Politics
Merz warns US over $3m grant scheme targeting European elections
German chancellor says foreign financing of political parties is illegal as State Department launches programme framed around 'civilizational heritage' and 'lawfare'
Person
JD Vance
Vice President of the United States, White House
What we have reported
- Has publicly criticised European allies on migration, abortion and online safety in recent months.
- Previously attacked European firewalls against far-right parties at Munich Security Conference.
- Accused EU of election interference in Hungary while endorsing Viktor Orbán in Budapest days before the vote.
Coverage
Politics
Merz warns US against election interference as Trump funds European civil society
German chancellor rejects nearly $5 million State Department programme targeting 'Western civilisational heritage' weeks before key regional vote where AfD leads polls.
Politics
Germany accuses JD Vance of election interference hypocrisy over Hungary vote
Berlin counters US vice president's claim that Brussels meddled in Hungarian election, noting his own Budapest visit days before the ballot amounted to endorsement of Viktor Orbán.
Technology
US visa bans target European architects of digital regulation
Five Europeans involved in enforcing online safety laws barred from entry as Trump administration signals confrontation over Digital Services Act and UK Online Safety Act.
Politics
Trump National Security Strategy targets European elections with explicit rightward shift
The White House document names immigration, birth rates and 'censorship' as threats to civilisation, urging support for patriotic parties across the continent before key votes in Germany, Britain and possibly France.
World
Trump's second term exports MAGA ideology into European politics
From Honduras to Brussels, the US president is treating foreign policy as an extension of domestic culture war, backing right-wing candidates, attacking EU climate laws and funding conservative networks across the continent.
World
Vance and Lammy convene Ukraine talks as Trump-Putin summit looms
US vice-president and UK foreign secretary host Ukrainian and European officials at Chevening days before Alaska meeting where territorial concessions are expected to dominate.
World
Trump seals NATO arms deal for Ukraine with European funding and 50-day ultimatum to Putin
US president announces Patriots and other systems paid for by allies, threatens secondary tariffs on Russian energy buyers, and signals a sharp rhetorical shift toward Kyiv and Europe.
World
US State Department document calls for civilizational alliance with European far right
A May paper by a senior State Department official frames European elections as opportunities to install Trump-aligned governments, marking a break from eight decades of transatlantic policy.
World
Trump's second term reshapes transatlantic ties as allies brace for G7 and NATO tests
Five months into Donald Trump's return, the US has abandoned indivisible security, imposed sweeping tariffs and launched a political offensive against European values, forcing allies to coordinate a response before July tariff deadlines.
Politics
Merz sworn in as German chancellor with €500bn spending plan and Taurus missile pledge
Friedrich Merz takes office leading a CDU-SPD coalition that has already torn up the debt brake, promising a €500bn off-budget fund for infrastructure and defence while pledging to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
World
How Trump's first month shattered European security assumptions
A series of shocks in February 2025 forced European leaders to confront the possibility that Washington is no longer a reliable partner, triggering frantic diplomacy and a scramble for strategic autonomy.
World
Finnish President Stubb calls for European special envoy on Ukraine as coalition of willing meets in Paris
Alexander Stubb argues Europe needs a single negotiating figure while defending Finland's defence contributions against US criticism of freeloading.
World
Greenland forms unity government as US vice president arrives
Four of five parliamentary parties unite behind centre-right Democrats, excluding only the pro-independence Naleraq, hours before JD Vance visits Pituffik Space Base.
Politics
Kaja Kallas faces diplomatic backlash over Ukraine push and US tensions
EU foreign policy chief criticised for bypassing capitals on ammunition plan and inflaming Washington after Trump-Zelenskyy clash
Technology
European tech and defence firms urge Brussels to mandate homegrown digital infrastructure
More than 100 companies including Airbus, Dassault and leading cloud providers have written to Ursula von der Leyen demanding 'Buy European' rules and a sovereign fund to cut reliance on US technology.
World
Transatlantic rift deepens as Trump administration sidelines Europe on Ukraine
Vice President Vance's Munich speech, U.S.-Russia talks excluding Kyiv, and a UN vote aligning Washington with Moscow signal a fundamental shift in the security architecture that has underpinned Europe since 1949.
Politics
Germans vote as Merz leads race to succeed Scholz
Conservative frontrunner Friedrich Merz promises four-year fix for Europe's largest economy while far-right AfD surges to second place and migration dominates the campaign.
Technology
Vance attacks EU tech laws as Soviet-style censorship at Munich conference
US Vice President uses first overseas trip to condemn Digital Services Act and dismiss Russian election interference claims, while European Commission offers restrained defence of its regulatory framework.
Technology
Vance attacks AI regulation in Paris as US, EU and China clash over control
US vice president tells summit excessive rules will strangle the sector while Europe commits 200 billion euros and China pushes open-source access.
Technology
Vance tells Paris summit Europe must lighten AI regulation as tariffs hit steel
US vice president attacks Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act as onerous, while Trump's 25 percent metal tariffs take effect and von der Leyen promises retaliation.
World
Europe braces for Trump 2.0 as trade and defence tensions escalate
With Germany's economy shrinking and the EU-US trade surplus at €15.4 billion, European leaders scramble to manage an unpredictable US president who links tariffs to NATO commitments and threatens Greenland.
Others in the news
The newsletter
One important European story. Explained properly.
Delivered to your inbox on the days we publish. No daily digest, no push notifications, no advertising.