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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.

Brexit Climate change Coronavirus Defence and security Digitalization EU budget EU enlargement Economy Elections Energy Environmental pollution Europe's Workforce Europe's youth Eurozone Food and agriculture Health Human rights Migrants Populism Terrorism and security Tourism Trade Transportation and mobility Women's rights

Elections

Lega (League party) leader Matteo Salvini (L) and Giorgia Meloni, co-founder and president of the Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy, speak at the annual "European House Ambrosetti" forum in Cernobbio, near Como, northern Italy on September 4, 2022. Photo: Miguel Medina / AFP
Lega (League party) leader Matteo Salvin... […]
France's President Emmanuel Macron gives a press conference with President of the European Council and President of the European Commission at The European Council Building in Brussels on June 24, 2022. Photo: Ludovic Marin / AFP
France's President Emmanuel Macron gives... […]
Europe now finds itself short of national leaders with the charisma and political space to champion its values on the global stage. Photo: Ludovic Marin / Pool / AFP
Europe now finds itself short of nationa... […]

Populism

Foto: dpa
Foto: dpa...
Lega (League party) leader Matteo Salvini (L) and Giorgia Meloni, co-founder and president of the Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy, speak at the annual "European House Ambrosetti" forum in Cernobbio, near Como, northern Italy on September 4, 2022. Photo: Miguel Medina / AFP
Lega (League party) leader Matteo Salvin... […]
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... […]

Economy

Ina Fassbender/AFP
Ina Fassbender/AFP...
A woman pushes her shopping trolley as she leaves a Carrefour supermarket in Drancy. Photo: Bertrand Guay / AFP
A woman pushes her shopping trolley as s... […]
A high-voltage electricity pylon near Areches-Beaufort, France. Photo: Jeff Pachoud / AFP
A high-voltage electricity pylon near Ar... […]
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers the annual 'State of the European Union' address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France. Photo: Frederick Florin / AFP
European Commission President Ursula von... […]

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... […]
Die Anzeige vor der Einfahrt zu einer Tankstelle zeigt die Preise für Benzin und Diesel sowie Gas an. In der Nacht vom 31. August auf den 1. September endete eine vorübergehende Senkung der Energiesteuer auf das von der EU vorgegebene Mindestmaß.
Die Anzeige vor der Einfahrt zu einer Ta... […]
A high-voltage electricity pylon near Areches-Beaufort, France. Photo: Jeff Pachoud / AFP
A high-voltage electricity pylon near Ar... […]
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers the annual 'State of the European Union' address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France. Photo: Frederick Florin / AFP
European Commission President Ursula von... […]

Transportation and mobility

Foto: Boris Roessler/dpa
Foto: Boris Roessler/dpa ...
Die Anzeige vor der Einfahrt zu einer Tankstelle zeigt die Preise für Benzin und Diesel sowie Gas an. In der Nacht vom 31. August auf den 1. September endete eine vorübergehende Senkung der Energiesteuer auf das von der EU vorgegebene Mindestmaß.
Die Anzeige vor der Einfahrt zu einer Ta... […]
Passengers stand near the Ryanair check-in counters during a strike at Barajas airport in Madrid. Photo: Oscar Del Pozo / AFP
Passengers stand near the Ryanair check-... […]
A view of the centre of Kaliningrad, the largest city in the Russian exclave of the same name, pictured during the Russia 2018 World Cup football tournament on June 21, 2018. Photo: Patrick Hertzog / AFP
A view of the centre of Kaliningrad, the... […]

Climate change

Firefighters work at the site of a wildfire near Belin-Béliet, southwestern France late on August 11, 2022. Photo: Thibaud Moritz / AFP
Firefighters work at the site of a wildf... […]
Farmer Achille Crespiatico assesses damages to his corn field due to a severe drought in Spino d'Adda, as Italy is hit by the worst drought in 70 years. Photo: Piero Cruciatti / AFP
Farmer Achille Crespiatico assesses dama... […]
A forest fire in Louchats, southwestern France. Photo: Thibaud Moritz / AFP
A forest fire in Louchats, southwestern ... […]

Food and agriculture

Firefighters work at the site of a wildfire near Belin-Béliet, southwestern France late on August 11, 2022. Photo: Thibaud Moritz / AFP
Firefighters work at the site of a wildf... […]
Farmer Achille Crespiatico assesses damages to his corn field due to a severe drought in Spino d'Adda, as Italy is hit by the worst drought in 70 years. Photo: Piero Cruciatti / AFP
Farmer Achille Crespiatico assesses dama... […]
Smoke rises after explosions hit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on June 5, 2022. Photo: Sergei Supinsky / AFP
Smoke rises after explosions hit the Ukr... […]

Tourism

Photo: Andrea Pattaro/AFP
Photo: Andrea Pattaro/AFP...
Russian tourists having their passport checked at the Nuijamaa border crossing with Finland. Photo: Alessandro Rampazzo / AFP
Russian tourists having their passport c... […]
Tourists gather on a bridge overlooking a dam on the Vuoksi river, near the Imatra Rapids in Imatra, Finland, on August 12, 2022. Photo: Alessandro Rampazzo / AFP
Tourists gather on a bridge overlooking ... […]
Croatia has already issued more than 51,000 work permits for foreign nationals this year. Photo: Denis Lovrovic / AFP
Croatia has already issued more than 51,... […]

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... […]
Tourists gather on a bridge overlooking a dam on the Vuoksi river, near the Imatra Rapids in Imatra, Finland, on August 12, 2022. Photo: Alessandro Rampazzo / AFP
Tourists gather on a bridge overlooking ... […]
A view of the centre of Kaliningrad, the largest city in the Russian exclave of the same name, pictured during the Russia 2018 World Cup football tournament on June 21, 2018. Photo: Patrick Hertzog / AFP
A view of the centre of Kaliningrad, the... […]
Smoke rises after explosions hit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on June 5, 2022. Photo: Sergei Supinsky / AFP
Smoke rises after explosions hit the Ukr... […]

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 ... […]
The ECB headquarters viewed from through the structure of a bridge in Frankfurt, western Germany. Photo: Daniel Roland / AFP
The ECB headquarters viewed from through... […]
Euro banknotes in Dortmund, western Germany. Photo: Ina Fassbender / AFP
Euro banknotes in Dortmund, western Germ... […]
The headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. Photo: Daniel Roland / AFP
The headquarters of the European Central... […]

Health

The European Parliament holds a voting session after a debate in Strasbourg, eastern France. Photo: Patrick Hertzog / AFP
The European Parliament holds a voting s... […]
Several Western European nations have recently recorded their highest daily Covid case numbers in months, due in part to Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5. Photo: Stephane De Sakutin / AFP
Several Western European nations have re... […]
Monkeypox symptoms include a rash which often starts on the face and spreads across the whole body. Photo: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Monkeypox symptoms include a rash which ... […]

Women's rights

Jussi Nukari/AFP
Jussi Nukari/AFP...
The European Parliament holds a voting session after a debate in Strasbourg, eastern France. Photo: Patrick Hertzog / AFP
The European Parliament holds a voting s... […]
German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a meeting of the European People's Party in Berlin. Photo: Stefanie Loos / AFP
German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends ... […]
An activist of the "Declic" movement for women's rights holds a printed half face picture showing a victim of domestic violence during a protest in Bucharest. Photo: Daniel Mihailescu / AFP-File
An activist of the "Declic" movement for... […]

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... […]
Several Western European nations have recently recorded their highest daily Covid case numbers in months, due in part to Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5. Photo: Stephane De Sakutin / AFP
Several Western European nations have re... […]
Croatia has already issued more than 51,000 work permits for foreign nationals this year. Photo: Denis Lovrovic / AFP
Croatia has already issued more than 51,... […]
Pupils from the "College Victor Hugo" secondary school in Colmar, northeast France, visit Edinburgh in Scotland on May 23, 2022 as part of a school exchange. Photo: Andy Buchanan / AFP
Pupils from the "College Victor Hugo" se... […]

Brexit

A lorry passes an anti-'Northern Ireland Protocol' sign at Larne port, north of Belfast in Northern Ireland, on May 17, 2022. Photo: Paul Faith / AFP
A lorry passes an anti-'Northern Ireland... […]
Pupils from the "College Victor Hugo" secondary school in Colmar, northeast France, visit Edinburgh in Scotland on May 23, 2022 as part of a school exchange. Photo: Andy Buchanan / AFP
Pupils from the "College Victor Hugo" se... […]
The skyline of the City of London. Photo: Daniel Leal / AFP
The skyline of the City of London. Photo... […]

Trade

Photo: dpa
Photo: dpa...
A lorry passes an anti-'Northern Ireland Protocol' sign at Larne port, north of Belfast in Northern Ireland, on May 17, 2022. Photo: Paul Faith / AFP
A lorry passes an anti-'Northern Ireland... […]
The Baltic Performer, a 150-metre cargo ship operated by a Swedish subsidiary of the Russian company Baltic Shipping, arrives in the Swedish port of Helsingborg on April 4, 2022. Photo: Camille Bas-Wohlert / AFP
The Baltic Performer, a 150-metre cargo ... […]
A shopper walks empty shelves at a supermarket in south London. Photo: Justin Tallis / AFP
A shopper walks empty shelves at a super... […]

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... […]
Pupils from the "College Victor Hugo" secondary school in Colmar, northeast France, visit Edinburgh in Scotland on May 23, 2022 as part of a school exchange. Photo: Andy Buchanan / AFP
Pupils from the "College Victor Hugo" se... […]
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... […]

Migrants

Smoke rises after explosions hit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on June 5, 2022. Photo: Sergei Supinsky / AFP
Smoke rises after explosions hit the Ukr... […]
Despite Hungarian government claims of providing for hundreds of thousands of refugees, only an estimated 10 to 20% of Ukrainians stay more than a few days, relief organisations say. Photo: Attila Kisbenedek / AFP
Despite Hungarian government claims of p... […]
The last Allegro train from St Petersburg in Russia arrives at the central railway station in Finland's capital Helsinki on March 27, 2022. Photo: Alessandro Rampazzo / AFP
The last Allegro train from St Petersbur... […]

Environmental pollution

Foto: Sigrid Harms/dpa
Foto: Sigrid Harms/dpa...
While fully electric cars have proved themselves in urban areas, many owners still suffer from "range anxiety" when it comes to long trips. Photo: Jens Schuter / AFP
While fully electric cars have proved th... […]
Festival-goers use a urinal on the opening day of the 19th Eurockeennes Festival in Belfort, France, on June 29, 2007. Photo: Jean-Philippe Ksiazek / AFP / File
Festival-goers use a urinal on the openi... […]
Schwarze Pumpe, 11.11.2021 - Luftbild Braunkohlekraftwerk Schwarze Pumpe der LEAG Lausitz Energie Kraftwerke AG. Der Ausstieg aus der Kohleverstromung soll bis 2038 erfolgen. || Mindestpreis 30 Euro
Schwarze Pumpe, 11.11.2021 - Luftbild Br... […]

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... […]
European telecoms lobby group ETNO published a study naming the firms they see as the major culprits for failing to support internet infrastructure -- Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Netflix
European telecoms lobby group ETNO publi... […]
The logos of Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft displayed on a mobile phone. Photo: Justin Tallis / AFP
The logos of Google, Apple, Facebook, Am... […]
US tech giants Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft -- collectively dubbed GAFAM -- have been accused of not paying enough taxes, stifling competition, stealing media content and threatening democracy by spreading fake news. Photo: Justin Tallis / AFP
US tech giants Google, Apple, Facebook, ... […]

Terrorism and security

Newly appointed EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Ilkka Salmi speaks during an interview at the EU headquarters in Brussels on December 7, 2021. Photo: John Thys / AFP
Newly appointed EU Counter-Terrorism Coo... […]
Greek policemen distribute food to migrants held at the Covid-19 quarantine area in Leros. Photo: Theophile Bloudanis / AFP
Greek policemen distribute food to migra... […]
Afghans board a military transport plane as they flee Kabul on August 24. Photo: Donald R. Allen / AFP-US Air Force / File
Afghans board a military transport plane... […]

EU budget

Foto: dpa
Foto: dpa...
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (L) meets President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, during the G7 finance ministers meeting in London on June 5, 2021. Photo: Alberto Pezzali / Pool
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (L) m... […]
A family photo of the G7 Finance Ministers meeting at Lancaster House in London on June 5. Photo: Henry Nicholls / AFP-Pool
A family photo of the G7 Finance Ministe... […]
Combination of pictures created on January 12, 2021 shows a file photo taken on October 2, 2020 of Italian PM Giuseppe Conte at The European Council Building in Brussels (L) and then former Italian PM, Matteo Renzi, on March 5, 2018 at the PD headquarters in Rome.
Combination of pictures created on Janua... […]

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... […]