Author: Olga Winter - EU Newsdesk

Ukraine strikes oil depot in occupied Crimea Ukraine’s military has launched a missile strike on the Feodosia oil terminal, the largest oil processing facility in Crimea, in the latest wave of attacks targeting Russian-controlled energy infrastructure. Ukrainian officials confirmed the strike, saying the terminal supplies fuel to Russian occupation forces. While Russian-installed officials in Crimea did not confirm the attack, they acknowledged a fire at the facility, prompting the evacuation of 300 people. Videos circulating…

Violent killings shake the French city of Marseille Two shocking killings involving teenagers have rocked the French city of Marseille, highlighting the city’s ongoing struggle with drug-related violence. Last week, a 14-year-old boy shot and killed a taxi driver in a failed revenge attempt for the brutal murder of a 15-year-old. Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone warned that drug lords are recruiting young boys to kill without remorse. The 15-year-old’s murder, described as “unprecedented savagery,” was…

Macron calls for arms sales ban on Israel French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a halt on arms deliveries to Israel, which has been bombing Gaza for over a year and recently expanded military operations into Lebanon. In an interview with France Inter, Macron emphasised the need for a political solution, urging a stop to weapon supplies fueling the conflict. He reiterated France’s stance, stating that the country is not currently supplying weapons to…

3 children injured in knife attack at Zurich daycare centre A knife attack at a daycare centre in Zurich has left three children injured, one of them seriously. A 23-year-old man reportedly attacked a group of children as they were being escorted to the daycare by a staff member—fortunately, a daycare worker and a bystander managed to subdue the attacker before the police arrived. The most seriously injured is a five-year-old boy, who is currently…

Marine Le Pen on trial for EU embezzlement case  Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally, is on trial in Paris for allegedly misusing European parliamentary funds. Alongside more than 20 senior party members, Le Pen is accused of hiring parliamentary assistants who were paid by the European Parliament but worked on party-related matters. If convicted, Le Pen could face fines, imprisonment, and a ban from running for office for up to 10…

Sweden accuses Iran of hack inciting revenge for Quran burnings Sweden’s security service, Sapo, has accused Iranian intelligence of hacking into a Swedish text messaging service to send 15,000 inflammatory messages. The breach, which occurred last summer, involved SMS messages urging “revenge against Quran-burners” after several activists set fire to copies of the Quran during anti-Islam protests in Sweden. The Iranian embassy in Stockholm denied the accusations, calling them “baseless” and damaging to diplomatic relations.…

Quick View – Contents France has unveiled its new government, led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The country had been plunged into chaos after a snap election – called by President Emmanuel Macron – saw a surge in far-right support, that then led to the then Prime Minister Gabriel Attal stepping down. The decision to call a snap election – just ahead of the Paris Olympics – led to widespread backlash and political upheaval across…

“Barnier’s cabinet is likely to reassure the business world. … First in terms of method: the prime minister is consulting experts widely and has undertaken to continue doing so in preparation for his government policy statement. This marks the beginning of a culture of compromise that is quite foreign to France. And secondly in the choice of personnel: there are few or no big names in this team, but the ministers are experts in their fields and will be careful not to break with the dynamic created over the past seven years. … With the cast, the method and the direction now set, the 2025 budget will be the acid test.”

“Barnier and Macron want to accommodate French voters on the right and prevent them from voting for far-right parties in even greater numbers in future elections. But paradoxically, the support of Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National must also be secured. The RN is the second-most important opposition party in parliament after the left-wing camp, and will play a crucial role in determining how long the new government remains in office. This shows, in turn, how powerful Le Pen’s party has become in France – even if it is still being kept out of the centre of power.”

“If you zoom out of France and look at the whole of Europe, you see that by appointing Michel Barnier as prime minister the once moderate Emmanuel Macron has brought his country into line with many of its neighbours. On the same weekend, the AfD only narrowly lost to the SPD in the Brandenburg elections. … In Belgium, a poll published on Saturday showed a Flanders that is further to the right in its voting preferences than ever before – Vlaams Belang is on form. … Above all, these events mark the end of a week in which the new EU Commission has been dominated by the right.”

Zelensky prepares victory plan to present to Joe Biden Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is preparing to present his “plan for victory” during a visit to the US this week, where he will meet with President Joe Biden. Following his meeting with Biden, Zelensky aims to share the plan with Congress and the two leading figures in the upcoming US election—Vice-President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Trump has been critical of US support for…

Scholz’s SPD narrowly defeats far-right AfD in crucial Brandenburg election Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz narrowly avoided a significant political setback as exit polls suggest his Social Democratic Party (SPD) managed to hold off the far-right in his home state of Brandenburg. In Sunday’s regional election, Scholz’s centre-left SPD reportedly won by a slim margin, securing just one or two percentage points more than the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), according to exit polls from the…

France on the verge of naming new government France is on the verge of unveiling a new government, with the final decision awaiting approval from President Emmanuel Macron. After months of political manoeuvring and a snap legislative election that left more questions than answers, Prime Minister Michel Barnier was seen heading to the Élysée Palace on Thursday evening to present his cabinet to President Macron. This follows weeks of difficulty in forming a government in…

Storm Boris batters Italy after causing devastation throughout central Europe Storm Boris continues to wreak havoc across northeastern and central Italy, just days after causing devastating flooding throughout central Europe. In the northeastern region of Emilia Romagna, over 1,000 residents have been evacuated, while severe flooding and disruptions have been reported in the central Marche region. Authorities have confirmed that two people are missing. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Thursday that…

Editorial 18.09.24 Thursday’s front pages report on a variety of domestic and international stories with the attack against Hezbollah being one of the most popular stories splashed on the front. ‘Shocking attack against Hezbollah,’ writes Le Monde. The main story on the front page of Le Monde discusses a ‘shocking attack’ in Lebanon involving booby-trapped pagers targeting Hezbollah members. The incident took place on Tuesday, September 17, where hundreds of pagers exploded simultaneously, resulting in…

Quick View – Contents Ursula von der Leyen unveils new European Commission teamEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced her long-awaited list of nominees to make up the next European Commission. Her new team are tasked with challenges including wars on our European doorstep, as well as in the Middle East. Other pressing issues include migration, climate change and economic competitiveness. Ursula von der Leyen’s list of 27 candidates still needs to be approved…

“Forget the soothing diplomatic tones from Dublin – justice is a portfolio nobody wanted. Justice means guaranteed (and often personalised) conflict with states such as Hungary and Slovakia. … The reality is that in a decade Ireland has gone from holding agriculture and rural development (a third of the EU budget), to trade (the crown jewel of the EU’s competencies) via financial services (stripped of the important bits) to the thankless task of policing wannabe European dictators under a ‘democracy shield’.”

“The post-fascist has managed to place one of her loyal followers, Raffaele Fitto, in one of the most influential posts in the Commission. He will become vice-president and commissioner for cohesion and reforms. This means he will be responsible for the European Social Fund and a fund for regional development, among other things. Meloni is over the moon about this decision, as it secures her additional power and influence in Brussels. However with this appointment, Ursula von der Leyen has lodged a political time bomb in her own Commission. Many members of the European Parliament are quite rightly appalled and have announced their opposition to the far-right Italian.”

“Teresa Ribera will be a sort of super commissioner with significant influence on European industrial policy. She will apply the antitrust rules and oversee state aid and mergers. This is a key position and will make Spain one of the EU’s main partners. … In her new term in office, von der Leyen has announced that she is reserving the right to change the structure of the Commission. And she has appointed 40 percent women to the top of the commissions. Although this falls short of the strict parity she had hoped for, she has nevertheless almost doubled the pitiful 22 percent that would have resulted from the governments’ proposals.”

Editorial 16.09.24 Monday’s European newspapers – we take a look at a handful of newspapers from across Europe. From flooding affecting central and Eastern Europe to the assassination of Donald Trump, the European papers cover a lot of ground, from their own domestic stories to international politics as well as shared concerns around illegal immigration. ‘Deadly floods sweep Europe,’ is the lead for Blick. The main story on the front page of Blick reports on…

Italy Deputy PM Faces Possible 6-Year Jail Term For Migrant Boat Blocking Prosecutors in Italy are pushing for a six-year prison sentence for Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini over his decision in August 2019 to block a migrant boat from docking. The boat, operated by the Open Arms charity, was stranded at sea for nearly three weeks before a court ordered it to dock on the island of Lampedusa. Salvini, who was Italy’s interior minister…

The upcoming Kamala Harris and Donald Trump TV debate has found space on the European newspapers today. Whilst not the lead story, many of the newspapers offer their opinion on the Tuesday debate, as polls suggest the race remains tight.

Russian officials claim they intercepted 144 Ukrainian drones in a wave of overnight attacks that resulted in one death and disrupted flights in Moscow.

Ukraine has yet to comment on the drone attack.

Germany will expand its border checks following a tragic knife attack in Solingen, which left three people dead in August. The stricter controls will start September 16 for an initial six-month period.

Critics say the move is a political one rather than being focused on security.

British prisoner among five on run after escaping Portuguese jail A British prisoner is one of five inmates who escaped from a high-security prison in Portugal. The breakout happened at the Vale de Judeus prison, about 43 miles north of Lisbon, on Saturday. The prisoners, including Mark Cameron Roscaleer, escaped by climbing a wall using a ladder and reportedly had outside help. Roscaleer was serving a nine-year sentence for kidnapping and robbery. The other escapees…