France
5 times the Winter Olympics got super political
Invasions, nuclear crises and Nazi propaganda: The Games have seen it all.
Ursula von der Leyen to travel to Australia to seal EU security, trade deal
Prosecutors seek to uphold 5-year electoral ban on Marine Le Pen
EU parliament chief calls for ‘exorcism’ of ghosts in UK ties
Access to innovative treatments: The real work starts now
Police raid Elon Musk’s X office in France
Poll: Far-right candidate breaks through in Paris mayor race
France finally passes 2026 budget
The new legislation will take effect after a constitutional review.
No EU deal on Ukraine loan and UK access, diplomats say
The talks are crucial as Ukraine will otherwise run out of money in April.
Former French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire allegedly met Epstein at disgraced financier’s house
A person close to Le Maire told POLITICO that the French politician left the residence as soon as he saw Epstein.
Macron enters his lame duck era
Legislative compromise will take a back seat to political jockeying as the race for the Elysée heats up.
Starmer aims to revive defense talks with EU
European Commission says it “will not speculate on a possible second SAFE fund at this stage.”
EPP urges EU to gear up for shifts in global balance of power
The European People’s Party laid out its 2026 agenda on EU treaty tweaks, security, population policy and more.
Merz plays down Weber’s idea of a European peacekeeping army in Ukraine
Weber is also pushing for a new role of single overall EU leader. But Merz is more focused on immediate goals.
New Dutch government to push for EU social media ban for under-15s
The minority coalition’s program also envisions a crackdown on screen time and stricter smartphone rules in schools.
Eurozone growth better than expected at end of 2025
But numbers still show the scars of the U.S.-driven trade war.
Rob Jetten’s new Dutch government wants to save NATO
Foreign Minister David van Weel tells POLITICO Trump has damaged trust, and Europe needs to reduce its reliance on America, but shouldn’t cut ties just yet.
The Anxious Continent: Social media bans and boozy trade deals
Europe is testing how far it’s willing to go — at home and abroad. In this episode of EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton talks to Jonathan Haidt, author …
How the EU’s internal resistance on Iran finally cracked
A rising death toll and graphic images trumped diplomatic caution, forcing capitals to back the terror listing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Keir Starmer’s softly-softly approach ushers in new era of UK-China trade relations
Britain’s haul from the trip may be modest, but ministers insist there’s more to come.
French energy giant relaunches $20B massacre-linked gas project in Mozambique
TotalEnergies is moving to resume operations after a five-year pause.
UK opens door to Xi Jinping visit
Keir Starmer’s China visit is not a “one-and-done summit,” Downing Street said.
French diplomats are taking on MAGA — one meme at a time
Paris is rolling out a confrontational online strategy to counter disinformation from the United States and beyond.
EU lists Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as terrorist group, says top diplomat
The expected move comes after France and Italy changed their stance on the terror designation.
How Elon Musk cost Tesla the European market
Sales cratered in Europe after the car company CEO turned to politics.
Keir Starmer hails ‘good progress’ on Chinese whisky tariffs and visa-free travel
Britain is currently not among the European countries granted visa-free access to China.
EU moves to blacklist Iran’s enforcer army
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been blamed for thousands of deaths, and EU countries are close to adding the group to a terror list.
France’s under-15 social media ban: 5 things to know
French President Emmanuel Macron wants the ban in place from Sept. 1.
Starmer to Carney: No new world order please, we’re British
U.K. leader says he’s ‘a British pragmatist applying common sense’ after Canadian counterpart called for mid-sized countries to team up in the era of Trump.
All the economic wins Keir Starmer wants to bag in China
… and all the ones too tough to mention.