Author: staff

Over a dinner of Cypriot salad, milk-fed lamb and halloumi-stuffed ravioli, leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed the economic consequences of the Iran war. They left with no obvious solutions. “It was just an assessment on the topic,” Romanian President Nicușor Dan told POLITICO when asked about talks on the Strait of Hormuz, where oil and gas tankers remain stranded as a standoff between the U.S. and Iran continues. Still, “it was a good discussion on the situation in the Middle East and the energy consequences.” Walking to dinner, the leaders meandered en masse…

As European heads of state and government dined together on Thursday in the Cypriot resort of Ayia Napa, on the first day of a two-day gathering largely focused on global politics, any sense of triumph ebbed as they confronted the many challenges and crises on their plates. While they had the luxury of not needing to put their names to a joint statement that evening, their conversation ― over lamb and ravioli ― once again exposed how hard they find it to agree on the way forward. The good news had come earlier when, after months of delay ― mainly…

The two countries lifted their vetoes after oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline, which was damaged by Russian strikes earlier this year, resumed on Thursday. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen celebrated the news on her way to Cyprus, where she is meeting with European leaders to discuss the energy crisis caused by the war in the Middle East. “While Russia doubles down on its aggression, we are doubling down on our support to the brave Ukrainian nation enabling Ukraine to defend itself,” von der Leyen wrote on X. Hungary’s outgoing prime minister, Viktor Orbán, and Slovakia’s Robert Fico, conditioned…

PARIS — Que se passe-t-il pour que la France n’envoie pas de ministre à la conférence de Santa Marta sur la sortie des énergies fossiles qui se tient la semaine prochaine ? Et, alors que l’exécutif tricolore préside le G7 cette année, qu’il décide d’escamoter du menu des négociations des ministres de l’Environnement qui s’ouvre ce jeudi 23 avril l’énergie et la lutte contre le changement climatique ? Nommée au gouvernement en partie pour son expertise sur les négociations environnementales internationales, Monique Barbut a apporté un début de réponse dans son discours de bienvenue à ses homologues du G7. “Nous vivons une époque…

In a reaction on X, Meloni said the opinion confirmed the “validity” of her government’s approach and hit out at “forced and unfounded legal interpretations,” which she said had led to “two lost years.” The Italian government cut a deal with Albania in 2023 to house migrant detention and deportation centers on its territory. The hubs were initially meant for asylum-seekers from countries considered safe while their applications were processed, but Rome has since decided to also use them to house people whose applications have been rejected and will be deported. NGOs have repeatedly lashed out at Italy’s hubs, with…

Deliveries of weapons to Ukraine from the United States haven’t stopped despite the Iran war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday, saying long-range strikes continue to hammer Russian oil production and manufacturing plants. “Of course, we are hitting what is painful for Russia and it is very painful,” Zelenskyy said in voice messages to reporters. He said that Russian losses in the strikes have reached tens of billions of dollars. It wasn’t possible to independently verify Zelenskyy’s comments but Russian officials have reported that attacks have struck infrastructure in regions more than 1,000 kilometres inside Russia. While Russia presses on…

Rather than question the outcome of Hungary’s pivotal April 12 election, the politicians both accepted and downplayed Orbán’s defeat. “Democracy worked very well in Hungary,” Bardella said, waving away allegations by independent journalists of vote-buying during the election campaign. Instead of dwelling on the latest developments in Budapest, the pair took aim at Madrid and at Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sa´nchez’s move earlier this month to grant legal status to half a million unauthorized immigrants. Ventura accused the center-left premier of “putting the whole of Europe at risk,” and said the bloc needed to “demand responsibility.” Bardella went further, calling…

The United Nations said on Thursday it was “working on” maintaining a presence in Lebanon once the mandate for its UNIFIL peacekeeping force expires at the end of the year. “In terms of the post-UNIFIL, we’re currently in the process of working on these options,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, with the Lebanese government “very clear that they would want to keep a UN presence.” The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has served fulfilled peacekeeping duties between Israel and Lebanon since 1978 but finds itself caught in the crossfire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. UNIFIL…

The EU previously voiced concerns about anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine, and some Ukrainian lawmakers have objected to changes being demanded by Brussels. Kachka said these objections were a normal part of the democratic process, but that rule-of-law reforms were under way. Despite the optimism, the process will still be challenging. Capitals have already pushed back on the idea new countries could be waved through for geopolitical reasons, amid concerns that future governments could backslide on democracy and the rule of law, creating another confrontation like they have seen from Hungary. However, a broader discussion about reforming the process or admitting…

Published on 23/04/2026 – 20:30 GMT+2 Europe’s housing crisis is no longer looming — it’s already squeezing those least able to afford it: renters and low-income households. Over the past decade, prices have surged while wages have stagnated, leaving millions struggling to afford basic housing. The pressure is especially intense in Southern Europe, where rising rents, overtourism and short-term rentals in cities have pushed locals out, fueling protests and political backlash. At the same time, there is a lack of infrastructure. Countries like Germany and The Netherlands are missing construction targets and deadlines, while waiting lists for social housing keep…