Scholz’s botched China trip should be a wake-up call for Europe
You would think a European leader spooked by the prospect of transactional politics under a new Donald Trump administration might brush up on his bargaining skills…
From the capitals
Latest reporting and analysis on from the capitals.
Outrage as Macron floats putting EU under French nuclear umbrella
The French nuclear arsenal, consisting of roughly 300 operational nuclear warheads, could be shared as part of an EU defence deal, Macron has argued.
Sánchez to stay as Spain’s PM
The premier announced his decision on April 29 following meeting with the Spanish King for a private audience
China’s spy chief vows to fight espionage after Europe arrests
China’s intelligence chief vows to organize a “powerful offensive” to fight espionage as it faces a flurry of spying accusations from Europe and the US.
PM Rutte ‘goes Dutch’ as he pays for Turkey trip in hunt for NATO-bid support
Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte, in his hunt for a post-prime ministerial job, made his way to Turkey to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan -…
Poland ‘ready for treaty changes to bring Ukraine into the EU’
Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski says the centre-left Government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk is prepared to consider European Union treaty changes…
Trump vows close ties with Orbán ‘when’ former president returns to White House
Former US president Donald Trump has vowed close ties with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Hungary "when" he is re-elected later this year.
‘Detached’ Spanish PM Sánchez should resign, Abascal says
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez should resign from office, VOX leader Santiago Abascal told Brussels Signal.
Kyiv says passports to be issued exclusively in Ukraine for military-age men
The Ukrainian government, further tightening regulations on mobilisation, has approved rules under which passports for military-age men can be issued only inside…
Macron aims to cement French influence in EU, lift party fortunes with landmark speech
French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a global power on Thursday in a speech he hopes will have the same impact as a similar address…
Euro MPs renew push for elimination of member state veto; accuse Hungary of ‘blackmail’
The majority of the European Parliament voted on April 24 in favour of a document that singles out Hungary over what it described as rule-of-law violations and criticises…
Von der Leyen ‘back-up candidate’ rumours add to re-appointment woes
Allies who voted for her in her razor-thin win as EC chief in 2019 are now saying they would prefer a different candidate, and her own European People's Party (EPP)…
EU launches investigation into Chinese medical device market
The European Commission launched an investigation on Wednesday into Chinese public procurement of medical devices, in the latest move to try to protect European Union producers…
AfD MEP assistant arrested on accusations of spying for China
An assistant working for the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party MEP Maximilian Krah has been arrested on the orders of the German Federal Prosecutor General.
Spanish PM Sánchez is a pupil of ‘narco-chavist dictatorships’, rival claims
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is a student of "narco-chavist dictatorships", the leader of Spain's VOX party, Santiago Abascal, has claimed.
Germany arrests three suspected of spying for China
Three German nationals have been arrested on suspicion of working with the Chinese secret service to hand over technologies that could be used for military purposes,…
French PM Attal sparks controversy with proposed youth violence crackdown
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has sparked controversy by proposing new measures aimed at cracking down on youth violence in France.
Poles falling out of love with the EU?
According to the latest poll conducted by international think-tank More in Common across the European Union, just 51 per cent of Poles have a positive image of the…
Call to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist group splits EU
The designation of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation has split the European Union as leaders gathered for a two-day summit…
French hard-left party draws criticism over ‘Free Palestine’ poster
The French hard-left La France Insoumise Party (LFI) has found itself caught up in an anti-Semitism row.
Brussels mayor ‘threatens to cut power to conservative event’
A Brussels mayor has threatened to cut power to a conservative conference taking place in the city.
Portuguese PM not as keen as Spain’s leader on Palestine statehood
Portugal's new prime minister told his Spanish counterpart on Monday his country will "not go as far" as Spain in its plan to recognise a Palestinian state without…
Germany bans former Greek finance chief Varoufakis over Palestine Congress event
Yanis Varoufakis, the hard-left former Greek Finance Minister, will no longer be allowed into Germany after he attended a controversial "Palestine Congress" in the…
France readies 50,000 agents to protect Olympics
French President Emanuel Macron appointed a small army of law enforcement agents to protect the Paris Summer Olympics.
Is Germany becoming a dependency of China? Europe’s most powerful nation is ever more reliant on Beijing
With a GDP of over $4 trillion, Germany boasts one of the biggest economies globally. It is, without question, the most powerful country in Europe.
Brussels mayor ‘collaborating’ with extremists to disrupt conservative event
Brussels' socialist mayor is "collaborating" with extremists on the political Left to disrupt a conservative conference, organisers of the event have claimed.
Spain and Ireland push EU Member States to recognise Palestine
The Prime Ministers of Spain and Ireland have met to discuss plans on how to get European Union Member States to officially recognise Palestine.
Belgium to probe alleged Russian interference in EP elections
Belgian prosecutors are looking into possible Russian interference in the upcoming European Parliament elections in June following findings provided by intelligence…
Where do you fit in? Today’s four schools of thought on strategic policy: Post-Modern Globalists, the Multipolarity School, the Eurasianist School, and the Classical Primacy School
The Western conversation on statecraft and defence in our times appears to have reached new peaks of strife, cacophony and sheer multiplicity and divergence of views…
German homeowners’ group blames Berlin for climate-policy shortfalls
A leading German homeowners' association has blamed Berlin after studies showed the Government is missing its targets on building renovation as part of its climate-control…