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25 results for “European Union”

• International · 2026-10-13

  EU adopts largest-ever sanctions package against Russia, targeting almost 1,600 entities

  The European Union has approved its 22nd package of sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine invasion, targeting 1,569 individuals and entities linked to Russia's military-industrial complex. The Council of the European Union described this as the largest single package of listings it has adopted since the war began. The sanctions aim to restrict Russia's ability to finance and sustain its military campaign by limiting access to technology, financing and trade networks.

• International · 2026-10-18

  EU implements largest-ever sanctions package targeting 1,569 Russian entities

  The European Union approved its 22nd sanctions package against Russia on 12 October, targeting 1,569 individuals and entities linked to Russia's military-industrial complex. According to the Council, this represents the largest single package of sanctions the bloc has adopted since the war in Ukraine began in 2022.

• International · 2026-10-16

  Hungary lifts objections to Ukraine's EU accession path

  Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Brussels on Thursday and agreed to normalise relations, with Hungary withdrawing its long-standing opposition to Ukraine's European Union accession process. The breakthrough follows both sides reporting progress on protections for the ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine's Zakarpattia region, an issue that had previously blocked Ukraine's EU progress.

• International · 2026-09-25

  Diesel prices in Europe reach record high as fuel crisis worsens

  The European Commission reported that average diesel prices across the European Union climbed to a record €2.23 per litre, up from €2.16 the previous week. Nineteen member states registered new all-time highs for diesel prices. The increases are linked to a wider fuel crisis resulting from the economic effects of the Iran war.

• International · 2026-09-07

  EU and Greenland announce €200 million partnership agreement

  European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Union and Greenland have agreed to a €200 million partnership deal. The agreement reflects the EU's effort to strengthen relations with Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory that has gained strategic importance due to its mineral resources and Arctic location, as global powers compete for regional influence.

• International · 2026-09-07

  Serbia honours convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić with military funeral, complicating EU bid

  Serbia held a military funeral on Monday for Ratko Mladić, a general convicted in 2017 of orchestrating the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in which approximately 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were killed. Mladić, who died in prison on 27 August aged 84 while serving a life sentence, was buried with full military honours despite international warnings. The European Union has warned that state-sponsored honours for a genocide convict contradict European values and may complicate Serbia's stalled EU accession process.

• International · 2026-09-20

  EU proposes Canada as first associate member amid tariff dispute with US

  The European Union has proposed making Canada its first associate member country, deepening bilateral relations at a time when Canada faces a trade conflict with the United States. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, present at the announcement in Strasbourg, has previously expressed Ottawa's interest in a closer security and economic partnership with Europe. The proposal reflects mutual priorities in artificial intelligence, climate change, geopolitics and Arctic security.

• International · 2026-10-17

  Hungary removes block on Ukraine's EU accession process

  Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Brussels on 16 October and agreed to reset their bilateral relations. Hungary lifted its opposition to Ukraine's European Union accession talks after both sides reported progress on protections for the ethnic Hungarian minority in western Ukraine, an issue that had previously created tension between the two countries.

• International · 2026-09-22

  EU Ambassadors Move to Delist Russian Oligarchs Usmanov and Fridman, but Latvia Blocks Agreement

  European Union ambassadors provisionally agreed to remove Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from sanctions while extending restrictions on approximately 3,000 other Russian-linked individuals and entities for three years. However, Latvia's prime minister subsequently blocked the deal, following Ukraine's criticism of the proposed delisting.

• International · 2026-10-25

  Student-led opposition defeats Vučić's party in Serbian parliamentary election

  Serbia's Students' List, a reform coalition that emerged from nearly two years of anti-government protests, has won the country's parliamentary election. Aleksandar Vučić, who dominated Serbian politics for over fourteen years, conceded defeat and acknowledged the opposition would secure 135 to 140 seats in the 250-seat National Assembly, compared to around 105 for his bloc. The election outcome will likely reshape Serbia's foreign policy and its European Union accession negotiations.

• International · 2026-10-14

  Hungary repeals most of Orbán-era anti-LGBTQ child protection law

  The Hungarian National Assembly has voted to repeal most provisions of a 2021 law that banned the portrayal of homosexuality and gender diversity to minors in schools, media and advertising. The law was a key policy of former prime minister Viktor Orbán, but it faced sustained criticism from the European Union and human rights organisations, which argued it discriminated against LGBTQ citizens under the guise of child protection.

• International · 2026-09-16

  Romanian farmers clash with police over EU sheep export ban

  Approximately 2,000 farmers and shepherds protested in Bucharest against a European Union ban on live sheep exports, which was imposed following an outbreak of ovine rinderpest. The demonstration became violent when protesters threw rocks and metal barriers at riot police, who responded with tear gas. Twenty-four people, including eight gendarmes, were injured, and 26 protesters were detained.

• International · 2026-09-17

  EU proposes Canada as first associate member amid trade tensions with US

  The European Commission announced that the EU intends to establish Canada as its first associate member, deepening their partnership. This development follows Canada's ongoing trade dispute with the United States, in which Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has previously advocated for a stronger security and economic partnership with Europe. The EU and Canada already benefit from a comprehensive free trade agreement that has significantly reduced tariffs between them since 2017.

• International · 2026-10-01

  Romanian parliament rejects pro-EU prime ministerial candidate

  Romania's parliament rejected Siegfried Mureșan's proposed government on Wednesday, with only 182 of the 233 required votes, marking the third failed attempt by President Nicușor Dan since the pro-European coalition collapsed in May. The centre-left Social Democratic Party refused to support Mureșan, demanding the premiership for itself, while the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians also declined to back his candidacy. President Dan warned that snap elections, which now appear increasingly likely, would not necessarily resolve the underlying political crisis, particularly as the far-right party leads in recent opinion polls with between 36 and 40 percent support.

• International · 2026-10-04

  Romania faces deepening political crisis after rejecting third government attempt

  Romania's parliament rejected the proposed government of Siegfried Mureșan on Wednesday, the third failed attempt to form an administration. The rejection prolonged a political crisis that began in May and pushes snap elections closer, while far-right AUR gains ground in opinion polls with nearly 40 percent support.

• International · 2026-10-26

  Student-led movement defeats Vučić's party in Serbian parliamentary landslide

  Serbs voted on 25 October in a snap parliamentary election widely viewed as a referendum on Aleksandar Vučić's over fourteen-year political dominance. The student-led Students' List secured approximately 53% of votes, while Vučić conceded defeat and projected his coalition would obtain only around 105 seats against 135-140 for the reformist movement in the 250-seat parliament.

• International · 2026-09-27

  Swiss voters reject initiative for stricter neutrality rules

  Swiss voters have rejected a referendum proposal that would have established a stricter form of neutrality in the constitution, preventing Switzerland from imposing economic sanctions or cooperating with NATO. The outcome enables Switzerland to maintain its current flexible approach to neutrality, which has allowed the country to join EU sanctions against Russia and expand security cooperation with NATO members in recent years.

• International · 2026-09-27

  Latvia blocks EU plan to delist Russian oligarchs Usmanov and Fridman

  EU ambassadors provisionally agreed to remove Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the bloc's sanctions list as part of a three-year renewal of broader sanctions against Russian entities, but Latvia's prime minister blocked the agreement after Ukraine called the delisting unacceptable. France had pushed for Usmanov's removal, reportedly under pressure from Azerbaijan regarding detained French citizens.

• International · 2026-10-04

  Latvia Holds Parliamentary Elections Amid Russian Hybrid Threats and Airspace Incursions

  Latvian voters elected all 100 members of the Saeima on Saturday against a backdrop of heightened security concerns related to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The country has faced repeated airspace incursions and hybrid warfare tactics attributed to Russia. Preliminary results showed that the centrist United List party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, won the most seats, with coalition negotiations expected to follow.

• International · 2026-10-26

  Bulgaria heads to presidential runoff after inconclusive first round amid Black Sea tensions

  Bulgarians voted in a presidential election on 25 October that failed to produce a winner, with record-low turnout attributed to voter apathy and distrust of politicians. Incumbent president Iliana Yotova and pro-Western reformist Andrey Gyurov will contest a runoff on 1 November, representing opposing visions of Bulgaria's alignment between Russia and the West. The campaign took place against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and recent drone attacks on Black Sea shipping that have raised security concerns for the EU and NATO.

• International · 2026-09-15

  Farmers and far-right groups clash with police in Bucharest over livestock export ban

  Approximately 2,000 farmers, shepherds and far-right protesters clashed with riot police outside Romania's government building in Bucharest on Tuesday over an EU-imposed ban on live sheep exports caused by a contagious disease. The demonstration escalated when some protesters threw rocks and metal barriers; police responded with tear gas, resulting in 24 injured people and 26 arrests. Far-right figures including Calin Georgescu and George Simion were associated with the protest, which the government condemned as violent.

• International · 2026-10-25

  Bulgaria holds first presidential election round following deadly Black Sea drone strikes

  Bulgaria conducted the first round of its presidential election on 25 October, following deadly drone strikes along the Black Sea coast. The vote takes place amid heightened regional security concerns related to the broader conflict affecting the Black Sea area. The first round will determine whether a runoff is necessary to decide the country's next president.

• International · 2026-10-25

  Student-led coalition defeats Vučić in Serbian snap election

  The Students' List, an opposition coalition born from student-led protests, won Serbia's parliamentary election on 25 October, defeating Aleksandar Vučić after his fourteen-year dominance of Serbian politics. Vučić, who stepped down as president in September, conceded defeat and projected the Students' List would gain 135–140 of the 250 parliamentary seats, compared to approximately 105 for his bloc.

• International · 2026-09-30

  Romanian Parliament Rejects Pro-EU Government, Deepening Political Crisis

  Romania's parliament rejected the proposed government of prime minister-designate Siegfried Mureșan on Wednesday, with only 182 of the required 233 votes in favour. The rejection extends a political crisis that began in May and pushes the country closer to snap elections, as the far-right party gains support in polls. President Nicușor Dan has cautioned that another election would not necessarily resolve the underlying issues.

• International · 2026-09-07

  Far-right AfD achieves strong victory in Saxony-Anhalt but lacks absolute majority

  The Alternative for Germany party secured 43.8% of the vote in Sunday's Saxony-Anhalt state election, more than twice the share won by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats. Although the AfD won the most seats, it fell three short of the 42 needed for an outright majority in the 83-seat parliament.