European leaders hold emergency talks, fearing that Trump has abandoned age-old allies

European leaders sought to form a united front Monday at emergency talks in Paris, called after a U.S. diplomatic blitz on Ukraine which has thrown a once-solid alliance into turmoil and left the Europeans questioning the reliability of their key tran…

Europe tries to shore up fragile unity as it realises it cannot rely on US

Leaders arrive at Paris summit for urgent talks on Ukraine after week that showed how far values have divergedEurope live โ€“ latest updatesThey came smiling, but the task was immense. After dozens of summits at which a hesitant and discordant EU had fai…

Poland to Europe: Donโ€™t play games with Trump, spend more on defense

The Polish PM is adamant that Europe must not break ties with the U.S.

Macron and Trump have โ€˜frank conversationโ€™ minutes before European meeting on Ukraine

The call came before the French president welcomed a group of European leaders in Paris.

Pope Francis to stay in hospital because of โ€˜complex clinical pictureโ€™

Vatican statement says pontiff, 88, is being treated for a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tractPope Francis will remain in hospital for as long as required after tests undertaken in recent days showed a โ€œcomplex clinical pictureโ€, the Vatic…

As US recedes, NATO scrambles to find a new leader

The Brits, French, and Germans all have their own ideas about how to defend the continent with Americaโ€™s plans in flux.ย 

France confirms emergency European summit Monday in Paris

The “main European countries” will discuss the continent’s security, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noรซl Barrot said.

UKโ€™s Starmer to attend emergency European summit in Paris

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noรซl Barrot said the “main European countries” would meet on Monday to discuss European security.

Italian โ€˜mysticโ€™ may face trial after DNA match with blood on Virgin Mary statue

Blood on statue at pilgrimage site near Rome came from woman declared โ€˜fraudโ€™ by Roman Catholic church, test suggestsEurope live โ€“ latest updatesA self-styled mystic who drew hundreds of pilgrims to a town near Rome by claiming that a statue of the Vir…

Pope Francis cancels events after being admitted to hospital

Pontiff to receive treatment for bronchitis after having difficulty breathing during meetingPope Francis has cancelled his scheduled events over the next few days after being hospitalised, the Vatican said.The pontiff, who has been suffering from bronc…

Von der Leyen demands trigger of emergency clause to massively boost defense spending

European Commission president announces plan at Munich Security Conference.

Russia should rejoin G7, Trump says

Moscow never would have invaded Ukraine if it still had a seat at the table, the president insisted.

Trumpโ€™s Ukraine bombshell puts British support to the test

Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to be a โ€œsteadfastโ€ backer of Ukraine. But Britain is cash-strapped and struggling to build links.

Trumpโ€™s uphill battle to make NATO allies hit his mega defense spending target

There is broad agreement to boost defense spending โ€” but the U.S. president’s call for 5 percent of GDP is too much for most European countries.

Trumpโ€™s plan for Ukraine a great deal โ€” โ€˜for the Kremlin,โ€™ Kyivโ€™s backers say

“Letโ€™s not mince words about what this represents: a surrender of Ukraineโ€™s interests and our own, even before negotiations begin,โ€ says U.S. Senator Adam Schiff.

Ukraine war briefing: Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, say European ministers

If we canโ€™t join Nato we must build our own, says Zelenskyy; Russian trial begins over explosion that crippled Kerch bridge. What we know on day 1,086 Nothing about ending Russiaโ€™s war against Ukraine should be decided without the Ukrainians, Europea…

Police in Sicily arrest almost 150 people in mafia crackdown

More than 1,200 officers involved in dawn raids in and around Palermo, reportedly biggest operation against Cosa Nostra since 1984Italian police have arrested almost 150 people in a significant operation against the Sicilian mafia in Palermo, areas of …

Campaigner for migrants in Libya says his phone was targeted in spyware attack

Italy-based David Yambio, a critic of Meloni government, helps ICC find evidence of abuse of detainees in LibyaAn Italy-based human rights activist whose work supports the international criminal court in providing evidence about cases of abuse suffered…

Spain pushes to double EU budget to over โ‚ฌ2 trillion

Madrid wants governments to be jointly liable for borrowing huge amounts of money to boost the bloc’s coffers.

Riding out the Trump tiger until heโ€™s exhausted

How should one handle the 47th U.S. president? Kiss the ring, resist, offer deals and wait for exhaustion to set in.

Greece presses France over missile sale to Turkey

Turkey wants to buy Eurofighters equipped with air-to-air Meteor missiles.

AI phone scam targets Italian business leaders including Giorgio Armani

Cloned voice of defence minister, Guido Crosetto, used in some calls asking for money to free kidnapped journalistsEurope live โ€“ latest updatesSome of Italyโ€™s best-known business leaders, including the fashion designer Giorgio Armani and the Prada chai…

EU considers giving countries wiggle room to boost defense spending

The move would allow governments with overstretched budgets more flexibility under the bloc’s debt and deficit rules.

Looking at Trump, Europeโ€™s far right vows to โ€˜reconquerโ€™ the continent

โ€œOur friend Trump, the Trump tornado, has changed the world in just a couple of weeks,โ€ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbรกn tells far-right rally in Madrid.

Enrico Letta to Europe: ‘Now is the time to act’

Forty years after Europe’s Single Market was conceived as the cornerstone of post-war integration for millions of citizens across its member states, a divided continent is in danger of behind left behind in a fierce global competition dominated by the…

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.

How Germany found itself holding an Italian election

POLITICO has processed 35 years’ worth of election data to find out why this month’s vote is messier than ever โ€• and what will happen next.

How political is your pizza? The Mediterranean Diet and Europeโ€™s food battles

Pasta, pizza, and Parmigiano โ€” delicious? Absolutely. But in 2025, theyโ€™re also deeply political. This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton digs into how food has become a battleground, with POLITICO agriculture reporter Alessandro Ford explaining how Italyโ€™s far-right โ€” and politicians across Europe โ€” are using the Mediterranean diet to push back against [โ€ฆ]

Lithuania hopes to woo Trump with its anti-China stance

The country aims to curry favor and keep the U.S. president committed to transatlantic defense by being the first to catch the mood in Washington.

Owner of spyware used in alleged WhatsApp breach ends contract with Italy

Exclusive: Decision comes after Italian investigative journalist and two activists alleged to have been targeted by Paragon Solutions spywareParagon Solutions, whose military-grade hacking software was allegedly used to target 90 people, including jour…

La Scala, the theater of Italy’s passions

Dominique Meyer, the French director of Milan’s opera, is due to step down in early March. He will be replaced by an Italian, as has been the case in many of the country’s cultural institutions since Giorgia Meloni’s far right came to power. In additio…

Italian founder of migrant rescue group โ€˜targeted with spywareโ€™

Luca Casarini is most prominent person to come forward since WhatsApp said that 90 people, across two dozen countries, had probably been hackedThe Italian founder of the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans, who has been a vocal critic of Italyโ€™s alleged com…

Doctor faces inquiry after giving his cat a Cat scan at Italian hospital

Italian radiologist, who says injured pet was โ€˜between life and deathโ€™, also operated on animal at Aosta facilityAn Italian doctor has been placed under investigation after giving his cat a Cat scan at a hospital in Aosta before performing a life-savin…

AI helps researchers read ancient scroll burned to a crisp in Vesuvius eruption

Writing on PHerc. 172 papyrus, found at Roman mansion in Herculaneum, revealed after 3D X-rays and software competitionResearchers have peered inside an ancient scroll that was burned to a crisp in the volcanic eruption that destroyed Pompeii nearly 2,…

Donald Trump Jr. slammed by Italian lawmakers over alleged illegal duck hunt

Green lawmakers claim the U.S. president’s son shot a rare duck in an EU conservation zone.

Donald Trump Jr accused of killing protected bird in Venice lagoon

Video posted online is said to show Trump Jr with a ruddy shelduck while on hunting tripDonald Trump Jr has been accused of killing a protected duck while hunting in the Venice lagoon.Andrea Zanoni, a regional councillor in Veneto, said a video of a hu…

Von der Leyen signals โ€˜extraordinaryโ€™ measure to boost EU defense spending

The move would offer national capitals more room to increase defense spending.

Threatened by populist superpowers, Europe too needs a dose of patriotism | Lorenzo Marsili

In this unsettling world order, polite, middle-size democracies are easy prey for bullies. It is time to reassert European powerSqueezed between US oligarchy and Russian and Chinese autocracy, Europeโ€™s democracies stand out like a relic from a bygone a…

Unwanted: The scores of migrants Italy refuses to take back

Italy has accepted only 3 of 12,841 migrants Germany seeks to return under Dublin rules, effectively stalling the system while leaving thousands in limbo.
The post Unwanted: The scores of migrants Italy refuses to take back appeared first on Euractiv.

How Britain can escape Trumpโ€™s tariffs: Buy American gas

As the threat of a trade war looms, Britain hopes it has a few secret weapons.

EU leaders deflect Trump on Greenland and on tariffs

EU leaders are looking for a way to keep Trump from invading the Danish territory.

Europeans on democracyโ€™s frontlines offer advice to Americans: never give up

With the new Trump era likely to pose unprecedented challenges the message from Europeโ€™s fragile democracies is: stay united and safeguard your institutionsEuropeans who witnessed democracy crumble before their eyes have some words of advice for Americ…

Global stock markets come under pressure amid โ€˜Trump tariff tantrumโ€™

Markets recover some losses after Trump agreed to delay new duties on Mexico goods, sparking hopes of a reprieveGlobal stock markets came under pressure after Donald Trump signed off on new US tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico, prompting fears of a t…

Vista Mare review โ€“ fascinating look at invisible labour in Italian beach hotspot

Directing duo Julia Gutweniger and Florian Kofler subtly subvert the postcard-perfect ideals of the north Adriatic coast in this engrossingly odd documentaryAll the familiar pleasures of a beach getaway โ€“ seafood feasts, open-air concerts, lazy lounges…

Meloniโ€™s migration deal with Albania fails once again

The judges’ decisions are fuelling discontent within the government, which now faces an investigation into its recent repatriation of ICC-indicted Libyan warlord Almasri.
The post Meloniโ€™s migration deal with Albania fails once again appeared first on …

The Mediterranean diet is a lie

Italy’s food is supposed to be the world’s healthiest. So why are so many of its kids obese?

Brussels vows โ€˜firmโ€™ response to potential Trump tariffs as EU braces for trade war

European Commission says the bloc “regrets” new U.S. tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China.

UniCredit builds stake in Generali, further complicating fight for Italian financial sector

The Milan-based bank said its holding is โ€œa pure financial investmentโ€ and asserted that it has โ€œno strategic interest in Generali.โ€

Italy takes back 43 migrants following court ruling

An Italian navy ship on Saturday took migrants to Italy from asylum processing centers in Albania following a court decision in Rome. It was the third failed attempt by Giorgia Meloniโ€™s far-right government to process migrants in the non-EU country. A…

โ€˜Why did we give back this alleged criminal?โ€™ Pressure grows on Meloni after Italy releases wanted Libyan police chief

Critics accuse prime minister of pandering to Tripoli over migration after Osama Najim was freed despite an ICC warrant for alleged war crimesAfter stepping off an aircraft belonging to the Italian secret services, Osama Najim was triumphantly carried …

Giorgia Meloniโ€™s Albania migration plan blasted after third failure

Calling the project a “clamorous failure,” Elly Schlein, leader of the Democratic Party, said the prime minister should resign.

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…

Belgium gets new nationalist-led governmentย 

With its new government, Belgium joins a growing list of European countries led by nationalist forces such as Meloni’s Italy and Orban’s Hungary.
The post Belgium gets new nationalist-led governmentย  appeared first on Euractiv.

Italian investigative journalist targeted on WhatsApp by Israeli spyware

Francesco Cancellato, whose reporting exposes fascists within PM Meloniโ€™s far-right party, condemns โ€˜violationโ€™An Italian investigative journalist who is known for exposing young fascists within prime minister Giorgia Meloniโ€™s far-right party was targe…

Italy’s Meloni under investigation for releasing Libyan warlord

PRESS REVIEWย โ€“ Friday, January 31: Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is under investigation over the suspicious release and seemingly VIP repatriation of Osama Almasri, who is wanted by the ICC for acts of torture, murder and sexual violence in Li…

‘Disaster’ five years on: Brexit has been doing ‘so much damage to the British economy’

Five years ago, the U.K. officially left the bloc after almost five decades of membership that had brought free movement and free trade between Britain and 27 other European countries. For Brexit supporters, the U.K. was now a sovereign nation in char…

Italy blocks Chinaโ€™s DeepSeek over privacy concerns

The Chinese AI firm recently emerged as a fierce competitor to industry leaders like OpenAI.

ECHR condemns Italy for dumping toxic waste in โ€˜land of firesโ€™

The plaintiffs presented scientific data showing rising cancer rates and groundwater contamination in the provinces of Naples and Caserta, home to some three million people.
The post ECHR condemns Italy for dumping toxic waste in โ€˜land of firesโ€™ appear…

Italian town clamps down after TikTok star draws โ€˜unmanageableโ€™ crowds

Mayor caps tourist bus numbers after thousands of visitors descend on Roccaraso, clogging roads and leaving litterThe mayor of a popular Italian ski resort is clamping down on day-trippers after the town was suddenly overwhelmed by 260 buses bringing m…

European court slams Italy over mafia toxic waste dumping

The vast amount of toxic waste in the area led to increased rates of cancer, the court found.

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.

DeepSeek blocked from some app stores in Italy amid questions on data use

Italian and Irish regulators want answers on how data harvested by chatbot could be used by Chinese governmentThe Chinese AI platform DeepSeek has become unavailable for download from some app stores in Italy as regulators in Rome and in Ireland demand…

Italyโ€™s privacy regulator goes after DeepSeek

Chinese AI firm has emerged as a fierce competitor to industry leaders like OpenAI.

Trumpโ€™s beef with the World Health Organization is personal

Heโ€™s said the UN bodyโ€™s head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, treated China better than him during the pandemic.

โ€˜Historic day for Germany,โ€™ far-right AfD leader Alice Weidel says after immigration motion passed โ€“ as it happened

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereAngela Giuffrida writes from RomeThereโ€™s much debate in Italy today as the country absorbs the news that prime minister Giorgia Meloni is under investigation over the unexpected release and r…

Italy launches Deepseek investigation, EDPS pick Gencarelli accused of conflict of interest

Poland accuses Russia of election interference via the dark web, and the European Commission seems to be slow-announcing a space regulation.
The post Italy launches Deepseek investigation, EDPS pick Gencarelli accused of conflict of interest appeared f…

Italy PM Meloni under investigation for releasing Libyan warlord wanted by ICC

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and two of her government ministers were placed under investigation Tuesday for allegedly releasing and repatriating a Libyan official wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.

Italy’s Giorgia Meloni probed over release of Libyan war crimes suspect

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday she was under investigation over Italy’s expulsion of the Libyan police chief Osama Najim, who is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

Giorgia Meloni says she is under invesigation for repatriation of Libyan warlord

Italy caused controversy over release of Osama Najim, who is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimesGiorgia Meloni has said she is under investigation in connection with Italyโ€™s unexpected release and repatriation last week of a Libyan general who is …

Italyโ€™s Meloni under investigation for freeing wanted Libyan warlord

“I canโ€™t be blackmailed, I canโ€™t be intimidated,” a defiant PM Giorgia Meloni said.

Italy sends 49 refugees to Albania in bid to resume disputed scheme

Latest push to process migrants in Balkan country despite court challenge comes amid increase in boat arrivalsEurope live โ€“ latest updatesItaly has transported 49 people to Albania, in the latest push by Giorgia Meloniโ€™s government to enforce a legally…