Category Archives: Europe

France’s aversion to coalitions means any new government risks early collapse

Posted on by

Snap election brings three roughly equal blocs and unwillingness to compromise or form ‘unnatural alliances’

Sweden has been run by coalitions since the 1970s, Germany has not known single-party government since 1961 and in Italy, multiparty rule has been the norm since the early 1940s. The Netherlands was last run by just one party in 1879.

In France, however, political leaders from left and right have lined up to rule out a coalition government after Sunday’s snap election produced a parliament of three roughly equal blocs – none with a majority, and all with wildly differing platforms.

Continue reading...

Zelenskiy says world can stop ‘Russian terror’ after attack on Kyiv children’s hospital

Posted on by

Rescue efforts continue after strikes that killed 38 people, as Ukraine president renews call for more air defences

Rescuers have continued to dig through the rubble of a children’s hospital in Kyiv after a wave of devastating Russian missile strikes across the country on Monday that killed 38 people, including four children.

On the eve of a Nato summit in Washington, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, renewed his call for more air defences and said the world had the “necessary strength” to stop what he called “Russian terror”. The US president, Joe Biden, who is expected to meet Zelenskiy, described the strike as a “horrific reminder of Russia’s brutality”.

Continue reading...

Plan to rename Milan airport after Berlusconi sparks outrage in Italy

Posted on by

Mayor describes transport minister’s decision to honour former prime minister, who died last year, as ‘crazy’

A backlash is growing in Italy against a decision to rename Milan’s main airport after the controversial late former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, with the city’s mayor describing the decision as “crazy”.

More than 35,000 people have signed a petition calling on Giorgia Meloni’s government to stop the plan after the transport minister, Matteo Salvini, said he would give the final go-ahead to a decision by Enac, the Italian civil aviation authority, to rename Malpensa airport “in memory of my friend Silvio”.

Continue reading...

Spanish tourist trampled to death by elephants in South Africa

Posted on by

Officials say 43-year-old man left his vehicle to take pictures of a breeding herd at Pilanesberg national park

A Spanish tourist has been trampled to death by elephants in a South African national park after apparently trying to take pictures of a breeding herd that included three calves.

The 43-year-old man was killed on Sunday morning at Pilanesberg national park about 130 miles (210km) north-west of Johannesburg.

Continue reading...

Russian playwright and director given six years in jail for ‘justifying terrorism’

Posted on by

Yevgeniya Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk’s charges were based on play about women marrying jihadists in Syria

A Russian military court has sentenced a playwright and a theatre director to six years in prison on charges of “justifying terrorism” in a play about women marrying jihadists in Syria.

The judge sentenced director Yevgeniya Berkovich and writer Svetlana Petriychuk after moving their trial behind closed doors.

Continue reading...

Milan’s Brera Modern gallery to open in December after 50 years of delays

Posted on by

Museum has been plagued by numerous delays and has seen off almost 40 Italian governments

More than half a century and 39 Italian governments after it was first envisioned, a new museum will open later this year to house modern art from Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera gallery.

The Brera Modern, just a few doors from the main gallery, has been plagued by numerous delays, most recently the discovery of asbestos and problems with the conditioning system.

Continue reading...

Leaders condemn Russian missile attacks that killed 36 across Ukraine

Posted on by

Rescuers search through rubble of country’s largest children’s hospital, as Zelenskiy vows to retaliate

Western and UN leaders have condemned a daylight Russian missile barrage that hit Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital, leaving an unknown number trapped under the rubble, as strikes across the country killed 36 people in one of the deadliest attacks this year.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed retaliation as he said Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt hospital, the main treatment centre in the country for children with cancer, had taken a direct missile hit. The strike was part of one of the heaviest attacks on the capital since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.

Continue reading...

‘It’s going to be a mess’: uncertainty tempers election relief in Lyon

Posted on by

Surprise result ‘restores hope’ but politicians urged to heed warning after far-right National Rally falls short

Against the backdrop of Lyon’s emblematic Bartholdi fountain, much of which was sculpted by the artist behind New York’s Statue of Liberty, the same word was on seemingly everyone’s lips on Monday after the French election result: soulagement, or relief.

“It’s great that the far right didn’t win,” said Stéphane, 47. But he, like everyone else the Guardian spoke to, was swift to add a caveat given the political uncertainty that now looms over the nation. “It’s going to be a mess. They’re not going to agree on a lot of things.”

Continue reading...

Nato will announce ‘historic’ Ukraine aid package – but hospital attack shows it’s not enough

Posted on by

Members have put forward hard-fought aid package but as Russia resumes large-scale attacks it may not satisfy Kyiv

After one of the worst Russian missile strikes against Ukraine in recent months, Nato leaders will sit down in Washington this week to announce the details of a hard-fought aid package that will include crucial air defense systems meant to protect Ukrainian cities.

The package put forward by Nato countries has been presented as “historic” and is an widely seen as an attempt to “futureproof” continued aid to Ukraine – but it may not fully satisfy Kyiv, which has been facing unprecedented attacks against civilian sites and infrastructure.

Continue reading...

Le Pen and Orbán join forces in European parliament far-right alliance

Posted on by

The group, styled Patriots for Europe, becomes the third-largest force and largest-ever far-right bloc assembly

France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen has joined forces with the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán in a new far-right alliance in the European parliament.

The group, styled Patriots for Europe, becomes the third-largest force in the European parliament and the largest-ever far-right bloc in the history of the assembly.

Continue reading...

International community should ‘create conditions’ for negotiations, says Xi Jinping – Ukraine war live

Posted on by

Hungarian president Viktor Orbán meets Chinese president, days after holding talks on potential Ukrainian peace deal with Vladimir Putin

Germany’s defence minister, Boris Pistorius, said he received “significantly less” than he requested as part of the budget for his ministry for 2025.

Pistorius had sought to increase annual defence spending by €6.7bn ($7.25bn) in 2025. Neither he nor the government have commented on how much he will receive.

Continue reading...

French stock market swings to gain after election surprise; Britvic agrees to improved Carlsberg offer – business live

Posted on by

Live coverage of business, economics and markets after New Popular Front is largest party in second round of France’s election, with far-right third

The French election has meant that Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) will not be in power, but it has not settled what France’s new government will look like.

The New Popular Front (NFP), the hastily arranged coalition of left-wing parties, won the most seats, but it is far short of a parliamentary majority. The result will mean a lot of negotiation to agree on who will be the new prime minister – let alone on achieving anything meaningful in governing the country.

The French parliament is more divided than ever, made up mainly of three blocs (Left – 182 seats, Centre – 168 seats, Extreme Right – 143 seats) and a number of smaller ones. As we predicted before the elections, no bloc can claim an absolute majority.

Minority government

French political parties “are not used to making concessions in order to create a programme around a coalition with other parties”, and the NFP’s most prominent figure, Jean-Luc Mélenchon demanded its entire programme be implemented. “If political parties maintain such positions, a long period of instability will ensue,” said Ledent.

Learning to cooperate

“Excluding the 80 MPs from the far left and the 145 from the far right, there are over 350 MPs left to form a broad coalition ready to reform France, taking into account the diversity of opinions. In other European countries, including Germany, such a configuration would be quite natural and would result in a government with a clear majority.

Continue reading...

France election 2024 live: political deadlock looms after leftwing alliance wins most seats

Posted on by

Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally fails to take power while no party wins absolute majority; PM Gabriel Attal offers resignation

“Deadlock” is the most likely outcome of the elections, with no “quick solution” likely in the coming days, according to economist and international law professor Armin Steinbach of HEC Paris business school. He says:

France has no political culture of making coalitions and compromises, like Germany or Italy. That is why it feels like a crisis for the French.

Much depends on whether the NFP will stay united and not break up into old conflicts.

This would be very unpopular and may trigger protests because he [Macron] clearly lost the election.

With his self-confidence he will probably stay on as president until 2027. In other countries, the head of state would resign after such a defeat. With this defeat, he lacks the legitimacy to appoint a new government.

Continue reading...

Monday briefing: French opposition to the far right comes out on top

Posted on by

In today’s newsletter: A shock defeat for the far right National Rally in France, while in the UK the new Labour government gets down to work

• Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First Edition

Good morning.

The far right were riding high from the first round of voting in the French elections last week, after coming out on top with an unprecedented 12m votes. They were hoping to replicate that historic victory last night but their plans were scuppered after exit polls indicated that an unexpected left wing surge blocked the National Rally (RN) and its allies from their anticipated success.

Environment | The world has baked for 12 consecutive months in temperatures 1.5C greater than their average before the fossil fuel era, new data shows. Temperatures between July 2023 and June 2024 were the highest on record, scientists found, creating a year-long stretch in which the Earth was 1.64C hotter than in preindustrial times.

Politics | Rachel Reeves has pledged to “fix the foundations” of the British economy, revealing an immediate plan to boost growth by unblocking infrastructure and private investment in her first speech as chancellor. In an address to business leaders, she will say that economic growth for all parts of the country is “a national mission”.

Conservatives | A number of opposition MPs have suggested that the former home secretary Suella Braverman is losing support as a potential party leader, as some who lost votes across southern England privately urged colleagues to resist a lurch to the right.

US | Joe Biden has insisted he is the person to reunite America in a second term in the White House, even as the number of high-profile Democrats calling him to stand aside has grown. Congressmen Jerry Nadler of New York and Jamie Raskin of Maryland were reportedly among a clutch of lawmakers who have joined calls for Biden to leave the race.

Israel-Gaza | In the initial chaos of the Hamas attack on 7 October, Israel’s armed forces employed what is known as the Hannibal protocol, a directive to use force to prevent the kidnapping of soldiers even at the expense of hostages’ lives, according to a report in Haaretz.

Continue reading...

Pistols Napoleon planned to use to kill himself sold in France for €1.7m

Posted on by

Napoleon said to have tried to use the guns after defeat of French campaign, but grand squire removed the gunpowder, so French ruler tried poison instead

Two pistols that Napoleon Bonaparte once intended to use to kill himself were sold in France on Sunday for €1.69m (US$1.8m), the auction house said, with the government banning their export so that they stay in the country as national treasures.

The identity of the buyer at the auction in Fontainebleau south of Paris of the finely adorned objects was not made public but the final sale price, with fees, was above the estimates of €1.2-1.5m.

Continue reading...

Leftwing coalition wins most parliamentary seats in France – as it happened

Posted on by

This blog has now closed but you can read our full report on the French election results here

Hello from Paris.

I spent time this afternoon outside a polling station in the city’s 16th district.

Continue reading...

France on course for highest turnout in decades at pivotal election

Posted on by

Far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen poised to become dominant force in country’s national assembly

Voter turnout in one of France’s most momentous elections in living memory appears to be heading for a historic high, with Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) and its allies poised to become the dominant force in the national assembly.

After a rest day with no political activity allowed, voting began across mainland France at 8am local time (7am BST) on Sunday, with pollsters due to publish usually reliable seat projections as the last big-city polling stations close at 8pm.

Continue reading...

‘Our backs are against the wall’: French grassroots mobilise against far right

Posted on by

Activist groups have sprung up across the country in efforts to defeat National Rally in second round of elections

The truck rumbled through the streets of Montpellier, eliciting insults and bursts of applause as it made its way through the French city. As it rolled past onlookers, the giant screens on its sides scrolled through various pieces of legislation that the far-right National Rally (RN) had voted against, from measures to combat domestic and sexual violence to providing meals and school supplies for children in need.

It was one of dozens of grassroots efforts that have sprung up in recent weeks as France hurtles towards the second round of snap parliamentary elections that could see Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigrant party form a government in a historic first.

Continue reading...

UK urged to protect Ukraine from legal action over private debt default

Posted on by

Kyiv shouldn’t have to fight ‘shameless bondholders’ as repayment deadline nears, say campaigners

Campaigners are urging Britain’s new Labour government to prevent Ukraine being sued in the UK courts if the country defaults on its debts to private creditors.

Debt Justice said a two-year suspension of Ukraine’s debt payments was scheduled to expire on 1 August, and that action was needed to protect Kyiv from the possibility of legal action from its creditors.

Continue reading...

Greek poet who inspired Forster, Hockney and Jackie Onassis emerges from the shadows

Posted on by

The writer Constantine Cavafy was largely unpublished in his lifetime, but was revered by artists. His archive and Alexandrian home are now on show for the first time

It was the backdrop to a literary world of the lost Levant. Away from the sea, on a narrow street in the old Greek quarter of Alexandria, 10 Rue Lepsius was the home and creative sanctuary of Constantine Cavafy.

For 26 years, it was here that the poet, a bureaucrat in British-run colonial Egypt, held court, treating writers such as EM Forster to long candle-lit nights of talk over liquors and what the English novelist later recalled as “small bits of bread and cheese”.

Continue reading...