EU institutions, elections, parties, and governance
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has resigned, triggering simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections in a country shaken by mass protests since late 2024. The vote could mark a turning point — or another reshuffling of the same deck.
Brazilian President Lula has signed a decree banning online gambling platforms, calling the sector a “cancer” just months before a tightly contested election against Flávio Bolsonaro. The move targets a booming industry that processed an estimated $6 billion in transactions last year.
Elisabeth Belien told Kenneth Law’s sentencing hearing that he built a system designed to exploit people in crisis. She was just 23 when she bought lethal poison from him online.
The AfD claimed first place in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday while Berlin voters swung sharply left, revealing a Germany increasingly split between two political worlds. The twin results set the stage for a volatile run-up to the 2025 federal election.
The European Commission is gearing up for its 2026 State of the Union address, promising a €150 billion competitiveness package and a sweeping defense agenda. The annual speech is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in recent EU history.
Polls closed across Russia’s eleven time zones as voters cast their final ballots in a three-day parliamentary election. The outcome is widely expected to hand the ruling United Russia party another dominant majority in the State Duma.
The European Parliament is considering a ceremonial EU sash for its 720 members — a symbolic move supporters say boosts European identity. Not everyone’s impressed.
The European Union is grappling with serious internal divisions over migration quotas, defense budgets, and trade deals. These fractures are testing the bloc’s ability to govern itself effectively.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for coordinated global action to combat hate speech, warning that its reach is expanding rapidly across new digital platforms. Governments, tech firms and civil society groups are being urged to close the gaps that allow extremist content to spread unchecked.
The EU Kids Act will require gamers to verify their age before accessing video games and online platforms across Europe. The sweeping legislation could reshape how millions of players — and developers — operate online.
