#european-union

#european-union

We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Moldova, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Spain and Sweden, concerned by the conflict in the Middle East, are appalled by the dramatic situation and renewed escalation of violence in Lebanon, where there are already 1.2 million internally displaced persons, representing some 25% of the overall population.

Christophe Barthes, the mayor of Carcassonne, stated, 'Out with the European flags at the town hall! Make way for the French flags,' as he shared footage of removing the EU flag.

For the first time, one or more French investigating judges will examine the conditions of the possible criminal liability of Fabrice Leggeri in the carnage that has resulted in thousands of deaths in the Mediterranean, particularly children and women.

The parliamentary elections in Slovenia are pivotal, as they will determine whether the nation continues on a liberal path or shifts towards illiberal right-wing populism, similar to Hungary's Viktor Orban.

As leader of the ECB in 2012, Draghi was hailed as the saviour of the euro when he faced down markets during the sovereign debt crisis, famously declaring he would do "whatever it takes" to stabilise the currency. In Brussels, EU chief Charles Michel led tributes to Draghi at the summit table, thanking him for his work and "artful phrases, and a concise, brief and powerful style".

The Trump administration's new National Security Strategy (NSS) depicts a Europe on the brink of collapse. Its malaise, the document stresses, is not just about Russian threats or economic stagnation; rather, Europe risks losing its identity, amidst falling birthrates, rising migration, and the alleged silencing of right-wing dissidents. For this, Washington especially blames the European Union, said to "undermine political liberty and sovereignty." Still, all is not lost.

The European political elite still holds onto the belief that Ukraine can somehow prevail on the battlefield if funded. This week is shaping up to be crucial for the European Union's policy on Ukraine. EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on Monday; EU heads of state will gather on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting United States envoy Steve Witkoff. At the top of the agenda is the peace plan put forward by US President Donald Trump and continuing funding for Ukraine's war effort.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

The billionaire unleashed a barrage of posts on X, boosting claims that cast Brussels as censorious, corrupt, and anti-democratic - just days after the bloc fined his platform €120 million ($140 million) over the "deceptive design" of its blue checkmarks. In one post, Musk asked followers: "How long before the EU is gone?" AbolishTheEU. In another instance, he backed a call for binding referendums on whether countries should remain in the bloc, describing it as a "good idea."

The core of his argument rests on the claim that Baraka was employed under Belgian law but the EU had him on a rolling one-year contract, an alleged breach of national laws which state that after three consecutive contracts, workers must be made permanent with the concomitant workers rights. A provision that allows an employer to renew fixed-term contracts is contrary to Belgian and European public policy, the claim says.

Catherine Connolly has insisted she is "a committed European" and while she has opposed many aspects of EU politics, she argues "we have to allow questions to be put and debated".

Which EU countries have the highest homelessness rates? By numbers: Germany. Europe's largest-economy reported earlier in 2025 that 531,600 people are without a permanent shelter in the country, although the figure covers different kinds of homelessness, including people staying with friends and family. Calculated in proportion to inhabitants, the Czech Republic has the most homeless people, with more than 230,000 people living in another type of housing or are homeless out of the country's population of 10 million.

Europe, the president of the European Commission declared, is engaged in a fight for a continent that is whole and at peace. Her analysis of the problem was pretty accurate. What is increasingly clear, however, is that the European Union is not the whole solution. The EU is good at many things. Being an effective defence organisation is not one of them.

The trade deal von der Leyen signed with Donald Trump in July was an unequal bargain, decried by right and left as a humiliation for Europe. Russia escalated its attacks on Ukraine, while EU leaders were left wincing at the spectacle of Trump's red carpet welcome for Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Israel's war on Gaza continued relentlessly, killing more than 64,000 people and bringing famine to the strip,

He's been weak on Russia. I think he's been good on Iran, I want to give kudos where they're earned. I think he's been great on Iran, but he has been terrible on Russia, said Bacon a retired Air Force general. We've tried to be-, hoping the president would get to the right spot on Russia and Ukraine, and he's not. And, you know, Biden was weak. Biden's actions in Afghanistan helped fuel this thing with Ukraine. But what I see with this president is even worse, he added.

Wildfires have so far ravaged more than one million hectares of land in European Union countries this year, a record since recording began in 2006, according to AFP analysis of official data. Surpassing the annual record of 988,524 hectares burnt in 2017, the figure reached 1,015,731 hectares on Thursday, an area larger than Cyprus. This calculation is based on a total compiled by AFP from estimates by country from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), at a time when Spain and Portugal are still battling wildfires.

Omid Nouripour suggested that Switzerland should be offered an opportunity for closer ties with the EU, advocating for a potential 'turbo membership' initiative.

Mairead McGuinness demonstrated true resilience and strength across her career in journalism and politics. Her fierce competitiveness was often balanced by her intrinsic kindness and unwavering commitment to hard work and excellence.

The forced smile of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, giving a Trump-style thumbs up while the U.S. president grins gleefully at her side represents a significant power imbalance in transatlantic relations.

The UK-French "one-in, one-out" pilot scheme has begun, allowing for the detention and return of illegal migrants crossing the Channel in exchange for asylum seekers from France.