European Union

The Liberal candidate Rafał Trzaskowski has won the first round of the presidential election in Poland with 31.4 percent of the vote, giving him a narrow lead against right-wing conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki (29.5 percent). The two will now face each other in the run-off on 1 June. The right-wing populist Sławomir Mentzen came third with 14.8 percent, followed by far-right candidate Grzegorz Braun with 6.3 percent.

The downgrade was mostly due to a steep reduction in the growth forecast for Germany, the EU’s largest economy, whose export-dependent industries are heavily exposed to global trade tensions.

In today’s edition of The Capitals, read about a new prison reviving memories of the penal colony in French Guiana, Estonia training for a war with Russia that NATO hopes to deter, and so much more.

Interview to Basque politician Lorena López de Lacalle, President of the European Free Alliance (EFA) after her re-election as the party leader. EFA is the only European political party that defends the right to self-determination as a cornerstone for European democracy.

“Store for the People” promises essential foods at no more than a 10% markup, prioritising Bulgarian-made products.

The facility more than 7,000 kilometres from mainland France will include a “high-security unit” designed to house drug trafficking convicts and “Islamists”.

The center-right AD-PSD/CDS coalition won Sunday’s legislative elections with 86 seats, while the Socialist Party and far-right Chega tied at 58 seats each after all national votes were counted.

On the sidelines of Pope Leo XVI’s inauguration, the meeting unfolded amid simmering EU-US trade tensions over tariffs.

A far-right surge in Portugal triggered 'a disaster of historic proportions' for the Socialists.

Negotiators were finalising details of the package – which will include a security pact – through the weekend.

Johann Wadephul caught Berlin off-guard when he endorsed a higher NATO spending target of 5%. Will he be more than just Merz's messenger?

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Far-right Chega is projected to rise to 20–24%, up from 18% in 2024, solidifying its role as a potential kingmaker in the next parliament.

The two will now face off in a runoff on 1 June, which is widely seen as a referendum on Poland’s future direction after a decade of conservative PiS dominance under the outgoing president, Andrzej Duda.