News from Belgium-based sources, ranked by recency.
PARIS — Germany urged fellow EU member countries to clinch a deal on the bloc’s long-term budget “by the end of the year” after French far-right leader Jordan Bardella threatened to halve his country’s contribution if he came to power in 2027. The National Rally president, slated to be the party’s presidential candidate if his mentor Marine Le Pen’s election ban is upheld in an appeal decision ...
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Just like Ringo, Volodymyr Zelenskyy gets by with a little help from his friends. Upon his arrival in Evian-les-Bains at the G7 leaders’ summit on Tuesday, Zelenskyy was overheard on camera with French President Emmanuel Macron game-planning on how to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump. After greeting him with a hug, Macron, who is hosting the gathering, was picked ...
The European Parliament approved legislation on Tuesday to implement the EU’s trade deal with the United States, marking one of the final hurdles in a process that has repeatedly frustrated the Trump administration. Lawmakers voted by 440 in favor, with 151 against and 50 abstaining, to approve changes to legislation to remove tariffs on U.S. industrial goods and some agricultural products — fu...
Romania’s latest prime minister-designate failed to secure the backing of his own party on Tuesday, impeding the path to forming a new government. Adrian Veștea — a former mayor, county council president and development minister from the center-right National Liberal Party (PLN) — was announced on Sunday as Romanian President Nicușor Dan’s second prime minister-designate in two weeks, aft...
STRASBOURG — European Parliament President Roberta Metsola wants the lawmakers’ oversight body to assess whether Luxembourg MEP Fernand Kartheiser breached the code of conduct by meeting with Russian officials, according to a letter seen by POLITICO. Kartheiser — who was kicked out of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the Parliament last year over a previous trip to Moscow — ha...
PARIS — France’s domestic intelligence service is ending its contract with U.S. surveillance technology giant Palantir, it said on Tuesday morning. The General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) picked French firm ChapsVision to “replace the American giant Palantir,” Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said in an online video published on the eve of the opening of the countryR...
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Sky News As world leaders gather at the G7 summit – what’s Keir Starmer’s top priority? With tensions in the Middle East, a trade dispute with China, a continuing war in Ukraine and Russia’s apparent involvement in arson attacks on homes and a car linked to Keir Starmer, the PM has his hands full. Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy ass...
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music The fight over the EU’s next seven-year budget is heating up. European affairs ministers are meeting in Luxembourg today to discuss the cash pot. Last week, the Cypriot presidency came up with concrete figures … but the backlash was almost immediate. Zoya and Ian discuss the main sticking points. Next, one of the most useful diplomatic gatherings in Br...
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Ein G7-Gipfel ist kein Kindergeburtstag und doch wird US-Präsident Donald Trump derzeit genauso behandelt: bloß nicht reizen, immer schön loben und im Mittelpunkt stehen lassen. Trump reist in Evian mit einer vermeintlichen „Iran-Einigung“ im Gepäck an, die bisher bloße Absichtserklärungen enthält. Gordon Repinski beleuchtet, wie leicht der US-Präsiden...
The White House’s last-minute restrictions on Anthropic’s new artificial intelligence model are raising fundamental doubts about President Donald Trump’s 2-week-old effort to place guardrails on the technology. And they’re undercutting the president’s promise of a light-touch approach to regulating advanced AI, according to tech industry representatives, policy experts and at least one administ...
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Kyiv’s allies are scrambling to avoid a blowup with U.S. President Donald Trump at the G7 summit as he emerges from the Iran crisis and turns his attention back to the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump was all smiles as he arrived in France a day after his birthday, telling reporters that everything was “nice” before heading into a cordial meeting with French President Emmanue...
Brussels diplomats mourn end of US-hosted ‘like-minded’ dinners Monthly gatherings were once a staple of Washington’s influence operation in the EU capital. Now that key channel for informal diplomacy has all but disappeared. By ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH in Brussels Illustration by Natália Delgado / POLITICO For years, U.S. ambassadors used intimate dinners to bring together European allies, compare no...
ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD, England — They seem an unlikely duo: The centibillionaire financial data tycoon, and the self-styled man of the people bidding to be Britain’s next prime minister. Yet Michael Bloomberg, the former New York mayor, has been an influence on Andy Burnham for almost a decade as the Labour politician built his profile ahead of his current tilt at moving into 10 Downing Street. ...
President Donald Trump and his team are celebrating an Iran peace deal they say will end Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. But the accord rests on commitments that Iran hasn’t actually made yet. And it may never. According to early statements from officials in both countries, the two sides agree on a couple basic points: the deal reopens the Strait of Hormuz without tolls and lifts the American block...
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced fresh energy sanctions on Russia and a deal to supply Ukraine’s nuclear plants for the next two years, as he meets partners at the G7 summit. The U.K.’s latest package of measures is expected to target Russia’s illicit shadow fleet, following the first interception of a banned oil tanker by British forces at the wee...
LUXEMBOURG — The EU is developing robust safeguards to ensure future member countries cannot backslide on reforms or use their veto power to obstruct the bloc after joining, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said. “If the new member state will follow the rules, nothing will happen. If they will not follow the rules, the safeguards will bite hard and this is the system we are building,...
Hungarian lawmakers on Monday passed a constitutional amendment that would ban Viktor Orbán from returning to power. The amendment, approved by 135 votes in favor and 50 against, would limit prime ministers to just eight years in office if it becomes law. The amendment is written to apply retroactively, meaning that Viktor Orbán could not return as Hungary’s prime minister. Orbán served as prim...
BRUSSELS — All the members of the European Parliament sitting on the conciliation committee on the air passenger rights reform confirmed on Monday the compromise reached with countries last week. The vote in the conciliation committee — a dedicated body created to negotiate a common text between Parliament and the Council — was backed by all 27 MEPs in the committee, the Parliament confirmed in...
The Trump administration expects to release the full text of its agreement with Iran later this week, after U.S. officials electronically signed the document Sunday, Vice President JD Vance said Monday morning. “We already signed the deal digitally yesterday,” Vance said on “ Good Morning America ” of the deal ending the U.S.’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz . A formal signing ceremony ...
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Deezer Dans une interview à POLITICO sur les questions internationales, Jordan Bardella explique qu’il n’a pas du tout renoncé à « tout changer » au fonctionnement de l’Union européenne quand bien même le projet de Frexit défendu par le Rassemblement national a été abandonné il y a 7 ans. Avant son déplacement en Pologne, le président du RN précise son positionne...
GENEVA — Pay up, Paris. That’s the message from Swiss authorities who are furious that they are being stuck with the bill for policing tens of thousands of protesters railing against a G7 summit taking place in neighboring France. The Group of 7 leaders’ summit, which starts Monday, is happening just over the border in the French resort town of Evian-les-Bains, where leaders including Emmanuel ...
The world’s largest economies want to come together to act on China’s growing economic threat. President Donald Trump is more interested in going it alone. Trump basically spelled out as much in a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing last month, declaring the tete-a-tete “the G2.” “This is the G2,” the president told reporters, referring to a knock off of the Group of 7 summit of th...
BRUXELLES ― Un think tank de droite lié à l’ancien Premier ministre hongrois, Viktor Orbán, a été suspendu de la base de données de l’UE répertoriant les lobbyistes et les groupes de pression, après avoir été accusé de ne pas avoir publié certaines informations financières, notamment ses sources de financement. Le secrétariat du registre de transparence de l’UE confirme que MCC Bruxelles a été ...
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France and its allies would be ready to deploy a mission within days to secure the Strait of Hormuz if the truce between the United States and Iran is confirmed. Speaking in an interview with French broadcaster TF1 , Macron said the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier could be deployed “in two to three days” to patrol the strai...
BRUSSELS — Spanish officials are dismissing concerns that international investors could attempt to seize the Royal Spanish Football Federation’s assets while it plays in World Cup matches in the United States. Ahead of the national team’s opening match against Cape Verde in Atlanta on Monday, Blasket Renewable Investments LLC has issued subpoenas demanding Adidas, Hilton hotels and other ...
BRUSSELS ― A right-wing think tank with links to former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been suspended from the EU’s database of lobbyists and campaign groups, after it was accused of failing to disclose financial information, including its funding sources. In an email sent to the group by the secretariat of the EU’s Transparency Register, seen by POLITICO, the watchdog confirme...
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is thankful that her party, the National Rally, can count on leader Jordan Bardella if she’s barred from running in the 2027 French election. “It’s a relief for me that, if I’m prevented from standing, he could stand in my place,” she said in an interview with France Télévisions on Sunday. Le Pen was convicted of embezzling European Parliament funds i...
Kyiv’s Dormition Cathedral — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — was set ablaze during the early hours of Monday after being hit in Moscow’s latest attack on Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko posted a video of the fire raging on the roof of the main building of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery complex, which dates back to the 11th century, and described the att...
European leaders on Monday guardedly celebrated U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Tehran and Washington. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas all praised the development, but stressed the importance of quickly easing the global energy crisis. Von der Le...
LONDON — Keir Starmer said Monday the U.K. will ban social media for under-16s. Livestreaming and tools which allow users to communicate with strangers will also be blocked, and restricted by default for 17-year-olds, the U.K. prime minister said. Starmer told a Downing Street press conference “a full ban is the right choice,” adding he is not “prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness...
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Sky News How is Keir Starmer planning to play this week? It is a week which could end with Andy Burnham back in parliament. We know the prime minister’s got a social media ban for under-16s to announce today and a G7 summit to attend. But Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy discuss what else is on his mind, particularly after the resignation of John Heal...
U.S. AI company Anthropic has disabled all access to its latest AI model, Fable, after the American government ordered it to suspend access for all non-U.S. users. “The net effect of this order is that we must abruptly disable Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for all our customers to ensure compliance,” Anthropic said in a statement Friday evening. Fable 5 is a less powerful version of the comp...
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music French presidential hopeful Jordan Bardella wants Brussels to know that if he reaches the Élysée, he won’t follow Italian PM Giorgia Meloni’s path from insurgent outsider to pragmatic EU power broker. POLITICO’s Marion Solletty joins Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur to discuss her wide-ranging interview with the far-right leader — including his plans...
STRASBOURG — European Parliament President Roberta Metsola’s chances of securing a third term were given a boost after the liberal Renew group signaled it could support her reelection bid — if its conditions are met. “We support a president candidate who would keep the far-right out of the bureau [the Parliament’s top decision-making body, composed of the president and her 14 ...
BERLIN – Deutschland und Frankreich haben eine gemeinsame Erklärung zur Stärkung der pharmazeutischen Industrie in Europa unterzeichnet ( hier ). Gesundheitsministerin Nina Warken hat sich am Rande der Weltgesundheitsversammlung in Genf auf eine entsprechende Vereinbarung mit ihrer französischen Amtskollegin Stéphanie Rist verständigt, erklärte das Gesundheitsministerium am Dienstag. Ziel sei d...
Spain’s National Court on Tuesday charged former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero with money laundering, influence peddling and other criminal offenses committed in connection with the €53 million bailout of Plus Ultra airlines. In a statement , the Court confirmed that officers of the National Police’s Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit had raided the former prime mi...
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Sky News Andy Burnham makes his opening pitch to the voters of Makerfield but is he already in campaign mode for PM, as well as MP? Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy discuss his launch video. Back in London, there’s a cabinet meeting this morning. Just how awkward will that be for Sir Keir Starmer? Especially with those who were pushing him to have a p...
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music After years of Hungary’s former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán blocking Ukraine’s path to join the EU, Budapest and Kyiv are talking again. That has Brussels wondering if Hungary might finally be softening its position on Ukrainian accession. Today on the pod, Nick and Ian discuss why joining the bloc is so important to the war-torn nation and why — even ...
• Putin visits Xi in China • 60th anniversary of friendship • China supports Russia's war
LONDON — A little-known British defense minister is being urged by MPs to consider a bid to replace Keir Starmer, as a leadership crisis consumes the governing Labour Party. Al Carns, the minister for the armed forces, is being touted by supporters who say the party now needs a radical change if it is to win back thousands of voters who dumped Labour for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK or the le...
