European Union

In view of the looming collapse of the nuclear deal with Iran there is growing concern about an escalation in the Persian Gulf. Although US war ships are being deployed to the region, commentators explain why none of the parties involved has an interest in war.

Viktor Orbán visited Donald Trump on Monday in Washington and the two of them clearly hit it off. "You've done a good job and you've kept your country safe," were the US president's words to the Hungarian prime minister. What does the meeting mean?

This week the Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in Tel Aviv under the motto "Dare to Dream". For months now pro-Palestinian activists and supporters of the anti-Israel BDS Movement have been calling for the event to be boycotted. Commentators take the opportunity to look at the political dimensions of the contest.

Online campaigns are as essential as town hall hustings for candidates, while malicious actors have been attempting to deploy cyber-attacks and disinformation to disrupt democratic processes in recent years.

It is unlikely that Manfred Weber will become President of the European Commission. This is also because Germany often acts as a 'blocker'. Gerd Appenzeller, from EURACTIV's partner Der Tagesspiegel, gives his opinion.

Candidates hoping to become the next president of the European Commission will debate each other at 21:00 on Wednesday night. The participants, selected by the political groups, include Nico Cue (European Left), Ska Keller (Greens), Jan Zahradil (Conservatives), Margrethe Vestager (Liberals), Manfred Weber (centre-right EPP) and Franz Timmermans (Socialists). Some 20 public service media channels from throughout Europe will broadcast the debate, which will take place at the European Parliament.

In the latest sign of the deteriorating transatlantic relations, Washington has warned its European allies that a new European military pact risks shutting American companies out of defence contracts and undermining NATO, and has hinted at possible retaliation.

Joint EU military projects will not hurt US arms firms, Europe's top diplomat has said, following yet another American sanctions threat.

The strategic interests of Ukraine and the EU are "exactly the same", European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Tuesday (14 May) on the sidelines of a jubilee summit marking a decade of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) in Brussels.

The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.