Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Will voters have EU action in mind when they vote in the European elections?
00:08 In France, Jordan Bardella, leader of the National Rally, has styled the European elections
00:13 as midterms ahead of France's 2027 elections and has called for voters to sanction what
00:19 he calls Macron's Europe.
00:21 "In France, it's the only election before the next presidential election in 2027. It's
00:28 a national election, so there's a strong temptation to nationalise the scrutiny."
00:34 Back in 1980, two researchers dubbed EU elections as second-order national elections. The reason
00:40 is that EU elections are held at the national level, governed by national rules, with national
00:44 candidates facing off over national issues. Even the voting method, the voting day and
00:49 the voting age differ from one member state to another.
00:52 "Voters are more likely to vote for national, economic and social reasons, such as the rise
00:59 in energy costs, inflation, than on European issues, such as European institutions, European
01:06 policies and even the war in Ukraine."
01:13 Various groups within society do consider European issues. This trend is strongest amongst
01:21 white-collar workers, graduates and the wealthy. Crises such as the war in Ukraine have highlighted
01:26 the actions taken by the EU, but will this affect how people vote?
01:30 "The question for European institutions is to show that this European action exists,
01:35 but it is effective. And that is much harder in terms of public opinion."
01:42 This year, European issues could perhaps be overshadowed by national issues in the EU
01:48 elections, with the attention of many countries elsewhere. Presidential elections have taken
01:53 place or will take place in Finland, Slovakia, Lithuania and Romania, while voters in Portugal,
01:59 Austria, Belgium and Croatia have legislative elections.
02:04 European issues are also addressed in national elections, yet they are often so intertwined
02:09 with national issues that it is challenging to distinguish between them.
02:13 French President Emmanuel Macron warned of Europe's dwindling influence on the global
02:20 scene during a keynote speech in Paris. According to Macron, if it fails to undertake massive
02:27 trade and economic reforms to compete with China and the US, the continent will become
02:32 impoverished.
02:33 "We must be clear that our Europe is mortal. It can die. It can die, but it can not die
02:41 alone. It can die, and it depends only on our choices."
02:48 The French Premier added that the main danger for European security is the war in Ukraine.
02:54 He emphasised that it was "absolutely necessary" that Russia does not win the war of aggression
02:59 it is waging against its neighbour.
03:06 Resettlement and accommodation centres in Cyprus are full. Around 25,500 asylum seekers
03:13 hope that authorities will grant them refugee status. In the last two months, dozens of
03:18 boats have arrived at the island's coast. They come from Lebanon and mostly carry Syrians.
03:25 "We came here to secure our livelihoods and our future. There is no future in Syria.
03:32 Many of the youth left their families and everything and came here to live. I left them and came
03:39 here to secure my livelihoods and to provide them with accommodation to leave Syria. Life
03:44 in Syria is very difficult."
03:46 The latest developments have alarmed authorities who are struggling to manage the large and
03:50 unexpected number of refugee arrivals and the worst may be yet to come.
03:57 This reception centre hosts around 1,000 asylum seekers. Local politicians warn of the country's
04:15 growing number of refugees.
04:22 The government is asking the EU to change the status of Syria, arguing that parts of
04:34 the country are no longer war zones.
04:42 "The issue is not only a matter of concern for our citizens, but also a criterion for
04:49 the next elections. We and other EU countries see that there are specific areas in Syria
04:54 that can be described as safe. The EU itself should show active solidarity, active support
05:01 for Cyprus. However, we believe that through this package, which will be presented in Lebanon
05:08 on 2 May, we will be in a position, but mainly Lebanon, to maintain the immigration routes
05:15 to Cyprus."
05:18 At the moment, 7% of the country's population are refugees and immigrants. Nikos Christodoulidis
05:25 claims that it is now a matter of national security. Lefkosia is asking Brussels and its
05:32 European partners to show more solidarity.
05:39 European authorities say they've rounded up a criminal gang who stole rare antique books
05:48 worth 2.5 million euros from libraries across Europe. Nine Georgian nationals were arrested
05:55 by Interpol following an international investigation. One of the suspects, arrested in Belgium and
06:00 extradited to Lithuania, is believed to have stolen from the Vilnius University Library.
06:07 Some of the books were sold via auction houses in St. Petersburg and Moscow, making them
06:25 irrecoverable. Thieves would request to check the books in person and later returned counterfeit
06:30 versions to the libraries. More than 150 stolen books are recovered and their provenance is
06:36 now being established.
06:43 Censorship controversy overshadowed the anniversary of Italy's liberation day after allegations
06:49 its state broadcaster stopped an anti-fascist speech from airing.
06:56 State-run broadcaster RAI withdrew a planned monologue by Italian author Antonio Scoratti
07:04 where he denounced fascism and what he said was the Italian premier Giorgia Maloney's
07:10 refusal to repudiate it.
07:13 In an attempt to put the issue to rest, Maloney published Scoratti's essay to her own Facebook
07:19 page along with an introduction accusing the left-wing opposition of creating a scandal
07:25 where none existed.
07:28 Maloney's Brothers of Italy party has tried to distance itself from its neo-fascist roots,
07:34 with it emerging on the political landscape following the fall of dictator Mussolini.
07:42 A shocking and sudden transformation of one of Paris' most iconic sights. The sails of
07:48 the fabled cabaret venue the Moulin Rouge mysteriously tumbled to the ground overnight
07:53 without causing any injuries. Locals and tourists watched as workers began to repair the damage
07:59 to the 19th century façade.
08:01 It's a symbol of Montmartre, it's the Bohème, it's Montmartre, the village, Paris, the whole world
08:07 comes to take a picture at the foot of the Moulin Rouge. It will be unique pictures to take for the moment
08:13 without the sails, but I think that the management of the Moulin Rouge will do its best to put
08:19 the sails back on quickly.
08:21 It's good that nobody was injured, it's a huge luck. And yes, I think it's not that difficult
08:27 to replace, it will take a little time and it will be strange for all the tourists.
08:31 It's still not clear what caused the sails to fall off the wooden structure, but the management
08:36 company said it appeared to have been a technical problem rather than a malicious act.
08:41 A painting by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt that was thought to be lost for a hundred years
08:53 has been sold at auction in Vienna. The unfinished work, Portrait of Fräulein Lisa, went to an
09:01 unidentified buyer for 30 million euros.
09:05 The painting was commissioned by a family of Jewish industrialists in 1917, a year before
09:12 Klimt's death. The sale price set an art auction record for Austria.
09:19 Applauding and hugs. It's farewell time in Strasbourg.
09:24 The last plenary session of the European Parliament has ended and many of its members will say
09:30 goodbye to the Hennes cycle, while others are determined to come back after the elections.
09:35 The ninth legislature was one of the most turbulent with multiple crises to face.
09:41 Euronews asked MEPs about their main achievements and failures.
09:45 Political groups are mostly proud about their response to the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's
09:50 invasion of Ukraine.
09:52 The biggest achievement for sure was to restart the European engine, the economic engine,
09:58 after the corona crisis. So the RF, the recovery resilience fund, was for sure the most important
10:03 decision in this mandate.
10:06 The European Green Deal was among the main achievements for leftist parties, including
10:11 the European Union.
10:13 The European Union has been a key player in the European economy since the beginning of
10:18 the pandemic.
10:20 The European Union has been a key player in the European economy since the beginning of
10:25 the pandemic.
10:27 The European Union has been a key player in the European economy since the beginning of
10:31 the pandemic.
10:36 The European Green Deal was among the main achievements for leftist parties, even if
10:40 some key legislation was not adopted or significantly watered down.
10:44 I would have liked the restoration of nature law to be a reality. We have worked for it.
10:49 Unfortunately, the council has blocked this directive and we hope that in the future,
10:54 as soon as possible, we can get it through.
10:58 But there are also regrets on big issues for this term, like the new fiscal rules and migration
11:03 policies.
11:05 Which is a fiscal straitjacket that will make all the ambitions of the Green Deal and also
11:12 supporting Ukraine, financially impossible. And the asylum and migration pact which will
11:19 not solve anything and which is just making a joke of the European values.
11:24 The European Parliament in Strasbourg will reopen its doors on the 16th of July for the
11:29 first plenary session of the new term after the June European elections.
11:34 [WHOOSH]