The European Socialists group's final draft electoral manifesto, obtained by Euractiv, reshuffled its foreign policy priorities while adding various measures to support the agricultural sector amid protests across the continent.

EU sanctions on Russia are being “massively circumvented” via third countries, a study released on Monday (26 February) revealed, corroborating mounting concerns that large portions of European exports to other jurisdictions are ultimately re-directed to Russia.

The West has often been misguided about Belarus, just as it has been about Russia, but Vladimir Putin has also miscalculated in his plans to create a string of vassal states at Russia’s Western borders, modelled on Minsk.

Lately, Europe’s political agenda has been dominated by new deals for industry and competitiveness, where acting for increased sustainability is pitched against economic profitability - this is a false narrative, argues Adeline Rochet.

As heads of state travel to Paris for Monday's (26 February) extraordinary summit on Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico slammed the West's broader strategy towards the conflict, claiming that it had opted for a "total escalation of tensions".

Europeans should have more say when it comes to spending the EU budget, as a way to boost citizens' participation in EU policymaking, a panel of experts on democratic processes said during a Euractiv event on Thursday (22 February).

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As the European Parliament works on a revision of the regulation on microplastics, EU lawmakers and NGOs travelled outside Brussels to see for themselves the scale and impact of plastic pellet pollution on site.

Effective enforcement mechanisms to combat deepfakes are vital, considering the transnational nature of deepfakes and the potential for circumventing regulations, writes Cristina Vanberghen.

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Bulgaria having a real shot at entering the eurozone in 2025, former Czech commissioners calling for the euro adoption, and so much more.

The world's trade ministers gathered in the UAE on Monday (26 February) for a high-level WTO meeting with no clear prospects for breakthroughs, amid geopolitical tensions and disagreements.

In a year of European elections, it’s time to shape the social Europe we want. A new social contract, empowering skills and appropriate regulation to handle digitalisation: these are the needed ingredients for futureproof labour markets that work for all.

Following TikTok, Meta also announced on Monday (26 February) its preparations for the upcoming EU elections, focusing on combating misinformation and countering the risks posed by Artificial Intelligence.

Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen clashed throughout the Gaza Strip over the weekend, as mediators picked up the pace of talks on a possible ceasefire to free hostages held by Hamas and bring a measure of Ramadan respite to the battered enclave.

Bulgaria has a real chance of joining the eurozone in 2025 because it will be able to meet all the conditions for membership, Finance Minister Asen Vasilev said after an informal meeting of economic and finance ministers in Ghent last week.

The December elections were legitimate, Prime Minister Ana Brnabić said in a live TV appearance in response to the opposition as well as the international community and the European Parliament’s call for an international investigation, adding that such a move would infringe on Serbia’s sovereignty.

Polish Agriculture Minister Czesław Siekierski will call for restrictions on the European Green Deal at Monday’s EU Council meeting as farmers continue to protest, the minister commented during a Ministry conference on Sunday.

After Justice Minister Boris Susko cancelled the call for applications for a €769,500 grant under the Human Rights 2024 programme without explanation, NGOs have signed a petition urging him to reconsider his decision.

The Czech Republic must adopt the euro if it wants to be involved in the EU’s future developments, all three former Czech EU commissioners, Pavel Telička, Vladimír Špidla and Štefan Füle, told the Czech News Agency, adding that the EU must undergo reforms.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is under pressure from the opposition to remove former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos from his position as MP over suspicions that he knew about a €50 million corruption scandal involving the purchase of masks during the pandemic, demanding he shed light on the case in parliament.