European Union

Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU is continuing to push to reverse the controversial phase-out of internal combustion engine cars by 2035, despite the demand being dropped from the European People’s Party election manifesto. 

A 'French-style' bill on assisted dying will be presented to France's Council of Ministers in April, President Emmanuel Macron confirmed in an interview on Sunday (10 March), underlining that it will function differently to similar laws in other EU countries.

EU negotiators went back to the drawing board over the weekend to bulletproof the text of the bloc's corporate due diligence law (CSDDD) in the hope of securing a final deal by Friday (15 March) at the latest, Euractiv understands.

Monday, 11 March

Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Monday, 11 March

Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Two years after Sweden applied to join NATO, its flag was raised at the military alliance's headquarters on Monday (11 March), with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson saying "We have come home".

The European liberals’ three-person lead candidate team will include the German defence policy expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann on behalf of ALDE, her party has announced.

Former US leader Donald Trump will not give money to help Ukraine fight Russia if he wins the presidency again and that will hasten an end to the war, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Sunday (10 March) after meeting him.

The Portuguese electorate confirmed the predicted shift to the right in an election on Sunday (10 March) with an above-average turnout — and no broad majority for any force to form a government.

Pope Francis has called on Ukraine to raise the "white flag" and show willingness to negotiate with Russia to end the war. "Don't be ashamed to negotiate before things get worse," he told Swiss broadcaster RSI. What some commentators see as a long overdue vote for peace others condemn as completely misguided.

Irish voters have rejected proposed changes to references on family and women in the country's constitution. This means that, among other things, an 80-year-old formulation that refers to women's "duties in the home" and makes women solely responsible for the household and raising children will remain in place. Commentators analyse the reasons for the clear rejection of the government's proposals.