Author: Press Room
Published on 09/07/2026 – 20:03 GMT+2•Updated 20:19 The digital euro will complement, not replace, cash, and the goal is not to trace payments, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde told Euronews in an exclusive interview, rejecting claims that the project is designed to monitor citizens. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The European Parliament approved its negotiating mandate on Thursday, bringing the legislation a step closer to adoption by the end of 2026 after months of stalled talks. The proposal initially faced criticism from members of the European Parliament, who argued that the digital euro could undermine privacy and eventually diminish the role of…
Published on 09/07/2026 – 20:30 GMT+2 Belgium’s drug problem is centered on one word: Antwerp. Europe’s second biggest port has become one of Europe’s main entry points for drugs from Latin America. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Last year alone, Belgian authorities seized 55 tons of cocaine – but officials openly admit that much larger quantities likely get through, often in hidden shipments of bananas, frozen food or timber. Has Belgium lost control of the drug issue? Does Belgium risk evolving into a “narco-state”, as one senior Antwerp judge warned recently? Is Belgium at the frontline of an unwinnable European battle against the…
Published on 09/07/2026 – 18:07 GMT+2 EU finance ministers are expected to approve Hungary’s revised National Recovery Plan on Friday at the ECOFIN meeting, paving the way for Budapest to withdraw €10 billion in post-pandemic recovery funds once it fulfils all remaining conditions. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT For years, a large share of the recovery and cohesion funds earmarked for Hungary has been withheld by Brussels over concerns about systemic corruption risks. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who won a landslide victory in April’s elections, campaigned on a pledge to unlock the frozen EU funds, and has since struck a political agreement…
By Nikos Papandreou MEP, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, PASOK-KINAL (Greece) Published on 09/07/2026 – 18:12 GMT+2•Updated 18:27 The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews. When my European Parliament colleagues and I visited Egypt, last week, we were delighted to strengthen our ties to a country with which we have a close and strategic partnership. Our connection is stronger than ever – underpinned by a €7.4 billion package, and underscored by last October’s first leaders’ summit –…
Ukraine opened a criminal investigation on Thursday after crowds of people in the western city of Lviv surrounded and overturned an army conscription vehicle the night before. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The incident drew a swift backlash from Ukrainian officials, some of whom called on citizens to direct their anger at Russia and not the army. The unrest erupted after officers detained a man suspected of evading military service and took him to a draft centre, authorities said. “An investigation has been launched into the circumstances of an incident that occurred in Lviv involving servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces, police officers,…
Published on 09/07/2026 – 15:53 GMT+2 The United States has approved the sale of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday, despite previous doubts over a planned deployment. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “On the sidelines of the NATO meeting in Ankara, we agreed with the American government that American Tomahawk missiles will be purchased by us and stationed in Germany,” Merz told MPs in a statement to parliament. The move will “close an important strategic gap in our defences,” he said. “At the same time we will work on developing our own European systems and stationing them…
Italy ordered the expulsion of two Russian military attaches accused of spying on Thursday, with its foreign minister condemning “serious and unacceptable acts of interference” by Moscow. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The expulsions came two days after police announced the arrest of two former Italian intelligence agents who media reports said gave Russia secrets on military aid to Ukraine. “The Italian government has decided to expel two military attaches from the embassy of the Russian Federation in Italy, involved in espionage activities uncovered by the Rome public prosecutor’s office,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote in a post on X. The minister named…
Updated: 09/07/2026 – 13:48 GMT+2 Jamie Shea, former NATO security adviser, says NATO 3.0 is going to be “much more a European show and less an American show” than it used to be. According to Shea, the US “is going to do a lot less in terms of holding up the collective defence than allies were used to during the Cold War”. … More
Updated: 09/07/2026 – 10:52 GMT+2 “NATO is working well” — Speaking exclusively to Euronews’ Shona Murray as part of our special report live from Ankara, Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal shares his views on Trump, Russia, European defence and whether NATO is entering a new era. … More
Updated: 09/07/2026 – 11:38 GMT+2 Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR representative in Brussels, believes it is key for the EU to ensure “nobody is returning to a possible situation of harm” when implementing the recently approved Pact on Migration and Asylum. … More