Finland has asked Sweden to take charge of a NATO headquarters in northern Finland to bolster defence against neighbouring Russia, Swedish and Finnish defence ministers announced on Monday (16 September).

The resignation of now-former Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, known as the key architect of the EU’s current digital agenda, is viewed by some as a chance to reshape what has often been criticised for being controversial. 

The hard-right Vox party is allegedly violating Spanish law by hiding a €9.2 million bank loan used to finance its 2023 election campaigns, El País reported on Monday (16 September), while the party says it wants to protect lenders from 'stigma'. 

Banned in the EU since 2021, electric pulse fishing must be re-authorised, the Dutch government called for in its plan for agriculture, potentially reopening a drift especially with France and Belgium.

Two elderly politicians, some call them dinosaurs, have occupied the EU's political scene over the last week – France’s Michel Barnier (73) and Italy’s Mario Draghi (77).

Bold policies and investments are needed to achieve climate neutrality and boost economic growth. Expanding electrification, creating the business case for pioneering low carbon solutions and energy security need to be at the core of political action, writes Wael Sawan, CEO of Shell.

Stéphane Séjourné, one of President Emmanuel Macron’s closest confidants, was nominated as France's EU Commissioner on Monday (16 September), signalling that the French president remains in control of EU affairs amid political instability at home.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has cancelled his European Parliament speech, scheduled for Wednesday (18 September), due to flooding in Hungary.

The opportunities that the Green Deal should offer a sector like ours are simply not materialising. It’s time that the flat glass industry’s decarbonization efforts to deliver on the Green Deal pay off. European flat glass products are essential to...

Thierry Breton, Internal Market Commissioner also in charge of tech and defence announced his resignation from the European Commission, in a last move to question von der Leyen’s right to reign.

Moroccan authorities on Sunday (15 September) prevented dozens of migrants from storming a border fence to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, after calls on social media for a mass migration attempt.

During a visit to Ukraine this week, WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge, called for a renewed focus on health.

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Madrid denying claims of a ‘plot’ to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Italy's far-right leader Matteo Salvini risking six years in prison, and so much more. 

The deaths of two Bulgarian military pilots on Friday sparked sharp criticism of the air force for attempting to hold an air show given the current poor state of Bulgarian fighter aviation.

Georgia's most powerful man, Bidzina Ivanishvili, suggested that the South Caucasus country could apologise to Ossetians for the 2008 war with Russia that led to Moscow recognising two rebel Georgian regions, Georgian media reported.

The European Parliament's largest group, the European People's Party (EPP) have filed a resolution calling on EU countries to recognise opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate president of Venezuela and to do all they can to ensure he takes office in January 2025.

The Spanish government has categorically rejected Venezuela’s claims that two of its citizens arrested by the country’s secret services on Saturday were part of Spanish intelligence and planned to carry out attacks, including an attempt to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Lega leader Matteo Salvini risks six years in prison as he has been charged with kidnapping and neglect of duty by preventing the NGO vessel Open Arms from docking in Lampedusa in 2019. 

Outgoing agriculture minister Marc Fesneau and the outgoing delegate-minister for European affairs Jean-Noël Barrot have both expressed their concern over right-wing ideas infiltrating the new government that is currently being put together by newly appointed Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

Torrential rains have severely impacted central European countries in the past few days, with Czechia confirming it will use EU funds and Poland announcing it will seek EU financial assistance and possibly activate the EU's emergency mechanism.