Western Europe
The Western Europe Section of IR Insider publishes breaking news reports and analysis from the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and other Western European nations. Topics covered by the Western Europe Section may range from Brexit to negotiations within the European Union and beyond. Our section editor is Chris Bond.
On Nov. 8, Dutch Company ASML reported a shipment increase of 29.5 percent in October year on year to PRC-based companies and the PRC itself. ASML is responsible for creating the machinery required to create the world's most advanced microchips.
On Sept. 6th 2023, Spain, which will hold the European Union’s presidency until this December, took a major step in restructuring the bloc’s electricity market.
The conflict between Hamas and Israel has captured the attention of the world, from Copenhagen to Cartajena protests of support or condemnation for one side or another are continuously thrown. From the IR perspective, though, it is certainly well to step back to see the wider picture of how the individual reactions of individual nations lend to a picture of the wider whole.
As the war in Ukraine progresses and an economic recession looms, EU nations have been forced to reinvent their economic models in order to cut their dependence on authoritarian regimes and dim the effects of the climate crisis.
The international community has been aware of the migrant crisis in Europe for a decade.
On March 17th, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave Finnish President Sauli Niinisto the green light to apply for NATO membership, signaling a shift in Erdogan's policy.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni discussed the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
After winning a primary vote on Feb. 27, Elena Ethel "Elly" Schlein was elected the leader of Partito Democratico (the Democratic Party of Italy), or PD.
The European Union and United Kingdom reached a historic deal on Monday regarding post-Brexit legal issues.
On Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, the German Parliament announced its intent to vote on the proposed plan to set aside €10 billion (or $10.5 billion) to purchase the F-35 stealth fighter jets from American company Lockheed Martin.
Nov. 27, 2022, BBC journalist Edward Lawrence was arrested whilst covering protests against coronavirus lockdowns in Shanghai, China.
Global climate talks at the COP27 conference in Egypt have dragged on as countries continue to debate the best way to help nations most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
On Nov. 17, 2022, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt will announce the government’s new spending plan.
On Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022 climate protesters organized in the streets of Lisbon, Portugal and stormed the building where Antonio Costa Silva, Portugal’s Economy Minister, was speaking.
What was expected to be a smooth transition into NATO has turned into a long-winded diplomatic negotiation as Sweden and Finland face difficulties joining the organization due to Turkey’s persistent opposition.
On Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, the Italian government finally let two ships of migrants disembark in Rome: the Humanity 1, run by the charity SOS Humanity, and the Geo Barents, run by Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF).
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of the Brothers of Italy party announced a decree banning unlicensed raves on October 31, but allowed Mussolini admirers and fascist supporters to march to the dictator’s burial grounds, signifying a potentially dangerous new chapter for Italy.
Rishi Sunak of the Conservative Party officially became England’s prime minister on October 25, following the resignation of Liz Truss. He is the country’s third prime minister in seven weeks and its first non-white.
On Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, Giorgia Meloni gave her first speech as the new Prime Minister of Italy, the first woman to hold the position in the country’s history.
France is the latest country to pull out of the Energy Charter Treaty, which protects fossil fuel investments from policy changes that pose threats to profits.
Liz Truss of the Conservative Party stepped down as British Prime Minister. She made the announcement outside 10 Downing Street on October 20th.
The European Union’s plan to assist Ukraine in the war against Russia has finally been approved by foreign ministers.
Strikes by fuel refinery workers in France are leaving the country in turmoil, with motorists in every part of the country struggling to get gas for their vehicles. The strike first began on Sept. 20, 2022, when workers at the ExxonMobil refinery went on strike. The labor shortages were then exacerbated when TotalEnergies workers joined the strike on Sept. 26, 2022. The French government ordered workers to begin work again, yet the labor unions leading the strike decided to extend them as recently as Oct. 12, 2022, as their conditions have not been met. With an energy crisis already affecting the continent, this strike could not come have at a worse time.
Giorgia Meloni, a far-right candidate for Italy’s 2022 election, won and claimed her position as the new prime minister. As the first female prime minister in Italy, Meloni leads a strong far-right government which is expected to be the most far-right in Italy since World War II.
The Economic and Financial Affairs Council of the EU outlined its next steps in phasing out the EU’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels, and adopted several other measures at its meeting on October 4, according to the Council of the EU.
The British economy is in a serious economic downturn. This trouble comes as the government experiences changes in the top two offices: the monarch and the Prime Minister. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 8, 2022, her son, King Charles III, has been working to settle into his new role as the country’s figurehead. However, the person many people blame for this downturn is Prime Minister Liz Truss, who took office on Sept. 6, 2022.
After a nearly-successful attempt on his life, followed by a crushing military defeat at the hands of the Prussian Army in 1757, King Louis XV pondered the precarious future of France with four biblical, nihilistic words: “Après moi, le Deluge.”
The economies of Europe seem to be caught between a rock and a hard place - that is, between record-high inflation and a potential recession.
As the conflict in Ukraine still dominates the political arenas across Europe, undercurrents of various far-right movements in the continent seem to be on rise once again.
As it has become increasingly evident with each passing week, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced nearly every country in Western Europe to reevaluate its security doctrines.