Browsing: EU

There’s Budapest and there’s Hungary. Ákos and Adam both moved to the capital after growing up in rural, conservative Hungary. Known as an attractive and liberal city, Budapest stands in stark contrast to the nationalist policies of the country’s government. These two young Hungarians told us what it means to be 20 years old and living under this authoritarian government.

Ursula von der Leyen has put five principles for Gaza “basic principles” aimed at shaping the future of the Gaza Strip following the conclusion of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Talking Europe hosts Italian former prime minister Enrico Letta, who is now president of the Jacques Delors Institute. Letta has been tasked by the European institutions to produce a report on the future of the EU single market, which is due to be discussed by the bloc’s leaders next spring. He argues that the single market is under pressure from inside and outside, and that common solutions need to be found. He also calls for a “tailor-made” Stability and Growth Pact to take account of nuances between EU member states, as well as the impact of the crises that the EU has faced in the last three years.

In this debate we focus on the recent election results in Poland and Slovakia, and discuss what they mean for Europe. Liberals across the continent are cheering after Polish opposition parties won enough seats to form a majority, potentially ending eight years of rule by the conservative Law and Justice party. Meanwhile nationalists in Europe have applauded the return to power of Robert Fico in Slovakia. The populist prime minister has struck an agreement with two other parties; a coalition that could set a different tone in relations with Brussels, as well as on key issues such as Ukraine and migration.

At least one person has died and more than a million households were left without electricity in France on Thursday morning as Storm Ciaran struck western Europe overnight, bringing some of the highest wind speeds the region has witnessed in decades.

France has placed three departments in western France on red alert as Storm Ciaran is expected to hit the country’s northwest on Wednesday evening and warned residents in the departments concerned to avoid any travel overnight.

French President Emmanuel Macron heads to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on Wednesday, aiming to boost France’s profile in a region where Russia, China, Turkey and Europe are all jostling for influence.

Fabricated magazine covers imitating Titanic and Leman publications allege to show Ukrainian President Zelensky ‘jealous’ of the recent media attention on Israel. These fake covers were mostly shared by Russian language social media accounts; a well-known disinformation tactic employed by the Kremlin to discredit Ukraine. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake. 

French President Emmanuel Macron looked to cement his legacy, and take on political opponents, with the inauguration on Monday of a monument to the French language deep in far-right heartland.

A free trade deal between the European Union and Australia has unravelled despite early optimism, with Canberra saying Monday it could take years until negotiations resume.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday his government plans to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution to make them “irreversible”.

It occurred in Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Barcelona.

Thousands of demonstrators protested in Paris on Saturday in a banned march in “support of the Palestinian people” AFP correspondents saw.

Talking Europe hosts Andrej Plenkovic, the prime minister of Croatia. We unpack the dense agenda of the October 26-27 EU Council and debrief the summit’s conclusions on the Israel-Hamas war, particularly the call for “humanitarian corridors and pauses” to ensure aid to the Palestinians in Gaza. We also discuss developments in southeastern Europe, such as the recent re-introduction of border checks, and ask what those mean for Croatia and the other countries concerned.

Almost a month into the war between Israel and Hamas, the European Union is still struggling to speak with one voice. While EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed unconditional support for Israel, some of her own staff have signed a letter criticising her position, along with employees from other EU institutions. Some EU member states continue to express strong support for Israel, such as the Czech Republic and Hungary, while others worry that such stances may harm the bloc’s image.

EU leaders on Thursday failed to convince Kosovo and Serbia to make a breakthrough in the protracted push to normalise ties between the two Balkan neighbours.

Last year, ferocious wildfires destroyed thousands of hectares of one of France’s most picturesque forests. Now French authorities are battling an invasion of beetles that are devouring the weakened pines of La Teste-de-Buch, in the southwestern region of Gironde.

EU leaders will on Thursday debate whether to call for a “humanitarian pause” or “pauses” in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. FRANCE 24’s Dave Keating reports.

‘Rest in peace, Ju, and may your light continue to shine in our hearts.’

Hamas frees two hostages who had been held captive in Gaza, as confirmed by both the Palestinian group and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The release came after mediation efforts by Qatar and Egypt, with a spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing announcing the captives’ freedom.

A Paris judge has charged two men suspected of links with the Islamist gunman who killed two Swedish football fans in Brussels this month, French anti-terror prosecutors told AFP on Tuesday. 

The United Nations on Monday expressed concern over the “atmosphere of mutual suspicion” in Kosovo, calling for “critical” de-escalatory measures between it and Serbia.

Reporting from Brussels, FRANCE 24’s Dave Keating says the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is dominating the agenda at the EU foreign ministers meeting Monday. The big question is whether the 27-member bloc can agree on a call for a humanitarian ceasefire. But the EU has long been split on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

Russian missile strikes killed at least six postal workers and wounded 16 others Saturday, when they hit a mail depot in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, officials said.

Belgian Justice Minister Vincent van Quickenborne said on Friday he has decided to step down, following pressure over how Belgium had handled the case of a Tunisian gunman who had pledged allegiance to Islamic State and killed two people in Brussels this week.