Nieuws van de week

Climate

Europe: Summer 2026 emerges as the deadliest on record for heat-related mortality

A new study estimates that extreme heat during the summer of 2026 was associated with nearly 50,000 deaths across more than 800 European cities. Around 30,000 of these deaths are estimated to be attributable to excess heat linked to climate change.

This estimate is 71% higher than the figure for summer 2022, which had previously been the highest recorded across the cities studied.

However, these figures remain estimates rather than a count of deaths across Europe as a whole. The study covers only around 40% of the European population and does not include a heatwave that occurred in May.

Bron : London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

European affairs

Hungary: Brussels signals closer ties with Budapest despite deadlock over Ukraine

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa are visiting Budapest to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian uprising, alongside Prime Minister Péter Magyar.

The diplomatic thaw remains incomplete, however: Budapest blocked further steps in Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations this week.

Bron : Euronews

Climate

United Kingdom – France: Storm Austen batters both sides of the English Channel

Storm Austen is causing major disruption across the United Kingdom and north-western France this Friday. Strong gusts and high waves are affecting coastal areas, while thousands of households in south-west England have been left without electricity.

Météo-France forecasts particularly strong winds along the coasts of Brittany, Normandy and Hauts-de-France, with gusts locally reaching 130–140 km/h along the coast. Rough seas and the risk of falling trees are disrupting travel and maritime activities.

Bron : Météo-France

Society

Serbia: Massive rally in Belgrade ahead of parliamentary elections

On 22 October, around 150,000 people gathered in Belgrade to support the student-led electoral list “Students Will Win”, according to an estimate cited by AFP.

The movement emerged after 16 people died when the railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad in 2024. It is now challenging the ruling party ahead of the snap parliamentary elections on 25 October.

→ Read our dedicated analysis for more information.

Bron : AFP

Society

France: 70,000 police officers and gendarmes deployed for demonstrations scheduled for 24 October

Following the violence on 17 October, the government is significantly strengthening the security arrangements planned for Saturday. The Interior Minister has announced the deployment of specialist tactical units, alongside military personnel from Operation Sentinelle, France’s domestic counter-terrorism operation.

Armoured vehicles, helicopters and water-cannon vehicles are also expected to be deployed. Specialist units are primarily intended to help secure sensitive sites, rather than to handle public-order duties on their own.

Bron : French Ministry of the Interior, Anadolu

Free movement

Italy and Spain announce end to mutual border controls

Rome and Madrid have decided not to extend the suspension of their free-movement arrangements, introduced after a surge in migrant arrivals in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

The two countries plan to step up information-sharing to strengthen security in the Schengen Area.

Bron : Reuters

Education

Erasmus+: European Parliament backs €47.4 billion for 2028–2034

MEPs have backed a budget of around €47.4 billion for the next Erasmus+ programme, along with grants better adjusted to the cost of living in destination countries. They also want to make it easier for people with fewer financial resources to take part.

Bron : 2EU.brussels, European Parliament

International award

2026 Sakharov Prize: European Parliament honours the International Criminal Court

The European Parliament has awarded its Sakharov Prize—which recognises individuals, groups and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to defending freedom of thought—to the International Criminal Court and its officials.

The award specifically recognises their work in support of international law and justice. The ceremony will take place during the December plenary session in Strasbourg.

Bron : European Parliament, Associated Press

Economy

Italy: government announces €540 million in aid amid transport workers’ protests

After several days of blockades in southern Italy, the government has increased support for road hauliers and the agriculture and fishing sectors.

The aid package now totals €540 million, while some truckers have begun lifting their blockades. Protests over diesel prices had disrupted fuel and food deliveries, particularly in Sicily and Campania.

Bron : Associated Press

Transport

European Union: travellers to find it easier to claim refunds

The European Parliament has adopted new rules to make it easier for passengers to exercise their rights when journeys are disrupted. A standardised European form is intended to allow passengers to claim a refund within 14 days, including when tickets were purchased through an intermediary.

The text also strengthens protections for people with disabilities, including free travel for an accompanying person when necessary.

Bron : Euronews

Greece: thousands of young people protest over education and housing

Following similar movements elsewhere in Europe, pupils, university students and teachers took to the streets in several Greek cities to demand more funding for public education, better teaching conditions and affordable student housing.

According to police, around 10,000 people marched in Athens. Trade unions point in particular to teacher vacancies and poorly maintained school buildings.

Bron : Reuters, Kathimerini

Economy

France: borrowing costs reach their highest level since 2002

The interest rate at which France borrows money over ten years has reached 5.14%, its highest level since 2002.

Investors are concerned about the country’s debt, political uncertainty and difficulties in getting the budget adopted. The gap between French and German borrowing costs has also widened to its highest level since the European debt crisis of 2011.

Bron : Reuters

Health

Poland: Parliament votes to ease abortion restrictions

Poland’s lower house of parliament has adopted proposals aimed at easing some restrictions on abortion.

The proposals include decriminalising certain forms of assistance with abortion and restoring the option of terminating a pregnancy in cases of foetal abnormalities. The measures seek to partially reverse the tighter restrictions introduced in 2021.

They do not yet change the law definitively: further legislative steps are required, and President Karol Nawrocki could veto them.

Bron : Reuters

Democracy

Georgia: Court examines bid to ban opposition parties

Georgia’s Constitutional Court has begun hearing a case seeking to ban five major opposition parties, brought by the ruling Georgian Dream party.

The proceedings come amid growing tensions between the government, opposition and civil society. According to Reuters, a ruling is expected by June 2027.

Opposition groups and human rights organisations see the case as a threat to political pluralism, as Georgia has held EU candidate status since 2023.

Bron : Reuters, Constitutional Court of Georgia

Solidarity

European Union: €489 million to help four countries recover from storms

The European Parliament has approved around €489 million from the EU Solidarity Fund to help Portugal (€261.5 million), Spain (€149.1 million), Italy (€74.9 million) and Malta (€3.7 million) repair damage caused by storms and floods in 2026.

The aid is intended to help restore infrastructure and essential services. The Council must still formally approve the release of the funds.

Bron : European Parliament

Digital

European Union: Booking.com investigated over fraudulent listings

The European Commission has opened an investigation to determine whether Booking.com complies with the Digital Services Act (DSA) in its efforts to tackle fake listings, scams and phishing attempts.

Brussels is examining, in particular, how the platform assesses these risks and protects its users.

The launch of an investigation does not mean that a breach has been established.

Bron : European Commission

Economy

Euro area: Resilience to the energy shock exceeds expectations

Economists at the European Central Bank believe the euro area has weathered the 2026 energy shock better than expected.

They point in particular to a halving of oil dependency since the early 1990s, investment linked to artificial intelligence and fiscal support.

Bron : Reuters, European Central Bank

History

France: Parliament votes to repeal the Code Noir

On 20 October, the French Senate adopted without amendments a bill to formally repeal the Code Noir, the 1685 royal decree that regulated slavery in France’s colonies.

The bill also provides for recognition of the role colonial laws played in institutionalising slavery and calls on the government to review which provisions derived from colonial law remain in force in France’s overseas territories.

The repeal is primarily symbolic and commemorative: the Code Noir had not been applied since slavery was abolished in 1848, but it had never been formally repealed.

Bron : French Senate, TF1 Info

Security

Italy and France: Military reinforcements following protest-related violence

In Italy, Giorgia Meloni’s government has announced the deployment of an additional 500 troops to Milan following riots, looting and clashes with police. Rome is also preparing tougher penalties for violence committed during protests.

In France, military support has also been announced following the violence on 17 October. According to Reuters, the government plans to deploy troops alongside police to help secure upcoming demonstrations, including those scheduled for Saturday, 24 October.

Bron : Associated Press, Reuters, Le Monde

Geopolitics

Arctic: the EU gives greater prominence to security in its regional strategy

The European Union is updating its Arctic strategy to better address security risks and geopolitical tensions.

Where climate previously occupied a central place, the revised approach would put greater emphasis on data sharing, monitoring “shadow fleets”, protecting undersea cables and developing space infrastructure in Scandinavia.

This shift comes as Arctic shipping routes become more accessible and the region attracts growing strategic interest.

Bron : European Commission, Financial Times

Technology

Greece: the Daedalus supercomputer strengthens Europe’s AI capabilities

On 19 October, Greece inaugurated Daedalus, its national supercomputer, located in Lavrio, near Athens. The project represents an investment of €58.9 million and has a measured performance of 85.69 petaflops.

Ranked 31st in the June 2026 TOP500 global supercomputer rankings, the system is designed to help universities, research centres, businesses and public bodies develop artificial intelligence models and run complex simulations. It receives funding from European sources, among others.

Bron : Euronews

Society

Portugal: police dismantle protest camps amid the housing crisis

During the night of 19–20 October, Portuguese police cleared protest encampments in Lisbon and Porto set up to highlight the housing crisis.

According to public broadcaster RTP, 55 people were arrested in Lisbon and two people sustained minor injuries. The protesters are calling for measures to tackle high rents and for housing reform, which they say favours landlords over tenants. The movement has announced plans to continue its protests in Lisbon.

Bron : Reuters

Politics

Romania: Parliament votes to end six months of political deadlock

Romania’s Parliament is considering the appointment of the government proposed by Luca Niculescu, after nearly six months of political deadlock. The previous government, led by Ilie Bolojan, fell on 5 May, and several attempts to form a new administration have failed.

The candidate for prime minister has secured support from several political groups, including the Social Democrats and the National Liberal Party. The vote is intended to determine whether a majority can finally be formed around a new government.

Bron : Associated Press, Financial Times

Transport

Belgium: Ryanair cuts 20 air routes

On 20 October, Ryanair confirmed that it would cut 20 routes from Brussels Airport and Charleroi for the winter 2026–2027 season. The airline also announced the withdrawal of six aircraft and a reduction of 1.1 million seats.

It blamed the decision on a planned increase in the federal tax on airline tickets, which is due to rise to €7 per passenger in January 2027.

Bron : The Brussels Times, Ryanair press release

Sport

UEFA demands answers from FIFA

UEFA is asking FIFA to release documents relating to its abandoned plan to sell private investors a stake in the commercial revenues generated by its competitions, including the World Cup.

In a letter containing 42 questions, the European governing body is seeking answers by 2 November on decision-making, Gianni Infantino’s remuneration and several governance issues.

Bron : Reuters, The Guardian

Industry

European Union: €3.4 billion for 77 low-carbon industrial projects

The European Commission has selected 77 low-carbon technology projects to share €3.4 billion from the Innovation Fund.

Spread across 23 countries in the European Economic Area, the projects cover areas including energy storage, clean technologies, critical raw materials recycling and industrial decarbonisation.

Bron : European Commission