Author: Press Room
Published on 09/04/2026 – 16:21 GMT+2•Updated 16:27 Five senior MEPs responsible for monitoring rule-of-law concerns in Hungary urged the European Commission on Thursday to take “concrete steps” over what they describe as severe threats to the integrity of the country’s parliamentary elections on Sunday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In a letter addressed to Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath, the lawmakers raise “serious doubts” about whether the election “can take place in a genuinely free and fair electoral environment.” They call on the Commission to “publicly assess” whether “the conditions for free and fair democratic competition in…
The European Union has strongly condemned Israel’s fresh wave of strikes against Lebanon, warning that the military escalation threatens to unravel the fragile ceasefire deal struck between the United States and Iran to end the war. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Pakistan, which brokered the deal, said the truce would cover Lebanon “effective immediately”. But Israel quickly contradicted that assertion and launched new action, killing at least 254 people on Wednesday, according to Lebanese authorities. The figure marked the highest single-day death toll in the yearslong war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shiite militia. “Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the war, but Israel’s…
Many Europeans say they are deeply concerned about the war in the Middle East, according to new research by Ipsos, with the Italians, French and Dutch among the most worried. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In fact, three-quarters of Dutch respondents claimed to be more concerned about the war in the Middle East than about the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Nearly eight in 10 French respondents fear an escalation of the conflict beyond the Middle East, while more than three in 10 Italians share the same concerns. The economic consequences of the conflict are also among Europeans’ main worries, with 65% of…
Published on 09/04/2026 – 11:59 GMT+2 On one side sits Premier Viktor Orbán and his ruling Fidesz party, aligned with the conservative Patriots for Europe group. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT On the other side sits his challenger Péter Magyar and his Tisza party, embraced by the mainstream centre-right European People’s Party. If they shared a flight to Belgium, their views on Brussels could not be more different. Orbán fights EU influence to protect national sovereignty. Magyar wants to repair the relationship but avoids appearing to take orders from the EU, deliberately keeping his distance from leaders like European Commission President Ursula von…
The EU is investing €115 million, under AGILE, into AI, drones, robotics, quantum, and cybersecurity. The science in Europe is world-class. The problem is deployment, Europe cannot weaponise its breakthroughs at speed. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT This is the blunt conclusion of new BCG research with General Lavigne, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. The debate is no longer about innovation, it’s about deployment. “The Europeans have by far the most advanced publication and fundamental research, but the US, for the same technologies are much more advanced when it comes to patents and then obviously also to deployment,” says Nikolaus Lang, senior…
Published on 09/04/2026 – 8:30 GMT+2 Former US ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder, said repeated threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw from NATO, as well as confrontations with America’s European allies over their refusal to join the war, have created the ‘worst crisis’ NATO has ever faced. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “The last six weeks have been extraordinarily damaging to NATO,” Daalder told Euronews’ Shona Murray. “We see a divided NATO, which has been the goal of first the Soviet Union and then Russia for the better part of 80 years,” he said. Daalder said Trump’s statements suggesting the U.S.…
Published on 09/04/2026 – 7:54 GMT+2•Updated 8:06 On today’s show: ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Top story: Euronews’ Stefan Grobe with the latest on the US-Iran provisional, fragile ceasefire. Euronews correspondent Ekbal Zein live from Lebanon as Israeli strikes continue. Interview with Ivo Daalder, former US Ambassador to NATO, and Maria Demertzis, professor of economic policy, European University Institute Zoltán Siposhegyi live from Budapest on Hungary’s election campaign as the vote approaches. Explainer by Jakub Janas: Where do Orbán and Magyar stand on Europe ahead of Hungary’s vote? When and where to watch Europe Today? You can join Euronews’ chief anchor Méabh Mc…
European gas prices plunged sharply by around 20%, and Brent crude oil dropped significantly after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran, raising hopes of lower energy bills for consumers. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The US‑Iran deal included Tehran’s agreement to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a critical energy corridor that handles roughly 20% of global oil and LNG — and with Iran’s commitment to do so, global markets are hopeful that trade flows will resume, easing pressure on prices. However, while some experts anticipate a sharp drop in energy prices, others warn that…
Published on 08/04/2026 – 20:30 GMT+2 After years of working closely on EU migration files and spending hours in tense committee meetings, this week MEPs Juan Fernando López Aguilar and Lena Düpont meet on The Ring. Vehemently opposed on how to handle EU asylum procedures, they took completely different stances on the recent EU reform that would allow EU member states to establish so-called “migration return hubs” in third countries. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The measure, voted on 26 March, would see rejected asylum seekers be transferred to external facilities outside EU borders while awaiting return to their country of origin. Supporters…
Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó called his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in 2023 to brief him on a debate among EU leaders over whether to open accession talks with Ukraine at a key summit in Brussels, according to one of the transcripts of leaked recordings published by several Hungarian investigative news outlets. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The transcript, stemming from a call recorded at an EU summit on 14 December 2023, reveals that Szijjártó stepped out of the meeting to call Lavrov and brief him on the state of negotiations. It also includes Lavrov reportedly saying: “Sometimes good-willed direct blackmailing is the…