Author: staff

… easier to freeze out Ultimately, whether Várhelyi continues to hold sway in the Berlaymont is largely in his own hands. According to a commissioner who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, commissioners cannot be removed, but if they start working against their country of origin — in the event, for example, that the government direction changes back home — they can become sidelined and will lose credibility with the rest of the college. Indeed, if Brussels has learned anything over the years, it’s that a commissioner doesn’t need to be removed to become irrelevant. Take Janusz Wojciechowski, Poland’s agriculture…

Published on 14/04/2026 – 17:37 GMT+2 Plans for a new EU fund to help heavy industry cut carbon emissions have been criticised by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), which warns the proposal may be flawed in both design and impact. The proposed Temporary Decarbonisation Fund, put forward by the European Commission in late 2025, aims to support sectors such as fertilisers, aluminium and steel. These industries are seen as at risk of relocating outside the EU due to strict climate rules. However, in an opinion published on Tuesday, EU auditors questioned whether the fund would deliver real results, warning…

Published on 14/04/2026 – 19:33 GMT+2 The retrial of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein on a rape charge on which a jury was previously deadlocked started on Tuesday, although he will remain imprisoned for other offences regardless of the verdict. Weinstein is accused of the third-degree rape of Jessica Mann, who starred in the 2015 romantic comedy “This Isn’t Funny.” The judge declared a mistrial last June after the jury foreperson refused to return to deliberate the case amid a jury-room feud. Weinstein is being retried on that count in the Manhattan court and the process of jury selection began…

Rising to his feet from the government benches, Healy-Rae said he’d spent Monday night talking to aggrieved voters in the Plough Bar in his County Kerry constituency — and had come away persuaded he should stop supporting Martin. “I met tractor men, lorry men, farmers, telling me how unhappy they were. The leader of the country should have listened,” Healy-Rae told a hushed chamber. “Because I believe this government have let the people of Ireland down, I will be voting no confidence in the leader of the country, and I will be tendering my resignation as a minister of state…

Spain’s government finalised a migrant amnesty measure on Tuesday that it announced earlier this year, paving the way for hundreds of thousands of immigrants living and working without authorisation in the country to apply for legal status. The approach sharply differs from much of Europe’s prevailing attitudes on immigration in which governments are trying to reduce the number of arrivals and step up deportations. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hailed the measure as “an act of justice and a necessity.” He reiterated his government’s position that people who already live and work in the country of 49 million people should “do…

Qatar has rejected claims of side deals with Iran, saying they are aimed at damaging the country’s reputation. Speaking at a press conference, government spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said Doha has not held any unilateral talks with Tehran since the start of the war and is working closely with regional partners. He also pushed back on suggestions that Qatar is acting alone in dealing with the crisis, saying the response is being coordinated across the region. “There has been absolutely no single-lined process with the Iranians,” he said. He said any claims of financial arrangements to stop attacks are false…

The prime minister’s political allies are standing by her. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto backed her boss on X, writing that “Giorgia Meloni is a leader who has never been afraid to speak her mind, especially when principles, respect and identity are at stake.” With this recent spat, Trump has turned on his last — and maybe staunchest — ally in Europe. The U.S. president was calling Meloni “a marvelous woman” and “a great leader” only a year ago, as the Italian leader was tipped by many to be the EU’s unofficial Trump-whisperer. She was the only European leader at his…

Greek authorities have rescued over 300 migrants coming mainly from Bangladesh, Egypt, Yemen and Sudan over the last two days, officials said on Tuesday. Nearly half of them were rescued on Monday off the island of Crete, the coast guard said, adding that they were travelling on at least three makeshift vessels. Search operations continued on Tuesday despite strong winds in the area, they said. A coast guard official said the migrants were being held by Cretan police and would be transferred to reception centres on the Greek mainland. Crete has become the main gateway for asylum seekers arriving mainly…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday in Berlin, a German government spokesman said. “German-Ukrainian government consultations are taking place today at the Chancellery,” the spokesman said. “Chancellor Merz will welcome, among others, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to Berlin.” Germany has become Ukraine’s biggest backer as it continues to defend itself against Russia’s all-out invasion, as Washington under US President Donald Trump has cut support. The meeting comes as US-led peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled, with Kyiv deeming proposals to cede territory to Moscow impossible. Germany is also keen to…

The Spanish prime minister said Europe has an obligation to fill the gap as the U.S. steps back from international cooperation, in remarks at the European Pulse Forum, an initiative of POLITICO and beBartlet. Apr 10 4 mins read