Europe

• Der US-Präsident erklärte, er werde eine Überprüfung der US-Militärpräsenz in Europe durchführen, nachdem es öffentliche Kritik am US-Israeli Krieg gegen Iran gegeben hatte. • Italy und Spain reihen sich in eine wachsende Liste von Ländern ein, denen US-Präsident Donald Trump im Zuge einer umfassenderen Überprüfung der US-Militärpräsenz in Europe mit dem Abzug von US-Truppen droht. • Auf die Frage eines Reporters antwortete Trump, er werde einen solchen Schritt „wahrscheinlich“ in Erwägung ziehen, und verknüpfte dies mit der Kritik der beiden Länder an der US-Kampagne in Iran.

Die Erklärung des US-Präsidenten folgt auf Äußerungen des deutschen Bundeskanzlers, wonach die USA im Konflikt „gedemütigt“ würden. US-Präsident Donald Trump drohte gestern Abend mit einer Reduzierung der in Deutschland stationierten Truppen, nachdem Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz diese Woche gesagt hatte, die USA würden vom Iran „gedemütigt“. Trump sagte, die USA würden die „mögliche Reduzierung der Truppen in Deutschland prüfen und untersuchen, wobei in naher Zukunft eine Entscheidung getroffen werden soll“. „Der Bundeskanzler von Deutschland, Friedrich Merz, glaubt, es sei in Ordnung, wenn der Iran eine Atomwaffe besitzt. Er weiß nicht, wovon er spricht! Wenn der Iran eine Atomwaffe hätte, würde die gesamte Welt als Geisel gehalten. Ich unternehme gerade etwas in Bezug auf den Iran, was andere Nationen oder Präsidenten schon vor langer Zeit hätten tun sollen. Kein Wunder, dass es Deutschland so schlecht geht, sowohl wirtschaftlich als auch anderweitig! Präsident DONALD J. TRUMP“ Weiterlesen...

• Der Chef der Royal Navy erklärte, dass eine vereinigte Marinekraft künftige russische Bedrohungen an der „offenen Seegrenze“ im Norden abschrecken werde. • Großbritannien hat zugestimmt, gemeinsam mit neun europäischen Ländern eine vereinheitlichte Marinekraft zu bilden, um künftige russische Bedrohungen an der „offenen Seegrenze“ im Norden abzuwehren, wie der Kopf der Royal Navy bekannt gab. • Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins betonte, dass trotz der anhaltenden Krise im Nahen Osten, wo die Straße von Hormus nach dem US-Israel-Krieg im Iran weiterhin geschlossen ist, „Russland die schwerwiegendste Bedrohung für unsere Sicherheit bleibt“.

Artikel 42.7 war jahrzehntelang in Vergessenheit geraten – bis Donald Trump begann, die Verpflichtung der USA gegenüber der Nato infrage zu stellen• Sie möchten „This Is Europe“ in Ihrem Postfach erhalten? Melden Sie sich hier anDie meisten Menschen haben von Artikel 5 der Nato gehört. Die Klausel nach dem Motto „einer für alle, alle für einen“ besagt, dass ein bewaffneter Angriff auf ein Mitgliedsland als Angriff auf alle gewertet werden sollte, was die Mitgliedstaaten dazu verpflichtet, dem Opfer beizustehen – einschließlich durch den „Einsatz bewaffneter Gewalt“.Nicht so viele hatten bis diese Woche von der eigenen gegenseitigen Verteidigungsklausel der EU, Artikel 42.7 (pdf), gehört, in der es heißt, dass die anderen Mitgliedstaaten verpflichtet sind, einem Mitgliedsstaat, der angegriffen wird, „mit allen in ihrer Macht stehenden Mitteln Beistand und Hilfe zu leisten“. Das liegt vielleicht daran, dass es bis vor kurzem für Europäer kaum notwendig war, Artikel 42.7 zu konsultieren. Mehr als 40 US-Militärstützpunkte und 85.000 Soldaten in der EU (und im Vereinigten Königreich) waren ein Zeugnis für die Verteidigungszusage Washingtons gegenüber dem alten Kontinent. Weiterlesen...

Ursula von der Leyen soll sich später mit dem neuen ungarischen Regierungschef treffen, der die Freigabe von EU-Mitteln im Gegenzug für Reformen anstrebt. • Von der Leyen erklärt, dass „jeder Mitgliedstaat einen anderen Energiemix hat“ und daher keine pauschale EU-Lösung funktionieren würde. • Sie fordert jedoch mehr Koordination, nicht nur bei der gemeinsamen Beschaffung, sondern auch bei den Kraftstoffreserven, „insbesondere bei Kerosin und Diesel, wo sich die Märkte verknappen“. • „Lassen Sie uns dies nutzen, um den Wechsel zur Elektrizität zu vollziehen – nicht nur im Verkehr, sondern auch in der Industrie und im Heizen. Dies ist nicht nur eine Frage der Bezahlbarkeit und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit; es ist auch eine Frage der wirtschaftlichen Sicherheit. Wenn wir über europäische Unabhängigkeit sprechen, ist dies der Moment, Europa zu elektrifizieren.“ • „Dies ist die zweite Energiekrise innerhalb von vier Jahren, und die Lehre sollte sehr deutlich sein. Unsere Überabhängigkeit von importierten fossilen Brennstoffen macht uns verwundbar. … Wir müssen unsere Überabhängigkeit von importierten fossilen Brennstoffen reduzieren und unsere heimische, erschwingliche und saubere Energieversorgung ausbauen. Von Erneuerbaren Energien bis hin zur Kernenergie, unter voller Wahrung der Technologieneutralität.“ Weiterlesen...

• Acht EU-Mitgliedstaaten führen in ihren nationalen Strafgesetzbüchern weiterhin Zwang oder Gewalt in ihren Definitionen auf • Das Europäische Parlament hat die EU aufgefordert, eine standardisierte, auf Konsens basierende Definition von Vergewaltigung auszuarbeiten. Gesetzgeber bezeichneten dies als einen entscheidenden Schritt, um das Mosaik aus Gesetzen zu beheben, von denen einige unzureichend sind und die derzeit innerhalb des Blocks existieren. • Am Dienstag stimmten 447 der 720 MEPs des Parlaments für einen Bericht, der eine gemeinsame Definition von Vergewaltigung fordert, die auf dem Prinzip „Nur Ja heißt Ja“ basiert, was in der Kammer in Straßburg einen lautstarken Applaus auslöste. Weiterlesen...

High fuel prices and passenger delays caused by EU’s EES entry-exit system causing problems, says trade bodyBusiness live – latest updatesEurope’s smaller airports may not survive if jet fuel shortages triggered by the Middle East crisis lead to widespread route cancellations, the industry’s trade body has warned.Although airlines insist that there are currently no supply issues within the normal four- to six-week horizon, the US-Israel war on Iran and the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz have doubled the price of jet fuel, prompting some carriers to cancel flights. Continue reading...

France’s president, who is also co-prince of the micro-state, expected to speak frankly about issue in country with some of strictest abortion laws in EuropeMeanwhile, Macron is visiting the Andorran primary school in Santa Coloma and absolutely loving spending his time with kids, happily posing to pictures with the Andorran flags.Last week, he suggested he would quit politics at the end of his term in May next year, and so we should expect to see more of this sort of legacy-building trips and interventions as he enters the final year in office. Continue reading...

Resolution Foundation report says ‘crisis’ stems from rising ill-health and a failing system of benefits and job supportBritain has the third-highest rate of young people not in work or education among Europe’s richest countries because of rising ill-health and a failing system of benefits and job support, a report has warned.The Resolution Foundation thinktank said the UK was facing a “crisis” in youth jobs amid a dramatic rise in the number of 16- to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (Neets) to almost 1 million – the highest level in more than a decade. Continue reading...

Across country, more than 10 people have been injured as Ukrainian prime minister Julia Svyrydenko prepares to visit PolandAnother night of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine overnight left more than 10 people injured, particularly damaging residential buildings in the Odesa region.The strikes caused the biggest damage in the central Prymorskyi district, where residential buildings, a hotel and facilities in the center of the city were damaged, Serhiy Lysak, the head of the local military administration, said on Telegram in comments reported by Reuters. Continue reading...

• The European Union announced a €2.1 billion emergency aid package for Ukraine on Friday, aimed at supporting reconstruction efforts and civilian needs amid Russia's intensified spring offensive across multiple fronts in eastern Ukraine. • EU officials stated the funds would prioritize healthcare infrastructure, food security, and electricity grid repairs, with disbursement beginning within two weeks pending parliamentary approval scheduled for April 30. • Ukraine's finance minister praised the commitment but warned that current assistance levels remain insufficient to offset projected $14 billion in war-related economic losses this year alone.

• NATO announced Friday the deployment of 5,000 additional personnel to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, citing concerns over Russian military buildups near the Ukraine border and increased reconnaissance flights in NATO airspace. • The alliance activated contingency protocols allowing individual member states to request reinforcements without full consensus; Poland alone will receive 2,500 troops, primarily from the United States and Germany. • Russia's Foreign Ministry condemned the deployment as "provocative" and pledged countermeasures, while NATO Secretary-General stated the move was "defensive and proportional" to regional security threats.

Iranian intelligence services apparently recruiting via intermediaries to mount attacks aimed at sowing chaosIranian intelligence services and Revolutionary Guards operatives are recruiting teenagers through criminal intermediaries to launch a wave of low-level “hybrid warfare” attacks in Europe and the UK, according to investigators, security officials, analysts and police documents.A first wave of attacks was launched in early March, 10 days after the US and Israel began strikes on Iran, and targeted Jewish community sites in Belgium, the Netherlands and US banks. A second wave has focused on the UK, with a series of arson and attempted arson attacks on synagogues, a Jewish charity and the offices of an Iranian opposition TV network in London. Continue reading...

Move comes after Hungary and Slovakia dropped opposition following reopening of the Druzhba oil pipelineEU leaders are set to meet in Cyprus this evening to discuss the latest on the Middle East and the next EU budget, starting in 2028.But it looks like they will have a bit of a detour – and a reason to celebrate, too – as the long-awaited €90bn loan for Ukraine and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia are on course to be unblocked after four months of delays caused by Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. Continue reading...

Lawyers for oligarch claim freezing of £5.3bn of assets ‘unfair and abusive’ amid row over use of funds for Ukraine Roman Abramovich has gone to the European court of human rights (ECHR), claiming that a criminal investigation into his financial affairs by the Jersey authorities has breached his human rights, according to reports.The former owner of Chelsea FC, who is sanctioned in the UK over his links to Vladimir Putin, is under investigation in Jersey over allegations of corruption and money laundering. Continue reading...

Donald Trump’s conflict with Iran could speed the EU’s green revolution – if panicking governments can hold their nerve on clean energy• Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereA surge in demand for electric vehicles across Europe may be evidence of what George Monbiot greeted as the silver lining of the Iran war. Sales of electric cars in continental Europe rose by 51% in March.The International Energy Agency has called the disruption in the strait of Hormuz the “biggest energy crisis in history”, but it appears, on one level, to be accelerating Europe’s green revolution. Yet, even if car-owners are rushing to the EV showrooms, some European governments, facing a groundswell of anger over soaring petrol and gas prices, are at risk of sending the clean energy transition into reverse. Continue reading...

Budget airline says change will take effect from November and will give passengers more time to clear securityRyanair will close airport check-in desks 20 minutes earlier to avoid passengers missing flights, it has announced, amid concern over border queues in Europe.The budget airline, which carries 200 million passengers annually, will require all passengers dropping bags or checking in at the airport to do so one hour before take-off rather than the current 40-minute deadline. Continue reading...

Member states meet this morning to discuss loan after longstanding disagreement between Kyiv and outgoing Hungarian PM Viktor OrbánAfter four months of very public disagreements between Ukraine and Hungary, today could be the day when the EU finally signs off (for the second time) on the critical €90bn loan for Kyiv.Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed yesterday that the Druzhba pipeline, carrying Russian oil imports to Hungary and Slovakia, has been repaired and is ready to be used again. EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said yesterday she expected “a positive decision” within the next 24 hours. Continue reading...

Research finds global heating has already lengthened the pollen season in addition to worsening heatwaves and droughtsClimate breakdown has extended the pollen season in the UK and mainland Europe by between one and two weeks since the 1990s, a study has found, adding itchy eyes and runny noses to the harm wrought by fossil fuel pollution.The finding may be less dramatic than the floods and wildfires typically associated with a warming planet but represents a “huge” increase in the combined suffering of tens of millions of people, the researchers say. Continue reading...

Representatives from EU countries are meeting in Luxembourg todayJust as expected.Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Albares has just confirmed that Spain, Slovenia and Ireland have requested a discussion on suspending the EU’s association treaty with Israel at today’s meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.“European Union has to say today very clearly to Israel that that change is needed. That’s not the right path, and that while Israel continues in that path of a permanent perpetual war, we will not be able to [run our relations] in the same way.” Continue reading...

Norway leads the way in terms of switching as data shows 224,000 new EVs were registered in MarchBusiness live – latest updatesSales of electric cars soared 51% in continental Europe last month, amid a rise in petrol and diesel costs driven by the Iran war.Data shows that 224,000 new electric vehicles (EVs) were registered in March, and 500,000 across the first three months of the year – a 33.5% increase on a year earlier, according to analysis of national sales data in 15 countries by New Automotive and E-Mobility Europe, a trade body. Continue reading...

Former president looks likely to take power following eighth election in five yearsBulgarian ex-president Rumen Radev – an EU critic who has called for renewing ties with Russia – on Sunday hailed a “victory of hope” after his formation topped the eighth parliamentary elections in five years.Projections from polling agencies put his Progressive Bulgaria (PB) grouping at 44%, which would give him an absolute majority of at least 129 seats in the 240-seat parliament. Continue reading...

FC Basel and Polish stadium stop US rapper’s upcoming shows, after similar cancellations in France and UK over antisemitic commentsKanye West’s upcoming concerts in Poland and Switzerland have been cancelled, as a growing number of European countries have stopped or postponed the US rapper’s performances amid a furore over his past antisemitic comments.Swiss football club FC Basel, which is responsible for concerts and events that take place at its St Jakob-Park ground, told Reuters on Saturday that after reviewing a request for West to perform there in June, it decided against it. Continue reading...

• Sequoia Capital announced a $7 billion expansion fund under new leadership specifically targeting late-stage AI startups across the U.S. and Europe. • The fund aims to accelerate growth for mature AI companies navigating scaling challenges in competitive markets. • This massive capital injection underscores surging investor confidence in AI's long-term potential amid rapid technological advancements.

• The European Commission introduced draft legislation on April 18 to impose stricter sanctions on Russian oil, gas, and refining infrastructure, aiming to reduce EU energy dependence by 35% within two years. • The proposal includes price caps on Russian liquefied natural gas imports and expanded restrictions on third-party shipping companies, targeting the "shadow fleet" used to circumvent existing penalties. • EU energy ministers debated the plan in Brussels, with Hungary and Slovakia expressing concerns about potential economic costs to their economies, though Germany and Poland voiced strong support.

There will be flight cancellations ‘soon’ if oil supplies are not restored in coming weeks, says head of IEABusiness live – latest updatesMiddle East crisis – live updatesEurope has only six weeks’ supply of jet fuel left before shortages will hit because of the Iran war, according to the head of a global energy watchdog.Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said there would be flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies from the Middle East were not restored within the coming weeks. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president says nearly 700 Russian drones and 19 ballistic missiles mostly targeted Kyiv, Odesa and DniproUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia “does not deserve any easing … or lifting on sanctions” after an overnight attack killed 16 and wounded 100 people in Ukraine.He said:“Russia is betting on war, and the response must be exactly that: we must defend lives with all available means, and we must also apply pressure for the sake of peace with the same full force.”There can be no normalisation of Russia as it is today. Pressure on Russia must work. Continue reading...

Leaders of Poland and Germany hail Péter Magyar’s majority as a turning of the tide – but analysts say there were other reasons for defeat of prime ministerFor Poland’s Donald Tusk, the crushing defeat of Hungary’s illiberal prime minister, Viktor Orbán, after 16 years in office was evidence that the world was “not condemned to authoritarian and corrupt governments”.Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, also believes the two-thirds majority secured by Orbán’s centre-right challenger, Péter Magyar, in Sunday’s elections was “a clear signal against rightwing populism” that showed “the pendulum is swinging back”. Continue reading...

Prime minister elect says he expects new government to be in place by mid-MayElection winner Péter Magyar has confirmed work is under way to form the new Hungarian government by mid-May after holding talks with the country’s president, Tamás Sulyok, a loyalist of the outgoing prime minister, Viktor Orbán.The two leaders discussed the timetable for new parliament, which can be formed not before 4 May when the results of the Sunday’s vote need to be certified by, with Magyar saying he expected the new government to be in place by mid-May.“[Sulyok] is unworthy of representing the unity of the Hungarian nation. He is unfit to serve as the guardian of legality. He is not fit to serve as a moral authority or a role model.” Continue reading...