Author: staff

With electricity set to play an ever more central role in Europe’s energy system, the trade association Eurelectric has called on Brussels to urgently update a security of supply strategy that dates back to 2014. Soaring costs linked to rocketing gas prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and, more recently, suspected sabotage of undersea power lines have underlined the need for the EU to overhaul its decade-old European Energy Security Strategy, electricity companies have warned.“With the threats faced by our sector, security of supply is becoming an urgent priority that policymakers and regulators must acknowledge,” president of the trade association…

The head of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Jorge Moreira da Silva, made the appeal on a visit to Gaza on Thursday. The head of UNOPS told Euronews that the ceasefire must hold in Gaza as the Palestinian territory remains in the midst of a humanitarian disaster.The UN agency is providing fuel to Gaza, which is the only source of energy, and now also facilitates all aid into Gaza after Israel declared the previous agency doing the work, UNRWA, illegal.”Seventy percent of all infrastructure is destroyed,” Jorge Moreira da Silva said.”It’s fundamental to bring all humanitarian aid that is needed…

Blindsided In her speech on Friday, von der Leyen said Europe was “now in another period of crisis which warrants a similar approach” to that of the Covid pandemic. To the surprise of many, she first floated using the emergency clause during a closed-door meeting with national leaders last week, as POLITICO first reported. Her move, at the time, left national Treasury officials and the Commission’s own economy department blindsided, as they had never considered using this option. So far, finance ministries only discussed expanding the definition of defense investment to military staffing and equipment maintenance. While this would allow countries more leeway to…

Latvia’s parliament on Thursday took a step toward banning travel agencies from providing tourism services in Russia and Belarus, with the aim of reducing the risks of possible human rights violations of Latvian citizens in those countries, as well as to prevent their recruitment as spies.The legislature sent proposed amendments to the law on tourism to the relevant committee.“Travel to Russia and Belarus is currently a security issue,” said Gatis Liepiņš, a parliamentarian from the New Unity party, which initiated the law. “We cannot allow holiday trips to continue to be organized and buses full of our citizens to travel…

Rather than talk about defense budgets and Russia, Vance instead said he was witnessing “the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values.” The speech focused largely on culture war issues and populism, with Vance accusing European governments and the European Union of being “commissars” more interested in stifling free speech than in providing security for their citizens. He also attacked high levels of migration, touching on the same themes that animated Donald Trump’s return to power in the United States. He said he was praying for the victims of Thursday’s attack in Munich, when a migrant drove…

The EU Commission will propose to activate the escape clause for defence investments, Ursula von der Leyen announced in Munich. “This will allow Member states to substantially increase their defence expenditure,” she said. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced on Friday that she will propose to activate the escape clause in the bloc’s fiscal rules in a bid to “substantially” boost member states’ defence investment. The measure, von der Leyen told the Munich Security Conference, would be done in “a controlled and conditional way” and will be followed by “a wider package of tailor-made tools to address the specific…

Meanwhile, Trump has effectively launched bilateral talks with Vladimir Putin on a peace deal — to the consternation of Kyiv and European allies. “The regrettable thing … is that the Trump administration has, in my opinion, unnecessarily taken two important negotiating items off the table,” Pistorius said. “In my view, it would have been much better to only talk about Ukraine’s possible NATO membership and possible territorial changes at the negotiating table.” Pistorius said he would meet Keith Kellogg, the retired U.S. general who is Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, later today. Calling for “cool heads,” Pistorius said…

In Naples, red horns — an iconic Neapolitan symbol of prosperity, love and fortune — are preferred over flowers and chocolates. Much of Europe is celebrating love this Valentine’s Day with a variety of lively and diverse traditions.In the Italian city of Naples, the romantic at heart prefers to send their loved ones red horns instead of the more predictable flowers and chocolates. These vibrant pendants, known as “cornicelli,” are deeply rooted in local culture and are believed to bring prosperity, love, and good fortune to the receiver.The origins of the cornicello trace back to ancient Greek and Roman mythology.…

He first endorsed the AfD in a post on X, the social media platform he owns, last December. It was followed by a livestreamed chat with party leader Alice Weidel and a virtual appearance at a party conference. Musk also used X to berate mainstream German politicians, calling center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz a “fool,” while touting the AfD as the only force that can “save” the country. When asked whether any government response post election could affect Tesla’s gigafactory near Berlin, Merz said: “I am deliberately leaving the consequences open for now.” The authorities also needed to look into whether…

Celebrated actress Tilda Swinton attends the Berlin Film Festival and accepts her Honorary Golden Bear. She explains why she decided to come, despite calls for boycott over Gaza and freedom of expression. Any time with Tilda Swinton is precious and with her, a press conference very easily turns into something more. A masterclass. An articulate conversation. A thoughtful meditation.The Academy Award-winning actress, who is in Berlin to accept the Honorary Golden Bear, has been a Berlinale regular for decades now, having starred in close to 30 films in the festival’s selection. These include Caravaggio, the first film she made with…