Europe
Everything that does not fit a single desk: the continent in its full contradictory complexity.
Former US envoy: military force alone won't defeat terrorism
Anthony Gardner, former US ambassador to the EU, argues that military action is insufficient to counter terrorism. He calls for diplomatic,
PISA founder warns AI is eroding essential skills as European scores hit record lows
The latest PISA results show record-low performance in reading and maths across OECD countries. Andreas Schleicher warns that AI use is holl
Asylum applications in Europe hit five-year low in first half of 2026
Asylum applications in the EU, Switzerland, and Norway fell to 332,000 in the first half of 2026, a 17% drop year-on-year. The decline is li
EU's Draghi reform agenda lags, new tracker shows
Two years after Mario Draghi's competitiveness report, the EU has fully executed none of its 30 key policy recommendations. A new tracker sh
ECB raises deposit rate to 2.5% as Middle East conflict fuels energy inflation
The ECB raised its deposit rate to 2.5% on Thursday, the second hike in three months. Energy inflation surged to 14.3% in August, but core i
Permanent renting becomes Europe's new housing reality
A new study of 39 OECD countries finds permanent renting is becoming the norm across Europe. Switzerland and Germany have the highest renter
EU primary class sizes shrink as decade of enrolment growth stalls
The EU's primary student-teacher ratio dropped to 13.3 in 2024, down from 14.2 a decade earlier. Enrolment growth has stalled, with 23.2 mil
IMF drops Portuguese economist over Trump tariff criticism
Portuguese economist Ricardo Reis was reportedly removed from the IMF chief economist shortlist after criticizing Trump's tariffs. The IMF a
EU housing chief declares crisis an 'emergency' as rents and prices soar
EU Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen has labelled the housing crisis an 'emergency', citing soaring prices and rents that push out essentia
Moldova's reform pace strains EU Commission resources
The European Commission is redirecting resources to keep pace with Moldova's fast reform drive. Yet Chisinau's path to membership remains po
Brussels accelerates Moldova's EU accession as reforms advance
The European Commission is moving quickly to support Moldova's EU accession push. New momentum follows recent reforms and a strong pro-Europ
Midday Europe bulletin: September 10, 2026 – key updates
The midday bulletin for September 10, 2026 brings you the latest developments across Europe. From political shifts in Paris to security talk