EUโs biggest secessionist movement is losing momentum
And Catalonia’s new President wants to shoot it dead.
Stage
Elon Muskโs โNaziโ salute sparks fury from Europeโs left wing
Lawmakers and media pour scorn on the key adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump.
As Trump arrives, Macron hints NATO spending target is too low
The French president warned Europe should prepare for a U.S. withdrawal from Europe.
What Trumpโs exit from the climate deal really means
Quitting the Paris Agreement triggers a cascade of real-world impacts and signals the beginning of an aggressive agenda to undo U.S. climate policy.
Trump takes victory lap, thrills MAGA crowd at pre-inauguration rally
His rally put on full display the totality of his grip on Washington.
Putinโs grip on Belarus sickens opponents of Lukashenko regime
Dissidents despair at the Russian presidentโs influence ahead of this monthโs rigged election.ย
Get ready for Trumpโs executive order onslaught
The incoming president is trying to deliver on a long list of Day One promises.
Abandoned and nowhere to go: A snapshot of migrant domestic workers stranded in Lebanon
War is a magnifier of the best and worst of human behavior, and itโs often those already vulnerable who suffer most.
Gaza cease-fire to begin Sunday morning
The deal marks the first pause in hostilities in the 15-month war.
Von der Leyen emerges from illness to join show of support for Germanyโs Merz
European Commission president is in Berlin for her first public appearance since she was admitted to hospital.
EU and Mexico revamp trade deal before tariff man Trump takes office
The European Union and Mexico link arms to fend off the impact of tariffs threatened by incoming U.S. President Donald Trump.
Europe needs to step up to defend Ukraine now Trump is back, Starmer saysย
British PM looks ahead to Donald Trumpโs second term, telling POLITICO the U.K. will โplay a full partโ in any future peacekeeping initiative in Ukraine.ย
The Brief โ Serbiaโs theatre of the absurd
On the public stage at home, Vuฤiฤ plays the staunchest defender of the Serbian nation. In Brussels and Washington, he slips into the role of sober statesman.
The post The Brief โ Serbia’s theatre of the absurd appeared first on Euractiv.
German farmers fear โmassiveโ hit from foot-and-mouth outbreak
Several countries have already taken precautionary measures or imposed bans, as the German livestock sector braces for longer-term impact.
Von der Leyen wins Charlemagne Prize for European unification
European Commission president is rewarded for โher services to the unity of the Member States.”
Von der Leyen to receive Charlemagne prize for European unification
The citation for the prize says von der Leyen “personifies Europe” and called her “the powerful voice of Europe on the worldโs stage.”
The post Von der Leyen to receive Charlemagne prize for European unification appeared first on Euractiv.
In the new Trumpian era, liberal democracies must hold their noses โ and engage with difficult partners | Timothy Garton Ash
New polling says much of the world will welcome Trump. Europe will need to be more transactional abroad โ but less so at homeEuropean jitters about Trump 2.0 not shared by much of world, poll findsWhen returning US president Donald Trump eyes up Greenl…
William Tell review โ limbs fly as Claes Bangโs 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 sonโs headNick Hamm lets rip with some gonzo Game of Thrones craziness in his retelling of the William Tell myth with a…
Private equity firm Providence weighs ยฃ1bn sale in latest events transaction
Company in early stage deliberations over sale of CloserStill amid surging demand for conferences
Qatari mediators say Gaza cease-fire deal close
The Biden administration has been racing to halt fighting in Gaza before leaving office.
The play that changed my life: โSarcophagus dealt with Chornobyl as a symptom of corruption in Russiaโ
Vladimir Gubarevโs tragic satire about the response to the nuclear disaster transfixed audiences and showed the absolute necessity of theatreI was pregnant when the terrifying radiation clouds came over Europe after the Chornobyl disaster. My interest …
Biden insists US is โwinningโ on world stage โ what would losing look like?
The president defended his record on Ukraine, Gaza and Afghanistan but foreign policy successes have been fewOn paper, few US presidents could boast the foreign policy bona fides of Joe Biden, a veteran statesman with nearly a half-century of experienc…
Germanyโs far right seeks electoral legitimacy from Trump administration
The AfD is using Elon Muskโs endorsement to reach out to Donald Trump โ and to appear more acceptable at home ahead of a national election.
Weidel elected as far-right chancellor candidate at low-energy party conference
The party leadership rushed to join their new top candidate for a photo on stage before disappearing almost as quickly right after.
The post Weidel elected as far-right chancellor candidate at low-energy party conference appeared first on Euractiv.
Protesters stage blockade as AfD holds conference before German elections
Heavy police presence in place as far-right party meets in Saxony to finalise details of campaign platformA convention of the far-right Alternative fรผr Deutschland (AfD) party was met by protests as it launched its campaign in Germanyโs elections.AfD i…
โIf you hear the siren, go to the shelterโ: the wrenching play about the bombing of a theatre in Ukraine
In March 2022, the largest theatre in Mariupol โ while in use as a bomb shelter for 1,000 people โ was hit by a Russian air strike. A re-enactment based on survivorsโ testimonies has been moving audiences to tearsThe play opens with the usual pre-show …
How to trigger Trump: Britainโs cozy China trip risks Americaโs anger
“Weโve now got someone who’s incredibly hostile to China coming into the White House,โ said a bank lobbyist.
Immigration takes center stage in Germany’s election campaign
The attack in Magdeburg on December 20 has pushed the issue of immigration to the top of the agenda for all German political parties, not just the far-right AfD, in the run-up to the February 23 parliamentary elections.
Germanyโs Lindner gets cake (of soap) in the face on campaign trail
“I wear these battle scars with pride,” jokes Free Democratic Party leader after getting smeared with foam at an election rally.
Toxic powder injures Belgium PMโs office member at government building
Similar letters were found at the interior ministerโs office on Nov. 20 and on Dec. 9.
Doctors present first barrier for rare diseaseย patientsย
Overcoming the doctor’s ego is a first hurdle for many rare disease patients in search of a diagnosis.
Olly Robbins, scourge of the Brexiteers, back in UK government
Former Brexit negotiator will lead the Foreign Office.
Meloniโs European moment risks falling flat
Italyโs most successful premiers on the EU stage tend to be technocrats not professional politicians
Trump trades isolationism for expansionism โ possibly with military force
The president-elect wants to annex Greenland and regain control of the Panama Canal.
Meta adds Ultimate Fighting Championship boss to board as it courts Trump
UFC chief Dana White is a key ally of the incoming U.S. president.
5 green targets EU countries will (mostly) miss in 2025
EU countries are behind on most, if not all, their sustainability commitments.
How Charles Michel waded into a minefield in Nagorno-Karabakh
The former Council President wanted to intervene in a bitter conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He ended up mired in problems of his own, excerpts from a new book on the region reveal.
Cases of flu-like virus are soaring in China. Should Europe worry?
Experts say seasonal surges are to be expected.
Europeโs chance to secure peace in Ukraine
A coalition of willing NATO allies could physically step in to help secure a future demarcation zone between an independent Ukraine and a Russian-occupied one.
Trump will be sentenced for hush money conviction on Jan. 10 โ but wonโt get jail time
Incarceration is not a practical option given Trumpโs imminent return to the White House, Justice Juan Merchan wrote.
The West End is enjoying a theatre revival. Can Broadway keep up?
The trend is a decisive shift in the balance between two cities that have long vied to be the world capital of the stage
Ursula von der Leyen has โsevereโ pneumonia
The European Commission president cancels engagements in Lisbon and Gdaลsk after falling ill.
Greenlandโs leader wants independence from Denmark as Trump hovers over Arctic island
โIt is now time to take the next step for our country,โ Greenlandic Prime Minister Mรบte Egede says in hinting at 2025 referendum.
โTheyโve heard so much wrong informationโ: Selling heat pumps across Germanyโs political divide
Green heating has an image problem, especially where climate-sceptic parties hold sway. Now energy groups are promoting them on grounds of cost, status and energy securityA few dozen people had gathered on the dancefloor of the nightclub in eastern Ger…
Post your questions for Claes Bang
The Danish star of the BBCโs Dracula, Ruben รstlundโs The Square and the new historical action-adventure William Tell is here to answer your questionsClaes Bang (โClaesโ rhymes with โfaceโ, in case you were wondering) only became an actor by chance, af…
Trump spurs red tape bonfire for EU finance rules. Just donโt call it deregulation.
The vogue term is “competitiveness.”
37 words that sum up a wild 2024 in British politics
From Elon to sausages, it’s been … a lot.
Germany 2025: Reform or more gloom?
The coming year will demand courage from the country’s politicians. But if they succumb to anxiety and idling, there will be darker days ahead.
Wanted: An early-warning system for the end of the world
Some experts believe we could hit catastrophic climate โtipping pointsโ in a matter of years. The U.K. government, with a bit of help from Dominic Cummings, is trying to prepare.
POLITICOโs most-read stories of 2024
Elections, war and porn: The stories that captured your attention over the past 12 months.
Europeโs emerging centers of power
Four thinkers present their predictions for the next new world order.
Meloniโs 2025 budget appeases Brussels but raises specter of austerityย
Critics complained that the spending plan prioritizes political concerns over desperately sought funds for strained public services.
From Sophocles to Sarah Kane: theatre and dance to look forward to in 2025
Cate Blanchett on the London stage, Sondheimโs swan song and a ballet of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots
North Koreans launching โhuman waveโ attacks against Ukrainian positions in Kursk
North Korea is suffering โheavy casualties,โ White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.
POLITICO London Playbook awards 2024
From minister of the year to WTF moment, Westminster’s essential newsletter picks the winners of 2024.
The heart of British democracy is a crime hotspot
Britainโs symbol of power has an uncomfortable reputation for high levels of criminality.
Thereโs nothing very new about the new French government
The prime minister has failed his first big test. Despite another bunch of ministers, he hasnโt built a broader political base.
Post-Brexit Britain has a new best friend: Brazil
The love-in between Keir Starmer and Lula centers on climate and trade. Just don’t mention Ukraine.
Friday briefing: Will the Gisรจle Pelicot case finally change how we view violence against women?
In todayโs newsletter: For years, Dominique Pelicot drugged his wife and recruited men to rape her. It could be a turning point in social and legal attitudes to sexual assaultGood morning.Dominique Pelicot, described as one of Franceโs worst sex offend…
Russiaโs not invincible โ just look at Syrian collapse, says EU top diplomat
Europe needs to act united to remain โstrong and serious on the world stage,โ Kaja Kallas says.
Press release – Metsola to EU leaders โ2025: Time to step upโ
Speaking at the European Council, President Metsola called on leaders to step up in order to assert Europeโs place on the world stage. Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP
Europeโs economic apocalypse
Stagnation, flagging competitiveness, Donald Trump โ the continent is facing “an existential challenge.”
Ukraine lacks might to retake occupied territories, Zelenskyy concedes
But that doesn’t mean Kyiv is ready to cede land to Russia, defiant Ukrainian president warns.
Franceโs Le Pen: Macron is โdoneโย
“He has lost his grip on the international scene, and is at odds with everyone,” the far-right leader said.
Ireland elects a maverick ex-trucker as speaker
Verona Murphy was once known for anti-migrant rhetoric. Now sheโll be expected to be diplomatic, as Irelandโs likely next government tilts to the right.
Britainโs Winston Churchill shortage
Westminster is becoming a local place for local people โ and that means fewer star politicians.
EUโs moment of truth on Ukraine is fast approaching
The blocโs biggest concern is that negotiations over Ukraineโs future might turn into a โmini Munich,โ inviting further Russian aggression.
FIFA chief Infantino warned by EU lawmakers over Saudi Arabia World Cup
Members of the European Parliament say they have “grave concerns” about the 2034 tournament.
Several hundreds, maybe thousands, may have died in Mayotte cyclone
Asked about the death toll from Cyclone Chido, the French interior ministry said “it will be difficult to account for all victims” and a figure could not be determined at this stage.
The post Several hundreds, maybe thousands, may have died in Mayotte …
Forbes to open first private membersโ club in Madrid
Launch marks first stage of planned global rollout of high-end venues by US media company
Why Europeโs health policies must prioritize chronic kidney disease
Undetected Chronic Kidney Disease affects millions in Europe, but it could be preventable, manageable and tackled with the right policies.
Le Penโs dilemma in France: Stateswoman or saboteur?
France’s far-right leader must decide whether to wreck things or play nice โ while keeping the 2027 presidential election firmly in her sights.
PMQs: Starmer wins by taking migration fight to Badenoch
Kemi Badenoch ripped into the government’s migration plans โ but the PM could easily point to the Tories’ own record.
Belgian police gave von der Leyen no warning about Reynders probe
The EU has not launched its own investigation into money laundering allegations against the former justice commissioner.
Swedenโs Social Democrats struggle in traditional blue-collar heartlands
Like other socialist parties in Europe, Sweden’s center left has lost ground to the far right. Itโs hoping to turn that around.
Trump pledges peace through strength. Will he deliver?
Moscowโs wars are the natural product of an empire still clinging to its past. And if Trumpโs promise is to mean anything, it must confront this truth.
Bid to crack down on shirkers in UKโs House of Lords
Stricter attendance rules could result in 100 members being booted out of the Lords.
Europeโs next top diplomat is ready to be undiplomatic
Will Kaja Kallas be able to make her voice heard?
From Brussels to Warsaw, troubled Europe reckons with Trump โ and itself
The next few months will be pivotal for the Atlantic alliance. A fragmented Continent will struggle to meet the moment.
Trump is complicating Bidenโs final push in the Middle East
Some regional leaders appear inclined to unveil key initiatives under the next president, giving him the glory.
McConnell takes indirect swipe at Trump on Americaโs role in the world
โAmerica will not be made great again by those who are content to manage our decline,โ he said.
EUโs Russia sanctions deal collapses over business loophole spat
Latvia and Lithuania vetoed the package, objecting to the extension of a carveout that lets EU firms continue operating in Russia.
Compromise is a dirty word in French politics โ but it may be Emmanuel Macronโs only hope | Paul Taylor
The president needs to find a new PM to stabilise Franceโs standing on the world stage, even if that means turning to the Socialists Having failed to solve Franceโs political crisis with a prime minister dependent on the far right, President Emmanuel M…
Trump to attend Notre Dame reopening as Macron weathers political storm
US president-elect returns to world stage at high-profile celebration that belies growing crisis in French politicsThe restored Gothic spire of Notre Dame is to provide a dramatic backdrop for Donald Trumpโs return to the geopolitical stage this weeken…
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.
Thousands of Romanians stage pro-Europe rally days ahead of presidential runoff
Thousands of Romanians stage pro-Europe rally days ahead of presidential runoff
Romaniaโs pro-Europeans fear Putin is pushing them back to dictatorshipย
Far-right NATO-skeptic Calin Georgescu is on track to win the Romanian presidency, thanks to a Russia-influenced campaign.ย
Keir Starmerโs reset, rated
POLITICO rates the prime minister’s six new “milestones” as he tries to drive change โ and turn the polls around.
A plastic-free future needs an engaged PVC value chain
Being sustainable is just one piece of the puzzle. Circular economy principles must be paired with strong waste management practices.
Germanyโs cybersecurity and infrastructure under attack by Russia, chancellor says
Attacks โalso come from China from time to time,โ Olaf Scholz told lawmakers in parliament.
Trump jokes about annexing Canada, prompting nervous laughter
โThe president was teasing,โ insists a top Trudeau minister who attended Mar-a-Lago dinner.
Michel Barnier defends budget in TV interview as government faces no confidence vote on Wednesday โ live
Minority government of prime minister faces near-certain defeat in a no-confidence vote that could spark crisisThe Libertรฉs, indรฉpendants, outre-mer et territoires (Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories, Liot) group, which has about two doz…
Ukraine war briefing: Nato invitation highly unlikely at this stage, say diplomats
Nato foreign ministers to hold likely last meeting before Trump returns to presidency; talk of peace negotiations rumbles on. What we know on day 1,014 Continue reading…
Worldline attracts early stage interest from private equity firmsย
French payments group Worldline has attracted early stage takeover interest from private equity firms, as it grapples with a falling [โฆ]
The post Worldline attracts early stage interest from private equity firmsย appeared first on Reuters News Agency.
Collaboration is key to fulfilling regenerative agriculture goals
By lowering emissions, reinvigorating depleted soils and advancing biodiversity, regenerative agriculture can pave the way to more resilient, climate-friendly farms
Ukraine war briefing: Russian missile strike kills at least four in central town
Rescue operation under way, Zelenskyy says, after more than a dozen also wounded in Dnipropetrovsk region. What we know on day 1,012See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageA Russian missile strike on a town in Ukraineโs central Dnipropetrovsk region on …
Zelensky calls for NATO to protect parts of Ukraine’s territory
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Friday for NATO to offer guaranteed protections to parts of Ukraine controlled by Kyiv in order to “stop the hot stage of the war.” Zelensky also implied he would be willing to wait to regain the almost on…
Zelensky suggests NATO membership could end ‘hot stage’ of war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged NATO on Friday to provide guaranteed protections for Kyiv-controlled territories to halt the ongoing war, even suggesting diplomacy to regain Russian-occupied areas. His appeal followed intensified Russian …
In TV interview, Zelenskyy opens the door to ceasefire with Russia
Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated that he would accept a two-phase solution under which Russia would return the occupied Ukrainian territories at a later stage “diplomatically”.
Zelenskyy says Ukrainian territory should be under โNato umbrellaโ to stop war
President suggests bringing Kyiv-controlled land into western military pact could stop โhot stageโ of warVolodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that Ukrainian territory under his control should be taken under the โNato umbrellaโ to try to stop the โhot stag…