Donald Trump has been back in White House for just over a year, and EU has struggled to balance safeguarding its own economic and social interests while maintaining a US relationship it needs to its security. Here are five ways the EU is adjusting to — many would say appeasing — Trump’s agenda.
Across Europe, countries are shifting from volunteer soldiers to conscript armies — with Austria now also weighing up whether to extend its mandatory military service.
Chatbot Grok recently generated sexual content on Elon Musk’s X that appears to be illegal, raising fresh questions about how EU law applies. With the Digital Services Act and the AI Act in force, here’s what the rules and potential penalties mean for platforms and AI services operating in the EU.
In this long read, EUobserver explores what to watch in 2026 — from geo-economics and global power shifts to key elections across the bloc, defence needs, climate dreams, migration dilemmas, technological developments, and social tension.
As Europe’s baby boomers enter retirement, experts agree that reforms are needed to ensure the sustainability of European pensions. However, there is considerable debate on which reforms should be implemented and how they impact elderly poverty and pension inequality.
The new so-called EU ‘Digital Omnibus’ has finally arrived, and here are what three of its biggest rollbacks of existing legislation means for internet users.
EU data laws are to become more business-friendly after 19 November, when the EU Commission unveils its “digital omnibus”, amid privacy and security concerns.
EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas has pledged €10m to support the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. But what exactly would such a tribunal mean in practice — and what are the difficulties?
Europe, the US and Russia are each taking different paths as they offer energy financing to African governments, explains Africa correspondent Ben Fox.
From reporting and defence to chemicals and AI, Europe’s simplification packages are reshaping the regulatory landscape.
“We’re not exactly celebrating this, it’s not a case that this is a good thing but it’s probably the least bad option based on what we were facing a couple of days ago,” said Irish foreign minister Neale Richmond.
As the European Commission prepares to unveil its radical new budget for 2028-2034 on Wednesday, here are the 10 questions set to dominate talks in the upcoming months (and years).
The UK and France are on the brink of signing a migration deal aimed at stopping boats crossing the Channel. But will it undercut the EU?
More than two decades after the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative wrote off over $100bn [€85bn] in developing country sovereign debt, the issue of debt and debt relief are back on the agenda.
Nato allies are expected to agree to raise defence spending target to five percent of GDP at the Hague summit. But previous broken promises and Spain’s reluctance highlight growing tensions between military demands and protecting domestic social welfare budgets.
Officials say they are “cautiously optimistic” ahead of a summit in Brussels hosted by the EU where governments will pledge funding for vaccination programmes run by Gavi, the global vaccines alliance.
A new corruption scandal has once again shaken the government in Madrid, with prime minister Pedro Sánchez’s party (PSOE) facing its worst crisis since he came to power in 2018.
The EU says that Africa is its “sister continent”. But African states are last on the list of countries with whom it has fast-tracked trade talks.
Trade benefits, which suspended tariffs and quotas on Ukrainian agri-food exports to support the cash-strapped Ukrainian economy after the Russian invasion in 2022, will not be renewed for the third time. The decision has been questioned by Ukrainian experts, while the country’s farming unions predict potential losses of up to €1.5bn.
Externalising asylum is the hottest trend in EU migration policy; but just 10 years ago the European Commission opposed it on humanitarian and legal grounds. Here’s what you need to know.
