enFRANCE 24 explores events across Europe, including in the 27 member states of the European Union and the United Kingdom. Follow our on-the-ground reports, interviews and analyses of the events affecting social and political life on the Continent and Europe’s role in the world.https://www.france24.com/en/europe/Fri, 18 Sep 2026 15:40:13 GMTTalking Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/talking-europe/20260918-we-re-ideally-placed-to-chair-eu-budget-negotiations-says-irish-minister-of-state Ireland is managing a jam-packed agenda as the current holder of the rotating presidency of the EU. We caught up with the country’s Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, who was in Strasbourg for the 2026 State of the Union speech and debate with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. We discussed key points from that address, such as a proposed ban on social media access for children, which Ireland is keen to push forward with during its EU presidency. f15d9d8a-b283-11f1-a98d-171d6308f1c7Fri, 18 Sep 2026 15:17:51 GMTArmen GEORGIANTalking Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/talking-europe/20260918-ursula-von-der-leyen-s-sixth-state-of-the-union-speech-a-grand-sweep-but-thin-on-details In this episode, we debrief one of the key annual events in the EU calendar: the State of the Union speech. It was Ursula von der Leyen’s sixth such address as President of the European Commission, and the second State of the Union speech of her second mandate. 0fa59d04-b286-11f1-8df4-5f3b635e73dfFri, 18 Sep 2026 15:17:36 GMTArmen GEORGIANEuropehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260918-police-move-hundreds-of-migrants-still-in-ceuta-off-beaches-in-spanish-enclave Spanish police in Ceuta on Friday morning started moving hundreds of migrants from the beaches of the Spanish enclave to a new tented area. Several thousand migrants remain in Ceuta after tens of thousands of people crossed the border with Morocco in late July.  7bd2f7de-b343-11f1-8c0a-1560ea7fe23bFri, 18 Sep 2026 09:51:01 GMT© Antonio Sempere, AFPFRANCE 24Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260918-russia-seizes-assets-of-swiss-food-giant-nestle-and-three-french-firms Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday to transfer assets of Swiss food giant Nestle and three French groups to a company called LEV Management. Most Western companies quickly sold their Russian operations and holdings after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the Kremlin has since made it difficult for firms to leave the country.  8bcbe04c-b33e-11f1-85e4-bbc13793bae0Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:11:12 GMT© Hector Retamal, AFPFRANCE 24Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260918-russia-votes-in-wartime-parliamentary-election-set-to-secure-the-kremlin-power Polls opened in Russia's Far East on Friday as the country began three days of voting for its parliamentary election, the first since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin's main party, United Russia, is poised to keep its grip on power alongside other parties aligned with President Vladimir Putin, as the only party that criticised the war was removed from the ballot.  6b8f7924-b320-11f1-8384-fb875830db52Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:38:20 GMT© Alexander Zemlianichenk, APFRANCE 24Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260918-live-voting-begins-in-russia-s-parliamentary-elections Moscow on Friday struck four Ukrainian cargo vessels in the Black ‌Sea, according to Russian state media. The attacks came as polling stations in Russia opened for the country's first parliamentary election since the start of the war in Ukraine. Follow our liveblog for all the latest updates. 677d63fc-b30f-11f1-b53e-197fcfeabe16Fri, 18 Sep 2026 03:16:54 GMT© Yasin Akgul, AFPFRANCE 24Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260918-trump-says-major-progress-made-toward-us-military-base-in-poland US President Donald Trump said that Washington and Warsaw were making "major progress" towards establishing a US military base in Poland, potentially giving the United States a permanent military foothold on NATO's eastern flank even as his administration reviews its broader troop presence in Europe. e01662ae-b2fc-11f1-9a8c-710880e29d62Fri, 18 Sep 2026 01:04:18 GMT© Kai Pfaffenbach, ReutersFRANCE 24Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260917-french-police-officer-arrested-over-suspected-far-right-terror-plot A French police officer who allegedly adheres to a "violent radical far-right ideology" has been arrested on suspicion of plotting attacks against state interests and manufacturing 3D-printed weapons, sources told AFP Thursday. 4a3d3092-b2e7-11f1-a6d3-7f9a841973e3Thu, 17 Sep 2026 22:29:47 GMT© Lou Benoist, AFPFRANCE 24The Debatehttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-debate/20260917-the-ceuta-effect-how-far-will-europe-s-anti-migrant-backlash-go As the United States threatens Europe with more tariffs and eyes Greenland, Russia tests the continent’s resolve over Ukraine and the planet overheats, where do citizens feel the biggest threat is coming from? In her Wednesday state of the Union speech, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen went big on manning the borders, suggesting new tools to better deal with migration. This comes against in a context of Ceuta where over two days in July, tens of thousands of mostly Moroccans overran Spain’s North African enclave. 0865d082-b2c1-11f1-ad69-6b9ab73b99dcThu, 17 Sep 2026 18:16:31 GMTFrançois PICARDhttps://www.france24.com/en/english-village-holds-symbolic-vote-to-leave-uk A village in Oxfordshire has held a symbolic referendum to leave the United Kingdom in protest against government plans to house up to 1,200 asylum seekers at a nearby military base. While the vote has no legal force, it highlights wider tensions over the UK's asylum policy and migration debate. d42c4c08-b2a5-11f1-a91e-5182ddc2f54dThu, 17 Sep 2026 15:17:08 GMTFRANCE24Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260917-real-madrid-s-mbapp%C3%A9-draws-criticism-from-far-right-over-ceuta-t-shirt-controversy Real Madrid's French forward Kylian Mbappé is facing mounting criticism by Spanish and French conservative and far-right politicians for partially obscuring a t-shirt supporting residents of Ceuta, Spain's territory bordering Morocco grappling with a migration crisis. Mbappé said he wore the t-shirt rolled up to show solidarity with "all the immigrants who have lost their lives". f2260510-b2a9-11f1-8156-39eb0f836866Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:10:39 GMT© Omar Arnau Cerezo, ReutersFRANCE 24https://www.france24.com/en/carney-pushes-canada-eu-ties-beyond-trade Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney used his address to the European Parliament to signal that Ottawa wants to deepen its partnership with the EU beyond trade, expanding cooperation on energy, AI, space and payment sovereignty, while also seeking to join the Erasmus programme. FRANCE 24's Dave Keating explains how the push reflects Canada's broader strategy to build stronger alliances beyond the United States without seeking to join the EU's single market, even as questions remain over how those ambitions can be turned into concrete action. 31e55368-b2a5-11f1-a3c2-fd76b89f47a3Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:52:51 GMTFRANCE24https://www.france24.com/en/sweden-andersson-s-centre-left-claims-narrow-win Sweden's centre-left opposition, led by Magdalena Andersson, is set to defeat the incumbent right-wing bloc by one seat after nearly all votes were counted in Sunday's election. The narrow result means coalition talks are likely to be challenging, with parliament due to begin the government formation process on September 28. aab972c8-b297-11f1-b100-95518b0bca84Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:22:19 GMTFRANCE24Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260917-ireland-to-boycott-2027-eurovision-over-israel-s-participation Ireland will boycott the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest for the second year over Israel's participation, the country's public broadcaster RTE said Thursday. Ireland was one of five countries along with the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia and Spain to skip Eurovision this year in protest over Israel’s inclusion in the contest, citing its ongoing war on Gaza. f4e524dc-b292-11f1-a08a-c3fc3a34c0a7Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:26:06 GMT© Valentina Petrova, APFRANCE 24Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260917-sweden-left-wing-opposition-wins-slim-majority-in-country-national-election Sweden's left-wing opposition won a narrow majority in the country's general election after the vote count ended Thursday, but faces laborious negotiations to form a government. The incumbent prime minister, conservative Ulf Kristersson, announced his resignation. 5bdfb55c-b28f-11f1-b358-2f46de5ccff5Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:02:36 GMT© Denis Balibouse, ReutersFRANCE 24https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260917-mark-carney-s-eu-speech-highlights-canada-s-shifting-alliances-1 Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the European Parliament as Ottawa and Brussels deepen ties against a backdrop of strained relations with the United States. FRANCE 24's Doug Herbert explains how the speech illustrates a broader shift in alliances, with a message that, until recently, would more likely have been delivered in Washington than Brussels. a47c62f6-b28a-11f1-9a68-51f62954151dThu, 17 Sep 2026 11:37:31 GMTFRANCE24https://www.france24.com/en/replay-canadian-pm-mark-carney-addresses-eu-parliament Here's the replay of Mark Carney's address to the European Parliament on Thursday, September 17, after President Donald Trump suggested that allowing Canada to become an associate EU member could be seen as a "hostile act" 455139d6-b286-11f1-b53e-5f3b635e73dfThu, 17 Sep 2026 11:04:45 GMTFRANCE24Press Reviewhttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/press-review/20260917-the-canaduropean-union-canada-an-associate-member-of-the-eu PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, September 17: Will Canada become an associate member of the EU? Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen floated the idea in a speech but did not give any details about what it would entail. The press is reacting with scepticism. Also, Le Monde profiles some of the 8,000 people who died during France's summer heatwave. Scientists observe a humpback whale mourning her dead calf for the first time. And Singapore wants to pay citizens to stop scrolling and start reading. 3a9737b2-b26c-11f1-b446-678dd77152faThu, 17 Sep 2026 09:00:40 GMTDheepthika LAURENThttps://www.france24.com/en/video/20260917-mbapp%C3%A9-and-real-madrid-teammates-face-backlash-over-ceuta-message Real Madrid stars Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konaté have sparked controversy in Spain after partially covering a pro-Ceuta solidarity message on their pre-match T-shirts. The incident has reignited debate over migration, Ceuta's recent migrant crisis and Spain's relationship with Morocco, with politicians and football figures divided over the players' actions. 5d348ec2-b26d-11f1-b49f-fbeeb0bb8a1fThu, 17 Sep 2026 08:10:48 GMTFRANCE24https://www.france24.com/en/belgium-to-rule-on-parole-for-key-figure-in-2015-paris-attacks Mohamed Bakkali, convicted for coordinating logistics for the 2015 Paris attacks, could be granted parole in Belgium despite receiving a 30-year sentence in France with a 20-year minimum term. Belgian authorities will decide on September 29 whether to release him under electronic monitoring, a prospect that has sparked anger among victims and families, while prosecutors oppose his release. eb513e90-b26c-11f1-bf66-476210f4b4ffThu, 17 Sep 2026 08:09:19 GMTFRANCE24Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260917-live-carney-to-speak-after-trump-threatens-more-eu-tariffs-over-canada-s-associate-member-bid Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the European Parliament on Thursday, welcoming the ambition for Canada to become an EU associate member. "Canada and Europe are stronger, even stronger together," he said, a day after US President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs and to cut trade ties with the EU if Canada's bid succeeds.  428dd608-b26a-11f1-941f-835f959b1379Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:52:27 GMT© Yves Herman, ReutersFRANCE 24Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260917-trump-threatens-eu-with-tariffs-over-laughable-canada-association-plan US President Donald Trump has threatened steep tariffs on the European Union if it goes ahead with a proposal to make Canada its first "associate member", a move he described as a possible "hostile act". Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is due to address the European Parliament on Thursday, has been pursuing closer ties with the EU as he seeks to pivot away from the US. fb682e28-b263-11f1-b641-77c4cec02d2aThu, 17 Sep 2026 06:58:22 GMT© Kylie Cooper, ReutersFRANCE 24Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260917-live-explosions-kyiv-us-congress-sanctions-moscow Russia said Thursday it would open voting booths at its border points with Poland and the three Baltic states for its three-day parliamentary election that begins on Friday. President Vladimir Putin's party faces no real opposition and is guaranteed to win. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. 8dcaad00-b23b-11f1-8f27-a733a75bb45cThu, 17 Sep 2026 02:08:14 GMT© Ramil Sitdikov, ReutersFRANCE 24Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260916-putin-urges-russians-to-vote-in-parliamentary-election-as-show-of-support-for-ukraine-war Russian President Vladimir ⁠Putin on Wednesday described voter turnout in the upcoming parliamentary election as a barometer of public support for Russia’s war against Ukraine and urged voters to go to the polls. It will be Russia's first parliamentary election since the Kremlin launched its offensive in February 2022. e33974bc-b202-11f1-bc70-ab98b003be29Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:47:03 GMT© Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via APFRANCE 24https://www.france24.com/en/lgbtq-a-threat-to-erdogan-s-ideal-of-a-strong-masculine-state-expert-says Turkish courts have jailed more LGBTQ activists and supporters, raising to 62 the number remanded in custody following a weekend crackdown, a legal rights group said on Wednesday. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Koen Slootmaeckers, Reader in International Politics at City St George's, University of London, says that Turkish President Recep Tayyp Erdogan wants to claim "the idea of a strong, masculine state and LGBTQ people are a threat to this ideal". deb66500-b205-11f1-a1e9-135d799d52f5Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:39:46 GMTFRANCE24https://www.france24.com/en/sweden-s-centre-left-opposition-wins-election-svt-says Sweden's centre-left opposition has defeated the incumbent right-wing governing bloc by the slimmest of margins, public broadcaster ​SVT ‌said on Wednesday, after 99% ⁠of the votes in Sunday's parliamentary election had been counted. FRANCE 24's Paul Rhys reports. 47d28a54-b202-11f1-b1fb-6bfd10007bd4Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:21:05 GMTFRANCE24The Debatehttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-debate/20260916-the-28th-state-carney-s-canada-draws-closer-to-european-union US president Donald Trump has previously talked about making Canada the 51st state, Now, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Europe, and the president of the European Commission has proposed the country ‘associate membership’. In this edition, we ask what that means and how it differs from the close status afforded to Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the UK – countries which Carney is also visiting ahead of his own Strasbourg speech Thursday before the European Parliament.  b2e803d2-b1f8-11f1-9a1e-7d47b0bed310Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:19:19 GMTFrançois PICARDEuropehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260916-ivorian-footballer-malick-yalcouy%C3%A9-falsely-accused-of-lying-about-his-age During a Premier League match between Chelsea and Brighton, social media users started spreading rumours that 20-year-old Ivorian footballer Malick Yalcouyé is older than he claims to be. The rumours gained such proportion that the youth club where he trained decided to post photos of Yalcouyé throughout the years. Recently, similar accusations were made against the new Real Madrid striker Yan Diomandé. 43292096-b1ce-11f1-a567-2521ed09eebdWed, 16 Sep 2026 16:03:41 GMT© Premier LeagueThe FRANCE 24 ObserversEuropehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260916-former-kosovo-president-sentenced-to-25-years-for-war-crimes Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci was found guilty of war crimes committed as part of the Kosovo Liberation Army including murder, torture and illegal arrests by a tribunal in The Hague on Wednesday. Thaci was sentenced to 25 ​years in prison alongside fellow former KLA figures who were also found guilty and sentenced. 977d0508-b1ca-11f1-aed3-cdcd2ee68797Wed, 16 Sep 2026 12:55:41 GMT© Koen Van Weel, AFPFRANCE 24Europehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260916-eu-chief-pitches-associate-member-status-for-canada-as-both-seek-to-pivot-away-from-us EU chief Ursula von der Leyen raised the possibility on Wednesday that Canada could become the European Union’s first “associate member” during the annual State of the European Union speech, at which Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was present. Carney has been pursuing closer ties with the EU as both seek to pivot away from the US. 3c3e830c-b1c9-11f1-89e6-c11fd12378d9Wed, 16 Sep 2026 12:22:07 GMT© Justin Tang, The Canadian Press via APFRANCE 24