Communications

Disarray at European Commission as greenwashing flip-flop triggers doubts about its grip
Center-left allies briefed against her while far-right opponents celebrated. It’s been quite a week for Ursula von der Leyen.

Trump can pull the plug on the internet, and Europe can’t do anything about it

Iranian hackers target Albania in retaliation for hosting dissidents

Ukrainians to get cheap calls, texts in EU from 2026

UK Eurostar passengers risk £5K fines over banned snacks

X, Bluesky and Reddit in France’s crosshairs amid porn clampdown

Europe arms itself against cyber catastrophe
Europe’s dream to wean off US tech gets reality check
As the Trump administration plays hardball, a new EU strategy puts collaboration front and center.
EU frees up billions in Covid cash for defense spending
Defense projects can now apply for a chunk of the remaining €335 billion — initially earmarked for climate and digital investment.
Microsoft didn’t cut services to International Criminal Court, its president says
Chief prosecutor’s email issues have spurred fears in Europe that Trump could trigger a “kill switch” through U.S. tech giants abroad.
Budget cuts hit European Parliament communications department
“There are people scared for their jobs,” said one Parliament official.
How the EU always gets away with it
From fraud to nepotism to revolving doors between the public sector and industry, the stench of impunity is pervasive.
Germany’s Merz under fire over ‘contradictory’ remarks on long-range weapons for Ukraine
A debate over the chancellor’s remarks threatens to overshadow Zelenskyy’s visit to Berlin on Wednesday.
Furious Macron dressed down ministers after botched leak of Muslim Brotherhood report
The tirade was a clear warning to Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau.
Huawei bribery scandal: Belgium asks European Parliament to lift MEP immunities
Belgian authorities want to investigate five MEPs over cash-for-influence case, officials say.
French crypto entrepreneurs promised extra security after violent kidnapping attempts
There have been at least three attempts to abduct crypto sector leaders or their family members since the start of the year in France.
Trump-Putin contact ‘extremely important’ for Ukraine peace effort, Kremlin says
Comments follow Trump announcement that he is ready to meet with Putin “as soon as we can set it up.”
Pfizergate: Will we ever see von der Leyen’s texts? ― and other burning questions
The EU court ruling doesn’t just say the Commission got it wrong — it says it knew better.
Global trade rules must evolve to tackle persistent imbalances, says Bank of England boss
BoE governor says U.S. has a point on trade and calls for WTO reform and regulatory vigilance amid shifting global order.
Is the ‘Pfizergate’ ruling the moment von der Leyen finally gets held to account?
As the president of the European Commission discovers whether it was right to withhold her text messages, the court case raises broader questions about EU transparency.
The Vatican’s cyber crusaders
A group of volunteers is working to fend off hackers attempting to hit the Holy See.
Catalonia reignites its court fight with Spain over spyware
Former Catalan president among those seeking retribution for political hacking scandal revealed in 2022.
Trump team clashes with Berlin over AfD designation as right-wing extremist
The heavy criticism from top American officials comes days before a new coalition government is set to take power in Berlin.
TikTok hit with €530M fine after illegally sending users’ data to China
Video-sharing app had for years claimed it did not store European personal data on servers in China.
Financing scandal rocks Greece’s ruling party
Opposition parties demand probe into links between a PR company and the New Democracy party of PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Beijing wooed Belgian socialist to spy on China-hawkish MP: reports
Political rival to Samuel Cogolati reportedly approached by Chinese intelligence.
Iran’s exiled ‘crown prince’ calls for mass labor strikes to topple regime
Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last shah, tells POLITICO the West must create a “strike fund” to support civil resistance and paralyze the government.
‘Fighting crime blindfolded’: Europe is coming after encryption
Police have long wanted to read encrypted messages. They now have the backing of the EU’s top brass.
Thousands of British oil workers are set to lose their jobs. No one has told them.
Government advisers north and south of the border worry workers are being failed by shifting policies and poor communication.
Anti-spying phone pouches offered to EU lawmakers for trip to Hungary
Budapest has faced EU scrutiny over the use of spyware against the opposition and civil society in past years.