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European news, 31 urria 2026 — Poland: Constitutional Tribunal at the heart of a new institutional crisis
prometheus.fr 🇪🇺 EUROPE | 5 European stories to follow on 31 October 2026
⚖️ Institutions: The disputed suspension of the president of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal by a judge has triggered a new institutional crisis. President Karol Nawrocki denounces an illegal takeover, while Donald Tusk’s government says it is seeking to restore the rule of law.
🌱 Energy and biodiversity: A US study estimates that 18.7 million bats were killed by wind turbines between 1981 and 2024. In Europe, mitigation measures, including the temporary shutdown of turbines, could reduce bat mortality by more than 80%.
🐺 Environment: Denmark is preparing the possibility of regulated wolf hunting from 2027, amid tensions between biodiversity protection and farmers’ concerns.
🇬🇧 Memory and diplomacy: Andy Burnham says he is open to an official British apology for the transatlantic slave trade. The debate comes as the Prime Minister has expressed personal regret over the suffering caused by the trade.
✊ Society: Social and student protests continue in France, Germany and Italy. In France, 320,000 demonstrators were recorded on 31 October, compared with 410,000 the previous weekend. In Germany, protests were announced in 34 cities. In Italy, trade unions claim up to 1.5 million participants in the general strike on 30 October.
📲 Discover the key facts and issues behind these 5 stories in this carousel.
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Sources
2. Euronews, Le Monde, EUToday
3. Euronews, Wildlife Society
4. The Copenhagen Post
5. Reuters, The Guardian, AFP, Anadolu Agency
6. Associated Press (AP), Reuters, ABC News
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Society
Poland: Constitutional Tribunal at the heart of a new institutional crisis
The suspension of Constitutional Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski has triggered a confrontation between Donald Tusk’s government and President Karol Nawrocki’s camp.
Nawrocki returned abruptly from his trip to Senegal and denounced an attack on the constitutional order. The government says it wants to restore judicial independence and allow elected judges to take office. Three protesters were arrested following clashes outside the building.Source : Euronews, Le Monde, EUToday
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Infrastructure
Wind turbines threaten bats, but mitigation measures are available
A US study estimates that 18.7 million bats belonging to 28 species died at wind energy facilities in the United States between 1981 and 2024. Annual estimates are thought to have risen from around 100,000 deaths some 20 years ago to 1.5 million in 2021.
Another study, conducted at 141 European wind farms, shows that temporarily shutting down turbines when local conditions favour bat activity could reduce mortality by more than 80%. Germany has already been implementing certain mitigation measures since around 2010.Source : Euronews, Wildlife Society
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Environment
Denmark: Government prepares for the possibility of regulated wolf hunting in 2027
Copenhagen wants to establish a scientific model to determine the population threshold required to conserve the species, alongside genetic monitoring to identify individual wolves.
Researchers estimated that Denmark had at least 49 adult wolves in spring 2026. The government hopes the framework will pave the way for regulated hunting as early as 2027. Any decision must nevertheless comply with the European obligation to maintain the species in a favourable conservation status.Source : The Copenhagen Post
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Memory
United Kingdom: Andy Burnham open to an official apology for slavery
Ahead of the Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he is willing to listen to calls for an official apology for the United Kingdom’s historical role in the transatlantic slave trade.
However, he rules out financial reparations, arguing that people in Britain today cannot be held responsible for the actions of the past. The debate also concerns debt, development funding and reparative justice.Source : Reuters, The Guardian, AFP, Anadolu Agency
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Society
France - Italy - Germany: Social and student protests continue across several countries
In France, 320,000 demonstrators were recorded on 31 October, compared with 410,000 the previous weekend and more than 500,000 on 17 October.
In Germany, the “Gen Z regelt” movement mobilised in 34 cities, with organisers expecting up to 180,000 participants.
In Italy, demonstrations on 30 October took place in more than 40 cities, while trade unions claim up to 1.5 million participants.Source : Associated Press (AP), Reuters, ABC News