END OF THE WEEK

European leaders are calling on Israel and Iran to immediately de-escalate the situation in the Middle East after Israel decided to launch an unproven attack on Iran, killing civilians including children. The United States has said it played no role in the attack, nor did it support the attack, leading to an analysis of why Netanyahu has all of a sudden gone rogue.

There are calls for the EU to step up and get a deal with the USA – after the UK secured a deal a month ago, and the US claims a deal with China will be coming soon.

Most of this week’s European headlines have been dominated by political news, from snap election announcements to trade tensions. The horror school shooting in Austria dominated much of the early week headlines as did international news from Gaza and the United States.

MIDWEEK UPDATE

🇳🇱 Dutch snap election looms
The Netherlands will hold elections on 29 October after Geert Wilders’ far-right PVV walked out of coalition talks. Caretaker PM Dick Schoof is holding the reins for now.

🇪🇺 EU sharpens sanctions on Russia
Brussels has proposed new sanctions targeting Russian oil tankers, banks, and the controversial “shadow fleet.” Nord Stream infrastructure is also in the firing line as part of the EU’s 14th sanctions package.

🇨🇳 China trade tensions escalate
The EU is challenging China’s “buy Chinese” rules in the medical tech sector, accusing Beijing of discriminating against EU firms. Brussels says it’s a matter of “fair competition.”

🇦🇹 Austria rethinks gun laws after school tragedy
A mass shooting at a school in Graz left 10 dead, prompting fresh scrutiny of Austria’s relatively lax gun laws. The government is under pressure to tighten regulations.

🇵🇱 Tusk survives in Poland
Polish PM Donald Tusk won a confidence vote and promised to press ahead with reforms, despite facing political pressure after his party’s presidential loss.

EARLY WEEK UPDATES

🇮🇹 Italy’s sleepy referendum
Major referendums on labour laws and citizenship saw dismal turnout—reform dreams were met with a national shrug.

🇵🇸 Gaza dominates headlines
Protests erupted across Italy demanding a Gaza ceasefire. Meanwhile, Israeli forces blocked a pro-aid yacht—carrying Greta Thunberg—from reaching the Strip.

🇺🇸 US unrest shakes Europe’s front pages
Brutal clashes between protesters and the National Guard in Los Angeles have captured attention across the continent. Tensions continue to rise with no end in sight.

🇪🇺 Monday Morning Mood: Missiles, Mishaps and (Maybe) Meloni

It’s Monday in Europe and the news is as lively as your first espresso shot. Russia’s claiming it’s marched into new parts of Ukraine (Kyiv says, “not quite”), while Poland is scrambling jets just in case any of that “special military operation” goes astray.