PARIS

France’s conservative right is courting far-right voters after Marine Le Pen’s conviction, with an eye firmly on the 2027 presidential race. Read more.

France plans e-commerce crackdown on China's Temu, Shein. The French government has launched a new e-commerce strategy to curb the annual influx of around 1.5 billion parcels entering the country, half of which originate from China. Read more.

///

BERLIN

Germany's new electronic patient file: a win with shortcomings. Today, Germany begins the nationwide rollout of the electronic patient file (ePA), granting patients greater autonomy and access to their personal data. While the move will enhance transparency, it offers only limited simplification of patients' rights – especially in cases involving cross-border medical errors. Read more.

STOCKHOLM

The Swedish government is proposing stricter eligibility rules for migrants seeking access to social benefits. The new measures would require non-EU citizens – including students and workers from third countries – to have legally resided in Sweden for five consecutive years to qualify for social benefits such as child allowance, sick pay, or parental leave. Read more.

LISBON

Portugal's prime minister announced on Tuesday that the government will set up an independent technical commission and request a European audit to assess the electricity systems of the countries affected by Monday's power outage. Read more.

Airports almost back to normal after power outage. Operations at Portuguese airports were running normally on Tuesday, although airport operator ANA said there were still some impacts related to the flights cancelled or delayed on Monday due to the blackout and the high turnout for baggage delivery.

"Operations at Portuguese airports are running smoothly, with all operational systems up and running," the airport operator said in a statement.

In Porto and Faro, operations are running smoothly, still with some impacts related to the flights cancelled or delayed the previous day, while at Lisbon airport the "recovery of yesterday's flights [Monday] presents greater challenges, but the situation is under control," ANA said.

The airport management company also pointed to a high turnout at airline counters to reschedule flights and at ground handling services to deliver luggage. As a result, it said, a baggage handling plan is being implemented at Lisbon airport in conjunction with the various organisations, and “passengers will start to be contacted by the airlines with information about the delivery of their baggage.”

(Maria João Pereira – edited by Pedro Sousa Carvalho | Lusa.pt)

///

ROME

A nation on the waiting list: How politics is paralysing healthcare in Italy. Patients across Italy are facing increasing delays for urgent medical check-ups as a deepening standoff between the government and the regions puts further strain on an already overstretched healthcare system and pushes more people to seek private care – or none at all. Read more.

///

VALLETTA

EU court slams Malta for selling passports to the rich. Malta broke EU law by selling citizenship – and with it, EU rights – to wealthy foreigners, the EU’s top court ruled on Tuesday. Read more.

WARSAW

Poland to pilot shorter working hours. Poland will launch a pilot program aimed at reducing working hours, with Labour, Family and Social Policy Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk (Left, S&D) announcing that companies joining the initiative will be eligible for both financial and expert support.

“The pilot will be open to entrepreneurs, local government units, foundations, associations, and trade unions, so that every employer can see what works best in their case,” explained Dziemianowicz-Bąk. The minister stressed that the program is open to all entities that submit the appropriate application, regardless of the sector.

The reduction in working time may involve shortening the number of working hours in a single day, changing the number of working days per week, or granting additional days of leave.

“This will be the first pilot program on reduced working hours in this part of Europe, the first in our region, and the first on such a large scale in Poland. We want to promote shorter working hours and encourage different types of organisations to test various solutions,” Dziemianowicz-Bąk emphasised.

The Ministry is expected to announce the rules and conditions of the pilot program by the end of June this year, with the recruitment of participants set to begin in the following months.

(Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | Euractiv.pl)

///

PRAGUE

Czechia slams EU proposal for annual safety checks on older cars. Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka has hit out at a European Commission proposal to introduce annual technical inspections for cars older than 10 years - twice as often as currently required in Czechia.

The measure would hit Czechs particularly hard, as the country’s car fleet has an average age of 16.4 years – one of the oldest in Europe.

“The European Commission's proposal for annual inspections of older cars is a bureaucratic whip and an unnecessary burden on citizens – both in time and money,” Kupka wrote on X

“We are against it and will actively oppose it! Unnecessary regulations should be reduced and not multiplied,” he added.

Czech MEP Tomáš Zdechovský from the Christian Democrats also rejected the proposal, saying that it “hits ordinary people’s wallets".

For Kupka, the solution lies elsewhere. He believes road safety is less about increasing inspection frequency and more about maintaining a reliable network of quality control free of rogue or non-compliant testing stations, an issue that has been reported in Czech media in recent months.

(Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.cz)

///

BRATISLAVA

Extremist linked to Fico government sent to custody. The Slovak Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that Daniel Bombic, charged with extremist crimes, will be held in custody due to concerns that he may continue his criminal activity. The decision overturned an earlier ruling by the Specialised Criminal Court, which had released Bombic on 19 April.

Before being taken away, Bombic waved to his supporters and flashed the “White Power” hand sign - an act he is also being prosecuted for.

Bombic has grown increasingly close to lawmakers from Robert Fico’s ruling coalition. Judita Laššáková, a MEP for Fico’s Smer-SD (NI), has been his long-time ally and co-hosted with him livestreams featuring politicians on YouTube - among them Fico himself and Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák. All three have publicly defended Bombic on several occasions.

Bombic’s legal representation also comes from Kallan Legal, a law firm co-owned by Prime Minister Fico’s advisor David Lindtner and Defence Minister Kaliňák.

Bombic spent many years in the United Kingdom. After being charged with multiple extremist offences based on his social media content, three international arrest warrants were issued against him. He was finally extradited to Slovakia in January 2025 aboard a government jet.

After his arrival, Slovak courts initially allowed him to remain free, requiring him to wear a monitoring bracelet and restricting his online activity. However, the prosecutor argued that Bombic violated these conditions by continuing to post hate-fuelled content online.

(Natália Silenská | Euractiv.sk)

SOFIA

Bulgaria's nationalists sign cooperation agreement with with Putin's party. The pro-Russian nationalist party Vazrazhdane (Revival) has signed an agreement for joint cooperation and equal partnership with the ruling party United Russia of Vladimir Putin. This was announced by Vazrazhdane in a press release about their delegation's visit to the Russian capital Moscow at the invitation of Putin's party. Read more.

///

BUCHAREST

US approves Patriot missile sale to Romania. The US State Department has approved the sale of a MIM-104 PATRIOT air defence system to Romania, the US embassy in Bucharest announced on Tuesday. The system will replace the one Romania donated to Ukraine in September 2024.

According to Romania’s national defence ministry, the estimated cost of the new system is $262 million.

Funding for the system will come from external grants provided by a coalition of allied countries and the Immediate Action on Air Defence Initiative.

The largest contributor is Norway, which will provide about $127 million, according to an announcement made at the Nordic Council of States meeting in Reykjavik in October 2024.

Romania is pursuing a $3.9 billion programme to acquire seven PATRIOT surface-to-air missile systems. So far, four systems have been delivered, including the one to Ukraine.

(Catalina Mihai | Euractiv.ro)

• EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in 2025 EPP Congress, in Valencia, Spain;
• Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera delivers keynote speech at the Global Competition Law Centre (GCLC) annual conference on “Present and Future of Competition Policy under the umbrella of the EU’s Open Strategic Autonomy”;
• Vice President Roxana Mînzatu delivers keynote speech at Skills Summit on “Scaling Up STEM Education for Competitiveness and Social Fairness”;
• Equality Commissioner Hadja Lahbib hosts Red Cross EU Coordination Group Chair Eero Rämö;
• Health and Animal Welfare Commissioner Oliver Várhelyi holds videoconference with Medicines for Europe representatives; Meets with European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations representatives;
• Parliament President Roberta Metsola participates in 2025 EPP Congress, in Valencia, Spain.

***

[Edited by Vas Panagiotopoulos, Charles Szumski, Daniel Eck, Sofia Mandilara]