Author: Press Room

Published on 26/03/2026 – 17:31 GMT+1 Fresh upheaval in the ranks of the ruling majority. Less than 24 hours after the resignation of Daniela Santanchè as tourism minister, Maurizio Gasparri also left his post on Thursday, becoming the fourth to resign in just three days since the defeat of the Yes camp in the justice referendum. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Taking his place as Forza Italia (FI) group leader in the Senate will be Stefania Craxi, currently chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee. ‘To Stefania Craxi, the new chair of the Forza Italia group in the Senate, I extend my…

Prolonged disruption to liquified natural gas (LNG) supplies from the Middle East could send prices sharply higher and revive memories of the 2022 energy crisis, analysts warn, as Europe’s gas market is once again on edge. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Gas prices could climb as high as €155/MWh, tripling the current price of around €50/MWh, if Qatari LNG exports are halted for three months due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, according to an analysis published on Thursday by Montel Analytics. The shutdown of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the rerouting of LNG tankers from Europe to Asia…

France bid farewell to former prime minister Lionel Jospin on Thursday, with President Emmanuel Macron leading a national tribute to the influential left‑wing statesman credited with major welfare reforms. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Jospin, who introduced the 35-hour work week and civil partnerships for gay couples when he was head of government from 1997 to 2002, died on Sunday aged 88. The ceremony took place at the historic Les Invalides national monument, the resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte, in the presence of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, top politicians, and other high-profile guests. Jospin’s widow, the philosopher Sylviane Agacinsky, was also in attendance.…

The European Parliament approved on Thursday a law aimed at speeding up the return of irregular migrants in larger numbers by building deportation centres outside the EU, alongside stricter rules reflecting a shift in political priorities as Europe pivots to the right. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The law will also increase the legal detention period to up to two years and impose practically unlimited entry bans in the EU on the returned people. The “return regulation” is considered crucial to increasing the return rate of people with no legal right to stay in the EU and is seen as the cornerstone of…

Governments have exhausted most quick solutions, and the construction industry is struggling to modernise. Modular construction, which prioritises factory-based building, could be part of the solution. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The EU faces a shortfall of up to 10 million housing units, roughly 3.5 percent of total stock. Germany needs 400,000 new homes a year but is nowhere near hitting that target. France has 2.8 million households on social housing waiting lists. The Netherlands must build around 1 million homes by 2031. And across the bloc, actual construction is meeting only about half the required pace. Modular construction, where homes are built…

Millions across Europe can no longer afford safe, stable homes. The housing crisis is now front and center. It is changing lives, pushing back important milestones, and putting a strain on public budgets. The burden falls most heavily on those with the least resources. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Who’s bearing the cost? People between 18 and 34 are struggling the most. Over a quarter spend more than 40 percent of their disposable income on housing, a level considered severe overburden by economists. Nearly one in four live in overcrowded conditions, and they experience housing stress at two to three times the rate…

A 42-year-old former French police officer is suspected of killing two women whose bodies were found buried in the Serra da Nogueira, in Bragança, on Wednesday. The victims are the suspect’s former partner and current partner, and he was arrested in Portugal. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Cédric Prizzon had been wanted by the French authorities for four days when he was stopped on Tuesday during a GNR roadside check on the Estrada Nacional 102, in Mêda, in the district of Guarda. He was ultimately arrested on charges of document forgery and illegal possession of a firearm. Also travelling in the vehicle were…

As the war in the Middle East rages on, thousands of flights in the region have been cancelled. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Although the total number of European nationals currently in the Middle East is not known, the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) has supported around 90 flights bringing citizens back to 14 EU countries, including France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The ERCC has two schemes with different expense coverage. The EU can cover up to 75% of repatriation costs for national flights, provided that at least 30% of available seats are offered to citizens of other EU countries. However,…

Published on 26/03/2026 – 9:22 GMT+1 Not so long ago, Poland and Hungary used to be the ultimate power couple of central Europe. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Under Poland’s previous Law and Justice or PiS government, Warsaw and Budapest were inseparable, shielding each other from the EU’s penalties. But Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 caused a massive crack. Poland became Kyiv’s biggest champion, while Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán refused to sever ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The rift grew so deep that even Polish conservative leader Jarosław Kaczyński told Orbán to get his eyes checked over Russian atrocities.…

Good morning from Brussels. I’m Mared Gwyn with your Thursday newsletter. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso has told Europe Today that European Council President António Costa should contemplate excluding Hungary from some sensitive EU talks unless Viktor Orbán’s government can adequately explain allegations it has been leaking details of EU meetings to the Kremlin. A Washington Post report first raised the allegations that Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó had been routinely briefing his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on meetings of EU foreign ministers by calling him during breaks, a claim Budapest continues to deny. “First of…