Parliamentโ€™s right-wing majority puts EU ethics body in the crosshairs

Lawmakers claim right-wing coalition is using procedural tricks to “obstruct” implementation.

British MPs already want a vote on sending troops to Ukraine

Labour MPs โ€” and opposition lawmakers too โ€” are asking for a parliamentary say on any British escalation.

Stรฉphane Sรฉjournรฉ is on a nuclear mission as EU industry chief

With Germany embroiled in political and economic difficulties, nuclear advocates see an opportunity to score points in Brussels.

How von der Leyen blindsided Brussels with her deregulation drive

The Commission president is pushing a sweeping, rapid and centralized agenda to โ€œsimplifyโ€ EU rules โ€” and not everyone in Brussels is thrilled.

Victims of international crimes need justice โ€” and the ICC

We call on the EUโ€™s member countries and institutions to be the voice of human dignity globally, and to mobilize, defend and support the court.

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 

Vanceโ€™s week of waging war on EU tech law

The U.S. vice president attacked Europe’s regulations governing American Big Tech giants and online speech.

New Geo-Political Challenges and the Past and Future of EU-Greenland Relations

  

Ulla Neergaard, Professor of EU Law, University of Copenhagen

Photo credit: Gordon Leggett, via Wikimedia Commons 

 

*This contribution draws upon Ulla
Neergaardโ€™s forthcoming work, โ€œโ€˜Eurarcticโ€™: Colonialism and EU-Greenland…

Latvia moves to ban tourist trips to Russia, Belarus

Riga wants to reduce the risks of human rights violations of Latvian citizens in those countries, and prevent their recruitment as spies.

Security is the new safety

SNEAK PEEK โ€”ย ย The U.K. AISI drops โ€œsafetyโ€ for โ€œsecurityโ€ as it rebrands for the Trump era. โ€”ย DSIT and Anthropic ink a new partnership. โ€”ย Whatโ€™s happened to the porn review? Good morning and happy Friday, This is Tom, unable to find where Iโ€™ve hidden my wifeโ€™s Valentineโ€™s card. You can get in touch with your news, [โ€ฆ]

The EUโ€™s strategy to counter Trumpโ€™s tariffs: An iron fist in a velvet glove

Brussels has strengthened its trade toolkit since Donald Trumpโ€™s first term. But it would need the broad support of EU countries to strike back hard.

Brussels power couples โ€”ย 2025 edition

Love is in the air in the halls of power.

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.

Norway to open protected rivers to hydropower plants

Green politicians describe plan as โ€˜a historic attack on Norwegian natureโ€™The Norwegian parliament has voted to open up protected rivers to hydropower plants, prompting fury from conservation groups who fear for the fate of fish and other wildlife.The …

Press release – European Parliament President Metsola visits Israel, Gaza and West Bank

During her official visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories, EP President Metsola was the first European leader to enter Gaza in more than a decade. Source : ยฉ European Union, 2025 – EP

Court says European Parliament must release confidential harassment reports

New judgement sets a precedent for greater transparency in future cases

Press release – MEPs want to suspend EU-Rwanda deal on sustainable value chains for critical raw materials

The Rwandan government must withdraw its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congoโ€™s territory and cease cooperation with the M23 rebels, Parliament says.Committee on Foreign Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2025 – EP

Press release – Human rights breaches in Tรผrkiye, Nicaragua and Nigeria

On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted human rights resolutions on Tรผrkiye, Nicaragua and Nigeria.Subcommittee on Human Rights Source : ยฉ European Union, 2025 – EP

Starlink looks pale in comparison with what Europeans can get

SNEAK PEEK โ€” Has Elon Muskโ€™s Starlink got a shot in Europe? Not really. โ€” The withdrawal of the EUโ€™s AI liability rules has fans and critics. โ€”ย Thereโ€™s a new report about the price tag of the Eurostack. Good morning and welcome to Morning Tech. Hi, this is Pieter, back in Brussels after frantic days [โ€ฆ]

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…

Trump and Putin stun Europe with peace plan for Ukraineย 

U.S. president announces that talks with Russia’s leader on ending the war will start โ€œimmediately,โ€ after his defense chief warns that Ukraineโ€™s peace goals wonโ€™t be met.

Hungary’s Orban says far-right AfD is the ‘future of Germany’

Emboldened by his ‘dear friend’ US President Donald Trump’s return to power, Hungary’s nationalist leader has vowed to ‘occupy Brussels’ by bringing together far-right parties in the European Parliament.

Outcry in Irelandโ€™s parliament as PM slams opposition โ€˜liesโ€™ โ€ฆ in Irish

Prime Minister Micheรกl Martin accuses opposition chief of telling lies โ€” but his use of โ€œbrรฉagaโ€ draws a blank from the Sinn Fรฉin leader. It highlights a parliament struggling with the national language.

Trumpโ€™s defense secretary calls Ukraineโ€™s return to old borders โ€˜unrealisticโ€™

The Defense secretaryโ€™s comments at NATO headquarters signal the Trump administration will support stopping Russian efforts in Ukraine โ€” with caveats.

‘A lose-lose scenario’: World leaders vow to retaliate against Trump’s metal tariffs โ€“ video

The US’s decision to to resume 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports will fuel inflation and create a ‘lose-lose scenario’, the EU trade commissioner, Maroลก ล efฤoviฤ, told the European parliament on Tuesday. He added that the EU ‘will be respondin…

Press release – Parliament green lights update of VAT rules to make them fit for digital times

The update will notably require that VAT be paid for services provided through online platforms, putting an end to an unfair distortion of competition. It will also fight VAT fraud.Committee on Economic and Monetary AffairsSubcommittee on Tax Matters S…

UK dances to Vanceโ€™s tune

SNEAK PEEK โ€” Where does the Paris summit leave the U.K.โ€™s AI policy? โ€”ย MPs tackle the data bill, amendments and all. โ€”ย Patrick Vallance sets out his plan to remake science. Good morning and welcome to Wednesday, This is Tom, heading back to London from a gloomy City of Light. Come and say hi if youโ€™re [โ€ฆ]

How to watch the German election like a pro

Germany’s election will be a gauge of how far the world’s third biggest economy has swung to the right.

Danish MEP slams โ€˜absurdโ€™ proposal to rename Greenland โ€˜Red, White and Bluelandโ€™

Member of Congress said the U.S. will “proudly welcome” Greenlanders to “join the freest nation to ever exist.”

French PM says heโ€™ll sue media outlet that alleged he didnโ€™t act after priest was accused of raping child

The allegations concern officials at the school that Bayrou’s own children attended.

‘AfD becoming strong in German Parliament: Increasingly difficult to form coalitions excluding them’

In the lead-up to Germany’s Parliamentary Elections, centre-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz accused his conservative election arch rival Friedrich Merz of planning an immigration crackdown that would “bury Europe”. For in-depth analysis and a deeper persp…

Press release – Ruslan Stefanchuk: โ€œPeace in Ukraine can only be achieved if we stay strongโ€

On Tuesday, the Chair of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, addressed a formal sitting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.Committee on Foreign Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2025 – EP

German frontrunner Merz will take EU โ€˜to its grave,โ€™ says Scholz

Country’s role in Europe gets a surprise central focus in election campaign.

Press release – Tuna fishing agreement with Cabo Verde approved by Parliament

56 EU vessels will be able to fish tuna and related species during the next five years in Cabo Verdeโ€™s waters, under an updated fisheries deal.Committee on Fisheries Source : ยฉ European Union, 2025 – EP

Virkkunen stands firm on American pushback against EU tech laws

SNEAK PEEK โ€” The EU plans to raise the American pushback against tech law with the U.S., said tech boss Henna Virkkunen. She also promised a more โ€œinnovation-friendlyโ€ AI regulatory framework. โ€” Rolling out AI should mean talking to workers and helping them gain new skills, said EESC president Oliver Rรถpke. Failing to get it [โ€ฆ]

Inside the divided coalition coming for the Green Deal

Intentionally or not, concerned businesses, the ascendant far right and traditional conservatives are coming together to rewrite green rules.

The EUโ€™s ticking debt bomb โ€” and why it matters for its next budget

Repayment of the EU’s โ‚ฌ300 billion joint borrowing hangs like a cloud over the European Commission’s budget brainstorm.

Macron picks close ally to lead court that could decide Le Penโ€™s fate

Richard Ferrand’s appointment drew criticism even before being made official.

5 times politicians were humiliated by WhatsApp leaks

Numerous UK politicos have found their group chats getting two ticks โ€” from the entire British public.

Romaniaโ€™s Klaus Iohannis announces heโ€™ll resign as president

Longtime leader heads for the exit amid political turmoil in Bucharest.

Brussels U-turns on plans for more consumer financial data access

Opposition from the financial services sector on the FiDA bill found sympathy within the French government, which called for its demise.

Europe’s far right in Trump’s shadow

Buoyed by Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the far-right Patriots for Europe group met in Madrid on Saturday. Their leaders’ speeches were marked by contradictions, demonstrating the ambiguities that prevail within the third largest group in t…

Europe’s far right in Trump’s shadow

Buoyed by Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the far-right Patriots for Europe group met in Madrid on Saturday. Their leaders’ speeches were marked by contradictions, demonstrating the ambiguities that prevail within the third largest group in t…

The menace of deindustrialization in the EU โ€” and what we can do about it

Policymaking is not accountancy: in the medium and long term, the EU will be better off keeping factories within its borders.

New ecodesign rules freeze out Europeโ€™s local space heaters

Proposed EU rules could see almost 100% of solid fuel local space heaters disappear from the European market, destroying European jobs, growth and competitiveness, warns CEFACD

Kosovo faces political uncertainty as ruling party fails to secure election majority

PM Albin Kurti claims โ€˜victoryโ€™ and vows to form government but analysts warn of prolonged crisis and instabilityThe governing party of the prime minister, Albin Kurti, is on track to secure the most seats in Kosovoโ€™s parliament but will lack the numbe…

The EUโ€™s new AI mantra: Weโ€™re open for business

The European Union has pivoted to cheering AI innovation, laying less emphasis on rules that curb potential threats.

In Madrid, Europe’s far right looks to Trump as a role model

Patriots for Europe, the far-right group created in July in the European Parliament, held its first summit in the Spanish capital on Saturday. From Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, all see Trump as a harbi…

EU far-right parties rally in Madrid behind slogan ‘Make Europe Great Again’

After last year’s European Parliament elections, in which far-right parties performed strongly in several countries, a rally Saturday in Madrid was a meant as a show of force by the EU parliament’s biggest far-right bloc. The rally adopted the slogan …

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.

France opens probe into Muskโ€™s X over algorithm

Investigation is over allegations the social media company manipulated its algorithm, Paris public prosecutor’s office says.

Georgia ramps up restrictions on media, NGOs with drastic new laws

The fresh restrictions come amid a political crisis over disputed elections and the government’s reversal on its EU membership bid.

EU far-right parties rally in Madrid behind slogan ‘Make Europe Great Again’

After last year’s European Parliament elections, in which far-right parties performed strongly in several countries, a rally Saturday in Madrid was a meant as a show of force of the EU parliament’s biggest far-right bloc. The rally adopted the slogan …

Germanyโ€™s Habeck casts doubt on coalition with conservatives

The possibilities for conservative frontrunner Friedrich Merz to form a coalition government are looking increasingly uncertain.

Germanyโ€™s likely next chancellor wants to tell Trump to rein in Musk

โ€œI do not approve of someone in Trumpโ€™s orbit attempting such direct interference in Germanyโ€™s elections,โ€ says Friedrich Merz.

Greenland could hold referendum on independence from Denmark โ€“ Europe live

Greenlandic parliament calls for snap election for 11 March as ruling party, Siumut, proposes accelerating independence processGerman chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that US president Donald Trump was wrong to impose sanctions on the internationa…

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.

Tony Blair picks his Labour rising stars

The former U.K. prime minister has quietly been meeting Labour’s new MPs โ€” and he’s not the only Blairite who’s at it.

Putinโ€™s disinformation networks flood social media in bid to skew German election

A Kremlin-backed campaign is trying to influence voters ahead of Feb. 23 poll, according to government report obtained by POLITICO.

Serbian lithium mine European Parliament film screening fuels dispute

The European Union needs lithium for its energy transition and is eagerly eyeing huge reserves in northern Serbia, but twenty years after making the discovery in the Jadar valley, Rio Tintoโ€™s ambitions to mine the site remain stuck in a mire of environ…

Press release – Press briefing on next weekโ€™s plenary session

Spokespersons for Parliament and for the political groups will hold a briefing on the 10 – 13 February plenary session on Friday at 11.00, in Parliamentโ€™s Anna Politkovskaya press room. Source : ยฉ European Union, 2025 – EP

Alzheimerโ€™s group slams hard-left French MEP for โ€˜disrespectfulโ€™ joke

Lawmaker’s office deletes TikTok video that “may have offended people.”

Merkel โ€˜could not remain silentโ€™ as she jabs Merz again over far-right AfD vote

Former German leader reiterates swipe at chancellor candidate from her own Christian Democratic Union ahead of Feb. 23 election.

Hereโ€™s what Germanyโ€™s next government will look like

Germanyโ€™s conservatives are desperate to avoid a three-party coalition, but the outcome depends on how many small parties make it into parliament.

How do you get a German to vote? Give them free beer of course!

The pilsner plan is finding parts of the electorate other initiatives can’t reach.

French PM Franรงois Bayrou survives first confidence vote

National Rally and Socialists did not back no-confidence motion tabled by hard-left France Unbowed The French prime minister, Franรงois Bayrou, has survived an initial confidence vote in parliament called for by the hard left, after the far-right Nation…

French PM Bayrou survives no-confidence vote thanks to far right

The decision by the National Rally gives Bayrou some breathing room.

‘Bayrou needs to be careful about managing a lot of very sensitive groups in French Parliament’

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is expected to survive a no-confidence vote in parliament, winning some breathing space after less than two months in office. All the while, risk analysis firm Eurasia Group is giving a 70-percent chance that the …

Chinaโ€™s online shopping boom faces EU crackdown

The European Commission plans more customs checks and fees to stem flood of low-value parcels from China.

Justin Trudeau wants to revive UK-Canada trade talks in shadow of Trump

The offer comes as Ottawa remains in the White Houseโ€™s crosshairs.

UK waits nervously for Trump to back Chagos Islands deal

U.S. president’s shake-up of the security apparatus has complicated scrutiny of controversial British deal over Diego Garcia military base.

Rightwing MEPs threaten huge funding freeze for environmental NGOs

Freeze to EUโ€™s LIFE programme funding would deprive 30 NGOs of up to 70% of annual incomesSeveral environmental NGOs could be effectively shut down in Europe, if a defunding push by rightwing MEPs is successful, campaigners say.At the same time that ce…

Has Brexit finally paid off? What Trumpโ€™s tariff reprieve means for Starmer

The U.S. president hinted heโ€™ll spare Britain from his trade war, while hammering the EU. But as Nigel Farage surges in the polls, Keir Starmer isnโ€™t safe from Brexit yet.

Putin ally Schrรถder avoids Nord Stream 2 inquiry after burnout diagnosis

The former German chancellor is suffering from severe exhaustion, lack of energy, concentration and memory problems, his doctor says.

German election poll: Merzโ€™s far-right gambit costs conservatives

The first major survey of voters after frontrunner Friedrich Merz’s controversial alignment with the far right suggests the gambit failed.

War of attrition strains Ukraineโ€™s army

Ukraine wants Donald Trump’s support, but has suffered thousands of casualties and desertions as it holds the line against Russia.

Macron turns to billionairesย to help pay for his legacy

After the rebuilding of the Notre-Dame cathedral, Macron has a new pet project: the Louvre.

Worldโ€™s top defense conference bans Germanyโ€™s populist left and right parties

Munich Security Conference gets tough on anti-establishment parties ahead of German election.

Press release – โ€œEurope must be responsible for its own securityโ€, Metsola tells EU leaders

At the informal European Council meeting on defence, the European Parliament President Metsola outlined her vision on how Europe can and must strengthen its own security and defence. Source : ยฉ European Union, 2025 – EP

German election: AfDโ€™s Weidel doubles down on Holocaust comments

โ€œI find it quite disturbing when the Holocaust is politically instrumentalized,โ€ far-right leader says.

Can the EU Parliamentโ€™s own MAGA movement bring down EPP and S&D?

MADRID – Inspired by Donald Trump’s MAGA slogan, parties aligned with the Patriots for Europe group will gather in Madrid on Friday and Saturday under the banner “Make Europe Great Again” (MEGA), aiming to disrupt the dominance of the EPP…
The post C…

The EUโ€™s AI bans come with big loopholes for police

The EU’s AI Act bans some โ€œunacceptableโ€ use of the technology but critics say the law is riddled with security exemptions.