Author: Press Room
Published on 24/03/2026 – 12:49 GMT+1 Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar has condemned what he called a covert intelligence operation against his Tisza Party, after investigative reports revealed that state authorities interrogated two IT specialists linked to the party and tried to breach its systems. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Hungary will go to the polls on 12 April for parliamentary elections in which Magyar’s party is leading in opinion surveys, ahead of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party. Orbán has governed the country with an absolute majority for 16 years. The campaign has been marked by personal attacks, allegations of foreign interference,…
Published on 24/03/2026 – 11:31 GMT+1 It is an over 20-hour flight to Sydney, but the prize at the end might just be worth it. Or like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “trade is not just economics, it’s power”. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Let’s take a look. The economic ties are already massive. The EU is currently Australia’s third-largest trading partner, exporting almost €28 billion more in goods than it imports. For the EU, Australia ranks just 20th. But this deal is not about selling more machinery. It is about securing the green transition — a goal that the…
As the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year and the war in the Middle East rages on, more than seven in 10 EU respondents say they are “highly worried” about the active conflicts near the European Union, according to the latest Eurobarometer. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Among the 16 EU countries where this was the most common concern, Spanish (84%), Italian (83%), and Cypriot (80%) respondents were the most likely to express significant uneasiness about the wars. So far, Cyprus has been the member state particularly affected by the escalating war in the Middle East. In early March, British military bases…
Good morning from Brussels. I’m Mared Gwyn. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT While you were sleeping: Down under in Canberra, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese clinched a free trade deal designed to bolster the two blocs’ economies at a time of increased geopolitical and trading volatility. It comes on the heels of a string of similar other EU pacts with the South American Mercosur bloc and India. Our trade reporter Peggy Corlin has been following events in Canberra from Brussels overnight and has all the details in our top story below. In other trade news,…
The European Parliament adopted its first-ever report on the Housing Crisis in the European Union. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT With 367 votes in favour and 166 against, the report calls for a joint EU action to tackle the housing crisis and lift citizens out of precarious living conditions. Recommendations include reducing red tape, scaling up the bloc’s construction and innovation sectors, and mobilizing greater investment and fiscal support. With the 2008 global financial crisis, housing became a pan-European social emergency, worsening significantly after the 2020 pandemic. House prices rose by 60.5 percent from 2015, while rents increased by 28 percent. In 2025,…
Published on 24/03/2026 – 1:25 GMT+1 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday sealed a free-trade agreement with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, slashing tariffs on most EU goods and farm exports. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The deal marks another win for Brussels as it races to diversify trade ties and lock in strategic partners amid rising global tensions. The pact will save the EU €1 billion a year in duties, the Commission said, with exports projected to climb as much as 33% over the next decade. Agriculture proved a flashpoint, with EU farmers already pushing back against the Mercosur…
Radicalisation in Europe has been on the rise, especially among young people, EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Bartjan Wegter told Euronews, with Europe’s security services now dealing with cases involving children as young as 12. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “We’re talking about minors (and youth) aged between 12 and 20 years old,” Wegter told Euronews’ 12 Minutes With, adding that a huge challenge for law enforcement is that young people radicalise very quickly. “Sometimes, it’s a matter of weeks.” Wegter explained that at that age, minors are generally very susceptible and are therefore targeted online for criminal activity, even if in real life they…
Published on 23/03/2026 – 15:14 GMT+1 The European Commission on Monday took final steps to provisionally apply the Mercosur trade deal from 1 May, covering Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The move uses a special procedure to ensure the deal takes effect despite a judicial review launched by the European Parliament after a pivotal 21 January vote suspended ratification. “The priority now is turning this EU-Mercosur agreement into concrete outcomes, giving EU exporters the platform they need to seize new opportunities for trade, growth and jobs,” EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said, adding: “Provisional application will allow us…
Published on 23/03/2026 – 15:25 GMT+1 The European Commission has called on Hungary to clarify “concerning” reports claiming Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó regularly shared sensitive information from European Union meetings to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Washington Post reported over the weekend that Szijjártó was routinely in contact with Lavrov during EU meetings in Brussels, communicating with him during breaks. The allegations are explosive as EU member states are bound by the principle of sincere cooperation and the content of the meetings is understood to be confidential. The Hungarian government denied the allegations, calling it fake…
European Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen is urging EU countries to begin refilling gas reserves earlier than usual to avoid last-minute pressure and price spikes, a letter seen by Euronews reveals, following supply disruptions caused by delays in Qatari LNG shipments due to the United States and Israel’s military attacks against Iran. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Jørgensen said the bloc’s security of supply remains “relatively protected” due to limited reliance on imports from Qatar and on LNG cargoes that passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade route that Iran later closed, accounting for 20% of the world’s oil and gas transport.…