Politics
Merz victory brings defence spending to top of EU agenda
CDU leader's election win triggers immediate pressure from NATO and EU capitals for Germany to raise military expenditure and clarify its position on joint financing.
Politics · page 16 of 16
Politics
The archive
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.
Politics
Merz's border plans test EU asylum rules as German election nears
CDU leader's push for permanent Schengen controls and blanket entry denials would invoke emergency treaty powers despite falling asylum numbers, risking a chain reaction across European borders.
Politics
Germany's election looms with coalition arithmetic dominating the campaign
The February 23 vote follows the collapse of Olaf Scholz's traffic light government. Polls point to a CDU-led administration, but the shape of the next coalition depends on whether smaller parties clear the five percent threshold.
Politics
Von der Leyen's deregulation drive blindsides Brussels with speed and secrecy
The Commission president's second term began with a rapid simplification agenda announced in Budapest, leaving her own staff, MEPs and national capitals scrambling to catch up.
Politics
EU Commission 2025 work programme leaked with 46 new initiatives and major gaps
The draft agenda reveals three omnibus simplification packages, a Clean Industrial Deal and migration returns overhaul, but omits promised automotive and maritime strategies.
Politics
Merz poised for chancellery but coalition arithmetic remains uncertain
Conservatives lead polls at 30 percent but AfD's 20 percent blocks simple majority, forcing CDU/CSU into complex negotiations with SPD or Greens as migration policy fractures traditional alliances.
Politics
Rightwing MEPs push to freeze €15.6m EU funding for 30 environmental NGOs
A defunding drive led by the EPP and far-right blocs targets the LIFE programme's operating grants, which cover up to 70% of some groups' budgets. A plenary vote on the budgetary discharge is expected in May.
Politics
Orban and Fico lose ground at home despite Trump's return
Hungary's Viktor Orban and Slovakia's Robert Fico face collapsing poll ratings, coalition fractures and mass protests, undermining the narrative that Trump's second term would strengthen Europe's nationalist leaders.
Politics
Kallas tells EU envoys to adopt transactional foreign policy
The EU's top diplomat says the bloc must demand concrete returns for its economic weight and stop being taken for granted, as Trump's trade threats accelerate a push into India, Latin America and Africa.
Politics
Far-right parties cannibalising Europe's centre-right across the continent
From Germany to Austria, mainstream conservatives are adopting hardline immigration platforms to stem voter losses, but evidence shows the strategy only strengthens the radical right.
Politics
Ten million German residents barred from February election by citizenship rules
About 14% of the adult population cannot vote on 23 February despite living, working and paying taxes in Germany. Recent citizenship reforms shortened waiting times but administrative delays and income requirements still exclude millions.
Politics
EU competitiveness compass signals deregulation push against Green Deal rules
Leaked draft shows Commission prioritising simplification over decarbonisation as centre-right leaders demand delays to sustainability reporting and carbon border tax.
Politics
Elon Musk turns X into political weapon across Europe
The billionaire's endorsement of far-right parties in Germany and Britain tests the EU's Digital Services Act and exposes transatlantic tensions over platform power.
Politics
Austria faces far-right chancellor as EU accepts new normal
Herbert Kickl's Freedom Party leads coalition talks after September election victory, threatening to add Vienna to a growing bloc of Moscow-friendly capitals that could paralyse unanimous EU decisions on Ukraine, migration and climate.
Politics
Baerbock attacks Scholz over stalled Ukraine aid as German election looms
Foreign minister says Germany has lost its role as a driving force for European peace policy while a €3 billion package remains blocked by a dispute over constitutional borrowing limits.
Politics
Bayrou survives no-confidence vote but French parliament remains deadlocked
Far-right National Rally and centre-left Socialists refuse to back far-left motion, leaving prime minister dependent on case-by-case support with no legislative majority.
Politics
European Parliament crèche scandal exposes failed privatisation cycle
The Wayenberg daycare has cycled through two private operators in recent years, with unions ignored and a new tender awarded to a company linked to the previous discredited provider.
Politics
Starmer's chief of staff makes quiet Brussels trip as EU reset takes shape
Morgan McSweeney met EU counterparts in December while Downing Street prepares to hire a dedicated foreign affairs adviser and a senior negotiator for talks with Brussels, signalling a more structured approach to the reset.
Politics
European leaders unite against Musk election interference
Germany, France, UK and Norway condemn X owner's support for far-right AfD before February vote, as Scholz government dismisses influence on 84 million voters.
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