European Union

The soft, silvery-white alkali metal is expected to enter the EU list of critical raw materials later this year because of its strategic importance to the automotive industry, EURACTIV has learned.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is ill with Covid-19, was transferred to intensive care on Monday evening. The 55-year-old's state of health had deteriorated, a statement said. Johnson's negligence in dealing with the coronavirus threat has put himself and his country in danger, the media fear.

EU finance ministers will on Tuesday once again discuss the introduction of joint bonds in a bid to mitigate the economic consequences of the corona crisis. Italy and Spain are strong advocates of such eurobonds, while Germany and the Netherlands have so far rejected them. Commentators warn that the EU could run aground over this issue.

Austria's government plans to start gradually easing the lockdown next week. Smaller shops and handicraft businesses will be able to open under certain conditions, with more to follow in May. While some media warn against the move, others see it as the result of a responsible policy.

Keir Starmer, who opposed Brexit, has been elected as the new leader of the Labour Party and thus of the opposition in the UK. The party suffered a historic defeat in the December general election under his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn. Will a more pragmatic Labour leader be able to shake up British politics in these times of the coronavirus crisis?

The hitman who assasinated Slovakian investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée two years ago has been sentenced to 23 years in prison. He had confessed to the crime and given the contractor's name. Another court case against this suspect has been suspended due to the coronavirus crisis. Slovakian media explain why the shooter wasn't sentenced to life in prison.