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What’s getting people talking across Europe? Find articles, analysis, background information, graphics and photos on the most important issues facing the EU.

European election

ARCHIV - ILLUSTRATION - Ein Mann steckt am 20.02.2014 in in Frankfurt (Oder,Brandenburg) eine Europafahne in den Schlitz einer Wahlurne.
ARCHIV - ILLUSTRATION - Ein Mann steckt […]
Spanish caretaker prime minister, socialist Pedro Sanchez, applauds after winning a parliamentary vote to elect a premier at the Spanish Congress (Las Cortes) in Madrid on January 7, 2020. Photo: Pierre-Philippe Marcou / AFP
Spanish caretaker prime minister, social […]
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (L, OeVP) and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (R, Green) attend the first Council of Ministers of a new government coalition of conservatives and Greens in Vienna on January 8, 2020. Photo: Alex Halada / AFP
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (L, O […]
A Brexit activist holds a Union Flag-themed umbrella as he demonstrates outside of the Houses of Parliament in central London on October 21, 2019. Photo: Isabel Infantes / AFP
A Brexit activist holds a Union Flag-the […]
Where is the EU headed?

Energy

Abendröte schmückt den Himmel am Freitag (11.10.2002) am Kohlekraftwerk Mehrum (Kr. Peine) bei einer Temperatur um drei Grad und scharfem Ostwind. In der Nähe dieser Anlage drehen sich viele Windräder auf den landwirtschaftlichen Flächen. dpa/lni
Abendröte schmückt den Himmel am Freit […]
Cranes load Pipes for the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea gas pipeline onto a ship at the Mukran Port.
Cranes load Pipes for the Nord Stream 2 […]
German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks alongside Finance Minister and Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a press conference after a climate commitee meeting at the Futurium in Berlin on September 20, 2019. Photo: Axel Schmidt / AFP
German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks a […]
The journey from a coal union to the energy transition

Health

Airline passengers wear masks on arrival at the Ivalo airport. On 23 January, two tourists from Wuhan ,China, visited a health centre in Ivalo to receive treatment for flu-like symptoms. The tourists are suspected to be infected with the corona virus.
Airline passengers wear masks on arrival […]
ARCHIV - 04.03.2019, Bayern, Kempten: Der Zeiger eines Weckers steht auf zwei Uhr (Illustration zum Thema Zeitumstellung).(zu dpa: Rückhalt für die Zeitumstellung auf neuem Tiefpunkt) Foto: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++
ARCHIV - 04.03.2019, Bayern, Kempten: De […]
Facing new risks

EU budget

Foto: dpa
Foto: dpa
The EU SPACE logo pictured on January 21, 2020 during the 12th European Space Conference in Brussels. Photo: Kenzo Tribouillard / AFP
The EU SPACE logo pictured on January 21 […]
The flag of the European Union (EU) is reflected on a euro coin.
The flag of the European Union (EU) is r […]
Olaf Scholz (SPD, l), Federal Minister of Finance and Bruno Le Maire (r), French Minister of Economics, will hold a joint press conference after the Eurogroup meeting. At the meeting on Friday night, the finance ministers of the euro countries made progress on the controversial euro zone budget. Photo: Arne Immanuel Bänsch/dpa
Olaf Scholz (SPD, l), Federal Minister o […]
A new framework for funding the future of Europe

Trade

Photo: dpa
Photo: dpa
Brussels is braced for new rounds of Brexit battles, aware that a bullish British PM Boris Johnson is feeling reinvigorated after an electoral victory in December.
Brussels is braced for new rounds of Br […]
Containers are loaded at the container port in Germany.
Containers are loaded at the container p […]
The Swedish Minister for Europe Cecilia Malmström speaks at a press conference in Luxembourg on 26.10.2009.
The Swedish Minister for Europe Cecilia […]
Internal market flourishes, but protectionism looms

Digitalization

Netzwerkkabel hängen am 14.02.2013 in Jülich (Nordrhein-Westfalen) im Forschungszentrum an der Rückseite des Supercomputers Juqueen. Europas schnellster Rechner, Juqueen, geht offiziell an den Start. Mit einer maximalen Rechenleistung von 5,9 Petaflops kann der Supercomputer sechs Billiarden Rechenoperationen pro Sekunde durchführen. Foto: Oliver Berg/dpa +++(c) dpa - Bildfunk+++
Netzwerkkabel hängen am 14.02.2013 in J […]
The EU guidelines leave member states with the responsibility to ensure the safe rollout of 5G. Photo: Justin Tallis / AFP
The EU guidelines leave member states wi […]
A photo taken in London on December 6, 2019 shows the Facebook page of Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Photo: Ben Stansall / AFP
A photo taken in London on December 6, 2 […]
A connected continent

Eurozone

ILLUSTRATION - Griechische Euro-Münzen stehen am 07.01.2015 in Köln (Nordrhein-Westfalen) auf einer EU-Fahne. Die Bundesregierung entwickelt einem Medienbericht zufolge konkrete Strategien für einen möglichen Austritt Griechenlands aus der Eurozone. Foto: Oliver Berg/dpa +++(c) dpa - Bildfunk+++
ILLUSTRATION - Griechische Euro-Münzen […]
Young people from all over Europe call out "No more hot air" in front of the Federal Chancellery during a demonstration against youth unemployment in Europe. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa
Young people from all over Europe call o […]
The ECB is considering a stimulus package to combat low inflation and kickstart growth in the eurozone. Photo: Aris Messinis / AFP
The ECB is considering a stimulus packag […]
Many states, one currency

Elections

A pedestrian walks past a billboard in west Belfast on December 8, 2017 erected by Republican Party Sinn Fein calling for a special status for Northern Ireland with respect to Brexit and no hard borders in Ireland. Photo: Paul Faith / AFP
A pedestrian walks past a billboard in w […]
Britain's main opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn talks to students at Lancaster University on November 15, 2019 regarding the party's plans to deliver free full fibre broadband if they win the general election. Photo: Peter Byrne / Pool
Britain's main opposition Labour party l […]
A photo taken in London on December 6, 2019 shows the Facebook page of Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Photo: Ben Stansall / AFP
A photo taken in London on December 6, 2 […]
The populist challenge

Migrants

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (L, OeVP) and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (R, Green) attend the first Council of Ministers of a new government coalition of conservatives and Greens in Vienna on January 8, 2020. Photo: Alex Halada / AFP
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (L, O […]
Migrants pictured at the Vucjak camp on the outskirts of the city of Bihac, northern Bosnia, on October 21, 2019. Photo: Elvis Barukcic / AFP
Migrants pictured at the Vucjak camp on […]
A new home in Europe?

Europe's youth

Schüler der Edith-Stein-Schule präsentieren am 06.09.2017 in Erfurt (Thüringen) die selbstgestalteten Wahlplakate für die U18-Bundestagswahl. Foto: Martin Schutt/dpa
Schüler der Edith-Stein-Schule präsent […]
Britain's main opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn talks to students at Lancaster University on November 15, 2019 regarding the party's plans to deliver free full fibre broadband if they win the general election. Photo: Peter Byrne / Pool
Britain's main opposition Labour party l […]
Activists (from L): Argentina's Nicole Becker, Russia's Arshak Makichyian, Australia's Chloe McCann and Toby Thorpe, Netherlands' Erik Christiansson, Sweden's Vega Minsson and France's Lea Ilardo pose in front of the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 logo at the 'IFEMA - Feria de Madrid' exhibition centre in Madrid on December 5, 2019
Activists (from L): Argentina's Nicole B […]
Protesters use fences as a barricade during clashes near the police headquarters in Barcelona, on October 18, 2019, on the day that separatists called a general strike and a mass rally. Photo: Pau Barrena / AFP
Protesters use fences as a barricade dur […]
Endless opportunities or no future?

EU enlargement

ARCHIV - Zwei Männer feiern am 01.01.2007 vor einer EU-Fahne den EU-Beitritt Rumäniens in Bukarest. EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT (zu dpa Berichterstattung vor dem EU-Gipfel) +++(c) dpa - Bildfunk+++
ARCHIV - Zwei Männer feiern am 01.01.2 […]
Workers set up a sign reading 'Republic of North Macedonia' at the Macedonia-Greece border near Gevgelija, Macedonia on February 13, 2019. Photo: Robert Atanasovski / AFP
Workers set up a sign reading 'Republic […]
Macedonian PM Zoran Zaev (C) waves a Macedonian flag during a 'Yes' rally ahead of a referendum on whether to change the country's name to 'The Republic of North Macedonia' in Skopje on September 16, 2018. Photo: Robert Atanasovski / AFP
Macedonian PM Zoran Zaev (C) waves a Mac […]
The Union is growing

Defence and security

25.04.2018, Brandenburg, Schönefeld: Das zweistrahliges Mehrzweckkampfflugzeug Dassault Rafale aus Frankreich ist bei der Raumfahrtausstellung (ILA) ausgestellt. Bis Sonntag präsentierten 1100 Aussteller aus 41 Ländern ihre Neuheiten von Flugzeugen über Drohnen und Flugtaxis bis hin zu Raketentechnik. (zu dpa "Ein Kampfjet für Europa - Berlin und Paris gehen in Rüstungsoffensive" am 26.04.2018)
25.04.2018, Brandenburg, Schönefeld: Da […]
The EU guidelines leave member states with the responsibility to ensure the safe rollout of 5G. Photo: Justin Tallis / AFP
The EU guidelines leave member states wi […]
The EU SPACE logo pictured on January 21, 2020 during the 12th European Space Conference in Brussels. Photo: Kenzo Tribouillard / AFP
The EU SPACE logo pictured on January 21 […]
Zwei Marinesoldaten stehen am frühen Morgen vor der aufgehenden Sonne auf dem Bug der «Augsburg» der Deutschen Marine und ziehen gemeinsam an einer Leine, die an einem Poller am Marinehafen befestigt war. Die Fregatte «Augsburg» lief damals zur Operation «Sophia» aus. Nach dem Libyen-Gipfel erwägt die EU eine Wiederbelebung ihrer Militärmission vor der Küste des Bürgerkriegslandes. (zu dpa «EU erwägt Wiederbelebung von Marineoperation vor libyscher Küste») Foto: Mohssen Assanimoghaddam/dpa
Zwei Marinesoldaten stehen am frühen Mo […]
A continent's preparations for a world of challenges

Europe's Workforce

Photo: dpa
Photo: dpa
Spanish caretaker prime minister, socialist Pedro Sanchez, applauds after winning a parliamentary vote to elect a premier at the Spanish Congress (Las Cortes) in Madrid on January 7, 2020. Photo: Pierre-Philippe Marcou / AFP
Spanish caretaker prime minister, social […]
A woman uses headphones during an open day on the profession of translator for the European parliament on September 29 2019 at the EU headquarters in Brussels. Photo: John Thys / AFP
A woman uses headphones during an open d […]
Tensions between the poor and the rich

Terrorism and security

Anti-IS group fighters stand next to a wall bearing the Islamic State (IS) group flag in the city of al-Qaim, western Anbar province on November 3, 2017. Photo: Ahmad Al-Rubaye / AFP
Anti-IS group fighters stand next to a w […]
Telecom network cables pictured in Paris on June 30, 2013. Photo: Thomas Coex / AFP
Telecom network cables pictured in Paris […]
A French Gendarme stands guard at passport control at the airport in Montpellier, southern France, on November 20, 2015. Photo: Pascal Guyot / AFP
A French Gendarme stands guard at passpo […]
The EU's fight against terror