CES “News from Europe” collects interesting and timely news articles from around Europe. You can get an overview from the recaps or click the link to see the full article. Be sure to check back weekly for the next installment.
Week of January 27, 2025
- EU’s biggest secessionist movement is losing momentum
For the first time in 30 years, the regional government in Catalonia is not held by a nationalist party. Moves for secession are likely to be abandoned by the new socialist government and its leader Salvador Illa, who says he wants to turn the region’s focus to governing and improving the lives of citizens. Illa believes this is possible by working with the national government in Madrid and aims specifically to improve the region’s public-health system, railway infrastructure, public services and employment opportunities. His goal to is unite Catalans and pursue that which unites them, rather than the divisive topic of independence. Despite this, the new government aims to increase Catalonian participation in the EU and improve their image in Brussels by contributing positively. - Inside Iceland’s futuristic farm growing algae for food
Just 35 minutes outside of Reykjavik, an indoor farm seeks to tackle global food insecurity while operating in a carbon deficit. The farm grows microalgae for use as a high-protein additive in food. Scientists in the Vaxa facility acknowledge that the tofu-esque green sludge is unappetizing on its own, but tout its nutritional potential as an additive. Scientists in Vaxa hope that the potential of algae farming will be embraced by the global community as it has a high nutritional value and can be produced very quickly in relatively small areas. Despite having a relatively low land and water footprint, the facility is unlikely to be replicated en masse because its benefits are uniquely suited to the energy grid in Iceland. - Storm Éowyn hits UK and Ireland: 1,000 flights cancelled amid ‘danger to life’
An explosive cyclogenesis, or extreme low pressure system, named Storm Éowyn is wreaking havoc across Ireland, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Gusts over 100 mph have downed trees and prompted warnings from officials to stay home. Across the UK and Ireland, more than 1,000 flights have been canceled, over 1 million homes are without power, and rail services in Scotland have been canceled due to the high winds. Travel delays and road closures are expected to continue into the weekend. - Russia suffering ‘environmental catastrophe’ after oil spill in Kerch Strait
Satellite images show a major oil slick spreading across the Kerch Strait a month after two oil tankers were badly damaged in the Black Sea. Up to 5,000 tonnes of oil are believed to have leaked, creating what some are calling Russia’s “worst environmental catastrophe” of the 21st Century. Concerns about the seaworthiness of the offending vessels were reported prior to the incident. Scientists and officials report a lack of timely information and clean-up efforts, which will result in the slicks continuing to spread and likely never being completely resolved. Meanwhile, dead wildlife are already beginning to pile up; a bird sanctuary in Russia has reported that only 17% of rescued birds so far have survived and a dolphin rehabilitation center has reported around 70 dead dolphins. - Detentions in deadly Turkish ski resort fire rise to 14
14 people have been detained in connection with the deadly fire at a ski resort hotel in Turkey. The fire killed 78 people and injured dozens of others after trapping many of the 238 guests inside. Those detained include the hotel’s owner and staff as the President commits to holding those who prioritized profit over safety accountable as well as those who started the blaze. - Belarus election is poised to extend the 30-year rule of ‘Europe’s last dictator’
President Lushenko has advanced the timing of the 2025 presidential election to January, when it is believed winter weather will prevent activists from protesting his rule. Lushenko has served as the president of Belarus for six consecutive terms and is expected to win a seventh term this year. He has earned the nickname “Europe’s last dictator” thanks to his harsh silencing of political opponents and election tampering. He faces only token opposition, as all real political opponents are living in “torture conditions” in prison or are in living abroad in exile.
Week of January 20, 2025
- Neutral Switzerland to join EU military mobility project
Switzerland will officially join the EU military mobility initiative, which aims to expedite the deployment of soldiers and arms by rail, road, air, and sea. The Swiss Federal Council came to this decision last fall, but were not offered an official invitation until early January. The historically neutral country has said participation in the initiative does not break their policy of neutrality as it does not require any commitment to mutual defense. Participation in the Military Mobility initiative is part of a larger plan by the Swiss government to increase international cooperation, contribute more to European security, and improve their own defense capabilities. - Sweden seeks to remove citizenship from criminals who threaten national security
The Swedish government is considering a proposal to strip citizenship from dual citizens and those they deem a threat to national security. If passed, it would allow for those who engage in espionage or similar crimes to have Swedish citizenship revoked. Additionally, dual nationals who obtained their Swedish citizenship through illegitimate means, such as bribery, will have their citizenship revoked. The move comes as part of a larger trend of anti-immigrant rhetoric and has been justified as making “Swedish citizenship matter more.” - Pompeii excavation unearths private spa for wooing wealthy guests
A large private bath complex has been unearthed in the ruins of Pompeii. The baths were found in a home on Via di Nola in Regio IX, a wealthy district of the city, where excavations have been ongoing since February 2023. Archeologists believe the bath complex, as well as an adjoining banquet hall, were used to impress wealthy guests. The structure exemplifies how the Roman domus served as a stage for an art and culture show to guests. - Ancient DNA suggests women were at the heart of social networks in Celtic society in Britain
Archeological studies of DNA of an Iron Age cemetery in Britain indicates the society was a matrilocality, a rarely observed cultural structure which saw men joining their wives’ familial networks and strong generational bonds between women. Though this is not indicative of a matriarchy, in which women hold formal positions of power, it does indicate that women had some control of property and strong social support. These DNA reports confirm a societal structure not seen before in Europe in which men were reliant on their wives’ family for land and livelihood. - Irregular migration into the European Union fell sharply last year, border agency says
According to the EU border control agency Frontex, irregular border crossings fell 38% in 2024. This marks the lowest number of border crossings since 2021, when migration was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this, irregular migration persists as a major political theme across the continent. Additionally, unsafe sea crossings remain a concern. Efforts in North Africa and the Balkans are being hailed as the reason for reduced crossings, though arrivals in Belarus were up last year. - Why is Spain considering a 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU buyers?
Amid a growing housing crisis, Spain is considering a 100% tax on homes for non-EU citizens. Officials claim non-EU buyers are claiming Spanish homes not to live in, but to make money off of. Details on implementation remain scarce, but many believe there are more effective ways to improve the housing market. Meanwhile, British citizens are setting their sights elsewhere in search of holiday homes, citing Cyprus as one alternative to Spain.
Week of December 2, 2024
- Wolves to lose protection as EU secures support for status downgrade
The EU is set to downgrade the legal status of wolves from ‘strictly protected’ to ‘protected’ following a sharp increase in wolf populations over the last twelve years. Proponents of the change say it would allow a more flexible and balanced approach to the management of wolf populations and be an important change for rural communities and farmers. Conservationists opposing the change claim it is not based on scientific fact, but rather is the result of successful lobbying by the industrial farming and hunting lobbies. Opponents also claim this change sets a dangerous precedent for other protected species. - Damaged cables appear to be accident, Finland says
Following initial fears of sabotage on the undersea infrastructure, Finland’s transport agency has announced that the two fibre-optic cables connecting Finland and Sweden appear to have been cut accidentally by excavation work. Around 6,000 households in Finland were affected by the breaks last month. - Georgia’s moment of truth: Protesters demand Western path not Russian past
Protests continue as temperatures drop to freezing in the Georgian capital and protestors say they will continue every day until the new ruling party, Georgian Dream, calls new elections. The protesters punctuate the Georgian public’s desire to maintain ties with the West over Russia and their distrust of the new ruling party, following widespread reports of election interference, bribery, and multiple voting. Georgian Dream maintains that they have no official ties to the Kremlin and that the elections were free and fair, but have consistently trashed Georgia’s relationship with the EU and US. Protesters maintain support for the current pro-Western president and say if Georgian Dream is sure they won fairly, they should not mind new elections being called. Georgian Dream supporters believe the party needs only to wait for US president-elect Donald Trump to take office for change to proceed. - Gargoyles, stained glass and the spire: How Notre-Dame was restored
Paris’s Notre Dame cathedral is nearly ready for its grand reopening following restoration work made necessary by the 2019 fire. The renovation saw the entire 100m wooden roof recreated, limestone replaced and cleaned, gargoyles redone, spire rebuilt, windows and other artwork cleaned and repaired, and major archeological finds unearthed. Architects used new computer technology, previously completed architectural studies on the structure, and traditional techniques to restore the cathedral. - French government collapses in no-confidence vote
For the first time since 1962, the French government has passed a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Michel Barnier. This comes mere months after the highly criticized appointment by President Emmanuel Macron and in the wake of Barnier’s widely criticized move to pass a budget without Parliament approval. Barnier is expected to stay on as caretaker until a new appointment can be made. - Baltic Sea: Russian ship fires signalling ammunition at German army helicopter
Following a pattern of supposed hybrid attacks, a Russian ship fired signalling ammunition at a German helicopter that was completing a reconnaissance mission in the Baltic Sea. The use of signalling ammunition is only permitted in emergencies, but no such emergency has been identified. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock alleges that, since the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been using hybrid attacks to threaten the peace order and indirectly weaken Western states. Moscow denies responsibility for any such incidents
Week of November 25, 2024
- EU targets US with tariff list for Trump-era olive trade dispute
The European Commission is arranging a list of USA products to target for retaliatory import tariffs in an ongoing trade spat over Spanish black olives. The tiff originated with tariffs on Spanish olives administered during Donald Trump’s first tenure at the White House in 2017 and will now prove to be an issue once again as Trump reclaims office. To challenge the high tariffs, Spain took the USA to the WTO, and they found the US was in breach of WTO rules, but since the sentence, the USA has done nothing to lower its tariffs. Thus, the EU sees its only option as retaliatory tariffs to counteract the USA’s inability to cooperate with diplomatic efforts, and that is compounded by negative sentiments from Spanish olive producers, which have spent €17 million on legal fees and lost almost €300 million in exports. - Volcano on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula erupts for the 7th time in a year
After eight centuries of silence, a volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted for the seventh time since last December. The eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula started with little warning at 11:14 p.m. and sent molten lava flowing toward the Blue Lagoon, a major tourist attraction. The eruption poses no threat to air travel, but authorities warn that gas emissions can severely impact nearby communities. The constant eruptions make people worried about its implications on the environment. - Spain to grant residency, work permits to hundreds of thousands of migrants in the country illegally
Spain has recently instilled a policy to grant residency, and work permits to about 300,000 migrants living in the country illegally each year for the next three years to expand the workforce and combat low birth rates. Spain, in comparison to other nations, has remained open to migrants even as other European countries close their borders because they need around 250,000 registered foreign workers a year to maintain the welfare of the nation. Many of the migrants fleeing to Spain come from West African countries in search of job opportunities and fleeing political instability and violence at home. Many advocate for legal protections for workers so they do not get exploited in low-end jobs. - EU pledges $96M loan to Cameroon to boost infrastructure
The European Union has pledged to lend 96 million euros to Cameroon over the next three years to boost the nation’s infrastructure and attract foreign investment. The loan will aid the West African nation in developing its energy sector and railway network. The loan will also cover the construction of a bridge over the Ntem River between Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Before the loan, Cameroon had been struggling to develop these projects because they were plagued by a separatist conflict in the country’s west that has killed more than 6,000 people and displaced over 760,000. The EU Ambassador to Cameroon, Jean-Marc Chataigner, said the loan was conditional on the government’s proper management of the funds. - Romania Sanctuary seeks to save bears as hunting resumes
Romania supported by the European Union is allowing 481 bears to be killed this year but sanctuaries argue the bears should be protected. A bear sanctuary in the heart of Romania’s Carpathians fears cubs and bears may need more shelter because the country has authorized hunting this protected species, effectively overturning a ban in place since 2016. The government argues that the bear population is too large and that attacks have increased. In contrast, animal welfare groups argue that conflicts between people and bears are caused by human behaviour. This is a divisive issue that is hitting Romania.
View our News from Europe Archive for previous news.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |