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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.

Tourism

Photo: Andrea Pattaro/AFP
Photo: Andrea Pattaro/AFP
People sit in deckchairs as they enjoy the sunshine on the beach in Brighton on the south coast of England on June 2, 2020 following a further relaxation of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown rules. - Suspected and confirmed cases of deaths from the coronavirus outbreak in Britain have risen to 48,000, according to official data published Tuesday. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
People sit in deckchairs as they enjoy t […]
(FILES) In this file photo taken on July 10, 2020 passengers wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, arrive at Heathrow airport, west London. - London Heathrow said on October 28, 2020 that Paris Charles de Gaulle has overtaken it to become Europe's largest airport in terms of passenger numbers, blaming delayed coronavirus testing and travel restrictions. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP)
(FILES) In this file photo taken on July […]
A man sunbathes surrounded by a barrier tape to set a secure social distance space at the Nord Beach in Gandia, near Valencia on July 1, 2020. - The European Union reopened its borders to visitors from 15 countries but excluded the United States, where coronavirus deaths are spiking once again, six months after the first cluster was reported in China. (Photo by JOSE JORDAN / AFP)
A man sunbathes surrounded by a barrier […]
Holidays in the coronavirus-era

Coronavirus

Eine Bundespolizistin zieht sich am Grenzübergang zur Schweiz vor einer Kontrolle eine Atemmaske auf. In der Coronavirus-Krise führt Deutschland am Montag umfassende Kontrollen und Einreiseverbote an den Grenzen auch zur Schweiz ein.
Eine Bundespolizistin zieht sich am Gren […]
10.02.2019, Baden-Württemberg, Feldberg Im Schwarzwald: Die Sonne scheint hinter einer Skifahrerin, die ihre Skier geschultert hat. Foto: Patrick Seeger/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++
10.02.2019, Baden-Württemberg, Feldberg […]
A photo for illustration taken on November 19, 2020, shows a vial with Covid-19 Vaccine sticker, a syringe and a globe. Photo: Joel Saget / AFP
A photo for illustration taken on Novemb […]
Women take part in a protest demanding justice for victims of gender violence at Constitution Square in Guatemala City on October 10, 2020. Photo: Johan Ordonez / AFP
Women take part in a protest demanding j […]
Europe put to the test by the pandemic

Transportation and mobility

Foto: Boris Roessler/dpa
Foto: Boris Roessler/dpa
A truck loaded with minerals pictured at the Terrafame nickel and cobalt extraction mine in Sotkamo, Finland, on September 23, 2020. Photo: Alessandro Rampazzo / AFP
A truck loaded with minerals pictured at […]
(FILES) In this file photo taken on July 10, 2020 passengers wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, arrive at Heathrow airport, west London. - London Heathrow said on October 28, 2020 that Paris Charles de Gaulle has overtaken it to become Europe's largest airport in terms of passenger numbers, blaming delayed coronavirus testing and travel restrictions. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP)
(FILES) In this file photo taken on July […]
The aerial view shows parked airplanes at the airport Duesseldorf, western Germany, on May 8, 2020. (Photo by Ina FASSBENDER / AFP)
The aerial view shows parked airplanes a […]
The European Union in motion

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 […]
Former French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe (L) and newly-appointed Prime Minister Jean Castex react as they give a speech during the handover ceremony, in the courtyard of the Matignon Hotel in Paris on July 3, 2020. (Photo by Ludovic Marin / AFP)
Former French Prime Minister Edouard Phi […]
Newly elected mayor of Bordeaux, EELV green party's Pierre Hurmic (C), takes part in a meeting with members of his campaign team on June 29, 2020 in Bordeaux, southwestern France, a day after the second round of the French mayoral elections. (Photo by MEHDI FEDOUACH / AFP)
Newly elected mayor of Bordeaux, EELV gr […]
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 […]
A truck loaded with minerals pictured at the Terrafame nickel and cobalt extraction mine in Sotkamo, Finland, on September 23, 2020. Photo: Alessandro Rampazzo / AFP
A truck loaded with minerals pictured at […]
Turkey has once again extended the search for gas in contested waters of the eastern Mediterranean by the research ship Oruc Reis. Photo: Ozan Kose / AFP
Turkey has once again extended the searc […]
A handout photo released by the Greek National Defence Ministry on August 26, 2020 shows ships of the Hellenic Navy taking part in a military exercise in the eastern Mediterranean on August 25, 2020.
A handout photo released by the Greek Na […]
The journey from a coal union to the energy transition

Health

A photo for illustration taken on November 19, 2020, shows a vial with Covid-19 Vaccine sticker, a syringe and a globe. Photo: Joel Saget / AFP
A photo for illustration taken on Novemb […]
Women take part in a protest demanding justice for victims of gender violence at Constitution Square in Guatemala City on October 10, 2020. Photo: Johan Ordonez / AFP
Women take part in a protest demanding j […]
Smoke rises from the Ruhleben incineration power plant behind the "Unite d'Habitation of Berlin" (Corbusierhaus), a building designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier (L), which is located next to the Olympic Stadium, in Berlin, on October 16, 2020. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
Smoke rises from the Ruhleben incinerati […]
Facing new risks

Environmental pollution

Foto: Sigrid Harms/dpa
Foto: Sigrid Harms/dpa
Smoke rises from the Ruhleben incineration power plant behind the "Unite d'Habitation of Berlin" (Corbusierhaus), a building designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier (L), which is located next to the Olympic Stadium, in Berlin, on October 16, 2020. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
Smoke rises from the Ruhleben incinerati […]
The Eiffel Tower in Paris pictured through a haze of air pollution from the tower of Notre Dame Cathedral on March 14, 2017. Photo: Philippe Lopez / AFP
The Eiffel Tower in Paris pictured throu […]
A truck loaded with minerals pictured at the Terrafame nickel and cobalt extraction mine in Sotkamo, Finland, on September 23, 2020. Photo: Alessandro Rampazzo / AFP
A truck loaded with minerals pictured at […]
Working towards a cleaner union

EU budget

Foto: dpa
Foto: dpa
Eine Euro-Münze.
Eine Euro-Münze.
A shopper wearing a protective mask buys fruits in a Paris' district market on May 12, 2020, after France eased lockdown measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
A shopper wearing a protective mask buys […]
Thousands of Spanish flags, representing the Spanish victims of COVID-19, are pictured on Patacona beach in Valencia, on October 4, 2020. - Spain has so far claimed more than 32,000 lives and 790,000 infected in the highest infection rate in the European Union. (Photo by Jose Jordan / AFP)
Thousands of Spanish flags, representing […]
A new framework for funding the future of Europe

Brexit

Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen in Parliament Square in central London on January 31, 2020. Photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP
Brexit supporters wave Union flags as th […]
A Union flag flies alongside European Union flags during a protest near the Houses of Parliament in London on March 14, 2019. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALL
A Union flag flies alongside European Un […]
15.01.2019, A pro-Brexit demonstrator is standing outside the Westminster Parliament building on the eve of the vote on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++
15.01.2019, A pro-Brexit demonstrator is […]
Britain’s divorce from the EU

Trade

Photo: dpa
Photo: dpa
Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen in Parliament Square in central London on January 31, 2020. Photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP
Brexit supporters wave Union flags as th […]
A Union flag flies alongside European Union flags during a protest near the Houses of Parliament in London on March 14, 2019. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALL
A Union flag flies alongside European Un […]
US President-elect Joe Biden speaks at The Queen in Wilmington, Delaware, on November 9, 2020. Photo: Angela Weiss / AFP
US President-elect Joe Biden speaks at T […]
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 […]
(FILES) In this file photo taken on February 18, 2019 the 5G wireless technology logo is displayed on a tablet in Paris. - As the number of online devices surges and super-fast 5G connections roll out, record numbers of companies are offering up to seven-figure rewards to ethical hackers who can successfully attack their cybersecurity systems. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)
(FILES) In this file photo taken on Febr […]
The logos of US multinational technology firm Google logo, online retail giant Amazon, social networking service Facebook and multinational technology firm Apple on a tablet in Lille, France, on August 28, 2019. Photo: Denis Charlet / AFP
The logos of US multinational technology […]
The powerful US Justice Department is the latest to announce a probe into Google on suspicion of an "illegal monopoly". Photo: Alain Jocard / AFP
The powerful US Justice Department is th […]
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 […]
This picture shows the construction site of a high-rise building at the business district of La Defense west of Paris on October 21, 2020, as the country faces a new wave of infections to the Covid-19 (the novel coronavirus). - La Defense, the largest European business district and the fourth largest in the world, had to reshape its activity following the Covid-19 pandemic: work from home, barrier measures and safety guidelines. According to Paris-La Defense association district, 60% of its workers have returned to the office. However, following the lockdown, the generalisation of home working, the partial closure of bars and restaurants and, now, the curfew, the daily life of some 500 companies and 180,000 employees is permanently affected. (Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP)
This picture shows the construction site […]
A shopper wearing a protective mask buys fruits in a Paris' district market on May 12, 2020, after France eased lockdown measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
A shopper wearing a protective mask buys […]
Medical staff take a patient from an helicopter to a waiting medical flight at the Bron airport near Lyon, southeastern France, on October 27, 2020, to be evacuated on another hospital, amid the outbreak of the Covid-19 caused by the new Coronavirus. (Photo by PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP)
Medical staff take a patient from an hel […]
Many states, one currency

Elections

31.10.2020, Berlin: An oversized cardboard display with the picture of US President Trump stands in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Photo: Paul Zinken/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++
31.10.2020, Berlin: An oversized cardboa […]
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he departs the White House in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2020. - Trump said Thursday that the United States is withdrawing from the Open Skies arms control treaty with Russia, accusing Moscow of breaking the terms. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP)
US President Donald Trump speaks to the […]
The populist challenge

Migrants

French police patrol the border with Belgium in Quievrechain during a Covid-19 lockdown imposed by French authorities on November 6, 2020. Photo: Francois Lo Presti / AFP
French police patrol the border with Bel […]
Refugees from Kara Tepe camp on the Greek island of Lesbos board a ferry at the port of Mytilene on September 28, 2020
Refugees from Kara Tepe camp on the Gree […]
(L-R) Dutch PM Mark Rutte, European Council President Charles Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen participate in a last roundtable discussion following a four-day European summit at the European Council in Brussels, Belgium, early July 21, 2020. Photo: Stephanie Lecocq / Pool / AFP
(L-R) Dutch PM Mark Rutte, European Coun […]
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 […]
In a reception classroom, children sit apart from each other on a carpet where crosses have been marked out for them to sit on, in a teaching environment safe from Coronavirus for pupils and teachers at Brambles Primary Academy in Huddersfield, northern England on June 4, 2020, as the Government's recommencing of education for Reception and Years 1 and 6 classes gets underway. - Primary schools reopened the week commencing June 1, welcoming back children in Reception, year 1 and year 6 age groups, alongside priority groups. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
In a reception classroom, children sit a […]
(FILES) In this file photo taken on August 10, 2020 people dance and attend a rave party, on an agricultural land in Causse Mejean, in the heart of the Cevennes National Park, southern France, despite the limitation of gatherings linked to COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. - The summer has been marked by hundreds of 'free parties' in France, in spite of the COVID-19 outbreak, AFP reports on August 23, 2020. (Photo by Pascal GUYOT / AFP)
(FILES) In this file photo taken on Augu […]
Rentrée des classes en Serbie. Photo: Andrej Isakovic/AFP
Rentrée des classes en Serbie. Photo: A […]
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 […]
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to members of staff and contractors as she tours the NHS Louisa Jordan field hospital, set up at the Scottish Events Campus (SEC) in Glasgow on April 10, 2020, to potentially help with extra patients caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. - The disease has struck at the heart of the British government, infected more than 60,000 people nationwide and killed over 8,000, with a daily death toll in England of 866 reported on April 10. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / POOL / AFP)
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeo […]
A health employee wearing a protective jumpsuit disinfects a local tram in Zagreb as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19 caused by novel coronavirus on March 13, 2020. - Since the novel coronavirus first emerged in late December 2019, more than 135,640 cases have been recorded in 122 countries and territories, killing 5,043 people, according to an AFP tally compiled on March 13, 2020 based on official sources. (Photo by Damir SENCAR / AFP)
A health employee wearing a protective j […]
European flags are waving in front of the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels. Two days before Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, the European Parliament also ratified the EU withdrawal agreement at a meeting in Brussels and finally sealed the brexit.
European flags are waving in front of th […]
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 […]
An Armenian soldier carries his machine gun in the front line as troops hold positions on October 18, 2020, during the ongoing fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region. (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP)
An Armenian soldier carries his machine […]
Then US Vice-President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with then EU President Donald Tusk (unseen) at the EU Headquarters in Brussels on February 6, 2015. Photo: Emmanuel Dunand / AFP
Then US Vice-President Joe Biden speaks […]
Turkey has once again extended the search for gas in contested waters of the eastern Mediterranean by the research ship Oruc Reis. Photo: Ozan Kose / AFP
Turkey has once again extended the searc […]
A continent's preparations for a world of challenges

Food and agriculture

This picture taken in Bruges on November 19, 2020 shows swans in an aviary during an operation to attempt to catch over a hundred, as special security measures are required to prevent wild birds from being in contact with the swan population of the city, following the discovery of bird flu in three wild birds in Ostend. (Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP)
This picture taken in Bruges on November […]
(FILES) This combination of file photos made on April 1, 2016 in Paris shows (From L) obese people in Los Angeles in July 30, 2003, Mexico City on May 20, 2013 and Manchester on October 10, 2006. - Over one in eight adults are now obese -- a ratio that has more than doubled since 1975 and will swell to one in five by 2025, a major survey reported April 1, 2016. Of about five billion adults alive in 2014, 641 million were obese, the data showed -- and projected the number will balloon past 1.1 billion in just nine years. (Photo by AFP)
(FILES) This combination of file photos […]
US President-elect Joe Biden speaks at The Queen in Wilmington, Delaware, on November 9, 2020. Photo: Angela Weiss / AFP
US President-elect Joe Biden speaks at T […]
Feeding a continent

Europe's Workforce

Photo: dpa
Photo: dpa
This picture shows the construction site of a high-rise building at the business district of La Defense west of Paris on October 21, 2020, as the country faces a new wave of infections to the Covid-19 (the novel coronavirus). - La Defense, the largest European business district and the fourth largest in the world, had to reshape its activity following the Covid-19 pandemic: work from home, barrier measures and safety guidelines. According to Paris-La Defense association district, 60% of its workers have returned to the office. However, following the lockdown, the generalisation of home working, the partial closure of bars and restaurants and, now, the curfew, the daily life of some 500 companies and 180,000 employees is permanently affected. (Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP)
This picture shows the construction site […]
A couple, wearing face masks, walks in front of the Palazzo Chigi Government office in Rome, lit with the color of the Italian flag on November 1, 2020. - Italy reported 31,758 new cases of the virus on October 31, 2020, a new daily record. The government is eyeing a lockdown of the country's major cities, news media reported, to try to slow the alarming rise in infections. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)
A couple, wearing face masks, walks in f […]
This picture shows a view of the business district of La Defense west of Paris taken from the roof of the Grande Arche on October 8, 2020, as the country faces a new wave of infections to the Covid-19 (the novel coronavirus). - La Defense, the largest European business district and the fourth largest in the world, had to reshape its activity following the Covid-19 pandemic: work from home, barrier measures and safety guidelines. According to Paris-La Defense association district, 60% of its workers have returned to the office. However, following the lockdown, the generalisation of home working, the partial closure of bars and restaurants and, now, the curfew, the daily life of some 500 companies and 180,000 employees is permanently affected. (Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP)
This picture shows a view of the busines […]
Tensions between the poor and the rich

Populism

Foto: dpa
Foto: dpa
Italian Lega party leader Matteo Salvini addresses the Senate in Rome on February 12, 2020. Photo: Filippo Monteforte / AFP
Italian Lega party leader Matteo Salvini […]
Italian PM Giuseppe Conte (C), flanked by Deputy PM and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini (L) and by Deputy PM and Minister of Economic Development Luigi Di Maio (R), delivers a speech at the Italian Senate, in Rome, on August 20, 2019
Italian PM Giuseppe Conte (C), flanked b […]
Simple answers to complex questions

Climate change

Smoke rises from the Ruhleben incineration power plant behind the "Unite d'Habitation of Berlin" (Corbusierhaus), a building designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier (L), which is located next to the Olympic Stadium, in Berlin, on October 16, 2020. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
Smoke rises from the Ruhleben incinerati […]
The Eiffel Tower in Paris pictured through a haze of air pollution from the tower of Notre Dame Cathedral on March 14, 2017. Photo: Philippe Lopez / AFP
The Eiffel Tower in Paris pictured throu […]
(FILES) This combination of file photos made on April 1, 2016 in Paris shows (From L) obese people in Los Angeles in July 30, 2003, Mexico City on May 20, 2013 and Manchester on October 10, 2006. - Over one in eight adults are now obese -- a ratio that has more than doubled since 1975 and will swell to one in five by 2025, a major survey reported April 1, 2016. Of about five billion adults alive in 2014, 641 million were obese, the data showed -- and projected the number will balloon past 1.1 billion in just nine years. (Photo by AFP)
(FILES) This combination of file photos […]
Tackling global warming

Terrorism and security

French police patrol the border with Belgium in Quievrechain during a Covid-19 lockdown imposed by French authorities on November 6, 2020. Photo: Francois Lo Presti / AFP
French police patrol the border with Bel […]
A policeman stands next to wreathes placed by government officials in homage to victims of a shooting in central Vienna, on November 3, 2020, a day after the attack. Photo: Joe Klamar / AFP
A policeman stands next to wreathes plac […]
(FILES) This file photo taken on January 16, 2018 shows Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny during an interview with AFP at the office of his Anti-corruption Foundation (FBK) in Moscow. - Tests carried out on Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny provide clear proof that he was poisoned by a chemical nerve agent, the German government said Wednesday, September 2, 2020, demanding explanations from Moscow. (Photo by Mladen ANTONOV / AFP)
(FILES) This file photo taken on January […]
The EU's fight against terror