EU

Marine Le Pen will deliver her first campaign speech on Sunday in Hénin-Beaumont as she relaunches her bid for the 2027 presidential election. Currently leading the polls with 34% support, Le Pen faces internal party tensions and controversies, including criticism over aid to Ukraine and a scandal involving racist comments by a police officer associated with the National Rally.

Read More

Ulrich Siegmund, lead candidate of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, faced backlash for suggesting military equipment could support the party’s “remigration and deportation offensive”. His comments relate to the planned Elbit Systems facility in Sangerhausen, which has drawn local protests and raised concerns over arms production.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has urged AI companies to decelerate development, citing risks linked to “superintelligent” systems. His comments follow AI researcher Jacob Coxon’s departure from the industry, warning that rapid advancements pose serious dangers. Amodei emphasised the need for cautious progress in AI technology.

US President Trump has intensified his criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, urging him to focus on the Russia-Ukraine conflict rather than the Iran war. Trump’s remarks follow Merz’s assertion that the US is being “humiliated” by Iran, and highlight ongoing tensions over NATO troop presence in Europe.

EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič announced discussions with US counterparts about establishing a digital legislation forum, aiming to address concerns related to the EU’s Digital Services and Markets Acts. The US seeks to ease these regulations, linked to ongoing steel and aluminium tariff negotiations.

Hungarian Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar indicated that EU funds could soon be released to Hungary following productive talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Their discussions addressed unlocking billions in frozen funding, necessary for economic support, amid a looming August deadline.

As EU countries debate the European Commission’s proposal, China is urging national governments to abandon the planned law. Beijing has warned that failure to comply will lead to countermeasures, highlighting escalating tensions between the EU and China over regulatory standards.

From our sponsors
Advertisement
Advertisement