At a meeting in Brussels last month, foreign ministers from the European Union’s 27 member states sat down to discuss the bloc’s plans for the Indo-Pacific region. The conversation, according to several people familiar with it, lasted just seven minutes. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that officials, diplomats and experts are groaning about the lack…
In a dramatic speech in Berlin on Saturday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen painted a dystopian picture of today’s world as she reiterated her calls for an independent Europe. “Europe is facing up to another seismic change in the way the global economy works. We may be approaching a shift in the international…
LONDON (AP) — When President Donald Trump took the stage in Egypt to hail the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, a row of world leaders stood behind him like extras in a political drama. It was a telling image. European governments have struggled to play a significant role in diplomacy over the Gaza…
French President Emmanuel Macron told European Union leaders to consider using the bloc’s most powerful trade tool against China if they aren’t able to find a resolution to Beijing’s planned export controls on critical raw materials. France’s President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference as part of the European Council meeting gathering the 27…
PARIS (AP) — French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu survived two votes of no-confidence Thursday that could have toppled his fragile new government and plunged France deeper into political chaos. The National Assembly votes clear the way for the embattled Lecornu to pursue what could be an even greater challenge: getting a 2026 budget for the…
By Elizabeth Pineau and Mathieu Rosemain PARIS (Reuters) -French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu met with President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday evening, ahead of a likely naming of a new cabinet before a Monday deadline to present a 2026 budget. Lecornu was reappointed prime minister on Friday and has been working to quickly appoint key cabinet…
By Gabriel Stargardter and Mathieu Rosemain PARIS (Reuters) -Reappointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Saturday urged France’s political parties to work together to put an end to the “ridiculous spectacle” seen in recent days, as he faces a Monday deadline to present a budget. President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to reappoint Lecornu has enraged some of…
By Michaela Cabrera PARIS (Reuters) -President Emmanuel Macron will on Thursday inaugurate a cenotaph in memory of Robert Badinter at the Pantheon, a mausoleum in central Paris where some of France’s most prominent national heroes are buried. The former justice minister, who died in February 2024 aged 95, will join the likes of philosopher Voltaire,…
By Inti Landauro and Makini Brice PARIS (Reuters) -Caretaker French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu struck a cautiously optimistic tone on Wednesday, saying a deal on the country’s budget could eventually be reached, making the possibility of a snap election less likely. Lecornu’s remarks came as he was set to wrap up talks on Wednesday with…
His decision was taken at the end of a rollercoaster day during which the French president himself made no public remarks, but was spotted pacing alone along the banks of the Seine, cutting a solitary figure and apparently weighing up the future of France. Ultimately, the outcome of his deliberations was underwhelming and appears doomed…