The Slovak government announced budget consolidations to reduce the deficit; the move will significantly impact healthcare. Health Minister Zuzana Dolinková (HLAS) faces ongoing criticism from her coalition partners and the opposition - her role remains at risk.

The EU's increasing reliance on pharmaceutical production from non-EU countries, particularly India and China, has raised serious concerns, newly elected Czech MEP Ondřej Dostál (NI) said in an interview with Euractiv Czechia.

The regular issuance of common EU debt along the lines of the bloc’s €806.9 billion pandemic recovery fund is not “essential” for Europe to remain competitive with China and the US, Mario Draghi said on Monday (30 September).

The rise and integration of artificial intelligence into our daily lives is no longer a futuristic fantasy, but new data shows AI in the media sector might do more harm than good.

The Common Agricultural Policy national strategic plans (CSPs) do not live up to the EU's environmental ambitions, according to a report by the European Court of Auditors, which recommends that the Commission implements monitoring and evaluation systems for Member States in the next CAP.

Russia is the threat for which Sweden must dimension its defence said Sweden's new Commander-in-Chief Michael Claesson said on Monday ahead of his entry in functions.

The United Nations says gender equality is catastrophically off track, and gender-based violence continues to scar society. Soccer is making a pitch to end domestic violence through engagement and education.

In Malta, where violence against women is still prevalent, more action is needed to change the reality - football stakeholders are playing a part in trying to achieve significant change.

The flexible criteria for allocating EU funds to foreign companies and countries in the plan to prepare the continent’s industry and armies for a war footing, shows an unclear commitment to boosting Europe's defence industry.

Romania is starting to see changes in the way it reacts to domestic violence; it’s the result of a new partnership between the Romanian Football Association and a women’s rights NGO.

In Portugal, where domestic violence remains a largely underreported problem, there are high hopes football can play a vital role in changing society’s perception and reaction to abuse.

In his UN speech on Friday (27 September), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored that conflicts in the Middle East were a choice between "a blessing or a curse".

A range of academics, from Turing award-winner Yoshua Bengio to PhD candidates have been named chairs and vice-chairs of working groups that will draft a Code of Practice on general-purpose artificial intelligence (GPAI), according to a Monday (30 September) Commission press release.

On Monday (30 September), the EU supreme court will hear arguments on whether the Danish law limiting the concentration of ethnic minorities in certain neighbourhoods violates EU anti-discrimination law. 

The world’s largest trade fair focused on transport technology, InnoTrans 2024, took place, from 24-27 September. The railway sector focused on how technology can contribute significantly to the achievement of the European Green Deal.

The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by Euractiv’s media network.

The Bulgarian parliament was set to adopt the European Commission's long-awaited changes to the Climate Neutrality Roadmap. However, MPs from the pro-Russian Revival party forcibly occupied the rostrum and tore out cables from the sound system.

A report that Russia is developing a China-backed attack drone programme for the war in Ukraine is "deeply concerning", a European Union spokesperson said on Friday (27 September).

Those countries supporting a global price on the shipping industry’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) have increased following the start of final negotiations in London last week with negotiators to push for greater consensus as talks continue this week.

Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) secured victory in the general election for the first time in its history with 29% of the vote in Sunday’s elections