European Union

Derrière ses palais, ses cafés et ses orchestres symphoniques, la capitale autrichienne a la réputation d’être, depuis la guerre froide, un nid d’espions. Siège de nombreuses organisations internationales, Vienne héberge une vaste ambassade russe dont les activités intriguent. Des habitants ont décidé d’enquêter. Reportage de Céline Béal.

Plan will focus on European clean tech and sustainability, EU transport commissioner says

Pour la première fois depuis sa création, le Lycée militaire de jeunes filles de Natitingou est dirigé par une femme. Depuis septembre 2025, la direction générale de cet établissement d'excellence est assurée par Silifatou Amanké Bouari, une nomination qui marque une étape symbolique dans l'histoire de cette institution réputée du nord du Bénin.

Situé à Natitingou, dans le département de l'Atacora, le Lycée militaire de jeunes filles accueille chaque année les meilleures élèves du pays. L'établissement se distingue par une formation rigoureuse, combinant excellence académique, discipline militaire et leadership, afin de préparer ces jeunes filles à occuper demain des postes de responsabilité.

À la tête de cette institution exigeante, Silifatou Amanké Bouari mesure l'ampleur de la mission qui lui est confiée. « Je sens le poids de la responsabilité. Cela m'exige beaucoup de rigueur, de discipline, d'abnégation, et parfois même des sacrifices »,a-t-elle déclaré à France 24.

Pour les jeunes pensionnaires de l'établissement, la présence d'une femme à ce poste constitue un signal fort. La directrice générale se veut d'ailleurs une source d'inspiration pour ces élèves appelées à devenir les élites de demain. « Je les rassure, ça n'a pas toujours été facile. Il y a eu des moments où j'ai eu des doutes, il y a eu des moments où j'ai trébuché, il y a eu des moments où j'avais envie de repartir chez moi, mais je n'ai jamais abandonné », confie-t-elle.

Selon Silifatou Bouari, l'accès des femmes à des postes de commandement reste un défi qui demande souvent davantage d'efforts et de persévérance. « Lorsqu'on est une femme à ce genre de poste, on doit travailler deux fois, sinon plus qu'un homme pour prouver que cette nomination a été méritée », souligne-t-elle.

Silifatou Amanké Bouari est une ancienne élève du Lycée militaire des jeunes filles de Natitingou. Elle appartient à la première promotion d'enfants de troupe admise en 2000. Après sa formation à l'École royale militaire de Bruxelles, où elle obtient un master en sciences sociales et militaires, elle occupe plusieurs postes au sein de la Marine nationale et de l'état-major des Forces armées béninoises. Elle participe aussi à une mission de paix de l'ONU avec la MONUSCO en République démocratique du Congo.

Sa nomination à la tête du Lycée militaire des jeunes filles de Natitingou apparaît ainsi comme un symbole fort pour la promotion du leadership féminin au Bénin. Elle incarne pour de nombreuses jeunes filles la preuve que la détermination, la discipline et le travail peuvent ouvrir les portes des plus hautes responsabilités.

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Le président de l'Assemblée nationale, Joseph DJOGBENOU a reçu ce mardi 17 mars 2026, Hideki UEZONO, ambassadeur extraordinaire et plénipotentiaire du Japon près le Bénin. Le diplomate japonais est allé exprimer ses félicitations au nouveau président du Parlement béninois pour son élection, et examiné avec lui, la coopération bilatérale entre le Bénin et son pays.

Hideki UEZONO, ambassadeur du Japon au Bénin au cabinet de Joseph DJOGBENOU ce mardi 17 mars 2026. Au cours de cette visite de courtoisie, il a exprimé ses félicitations au nouveau président de l'Assemblée nationale du Bénin. « C'est une visite de courtoisie. Je suis venu exprimer toutes mes félicitations ainsi que celles du Japon au professeur Joseph DJOGBENOU pour sa brillante élection à la tête de l'Assemblée nationale du Bénin », a-t-il confié à sa sortie d'audience.
Les deux personnalités ont également abordé au cours de leurs échanges, les relations bilatérales entre le Bénin et le Japon. A ce propos, Joseph DJOGBENOU selon Hideki UEZONO, a souligné l'importance du renforcement de la diplomatie parlementaire entre les deux pays. Après un bref bilan de la coopération entre le Bénin et le Japon, l'ambassadeur a réitéré sa volonté d'œuvrer à renforcer davantage les relations de coopération entre les deux pays pour le bonheur des deux peuples.

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Reported deaths of two Tehran security chiefs raise questions over regime stability

Length of video : 210'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

The Connecting Europe Facility has been limited to necessary cross-border projects that aren’t getting national funding, so far. But should domestic grid connections be eligible?

As housing becomes increasingly unaffordable across Europe, policymakers and civil society warn that the crisis is straining the EU’s social contract

On 1 January 2025, the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) entered into force. Through this initiative, the European Commission aims to protect human health and improve water quality, and hence the environment, for all EU citizens. One of the key innovations of the revised Directive is the introduction of an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme. Under […]

AMENDMENTS 1 - 402 - Draft report 2025 Commission report on Türkiye
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Nacho Sánchez Amor

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Trump has changed his tune on the deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, citing concerns over the fate of the U.S. military base at Diego Garcia.

A Manigri, une localité de la commune de Bassila, dans le département de la Donga, un affrontement entre une frange de la population et les forces de sécurité a fait un mort et des blessés dans la nuit du lundi 16 mars 2026.

Echauffourées entre forces de l'ordre et population, lundi 16 mars 2026 à Manigri. A l'origine de la situation, un incident impliquant un éleveur soupçonné de vol de noix de cajou dans le champ d'un agriculteur. Interpellé par le propriétaire du champ, il aurait brandi une machette. Ce qui a provoqué la colère des proches de l'agriculteur qui sont intervenus pour le maîtriser avant de conduire les protagonistes au commissariat de Police de la localité.
La situation selon Fraternité a dégénéré lorsque de jeunes gens ayant participé à l'interpellation de l'éleveur ont été arrêtés pour des faits présumés de violence.
Ce qui a provoqué la colère d'une partie de la population locale, qui s'en est pris au commissariat pour exiger leur libération. Des échanges de tirs entre forces de l'ordre et manifestants ont occasionné un mort et de plusieurs blessés, selon les informations. Le corps de la victime est déposé à la morgue de Manigri et les blessés ont été conduits à l'hôpital.
Le calme selon le chef de l'arrondissement est revenu grâce au renforcement du dispositif sécuritaire.
Une enquête devrait être ouverte pour situer les responsabilités.

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In the end, a postponement may suit Beijing’s interests more than Washington’s – as long as it doesn’t become linked with the Hormuz issue.

The EPP has been the most vocal supporter of advancing the pact, while liberals and socialists remain more hesitant

From George Washington in 1789 to Donald Trump in 2024, each U.S. president has left their mark on the nation and the world in various ways. Credit: Shutterstock

By Joseph Chamie
PORTLAND, USA, Mar 17 2026 (IPS)

Throughout its 250-year history, following the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, the United States has elected 47 presidents. From George Washington in 1789 to Donald Trump in 2024, each U.S. president has left their mark on the nation and the world in various ways.

Some presidents are celebrated for their foresight, character, and achievements, while others are criticized for their negligence, immorality, and failures during their time in the White House. Ranking these 47 presidents is a worthwhile endeavor as it contributes to an understanding of the past and also provides insight into the current and likely near-term policies and actions of the United States.

Three presidents have been impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives: Andrew Johnson (1868), Bill Clinton (1998), and Donald Trump (2019 and 2021). All three were acquitted by the U.S. Senate and remained in office. However, Trump is the only president in U.S. history to be impeached twice, first for his dealings with Ukraine and second for the incitement of insurrection.

According to rankings by presidential historians, political scientists, scholars, and other experts based on a president’s achievements, leadership qualities, and failures during their presidential tenure, the top five presidents on the list are: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Theodore Roosevelt (Table 1).

Source: According to various surveys, including the Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey, Siena’s 7th Presidential Expert Poll, “American Presidents: Greatest and Worst”, C-Span 2021 Survey, U.S. News & World Report 2024 surveys, and Yahoo/YouGov Poll.

The five U.S. presidents consistently ranked at the bottom of the list are: James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Warren G. Harding, Franklin Pierce, and Donald J. Trump.

Routinely ranking at the bottom of the list of the worst presidents is Donald Trump. His lowest ranking is largely due to his presidency challenging democratic institutions and breaking longstanding constitutional norms, particularly the peaceful transfer of power, a U.S. precedent that had not been broken since George Washington first set it.

Routinely ranking at the bottom of the list of the worst presidents is Donald Trump. His lowest ranking is largely due to his presidency challenging democratic institutions and breaking longstanding constitutional norms, particularly the peaceful transfer of power, a U.S. precedent that had not been broken since George Washington first set it

A major factor contributing to Trump’s ranking as the worst president is his efforts to overturn the 2020 election outcome, including pressuring election officials and spreading false claims of widespread fraud. This culminated in the January 6, 2021 mob attack or insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, which aimed to prevent the certification of the 2020 election results.

Other major factors contributing to Trump’s continued low ranking include three notable abuses: 1. violation of his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution; 2. using the power of the federal government to threaten and punish his critics; and 3. shocking corruption and lack of moral authority.

Furthermore, other important factors include his failure to unite the country, his politicization of government, use of inflammatory rhetoric, especially against political opponents, his incompetent handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, his weakening of international alliances, alienation of close allies, and conflicts of interest with the use of the presidency to enrich himself. Additionally, his xenophobic, racist, and misogynistic remarks and tweets have been widely criticized.

The troubling statements made by the presidency include: suggesting people should inject bleach to cure Covid-19; claiming windmills cause cancer; stating that climate change is a hoax invented by China; and asserting that Tylenol use in pregnancy causes autism.

Also among the explanatory factors for his ranking include Trump’s vilification of immigrants as violent criminals, his self-promotion, and his normalization of dishonesty with 30,573 reported false and misleading statements during his first presidential term. These statements are believed to have significantly damaged public trust in democratic institutions.

His most recent claim during his 2026 State of the Union address that his second term as president should be his third term has also drawn criticism. Moreover, Trump’s quantitative claims not only push the limits of factual truth but also of mathematical possibility.

Additionally, Trump will be remembered for leaving the country worse off than he found it and rewriting the rules of the liberal international order that the U.S. itself created. In particular, as a result of his policies and actions, the populations of the closest allies of the U.S. have lost faith in the country. Pluralities in Germany and France, as well as a majority of Canadians, view the U.S. as creating more problems than solving them (Figure 1).

Source: Politico Poll with Public First.

Trump continues to insist incorrectly that tariffs are not primarily paid by importers and consumers, but by foreign governments. He has also claimed that his tariffs and related efforts have generated $18 trillion in new investments in the U.S. This highly exaggerated figure amounts to approximately 59% of the country’s gross domestic product in 2025 of $30.6 trillion U.S. dollars. This represents a rate of economic growth that surpasses the greatest periods of post-World War II expansion in the U.S. (Figure 2).

Source: New York Times.

In a national survey conducted by Quinnipiac University in 2018, U.S. adults were asked to identify who they believed were the worst presidents since World War II. Out of the 13 presidents who have served since the end of World War II, Donald Trump was found to be the worst. Similarly, in 2024, an expert survey conducted by the American Political Science Association (APSA) also ranked Donald Trump in last place among U.S. presidents.

According to an NPR/Marist poll in 2026, Trump’s approval rating is low, with only 39% of U.S. adults in the national survey saying they approve of the job he is doing overall, while 51% strongly disapprove. Additionally, the incomes of Trump’s working-class MAGA supporters have stagnated, while the wealthy have seen exponential returns on their investments.

A majority of U.S. voters oppose the actions of the Trump administration, particularly in areas such as the economy, foreign policy, and immigration enforcement. According to the NPR/Marist poll, two-thirds of those surveyed believe that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has exceeded its authority.

While it is possible for Donald Trump to achieve success in his remaining three years in office, this outcome seems unlikely based on his past and current policies, actions, and behavior. A more probable outcome is that at the end of Trump’s second presidential term, he will continue to be viewed as the worst president in U.S. history.

In summary, out of the 47 U.S. presidents, the top five according to scholarly rankings, presidential historians, and expert opinions are: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Theodore Roosevelt. The bottom five presidents are: James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Warren G. Harding, Franklin Pierce, and Donald J. Trump, with the lowest ranking among the five being Donald J. Trump.

Joseph Chamie is a consulting demographer, a former director of the United Nations Population Division, and author of many publications on population issues.

 

Over the past decade, analysts have increasingly viewed Iranian transit routes as Central Asia’s most promising path to the sea.

Kyiv offers allies battlefield-tested expertise against Iranian drones

Thursday's European summit was initially billed as a moment to focus on European competitiveness

AMENDMENTS 403 - 762 - Draft report 2025 Commission report on Türkiye
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Nacho Sánchez Amor

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

In Bulgaria, 37% of women smoke, versus 17% in Finland