Category: Europe
Coverage of geopolitics, international relations, and current affairs from across Europe, including EU policies, NATO strategies, elections, and Europe’s influence on global politics.
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The UK government is defending Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ recently released Budget, arguing it lays the “proper foundations” for economic stability despite rising pressures on working households. The Budget takes what ministers call “fair and necessary choices”, including measures to cut inflation, reduce borrowing and maintain investment, but it also raises the overall tax burden to…
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Long-term net migration into the United Kingdom fell to 204,000 in the 12 months to June 2025, according to new ONS data — the lowest level for the period in four years. The figure represents a 69% decline from 649,000 a year earlier, influenced by exceptionally high arrivals in late 2023. • 898,000 people arrived…
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Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has warned that the European Union’s plan to use frozen Russian state assets for Ukraine could undermine prospects for a future peace agreement. In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, seen by Reuters, De Wever said the proposed reparations-linked loan scheme risked “effectively preventing” a…
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Following a state visit to Kyrgyzstan and the CSTO summit, President Vladimir Putin answered questions from Russian journalists on the status of the Trump peace plan and prospects for negotiations. Putin said there is no formal draft agreement, but a list of 28 discussion points developed during earlier exchanges with US officials. These were later…
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Italy’s Leonardo has unveiled ‘Michelangelo’, an AI-enabled multi-domain defence system that CEO Roberto Cingolani says could form Europe’s first interoperable “security dome” against hypersonic missiles, mass drone attacks and hybrid threats. Speaking in Rome alongside Italy’s Defence Minister and senior military leaders, Cingolani warned that Europe lacks the reaction speed needed to counter weapons that…
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French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to reintroduce voluntary military service for young people from summer 2026, aiming to strengthen France’s defence capacity amid ongoing security concerns linked to Russia. The first cohort of 3,000 volunteers, mainly aged 18–19, will expand to 10,000 by 2030 and 50,000 by 2035. Key developments: • Macron said…
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Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch delivered a forceful critique of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Budget on Wednesday (Nov. 26), accusing the government of prioritising “higher taxes and higher welfare” over economic growth. Speaking during the Budget Resolutions debate, Badenoch argued that the Chancellor’s measures—part of a wider £26 billion tax-raising package—would undermine business confidence and deepen pressure…
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Ireland has announced new reforms to tighten its immigration and asylum rules, citing rapid population growth and pressure on housing and public services. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said the changes respond to a “worryingly” high population increase and record asylum claims in recent years. Ireland’s population reached 5.46 million in April 2025, with net migration…
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Thousands of farmers gathered in central London on Budget day (Nov. 26) in the largest public challenge to the Labour government since July 2025. Despite a Met Police ban on agricultural vehicles, tractors drove through Westminster as protesters opposed planned Inheritance Tax (IHT) reforms. The policy, introduced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves last year, applies a…
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Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has presented a Budget focused on cutting the cost of living, reducing NHS waiting lists, and lowering borrowing and debt. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast UK growth at 1.5% this year, with inflation expected to fall to 0.4% in 2026, and borrowing projected to decline each year.…
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