Author: Press Room

Published on 10/02/2026 – 10:18 GMT+1•Updated 10:19 The European Union remains the least corrupt region globally, but anti-corruption efforts have largely stalled over the past decade, according to Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index released on Tuesday. The global average has fallen to a new low of 42, while the EU’s regional average stands at 62 out of 100. Since 2012, 13 countries in western Europe and the EU have significantly declined, and only seven have significantly improved. Hungary scored 40 in the index, tying it with Bulgaria as the worst-performing EU member state. Romania scored 45. The erosion of…

Good morning, I’m Mared Gwyn writing from Brussels. Welcome to Tuesday. EU leaders are raising the stakes ahead of their informal gathering on Thursday, with both European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron unveiling separate pitches for a major overhaul of Europe’s economic doctrine over the past 24 hours. In an interview with seven media outlets published earlier today, Macron repeated his call for the EU to issue common debt to fund strategic investments, saying the move is needed to “challenge the hegemony of the dollar” and avoid Europe becoming a spectator of its own…

For decades, NATO’s reserve forces sat at the margins of defence planning, but Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has forced the alliance to confront a hard reality: its existing approach to reserves was not fit for purpose and didn’t match the scale, speed and complexity of modern collective defence. Now, allies are all taking steps to boost their reserve numbers – and they’re hoping to attract talent from fields that are becoming increasingly important for victory on and off the battlefield, but which aren’t necessarily competitive salary-wise, including cyber and IT. “All nations are doing that in a different way,…

Published on 10/02/2026 – 7:45 GMT+1 On today’s show: Our EU Editor Maria Tadeo reports from Strasbourg on the reactions to Ursula von der Leyen’s letter pitching a “two-speed Europe”. Interview with Member of the European Parliament Riho Terras from the European People’s Party Group. Live connection with Euronews Berlin, where Laura Fleischmann reports on the apparent Merz–Meloni “romance”. Our Ukraine correspondent Sasha Vakulina fills us in on the latest developments in the Ukraine peace talks. Who’s Bad Bunny? Our Jakub Janas explains. When and where to watch Europe Today? You can join Euronews’ chief anchor Méabh Mc Mahon and…

Published on 09/02/2026 – 19:45 GMT+1•Updated 19:48 Ursula von der Leyen has suggested countries willing to work on economic matters should go ahead in smaller groups if unanimity cannot be found ahead of a key summit focused on bolstering the European economy squeezed between the US and China. The head of the European Commission said the goal remains to push through an “ambitious” economic agenda agreed by all 27 member states, but if that is not possible due to political differences, member states should turn to smaller coalitions. Her comments come after Mario Draghi, one of the most influential voices…

Iranian chess grandmaster living in exile Mitra Hejazipour has called on international powers to help end the government’s deadly crackdown on protesters, as casualty figures from the demonstrations continue to rise. Hejazipour told Euronews’ morning show Europe Today on Monday that protests that began in late December over economic collapse and have since evolved into demands for regime change were a “bloody massacre that killed more than 30,000 Iranians.” Hejazipour said the Tehran regime was to blame for the “brutal repression” and described how military weapons were used with “snipers from rooftops” firing on protesters. The grandmaster, who was expelled…

With just over two months remaining before the Hungarian parliamentary elections, the campaign has entered a new phase with both sides intensifying their pledges. Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz, in office with an absolute majority for almost 16 years, faces a serious challenge from Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party, in the lead in most opinion polls. The vote’s implications extend well beyond Hungary. Budapest sits at the core of numerous issues: it is the only country sanctioned for systemic corruption in the EU and has become a stumbling block for European unity from sanctions to Ukraine. “The question is whether the country that…

Most European countries rely heavily on imports to meet their electricity needs, leaving the continent vulnerable to geopolitical shocks and its consumers and businesses exposed to prices up to three to four times higher than in the US or China. In recent years, nuclear has subtly resurfaced as an alternative to secure Europe’s energy independence, particularly after it received the status of a transitional and sustainable economic activity under the EU’s taxonomy regulation, which aims to help mitigate climate change by defining which economic activities are environmentally sustainable. The move, however, also sparked furious greenwashing accusations over concerns that nuclear…

The price cap on Russian oil, one of the Western allies’ leading initiatives to squeeze Moscow’s war chest, might have its days numbered. In a new package of sanctions, the European Commission has proposed a complete ban on the provision of maritime services to tankers carrying Russian crude, regardless of how much clients pay for the supplies. Until now, the EU has conditionally allowed its companies to service Russian oil vessels that comply with the G7 price cap, recently adjusted to $44.10 per barrel. Tankers that exceeded the limit were denied access to high-quality insurance, banking and shipping, forcing the…

Published on 09/02/2026 – 14:06 GMT+1 France began its largest military exercise since the Cold War on Sunday, deploying 12,500 troops in a three-month drill designed to prepare for high-intensity warfare in Europe. The Orion 26 exercise, which runs until 30 April, will involve 25 ships including the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, 140 aircraft, 1,200 drones and forces from 24 countries. The French Ministry of the Armed Forces described Orion 26 as “a major event in the French operational preparation for high-intensity scenarios” aimed at preparing forces for “complex situations in multiple, varied, and contested environments”. The drill is…