Europe Focus

Roundup

ITALY

Meloni criticizes Games saboteurs

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has blamed "gangs of criminals" and "enemies of Italy" for sabotaging railway tracks in an apparent attempt to discredit the nation as it hosts the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. The saboteurs damaged train tracks around the city of Bologna on Saturday, causing widespread delays on the first full day of the Games. "Thousands and thousands of Italians are working during these hours, so that everything works in the Olympics," Meloni wrote on social media. "Then, there are the enemies of Italy… whose images will end up being broadcast on televisions throughout much of the world."

UNITED KINGDOM

Prime minister's top aide stands down

The prime minister's top adviser quit his job on Sunday after he came under pressure because of his role in a scandal surrounding the nation's former ambassador to the United States. Morgan McSweeney, who had been advising Keir Starmer since long before he came to power in 2024, stood down as his chief of staff after critics complained Starmer had been poorly advised when he appointed Peter Mandelson, who has since been shown to have been a close friend of a convicted sex of fender.

China-UK awards spotlight contributors

With China-UK relations in focus after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's recent visit, the first by a UK PM since 2018, the Hurun UK-China Awards 2026 in London spotlighted snooker's meteoric rise, Liverpool Football Club's reach, Octopus Energy's renewables push, broadcaster Bear Grylls's fan base, and the iconic Brompton Bicycle. Two weeks after the PM's visit, the gala on Tuesday recognized outstanding contributions to bilateral ties, presenting 22 awards, and attracting 180 leading figures from the business community.

PORTUGAL

Seguro declares victory in election

Center-left Socialist Party candidate Antonio Jose Seguro declared victory in the second-round presidential election on Sunday. According to the interior ministry, 99.2 percent of the ballots had been counted, with Seguro winning 66.8 percent of the vote and far-right Chega leader Andre Ventura securing 33.2 percent. Ventura has conceded defeat. In his victory speech, Seguro said he would govern with independence, treat all political parties and social partners impartially, and foster collaboration with both parliament and the government.

GERMANY

MSC report warns of 'wrecking-ball politics'

The world has slipped into a volatile era of "wrecking-ball politics" that favors the dismantling of institutions over incremental reform, a report from the Munich Security Conference, or MSC, has warned. The conference gathers 65 heads of state and government, alongside nearly 100 foreign ministers and defense ministers, top commanders, and senior officials, for three days of discussions beginning on Friday. The 2026 MSC report, published on Monday, cautioned that the global order is under mounting strain, alliances are fraying, and geopolitical rifts are deepening.

FRANCE

Letters urge young adults to have babies

The government will mail all 29-year-olds an informational letter about age-related fertility decline and available support, in an effort to encourage earlier family planning. The letter will note services for infertility, address biological clocks for men and women, and explain that social security covers egg freezing and storage for ages 29 to 37. The health minister said the goal is to open possibilities, and the letter was not a directive. France's fertility rate is 1.56 children per woman, the lowest since 1918.