European Union

3 December marks the anniversary of what is widely regarded as one of the worst peacetime chemical disasters in history. 

In a surprising vote 15 years ago, the small Swiss canton of Glarus lowered the voting age to 16. Since then, it has remained the only Swiss region to implement this, which might be related to the archaic voting system in the canton that regularly produces surprising results.

France's former political stalwarts, Les Républicains (LR), will hold their first party congress this weekend to choose who will take over the reins of the mainstream conservative party after it suffered a string of crushing defeats in past presidential elections.

Committee and political group meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2022 - EP

1952-2022: Special Meeting of Judges on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Court of Justice of the European Union

This global tax rate for multinationals could yield up to €64bn annually. Yet, the Hungarian government led by Viktor Orbán has been blocking it for months. The impotency of the EU to strike a deal is irresponsible and incomprehensible.

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MEPs reached a provisional deal with Council on new measures protecting consumers from credit card debt, overdrafts and loans unsuitable for their financial situation.
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Source : © European Union, 2022 - EP

MEPs reached a provisional deal with Council on new measures protecting consumers from credit card debt, overdrafts and loans unsuitable for their financial situation.
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Source : © European Union, 2022 - EP

During the French President's state visit to the US, Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron demonstrated unity and assured Ukraine of their joint support. Immediately before the meeting Macron had described the US subsidies for American producers of environmentally friendly technologies as "super aggressive". Commentators fear a new trade dispute in which Europe will be at a disadvantage.

Following air strikes against the Kurdish PKK and YPG in Syria and Iraq, Turkey is now considering deploying ground troops there. Ankara has justified the strikes saying they are a reaction to the attack in Istanbul's İstiklal pedestrian shopping street, although both Kurdish militias have denied being behind the bombing. For many media outlets, the reasons for Turkey's strikes lie elsewhere.