Today's November 7, 2025, the global political focus is split between an urgent climate summit and deep domestic budget crises gripping major European capitals.
The UN Climate Summit (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, is a central, yet troubled, venue, marked by the absence of the United States after President Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement and shifted foreign policy toward promoting American fossil fuels.
Against this backdrop, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is making his first appearance at a UN climate conference, though sources suggest he is heavily preoccupied with the "tense coalition climate" back home in Berlin and his many "Chancellor-problems".
Meanwhile, in Brussels, Commission officials are racing against a tight deadline to secure the unfreezing of €140 billion in Russian assets—a critical financial lifeline Ukraine needs by early next year.
This effort is running into a severe "Belgian political drama," as Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s government struggles to clinch a domestic budget deal involving €10 billion in spending cuts, and De Wever has warned that a 50-day extension granted for securing the deal, which expires on December 26, is a "maximum period".
Domestic political headaches are equally acute across France and the United Kingdom, dominated by contentious budget negotiations and internal party friction.
In Paris, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is engaged in delicate negotiations, aiming to find a point of "equilibrium" with the Senate to ensure France gets a budget without resorting to the constitutional provision of Article 49.3. Lecornu, described by senators as "clever" and "skillful," even met with Senate President Gérard Larcher to prepare for the budgetary debate.
However, the right and center majority in the Senate plan to significantly "unravel" the version passed by the Assembly, specifically targeting the reversal of €46 billion in tax increases before seeking a compromise in the joint mixed committee (CMP).
Across the English Channel, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer returns from Belém to face internal "angst" following reports that Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves has informed the OBR (Office for Budget Responsibility) of her intention to raise income tax.
This impending tax hike, seen as potentially breaking a manifesto promise, has fueled party splits, highlighted by Deputy Leader Lucy Powell’s public calls for the government not to break its pledges.
Simultaneously, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy continues to face "vicious briefing" from Cabinet ministers and MPs who criticized his "shockingly bad" or "cowardly" handling of a recent controversy involving the accidental release of prisoners.
Today, November 6, 2025. Brussels is openly grappling with a shifting power structure in the European Parliament where two working majorities are now acknowledged: one centrist (EPP, S&D, Renew) and one leaning rightward (EPP plus conservative and far-right groups).
This fragmentation is fueling speculation that the EPP’s Roberta Metsola may be preparing for a third term as Parliament President with right-wing support, possibly secured through a complex deal, dubbed the "Metsola-Costa ticket," where Socialists (S&D) would back her in exchange for keeping António Costa at the helm of the European Council.
This internal dynamic highlights a broader trend, as the political gravity for key files, especially concerning green policy, migration, and social issues, continues to pull rightward. Concurrently, the EU is taking decisive external action by preparing to tighten visa rules for Russian citizens, aiming to restrict movement by ending multi-entry Schengen permits in most cases as a further measure against Moscow for its war in Ukraine.
Major domestic and international challenges are dominating the headlines across Europe, notably centered around the high-stakes COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, where attendance features a host of leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer’s presence is notably brief and low-key, lacking a traveling press pack.
His visit is complicated by the Treasury’s refusal to contribute taxpayer money to the major new Tropical Forest Forever Fund, drawing sharp criticism regarding the U.K.'s green credentials. Compounding Starmer’s international difficulties is a major scandal at home, as his deputy faces intense scrutiny over a row involving the accidental release of prisoners. Meanwhile, Chancellor Merz is driving a domestic economic pivot, holding a crucial "Stahlgipfel" (steel summit) today to address trade concerns and signal a potential shift toward protective measures, including possible tariffs against Chinese steel dumping.
Lastly, in Paris, the debate over the 2026 budget has erupted into a "War of the Lefts" in the National Assembly, as the hard-left La France insoumise aligned with the far-right National Rally to reject Socialist proposals aimed at raising the CSG tax on capital revenues.
Welcome to the Meanwhile in Europe Podcast.
Today's November 5, 2025.
Dive in to the latest headlines you need to know about what's happening in Europe on this day politically.
Today's November 4th, 2025. It may seem like a slow news day, but the real scoops today are happening behind the scenes across europe. Join us today as we discuss the political news from Brussels, Paris, London and Berlin.
Today's November 3, 2025. We begin in Central Europe, where the fragile consensus on the EU’s Green agenda is facing an existential challenge, led by Czech politician Andrej Babiš who is expected to try and "block the ETS2" (Emissions Trading System for buildings and transport) legislation, arguing it would "take too much money away from households".
Babiš, who seeks a "restoration and strengthening of damaged relations within the Visegrád Group", is specifically looking to team up with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who successfully inserted a "revision clause" into the EU plans regarding ETS2.
This maneuvering underscores the critical dynamic where challenging policies—and risking institutional paralysis—is seen by some as necessary to force Brussels to heed national concerns, even as Babiš’s program rules out any referendum on EU membership.
Meanwhile, the fault lines are equally pronounced in Berlin and Paris. Germany’s conservative-led government is pressing ahead with efforts to expel Syrian migrants, with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Chancellor Friedrich Merz raising the issue with international partners.
This push is criticized by figures in the European Parliament who note there is "no long-term stability" necessary for safe returns, which risks the collapse of the "whole fragile system". Concurrently, French President Emmanuel Macron is undertaking a long-delayed trip "to take the pulse of the country", facing ministerial concern that he has "s’est coupé de sa base" and is "de plus en plus isolé".
These domestic pressures intersect with the EU’s biggest geopolitical tool: enlargement. As Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos prepares to unveil progress reports, the debate focuses on mitigating the risk of future "veto-happy Orbán copycats" through new accession methods, such as denying new members certain voting rights for a given "probation period".
Welcome to the Weekend Read on November 1, 2025. This episode explores why European Union (EU) law, which is made to be applied by its users, is often ineffective and difficult to follow, even for the citizens it is meant to serve.
A critical study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Justice, Civil Liberties and Institutional Affairs at the request of the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI), exposes the adverse effect of legislative complexity on the application of EU law. This complexity stems from several factors, including the growing length of legislative proposals, which under the current Commission have reached an average of 8,582 words, and the increasing number of technical provisions and EU acts.
For the fundamental users—EU citizens—this complexity means they do not understand and do not know the law, preventing them from fulfilling obligations or enjoying the rights it offers. The resulting inaccessibility of the law injures the rule of law and democracy in the EU, and creates far-reaching consequences, including hurdles to the trust and loyalty of EU citizens towards the EU as an ideal and an organization.
The core issue lies not just in the complex laws themselves, but in how their application is monitored. The European Commission’s current monitoring of EU law is criticized for being partial, formalistic, and ineffective, often relying on "box-ticking exercises" rather than substantive analysis of effectiveness. Crucially, the Commission’s monitoring is deficient and incomplete because it persistently ignores the parameter of legislative complexity.
Furthermore, simplification efforts focus almost exclusively on competitiveness and companies, actively excluding EU citizens and their understandability needs from the simplification agenda. The study advocates for a necessary reform of this monitoring process, requiring a shift to a qualitative, in-depth evaluation of complexity.
This reform must include scrutinizing EU Acts against a citizen-centred legislative style, using "easified language and the layered structure" to effectively communicate regulatory messages to all three legislative audiences: citizens, Member States, and institutions.
Source: European Parliament: Directorate-General for Citizens’ Rights, Justice and Institutional Affairs and Xanthaki, H., Legislative complexity and monitoring the application of EU law, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2861/4735769
Today's October 31, 2025.
In Brussels, President Ursula von der Leyen faces a "bloodcurdlingly busy agenda" before the year’s end. The most immediate threat is the "frightening standoff" with the U.S. over a massive trade deal, where the Trump administration is seeking regulatory carve-outs in a battle that carries "trillions of dollars at stake" and threatens to "blow up at any moment".
To tackle these rifts, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been invited for talks on November 24. Compounding the pressure, the EU’s monumental €2 trillion budget (MFF) has been "cast into the cauldron of uncertainty" after lawmakers, including those from von der Leyen’s own party, warned they would not accept the restructuring of agricultural and regional payments.
Amidst this high-level governmental stress, whispers are growing about the potential return of Martin Selmayr—famously dubbed the "Monster of the Berlaymont"—as he applies for a top diplomatic post under Kaja Kallas.
Across the continent, national leaders are dealing with their own political horrors. In the UK, King Charles delivered a "truly sensational move," initiating the process to strip his brother, Prince Andrew, of the title of prince and ordering him to leave the Royal Lodge, an action so rare it hasn't been seen since 1919.
This constitutional cacophony diverted attention from UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who was forced to issue a second public apology after her ethics adviser confirmed she had "publicly misled the PM" regarding the licensing of her rental property.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is "feeling the strain" of navigating a divided coalition through choppy geopolitical waters, with internal conflicts escalating over his stance on the EU budget proposal.
And in Paris, deputies are deep in legislative "money time" on the 2026 finance bill, with negotiations centering on the introduction of the Zucman tax on high net worths to compensate for scrapping problematic budget measures, highlighting the intense domestic strain on governmental resources.
Today's October 30, 2025. And there's a significant political shockwave emanating from Europe, where the Dutch election delivered one of the most nail-biting nights in years, defying expectations of a far-right sweep.
Rob Jetten’s centrist D66 party is now locked in a dead heat with Geert Wilders' anti-migration Party for Freedom (PVV), with preliminary forecasts showing both parties holding 26 seats.
Crucially, D66’s charismatic leader, Rob Jetten, is expected to receive the first opportunity to form a government, positioning him as the likely next prime minister.
This result is seen by many in Brussels as a major victory for the political center and pro-European forces, especially as Jetten has articulated a vision for Europe to transform into a serious "democratic world power".
Conversely, Wilders' PVV, which won the popular vote and 37 seats in 2023, saw a significant drop to a projected 26 seats. This dramatic shift in the Netherlands plays out against a backdrop of escalating international tensions and acute policy crises elsewhere.
On the global stage, attention was fixed on the high-stakes summit in Busan, South Korea, between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping—a meeting Trump optimistically rated as a "12 out of 10". The talks yielded immediate de-escalation: Trump vowed to lower U.S. tariffs on Chinese exports from 57 percent to 47 percent, with China agreeing to curb fentanyl flow and postpone export restrictions on rare earths.
Yet, this diplomatic calm was undercut by a final, aggressive act of saber-rattling hours before the meeting, as Trump ordered the restarting of U.S. nuclear missile testing.
Adding to the chaotic news cycle, U.K. Chancellor Rachel Reeves offered a late-night apology for unlawfully renting out her family home, providing fresh political drama amid intense speculation that Treasury officials are modeling major tax hikes in the run-up to the budget.
Today's October 29, 2025. Today, we navigate a complex global landscape defined by diplomatic emergency and high-stakes electoral battles, with the central focus being the volatile convergence of conflict and peace talks in the Middle East.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is flying to Ankara this afternoon for a critical meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, where the primary agenda is Gaza peace preservation and reconstruction.
This mission, which aims to push Erdoğan toward enforcing the necessary disarmament of Hamas to potentially pave the way for a U.N.-mandated peacekeeping force, is imbued with extreme urgency due to events that unfolded just hours ago. Israeli strikes across Gaza overnight killed at least 100 people, including 35 children, according to local health officials.
Israel’s military defended the action, stating the strikes were a reaction to Hamas violating the fragile truce by attacking Israeli forces in Rafah. The gravity of the situation is reflected in the US response, where President Donald Trump stated he supported Israel’s right to "hit back" when its soldiers were killed, though he insisted that "nothing is going to jeopardize" the cease-fire.
Across Europe, the political future is being rewritten, starting with the Dutch general election today, described as a "nail-biting" contest. Polls show a tight race between Geert Wilders’ far-right PVV, Frans Timmermans’ GreenLeft-Labor party, and Rob Jetten’s liberal D66, with Jetten credited with a "sizzling rise" and a "real shot at the top job".
This election could potentially mark the end of the "experiment" of conservatives flirting with the far right. Simultaneously in Brussels, European Parliament is gearing up for a major budget revolt against Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The four main centrist groups are demanding she rework her plan for the EU’s next seven-year budget (MFF), specifically resisting the idea of creating "national plans" that would shift power away from regional authorities.
Failure to meet their conditions means they are threatening to reject a key part of the budget. Meanwhile, the UK is grappling with renewed tensions over migration and security following the fatal stabbing of a dog walker in west London, where the Afghan man being questioned had been granted asylum after entering the country illegally in 2020, an incident officials fear could trigger political unrest.
These domestic crises, combined with the trial starting today in Paris of four Bulgarians suspected of vandalizing a Holocaust memorial as part of suspected Russian efforts to destabilize France, underscore a profoundly turbulent moment in global affairs.
Today, October 28, 2025, we find Europe's two most powerful leaders—Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz—locked in remarkably similar political situations, struggling to balance a public projection of long-term stability against intensely divisive internal political battles.
In Paris, President Macron is consciously emerging from a period of relative "discretion" to reclaim his role on what his allies term "long-term, civilizational" issues ("sujets de temps long, civilisationnels"). His schedule today is dominated by presiding over meetings concerning the degradation of public debate, the regulation of social networks, and mental health.
This philosophical pivot is occurring precisely as the French government is "quasi à 100%" dedicated to the intricate 2026 budget negotiations, creating high tension where the threat of censure from Socialist groups looms large.
The symmetry is clear: Macron is trying to look past the immediate political grind to the grand sweep of history, even as the messy reality of budget survival pulls him back down.
A parallel dynamic is unfolding in Germany, where Chancellor Friedrich Merz is embarking on his inaugural visit to eastern Germany, starting in Saxony and Dresden today.
Merz's external tour, which focuses on infrastructure expansion and federal aid for rebuilding the Carolabrücke, aims to project unity and regional focus.
Yet, like Macron, his efforts are overshadowed by bitter political fissures back home. The Chancellor must navigate intense coalition splits on two major domestic files: the pension reform debate, concerning whether future increases should rise slightly less than wage development, and the renewed argument over military conscription (Wehrdienst), where a compromise still clings to the use of random selection ('Losverfahren') if volunteer numbers are insufficient.
This pattern—a leader projecting forward momentum or external engagement while simultaneously grappling with the threat of internal failure—is the defining narrative of the day, setting the tone for the continent as Brussels scrambles over the use of frozen Russian assets and London braces for a £21 billion economic blow.
Today's October 27, 2025. The European Commission is poised to propose a sweeping package of financial market reforms with the fundamental aim of creating a deeper EU financial market capable of rivaling that of the United States and China.
This grand strategy seeks to make more investment capital available to Europe’s industry and halt the concerning trend of successful startups relocating to the U.S. for better access to growth funding.
However, the proposed mechanism for achieving this integration—a significant "shake-up" of financial supervision—is "certain to be politically divisive" and is forecast to "set the stage for a bitter political fight with the bloc’s governments".
The main point of contention is the plan to shift supervision of various firms, including all crypto asset service providers, large cross-border stock exchanges, clearinghouses, and central securities depositories, to the EU central supervisor, ESMA.
This move toward centralization, championed by countries like France but long opposed and "largely blocked by national capitals" in the past, risks deepening political divisions across the continent.
Further complicating the internal landscape, a preview of the Rule of Law Index showed that over two-thirds of EU member countries declined in performance, with Slovakia and Hungary recording the sharpest drops.
The EU’s urgent need to support Ukraine remains a critical external challenge following a recent EUCO summit deadlock. After Belgium shot down plans to use frozen Russian assets as a financial lifeline for Kyiv, EU countries are being called upon to consider a "Plan B" involving the raising of tens of billions of euros in joint debt to keep Ukraine afloat.
A final decision on this path is needed no later than the EUCO summit in December. This scramble for financing occurs against a backdrop of heightened global tension: Europe looks on nervously as Donald Trump prepares to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a meeting already preceded by news that Washington and Beijing have settled on a "framework" for a trade deal.
Meanwhile, while a two-week-old, Trump-inspired Gaza ceasefire has held, tensions remain high, and humanitarian aid delivery is insufficient to meet needs. Adding to the global security concerns, Russia claimed it had successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik missile.
Welcome to the Weekend Read! We are confronting one of the most transformative shifts in modern scientific history: the integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence, or GenAI, into the core of research. GenAI, defined as any AI capable of creating new content—be it text, code, or images—in response to user prompts, has seen an exponential rise in adoption across global academia since the public launch of accessible models like ChatGPT. This rapid uptake is fundamentally changing how research is done, driven by the substantial benefits of improved efficiency, cost reduction, and enhanced productivity. Researchers across domains, especially in Applied Sciences and Health Sciences, are leveraging these tools to automate time-consuming tasks like literature reviews, data processing, and, most prevalently, assisting in the drafting of manuscripts. The pervasive nature of these tools suggests that AI assistance in academic writing is becoming a fixture in the scholarly world.
However, this powerful technological surge is not without its shadows, creating a crucial tension we must address head-on. As AI usage accelerates, researchers are increasingly warning that it could strain existing quality assurance systems and lead to serious trust issues in society, potentially causing "future shock". Concerns around academic integrity, including questions of plagiarism, authorship, and the use of AI-generated misleading content, are paramount. While the utility of GenAI is widely embraced, our sources indicate a significant gap: the debate concerning risk awareness and ethical implications is lagging behind the discussion of how widely and easily these tools can be applied. In this episode, we explore the urgent need for the academic community and policymakers to establish common definitions, ethical frameworks, and clear guidelines to govern this new era and safeguard the integrity of scientific practice.
Source: European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Labrosse, I., Campbell, D., Karlstrøm, H., Iversen, E. et al., The use of generative artificial intelligence in research, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/1024414
Today's, October 24, 2025 and the political landscape is dominated by high-stakes diplomacy and international tensions, particularly the continued fallout from the recent EU summit in Brussels.
Leaders failed to reach an agreement on the crucial issue of using frozen Russian assets to underwrite a substantial loan for Ukraine, with discussions stalled until the December summit due to "very serious questions" and concerns raised by countries like Belgium.
This impasse comes on the same day that the "coalition of the willing" gathers via video, co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, aiming to restore momentum and develop concrete plans to "further strengthen Ukraine’s hand and cripple Russia’s ability to continue to wage war".
Adding to the diplomatic disarray, the summit was marred by confusion over Mercosur trade negotiations, after German Chancellor Merz prematurely announced all EU leaders had voted in favor of the deal, only to be immediately contradicted by EU Council President António Costa and other key figures.
Internationally, as the UN Charter marks its 80th anniversary, the President of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, emphasized that fundamental reforms of the UN Security Council are "absolutely overdue" to prevent the organization from falling into "irrelevance".
Closer to home, several significant domestic political battles are unfolding. In Paris, the National Assembly begins its examination of the 2026 State budget in what is being described as an "unprecedented" exercise, as the Prime Minister has pledged not to use the controversial Article 49.3 to force its adoption. Heightening the fiscal pressure surrounding this debate, the rating agency Moody’s is scheduled to deliver its verdict tonight on France’s capacity to repay its debt, following recent downgrades by Standard & Poor’s and Fitch.
Meanwhile, UK politics has been rocked by the results of the Caerphilly Senedd by-election, described as an "unmitigated disaster" for Welsh Labour, which lost a seat held for over a century to Plaid Cymru, with Reform UK achieving a strong second place.
This shock defeat prompts difficult "soul-searching" for Labour in both Cardiff and Westminster, confirming that current political trends are far from boring.
Welcome to the podcast. Today, October 23, 2025, the heart of Europe is pulsing with tension as the EU Council Summit convenes for what promises to be an extraordinarily long and consequential day. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, among others, faces an intense agenda packed with major global challenges.
High on the list is securing a political agreement on the crucial €140 billion credit for Ukraine, with discussions centering on potentially utilizing frozen Russian state bank assets to fund the loan. Additionally, leaders must navigate new geopolitical pressures, including a critical debate on China's export controls concerning vital materials like rare earths and microchips.
The final key discussion will revolve around the contentious goal of setting binding European climate targets for 2040, a discussion that involves balancing ambitious environmental goals with the economic concerns of member states.
As Brussels manages these continental decisions, the political crises gripping two major capitals threaten to undermine cohesion. In London, the UK Home Office is in a state of deep dysfunction, described by sources as being "on fire" due to a torrent of critical headlines and immense pressure on the government.
Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips is facing intense external and internal calls to resign over the disastrous grooming gangs inquiry, with victim panel members stating her conduct has shown she is "unfit to oversee a process that requires survivors to trust the government".
Adding to the chaos, the press is ridiculing the government’s migration policy, particularly the embarrassing "Le farce" situation where a migrant deported to France immediately returned to the U.K. on a small boat.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron arrives at the Council "significantly weakened" (sacrément affaibli) by the political situation at home, resulting in a consequential loss of influence for Paris and reduced European ambitions.
This diminished standing is occurring while French politicians prioritize maneuvering for the long-term 2027 presidential election over the immediate need to finalize the 2026 budget.
Today's October 2025 and the European agenda opens with a moment of diplomatic potential, as the recent meeting between Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz led to a commitment to collaboration between the S&D and EPP groups in the European Parliament.
However, this fragile political thaw is immediately tested by persistent internal dissent, with both EPP leader Manfred Weber and S&D leader Iratxe García struggling to maintain order among their increasingly unruly national delegations.
Adding to the intense institutional friction, Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi is facing renewed scrutiny and a grilling by EU lawmakers today following grave allegations that Hungarian intelligence officers attempted to recruit EU officials as spies between 2012 and 2018.
This crisis of trust is compounded by the unsettling prospect of Martin Selmayr, the "Monster of the Berlaymont," ending his years of effective exile to seek a senior post in the EU’s foreign service, a move officials fear is the return of the "Count of Monte Cristo, coming back to have his revenge".
Meanwhile, the international focus shifts dramatically as the highly anticipated second summit between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is now definitively off, having swiftly collapsed after Moscow refused to back away from its maximalist demands on Ukraine.
As EU leaders converge for high-stakes meetings on the Gaza ceasefire and Western Balkans enlargement, national capitals are fighting critical domestic fires.
In London, Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces a major headache as CPI inflation hit 3.8% in the year to September, a figure that dictates a significant rise in benefit payments, including a 4.8% increase for the state pension.
This economic pressure mounts alongside intense political turbulence, including a reported £2 billion tax raid plan and "hair-raisingly vicious briefing" against Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald, with whispers suggesting he could be ousted as early as January.
Simultaneously, Paris is reeling from deep internal fractures: the revenue section of the draft finance law is expected to be rejected by the Finance Commission today, leading La France Insoumise (LFI) to plan a new motion of censure for early December aimed at blocking the government from using executive ordinances.
This national gridlock is mirrored on the right, as Les Républicains President Bruno Retailleau has intensified the party's civil war, declaring that the six LR ministers who remained in government "no longer belong to LR".
Today's October 21, 2025. The primary focus is on the European Union's critical move to finance Ukraine, as Brussels prepares to give the political go-ahead for using frozen Russian state assets to secure a major loan for Kyiv.
This decision, which could unlock up to €140 billion in funding for Ukraine, is set against the backdrop of complex peace diplomacy. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has suddenly become a key figure in this process due to the planned Trump-Putin meeting in Budapest, an event that is expected to allow Orbán to dominate the EU summit, despite his planned late arrival.
Meanwhile, French political history is being made as former President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to be incarcerated at La Santé prison today, having been convicted of association of malefactors regarding his 2007 presidential campaign funding. His family is organizing a rally of support outside the prison.
In Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has shifted strategy, positioning himself as the "Bundes-Troubleshooter". Merz is now pulling key contentious issues, like disputes over compulsory military service (Wehrdienst) and opposition to the new pension package, to himself—declaring them Chefsache (a matter for the boss)—in an effort to curb government infighting.
Across the channel, the UK government is attempting to signal economic growth by launching a "red-tape-cutting blitz" aimed at scrapping "pointless paperwork" for small businesses. However, this effort is overshadowed by reports that Prince Andrew has not paid rent on his Royal Lodge mansion since 2003, having only paid "one peppercorn (if demanded)" annually for two decades.
Finally, we look inside the Berlaymont as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her chief of staff outline a high-stakes Commission reshuffle. This is described as a "chess play" intended to fill strategically vital positions, with major changes anticipated among Directors-General in key areas like trade, enlargement, and competition (DG COMP).
Welcome to the latest episode of the Meanwhile in Europe podcast, charting the geopolitical and domestic forces driving Europe this Monday, October 20, 2025.
Today, the world is reacting to a volatile weekend defined by a reported "shouting match" between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which Trump allegedly insisted Kyiv surrender the Donbas region. European leaders are rushing to "galvanize support" for Ukraine in the wake of this "disappointing encounter", though major armaments are unlikely, shifting the EU's focus toward mobilizing Russia's frozen assets as a "reparation loan".
Meanwhile, Brussels faces its own internal battles, pushing ahead with landmark proposals to ban Russian gas imports by 2027 despite fierce opposition from member states like Hungary and Slovakia, while simultaneously debating radical plans to unblock enlargement by limiting the veto rights of prospective new members.
Back in national capitals, the domestic pressures are reaching breaking points. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces the "ABC of Chancellor-Problems," navigating the highly sensitive Brandmauer debate concerning the AfD and battling widespread alarm over the nation's industrial crisis. Industry leaders are publicly warning Merz that Germany is now "too expensive and too slow," threatening looming job cuts unless raw material supply and CO2 costs are fundamentally changed.
In the U.K., the start of the parliamentary week is consumed by the continued fallout from the collapsed China spying case, raising questions about government interference and access to parliament for Beijing, even as security experts warn that Britain is ill-prepared for widespread conflict in Europe within the next three to four years.
Finally, France kicks off the examination of the 2026 budget, with the government considering a tactical "lettre rectificative" to ensure the suspension of the critical pension reform is maintained and avert a censure vote.
Welcome to The Weeken Read. This episode, we delve into the intricate world of European social welfare, focusing on a critical yet often underappreciated element: the role of publicly funded healthcare in shaping economic equality and resilience.
Strengthening the resilience of health systems is crucial, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which underscored the necessity for systems capable of withstanding future shocks—be they economic downturns, technological shifts, or significant demographic changes like population ageing.
As the European Union strives toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and ensures that economic growth goes hand-in-hand with social inclusion, building inclusive health systems is deemed essential. Our focus draws on new research that employs innovative metrics and tools, such as the EUROMOD microsimulation model, designed to assess the often-unmeasured distributional impact of non-cash benefits, specifically health-related Social Transfers in-Kind (STiKs).
This rigorous analysis reveals compelling evidence that publicly funded healthcare plays an essential role in mitigating income inequality and monetary poverty across EU Member States. Health STiKs account for approximately 35 percent of total social benefits in the EU, yet unlike cash transfers, their impact on poverty or inequality is not regularly measured in official EU statistics—a gap this research aims to fill.
We will explore findings demonstrating that the redistributive capacity of health STiKs is substantial, sometimes exceeding that of cash transfers (excluding pensions) in reducing both poverty and the Gini index. Furthermore, we examine the persistent challenges related to healthcare access, including the prevalence of unmet medical and dental needs and the financial hardship caused by catastrophic Out-Of-Pocket (OOP) spending, particularly among vulnerable households.
Finally, we look forward to the looming challenges of generational fairness, investigating how demographic shifts and projected increases in healthcare expenditure threaten to place a disproportionate burden on future working-age populations.
Source: European Commission: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, Cruces, H., Riera Mallol, G. and De Agostini, P., The role of healthcare in reducing inequalities and poverty in the EU, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2875/4749240
Today's October 17, 2025. The simmering trade conflict between the world’s largest economies has boiled over, as China announced a sweeping set of restrictions on critical minerals, a move deemed a "global power grab" by U.S. Treasury officials who believe Beijing is weaponizing worldwide supply chains.
China’s expansive licensing system, modeled on U.S. technology controls, aims to assert dominance over rare earth minerals essential for everything from computer chips to missiles.
This dramatic escalation has prompted a furious response from President Trump, who is threatening to impose an additional 100 percent tax on Chinese imports if the restrictions take effect, while accelerating efforts in the U.S. and allied nations like Europe, Japan, and South Korea to build secure, non-Chinese supply chains.
Compounding the sense of global uncertainty, the US-Russia dynamic has taken a stunning turn: President Trump and Vladimir Putin spoke last night and agreed to meet in Budapest in the coming weeks, a high-stakes summit celebrated by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who declared Hungary the "island of PEACE".
This announcement immediately casts a shadow over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's planned visit to the White House today, raising fears that a deal could be negotiated over Kyiv's head.
Meanwhile, the core institutions of the European Union are grappling with profound internal instability, both political and bureaucratic.
In France, the political fallout from the contentious suspension of the retirement reform continues, pushing President Emmanuel Macron into a major crisis. Former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe has publicly called for Macron's resignation, arguing that stepping down is the "only dignified decision" to avoid 18 months of political "indétermination and crisis".
Simultaneously, Brussels is captivated by intense speculation surrounding the potential return of Martin Selmayr, infamously nicknamed the "Monster of the Berlaymont," as a top aide to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Insiders warn that such an appointment would further strain relations between the external action service and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's powerful chief of staff, Bjoern Seibert (likened to the "merciless T-1000" Terminator).
These high-stakes institutional rivalries are running parallel to broader EU policy battles, including internal Commission disagreements over the seven-year budget proposal (MFF) and concerns among finance ministers regarding the controversial idea of withholding budget payments from member states that fail to reform their national pension systems.
Today, October 16, 2025, Europe is consumed by major crises spanning intelligence failures and geopolitical war preparations.
In the UK, the political establishment is reeling from the catastrophic collapse of the Chinese espionage case against two men, forcing Prime Minister Starmer's government onto the defensive. Despite the Crown Prosecution Service dropping the charges, official witness statements described China's "highly capable" intelligence services conducting "large scale espionage operations" that "harm the interests and security of the U.K.".
Critics argue that the government's repeated attempts to insist on a "positive relationship" with Beijing undermined the prosecution's ability to characterize China as a threat. Further complicating the national security picture are stunning, new revelations that Chinese state actors may have routinely accessed "vast amounts" of classified government information, including low-, medium-, and "secret"-level data, from Whitehall computers for more than a decade.
Meanwhile, the rest of Europe is looking outward, as the EU is officially unveiling its "Roadmap on European Defense Readiness 2030," a strategic plan meant to close critical military capability gaps in areas like air defense, drones, and AI by the end of the decade, underscoring the stark warning that "Europe is in a fight" and must prepare for potential conflict.
Amidst these security concerns, continental political battles are intensifying in key EU member states. In Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz is preparing to address the upcoming EU summit, but his coalition is paralyzed by its inability to agree on a unified national position regarding the highly sensitive EU combustion engine phase-out (Verbrenner-Aus).
This delay is particularly embarrassing as Berlin had previously pressed the EU Commission to accelerate the review of the ban, and the internal conflict risks being weaponized by the AfD in regional elections. Merz will also push for using frozen Russian state assets to issue a multi-billion credit to Ukraine, a proposal facing potential blockades from countries like Slovakia.
In France, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's government faces twin no-confidence motions today—one from the far-right and one from the far-left—over the controversial decision to suspend the pension reform. Although the motions are unlikely to gather the necessary 289 votes to collapse the government, the move has caused deep division among the center-right Republicans and forces the government into difficult negotiations with the Socialists over the forthcoming social security budget.