Europe

clip YT EP, ca. 4 mins

"The EU supports Denmark and the peoples of Greenland and we are united in our resolve (...) We are Europe and we will always stand up for our way."

Info: The measures threatened over the weekend by the United States' administration will not help improve security in the Arctic.

At the beginning of Parliament's plenary session today, President Metsola addressed the increased pressure put on Denmark and Greenland by the US administration. Transatlantic and Arctic security can absolutely be achieved without the destabilising impact of calling Greenland and Denmark's sovereignty into question, she added.

The Parliament will debate the EU's response to President Trump's claims on Greenland on 20 January at 13:00 CET.

https://archive.is/2026.01.19-163903/https://www.ft.com/content/beeaf869-ca12-4178-95a1-bfb69ee27ae4

Listen to Donald Trump and you would think Moscow and Beijing were lying in wait off the coast of Greenland, ready to pounce to boost their power in the Arctic.

"There are Russian destroyers, there are Chinese destroyers and, bigger, there are Russian submarines all over the place," President Trump said recently.

That is why, according to America's president, US control of Greenland is essential.

So how do you think Moscow has reacted to its alleged plot being uncovered and potentially thwarted by a US takeover of Greenland?

The Russians can't be pleased. Right?

Wrong.

In an astonishing article, the Russian government paper is full of praise for Trump and critical of European leaders who oppose a US annexation of Greenland.

"Standing in the way of the US president's historic breakthrough is the stubbornness of Copenhagen and the mock solidarity of intransigent European countries, including so-called friends of America, Britain and France," writes Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

"Europe does not need the American greatness that Trump is promoting. Brussels is counting on 'drowning' the US president in the midterm congressional elections, on preventing him from concluding the greatest deal of his life."

"Greatest deal"? The reporter explains what he means. I have to keep reminding myself I am reading the Russian government newspaper, not a pro-Trump publication in America.

"If Trump annexes Greenland by July 4 2026, when America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, he will go down in history as a figure who asserted the greatness of the United States," writes Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

"With Greenland, the US becomes the second largest country in the world after Russia, surpassing Canada in area. For Americans, that's on par with such planetary events as the abolition of slavery by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 or the territorial conquests of the Napoleonic Wars.

"If, thanks to Trump, Greenland becomes part of America…for sure the American people will not forget such an achievement."

And the Russian reporter has this message for America's president: don't U-turn.

"It is dangerous for the American president to back down over Greenland. This would weaken the position of the Republican Party in the midterm elections and likely result in a Democrat majority on Capitol Hill with the ensuing consequences for Trump. Whereas a rapid annexation of Greenland before the elections can change this political trend

MaiaSpace has been selected by Eutelsat for multi-year OneWeb LEO satellite launches, strengthening Europe’s access to space from 2027.

A new fiscal model proposed by Spain's finance minister for its regional governments has faced a heavy backlash from regional leaders, who accuse the central government of toying with public finances to win political favours as it struggles to hold its fragile coalition together.

The Socialists, who head a minority coalition government, struck a bilateral deal with Catalonia at the behest of separatist party ERC that guarantees the region will receive the same amount in services as it pays in taxes, while other governments receive varying amounts.

...

That has infuriated the country's other regions, with some threatening to take the state to court for, they claim, contravening the constitutional principle that no territory should be given a financial advantage over another by the central government.

Economists and ratings agencies have also expressed concern over an additional 21 billion euros promised in the model by the state to regional governments, worsening Spain's fiscal position when it is already buckling under the strain of higher pensions and pressure to boost defence spending.

...

Spain's central budget is still being rolled over this year from its 2023 version after it failed last November to secure backing from the conservative opposition People's Party, hard-right Vox and hard-left Podemos for a new proposal.

...

Serbia entered 2026 in full pre-election mode — even though a date for a parliamentary election has not yet been set.

After more than a year of protests, student blockades and political tension, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has accepted the challenge posed by students and citizens who have been demanding a snap election.

Nevertheless, just when the president will call that election remains to be seen.

Over the course of the past few months, Vucic has gradually narrowed down possible dates for a poll, moving from a vague promise that the election would take place "before the legal deadline," through information that it would be in "late 2026 or early 2027" to the latest announcement that suggests a vote could be held in October, November or December.

...

By the end of 2025, the mass protests that had been taking place across Serbia since November 2024 had largely subsided: Faculty blockades were lifted, and students returned to class.

...

In related news, the upcoming visit of the mission of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) to Belgrade has triggered a harsh reaction from Serbian high officials, including President Aleksandar Vučić and Speaker of the Parliament Ana Brnabić. They claim that the MPs were coming to the country “uninvited”, stressing that they had no intention of meeting the delegation from Brussels ...

The members of the European Parliament are scheduled to visit Serbia from 22 to 24 January, in order to assess the situation on the ground, speak with relevant actors, and, based on that, define the next steps of the EP towards the country.

...

Aleksandar Vučić said that he did not want to see or talk to the MEPs from Brussels “who are coming to Serbia uninvited”.

“I have no intention of wasting my time… The EP delegation decided on the timing of their visit on their own… I will be at the World Economic Forum in Davos during their visit”, Vučić stated during his visit to Abu Dhabi.

...

He clarified that the delegation, which comprises MEPs from various political groups, aims at “gaining a complete picture of the situation in Serbia, through direct conversations with those who reflect the sentiment of the Serbian people”.

The Serbian opposition parties strongly criticised the officials for their unwillingness to meet with the EP delegation. Stefan Janjić, a MEP of the “Serbia Centre” party, denied the claims by Ana Brnabić that she was not informed about their arrival in Serbia.

...

https://archive.is/nt3mD

In a press release, the telecommunications equipment manufacturer announces headcount reductions for 1600 employees in Sweden.

In the name of fighting crime and terrorism, EU law requires mandatory police surveillance of international air travel. Governments are now considering surveillance of all other modes of transport, in particular maritime travel. They also want to use data for new purposes, such as immigration control. A working group has been set up to consider new legal proposals.

Well...

Archived link

There are so many pending court cases against allies of Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s Socialist prime minister, that a newspaper story on New Year’s Eve forecast that 2026 would be his “judicial Calvary”. They include half a dozen investigations into allegations of corruption against his closest political allies. In addition, the country’s constitutional court is likely to hear an appeal against the Supreme Court’s conviction and dismissal of Álvaro García Ortiz, the former prosecutor-general, for leaking the tax problems of the romantic partner of the head of the Madrid regional government. And judges have charged Mr Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, and his brother with conflicts of interest (both say they are innocent).

The prime minister and his allies consider this a campaign of judicial harassment aimed at overthrowing the government.

...

The wider problem for Spain’s democracy is that the judiciary has become a political football. Some Spaniards think judges have always been influenced by politics, and it has merely become more explicit.

...

Nobody seriously questions ... judicial investigations into corruption. “It’s not true that the judiciary is [biased] against the government,” says Elisa de la Nuez, a campaigner for the rule of law. But the pushback is worrying, she adds. “For the first time judges feel threatened by political power.” In the long term, that is in nobody’s interest. It is up to politicians to take the first step, by ceasing to seek to judicialise politics. But given how polarised Spain has become, that may be too much to ask.

A round-up of reactions from European leaders in response to Trump's tariff threats.

cross-posted from : https://lemmy.ca/post/58874841

Russian officials welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on NATO allies over Greenland, with Kremlin economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev claiming on Jan. 17 that the move signals the "collapse" of the transatlantic alliance.

Trump earlier said that Washington would impose 10% tariffs on NATO allies — France, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands, and Finland — until the U.S. reaches a deal to buy Greenland. He has threatened to acquire the island "one way or the other."

"The transatlantic alliance is over," Dmitriev wrote on X, mocking European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and urging European leaders not to "provoke" Trump.

MBFC
Archive

Calls grow for the EU to deploy its ultimate trade bazooka as Trump threatens fresh tariffs to force the sale of Greenland. The anti-coercion instrument would shut off access to the European single market, punishing US companies. It is powerful on paper, but untested in real life.

Pressure is growing on European leaders to deploy its trade bazooka against the United States after President Donald Trump threatened fresh tariffs if Denmark does not agree to sell the territory of Greenland. In a scenario of coercion, the EU counts with a powerful tool in the anti-coertion instrument, and calls are intensifying for Brussels to trigger it.

But how does it work? Euronews explains: