In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about the Bulgarian president seeing Ukraine's victory over Russia as 'impossible', rising political violence in Germany, and so much more.

Finland will propose a law next week allowing border agents to block asylum seekers trying to enter from Russia, the prime minister said on Sunday (19 May), a decision that could cause Helsinki to temporarily breach its international commitments.

The Islamic State group on Sunday (19 May) claimed responsibility for an attack targeting tourists in Afghanistan that killed three Spaniards and three Afghans.

The 2018 Prespa Agreement between Greece and North Macedonia must be implemented by “all parties” and in “good faith”, a European Commission spokesperson told Euractiv amid a new spat between Athens and Skopje threatening to revive a 25-year dispute.

Two Albanian women have become the first couple in the country’s history to challenge the laws on marriage under a provision of the constitution while also taking part in a religious marriage ceremony, as the EU Ambassador to Albania, Silvio Gonzato says Albania needs to consider the equality of citizens before the law.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister were killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain and icy weather, an Iranian official said on Monday (20 May), after search teams located the wreckage in East Azerbaijan province of Iran.

Spain and Ireland, and possibly another country, are set to announce the recognition of a Palestinian state on Wednesday (22 May), a move that could further divide EU policy in the region. In recent weeks, EU members Ireland, Spain, Slovenia,...

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has described Ukraine's victory over Russia as "impossible" and linked the two-year war with Russia to the assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

On Friday, hearing before a Belgian court on the Pfizergate was postponed to 6 December to give all parties additional time to further examine certain aspects of the case, such as the competence conflict between the Belgian investigating judge and the EPPO.

Italy was among nine EU countries that did not sign a declaration promoting European policies in favor of LGBT+ communities, sparking widespread protests within the country while the government described it as “unbalanced”.

While the violence continues in New Caledonia, the archipelago is in a precarious economic situation, plagued for months by falling nickel prices, of which it holds 20% to 30% of the world's reserves.

Socialism is “cursed and cancerous” and “invites death”, and the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (PSOE/S&D) is “corrupt”, Argentina’s President Javier Milei said on Sunday, speaking at the Europa VIVA 24 rally organised by the far-right VOX party (ECR) in Madrid this weekend, which has led Madrid to recall its ambassador in Buenos Aires for consultations.

The Prime Ministers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni (Fratelli d’Italia/ECR) and Hungary, Viktor Orbán (Fidesz/ID), and the leader of France’s Rassemblement National (RN/ID), Marine Le Pen, joined forces in Madrid on Sunday to boost the chances of the far-right VOX party, the third largest force in the Spanish parliament, ahead of the European elections in June.

Offences against politicians have increased in the last year in Germany, highlighted by recent violent attacks against a couple of leading politicians on their campaign trail.

The list backed by French President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance (Renew) gets 15.5% of the vote – its lowest level since the start of the European election campaign – and now ranks behind the socialist party, according to the latest Elabe poll published on Saturday.

The 71-year-old man who attempted to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico last week may not have acted as a so-called “lone wolf”, Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas) reported, adding he was not the one who deleted the alleged shooters Facebook history hours after the attack.

Former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš ANO party is expected to win the EU elections in the Czech Republic according to polls, amid a public debate dominated by his anti-EU agenda targeting the migration pact and the Green Deal.

A helicopter carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister crashed on Sunday (19 May), with rescuers struggling to reach the site of the incident.