Key events
2d ago
Closing summary
2d ago
Merz’s ‘uncompromising’ speech at the CDU/CSU conference in final weeks of campaign
2d ago
France’s Bayrou faces no confidence vote after forcing 2025 budget through, but he is likely to survive – analysis
2d ago
Greenland to ban foreign political donations amid Trump interest
2d ago
Merz’s speech to CDU/CSU party conference – summary
2d ago
Idea we could run Nato without the US is a ‘silly thought’, Rutte says
2d ago
Key lines from French PM Bayrou as he moves to force the 2025 budget without vote
2d ago
Merz rules out any form of cooperation with far-right AfD
2d ago
France’s Bayrou moves to force the 2025 budget without vote
2d ago
People flee Santorini as earthquake fears grow
2d ago
Greek prime minister appeals for calm over ‘very intense’ tremors in Santorini
2d ago
What else is coming today?
2d ago
Next steps in French budgetary talks
2d ago
New Nato defence spending pledge will have to be ‘considerably higher than 2%’, Nato’s Rutte says
2d ago
Lessons from Serbia, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Poland and Belarus for Americans under Trump
2d ago
‘I wouldn’t do anything prematurely,’ Irish prime minister strikes cautious note in response to Trump’s tariff threats
2d ago
CDU/CSU’s Merz to set out his plans after weekend mass protests over migration proposals
2d ago
Spain’s former football chief on trial over World Cup kiss
2d ago
First EU reactions to Trump’s tariff threats against the bloc – summary
2d ago
Time to get closer with Britain, Poland’s Tusk says
2d ago
If targeted, Europe will have to make itself respected, France’s Macron warns
2d ago
Tariffs ‘bad for US and Europe,’ Germany’s Scholz warns, but hopes for cooperative way forward
2d ago
We need to avoid ‘unnecessary and stupid’ tariffs, trade wars, Polish PM Tusk says
2d ago
Danish PM calls for ‘collective and robust response’ if Trumps targets EU with tariffs
2d ago
Greenland ‘not for sale,’ Danish prime minister says
2d ago
‘We have to negotiate with Trump,’ Finnish prime minister says
2d ago
US tariffs only benefit China, EU foreign policy chief Kallas says
2d ago
Answer to tariffs is ‘to reply with same actions,’ Luxembourg’s Frieden says
2d ago
Protests in Serbia
2d ago
Latest on Ukraine
2d ago
Denmark ‘not being a good ally’ over Greenland, US vice-president Vance says
2d ago
New government in Belgium
2d ago
EU cannot be ‘naive’ about Trump’s tariffs, Spanish economy minister says
2d ago
Latest business reaction
2d ago
Morning opening: Any Other Business
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Spain’s former football chief on trial over World Cup kiss
Spain’s former football chief Luis Rubiales went on trial in Madrid on Monday over the unsolicited kiss he planted on the World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, a gesture that stunned millions of TV viewers and unleashed a backlash against sexism in sport.
“I knew I was being kissed by my boss and that should not happen in any social or work environment,” Hermoso said of the encounter seen live by millions around the world at the 2023 World Cup awards ceremony in Australia.
“As a woman I felt disrespected. It was a moment that stained one of the happiest days of my life,” added Hermoso, the all-time top scorer for the national women’s team.
“Until today it feels like my life has been on stand by” due to the case, she added, as reported by Reuters.
Rubiales is accused of sexual assault and then attempting to coerce Hermoso – with the help of three other men – into declaring that the kiss had been consensual.
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Lisa O’Carroll
in Dublin
The Irish deputy prime minister has warned that Donald Trump poses “significant challenges” for Ireland and Europe if he imposes tariffs on goods imported to the US as he has done with Canada and Mexico.
Simon Harris said the EU must work with the US administration to avert a trade war.
“Ireland is at the centre of the European Union and any imposition of tariffs on the EU would create significant challenges,” he said. “Europe must and will work collectively and with the United States to avoid such a situation emerging and if necessary to mitigate any measures taken,” he said.
Ireland, which has a large pharma export sector courtesy of US multinationals, is one of three countries in the EU along with Germany and Italy that have a trade in goods surplus with the US. However it is in deficit in services.
Harris’s remarks come as Ireland braces itself for ill winds from the US, historically one of its closest trading and cultural allies on foot of historic emigration.
He will outline a Brexit-style plan to the Irish cabinet this week to guard against economic shocks facing Ireland.
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First EU reactions to Trump’s tariff threats against the bloc – summary

Jakub Krupa
EU leaders have signalled that the bloc would be prepared to retaliate against the US if Donald Trump followed through on his threats to impose tariffs on European goods.
Speaking ahead of their informal meeting in Brussels, they repeatedly called for calm and stressed the value of EU-US cooperation, but indicated that they would not hide away from responding with tariffs if targeted first.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc was “listening carefully” to Trump’s comments and “preparing on our side” to respond if needed.
However, she stressed that “there are no winners in trade wars” and pointed out that China would be the only beneficiary of that scenario.
French president Emmanuel Macron said that if Europe is “attacked in terms of trade … (it) will have to stand up for itself and therefore react.”
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said the EU should do all it can to avoid “totally unnecessary and stupid tariff wars,” adding it would be a “cruel paradox” if the bloc was forced into a trade war with a long-standing ally.
Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen, who is already embroiled in a separate crisis with Trump over the future of Greenland, said that while she would typically “never support fighting allies, if the US puts tough tariffs on Europe, we need a collective and robust response.”
Luxembourg’s prime minister Luc Frieden also said that “the answer to tariffs is to reply with (the) same action,” but insisted it should not overshadow today’s discussions on defence.
But some leaders struck a more conciliatory tone.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz said any tariffs would be “bad for the US and bad for Europe,” and stressed the need for cooperation to resolve this situation.
Finnish prime minister Petteri Orpo said: “We have to negotiate with Trump,” before adding: “I am not going to start a war, I want to start negotiations.”
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Time to get closer with Britain, Poland’s Tusk says
Poland’s Tusk also spoke about the British part of the summit, with UK prime minister Keir Starmer joining EU leaders for dinner, saying it was his initiative (Poland holds the EU’s rotating presidency until July) to invite him over to Brussels:
This is what he said (in Polish):
I am really keen that, regardless of Brexit and its consequences, to have the UK as close as possible to the EU when it comes to security issues, defence industry, and to find ways to eliminate or reduce barriers in trade between the UK and Europe.
Today is the moment to get as close as possible again.
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Updated at 11.13 GMT
If targeted, Europe will have to make itself respected, France’s Macron warns
French president Emmanuel Macron says bluntly that if Europe is targeted on its trade and commercial interests, it will have to make itself respected.
“If we are attacked in terms of trade, Europe – as a true power – will have to stand up for itself and therefore react,” he says.
His remarks are mostly focused on greater European independence and strategic autonomy in defence, saying that the Russian aggression of Ukraine and the new Trump administration “push Europeans to be more united.”
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Tariffs ‘bad for US and Europe,’ Germany’s Scholz warns, but hopes for cooperative way forward
German chancellor Olaf Scholz warns that any tariffs would be “bad for the US and bad for Europe,” and says that while the EU could respond with its own policies, he wants to find a way forward based on cooperation between the two sides.
Somewhat unusually, he also returns to the issue of migration and refugee laws, extensively discussed in the Bundestag last week, directly attacking the CDU/CSU opposition in Germany for opposing EU laws in this area due to “party politics.”
Remember, we are three weeks out from the parliamentary election there.
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We need to avoid ‘unnecessary and stupid’ tariffs, trade wars, Polish PM Tusk says
Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk says the EU “has to do everything it can to avoid these totally unnecessary and stupid tariff wars or trade wars,” despite Trump’s comments.
He says it would be a “cruel paradox” if the EU was tested in such a way by a close ally while at the same time having to deal with “this direct Russian threat and Chinese expansion.”
He says the response to Trump could be the first serious test of the EU’s unity on this, though he notes it comes “in a very strange context,” given the tariff threat comes from an ally.
In the Polish part of his briefing, he also warns against “completely senseless conflict” over trade, and repeatedly stresses his support for Denmark over Greenland.
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Danish PM calls for ‘collective and robust response’ if Trumps targets EU with tariffs
Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen is also asked about Trump’s tariffs.
She says:
I will never support fighting allies, but if the US puts tough tariffs on Europe, we need a collective and robust response.
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Greenland ‘not for sale,’ Danish prime minister says
Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen is next up.
She rebukes latest comments on Greenland very directly, saying it is “not for sale.”
We have been very clear … that everybody has to respect the sovereignty of all the national states in the world, and that Greenland is today a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and it’s not for sale. The leader of Greenland has been very clear they are not for sale.
She then says that she agrees with the US on the importance of Greenland for international security, but there are other ways of resolving this issue.
I totally agree with the Americans that … the Artic region is becoming more and more important … and it is possible to find a way to ensure a stronger footprint in Greenland. They are already there, and they can have more possibilities and we are willing to scale up, and Nato is the same.
If this is about securing our part of the world, we can find a way forward.
She also repeats her strong support for Ukraine as she says “I don’t think we should panic, but I think we are in a hurry” to strengthen European defence.
We need to change our mindsets, we need a sense of urgency, and we need to ensure that our industries and political cooperation work in a smoother way.”
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‘We have to negotiate with Trump,’ Finnish prime minister says
Finnish prime minister Petteri Orpo warns that “Russia will be, and it is, a permanent threat to European countries, and the EU.”
“This is not an opinion; it’s a fact. That’s why every single country in the EU needs to be ready to use more on defence,” he says.
Asked about his response to Trump, he says:
We are prepared. We have to negotiate with Trump. This is one of the most important issues today. I am not going to start a war, I want to start negotiations.
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