The White House struck a cautiously optimistic tone on Saturday as efforts to secure a ceasefire between Iran and Israel appeared to gain momentum. Speaking in Washington, President Donald Trump said negotiations were “moving in the right direction” and that a ceasefire was now “a lot closer than it was even a few days ago.” His remarks, delivered during a brief exchange with reporters, reflect a subtle but notable shift in US messaging after weeks of heightened regional tension.
Europe is watching the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo with a mix of concern and composure. The Bundibugyo strain now circulating in eastern DRC and parts of Uganda has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, with more than 700 suspected cases and a rising death toll.
European agriculture is entering a decisive decade. A new European Commission study, released on 20 May 2026, confirms what many in the sector have long warned: climate pressures, demographic decline and regulatory complexity are converging to reshape farming across the continent. The report, based on fifteen case studies across eleven Member States, offers the clearest evidence yet that resilience is no longer a theoretical policy ambition but a daily operational necessity.
In Brussels, a large part of the workforce spends most of the day sitting. Inside the European institutions and the network around them, work is done at desks, in meetings, and on screens. Hours pass with very little physical movement. This isn’t unusual. It’s the norm.
Over time, that has consequences.
Rumours that the European Commission may have extended an invitation to Taliban representatives have triggered a fierce reaction from women’s rights organisations, though no invitation has been officially confirmed. The European Women’s Lobby, Europe’s largest umbrella organisation for women’s rights, issued a blistering open letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, warning that even…
President Ursula von der Leyen’s address to Parliament today was framed as a reflection on the future of the Single Market, but the political reality was far less subtle. Two years into the new parliamentary term, the quiet manoeuvring for the next Commission has already begun, and her speech carried all the hallmarks of a…
A decade after the Brexit referendum, the UK’s relationship with the European Union has exploded into life thanks to the anticipated Labour leadership contest. There is now a widespread view that while the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) provides a minimal framework, it does not address the deeper economic and geopolitical pressures reshaping Europe or the challenges facing the U.K.
The global order is shifting again, and this time the tremors are being felt in every corridor of Brussels. Donald Trump’s return to the White House has injected a new volatility into international politics, unsettling allies, emboldening adversaries and forcing Europe to confront the limits of its own strategic autonomy. The tone from Washington is…
Frank Schellings, OA RHB, writes for the EU Political Report. In May 2026, Pride celebrated its 30th anniversary. What once started as an activist march for equal rights has grown into one of the most important LGBTQIA+ events in Belgium and Europe. Under the powerful theme “When Times Get Darker, We Shine Brighter”, this anniversary…
Each winter, as fireworks and chinking glasses welcome in the New Year, a clock starts up within me, ticking down to 14 April. My limbs grow heavier, my chest tightens, and my brow furrows. I find myself jumpy and cringe at sounds and movements, startled by catching my foot on a paving stone or by…
