POLITICO Europe

08/10/2025

🚨 BREAKING: Europe’s main political parties have agreed to roll back green rules for businesses after a whirlwind day of political negotiations that nearly collapsed the centrist ruling consensus.​

Full story: https://www.politico.eu/article/socialists-liberals-epp-eu-green-rules/

08/10/2025

Only the king has more power than this gas executive if there was ever a major attack on Britain's energy system.

His name is Jon Butterworth and POLITICO sat down with him.

🔗 https://ow.ly/UZCS50X8qLs

08/10/2025

The European Parliament voted today to ban plant-based and lab-grown products from having meat-related names such as “burger,” “sausage” or “steak” on their labels.

The European Parliament slips prohibition of plant-based “burgers” into wider farm reform, sparking NGO outrage and political splits.

08/10/2025

Angela Merkel remains unrepentant.

Instead of addressing Germany's failed dealings with the Kremlin during her 16-year reign, the former chancellor commented that Vladimir Putin could have been reasoned with if European leaders had been more determined.

The former chancellor refuses to reckon with her fraught legacy on the war in Ukraine, instead invoking Covid and a missed chance for talks.

08/10/2025

Kemi Badenoch did a Keir Starmer with her conference speech and hushed the leadership speculation among her troops — for now.

Presented by Lloyds Banking Group By EMILIO CASALICCHIO with NOAH KEATE PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser Good afternoon. This is Emilio…

08/10/2025

If there hadn't been a Covid pandemic and if Eastern European leaders hadn’t refused talks with Vladimir Putin, then the war in Ukraine may not have happened.

That's what former German chancellor Angela Merkel suggested during a recent stop in Hungary.

The former chancellor refuses to reckon with her fraught legacy on the war in Ukraine, instead invoking Covid and a missed chance for talks.

08/10/2025

The last 10 days have shown Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch to be in strangely similar straits.

Like PM Keir Starmer, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pulled through her party conference with an announcement that pleased the faithful. But will the public notice — and will it save her from an…

08/10/2025

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said her party would vote to topple any future prime minister that President Emmanuel Macron might appoint unless he calls new parliamentary elections.

Other parties are “scared to death” of sending voters back to the polls, she said.

08/10/2025

Jon Butterworth oversees thousands of miles of transmission pipelines transporting gas to power the UK — but that's just his day job.

If enemies like Russia were ever to attack British energy supplies, he’s the man on the frontline.

Only the king has more power than this gas executive in a Russian emergency.

08/10/2025

The UK government has said that trade retaliation remains on the table in response to the EU’s new steel safeguard measures.

The proposals risk dealing a devastating blow to Britain’s embattled steelmakers.

08/10/2025

Ukraine’s cash-strapped government is finding it very difficult to deal with millions of refugees — and the hundreds more evacuated from combat areas every day.

The problems are so large that some people even choose to return to areas under Russian occupation.

People fleeing Russian attacks face huge difficulties in finding new homes and getting compensation for lost or destroyed property.

08/10/2025

Bruno Le Maire’s comeback to French politics lasted under 14 hours.

But that was enough time for the former finance minister to spark fury and make him the ideal scapegoat for the country’s new government crisis.

From high debt to government crisis: how the former finance minister became France’s scapegoat-in-chief.