Pope Francis, sensing he is close to death, moves to protect his legacy

The battle to succeed Pope Francis is likely to be highly politicized, particularly given the pontiff’s recent clash with Catholic U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

Germanyโ€™s Merz again rules out coalition with far right, but opens door to center-left parties

Signaling a pivot, Germany’s likely next chancellor suggested he’d consider governing with the center left โ€” but not the AfD or the liberals.

Can Starmer save Ukraine?

Sky Newsโ€™ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politicoโ€™s Anne McElvoy look at the day ahead in British politics. Although itโ€™s recess, Sam and Anne explain why this week could be a major moment in British politics as they discuss whether the transatlantic alliance has collapsed. Anne shares her insider analysis from the Munich Security [โ€ฆ]

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.

Angry farmers push Poland away from Ukraine

After nearly three years of war in Ukraine, protests by Polish farmers are opening up social and political fractures in a once-unshakeable alliance.

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.

Macronโ€™s U-turn against EU green rules triggers internal revolt

The French president’s anti-regulation push has thrown his environmental legacy into doubt and angered many in his own party.

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.

The fight for Europe is on

At a time of intensifying great power competition, the EU has to choose between becoming a satrap of the U.S. or breaking free to steer its own course โ€” and it must decide quickly.

Senator Warner: Democratsโ€™ โ€˜brand is really badโ€™

Ideological purity and cultural disconnect cost the party the last election.

German chancellor hits back after Vance tirade at security conference โ€“ video

Olaf Scholz has responded strongly in defence of his stance against the far right and said Germany will not accept people who ‘intervene in our democracy’, a day after the US vice-president, JD Vance, attacked European governments for the way they soug…

Scholz slams Vanceโ€™s support for far right as โ€˜interferenceโ€™ by โ€˜outsidersโ€™

‘We will decide for ourselves what happens to our democracy,’ German chancellor tells the U.S.

The downfall of the World Trade Organization

What we see before us now is a dysfunctional and paralyzed colossus. And itโ€™s time to reevaluate this institution, which is no longer fit for purpose.

Trump and Vance are courting Europeโ€™s far right to spread their political gospel

US vice-presidentโ€™s speech and meeting with Germanyโ€™s AfD chief signal administrationโ€™s wider plans for continentThe Trump administration is making a big bet on Europeโ€™s hard right.Speaking at a conference of Europeโ€™s leaders in Munich on Friday, the U…

โ€˜I fear free speech is in retreat,โ€™ JD Vance rebukes Europeโ€™s leaders โ€“ video

In a chastising speech on Friday that openly questioned whether current European values warranted defence by the US, the US vice-president painted a picture of European politics infected by media censorship, cancelled elections and political correctnes…

JD Vance meets with leader of far-right German political party backed by Musk

The vice president met with the leaders of all four major German political parties โ€” including Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany.

Zelensky, Vance meet amid ‘preliminary posturing to establish parameters for peace negotiations’

A highly anticipated meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US Vice President JD Vance is underway at the Munich Security Conference. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24’s Erin Ogunkeye welcomes Dr Gavin Hall,…

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…

German prosecutors confirm Islamic extremism in Munich attack, stoking election debate

A suspected Islamist attack in Munich has ignited fierce political debate on security and migration just over a week before Germanyโ€™s federal election.

Musk will face consequences for interfering in German election, says front-runner Merz

The next German government’s response could be political, legal, or possibly target Musk’s gigafactory near Berlin, center-right leader says in interview.

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]

Syria’s quest for ‘national unity’: On paper, principles of diversity & inclusivity ‘almost perfect’

The Paris conference to chart Syriaโ€™s political future will include all segments of Syrian society except for the Kurdish-led administration in the northeast and loyalists of the repressive former government of Bashar Assad. Interim president Ahmad al…

Brussels power couples โ€”ย 2025 edition

Love is in the air in the halls of power.

Austria’s far right fails to form a coalition

The FPร– has returned its mandate to the president, the ecologist Alexander Van der Bellen, who must find a solution to get the country out of the political stalemate it has been in since the September 2024 legislative elections.

Russia should rejoin G7, Trump says

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

โ€˜We will soon be nextโ€™: German leaders sound alarm on Trumpโ€™s Ukraine plan

Berlin wants more robust military spending following a bombshell move by the Trump administration to negotiate a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

RFK Jr. now runs Americaโ€™s health agencies

The United States Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a 52-48 vote Thursday to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. He will be sworn in later today.

Specialized telecoms investment is the solution, not the problem [Promoted content]

Specialized investment in telecoms is needed to meet the EU ambitious political targets for connectivity currently at risk due to a sector grappling with an unsustainable mismatch between investment needs and returns.

What’s next? Austria’s political crisis deepens after failed coalition talks with far right

PRESS REVIEW โ€“ Thursday, February 13: The political crisis in Austria deepens after coalition government talks fail once again and far-right leader Herbert Kickl gives back the mandate to form a coalition. What’s next? Also: French Prime Minister Fran…

Rassismus-Vorwurf: Scholzโ€™ Stinkefinger-Moment

โ€“ ร„uรŸerung gegenรผber Joe Chialo: Ein unbeobachteter Moment holt den Kanzler wenige Tage vor dem Wahlsonntag ein und bringt ihn in eine Situation, wie sie zuletzt Peer Steinbrรผck hatte. โ€“ Im 200-Sekunden-Interview: FDP-Chef Christian Lindner erklรคrt, weshalb er nun eine Deutschland-Koalition aus CDU, SPD und FDP favorisiert. โ€“ Vor der Mรผnchner Sicherheitskonferenz: Trump kรผndigt Verhandlungen [โ€ฆ]

โ€˜There is fear of what lies aheadโ€™: Germans divided as snap election looms

Voters share which party they are backing on key issues from immigration to economic stagnation amid a fractured political landscapeโ€œI live in Germanyโ€™s oldest city, founded by the Romans over 2,000 years ago,โ€ said Gregor, 59, from Trier, a town of ab…

Trump-Putin Ukraine peace talks mustnโ€™t exclude Kyiv, EU allies warn

U.S. and Russian leaders spoke on the phone Wednesday about ending the war โ€” and agreed to start negotiations โ€œimmediately.โ€

โ€˜The far right wants us to play by their rulesโ€™: Can German Greens survive โ€˜witch-huntโ€™?

As AfD says Germany is in grip of โ€˜eco-dictatorshipโ€™, Green party tones down mention of climate actionThe crowd had crammed into a concert hall in central Berlin to hear crunch-time election pitches from Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock, the high-pr…

Heathrowโ€™s long take-off

Sky Newsโ€™ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politicoโ€™s Anne McElvoy look at the day ahead in British politics. Growth spends another day on the agenda โ€“ as Heathrow gets ready to announce a multibillion-pound expansion plan. How feasible are some of the proposals and the timescale for them? At the same time โ€“ thereโ€™s [โ€ฆ]

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]

China tops list of countries trying to silence exiled dissidents over past decade, study shows

Russia, Turkey and Egypt also among worst perpetrators of transnational repression around the globeA quarter of the worldโ€™s countries have engaged in transnational repression โ€“ targeting political exiles abroad to silence dissent โ€“ in the past decade, …

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.

On the slow road to peace in Ukraine

Ahead of the Munich Security Conference, we need to be preparing for an extraordinarily complex process that will take many months.

Trump rails against UKโ€™s โ€˜hugeโ€™ trade deficit as hopes of tariff exemption fade

British ministers are scrambling to avoid Trumpโ€™s tariffs.

Starmer vs bats

๐Ÿ‘‰Listen to Politics At Jack And Samโ€™s on your podcast app๐Ÿ‘ˆย ย ย  ย ย  Sky Newsโ€™ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politicoโ€™s Anne McElvoy look at the day ahead in British politics. Today they discuss the sudden major changes to the assisted dying bill from MP Kim Leadbeater which means cases would not need signing off [โ€ฆ]

Germanyโ€™s far-left party sees membership surge before election

The Left’s boost in numbers fuels hope of clearing the 5 percent threshold to enter the Bundestag.

By courting the far right, the man tipped to be Germanyโ€™s next chancellor may have sealed his own downfall | Florian Ranft

Conservative Friedrich Merz shattered a political taboo. His blunder gives the centre-left a chance in the 23 February electionThere are moments in every election campaign when the fate of a key protagonist takes a decisive turn, often after an unforce…

Far-right populists much more likely than the left to spread fake news โ€“ study

Amplifying misinformation is now part of radical right strategy, says Dutch study of tweets by MPs in 26 countriesFar-right populists are significantly more likely to spread fake news on social media than politicians from mainstream or far-left parties…

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.

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.

As Trump torches overseas aid, will Britain step up?

Britain used to lead the world on international development. But in the era of right-wing populists, its Labour government is now treading carefully.

Muskโ€™s shadow hangs over Macronโ€™s AI summit

The special relationship that the French president tried to nurture with the tech billionaire never really bore fruit.

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.

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

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

โ€˜Engine of inequalityโ€™: delegates discuss AIโ€™s global impact at Paris summit

Emmanuel Macronโ€™s tech envoy warns attenders current trajectory of artificial intelligence is unsustainableEurope live โ€“ latest updatesBusiness live โ€“ latest updatesThe impact of artificial intelligence on the environment and inequality have featured i…

UK could snub Macronโ€™s AI declaration after US criticism

French diplomat plays down importance of declaration as focus shifts to AI sovereignty.

Trump, tariffs and Germany: Do populists rule the world?

Sky Newsโ€™ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politicoโ€™s Anne McElvoy look at the day ahead in British politics. Overnight, US President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports into America would come into affect โ€œsoonโ€. Sam and Anne discuss what this could mean for the UK which imports 10% of [โ€ฆ]

Britain ditches AI declaration, pitches for cash

SNEAK PEEK โ€” As the AI Action Summit kicks off, the U.K. is tempted against signing its main declaration. โ€” Peter Kyle takes his investment pitch to Paris. โ€” Back at home, thereโ€™s a backlash against the Home Office over encryption. Good Monday morning, This is Tom in Paris. You can get in touch with [โ€ฆ]

Tech titans and government chiefs gather in Paris for landmark AI summit

Political and tech leaders convene in Paris for a summit co-hosted by French President Macron and Indian PM Modi to discuss AI governance, aiming for ethical, accessible AI and bolstering European sovereignty over the technology. The event, at Grand P…

Franceโ€™s great AI hope sees opportunity in Chinaโ€™s chatbot success

Mistral AI co-founder says China’s artificial intelligence breakthrough offers inspiration for Europe in the global AI race.

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…

Kosovo PM Albin Kurti wins election amid tensions with Brussels and Washington

His ruling party fell short of a majority and will need to find a coalition partner if it hopes to continue in power.

Merz and Scholz clash on migration, economy and Trump: โ€˜How dumb can somebody be?โ€™

Center-right and center-left chancellor candidates clashed in a fiery debate, exposing deep divisions just weeks ahead of a national election.

Trump is rattling Europe. Heโ€™s sending Vance as his emissary.

The vice president will mingle with world leaders in Munich and Paris at a time when the White House has made clear itโ€™s not afraid to shred old alliances.

The real significance of Trumpโ€™s tariffs

It represents another major effort to expand presidential authority.

The Future of Temporary Protection in Tรผrkiye: Return of Syrians after the Fall of Assad

 

Dr. AyลŸe Dicle
Ergin, Assistant
Professor, Bilkent University Faculty of Law

 

Photo credit: Henry
Ridgwell, Voice of America news, via Wikimedia
Commons

 

As of today, the vast majority of
approximately 2.8
million Syrians in Tรผr…

Super Bowl: The NFL team Trump loves to hate

The president has left a breadcrumb trail suggesting nothing would make him happier than to see the Eagles get slaughtered in the Super Bowl.

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.

Merzโ€™s gamble: Germanyโ€™s centre-right leader splits voters by flirting with hardline AfD

Would be chancellor Friederich Merz breaks post-war convention of no political deals with far rightOn a foggy, frigid morning in Saxony, far-right MP Renรฉ Bochmann could not believe his partyโ€™s luck in the final days of the German election campaign, wi…

US judge orders sweeping restriction on DOGE access to sensitive Treasury data

The judge limited access to โ€œcivil servants with a need for accessโ€ who have โ€œpassed all background checks and security clearances.โ€

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.

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.

Economy, migration, defence loom large in German election: A turning point for Europe?

Of all the elections happening in the EU this year, the vote in Germany is probably the one that is being watched most closely across the bloc. Europe’s largest economy is in trouble; the old model of cheap gas and easily accessible export markets is …

Patriots for Europe pitches ‘alternative’ leadership to EPP, Socialists in Trump eraย 

The EU is “out of the (global) game”, Spanish MEP Jorge Buxadรฉ told Euronews. His far-right group plans to continue cooperating both nationally and transatlantically to gain more political power in Europe.

Trumpโ€™s aid freeze leaves UN food agency scrambling, with millions at risk

Despite a U.S. waiver, food shipments are stalled, funding is uncertain and Europe may have to fill the gap.

What does Trump really want from Canada?

โ€œThe current game is maximum chaos,โ€ one industry leader says of the current state of Canada-U.S. relations

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.

โ€˜Weโ€™re still thereโ€™: Ukraine marks the 6-month anniversary of its Kursk incursion

Kyiv insists that the invasion made sense, but some experts feel the cost has been very high.

How Peter Mandelson can survive Trumpโ€™s Washington

Top tips for Britainโ€™s new ambassador from people whoโ€™ve done the job and lived to tell the tale.

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]

The Trump war no one is talking about

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it’s probably being shot by Donald Trump Jr.

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.

Like an episode of The Wire: Brussels gang wars spiral out of control

โ€œMafiaโ€ shootings with Kalashnikovs trigger alarm in the city as politicians convene an emergency meeting.

Authoritarian regimes around the world cheer on dismantling of USAid

Elon Musk-led razing of US foreign aid agency led strong-arm rulers in Hungary, Belarus and elsewhere to celebrateMoscow has welcomed the impending dissolution of USAid, joining a chorus of strongman leaders declaring victory over an organisation they …

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

Starmer goes nuclear

Sky Newsโ€™ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politicoโ€™s Anne McElvoy look at the day ahead in British politics. Sam and Anne discuss Sir Keir Starmerโ€™s plans to break down barriers to building nuclear reactors in the UK, and Kemi Badenochโ€™s new proposals for stricter immigration rules in a possible bid to win back voters [โ€ฆ]