Author: Press Room

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has ordered tighter border controls on foreign nationals in the wake of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, as he increasingly frames security issues as a central pillar of his electoral campaign. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Orbán has argued that the armed conflict in the Middle East poses risks to Hungary in terms of energy prices and national security. Analysts say his security-provider narrative could prove advantageous in the run-up to the vote. At the same time, Orbán has escalated a dispute with Ukraine over the Druzhba pipeline, a critical artery for Hungary’s energy supply. The pipeline was…

European Union countries have largely rebuffed the idea of granting so-called “reversed” membership to Ukraine as part of the ongoing peace negotiations, fearing the reform would undermine the credibility of the accession process. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The lack of appetite was laid bare on Wednesday evening during an informal dinner of ambassadors with the European Commission, several diplomats told Euronews. “The idea behind that dinner was to bring back a certain degree of political realism,” one said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Our priority is to firmly anchor Ukraine in Europe, but do so with feasible actions.” Now “we need other…

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the workplace, and the European job market is seemingly struggling to keep up. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT AI and IT emerge as some of the hardest roles to fill for employers and recruiters, according to the 2026 Global Talent Shortage report by global HR firm Manpower. The study, conducted in 41 countries and on 39,000 employers, highlights that around seven in 10 businesses struggle to find the right fit for a variety of roles. Slovakia, Greece and Portugal most affected in Europe Globally, European countries report some of the highest talent shortage rates. Slovakia is top of…

Published on 05/03/2026 – 11:21 GMT+1 It all started with a geopolitical earthquake. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Following the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called out Europe’s deep divisions. “You have countries like the Czech Republic which is strongly supporting this operation and then you have Spain, which is standing with all the tyrants of the world,” Sa’ar said. And Madrid shot back. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared a firm “no to war” and blocked the US from using Spanish soil for its Iran operations. In response, US President Donald Trump threatened to cut off all…

Published on 05/03/2026 – 7:54 GMT+1•Updated 8:02 On today’s show: ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Our EU Editor Maria Tadeo breaks down the latest developments in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has entered its sixth day. Our Euronews correspondent Aadel Hasseem reports from Doha on the views in Qatar and neighbouring countries on the war. Interviews with Theo Francken, Belgium’s Defence Minister, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, actor and UN ambassador on climate and activism. Jakub Janas explains why the US has threatened Spain with cutting trade ties, and why this is not the first time US President Trump and Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez…

Hello from Brussels. I’m Mared Gwyn. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Washington and Israel exchanged further fire with Iran overnight, as fears mount that the conflict could spill over beyond the Middle East after an US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean yesterday afternoon. Earlier this morning, the US Senate rejected a bill that would have curbed President Donald Trump’s war powers, with the vote split along party lines. The House of Representatives is expected to put Trump’s war powers to another vote tomorrow. Later today, EU foreign ministers will meet virtually to discuss their common response to the conflict,…

Published on 04/03/2026 – 22:06 GMT+1 Russian President Vladimir Putin handed over two prisoners of war to Hungary during a visit by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó to Moscow. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The two men, holding both Hungarian and Ukrainian nationality, had fought in the Ukrainian army and had been held in Russian captivity. Both boarded the Hungarian government’s aircraft shortly after Szijjártó concluded his talks with Putin. On Tuesday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had asked Putin for the release of Hungarian nationals during a telephone conversation. Later that day, Putin confirmed the decision during Szijjártó’s visit. “These are citizens…

Published on 04/03/2026 – 20:30 GMT+1 A spiralling conflict has erupted in the Middle East, risking major regional spill-over and dragging in European Union countries. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The war is exposing the deep fault lines separating EU leaders, with Spain the only country to publicly condemn the US and Israel’s initial attack on Iran. US President Donald Trump has reacted by threatening to sever all trade ties with Madrid. Despite not being consulted in advance on the military intervention, several European nations are moving to provide defensive support to their allies, while Cyprus, an EU member state, has been impacted…

Published on 04/03/2026 – 18:38 GMT+1 The leaders of the European Parliament’s political groups refused on Wednesday to hold a debate on threats made by United States President Donald Trump against Spain, sources told Euronews. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump called the Spanish government “terrible”, criticising Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s refusal to allow the US military to use its bases to support its operations in and around Iran and pushing Madrid to spend more on defence. “We’re going to cut off all trade. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” he said. Among the…

Pedro Sánchez knows exactly what he is doing. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT By defying Donald Trump and doubling down on his bras de fer with the US president, the Spanish prime minister consolidates a two-fold strategy. On the one hand, he seeks to mobilize his progressive electorate domestically, resuscitating a “no to war” movement which resonated strongly with Spanish voters during the US-led war against Iraq in 2003. Sánchez is also hoping for a moment akin to that of Dominique de Villepin: a Cassandra warning against an unjustified war that will bring disastrous consequences. Only now it’s Iran. In doing so, he…