European leaders heading to G7 | European News Briefing week 25

END OF WEEK REVIEW 

Europe’s week kicked off with the G7 meeting in Canada, with Von der Leyen signing an EU deal with Australia on security and defence. EU leaders also piled on pressure for deeper defence cooperation, whilst also pledging their ongoing support for Ukraine, in the face of uncertainty from the United States. 

The EU Commission revealed plans to phase out Russian gas contracts by 2027 and has considered lowering the G7 oil cap independently. 

There have been protests across Spain ahead of the school holidays as the public says overtourism is pushing up prices in their local towns. 

Spain has also rejected NATO’s call for the GDP defence spending target to be raised to 5% – a move pushed by the United States. 

Of course, much of the week’s discussions have revolved around the Israel-Iran conflict and, with the United States threatening to enter the war, many across Europe are worried about whether they’ll soon be dragged into the war. 

MIDWEEK UPDATES

Lots have been happening across the EU and the European continent so far this week. From anti-tourism protests in Spain to the G7 meeting. 

  • 🌍 G7 unity tested – EU leaders pressed for deeper defence cooperation and resisted U.S. pressure on oil price caps, even offering a conditional flat tariff proposal to smooth transatlantic trade tensions.

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  • 🇦🇺 EU to partner with Australia – Australia and the EU kicked off talks at the G7 on a new security and defence pact, covering cyber, counter‑terrorism, and defence procurement.

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  • ⚡ Iberian blackout explained – Spain’s massive April power outage was traced to a multi‑factor grid failure—not a cyber‑attack—prompting calls for stronger infrastructure oversight.

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  • 🚫 Russian gas exit plan – The Commission unveiled proposals to phase out Russian gas contracts by 2027 and consider lowering the G7 oil cap independently if the U.S. doesn’t follow suit.

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  • 💼 Brussels eyes EU‑China stance – Ursula von der Leyen warned of “blackmail” tactics as EU navigates both China’s trade pressures and potential tariff threats from President Trump.

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  • 🛢️ Juncker advocates enlargement reset – Former Commission chief Jean‑Claude Juncker said the EU should adopt a “probationary” system for new members and defended the Western Balkans membership freeze.

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  • 🗣️ Anti‑tourism protests in Spain – Water‑gun-wielding locals in Barcelona and Mallorca sprayed holidaymakers in mock defiance, spotlighting over‑tourism’s strain on housing, culture and daily life across Spain, part of a wider southern European backlash.

 

 

🇪🇺 Monday’s Continental Catch‑Up: Water Wars, War Crimes & Arctic Alliances

It’s a spicy start to the week across the EU: in Spain, fed-up locals in Barcelona and Mallorca are blasting tourists with water guns to protest mass tourism’s impact on housing and public space; in Germany, a landmark trial saw a Syrian doctor sentenced to life for war crimes under Assad’s regime—marking a major win for justice via universal jurisdiction; and in the icy north, President Macron made a rare visit to Greenland to show EU solidarity in the Arctic, quietly swatting away old U.S. ambitions over the island.

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Macron visits Greenland in show of solidarity
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Anti‑Tourism Protests & Housing Crisis in Spain