European Union

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Saturday (4 January) stressed the "need for de-escalation" after the US assassination of a top Iranian in Baghdad, while US President Donald Trump threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites “very hard” if Iran attacks Americans or US assets.

Weekly schedule of President Charles Michel 6-12 January 2020

President Charles Michel reacts to the deterioration of the situation in Iraq

The president of the European Council warned on Friday (3 January) against further escalation in Iraq after US forces killed an Iranian general, triggering fears of a wider conflict.

North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev resigned Friday (3 January) ahead of a vote in April called after the EU blocked the start of membership talks with Skopje, the key policy goal of his cabinet.

Among the many foreign policy challenges facing the EU in 2020, the main theme will be how to assert itself on the world stage against China, the US and Russia, while upholding multilateralism and at least a semblance of global order.

The conservative ÖVP and The Greens reached an agreement on their government programme in Vienna on Thursday. If The Greens' Federal Congress follows President Van der Bellen in approving the coalition, Austria will have its first conservative-green government. Europe's press debates whether this is a viable model for other countries too.

The bushfires in Australia have claimed at least ten lives since the start of the week. The government likes to boast that the country produces only 1.6 percent of global CO2 emissions. But according to a recent study that takes fossil fuel exports into account, Australia is in fact responsible for 5 percent of greenhouse gases. Commentators examine the issue.

On 1 January 2020 Croatia, the EU's youngest member, took over the EU Council presidency from Finland. The media outline the challenges the country faces and weigh up its chances of mastering them.