European Union

While the Government’s April package of measures to bail out the economy affected by the coronavirus crisis received strong support, a bill legalising the broader surveillance of mobile phones as a measure to fight the coronavirus was sent to a...

Bulgaria has banned all foreigners from entering its territory because of the COVID-19 pandemic following an order issued by Health Minister Kiril Ananiev on Monday night. “The entry into the territory of Bulgaria of all third-country nationals, through all border...

On Tuesday (7 April) the Finnish government tightened restrictions on cross-border traffic with Sweden and Norway. From now on, only travel to necessary work across the borders is allowed. Employees have to present an employer’s certificate to justify their travel....

Belgium’s finance minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD) wants the guarantee system of €50 billion for companies to be approved by the weekend, after the government and the financial sector agreed ‘in principle’ two weeks ago. However, the green light...

The coronavirus outbreak in Spain has completely changed the daily routine of Madrid firefighter José, who says “85% of call-outs are to break down doors after people die when they’re home alone.” A recent government decree following a growing number...

Many Italian companies and academics are pressing the government to reopen factories to prevent an economic catastrophe, as the world watches how the first Western country to impose a lockdown can extricate itself from the unprecedented measures.

The European Central Bank on Tuesday (7 April) announced an "unprecedented" easing of collateral requirements in a bid to boost bank lending during the coronavirus crisis.

The Slovenian parliament on Tuesday (7 April) passed legislation which will enable the chamber to convene over the internet if that became necessary because of the coronavirus outbreak, parliamentary speaker Igor Zorcic said.

If, like Cicero wrote, the sinews of war are infinite money, let’s make sure the funds are being used for the right battles, write Brook Riley and Peter Sweatman.

Poland's parliament has backed a plan to conduct the presidential election on 10 May by postal ballot because of the coronavirus pandemic, raising concerns among democracy advocates that the vote will not be fair or fully transparent.

Spain moved on Tuesday (7 April) to tackle a shortfall of farm workers due to the coronavirus crisis by authorising the temporary hiring of tens of thousands of immigrants or jobless people.

The European Commission will on Wednesday (8 April) consider how to craft a plan to ease the bloc out of a virus lockdown that has dealt a body blow to the economies of EU members.

The UK could be the European country worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic, suffering a death toll over 66,000 by August, according to a study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in Seattle released on Tuesday (7 April).

The European Union is to put up €15 billion to help poor countries fight the coronavirus epidemic, the bloc's chief announced on Tuesday (7 April).

In repointing Europe's approach to industrial policy, some policymakers have prized China as an example to follow. Luckily, the European Commission is moving towards a European approach.

From the Netherlands to Italy, refugees and asylum seekers are stepping forward to help in the fight against the pandemic. Some are trained doctors, others are cleaners, while others help out the homeless on Europe's streets.

Welcome to the Hobbesian jungle of international anarchy.

Belgium has the most overcrowded prisons in the EU, according to a report by the Strasbourg-based human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe. Prisons in Austria, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, and Romania are also severely overcrowded.

EU and member states should increase support to victims of domestic violence during the coronavirus crisis, the EU parliament's women's rights committee said Tuesday. New help could include simple ways to alert police, such as text messages, online chats, the use of code words with doctors or pharmacists, and more places in shelters. Cases of domestic violence rose by a third globally in the week after the lockdown.

The EU's Agency for Fundamental Rights has warned that Roma inequality and discrimination is growing due to the coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, the EU Commission will present a strategy for Roma equality to tackle discrimination.