Post elections, the EU’s climate advocacy space is forced to contend with an awkward reality: Contrary to its doom-laden warnings, the centre held, the far right is not in power, and progress remains possible.

After Hungary requested exemption from military support to Ukraine in return for unblocking key alliance decisions, all eyes are on NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg who is set to visit Budapest on Wednesday (12 June).

The company car market, which is ideally positioned to move towards electric-vehicles, is lagging behind the private market for the third year in a row, a new report by green group Transport & Environment (T&E) finds.

A Ukrainian delegation aimed to convince hesitant businesses on Tuesday (11 June) that the war-torn country is safe for investments despite Russia’s ongoing war, as the EU is hoping to boost its efforts with new business guarantees. 

A union of far-right movements in France, including renegades from the conservatives Les Républicains, was tentatively being put together in the hope to beat Emmanuel Macron, in a scenario many would have dreamt of at the EU level – before it backfired.

Despite a series of recent scandals, Germany's far-right AfD party achieved its best national result in history in the European elections on Sunday (9 June). But its internal situation is not so rosy.

The EU's increased defence spending priorities must not come at the expense of development aid, as this could risk isolating the continent geopolitically, the Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen warned in an interview.

While Les Républicains leader Éric Ciotti has begun to forge closer ties with the Rassemblement National (RN), the party's head of list François-Xavier Bellamy has no intention of doing so, sticking to the EPP line.

With the EU expected to announce preliminary tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles on Wednesday (12 June), most European industry representatives look forward to the move, except the car industry itself.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted most European member states to consider significantly boosting military spending after years of underinvestment. Many national budgets have already increased military expenditures. What next for the defence industry base?

Kazakhstan has gained strategic importance, especially since the beginning of Russia’s war in Ukraine. It's becoming a stronger partner for the EU in Central Asia and market opportunities for both regions are emerging.

Kazakhstan is a growing market opportunity for European agricultural food and beverage exports, says Wojciechowski, underlining what he hails as the emerging importance of an evolving EU-Kazakh relationship.

Scalability for Europe’s innovators requires private capital - climate change and digitalisation demand that capital quickly. Europe needs more and better investment in key sectors to drive Europe’s place in the world, says Invest Europe.

The Swedish Medical Products Agency is seeking a new mandate to address drug shortages. It wants to take charge of redistributing critical medicines to pharmacies and setting up a stock-based situational awareness system.

Hospitals in Hungary are sounding alarm as rising debts restrict operations, with officials reporting there are very few medical interventions for which the available funding provides sufficient financial coverage.

The Polish government has reallocated €139.5 million from the National Recovery Plan to support the zero-emission economy. The move upset the Polish pharmaceutical sector as the funds were originally intended for drug production.

Belgium's political landscape is undergoing a reshuffle, raising critical questions about how the new Belgian government will address the fragmented state of healthcare. Re-federalisation of the healthcare system is an idea gaining traction.

The EU should prepare for the consequences of a future heroin shortage, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) has warned, following the Taliban crackdown on opium in Afghanistan.