Euractiv.com

As Italy's Five Star Movement (M5S) looks to Thursday's decision on its membership of the European Parliament's Left group, it remains to be seen whether its controversial past deals in a previous government with Matteo Salvini's Lega will make the EU group look the other way.

Czechia has been subjected to targeted information operations aimed at reducing support for Ukraine, a recent report by the Czech National Centre for Combating Organised Crime (NCOZ) has revealed.

Russia's central bank told businesses they should use "multiple choice solutions" including cryptocurrencies and other digital assets to facilitate payments with foreign partners to counter Western sanctions imposed over the Ukraine conflict.

With the UK Labour Party leading in the polls by a 20 point lead over the incumbent Conservative Party, a change in government following Thursday’s (4 July) snap general election seems inevitable and is likely to have a positive impact on somewhat icy post-Brexit UK-EU relations.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan told Russia's Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (3 July) that Ankara could help end the Ukraine-Russia war, but Putin's spokesman said Erdoğan could not play the role of an intermediary in the 28-month-old conflict.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Wednesday (3 July) called for vigilance in the face of far-right political gains in Europe, citing narratives that dehumanise migrants and asylum seekers.

Russian disinformation campaigns are targeting social media to destabilise the French political scene — currently in a legislative campaign — by steering it more towards the "extremes" and fragmenting the so-called "Republican front", a study found.

NATO members are increasingly concerned about the risks to the cohesion of the Western military alliance posed by the possible entry of the French far-right into government, and whether Paris' influence and commitment to Ukraine could wane in the near future.

Germany’s three-party government coalition did not manage to reach an internal deal on the 2025 draft budget by Wednesday (3 July), which had previously been named as the deadline for an internal agreement, as differences over potential spending cuts prove difficult to bridge.

UK citizens head to the polls today for a general election widely expected to end the 14 years of Conservative rule and return the Labour Party to power, prompting questions about what it will mean for the EU-UK relations and why - while Europe is shifting to the right - the UK is turning left.

Industry should not rely on negative emissions to compensate for the ending of new EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) allowances from 2039, experts have told Euractiv.

A Labour victory in the UK general today (4 July) would likely not lead to a significant improvement in UK-EU trade ties in the near-term but could lay the foundations for deeper economic integration over the coming years, experts say.

Spain's government announced a crackdown on Wednesday (3 July) on short-term and seasonal holiday lettings amid rising anger from locals who feel priced out of the housing market.

Germany's cabinet blocked the planned sale of the gas turbine business of Volkswagen unit MAN Energy Solutions to a Chinese company on Wednesday (3 July), with ministers citing security reasons.

Talks to form an alternative left group in the European Parliament have failed, Germany's Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) confirmed on Wednesday evening, as its lead candidate Fabio de Masi blamed last-minute dropouts and the "powerful levers" of "majority groups".

The three EU Parliament groups of the centrist majority diverge on some key policy issues for the next mandate, according to draft action plans seen by Euractiv, the basis for their talks with Ursula von der Leyen as she seeks support to win a second mandate as Commission president.

Amid the historic lead for the French far-right Rassemblement National in the first round of snap legislative elections, Russia weighed in on Wednesday (3 July), throwing its support behind the far-right party days before the decisive second round.

Plans for a new left-wing group in the European Parliament floated by Germany’s Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) could be in peril, as Italy’s Five Star Movement applied to join the existing Left group despite being rumoured to be in talks with BSW. 

Strengthening the position of farmers in the food supply chain is set to be a top priority for the three centrist political groups forming the new majority coalition at the European Parliament, according to draft documents on priorities for the next five years seen by Euractiv.

As the United Kingdom and France go to the polls in the next few days, we look at why the British public is turning left, towards Labour, at a time when Europe is turning towards far-right parties.