Defence – Less than a day after the ceasefire deal negotiated between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, the EU is lobbying for a long-lasting solution, quickly and access to Gaza for UN aid.
Tech – Member states have backed current European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) Wojciech Wiewiórowski for a second term, setting up a clash with the European Parliament, which backed another candidate.
Health – The European Parliament may have given the nod to the new health committee's (SANT) mandate at the end of 2024, but other committees are still fighting to get their grip on key files.
Agrifood – The agricultural issue once again exposed sharp divisions within political groups in the European Parliament on Thursday, as EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič faced his first grilling over the EU-Mercosur trade deal since its signing in December.
Across Europe
Spain – Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont warned Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday that his government could face collapse if he fails to deliver on promises made to Catalan separatist forces.
Austria – The European Commission has decided not to formally reprimand Austria for breaching the EU’s budget rules, in a major victory for Herbert Kickl's Freedom Party (FPÖ), which is poised to lead Vienna’s first far-right government since World War II.
Serbia – Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is facing a criminal complaint for inciting violence, filed by a civil society organisation after a driver rammed a student protest in Belgrade, injuring one woman.
UK – Rats fleeing hell face better odds than the EU 'youth mobility' motion submitted to the British parliament this week, yet the proposal is not far from what may eventually become UK government policy.
