Author: Press Room

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola called on EU leaders to increase the pressure on the Iranian regime as it cracks down on protesters, saying the days of “dictators will come to an end in 2026” in an interview with Euronews. Metsola has expressed some of the harshest condemnation aimed at the Iranian regime among the Brussels institutions, suggesting that further sanctions should be tabled immediately and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard be added to the EU’s terrorist list. “We are appalled by what is happening in Iran and we cannot stand idly when we see that the regime is using violence,…

Over the course of 2025, US President Donald Trump was consistently vocal about his desire to bag the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming to have ended eight wars since returning to office — an assertion which has been contested by war experts. Fast-forward to 2026, and the frenzy around the topical matter has already resurfaced, after Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Machado said she wanted to “share” her award with Trump following the US’s capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro on 3 January. “I certainly would love to be able to personally tell him [Trump] that the Venezuelan people […] want to…

It’s flu season in Europe, and cases of the infection are rising faster across the continent. According to figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), in 2025, cases of the flu across the European Union increased three to four weeks earlier than in the previous two seasons. Europe’s flu season usually runs from mid-November to late May. Influenza A, the most common type of flu, is dominant in all EU countries, with most reporting widespread activity at low-to-medium intensity. Children between 5 and 14 years old are the main people falling ill. However, adults aged 65…

EU ambassadors will examine a Dutch proposal for a fresh package of sanctions against Iran following the country’s crackdown on protesters, two diplomats told Euronews. The proposed sanctions would fall under the EU’s human rights sanctions regime against Iran and would come on top of a wide range of travel bans and asset freezes that are already in place. “They will include the freezing of assets for new individuals,” one of the diplomats said, adding that the issue would be discussed as early as later today, when the 27 ambassadors from the Political and Security Committee meet in Brussels. The…

Published on 13/01/2026 – 9:53 GMT+1 •Updated 10:24 Former European Commission Margrethe Vestager cautioned “even for President Trump, for one NATO country to attack another NATO country to acquire territory is really far reaching” in an interview with Euronews as the White House piles on pressure on Denmark to cede the semi-autonomous territory of Greenland “one way or another.” Vestager, who rose to prominence as EU chief for competition, echoed a severe warning made by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius against a US takeover of the territory rich in critical minerals. “For one…

Published on 13/01/2026 – 7:38 GMT+1 •Updated 8:17 All eyes on Greenland. The government has said it cannot accept Donald Trump’s desire to take control of their island. For now, NATO’s secretary general, Mark Rutte is avoiding the issue, piling praise on Donald Trump and insisting the alliance is working on ways to bolster Arctic security. This as -US Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares to meet Danish and Greenlandish diplomats tomorrow. Our EU editor Maria Tadeo explains what all this means for NATO. Then we are joined by former EU Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager, the ‘tax lady’, as…

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, combined with constant pressure from the US have left the European Union with the single choice of addressing its defence and security capacity. The stakes are high, as here is no end in sight to the war in Ukraine. At the same time, trust is low because Europe appears vulnerable, and both militarily and diplomatically unprepared. Europe’s main imperative is protecting itself while supporting Ukraine. EU leaders agreed last December on a new €90 billion loan for Ukraine, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced new defence initiatives in October, presenting them as…

The European Commission has effectively stopped making decisions over files related to Hungary, two sources familiar with the matter told Euronews. The reason for putting sensitive decisions on hold is simple: the Commission does not want to be seen as interfering in the Hungarian election campaign and does not want to give ammunition to Orbán’s anti-EU rhetoric during the hot phase of campaigning. “With the Hungarian dossiers, the front lines are frozen, and nothing is happening. The Commission is waiting for April to happen and is watching opinion polls in Hungary very closely,” an EU diplomat told Euronews, speaking on…

Published on 12/01/2026 – 18:05 GMT+1 The far-right group Patriots for Europe will table a new vote of no-confidence against Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission as soon as this week, several sources from the group told Euronews. The text is under preparation and could be finalised at the group’s bureau meeting on Tuesday in Brussels, according to party sources. Patriots will table the motion in retaliation for the signature of the Mercosur trade deal approved by member states last week and expected to be sealed at a formal ceremony on January 17. Jordan Bardella, who chairs the group and leads…

Published on 12/01/2026 – 18:49 GMT+1 The simplification of rules in the upcoming EU budget in the field of research may put undermine the bloc’s ability to control how allocated funds are spent, the European Court of Auditors said in a report published on Monday. The court, which is responsible for auditing how EU funds are collected and spent, has conducted an assessment of the next EU budget for competitiveness and research, which as written totals €409 billion – about one-fifth of the overall €2 trillion EU budget for 2028-2034. The auditors’ report stresses that the field of research is…