Category: Europe

Sweden’s Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson has been tasked with forming a new government after her centre-left alliance secured a narrow majority in the 2026 general election. Andreas Norlén, Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, formally asked Magdalena Andersson, leader of the Social Democrats, to begin government formation talks. Andersson said she aims to build a…

UK Prime Minister met Taoiseach of Ireland Micheál Martin at No10 North on Friday 18 September, marking the first visit by an international leader to the new government venue. The leaders reaffirmed the close UK-Ireland partnership and their shared commitment to the Good Friday Agreement, while discussing efforts to address the legacy of the Troubles…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has launched the “Carpathian Eight” (C8) regional cooperation initiative at a summit in Bukovel, Ukraine, aimed at strengthening security, infrastructure, energy and economic links across Central and Eastern Europe.  The inaugural summit brought together Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, Austria and Hungary, alongside the European Union, to discuss regional connectivity…

UK Prime Minister met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus on Wednesday (16 Sep), where they discussed defence technology, Alliance innovation and international security. The leaders said the UK could play a greater role in advancing NATO capabilities, highlighting the country’s defence technology sector and the recently published UK National…

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment on Wednesday (16 Sep) after the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague found him guilty of war crimes committed during and after the 1998–99 Kosovo War.  The court convicted Thaçi, a former political leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), of murder, arbitrary detention,…

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her 2026 State of the Union address on Wednesday (16 Sep) to outline the European Union’s response to an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment, focusing on security, economic competitiveness and international partnerships. “We are now dealing with an openly hostile world,” von der Leyen told the European Parliament,…

Finland has joined France’s Forward Deterrence initiative, a framework designed to deepen European involvement in discussions around French nuclear deterrence and strengthen cooperation on continental security.  The decision follows a speech by French President Emmanuel Macron on 2 March at Île Longue, where he outlined the European dimension of France’s nuclear deterrence doctrine and introduced…

John Swinney, First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), Rhun ap Iorwerth, First Minister of Wales and Leader of Plaid Cymru, Michelle O’Neill, First Minister of Northern Ireland and Vice President of Sinn Féin, and Mary Lou McDonald, President of Sinn Féin, have signed a memorandum of understanding committing their…

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo called for stronger European Union action in the Arctic, warning that the region has become “a central arena of great power competition” during his opening remarks at the European Arctic Summit in Rovaniemi, Finland on Monday (14 Sep). Orpo said the Arctic is “a core European security interest” and stressed…

Around 150,000 people joined demonstrations across Germany following the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s major victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, where it secured almost 44% of the vote. Protests were held in around 20 cities, including Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, with campaign groups calling for action against the AfD and raising concerns over its…