#european-union

#european-union

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced plans to restrict social media use by age starting on January 1, 2027, citing concerns such as problems sleeping, increasing anxiety, and social media platforms' addictive designs.

We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Moldova, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Spain and Sweden, concerned by the conflict in the Middle East, are appalled by the dramatic situation and renewed escalation of violence in Lebanon, where there are already 1.2 million internally displaced persons, representing some 25% of the overall population.

Christophe Barthes, the mayor of Carcassonne, stated, 'Out with the European flags at the town hall! Make way for the French flags,' as he shared footage of removing the EU flag.

For the first time, one or more French investigating judges will examine the conditions of the possible criminal liability of Fabrice Leggeri in the carnage that has resulted in thousands of deaths in the Mediterranean, particularly children and women.

The parliamentary elections in Slovenia are pivotal, as they will determine whether the nation continues on a liberal path or shifts towards illiberal right-wing populism, similar to Hungary's Viktor Orban.

As leader of the ECB in 2012, Draghi was hailed as the saviour of the euro when he faced down markets during the sovereign debt crisis, famously declaring he would do "whatever it takes" to stabilise the currency. In Brussels, EU chief Charles Michel led tributes to Draghi at the summit table, thanking him for his work and "artful phrases, and a concise, brief and powerful style".

The Trump administration's new National Security Strategy (NSS) depicts a Europe on the brink of collapse. Its malaise, the document stresses, is not just about Russian threats or economic stagnation; rather, Europe risks losing its identity, amidst falling birthrates, rising migration, and the alleged silencing of right-wing dissidents. For this, Washington especially blames the European Union, said to "undermine political liberty and sovereignty." Still, all is not lost.

The European political elite still holds onto the belief that Ukraine can somehow prevail on the battlefield if funded. This week is shaping up to be crucial for the European Union's policy on Ukraine. EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on Monday; EU heads of state will gather on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting United States envoy Steve Witkoff. At the top of the agenda is the peace plan put forward by US President Donald Trump and continuing funding for Ukraine's war effort.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

The billionaire unleashed a barrage of posts on X, boosting claims that cast Brussels as censorious, corrupt, and anti-democratic - just days after the bloc fined his platform €120 million ($140 million) over the "deceptive design" of its blue checkmarks. In one post, Musk asked followers: "How long before the EU is gone?" AbolishTheEU. In another instance, he backed a call for binding referendums on whether countries should remain in the bloc, describing it as a "good idea."

Speaking ahead of Ireland assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union next year, the former Fine Gael leader warned that progress made by Ireland as a member of the EU since the depths of the recession "should not be taken for granted". "We live now at a time when we have unprecedented contact and communication worldwide. Yet we have unprecedented isolation and disillusionment in the same vein," Mr Kenny told an audience at Trinity College Dublin on Tuesday evening.

The core of his argument rests on the claim that Baraka was employed under Belgian law but the EU had him on a rolling one-year contract, an alleged breach of national laws which state that after three consecutive contracts, workers must be made permanent with the concomitant workers rights. A provision that allows an employer to renew fixed-term contracts is contrary to Belgian and European public policy, the claim says.

Catherine Connolly has insisted she is "a committed European" and while she has opposed many aspects of EU politics, she argues "we have to allow questions to be put and debated".