European Union

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on Tuesday (2 April) signed into law a bill tightening state control over foreign-funded non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which human rights bodies and groups have criticised as restrictive.

A Ukrainian drone struck Russia's third-largest oil refinery on Tuesday (2 April) about 1,300 km from the front lines, hitting a unit that processes about 155,000 barrels of crude per day, though an industry source said strike caused no critical damage.

Traffic jams and border queues continue at the Danube border crossings because, although Romania and Bulgaria have joined the Schengen area for their air and sea borders, most border crossings on the Danube are still considered land borders and are subject to border controls.

Bulgarians over 65 currently make up 23.5% of the country's population and are expected to rise to 27.6% by 2034 and 31% by the end of 2060, according to data on the share of people of retirement age published by the National Statistical Institute. 

Slovakia’s ruling coalition party has proposed an amendment to the country’s NGO law that would introduce the labelling of organisations receiving more than €5,000 a year in foreign funding as ‘organisations with foreign support’ – a move criticised by Slovak NGOs, who are urging the government not to follow Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s lead.

Poles are much less enthusiastic about EU membership than they were in 2020 – a year after the previous EU election – according to the latest opinion poll, even though the recent elections that went in favour of pro-EU Prime Minister Donald Tusk would suggest otherwise.

Spain could recognise the Palestinian state before next July, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Tuesday, as he faces pressure from his political ally in government, the progressive Sumar platform, to get Spain’s Council of Ministers to back recognition before EU elections in June.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday (2 April) Israel mistakenly killed seven people working for the aid charity World Central Kitchen in a Gaza airstrike, and the US and other allies called for explanations amid widespread condemnation.

The government announced on Tuesday that it will do this by modernising training infrastructure and creating new positions within the defence forces.

The EU must strengthen its defence industrial base and look beyond Ukraine’s immediate military needs to more sustainable and long-term production, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday during a visit to Paris ahead of NATO’s 75th anniversary, as Western nations step up efforts to provide long-term financial and military support to Ukraine.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday (2 April) decided to walk a mobilisation tightrope as the country enters decisive preparations for an anticipated Russian offensive as support from Kyiv’s allies remains underwhelming.

Donald Trump called immigrants illegally in the United States "animals" and "not human" in a speech in Michigan on Tuesday (2 April), resorting to the degrading rhetoric he has employed time and again on the campaign trail.

The Botswanan president on Tuesday (2 April) threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany in a dispute over the import of hunting trophies.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and those who support him are facing an uphill battle for the NATO top job, likely to delay the decision by weeks.

On this episode of our daily Today in the EU podcast we are talking about Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s effort to gain support from both ends of the political spectrum.

Turkish authorities on Tuesday (2 April) prevented the newly elected mayor of a pro-Kurdish party taking up his post and announced a re-run vote in another district where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s party lost, prompting legal challenges and opposition condemnation.

The European Commission has rejected Bulgaria's proposed rules on pharmaceutical trade, which include a ban on rare medicine exports until domestic needs are fully covered.

The number of intensive care beds in Sweden continues to fall, raising concern among dedicated doctors and nurses. It is estimated that an additional 60 to 80 critical care beds will be needed soon.

The Czech healthcare system is on dangerous ground, and its financial sustainability is questioned by stakeholders, including the Czech health minister. They say a new focus on efficiency could help stop the downward trajectory.

Reflecting on his tenure as the 15th Chinese ambassador to the European Union, Fu Cong used his farewell speech to highlight progress in China-EU relations, while urging stronger future ties.