Carney Pulls Canada Closer to Europe as Both Struggle With Trump

THE NEW YORK TIMES: At a summit of European leaders, the Canadian prime minister was a special guest offering deals and friendship to jittery allies.

Screenshot taken from this NYT article. | Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada arriving for a meeting of the European Political Community on Monday in Yerevan, Armenia. | Anthony Pizzoferrato/Associated Press
Canada and the European Union are turning commiseration and anxiety over their turbulent relationships with the United States under President Trump into a deepening bond.

On Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada joined a summit of European leaders in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, putting his country at the heart of some of Europe’s biggest priorities. He was the first non-European head of government to be invited to the gathering, known as the European Political Community summit.

Mr. Carney’s relentless pursuit of new, expanded alliances to lessen Canada’s dependence on the United States coming as Mr. Trump threatens to unravel decades of economic integration, has effectively led Canada to be welcomed as something of an honorary European Union member.

“Integration is being used as a weapon by some, and the rules are not constraining the hegemons,” Mr. Carney said on Monday at the Yerevan summit — hinting at, but not mentioning, the United States — in comments that echoed his landmark speech in Davos, Switzerland, in January. » | Matina Stevis-Gridneff | Matina Stevis-Gridneff reported from Yerevan, Armenia, while traveling with Prime Minister Mark Carney. | Monday, May 4, 2026

Trump Tears Up EU Tariff Deal and Raises Some Import Duties

THE GUARDIAN: US president says tariff on cars and lorries will rise to 25% and accuses European Union of non-compliance

Donald Trump has said he is tearing up part of the tariff deal he struck with EU leaders at his golf course in Scotland last summer, criticising Brussels for taking so long to ratify the deal.

Blindsiding Brussels late on May Day bank holiday on Friday, he announced that he would be increasing tariffs on cars and lorries imported into the US from the EU from 15% to 25% from next week.

Vehicles made in the US by EU companies would be exempt from the increase, he wrote on Truth Social.

“I am pleased to announce that, based on the fact the European Union is not complying with our full agreed to Trade Deal, next week I will be increasing Tariffs charged to the European Union for Cars and Trucks coming into the United States,” Trump said. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Senior correspondent | Friday, May 1, 2026

This poor man should be put out of his misery and locked up! I strongly suggest he be sectioned! 😊 — © Mark Alexander

Ed Davey Is Throwing Away the Lib Dems’ Big Opportunity

THE TELEGRAPH: Why haven’t they come out as the all-out ‘rejoin the EU’ party or shouted from the rooftops about changing the electoral system?

Listening to the political debate ahead of the local elections in England next week, you could be forgiven for imagining that they were all about what damage Reform will do to the Tories and how the Greens will destroy Labour.

But if, like me, you live in a leafy part of south-west London there is a different narrative entirely. Reform is nowhere to be seen and neither are the Greens. Some of the boroughs, like Richmond and Kingston, are virtual one-party fiefdoms; and that party is the Liberal Democrats.

It is surprising how little the Lib Dems feature in discussions since they are the third-largest party in the Commons with 72 seats. They occupy dozens of former Tory constituencies in the South and South West. In 64 of the 72 Lib Dem seats, the Conservatives are second. Only in two are Labour the runners-up. » | Philip Johnston | Tuesday, April 28, 2026

I have written several comments on this blog since Brexit, stating that I have been rather astonished that the LibDems have not gone into elections promising what no other party has been prepared to offer: a return to our friends in the European Union. The LibDems have had a golden opportunity to put clear blue water between the LibDems and all other, then generally pro-Brexit parties. But Ed Davey has lacked the courage to do so. Although I know that he is actually very pro-EU and Britain’s place in it.

This morning, I have been further disappointed in Sir Ed Davey, since I learnt that he voted in favour of that ridiculous illiberal generational smoking ban! How on earth can a man who heads up the Liberal Party be in favour of such a profoundly illiberal policy? Has the gentleman forgotten the true meaning of what it means to be “liberal”.

When I read this morning that he voted in favour of Starmer’s folly and autocratic. Freedom-stealing, ridiculous policy, I had to pinch myself! Was I, perhaps, mistaken? So, I decided to check out what Google AI had to say on the meaning of “liberal politics”. This is what it came up with:

“Liberal politics is a broad political ideology centered on protecting and enhancing individual freedom, autonomy, and rights under the rule of law. It emphasizes democracy, limited government intervention in personal life, civil liberties, and free enterprise, aiming to secure personal dignity and voluntary cooperation over coercion.” [Source: Google AI]

Even though I am no longer a smoker, I consider this legislation to be PROFOUNDLY ILLIBERAL and PROFOUNDLY UNDEMOCRATIC. I shall therefore no longer support the party in its present form. This, of course, renders me politically HOMELESS. The Conservatives Party, my original natural political home, is a party which I can no longer support because of that ridiculous Brexit referendum.

British politics is totally and utterly messed up! — © Mark Alexander

EU Formally Approves €90bn Ukraine Loan and 20th Sanctions Package against Russia

THE GUARDIAN: Ursula von der Leyen hails ‘good news’ after Hungary’s lifting of vetoes allows leaders to sign off on agreements

Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | António Costa, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference on the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
EU leaders have welcomed the end of diplomatic deadlock over a long-awaited €90bn (£78bn) loan for Ukraine, after the bloc completed the agreement along with a 20th sanctions package against Russia.

After weeks of delay, the EU signed off on the loan on Thursday, in time for a summit in Cyprus that began in the evening and will include talks over a dinner with the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media: “We are on our way to Cyprus with good news.” The European Commission president welcomed both agreements, finalised after Hungary lifted its veto.

Von der Leyen said: “While Russia doubles down on its aggression, we are doubling down on our support to the brave Ukrainian nation, enabling Ukraine to defend itself and putting pressure on Russia’s war economy.” » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Thursday, April 23, 2026

EU’s Top Court Finds Hungary’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Law in Breach of Key Values

THE GUARDIAN: ECJ says law passed in 2021 is discriminatory and ‘contrary to the identity of the union’, in early test for new PM

Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | A Pride parade in Budapest in July 2021, the year Hungary passed its so-called child protection law. Photograph: János Kummer/Getty Images
The EU’s highest court has found Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ law to be discriminatory, stigmatising and in breach of basic democratic values, setting up an early test for the incoming government when it takes power next month.

In a wide-ranging judgment, the European court of justice said the 2021 law that bans content about LGBTQ+ people from schools and primetime TV was at odds with a society based on pluralism and fundamental rights, such as prohibition of discrimination and freedom of expression.

Péter Magyar won a landslide election victory last week after promising to root out corruption and improve living standards, but the incoming prime minister has been muted on whether he will roll back the anti-LGBTQ+ policies introduced by Viktor Orbán, who was defeated after 16 years in power.

He has vowed to “bring home” EU funds intended to help Hungary develop its economy, some of which were frozen over the anti-LGBTQ+ law. A larger part was suspended over risks to academic freedom, breaches of the right to asylum, and concerns about corruption and lack of judicial independence. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Tuesday, April 21, 2026

More Than Half of Britons Support Rejoining EU 10 Years On from Brexit Vote

THE GUARDIAN: Experts say Labour’s ‘halfway house’ approach risks losing support from progressives and ‘red wall’ voters

Support for rejoining the EU rather than simply rejoining the single market is growing among British voters, with more than 80% of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green party supporters favouring this option, according to research mapping voter attitudes 10 years after the Brexit referendum.

Labour’s “muted” approach to the issue means it risks losing support among progressive voters and in “red wall” constituencies, experts have said as part of research by Best for Britain.

While 61% of all voters supported the government’s current approach to EU relations, only 19% did so “strongly”, the research showed.

A full return to the EU was supported by 53% of all voters with support at 83% among Labour voters, 84% Liberal Democrat and 82% Green, the polling found.

Of Conservative and Reform voters, 39% and 18% backed the policy respectively, Best for Britain found. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Friday, April 17, 2026

Rob Groves: BREXIT - 63% Now Want Back In. Thanks, Trump!

Apr 11, 2026 | Ten years ago, 52% of voters chose to leave the European Union, on the basis of lies painted on a bus and a campaign bankrolled by dodgy money. A decade on, the bill keeps arriving. Haulage companies going bust at twice the pre-Brexit rate, food prices rising, trade barriers grinding away at the economy, and a so-called special relationship with America that turned out to be a vassal state telling itself a flattering story.

Meanwhile, the latest YouGov polling shows 63% of Britons would now vote to rejoin the EU. Among 18-25 year olds, that figure is 86%. Even among retirees, 60% say they'd vote to rejoin. The tide has turned. The argument has been won. The question now is: what happens next?

JD Vance’s Claims about Orbán, the EU and Hungary Fact-checked

THE GUARDIAN: US vice-president said bloc tried to ‘destroy’ country’s economy, despite it being a net recipient of EU funds

During his visit to Budapest, where he heaped praise on the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, days before the country’s decisive election, JD Vance claimed the EU was responsible for “one of the worst examples of election interference” he had ever seen.

Standing alongside Orbán on Tuesday, the US vice-president said: “The bureaucrats in Brussels have tried to destroy the economy of Hungary. They have tried to make Hungary less energy-independent. They have tried to drive up costs for Hungarian consumers. And they’ve done it all because they hate this guy.”

How do these claims stand up? » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Thursday, April 9, 2026

JD Vance must be just as ill-informed as his boss. He is certainly just as odious. — © Mark Alexander

UK Needs ‘Ambitious’ New EU Ties amid Iran War, Starmer Says

THE GUARDIAN: PM to focus on European defence and economic partnership for ‘dangerous world’ in pivot away from US

Britain’s long-term national interest requires closer partnership with the EU, Keir Starmer has said, citing war in the Middle East and the increasingly volatile international situation.

The prime minister indicated that the conflict had refocused the government on “ambitious” new ties with Europe, economically and in defence, and said how Britain emerged from the crisis “would define us for a generation”.

Starmer also used the address at Downing Street to announce that the foreign secretary would host a meeting of other countries later this week on how to unblock the vital strait of Hormuz. » | Ben Quinn | Political correspondent | Wednesday, April 1, 2026

'We Learned the Lesson...': EU Chief Makes Shocking Admission During Speech at Australian Parliament

Mar 24, 2026 | World News: In a striking moment at the Australian Parliament, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made a candid admission, saying “we learned the lesson…” during a major speech that touched on global security, economic resilience, and shifting geopolitical realities. Her remarks have sparked widespread attention, as she reflected on past challenges and the need for stronger international cooperation in an increasingly unstable world.

Addressing lawmakers, the EU chief highlighted lessons drawn from recent global crises, emphasizing the importance of unity, preparedness, and strategic independence. The speech underscores Europe’s evolving stance on global partnerships and its approach to emerging threats. Watch the full address as Ursula von der Leyen delivers a powerful message on lessons learned, future strategy, and the changing world order.

Switzerland’s New Deal with the EU Explained

March 21, 2026

Trump and the Death of the Atlantic Partnership

Mar 14, 2026 | From detained tourists and phone-searching ICE agents to Steve Bannon dismissing Britain as "pre-Islamic", the Special Relationship is exposed as the diplomatic fiction it always was. With the FIFA World Cup heading to Trump's America, British fans need to think hard. And so does Keir Starmer. It's time for the UK to stop turning up on Washington's doorstep with flowers, and start building something real with the neighbours who actually share our values. Europe is right there. It always has been.

I am in total agreement with the sentiments expressed in this video. My regular visitors will know that I have been saying similar things in my comments for a very long time. These things need to be said over and over. The concept of the so-called, one-way, and often very elusive “Special Relationship” is almost indelible in the psyche of the average Brit, because it has been repeated so many times. But the fact remains that any relationship with the USA is always lobsided and always on the side of being pleasing to America. It is not, and never could be, a relationship between two equals. Further, the undeniable fact of the matter is that Brits are Europeans, whether we are in the European Union or not, so our sensibilities and perceptions are fashioned by European mores and thought.

It is high time that we stopped harping on about this elusive special relationship, turned our backs on it, and rejoined our family and friends in Europe.

Naturally, we need to maintain good relations with America, but our future lies in and with Europe. The sooner we accept this incontrovertible fact, the better. — © Mark Alexander

Iceland to Hold Referendum on Full EU Membership | DW News

Feb 26, 2026 | Iceland's Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir says her country will hold a referendum in the coming months on joining the European Union.

Back in 2013, Iceland abandoned talks about joining the bloc, but Russia's invasion of Ukraine and growing global instability have increased support for becoming a full member state. Iceland already works closely with EU countries and is part of Europe's passport-free travel area.

British Public Want Deeper Economic Ties with EU, Business Secretary Says

THE GUATDIAN: Peter Kyle signs cooperation deal on competition and says it is not a case of being nostalgic for pre-Brexit past

The British public are “not nostalgic” for the pre-Brexit past but are pragmatic and want to move forward and “deepen” ties with the EU on trade and the economy, the business secretary, Peter Kyle, has said.

Signing an agreement in Brussels to cooperate closely on competition issues, Kyle said he thought the deal was “a real vindication of the reset and the relationships that have emerged between the EU and the UK” since Labour came to power.

He said it marked an alignment on strategies on issues such as mergers and acquisitions, the result of frequent conversations the two sides were now having.

The European Commission executive vice-president Teresa Ribera said it was “a privilege” to sign the deal, which was “reinforcing the current good cooperation” with the UK. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Let’s get down to brass tacks here! We should never have left the European Union in the first place. Doing so was ridiculous. Only someone who understood no economics would ever have proposed such an absurd idea!

Ergo, this country needs to rejoin the European Union at the very earliest convenience. However can this country hope to achieve economic growth, cut off from the biggest single market the world has ever known?

We Brits are Europeans, and we belong in the European Union. Anyone who argues differently is ignorant of the facts.

The successful politician of the future will be the person who will take us back into the European Union as full members. Everyone wants to join the European Union, from Ukraine to Iceland. We Brits should be no different. — © Mark Alexander

Three American Speeches at Munich, and Plenty of Confusion

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As the U.S. message veered from shared heritage and values to shared interests and back again, Europeans wondered what kind of alliance they were left with.

In the space of just a year, European leaders have heard three descriptions of how the Trump administration is reimagining the American relationship with its allies. Each strikes a bit of a different tone, but all are intended to push them into a new era in which Washington’s commitment to defend them faces new limits.

One was delivered by Vice President JD Vance last year, a blistering condemnation of European-style democracy, arguing that waves of immigrants and Europe’s restrictions on its own far-right parties pose a greater threat to the continent than Russia’s aggression.

The second was a far easier-to-swallow version of a similar message from Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday. He described a hazy and sometimes idealized cultural history shared by Europe and the United States and argued that each faced “civilizational erasure” unless it figured out a way to control its borders.

Then, at the same conference, the most senior defense official to attend, Elbridge Colby, the under secretary of defense for policy, offered a classic American national-security message about shared interests, not values, recommending that both sides focus on “nuts and bolts kind of stuff.”

If the Europeans emerged a bit confused, it’s understandable. » | Steven Erlanger and David E. Sanger | Steven Erlanger and David E. Sanger write about American and European diplomacy and security. They reported from the Munich Security Conference. | Sunday, February 15, 2026

Europe’s ‘Painful’ Realisation It Must Be Bolder with US Set Out in Security Report

THE GUARDIAN: Need for greater military autonomy also accepted, says report for Munich Security Conference, which takes place this week

Europe has come to the painful realisation that it needs to be more assertive and more militarily independent from an authoritarian US administration that no longer shares a commitment to liberal democratic norms and values, a report prepared by the Munich Security Conference asserts.

The report sets the scene for an all-out ideological confrontation with the Trump White House at the high-level annual meeting of security policy specialists, which starts on Friday.

In a now infamous speech to last year’s MSC, the US vice-president, JD Vance, claimed European elites were suppressing free speech and “opening the floodgates” to mass migration. The address marked the moment Europe realised the Trump administration would no longer be a reliable trading and security partner.

Since then European leaders and Donald Trump’s team have waged a series of running battles over topics including the US push to force Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia, Trump’s threats to seize Greenland, and a series of protectionist US measures ranging from tariff barriers to inward investment bans.

The divide was starkly set out in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month by the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, who warned of a rupture between the US and its western allies.

Vance’s assessment of Europe’s decline was reinforced in the latest US national security strategy, which accused European leaders of overseeing “civilisational erasure”. More recently, Trump disparaged the courage with which European members of Nato fought in Afghanistan, remarks that caused deep offence among Europe’s military leaders. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Monday, February 9, 2026

"Europe Won't Be Trump's Vassal" – How Davos '26 Changed Everything | Wider View from Brussels

Jan 26, 2026 | After Davos 2026, Europe is rethinking its relationship with the United States. Transatlantic ties are under unprecedented strain.

We discuss why “transactional Trumpism” is now completely unviable. From defense and AI technology to NATO and strategic autonomy, Europe stopped being America’s vassal.

‘Mother of All Deals’: EU and India Sign Free Trade Agreement

THE GUARDIAN: Deal expected to ease access for European cars and wine, in return for Indian exports of textiles, gems and pharmaceuticals

India and the EU have finalised a landmark free trade agreement, which the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, hailed as the “mother of all deals”.

The agreement comes after almost two decades of on-off negotiations between India and the EU, which vastly accelerated in the past six months and were finally concluded late on Monday night.

The deal is expected to open up India’s vast and traditionally tightly guarded market to the 27 nations in the bloc, with a focus on manufacturing and the services sector. It is expected to ease market access for key European products, including cars and wine, in return for easier exports of textiles, gems and pharmaceuticals.

The agreement is expected to double EU exports to India by 2032 by eliminating or cutting tariffs in 96.6% of traded goods by value, and will lead to savings of €4bn (£3.5bn) in duties for European companies, the EU said.

“Europe and India are making history today,” von der Leyen said in a statement after landing in Delhi, where she met with the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, on Tuesday. “We have concluded the mother of all deals. We have created a free trade zone of two billion people, with both sides set to benefit.” » | Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi | Tuesday, January 27, 2026

This news should help sober up the backward-thinking Brexiteers! Prepare the stocks for Farage! Rotten eggs at the ready! — © Mark Alexander

Europe Needs a Dramatic Strategic Revolution - Now: Historian Robert Kagan

Jan 20, 2026 | Investigative journalist and co-founder of the Nerve Carole Cadwalladr talks to conservative historian and former historian Robert Kagan about the critical geopolitical moment we are in. With the Trump administration moving rapidly towards dictatorship, Kagan says, European governments need to completely change tack, fast. “I feel like the administration has done everything except climb up on the roof of the White House and yell what they're going to do,” says Kagan. ”Trump is already talking about how you don't really need these midterm elections.” "Europe needs to become self-sufficient in both military and economic terms" and without drastic action, “risks becoming a collection of fiefdoms of the great empires of the world... Some of them under Russia's thumb, some under America's thumb, maybe some influenced more by China.”

The Nerve is a new, fiercely independent media platform covering culture, politics and tech. Set up by a collective of five former Guardian journalists, including the investigative reporter Carole Cadwalladr, who believe that the UK needs more truly independent journalism as we have never been more in need of an independent, fearless press. Having nerve is the key quality the world needs now.

America Is ‘No Longer an Ally’ | Historian Sir Simon Schama

Jan 23, 2026 | Sir Keir Starmer must recognise the “stiff dose of reality” that Trump has “set has marks on destroying the European Union”, says historian Sir Simon Schama.

Sir Simon Schama was speaking to Chloe Tilley and Calum Macdonald on Times Radio.


Trump is TRASH! — © Mark Alexander