Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Protests erupted in Paris on Wednesday night against a controversial gala organized by
00:09Israel's far right, the event held in a secret location intended to raise money for Israel.
00:16It advertised guests such as the Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smodrich, known for his
00:22extreme positions on Gaza, who ended up cancelling his trip to Paris.
00:27The demonstration was organized by multiple pro-Palestinian groups and the hard-left France
00:32Unbowed Party.
00:33It's a follow-up to the Israel Forever gala, I would rather say Horror Israel, because we
00:42invite people who have spoken out, who incite racial hatred, and beyond that, who dehumanize,
00:48that is to say, to speak concretely, that is to say, who compare Palestinians to animals.
00:57French authorities refused to cancel the event, claiming it posed no major threat to
01:01public order, further angering protesters and some left-wing politicians.
01:07It's a real anger, because we have people who, once again, here, in the heat, in a golden
01:12living room, who will raise money, who will feed the Israeli army tomorrow, who will massacre
01:15children in Palestine.
01:16It's absolutely unacceptable.
01:17Although the demonstration was relatively peaceful, a few stores, such as McDonald's
01:21and Carrefour, were vandalized.
01:24Tensions are at an all-time high, as the gala was coincidentally held on the eve of a football
01:30match between Israel and France.
01:33Some are worried the game could lead to major clashes.
01:36To see that there is so much force for this event, it scares me a bit for the non-violent
01:42attitude of the mobilizations that will be played against us.
01:46A total of 4,000 police officers will be mobilized for the football game on Thursday evening
01:52in Paris.
01:53That's one police officer for every five attendees, a highly unusual number for such a sporting
01:59event.
02:06The European Parliament debated the future of EU-US relations under the new Trump administration,
02:12considering how to address challenges as the EU seeks stable transatlantic relations.
02:17The American people has spoken.
02:20Having customs taxes of 60% on all Chinese products, in a globalized market, would also
02:29affect us, because the Chinese products that would not go to the United States could come
02:34to Europe.
02:35It also speaks of massively expelling immigrants, which, apart from moral and human issues,
02:44would also have an inflationary effect.
02:47The US is Europe's most long-standing ally and its main security provider, with leaders
02:54across the political spectrum agreeing dialogue is paramount to survive Trump's America-first
03:00mindset.
03:09The future of the European Commission is in limbo.
03:12The six designated vice presidents were grilled on Tuesday by MEPs at the European Parliament,
03:17but instead of wrapping up the decision on the six most important members of Ursula von
03:21der Leyen's team, the process is dragging on.
03:25So it seems that the biggest political groups in the parliament made some kind of deal beforehand
03:30that everybody should pass, in order to bring the commission into office as quick as possible.
03:38You know, this deal among the political groups seems to be broken now.
03:44There was a decision expected yesterday already, then today, and now it was postponed to next
03:48week.
03:50And so we don't know really when the decision will be made and what the outcome will be.
03:55If indeed, as originally planned, all commissioners will pass through or not.
04:02Everybody is against everybody right now.
04:04The European Popular Party didn't want to give its green light to Spanish socialist
04:08Teresa Rivera after the floods in Valencia.
04:11The socialists strongly criticized this stance, claiming that Rivera is used as a scapegoat.
04:17This could create a domino effect.
04:19If Rivera falls, it could mean that Italy's ultra-conservative Raffaele Fito could also
04:24fall, something that EPP is strongly rejecting.
04:29As the analysts explain, the role of EPP is very strong.
04:35Parliament works with majorities.
04:36You need 50% plus one for decisions to pass.
04:39And the EPP, together with all the parties that sit to the right of them, have a majority.
04:44But also the EPP can build majorities to its left, together with the social democrats and
04:47the liberals, as happened in the last term most of the times.
04:50So basically, the EPP is the kingmaker.
04:52It can go to the left and it can go to the right to make majorities.
04:55So that makes it very powerful at the moment.
04:58And also, in all decisions concerned of the hearings, when it comes to the organization
05:01of the hearings, but also when it comes now to the decisions which candidates pass and
05:06which not, the EPP has a very prominent role.
05:10Time is of the essence for the EU Commission, which needs to be ready before Donald Trump
05:14takes office in the US.
05:22Police deployed water cannons at demonstrators after hundreds gathered in Brussels to protest
05:26the arrival of French far-right politician Jordan Bardella.
05:32Local media reports that around 300 protesters organized by left-wing groups and from Belgian
05:37universities were met by police as they demonstrated against the arrival of the chairman of France's
05:43far-right National Rally Party.
05:49Bardella arrived in Belgium to present his recently published memoir.
05:58Storms in Spain's southern province of Malaga caused school closures and train cancellations.
06:03Two weeks after flash floods in Valencia and other parts of the country killed more than
06:08220 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
06:13Streets in the area were flooded as thousands were moved from their houses as a preventative
06:17measure.
06:19There were no reports of any deaths.
06:23Experts say that drought and flood cycles are increasing with climate change.
06:31In response to the devastating floods in Spain, the European Parliament debated measures to
06:36strengthen the EU's resilience to extreme weather events and provide support to those
06:40impacted by the disaster.
06:44The debate focused on enhancing the EU's crisis response, particularly in regions increasingly
06:49vulnerable to climate-driven events.
07:01European farmers took to streets in Brussels to protest against the free trade agreement
07:05between the European Union and Mercosur.
07:09Signed in 2019, this free trade agreement between the EU and five Latin American countries
07:15that has never been implemented could finally get a green light next week at the G20 summit
07:20in Brazil.
07:22Protesters believe that its adoption would create unfair competition for European agriculture.
07:27The EU-Mercosur agreement is very unfavourable for Europe.
07:31It may be favourable for selling cars, but it is very unfavourable at the agricultural
07:37level.
07:38Opponents of the agreement also fear social, health and environmental consequences, such
07:54as increased deforestation for livestock farming.
08:19This agreement aims to increase trade in goods and services between the EU and Latin American
08:24economies through the gradual removal of trade barriers and tariffs, and the standardisation
08:29of conditions and regulations.
08:43Member states have been fighting over this for 25 years.
09:12While Germany, Spain and Italy campaign in favour, France, Poland and Austria are directly
09:17opposed to it.
09:23Nobody believes Crimea will ever go back to Ukraine, as part of any final resolution
09:28to the war there, says former President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso.
09:34Mr Barroso led the European Commission from 2004 to 2014, the period when Putin first
09:40began his territorial incursions into Georgia and Ukraine.
09:44Speaking exclusively to Euronews, he says there was a feeling amongst member states
09:48that Crimea was a special case.
09:51And many countries rejected the ideas of strong sanctions for Putin following the annexation.
09:57What do you think of the period, I suppose?
10:00Do you think that the warnings weren't taken seriously?
10:03Was there a belief that in 2014 maybe we shouldn't escalate by applying such extreme sanctions
10:10against Russia for Crimea?
10:40What should we do now?
10:59We should support Ukraine.
11:03Whatever happens with our American friends, we should support Ukraine.
11:07Because if not, it's not only going to be a tragedy for Ukraine, it's a very important
11:11country, but it's a tragedy for Europe.
11:15And it's going to be the best possible offer we give to the movement against democracy,
11:22against international law, against also our own values.
11:27If Russia and others that are now supporting Russia continue to say all over the world,
11:32including in the so-called global south, that Europe and the West, they are gone, they
11:36are decadent, they no longer count, democracy is completely corrupt ideology.
11:43And the rest of the interview will be broadcast on Euronews' Europe Conversation next Thursday.