Euractiv.com

The European Commission has given green light for a €1.7 billion German subsidy scheme to support shorter freight trains in competition with road transport, which is expected to mainly benefit state-owned DB Cargo.

For Europeans to survive and thrive in a world of contestation will require greater realism, more agility and a capacity to put together a policy package to ‘win friends and influence people’, writes Steven Everts.

With the European elections around the corner, Europe is confronted with challenges that demand a united front and bold action. But Ursula von der Leyen's promises for swift and decisive action have fallen flat: After five long years, all we have got are sluggish responses that left us wanting more, writes Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann.

Israel will recall its envoys from Norway and Ireland and possibly other European countries, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday (22 May) after several EU countries announced in a historic move the recognition of a Palestinian state.

The European Commission will present its update of the ‘European Health Union: a Europe that prepares, prevents and protects' on Wednesday (22 May). Like the Belgian motto, ‘L’Union fait la force’ [Unity makes strength], the Health Union's aim is to create a more resilient Europe.

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Brussels stepping towards withdrawing the Article 7 procedure against Poland, Czech lawmakers warning about Russian operations threatening the EU elections, and so much more.

Russian influence and disinformation campaigns in the EU pose a significant threat to the integrity of the upcoming European Parliament elections, according to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security Committee of the Czech Senate.

Tens of thousands of Iranians flocked to the streets of Tehran Wednesday (22 May) to join the funeral processions of president Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage, who died in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

Leaked wiretaps of leading politicians from the liberal Renew Europe-linked Bulgarian party “We Continue the Change”, in which one is heard saying that the party has a lot of money available in cash, have shaken the campaign ahead of Bulgaria's early parliamentary and EU elections, scheduled for the same day.

The parties in Slovakia's parliament have unanimously adopted a coalition resolution condemning the recent assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico and urging people not to spread hatred.

Ukrainian servicemen operating a howitzer in Kharkiv region near the Russian border work around the clock to stop an incursion by Moscow's troops, and they are finally getting the shells to do it.

European Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová has said she would recommend that the EU executive withdraw the Article 7 procedure against Poland, launched in 2017, following discussions on the issue among EU ministers at the General Affairs Council on Tuesday.

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini's League party has submitted a bill to the Chamber of Deputies proposing a mandatory six-month period of military or civilian service for all young people aged between 18 and 26, while the far-right party's centre-right allies, including Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, oppose the measure.

Rassemblement National’s (RN) President Jordan Bardella announced on Tuesday that the party will end the alliance with his German counterpart Alternative for Germany (AfD), a fellow member of the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group.

Spain is recalling its ambassador to Argentina, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Tuesday, amid an escalating diplomatic row between the two nations.

Russian physicist Anatoly Maslov was convicted of treason and sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony on Tuesday (21 May) in the latest of several cases against experts working on the science underpinning Russia's development of hypersonic missiles.

The next European Parliament will need to negotiate with EU countries two key files which aim to harmonise corruption and transparency requirements for foreign-funded organisations, both proposed after a string of corruption cases, like Qatargate, shook the outgoing legislature. 

With the next European mandate fast approaching, new research shows how digital tools – such as e-invoicing – are poised to unlock a new era of productivity and competitiveness for Europe’s SMEs.

 As Irish voters head to the polls for local and European elections on 7 June, neither the ruling parties nor the opposition have a clear lead following the recent emergence of independent candidates, but the tables could still be turned as ‘hot ticket’ issues such as tackling immigration or housing become the campaign’s main focus.

After Marine Le Pen’s far-right party announced to cut ties with their German counterpart AfD following the next European elections, the German party looks for ways to calm the waves by potentially making a drastic cut with their lead candidate.