Ukraineโs ceasefire view: Putin doesnโt want Xi hiding in Leninโs tomb from killer drones
Kyiv fumes over Russiaโs Victory Day ceasefire plan.
think tank
The unlikely election of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
From banker to ballot box, the rookie politicianโs rise was made possible by Trump and a nation weary of chaos
Pourquoi la guerre commerciale entre les Etats-Unis et la Chine pourrait รชtre une chance pour lโEurope
Alors que la bataille ร coup de droits de douane fait rage entre Washington et Pรฉkin, lโUE pourrait en sortir gagnante, si elle parvient ร relever le dรฉfi.
The billionaire who wants to Make France Great Again
Pierre-รdouard Stรฉrin is hoping to use his financial firepower to remold French politics in line with his conservative ideals.
Europe shows withdrawal symptoms after 75 years of addiction to US troops
European capitals are divided on how to respond to a probable reduction of America’s military presence.
European Commission blacklists lobby groups tied to Huawei
EU executive bans meetings with Huawei-linked groups following bribery scandal.
Appleโs EU fight is transatlantic tension in a nutshell
The tech giant was hit by another European fine. It’s just the latest chapter in the battle over digital regulation โ and maybe a whole lot more.
Iranโs exiled โcrown princeโ calls for mass labor strikes to topple regime
Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last shah, tells POLITICO the West must create a โstrike fundโ to support civil resistance and paralyze the government.
Germany bets on volunteers to fix a hollowed-out army โ but will it work?
As troop numbers stagnate and Russiaโs threat looms, Berlin is betting on a voluntary service model to rebuild the military โ but time is running out.
POLITICO at 10: The EU fights for its independence
A decade after we launched in Brussels, Europe’s place in the world is ever more uncertain. The battle for relevance will dominate the next 10 years.
Industries hit a wall on relief from Trumpโs tariffs
The administration hasnโt set up a formal process for carve-outs from tariffs, keeping businesses uncertain about whether they may be able to secure relief.
Brussels takes aim at those cashing in on broken European markets
Former investment banker turned Financial Services Commissioner, Maria Luis Albuquerque, is shining a light on the forces sabotaging greater integration.
Why von der Leyenโs Big Tech tax plan is bluster
There are major hurdles to overcome for the EU to retaliate against U.S. digital companies.
Why Trump is Europeโs accidental city-builder
Europeโs รฉmigrรฉs built Americaโs skylines, suburbs and strip malls. Will the U.S. brain drain do the same for the EU?
Czechia ends imports of Russian oil
In March, Czechia still imported Russian fossil fuels worth โฌ132 million, according to research by the think tank CREA.ย
Why Keir Starmerโs British Steel sugar rush threatens a hangover
The British prime minister has big decisions to make after taking control of the U.K.’s last virgin steel-producing plant.
Young men’s financial insecurity helping to fuel anti-feminism in the EU, research claims
Faced with the radicalisation of the discourse against women’s rights, an analysis by a think tank suggests that its origin is not only cultural but also economic.
Itโs not just British Steel. Hereโs where the UK is hooked on China
Britain took back control of the steelmaker from a Chinese firm. But don’t expect a massive rethink of the China-addicted U.K. economy.
EU warms to boosting defense funding to secure eastern flank
Eastern EU countries like Poland say they are currently bearing the financing brunt.
EU channels inner โBuddhaโ as it reels from White House shocks
Finance ministers gathering in Warsaw will discuss tariffs and rearmament.
EU to Trump on tariffs: Weโll retaliate when weโre ready, not when you tweet
Brussels suspended its countermeasures against the U.S. presidentโs steel and aluminum tariffs before they even took effect. Now the two sides have 90 days to do a deal.
How Nord Stream could get a new lease on life
The resumption of flows from Gazprom has become a matter of “economic considerations” rather than an energy security issue, says Jilles van den Beukel, energy analyst at Dutch think tank HCSS.
Putin wants Western Balkans as his next โplayground,โ UK warns
Tensions are rising in the Western Balkans, Europe’s ‘other hotspot.’ Britain’s foreign affairs chief David Lammy sees the ‘long hand of Russian interference.’
EU mulls new defence funding mechanism with third countries to boost military readiness
Existing EU defence instruments lack the scale and incentives needed to close capability gaps and respond to growing security challenges as the US steps back from its traditional role in European defence, according to a policy paper by think tank Brueg…
Can Britain live without American intelligence?
Some insiders think it’s time for Britain to dial back the sharing of intelligence with the U.S., long one of the most critical elements of the special relationship.
Hey, Elon! Hereโs how to meddle in British politics
A super secret guide of all the top ways to muscle in on the U.K.’s broken election system.
How Trump is forcing Europe to get real on steel
The EU wants to rearm, reindustrialize and refinance as Donald Trumpโs United States abandons the role of global policeman.
Trump would only help a neighbor for profit
The U.S. president doesn’t see the benefit in helping allies โ and its visible in the deal he’s trying to foist on Ukraine.
Mark Burnett: from Trumpโs โApprenticeโ boss to โhigh-poweredโ British fixer
One of the U.S. president’s most trusted lieutenants is doing his bidding in London โ and British officials see someone they can do business with.
EU on Trump car tariffs: Weโll punch back but letโs talk too
Germanyโs automakers will feel the brunt of the Trump administrationโs 25 percent vehicle tariff that is set to go into effect on April 2.
US disarmament is a gift to its great power rivals
Despite its rhetoric, Washington’s busy organizing a historically unprecedented retrenchment of American power.
Trumpโs deal with Putin faces European reality check
Top leaders meeting in Paris want to show the U.S. and Russia can’t carve up the continent by cutting out the EU and Ukraine.
Trump teamโs rush to get Ukraine peace deal risks letting Russia off the hook for war crimes
“Justice is a prerequisite for sustainable peace,” says the head of a Nobel Peace Prize-winning NGO.
No Plan B? Labourโs Project Growth still isnโt paying off
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveils her spring statement Wednesday against a gloomy backdrop โ and Labour MPs are getting twitchy.
Huawei is being boxed out of Brussels lobbying
Chinese tech giant at center of corruption scandal sees its access in EU public affairs scuppered.
No industry, no tanks: EU bets on more clean steel to secure its future
Saving and greening European steel mills is now a key part of the EUโs defence strategy.
Ask not what the EU can do for markets โ but what markets can do for the EU
The push for a bigger EU private money pot has become a war of attrition. But Trump and Ukraine might be the spark that finally sets it in motion.
EU throws down gauntlet to Trump with Apple, Google rulings
U.S. tech giants must overhaul key products, the European Commission rules.
EU risks more Trump tariffs in looming Big Tech crackdown
A series of decisions against Apple, Meta and Google could open up a new front in the EU-U.S. trade war.
Trump fails to get Putin to stop the shooting
Russia insists on terms to end the war that spell the end of democratic Ukraine, and has followed up the Trump call with an assault on Kyiv.
Farage and Tories spy an opening as small businesses turn on Labour
The government’s rivals are circling after tax hikes burned the bridges that Rachel Reeves had painstakingly built before the election.
Will the threat of Trump end Germanyโs austerity zeal?
Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz is about to break years of fiscal stringency to counter the erosion of the transatlantic alliance.
War and joint bonds forge a more united Europe
Trump and Russia are pushing the EU toward a “Hamiltonian moment,” where common debt helps build greater federalism. ย ย
Five years on, British politics still canโt escape Covid-19
Covid-19 exposed and exacerbated deep problems with the British state โ but learning lessons is hard when the politicians want to move on.
Armenia and Azerbaijan agree on historic peace treaty
An agreement is ready to be signed, but Azerbaijan has a few last requirements.
Trump ravive le couple franco-allemand, moteur de lโEurope
A Paris et ร Berlin, on se rรฉjouit des bonnes relations quโentretiennent le futur chancelier Friedrich Merz et le prรฉsident Emmanuel Macron.
Why sh*t gets real for Keir Starmer in June
A flurry of crucial policy reviews on areas that could define the U.K. prime minister’s government are coming due. POLITICO has you covered.
Whoโs in Elonโs ear โ and DMs
Muskโs most trusted advisers remain a tight-knit group of executives who have followed him from his companies but lack political experience.
Israel critic tapped for top intelligence job under Gabbard
Daniel Davisโ has described U.S. support for war in Gaza as a โstainโ on the nation
Tina Khidasheli: ‘Without transatlantic dialogue, there is no security for Europe or for the world’
Ukraine has endorsed an American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and agreed to immediate negotiations with Russia in crunch talks in Jeddah after three years of grinding war. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24’s Franรงois Picard …
Trump and Putin gang up on European centrists in Romaniaโs election crisis
Elon Musk slams Romanian authorities for banning far-right frontrunner Cฤlin Georgescu. Itโs another win for the Kremlin.
EU-US rift triggers call for made-in-Europe tech
Transatlantic tensions are fueling calls for the EU to wean itself off its U.S. tech addiction. It won’t be cheap.
European arms imports surge, US expands lead as top global weapons exporter
European NATO countries have more than doubled their arms imports over five years, with 60 percentย sourced from the US, a leading conflict think tank reported Monday.ย Ukraine emerged as the world’s top arms importer, while the US solidified its lead a…
Trump veut dรฉtruire lโUE et la reconstruire ร son image
Donald Trump ne traitera pas avec lโUE. LโUE ne peut pas traiter avec Trump.
This newbie UK minister faces a baptism of fire on a key Labour promise
Miatta Fahnbulleh, left-wing-economist-turned Labour minister, has been tasked with cutting Brits’ energy bills. But convincing the Treasury to budge makes it a mammoth task.
Jordan treads lightly with Trump, hoping to avoid mass displacement of Palestiniansย
Amman this week welcomed the first convoy of sick and injured children from Gaza.ย
Trumpโs US destroying world order, says Ukraineโs UK ambassador
Valery Zaluzhny said the White House was making ‘steps towards the Kremlin’ โ but the Ukrainian government distanced itself from his remarks.
Northern Ireland risks being caught in crossfire of Trumpโs trade war
Tariffs from any side could create a fresh Brexit headache for traders in the sensitive region.
Germanyโs spending bazooka propels euro, borrowing costs higher
The euro surged against the dollar in early trading on Wednesday.
Trump wants to destroy the EU โ and rebuild it in his image
Donald Trump won’t deal with the EU. The EU can’t deal with Trump.ย
How Keir Starmerโs aid cuts threaten Britainโs climate mission
The Labour government has promised to lead the world on climate change, but its renewed focus on defense has thrown those plans into uncertainty.
How Russia circumvents Western sanctions by creating its own parallel economy
Russian economists at the independent think tank Center of Analysis and Strategies in Europe report that Russia has set up a self-sustaining network of international financial and trade mechanisms. Payments are becoming increasingly opaque and undermin…
โWeโre in danger,โ NGOs say as German conservatives join far-right crackdown on civil society
New German investigation of NGO funding signals rightward power shift in European politics.
Keir Starmer, unlikely leader of the free world
The British prime minister has had a shaky start at home โ but is winning grudging praise for his response to Trumpโs Ukraine pivot.
China could blackmail Germany via wind turbines, report warns
A government-backed analysis seen by POLITICO argues Beijing could remotely shut down wind farms unless Germany bans its suppliers.
Macronโs told-you-so moment
Trump vindicated the French president on self-reliant defense. But with Putin looming, the hard work starts now for Europe.
PMQs: Starmer wins against Badenoch on defense spending before jetting to DC
The Tory leader probed prime minister on increased military funding โ but failed to land a decisive blow.
Green diplomacy faces first big test since Trumpโs return at Rome nature summit
Rich and poor countries are battling over who will fund nature conservation in the shadow of a radically anti-green U.S. administration.
What the new German government means for Ukraine
With Merz at the helm and the SPDโs Boris Pistorius likely gaining a seat at the table, Ukraine can expect a stronger ally in Berlin.
USAID freeze opens door to Russian influence in Eastern Europe
Cuts to aid from Washington could dramatically strengthen Moscowโs hand in the region and jeopardize Europe’s security interests.
Merz won the German election. Hereโs what it means for Europe.
POLITICO breaks down what the conservativesโ victory means for EU policy and cooperation โ from nuclear weapons to cannabis.
Ursula von der Leyen tightens her grip
The Commission president is further centralizing the EU executive in her second term.
EU ready to negotiate on car tariffs with Trump, trade commissioner says
EU Trade Commissioner Maroลก ล efฤoviฤ said the bloc is “ready to discuss” reducing its 10 percent tariff as part of broader negotiations.
Trumpโs America is Putinโs ally now
Europe and Ukraine are learning how little the U.S. cares, as the new president aligns himself with their greatest enemy.ย
Germanyโs economy is driving off a cliff. The car industry is behind the wheel.
The incoming chancellor will inherit a host of problems buffeting carmaking, including high energy and labor costs along with a looming trade war.
Hereโs what Nigel Farageโs voters really think about UK help for Ukraine
Reform UK voters are more likely than Labour and Tories to favor a cut in British support for Kyiv if Trump pulls back, according to new polling.
Europeโs big guns sideline the EU to get real on Ukraine
Macronโs mini-summit shunned Brussels’ normal obsession with consensus and revealed a new core with the regionโs future in their hands.ย
Germanyโs labor market โ long the envy of Europe โ is losing its shine
For the first time in a decade, the number of unemployed is closing in on 3 million โ and there’s more to come.
Britain dances to JD Vanceโs tune as it recasts AI security institute
After the U.S. VP blasted โhand-wringing about safety,โ Britainโs safety institute gets a new look. References to AI creating โunequal outcomesโ are out.
The EUโs strategy to counter Trumpโs tariffs: An iron fist in a velvet glove
Brussels has strengthened its trade toolkit since Donald Trumpโs first term. But it would need the broad support of EU countries to strike back hard.
Trumpโs Ukraine bombshell puts British support to the test
Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to be a โsteadfastโ backer of Ukraine. But Britain is cash-strapped and struggling to build links.
Starlink looks pale in comparison with what Europeans can get
SNEAK PEEK โ Has Elon Muskโs Starlink got a shot in Europe? Not really. โ The withdrawal of the EUโs AI liability rules has fans and critics. โย Thereโs 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 [โฆ]
Europe : le cordon sanitaire avec lโextrรชme droite bientรดt remis en cause pour sโen prendre au Pacte vert ?
Intentionnellement ou non, les entreprises concernรฉes, l’extrรชme droite montante et les conservateurs traditionnels s’unissent pour rรฉรฉcrire les rรจgles รฉcologiques.
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.
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.
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, thereโs a backlash against the Home Office over encryption. Good Monday morning, This is Tom in Paris. You can get in touch with [โฆ]
Inside the new plan to seize Russiaโs shadow fleet
European countries are pushing for new powers to squeeze Moscowโs shadow fleet after a spate of incidents in the Baltic Sea.
Looking at Trump, Europeโs far right vows to โreconquerโ the continent
โOur 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.
Britain led the world on AI safety. Now itโs waiting for Trump.
Labour promised tough new rules for the worldโs leading AI developers. But as Trump returns, ministers are thinking again.
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.
Britainโs handover of the Chagos Islands is pleasing nobody
Labourโs decision to grant the geopolitical archipelago to Mauritius has sparked criticism from all sides.
Von der Leyen signals โextraordinaryโ measure to boost EU defense spending
The move would offer national capitals more room to increase defense spending.
How Britain can escape Trumpโs tariffs: Buy American gas
As the threat of a trade war looms, Britain hopes it has a few secret weapons.
EU risks fragile unity by whacking China to woo Trump
Leaders are negotiating their response to the U.S. presidentโs tariff threats.
Far right normalised: Populist parties becoming stronger with strong headwind by mainstream parties
Demonstrators descended on Berlin Sunday to protest last week’s decision by Germany’s conservatives to make overtures to the far right ahead of this month’s legislative election, drawing at least 160,000 people, according to police. For in-depth analy…
UK urged to probe spate of Chinese flights for forced labor
Three new routes connecting Chinaโs Xinjiang province to major U.K. airports have opened up since last summer.
‘Unprecedented’: First time since WWII that German parliament needs support of far right to pass law
Germany’sย parliamentย could passย aย lawย thanksย toย far-rightย supportย forย theย firstย timeย inย the country’sย post-warย history. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on Germany’s sociopolitical and economic crises pushing the country rightward, FRANC…
Nigel Farageโs next act: Hammer Labour on energy costs
Reform UK has started tying green policies to grimly high energy bills โ and some government MPs are getting nervous.
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.
Trumpโs beef with the World Health Organization is personal
Heโs said the UN bodyโs head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, treated China better than him during the pandemic.