European Union

Italy is a founding member of European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1952, which paved the way to the EU. It joined the eurozone (1999) (despite not meeting the Euro convergence criteria) and since the start and Schengen in 1997. It is the 3rd largest Member State (60.6 million) by population, representing 13.6% of all EU citizens (without the UK). 76 (10.8%) out of the 705 Members of the European Parliament (MEP) are elected in Italy.

France, Germany, and Italy are in Russia's cross-hairs for EU election meddling, amid mounting military threats to Nato, Estonia's intelligence service has warned.

Plenary session, Strasbourg

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

All the improvements were in vain: the House of Commons has once again emphatically rejected Prime Minister May's Brexit deal. Now it will vote today, Wednesday, on whether to exit the EU without a deal. If the MPs reject this option they will vote on Thursday on whether London should ask for a postponement of Brexit. Europe's press takes a look at what comes next.

Thirteen candidates are running for office in the presidential elections in Slovakia. Polls put lawyer Zuzana Čaputová of the Progressive Slovakia party and the independent EU commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, from ex-prime minister Robert Fico's ruling party, in the lead. Commentators take a closer look at the candidates ahead of the vote on Saturday.

In Istanbul the police in Istanbul put a stop to a peaceful demonstration on International Women's Day with tear gas. President Erdoğan has answered criticism with the counter-accusation that the marchers tried to drown out the call to prayer with calls and whistles. Will the debate further divide the country?

A growing number of countries and airlines are grounding Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft after the second crash within six months of a plane from this series in Ethiopia on the weekend. Air travel experts suspect a software error is to blame. Boeing has announced plans to fix the problem with an update. How safe is the technology?