British politics has a sandwich problem
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is just the latest big name to cause a stir with her culinary choices.
scandal
UK regulator behaved โunfairlyโ over mis-selling scandal redress scheme, court told
FCA โshut outโ businesses wrongly sold products designed to protect against interest rate changes, High Court hears
Herbert Kickl
Disrupter No. 7 โ Austria
Guns, lies and audiotape: How Bidenโs family ties could lead to another pardon
For decades, a scandal-plagued Mississippi family has cozied up to the president. How will the relationship end?
โฌ36B tax fraud scandal returns to haunt Germanyโs Scholz
Beleaguered leader to be grilled over his dealings with one of the banks connected to the “cum-ex” affair.
Belgian police raids properties of former justice commissioner Reynders
The former EU commissioner Didier Reynders is suspected of laundering money by purchasing large amounts of lottery e-tickets.
Trump promised Jan. 6 pardons. His post-election silence is making loyalists nervous.
His die-hard supporters โ as well as some federal judges โ are left to speculate about his clemency plans.
Woman searching for birth parents found dad was a friend on Facebook
Tamuna Museridze has reunited hundreds of families torn apart by a baby trafficking scandal โ now she has found her own birth parents.
Woman searching for birth parents found dad was a friend on Facebook
Tamuna Museridze has reunited hundreds of families torn apart by a baby trafficking scandal โ now she has found her own birth parents.
EU has high hopes for the โanti-Michelโ
Antรณnio Costa becomes the new European Council president at a crunch moment for the bloc.
Who were the biggest dunces? Final grades for von der Leyenโs first Commission
Whoโs at the top of the class and who flunked? Here are POLITICO’s grades for each 2019-2024 European commissioner.
Norway’s royal family reels under the weight of scandal
Marius Borg Hoiby, son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been accused of violence by several former partners. This latest crisis could shake society’s solid support for the monarchy.
Von der Leyenโs holiday to Greece prompts criticism from top EU watchdog
The European Commission took way too long to provide documents about the trip, European Ombudsman says.
UK court sides with Icelandic firm over artistโs spoof corruption apology
Judge considering complaint by fishing firm Samherji rules artist Odee unlikely to be able to defend work as parodyThe property rights of Icelandโs largest fishing company prevail over the right to artistic expression of an artist who spoofed the firmโ…
Diamond necklace linked to Marie Antoinette sells for $4.8m
Experts say some of the stones in the piece are a match with the original diamonds central to a royal scandal.
Diamond necklace linked to Marie Antoinette sells for $4.8m
Experts say some of the stones in the piece are a match with the original diamonds central to a royal scandal.
Mysterious 300-carat diamond necklace fetches ยฃ3.8m in Geneva auction
Worn at Queen Elizabeth IIโs coronation, the necklace has possible links to the downfall of Marie AntoinetteA mysterious diamond-laden necklace with possible links to a scandal that contributed to the downfall of Marie Antoinette has sold for $4.8m (ยฃ3…
Archbishop of Canterbury resigns over handling of sex abuse scandal
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, resigned on Tuesday after a report last week showed that he had failed to ensure a legitimate investigation into allegations that a lawyer and volunteer at Christian summer camps had physically and sexually …
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigns over abuse scandal
Justin Welby, the leader of the Anglican church, announced the move after a report revealed that the Church of England had, since 2013, covered up decades of abuse by John Smyth, a lawyer who organized evangelical summer camps.
Archbishop of Canterbury resigns over abuse scandal
Justin Welby had faced intense pressure over his role in Church of Englandโs failure to halt years of attacks by child abuser
Hungarian opposition leader accuses Orbรกn of Watergate-style spying plot
Pรฉter Magyar alleged Orbรกn was aware of the dirty tactics used against him.
Lahbib wrestled gender issues, own track record during confirmation hearing
Lahbib, who had previously been singled out as a potential weak point in the new commission line-up, faced tough questions on her Crimea trip and visa scandal.
Cyprusโ commissioner hearing: Costas Kadis on fisheries and oceans โ live updates
Cyprus’ former agriculture and environment minister has promised he won’t put the European fishing industry’s short-term interests ahead of long-term ocean health.
POLITICOโs hour-by-hour guide for watching election returns
We may not know who won the presidency on Tuesday night โ but how the results roll in will tell us a lot.
UK court deals hammer blow to banks in car finance scandal
Sealed court filings obtained by POLITICO show judges on the Court of Appeal believe there are โno arguable groundsโ for lenders to appeal latest ruling.
Vatican and Israel implicated in Italian hacking scandal, leaked files reveal
Police wiretaps show the sprawling global nature of an investigation into Milan-based private detectives and their clients.
โIf I donโt do it, who will?โ: Greenlandic MP defends actions in Danish parliament
Aki-Matilda Hรธegh-Dam, who was ordered to leave podium after refusing to translate speech, attacks โracistโ mindsetA Greenlandic MP has accused Copenhagen of โcognitive dissonanceโ after she was ordered to leave the podium in parliament for refusing to…
UK budget: 7 things to watch for as Labour hikes taxes
From splashing the cash to going for growth, here’s how Britain’s first female chancellor wants to run the economy.
Sexual assault allegations leave Spanish left-wing coalition partner reeling
รรฑigo Errejรณn resigned and his former chief of staff was expelled in a snowballing scandal.
Massive hack-for-hire scandal rocks Italian political elites
The president and former prime minister were among targets of hackers selling highly sensitive data.
Scholz condemns Iran for executing German national
This “will have serious consequences,โ added Annalena Baerbock, Germanyโs foreign minister.
Keir Starmer plays fast and loose with public trust in UK budget
Wriggling on tax and public spending promises is a big risk for Britain’s new leader soon after coming to office.
Romaniaโs election extravaganza awakens ghosts of fascist past
A far-right former football hooligan is polling strongly in the presidential race in a mega voting year for Romanians.
Sex scandal rocks Spanish far-left puts Sรกnchez coalition to the test
A special police unit handling the case said officers had received the alleged victimโs complaint, which has been sent to a judge.
Japan faces political instability as ruling coalition loses majority
New PM Shigeru Ishibaโs gamble on a snap election backfires, leaving him facing a fight to retain power.
Ben Bradleeโs posthumous advice to Jeff Bezos: You need to sell The Washington Post.
A spiked editorial puts the ownerโs conflicts in a sharp light. And the uproars are only going to keep coming.
โIf I had the power Iโd destroy the whole thingโ: what went wrong with the ghost town of Disney-style castles?
It was meant to be a dream development but, 13 years on, it remains unfinished โ a microcosm of Turkeyโs scandal-hit construction sector under ErdoฤanFrom the rooftop of the castle where Iโm standing, a panorama of blue-grey turrets stretches into the …
Brussels, my love? Migrant return hubs – solution or scandal?
Brussels, my love? Migrant return hubs – solution or scandal?
Scandal plagues Swedish hospital, 33 women given unnecessary hysterectomiesย
As many as 33 women in Sweden had their uteruses unnecessarily removed after Uppsala University Hospital wrongly diagnosed them as being at risk of uterine cancer in 2023 and early 2024. An investigation has been launched.
Opponents slam Meloniโs government for glorifying Mussoliniโs soldiers
The ruling Brothers of Italy party gets caught in another fascist nostalgia scandal.
In Turkey, the newborn gang trafficking scandal has shaken the hospital world
Twenty-two people have been arrested and charged with homicide as part of a network trafficking infants into private establishments.
Ukrainian prosecutor general Andriy Kostin resigns amid draft-dodging scandal
Ukrainian prosecutor general Andriy Kostin resigns amid draft-dodging scandal
Ukraineโs prosecutor general resigns amid draft-dodging scandal
Andriy Kostin’s office has recently been rocked by allegations that dozens of local officials, including prosecutors, allegedly misused their positions to obtain disability status.
Brussels ducks responsibility for Cyprus waste scandal
An EU fraud investigation into a โฌ46 million waste treatment project remains stuck in bureaucratic gridlock.
Ukraine war briefing: Draft-dodging scandal sees Kyivโs top prosecutor resign and officials sacked
Andriy Kostin forced out over rash of officials getting disabled status; North Korean soldiers โabout to arrive in Kurskโ. What we know on day 973See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage Continue reading…
Greeceโs ruling party fined over misuse of voter records
Data leaked from a government voter system was used to boost the election campaign of a member of the ruling New Democracy party.
Ukraineโs top prosecutor falls on sword amid fake disabilities scam
Dozens of prosecutors reportedly obtained disability certificates from a corrupt medical commission, allowing them to potentially evade the draft and to qualify for larger state pensions.
Conkers scandal is a reminder of bonkers worlds everywhere we look
Accusations of cheating reveal a drama fit for TV
In memoriam Marius: film unpicks ethics behind Danish zooโs controversial giraffe killing
When Copenhagen zoo cut up a giraffe as kids looked on it caused global outrage โ Life and Other Problems charts a path between Darwin and Disney to explore what the scandal teaches us animal-human relationsOn a Sunday morning in February 2014, after a…
Crisis deepens for Irelandโs scandal-hit Sinn Fรฉin
The Irish republicans had hoped to lead the next government in Dublin โ but a surge in scandals and infighting are undermining its ambitions.
German far right quarrels over MP who teaches music in Moscow academy
The incident exacerbates party division.
Labour didnโt disclose top civil servantโs party links on key transparency form
Civil service watchdog wasnโt told of in-kind donations by Emily Middletonโs former employer to Labour frontbencher.
In Poland, vodka sold in fruity pouches resembling children’s purรฉes causes a scandal
A range of alcoholic products sold in packaging similar to popular children’s purรฉes has reignited the debate on alcohol sales restrictions.
Czechia to return ambassador to Russia after break of several years
Diplomatic relations between Prague and Moscow worsened in 2021 when Czech secret services confirmed Russian involvement in previous ammo warehouse blasts.
Scandal-hit Sinn Fรฉin on back foot ahead of Irish elections
Opposition leader Mary Lou McDonald vows to stay at helm of party despite resignations of two deputies
Who is Lord Alli, the British Labour Party’s generous and cumbersome donor?
The British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is in the eye of a storm following the revelation that he received multiple gifts from a wealthy businessman close to the Labour Party, which has caused a scandal in the context of severe budget cuts.
Poland tightens entry rules after cash-for-visas scandal involving PiS
Poland tightens entry rules after cash-for-visas scandal involving PiS
Russian visa scandal: โWe lost controlโ over system, Polish foreign minister laments
Audit flags several irregularities, including granting visas to Russians “without any legal basis.”
New UK laws to stop repeat of P&O mass sackings scandal go before parliament
Labour clamps down on poor working conditions at sea with laws on collective dismissal and minimum wage on cross-Channel ferriesLaws to ensure that the P&O Ferries mass sackings scandal can never recur will be laid before parliament this week as La…
Trump spoke with Putin seven times since leaving office, new book reports
The Trump campaign vehemently denied that the GOP nominee has been in touch with Russiaโs president
Trump calls US election โmost important day in the history of Israelโ
The former presidentโs remarks came at an event commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Keir Starmerโs reset shows his premiership is already in crisis
Less than 100 days after taking office, the prime minister has already been forced to shake up his team.
Sue Gray resigns as Keir Starmerโs chief of staff
Gray had become a lightning rod for internal criticism since Labour’s election victory in the summer.
Boris Johnson: Iโm sorry I said sorry for Partygate scandal
Johnson said his โblanket apologyโ for rule-breaking pandemic parties had been a mistake.
German far-right politician accused of using forced labour at Belarus farm
Allegations against Jรถrg Dornau are latest scandal to engulf AfD over links to authoritarian governments
Romanian former top NATO official linked to election scandal attacks journalist
Mircea Geoanฤ, the former deputy secretary general of NATO, has resorted to disinformation as part of his response to a journalistic investigation exposing links between a former key figure in his informal campaign and a Russian businessman.
Brussels university wants Vaticanโs envoy summoned over popeโs abortion remarks
While the pope’s position on abortion is not surprising and he has used the same exact words before, his remarks come at a sensitive time for Belgium.
Poland vows changes to alcohol laws after kidsโ mousse vodka fiasco
The product was dubbed “evil in pure form.”
Pope Francisโ progressive legacy nears judgment day
Church conservatives and liberals feud bitterly over reforms teased by the pontiff.
Waste scandal haunts Cyprusโ EU pick as he heads to Brussels
A decade-old environmental dispute in Limassol, Cyprus, is raising questions over Costas Kadis’ run for EU commissioner.
Meloniโs street protest crackdown prompts concerns of growing repression in Italy
Beefed-up anti-protest laws take aim at climate activists and allow nonviolent protesters to be jailed.
Harris, Trump virtually tied in battleground polls
New polls show the presidential candidates neck and neck in key battleground states that could determine the course of the race.
Marine Le Pen goes on trial over EU expenses scandal
French far-right leader is accused of paying European parliament staff for party work back home
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.
Milan appeals against โgrotesqueโ move to rename airport after Berlusconi
City authorities take case to Lombardy regional court in effort to block initiative by Matteo SalviniMilan council has appealed against a โgrotesqueโ move to rename the cityโs main airport after the scandal-tainted late former prime minister Silvio Ber…
Top Labour MP resigns, decrying โgreed and powerโ of Starmerโs partyย
Rosie Duffield quit the party over the ongoing freebies scandal and the prime minister’s austerity policies.
Orbรกn (sort of) slaps down aide who said Hungary would surrender to Russia
Hungarian PM said political director’s comments on Ukraine’s resistance were a “mistake.”
Austrian far right set for comeback with nod to Nazi past
Voters on Sunday could make the once scandal-ridden Freedom Party largest force in national parliament
Belgian PM demands action from the Pope over sex abuse scandal
“Concrete steps must also be taken,” Alexander De Croo told the pontiff.
Church sex abuse scandal threatens to overshadow Popeโs Belgium tour
โIt’s a very, very strange week,โ said a filmmaker who documented the clerical assaults.
Trade policy: 20 people to meet at Tory conference
POLITICO curates a lineup of the top players influencing the Conservativesโ Brexit and trade policies.
Tech policy: 20 people to meet at Tory conference
We break down the 20 figures shaping the Conservativesโ tech policy in opposition.
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.
EU deflects blame as ICC prosecutor asked to look into Tunisia migrant abuse scandal
A new complaint to the International Criminal Court accuses Tunisia of severe human rights violations against African migrants, just a year after the EUโs migration deal with the country. The EU Commission rejects any involvement of EU funds.ย
Spanish far-right MEP Alvise Pรฉrez implicated in black money campaign funding scandal
Spanish far-right MEPย Alvise Pรฉrez has been accused of accepting money from the head of a cryptocurrency firm and not declaring it to the tax authorities following an investigation by eldiaro.es published on Wednesday (25 September).
EU Commission rejects greater transparency after โcorrosiveโ revolving door scandal
The European Commission says it wonโt immediately publish details of the restrictions placed on Henrik Morch, whose move earlier this year from its antitrust department to law firm Paul, Weiss drew protests from EU Ombudsman Emily OโReilly.
โThe rest of the world is watching.โ London Mayor Sadiq Khan cautions Americans against reelecting Trump.
Sadiq Khan tells POLITICO Trump would set the wrong tone for the rest of the world.
Keir Starmerโs victory party turns sour
Britain’s new prime minister has suffered a turbulent start to his premiership.
Necklace worn at Queen Elizabeth IIโs coronation could fetch ยฃ2m at auction
Some jewellery historians believe it features diamonds from infamous piece at centre of Marie Antoinette scandalAn antique diamond necklace worn at Queen Elizabeth IIโs coronation and may be linked to a French scandal involving Marie Antoinette is coul…
Health care helps to stabilize democracies, Gastein chief says
SNEAK PEEK โ Austriaโs Clemens Martin Auer stresses the role of health care in democracies ahead of a major health policy summit in the Alps. โย The European Medicines Agency recommended two updated Covid-19 vaccines โ but targeting different variants. โย Hungaryโs secretary of state for health will present the Hungarian presidencyโs program on health to Parliamentโs [โฆ]
Bulgariaโs Borissov calls for North Macedoniaโs deputy PM to resign
Boyko Borissov, leader of Bulgaria’s largest party, GERB, called for the resignation of Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Nikoloski over his comments about Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and Bulgaria, further adding fuel to the ongoing โmissi…
Trade policy: 20 people to meet at Labour conference
We break down the 20 figures inside and outside government shaping Labourโs trade policy.
Germany retains quiet grip on Europeโs finances
Von der Leyen’s loyalists hail from countries that don’t like splashing the cash. While others may have posher titles, those frugal hands still hold the power.
The 5 commissioners most likely to get the chop
Once every five years the European Parliament gets to pick off a nominee or two โ 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.
Missing flag at meeting sparks new row between Sofia and Skopje
A missing Macedonian flag during the meeting between Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and his counterpart Gordana Silyanovska-Davkova has triggered a new scandal and raised tensions between Sofia and Skopje on Monday.
Icelandic fishing giant Samherji sues art student for spoofing corporate website
High court told โculture-jammedโ apology for high-profile corruption scandal โdid not qualify as parodyโIcelandโs biggest fishing company is suing an art student at Londonโs high court for spoofing its website and issuing a fake public apology over a h…
The job no one wants: EU health commissioner
Health policy is looking like the poor cousin and is likely to be downgraded this mandate.
Polish ex-MEP arrested over nephewโs private university scandal
The country’s new government under PM Donald Tusk has pushed for lawmakers from the former ruling Law and Justice party to face prosecution for corruption.
Germanyโs border checks could embolden Michel Barnierโs tough-on-immigration stance
In todayโs edition of the Capitals, find out more about Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico denying allegations his government purchased Pegasus, Poland’s PiS admitting the fictitious travel scandal involving an ex-MEP could spell trouble, and so much mo…