DUBLIN — Irish voters thwarted Dublin’s best-known gangland boss from gaining a seat in parliament following a marathon election count full of shocks and twists. Gerry “The Monk” Hutch had launched an out-of-the-blue campaign for a Dublin Central seat after flying in from Spain, where he awaits trial on money-laundering charges. Last year, Hutch was … Read more
On Sunday, Romanians vote in crucial parliamentary elections, with polls showing hard-right parties on track to bag a third of the ballots, riding on the momentum created by Georgescu who surged in the polls out of nowhere last Sunday to secure a shock win. The stakes are high. An outright victory for the far-right presidential … Read more
It comes amid rising fears among European countries over Trump’s impact on the alliance, given his previous comments questioning the value of NATO and threatening not to defend members who don’t pay enough into the organization. Rutte, who formally became NATO’s secretary-general in October, also met with U.S. Congressman Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national … Read more
The EU said it will “continue supporting the population” in Niger. “Humanitarian aid is essential; it is provided neutrally, impartially and independently, and is implemented by United Nations agencies and international organisations and NGOs. Nothing should justify the use of humanitarian aid for political ends,” the EEAS said in the statement. The EU added that … Read more
Der Kanzler ist beim G20-Gipfel in Rio de Janeiro, während in Berlin die Diskussionen in der SPD weitergehen, ob Scholz noch der richtige Kanzlerkandidat ist. Die Zustimmung für ihn sinkt, für Pistorius hingegen steigt sie weiter. Gordon Repinski analysiert, wie sich der leise Abschied von Scholz möglicherweise bereits abzeichnet. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview spricht Jürgen Klöckner mit … Read more
SPD und CDU einigen sich auf den 23. Februar als Termin für die Neuwahl des Bundestages. Wie der Kompromiss gefunden wurde und welche Rolle SPD-Fraktionschef Rolf Mützenich spielt, analysiert Gordon Repinski zusammen mit POLITICO-Chefkorrespondent Rasmus Buchsteiner. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview spricht CDU-Ministerpräsident Daniel Günther aus Schleswig-Holstein über die Grünen, mit denen er im Land regiert, als möglichen … Read more
Chinese investment in Italy is “below potential” and should increase, Italian President Sergio Mattarella said on a visit to Beijing. Italy’s trade with China needs “re-balancing” between import and export, Mattarella told Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday, Sky Tg24 reported. Mattarella noted that the value of Italy-China trade doubled from 2016 to 2022 to … Read more
Local authorities in Amsterdam issued an emergency order declaring the Dutch capital a “high-risk security area” following attacks on Israeli football supporters on Thursday night. The emergency measures, which also cover the Amstelveen area, include enabling “preventive searches,” a ban on demonstrations and increased police presence. The imposition of the measures comes after supporters of … Read more
Former Slovak leader Igor Matovič didn’t mince words in deploring an appearance by the country’s current Prime Minister Robert Fico on Russia’s state-owned Rossiya 1 TV channel on Wednesday. “What a horrible treacherous ferret,” said Matovič, who served as the country’s prime minister between 2020 and 2021, in a post on Facebook. The pro-Russian Slovak … Read more
“The EPP Group prides itself in extending its full cooperation” to legal authorities, a spokesperson for Weber and the EPP groups said in a statement to POLITICO said, adding that no external auditors “currently have any open cases of alleged misuse of funds.” Layered inquiry EPPO is in charge of investigating serious crimes affecting the … Read more
