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Italians go to vote on 8 and 9 June in a referendum that is dividing the nation and will help define "Who is Italian". Until the mid-19th century Italy was "a mere geographical expression", divided in small states and parts of it occupied by foreign powers. Eventually, the Italian language brought people together, and the Italian state as we know it emerged by 1871. In todays Italy, the question of who gets to be Italian is a sensitive one. Large numbers of migrants and refugees arrive in the country each year helped across the Mediterranean from North Africa by smuggling gangs. The national referendum on Sunday and Monday proposes halving the time required to apply for Italian citizenship. Cutting the wait from 10 years to five would bring this country in line with most others in Europe. The referendum was initiated by a citizens' initiative and is supported by civil society groups. But for such a referendum to be valid, 50% of all voters in Italy have to turn up. Giorgia Meloni, the country's hard-right prime minister, has announced she will boycott the vote, declaring the citizenship law already "excellent" and "very open". Other parties allied to her are calling on Italians to go to the beach instead of the polling station.

US President Donald Trump will attend the NATO summit in The Hague later this month, the White House announced on Tuesday evening (3 June). Trump had previously left it unclear whether he would attend the conference of the Western military alliance in the Netherlands. However, he had informed Prime Minister Dick Schoof (now outgoing) of his attendance, which the Dutch government had previously announced.

The Dutch government coalition has collapsed after far-right leader Geert Wilders pulled his party out of the ruling four-party coalition on Tuesday in a dispute over a crackdown on migration, triggering a political crisis just three weeks before the Netherlands is scheduled to host a summit of NATO leaders in The Hague. Wilders announced his decision in a message on X after a brief meeting in parliament of leaders of the four parties that make up the fractious administration. Prime Minister Dick Schoof called an emergency Cabinet meeting for the afternoon and new elections may be called for later this year.

The British government has announced plans to increase the size of its fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines. At least twelve next-generation vessels are set to be built.

In Poland, every vote really counts. The election turned out to be an unprecedented neck-and-neck race. Conservative nationalist Karol Nawrocki won the election. With all votes counted, the politician, who is affiliated with the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, has been declared the winner by the Polish electoral commission.

China wants to be first in the world, but its first stop is Asia. While the rest of the world debates and sometimes agonises over whether and how to engage with China, Asian countries have no choice but to engage. And in most cases, they will have to do so on China's terms. Most countries have to play a balancing game, but China is taking no chances. Chinese leader Xi Jinping's recent trip to Southeast Asia in April was a case in point. Another was the China-GCC-ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur on 28 May, attended by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and the leaders of the six Gulf monarchies and the ten ASEAN countries.