Region

EU plus

Stories in this section cover the EU-27 countries plus the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and the Balkan Countries (Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia).

Editor's choice
News
Centrist pro-European D66 party set to win election in The Netherlands

Centrist pro-European D66 party set to win election in The Netherlands

The Netherlands is set to elect its youngest ever prime minister after the far-right party of Geert Wilders was projected to suffer losses in an election he brought about by bringing down the government. Rob Jetten, the 38-year-old leader of the pro-European centrist D66 party, is on course to claim the top job with most votes counted. His party is projected to win 27 of the 150 seats in the country's lower house of parliament, beating Mr Wilder's Freedom Party on 25, according to an exit poll by Ipsos. It comes just two years after he led his party to victory in the last election, winning 37 seats, although his coalition partners refused to endorse him as prime minister. Mr Jetten will also need to rely on a coalition himself, with 76 seats needed for a majority. At least four parties will be required for him to get there.
Editor's choice
News
Erdogan tours the Gulf and says Turkey will buy Eurofighter jets from Qatar and Oman

Erdogan tours the Gulf and says Turkey will buy Eurofighter jets from Qatar and Oman

Turkey is negotiating with Qatar and Oman to acquire used Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets as part of its effort to bolster its air force capabilities. Following a three-day tour of Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman last week in which he oversaw the signing of several agreements, including in the defense sector, President  Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey aims to purchase dozens of Eurofighters and other advanced jets as a stopgap measure to strengthen its fleet until its domestically developed fifth-generation KAAN fighter jet becomes operational.

Filter archive

Publication date
Editor's choice
Analysis
Analysis: The European Parliament approves by a huge majority visa liberalisation for Georgia. Why was this decision so important for Georgia?

Analysis: The European Parliament approves by a huge majority visa liberalisation for Georgia. Why was this decision so important for Georgia?

For Georgia this decision is a small step on a much longer journey. EU and NATO membership remain high on the agenda of the Georgian government, although there is also a realistic assessment that now may not be the time to push these forward. But with Georgians travelling freely in Europe that objective is now certainly one step closer.
Editor's choice
Commentary
Commentary: Armenia and the European Union try again

Commentary: Armenia and the European Union try again

The progress in the negotiations between the EU and Armenia on a new framework agreement is welcomed, but there are still “open issues”, and political hurdles to overcome; and whatever is agreed will still fall short of the Association Agreement envisaged in 2013.
Editor's choice
News
Azerbaijan pins hope of solution to Karabakh conflict on Russia's "serious engagement"

Azerbaijan pins hope of solution to Karabakh conflict on Russia's "serious engagement"

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister, Elmar Mammadyarov, said in an interview that that if there is serious Russian engagement with the Karabakh issue, "the status quo will change, stability will be restored in the region, and the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories will be ensured"