Europe

Europe’s solar boom is undercutting itself, and wind may matter more

The efficient placement of solar and wind power capacity is as important as increasing the quantity of deployment in Europe

A fake think tank’s index ranking Russia fourth reached real reports and media

Czech investigative reporters trace a Russia-linked influence operation that invented a Tel Aviv institute, listed experts without their consent and got its data cited by Western researchers.

The EU’s plan to curb new members’ votes would create second-class members

A legal scholar argues that the Commission’s proposed safeguard clauses for new members would break the equality of member states and their citizens, and suggests fixes that apply to all 27.

By not retaliating, Europe may have made Trump’s tariffs work, economist argues

A German economist explains why EU restraint lowered the cost of US tariffs for America and sharpened the contest over where firms invest.

Germany is rearming fast, and buying almost nothing from its European allies

Berlin’s allies are right to be wary of a sudden surge in German military spending that shuns cooperation with them, says the European Policy Centre’s Paul Taylor

AI threatens the payroll taxes that fund Europe's pensions, economist warns

As AI shifts work from people to machines, it will force a rethink of who gets taxed, on what, and where. Nowhere is that question more urgent than in Europe, which funds the world's most comprehensive welfare states primarily through taxes on work.

Mladić's hero's funeral grew out of denialism the EU tolerated, scholars argue

The celebration of Ratko Mladić as a hero in Serbia reflects entrenched denialism that has continued for years under the EU’s watch.

Switzerland’s love of referendums keeps the far right at bay

Brexit gave direct democracy a bad name. But the Swiss approach could be what Europe needs now, says Guardian Europe contributor Joseph de Weck

Europe isn't losing the sanctions fight to Russia – it's undermining itself

Exemptions that member states win for their own industries, from Greek LNG shipping to Austrian banking, weaken EU sanctions on Russia more than Moscow's evasion does.

EU and member states keep data-centre energy and water data secret

A cross-border investigation found the energy and water figures EU law requires data centres to report are being withheld from the public. Europeans have no way to judge the environmental cost of the AI build-out near them.