European Union

In an upcoming interview with Russian state television, Putin said that Russia has the means to bring their war in Ukraine to a "logical conclusion".

The military bloc is bracing for more transatlantic hand-wringing over defence spending before a June summit.

A new European citizens' spirit is emerging across the Continent. We mustn't fall below the ambition mustered on the 9th of May 1950. The EU must live up to Europe.

Aleksandar Vučić felt "intense chest pain" and was discharged after a few hours in hospital, Serbian officials said.

TikTok admitted to Irish authorities that it had found EU user data on its China-based servers.

A Biden era decision to allow Romanians visa-free entry for 90 days was paused by Trump's team in March – and has now been reversed.

Anthony Albanese will be returned for a second term as prime minister on an anti-Trump wave.

By exposing consumers and industries to prices that better reflect the geography of electricity production, European countries would create powerful incentives to improve the efficiency of the entire system.

As part of the One Free Press Coalition, Euractiv is marking World Press Freedom Day by highlighting ten cases where journalists remain imprisoned for seeking to expose truth.

A 59-year-old Georgian national appeared in Greek court on Friday on espionage charges.

REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Defence Industry Programme and a framework of measures to ensure the timely availability and supply of defence products (‘EDIP’)
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Committee on Security and Defence
François-Xavier Bellamy, Raphaël Glucksmann

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The projected cost of the facility is €1.27 billion (excluding VAT), with €200 million from the EU recovery fund.

Labor vs Liberal-National Coalition: Australia's next government is set to shape the country’s path on defence and international trade.

Simion says he does not want Romania to leave NATO but seeks to “strengthen the alliance under American leadership.”

The ruling highlights lingering divisions at a crucial moment for EU-UK relations, with a 'reset' summit planned later this month.

Reform UK party is making headlines.

In the most dramatic shift in local politics for a generation, the party won around 677 council seats across England according to early results – more than any other party – and gained control of several councils for the first time.

They also secured multiple mayoral positions, further cementing their newfound influence on the national stage.

And in Runcorn and Helsby – a former Labour stronghold – Reform won a Westminster by-election by just six votes, the narrowest margin since the Second World War.

But is this a true reflection of national sentiment? Or a political mirage?

The success of Nigel Farage’s Reform Party can be neither denied nor ignored. But it must be understood in context.

Local elections are often marked by low turnouts and protest votes. In Runcorn and Helsby, only around 15% of the electorate voted for Reform. That’s hardly a national mandate.

Reform’s online presence and media attention far exceed its actual share of the vote. In a general election context, with higher turnout and broader scrutiny, the picture could look very different.

Polling paints a different picture.

Consistently, surveys show that a majority of Britons now believe Brexit was a mistake. Support for rejoining the EU exceeds opposition, particularly among younger voters and professionals. The public mood is shifting – but that shift is not yet reflected in party politics.

The truth is, Brexit supporters have done what pro-Europeans have not: Built a coordinated, media-savvy, emotionally resonant campaign.

Farage has dominated the airwaves for years, with a message that is simple, repeated, and amplified. Reform’s rise is the product of that persistence. Meanwhile, the pro-EU side remains fragmented, underfunded, and largely absent from mainstream political discourse.

We have the facts, but we’re not telling the story. We have the public gradually moving our way, but we’re not offering a compelling, united vision to channel that support.

And I say this not to criticise others, but to speak plainly.

I’m just one journalist, working without the backing of any political party or organisation. I’ve been posting articles, videos, and graphics on this topic for over a decade. And I’m far from alone – many others are working tirelessly to present the case for EU membership.

But it’s not enough.

What’s needed now is a coalition of voices – campaigners, creatives, economists, and everyday citizens – who believe Britain’s future lies in Europe and are willing to say so, publicly and proudly. To challenge Reform and the forces behind it, we need more than scattered voices.

We need a coordinated, professional, long-term campaign to present the alternative: a hopeful, forward-looking vision of Britain’s place in Europe and the world.

We cannot change the past – but we can shape the future. If Reform’s rise tells us anything, it’s that the appetite for change is real. The question is: will we leave that hunger to be filled by anger and division? Or will we finally work together to offer a better way forward?

The choice, and responsibility, is ours.

Reform is loud. We are quiet. That’s the real problem.

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• Related post: Labour’s Reform-style rhetoric against migration simply won’t work

• Related post: When did Britain vote for Nigel Farage’s ‘real’ Brexit?

• Related post: Brexiters are outnumbered

The post Is Farage a mirage? appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Novel Nutriology
Agriculture
Advertising using health claims relating to botanical substances is currently prohibited

Generalstaatsanwaltschaft Frankfurt am Main
Restrictive measures: the ban on the export of banknotes denominated in euro or in another official currency of a Member State to Russia also applies when the money is intended to finance medical treatments

Next AFET committee meetings will be held on:

• Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 May 2025, Brussels

Meetings are webstreamed with the exception of agenda items held "in camera".

AFET - DROI calendar of meetings 2025
Meeting documents
Webstreaming
Commissioners-designate hearings
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On 5 May, SEDE will held an extraordinary meeting with Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space. The aim of this meeting will be to brief the SEDE Members on the implementation of the EU Defence Readiness 2030 Agenda as well as to provide a general overview on the implementation of new and planned defence initiatives following the the ReArm Europe Plan.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP