European Union

Hungary has granted asylum to Poland's former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro. The Polish public prosecutor's office has brought numerous charges against him, including embezzlement of state funds and leading a criminal organisation. Ziobro was justice minister in the PiS government from 2015 to 2023 and is considered the architect of a controversial judicial reform. What's behind this unusual situation between EU states?

In an interview for the British podcast The Rest is Politics, Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova, said that she would vote in favour of unification with Romania if a referendum were held on the issue. She noted that for a small country like Moldova, it was becoming "increasingly difficult to survive as a democracy, as a sovereign country." Is unification a realistic option?

Two former employees of singer Julio Iglesias have filed a complaint against him in Spain for human trafficking and sexual assault. The 82-year-old singer allegedly sexually harassed and humiliated employees at his villas in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas in 2021. The complaint follows a report published by the news site eldiario.es and the television station Univision Noticias after a three-year joint investigation into the incidents.

Europe’s competitiveness depends on fair, predictable trading within its value chains. Extending EU Unfair Trading Practices rules to all grocery products and suppliers would curb buyer power abuses, restore investment confidence, strengthen supply chains, and support innovation, resilience and consumer choice.

Plus FAC Agenda, Security Strategy, and Ukraine's Support Loan

In today's edition: Tobacco legislation, drug pricing, obesity strategy

In today's edition: Olive oil, India, Morocco

In today's edition: DNA leak, Council's EU-US fingerprints, Knafo report amendment

On 14 January 2026, European Council President António Costa delivered a speech at the New Year's reception co-hosted by the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission.

The President of the European Council, António Costa, together with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will attend the EU-Mercosur signature ceremony in Asunción, Paraguay on 17 January 2026. Ahead of the ceremony, on 16 January, President Costa and President von der Leyen will visit Rio de Janeiro to meet President Lula of Brazil.

The AI chatbot’s developer xAI said on Thursday that it’s implementing "technological changes" to restrict users from creating sexualised images of "real people"