EU
EU leaders met at an informal competitiveness summit where Commission president Ursula von der Leyen defended limited "Buy European" procurement preferences, as members debated protectionism and eurobonds.
AI startups Altruist and Tuio launched automated adviser tools, prompting a selloff in UK and European wealth-manager shares, with St. James’s Place falling by double digits.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected President Emmanuel Macron's proposal for joint EU borrowing, deepening a Franco‑German rift over competitiveness and sovereignty ahead of the EU summit.
Bundesbankpräsident plädierte in Deutschland für gemeinsame europäische Schulden (Eurobonds), anders als die Bundesregierung, während die EU‑Kommission sie als Chance zur Stärkung des Euro angesichts eines schwächeren Dollar wertete.
At a European industrial summit this week, the European Commission said it would consider revising the EU carbon-costs system after heavy industries urged discounts, citing competitiveness concerns.
European lawmakers approved tighter asylum rules allowing transfers of applicants to third countries and detention-style processing, and Italy reactivated deportations to Albania and signaled it could block rescue ships.
European politicians and military leaders warned of growing Russian aggression and urged stronger defenses, including debate over national nuclear options and heightened naval readiness along NATO's eastern flank.
The European Parliament approved a €90 billion loan to Ukraine on Wednesday to fund defense, backing 458–140–44, while Jordan Bardella opposed it, calling repayment assumptions and arms exemptions risky.
UEFA and Real Madrid reached an agreement of principles on 11 February 2026 that effectively ended the five-year dispute over the proposed European Super League.
Norway's Attorney General announced a review of police routines after heavy criticism that Norwegian police had assisted Turkish authorities in a criminal case against a member of parliament.
Europol seized €1.2 billion in counterfeit euros in a Europe-wide operation that investigators said largely originated in China and moved via postal networks to countries including Portugal and Germany.
The Council of Europe lifted former Norwegian prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland's legal immunity, allowing Norwegian prosecutors to investigate alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
NATO launched an Arctic operation after a dispute over Greenland and said roughly 1.3 million Russian troops had been killed or wounded, a claim that remained unverified.
WHO and UNICEF said measles cases in Europe and Central Asia fell about 75% in 2025, but they warned low vaccine coverage, hesitancy and disinformation kept outbreak risk high.
The European Commission unveiled an action plan to counter drones after overflights disrupted airports in Copenhagen, Berlin and elsewhere, including registration for drones over 100 grams and 5G protections.
Italy's cabinet approved a draft law to implement the EU migration and asylum pact, authorizing fines up to €50,000 for violating a naval blockade.
Farmers drove hundreds of tractors into central Madrid to protest cuts to the EU's Common Agricultural Policy and the EU–Mercosur trade deal, demanding urgent measures to protect the sector.
Major tech companies accelerated a global AI financing surge, planning more than $600 billion as Alphabet weighed a century bond and French startups raised €2.6 billion since mid‑Feb 2025.
