An average of 18 migrants a day, or a total of 6,618, lost their lives trying to reach Spanish shores, a figure that almost tripled compared to the 2,390 deaths recorded in 2022, a report by the NGO Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) revealed on Tuesday.

Gibraltar’s future relationship with the European Union will be decided in the first half of the year, Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo assured on Tuesday, adding that this year will be the year in which an agreement could be reached on a post-Brexit solution.

Far-right Lega leader and  Transport Minister Matteo Salvini has already rejected running in the upcoming EU elections, though things remain up in the air for the other two party leaders in the ruling coalition, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

Bulgarian Defence Minister Todor Tagarev is heading to the US for a five-day trip to meet members of key defence institutions and take stock of the progress on the many deals Bulgaria has signed with US companies with a view of modernising its army, as well as the forthcoming deal on new 3D radars, Tagarev announced on Tuesday.

President Andrzej Duda faces a difficult decision whether to pardon once again two sentenced MPs, who were sentenced for their abuse of power in previous posts, a decision that could seriously undermine any chance of successful cooperation with the new government.

Germany’s train drivers’ union announced the start of nationwide strikes on Wednesday, adding to the traffic chaos as the showdown between farmers and the government over farm subsidies continues.

Russian Senator Alexei Pushkov downplayed fears of a possible war in Sweden voiced by some of the country’s top security officials on Tuesday, going so far as to mock the country’s geopolitical weight.

Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton wants a 100 billion euro fund to boost EU defence industry production in a cooperative way, he said as the EU executive is drafting the bloc’s brand new defence industry strategy (EDIS).

From France to Poland and Germany, tractors are taking to the streets, raising fears among national governments that farmers, usually seen as a more conservative part of the electorate, may become a potential voting pool for the far right.

The European Commission is slowly digesting Spain’s unprecedented request for it to mediate between the country's main political parties and help renew the highest judicial authority, deadlocked for years, in yet another political mess that is hurting Madrid's credibility on the EU stage. 

The lack of a legal underpinning for the ‘Spitzenkandidaten process’ allowed the European Council in 2019 to ignore the successful 2014 precedent. The next European Parliament election in June might possibly be able to mend this shortcoming, writes Dick Roche.

A year after a universal ban on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was proposed in the EU, a new study found that PFAS affect people as early as the fetal stage of development. 

The Belgian presidency of the EU Council of Ministers proposed changing the internal structure of the EU institution dealing with digital matters to make Europe's voice better heard at the international level.

Education Minister Gabriel Attal was appointed France's prime minister on Tuesday (9 January), just months ahead of EU elections, in the hope of setting a new clear political line after heavy political instability that had sapped President Emmanuel Macron's popularity.

The European Commission announced on Tuesday (9 January) that it is examining the nature of the relationship between tech multinational Microsoft and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, as the recent ousting and reinstatement of the latter's CEO highlighted the companies' close connection.

Germany’s power sector emissions dropped to their lowest level in 70 years in 2023 while moving past the 50% threshold for renewable electricity production for the first time. However, this is partly attributed to falling industrial production, casting doubt on the country's performance.

France's main energy priorities for 2030 largely promote nuclear power as a way of ditching fossil fuels while failing to mention the EU's renewable energy targets.

As Belgium takes over the EU Council presidency, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib say Belgium's experience with national political hurdles will guide the bloc through the many challenges of the upcoming six-month-long election run-up. 

The nationalist leader of Bosnia's post-war Serb region said on Monday (8 January) he had no plans to seek secession, appearing to step back from earlier calls for a breakaway republic just as the United States stepped up pressure against him.

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about the French prime minister resigining, Sweden's civil defence minister warning of possible war in the country, and so much more.