Eurotopics.net

The Unesco World Heritage Committee on Wednesday recognised Italian cuisine as an intangible cultural heritage. The decision "honours who we are and our identity", stressed Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government proposed that the cucina italiana be added to the World Cultural Heritage list in 2023. Some commentators, however, say the accolade has a bitter aftertaste.

Donald Trump has reiterated the criticism of Europe recently expressed in the US National Security Strategy. In an interview with Politico, he said that Europe's top politicians were too "weak" and too "politically correct", and that their efforts to control migration and end the war in Ukraine had failed. European commentators make suggestions as to how the bloc should position itself.

In the battle over the 2026 budget, the French government under Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has taken a major step forward: thanks to a compromise with the Socialists and despite abstentions within its own camp, the National Assembly has passed the 'social security budget', which makes up the bulk of the overall budget, by a narrow majority. Europe's press nonetheless warns that not all hurdles have been cleared yet.

At an informal meeting of Council of Europe ministers, steps were taken that could lead to changes in the migration provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, which was adopted in 1950. Initially proposed by Denmark and Italy, the "recalibration" aims to give states more leeway on border controls, deportations and measures against human smuggling.

So far, Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands have announced that they are boycotting the 70th European Song Contest in Vienna. The cause of contention for the broadcasters is Israel's participation, as the country faces criticism for its actions in the Gaza war. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decided last week that all member broadcasters wishing to do so may take part in the competition.