Politics Archives

Outgoing European Commission boss, Jean-Claude Juncker, had to cut short his Austria holiday to undergo an urgent gallbladder operation back home in Luxembourg, his team said in a statement on Saturday (17 August).

Working towards a more inclusive economic growth in Europe is one of the Finnish presidency's main priorities. Finnish minister Aino-Kaisa Pekonen lays out her vision for "the economy of well-being".

Britain will face shortages of fuel, food and medicine if it leaves the European Union without a transition deal, according to leaked official documents reported by the Sunday Times whose interpretation was immediately contested by ministers.

EU president-elect Ursula von der Leyen chose the Scorpions' smash hit "Wind of Change", which has become an anthem for the fall of the Berlin Wall, for her official departure ceremony in Berlin on Thursday evening (15 August).

Britain and the United States are discussing a partial trade accord that could take effect on 1 November, the day after Britain is due to leave the European Union, a senior Trump administration official said on Tuesday (13 August).

Italy's political crisis edged forward on Monday (12 August) after party leaders decided to recall the Senate to vote on a timetable that could include a no-confidence vote and spell the end of the populist coalition.

Poland's ruling nationalists appear on track to win October's parliamentary vote, three opinion polls show, despite a scandal over the private use of government aircraft by the party's speaker of parliament who was forced to resign.

Portugal's government ordered striking fuel-tanker workers back to work in some parts of the country on Monday (12 August) after fuel supplies ran low at locations including Lisbon airport despite measures to counter the impact of the walkout.

In July, a spat broke out between Hungary and Finland, which took over the EU's rotating Council presidency Romania and with its program quickly became a new enemy for Budapest.

Lega chief Matteo Salvini's call for snap Italian elections after he turned on his own coalition partner faced mounting resistance on Sunday (11 August), with both his former 5-Star ally and the centre-left opposition seeking to put the brakes on.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accepted an offer to meet Irish leader Leo Varadkar to discuss Brexit and the Northern Irish backstop, the Sunday Telegraph said citing UK government sources.

A no-deal Brexit would hurt Britain more than the rest of Europe no matter how much Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government pretends otherwise, outgoing European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in remarks published on Saturday (10 August).

Britain's foreign minister on Thursday (8 August) pressed the European Union to amend the terms of Britain's EU withdrawal agreement, saying Brussels would have to take responsibility for a no-deal Brexit if it does not compromise.

Poland's parliament speaker said on Thursday (8 August) he would resign after it was revealed that he used government aircraft for private trips, suggesting the ruling nationalists aimed to defuse a scandal that could affect their re-election campaign.

Tension is mounting in Italy between its populist leaders over the financing of a multi-billion-euro high-speed train line, raising speculation the coalition government could collapse.

The top US and British diplomats said Wednesday (7 August) they were prepared to move "as soon as possible" on a trade deal after Britain's planned withdrawal from the European Union on 31 October. 

Britain was seeking to fast-track a crucial post-Brexit trade deal with the United States on Wednesday (7 August) after new Prime Minister Boris Johnson dispatched his top diplomat and foreign trade minister to Washington.

The UN voiced concern on Tuesday (6 August) over a law approved by Italy's parliament that imposes stiffer penalties on NGO migrant rescue boats in the Mediterranean, demanding humanitarian work "not be criminalised or stigmatised."

The Polish president's office confirmed on Tuesday (6 August) that the country will hold its parliamentary election on 13 October, which most pollsters expect the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party to win thanks to generous social spending and robust economic growth.

The threat of political violence towards women has grown over the past 19 months and is currently at its highest level recorded since 2018, a new report by the NGO Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) has found.

Britain's beer industry is in limbo, waiting to see what is in the pipeline for brewers, pubs and drinkers after Brexit - but the glass is by no means half-empty.

British foreign minister Dominic Raab will travel to Canada, the United States and Mexico this week to seek to boost ties with non-European countries ahead of Brexit, his office said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce a £1.8 billion cash injection for Britain's public health system on Monday (5 August), seeking to honour his Brexit pledges as he pushes through the country's departure from the European Union.

France and Germany on Sunday (4 July) condemned a Russian police crackdown on a banned opposition rally that saw hundreds detained, with Paris criticising an "excessive use of force" after a second weekend of protests over the exclusion of opposition candidates from local Moscow polls next month.