European Union

US President Joe Biden predicted on Wednesday (19 January) that Russia will make a move on Ukraine, saying Russia would pay dearly for a full-scale invasion but suggesting there could be a lower cost for a "minor incursion."

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about Irish frontline healthcare workers receiving a €1,000 bonus for their efforts during the pandemic, Italy's left-wing opposing Berlusconi's presidential bid, and so much more.

People in England will no longer be required to wear face masks anywhere or work from home from next week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, adding that scientists believed a wave of the Omicron coronavirus variant had peaked nationally.

Paris, which currently holds the six-month EU Council presidency, has highlighted the objective of achieving greater EU sovereignty on energy and environment as EU ministers dealing with these issues embark on a three-day informal meeting in Amiens. EURACTIV France reports.

Obligatory detentions, more security-screening, and faster deportations - these are the French EU presidency's migration priorities.

A cross-party group of 62 MEPs from five parties has called for a full-scale election observation mission in Hungary for the 3 April general election, in a letter released on Wednesday. Critics of prime minister Viktor Orbán have raised concerns as his government has been weakening independent institutions for years. In 2018, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe elections monitors said the ballot was free but not fair.

It is "very unlikely" that Finland would apply for Nato membership during her term of office, but her country was ready to stand with its European allies and United States by imposing tough sanctions on Russia if it attacked Ukraine, Finland's prime minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday. "It would have a very substantial impact and the sanctions would be extremely tough," she told Reuters.

German prosecutors have opened a probe over alledged special pandemic payments into Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock, the two co-leaders of the Greens, one of the governing parties in the country, the party said on Wednesday. Spiegel Online reported the start of the investigation for a possible breach of trust to the detriment of the party over illegal payments of €1,500 to Greens board members in 2020.

Residents of the “5 Maji” neighbourhood in Tirana clashed with the police on Wednesday as the National Inspectorate began its demolition of their homes. The Municipality of Tirana plans to demolish some 400 homes in the Kombinat area of the...

Brussels remains committed to follow US-led on negotiations with Russia, EU officials said according to the Financial Times. French president Emmanuel Macron fell out of line when he called for a separate EU dialogue with Moscow on Wednesday. "We were given zero notice of this crazy idea," one source said. Macron blindsided EU diplomats, pushing EU states to "start their own dialogue" in his speech at the European Parliament.

The EU Commission is starting the process to deduct millions of euros from payments to Poland in order to cover fines imposed on Warsaw for ignoring a court injunction to close down a coal mine, a commission spokesperson said Wednesday. The European Court of Justice ruled last year that Poland should close the open-pit brown coal mine in Turow, near the Czech Republic, and pay fines, but Warsaw refused.

The "Patriotic Millionaires"- a group of more than 100 billionaires and millionaires - on Wednesday issued an appeal to political leaders to make them pay more taxes. "As millionaires, we know that the current tax system is not fair. We have actually seen our wealth rise during the pandemic," the signatories said in an open letter published at the start of the World Economic Forum.

Borders in Europe must not be moved by force, German chancellor Olaf Scholz warned on Wednesday, amid rising tension around Ukraine's border with Russia, after Moscow amassed some 100,000 troops along the border. "After years of rising tensions, staying silent is not a sensible option," he said in a speech delivered by video link to the World Economic Forum.

The chairs of the European Parliament committees for economy and environment, MEPs Irene Tinagli and Pascal Canfin, have called for a public consultation on the proposed inclusion of nuclear and gas to the EU's taxonomy for sustainable investment. "In light of the controversial subject matter, it's important that this procedure allows sufficient time to exchange views before adoption," they wrote to the European Commission on Wednesday.

MEPs will vote on new rules setting out transparency obligations for online players and holding Big Tech giants accountable. But some issues proved to be divisive after EU lawmakers tabled over a hundred amendments on the file.

Emmanuel Macron also took hits from French political opponents, including the Green party presidential challenger MEP Yannick Jadot in the European Parliament ahead of the upcoming presidential elections in France in April.

President Emmanuel Macron's address to the European Parliament championed a bold and ambitious pro-European agenda. There is one problem though - the plans rely on a system of governance that has gridlocked the EU for over a decade.

The EU plans to label natural gas as 'green' in sustainable investment rules. From 2026 it will have to be blended with low-carbon gases like green hydrogen - but many scientists warn this is inefficient, costly and damaging to health.

The civic movement URA, led by Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazović, sent an initiative for a vote of no confidence for the current government to the parliamentary procedure, the party said. It added that it was a test of whether...

Ali Ahmeti, leader of the biggest Albanian party DUI, called on North Macedonia to accept the demands put forward by Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, starting with including the Bulgarian nation to the Preamble of the Constitution. Ahmeti, whose power...