip with some gonzo Game of Thrones craziness in his retelling of the William Tell myth with a…

European jitters about Trump 2.0 not shared by much of world, poll finds

Exclusive: Findings suggest ‘weakening of west’ as relations become more transactional, say report’s authorsEuropean anxiety about Donald Trump’s return to the White House is not shared in much of the world, a poll has shown, with more people in non-we…

Commission stonewalls criticism after hiding von der Leyen’s week-long hospitalization

The Commission can be run from a hospital bed, an EU spokesperson says.

What California can learn from the place that invented the initiative

Our California ballot-measure reporter heads to Switzerland on the 150th anniversary of its first federal referendum to see what a state mad about direct democracy can take away from the country that devised i

Europe’s slow but ‘inevitable’ march to allow assisted dying

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

The right to perform secondary movements under international refugee law

 

 

Paolo Biondi, EU Asylum
Agency

 

Photo
credit: Ggia, via Wikimedia
Commons

 

 

Introduction

 

The 1951
Refugee Convention is a pivotal document in international refugee
protection, outlining the rights of as…

Brexit Britain looks to Europe to help fix its railways

With money tight, ministers are looking for novel ways to finance new trains. The solution might lie across the channel.

Rare Roman coin featuring Brutus sold at Geneva auction for almost €2m

Item bears a portrait of Julius Caesar’s assassin surround by a laurel wreath with war symbols on the reverseA rare Roman coin featuring the portrait of Brutus, the assassin of Julius Caesar, has sold at a Geneva auction for €1.98m (£1.64m), according …

Top advisers say EU should ban solar geoengineering … for now

The bloc’s scientific advisers say the EU should push for an international treaty regulating the controversial technologies.

German far-right AfD party taps Alice Weidel as chancellor candidate

The anti-immigrant party is currently polling second as Germany prepares for an election in February.

European countries give farmers more freedom to shoot wolves

The decision by Bern Convention members is a major win for the EU and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Scholz call with Putin opens a ‘Pandora’s box,’ Ukraine’s Zelenskyy complains

German chancellor’s conversation Friday with Russian leader undermines efforts to isolate Moscow, Ukrainian president says.

Brussels’ global infrastructure plan isn’t challenging Beijing — it’s relying on it

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

Suspect in Paris student murder to be extradited to France on Wednesday

A 22-year-old Moroccan national, accused of murdering a Paris university student identified only as Philippine, will be handed over to France from Switzerland on Wednesday, authorities said. Following the killing, French politicians have called for a …

COP16 fizzles out as rich countries block global nature fund

The outcome left African and Latin American nations furious and prompted some to refuse to engage on other biodiversity issues.

Zelenskyy rejects UN chief’s visit over meeting with Putin

Guterres not welcome in Kyiv after he shook hands with the Russian president.

Zelenskyy outlines a vision for ending the ‘hot stage’ of the war

The Ukrainian president says he needs to strike a deal with Putin to deescalate and not strike energy and food facilities.

‘We leave viewers smarter’: fears over plans to close ‘world’s most highbrow’ TV station

Unique experiment in German-language public broadcasting 3sat faces pressure from populist rightIn many countries around the world, breakfast TV means cele­brity interviews, soap operas and last night’s football highlights. On the German-language chann…

Ukraine war briefing: US sanctions China firms over ‘complete attack drones made for Russia’

First ever action over a ready-to-use weapons system made in China rather than parts for Russia to build one, says Washington; Zelenskiy touts victory plan. What we know on day 968See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageThe US has unveiled its first eve…

Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy presents ‘victory plan’ to European allies as long-range strikes discussed

UK says no change to position on Storm Shadow missiles; Ukrainian journalist dies in Russian detention. What we know on day 961See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageVolodymyr Zelenskyy has said a ceasefire with Russia is not under discussion with Euro…

Italy to host 2025 Ukraine reconstruction conference in July

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that Rome will host the next Ukraine Recovery Conference on July 10-11, 2025, following discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Meloni affirmed Italy’s support for Ukraine during Zelensky’s visit …

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.

‘Like the Guggenheim!’ Inside Zurich’s staggering, revolutionary new hospital for kids

From the chalet-style patient ‘cottages’ to the walls designed for scribbling on, Herzog & de Meuron’s Kinderspital is a stylish, healing, child-friendly miracle – and it cost less than UK equivalents‘Hospitals are the ugliest places in the world,”…

Setting Gender-Based Asylum Straight: The Court of Justice’s Landing Point

 

 

Salvo Nicolosi
and Türkan Ertuna Lagrand, University of UtrechtPhoto credit: USAID, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Just a couple of weeks after the Taliban regime in
Afghanistan announced a
new decree prohibiting women from being heard …

EU needs faster migrant returns, say 17 countries including Germany, France: Report

The push comes amid a rightward and anti-immigration shift in multiple EU countries.

British parliament to get historic vote on assisted dying

PM Keir Starmer previously said he was “personally committed” to changing the law.

Leaked documents: Which EU commissioners have the most property, money and influence

POLITICO has reviewed the declarations of interest of every European Commission nominee.

Top FIFA official also holds key EU court function

A senior football official makes more than $200K a year while also assessing future judges for Europe’s supreme court.

‘Condemn the abusers’: Pope demands judgement for pedophile priests as Belgium tour ends

Pope Francis praised the courage of victims and reviled offenders at the end of an extraordinary papal visit.

Melting glaciers force Switzerland and Italy to redraw part of Alpine border

Two countries agree to modifications beneath Matterhorn peak, one of Europe’s highest summitsSwitzerland and Italy have redrawn a border that traverses an Alpine peak as melting glaciers shift the historically defined frontier.The two countries agreed …

West should set its own red lines, not just accept Putin’s, argues veteran diplomat

Former German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger says Western leaders should be making more threats and be willing to follow them through.

Russia-Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy condemns Russian attack on hospital as death toll rises

Ukraine’s interior minister said one person killed in initial attack before the site was hit again during the evacuation Russia has filed “pre-trial claims” against Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland over the Nord Stream pipeline explosions, accu…

Slovenian prime minister backs Commission nominee after controversy

In interview with POLITICO, Robert Golob also says “chemistry” with von der Leyen helped Kos land the nomination

Building a future-proof regulatory system

Simpler, faster, better – let’s not miss the opportunity to revamp the EU pharmaceutical regulatory framework to transform lives.

Austrian election offers far right a springboard back to power

A win for the Freedom Party Sunday would expand Central Europe’s Putin-friendly bloc.

French minister vows to change immigration rules after student’s murder

Prosecutors say Moroccan suspect had previously been convicted of rape and ordered to leave FranceFrance’s new rightwing interior minister has said there will be consequences after a Moroccan man suspected of murdering a 19-year-old university student …

France’s new interior minister vows tougher immigration rules after student murder

France’s new Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau on Wednesday vowed to toughen the country’s immigration rules after a Moroccan man was arrested in Switzerland, suspected of murdering a 19-year-old student and burying her body in a forest on the outski…

Ukraine bets on India to help get peace deal with Putin

Why Narendra Modi is Kyiv’s best hope.

Swiss police make arrests over suspected death in ‘suicide capsule’

Criminal case opened after Sarco capsule – which releases nitrogen gas at the touch of a button – used in MerishausenSwiss police have said they have opened a criminal investigation and arrested several people after the suspected death of a woman in a …

Europe launches its first space commissioner straight into a budget scrap

Despite not having much experience on space, Andrius Kubilius is tipped to be running EU rocket and satellite policy.

Swiss voters reject biodiversity proposal in blow to conservation campaigners

Plan aimed to expand protection of endangered ecosystems but opponents say it posed risk to business developmentVoters in Switzerland have rejected a proposal to make authorities do more to protect natural habitats from pollution and development, preli…

Swiss voters reject plan to boost biodiversity, vote against pension reform

Switzerland’s biodiversity was dealt a blow on Sunday when voters rejected a plan to protect the country’s endangered ecosytems. Environmentalists have repeatedly warned that the country’s biodiversity is declining but the government said that the pro…

What Europe’s new enlargement czar, Marta Kos, means for Ukraine

The left-leaning Slovene has made conciliatory comments toward Russia after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The 5 commissioners most likely to get the chop

Once every five years the European Parliament gets to pick off a nominee or two — and rarely fails to do so.

Meet the commissioners: Class of 2024

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

Europe beats the US for walkable, livable cities, study shows

Midsize European cities such as Zurich and Dublin found to have essential services accessible to 95% of residents within 15 minutesWhen Luke Harris takes his daughter to the doctor, he strolls down well-kept streets with “smooth sidewalks and curb cuts…

Germany reintroduces border checks to far-right praise as EU tensions mount

Olaf Scholz’s government says ‘acute dangers’ led to decision but some EU criticise ‘unacceptable’ decisionGermany will reintroduce temporary checks at all nine of its land borders on Monday in a move that has drawn criticism from several of its Europe…

Switzerland’s unusual form of democracy takes aim at Eurovision

The famous singing competition is highlighting a striking aspect of Switzerland’s form of government.