Doctor Botox Olivier Véran, a former French government spokesperson and ex-minister of health, recently announced his next career venture at the Clinique des Champs-Élysées in Paris. For Véran, who was a neurologist before turning to politics, going back to medicine is not all that surprising. What was shocking — and caused some uproar in the … Read more
Gething also inherits rows over the lowering of many road speed limits from 30 to 20 mph, the performance of the NHS, and protests against subsidy reforms that will require farmers to hand back some land to nature. Planned reforms would also raise the number of members of the Welsh parliament, the Senedd, from 60 … Read more
Along with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, Belgium’s De Croo — who faces elections in June — is among Europe’s most outspoken supporters of the Palestinian cause, a credential he repeatedly touted on the first day of his Mideast trip. “Belgium has a very clear position. We are part … Read more
During the Munich Security Conference in February, Pavel announced the Czechs had figured out a way to purchase 500,000 155 mm and 300,000 122 mm caliber artillery shells for Ukraine from producers outside the EU. The shells can be delivered within weeks if the funding is there, Pavel said. Since then, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, … Read more
LONDON — Jeremy Hunt rolled the pre-election dice Wednesday. The U.K. chancellor delivered a budget full of measures aimed at boosting Britain’s sluggish growth and reversing his party’s electoral fortunes. In doing so, he parked a fair few tanks on the opposition Labour Party’s lawn ahead of a nationwide battle for Downing Street later this … Read more
Laura Trott, Hunt’s deputy at the U.K. Treasury, has dismissed allegations of foul play as “an excuse to try and wriggle out of Labour’s disastrous £28 billion of unfunded spending.” But in truth Treasury ministers have always looked for ways to hobble their successors — especially in the run-up to an election. George Osborne, the … Read more
Ukrainians have questions On the anniversary of Putin’s aggression, however, uncertainty and irritation were undisguised in Kyiv. Ukrainians wanted to know why Western sanctions on Russia are not working, and why Moscow keeps getting components for its missiles from Western companies. Why Ukrainians have to keep asking for weapons; and why the U.S. is not … Read more
Von der Leyen is accompanied other officials, including Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, whose country currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also is in Kyiv and she will conduct a G7 videoconference from there later Saturday. The G7 call … Read more
EU leaders finally approved €50 billion in funding for Kyiv until 2027 in early February after Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán had blocked the package in a previous December meeting. U.S. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has had trouble passing a military aid package to Ukraine through Congress, where it is opposed by a significant share of … Read more
After attending school in Finland and later the U.S., Belgium and the U.K., Stubb entered politics in 2004 as a member of the European Parliament. He hit the Finnish big time in 2008 when — to his own surprise — he was named foreign minister. Praised by allies for his high-energy approach to politics, he was … Read more
