August 12, 2026

Western Europe Watch

‘Intimidation’: French Warship Accused of Opening Fire to Threaten MP– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

‘Intimidation’: French Warship Accused of Opening Fire to Threaten MP– www.breitbart.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

A senior British politician accused the French government of attempted intimidation after a warship made a close pass and commenced a live firing exercise unannounced while he was observing migrant boat crossings in the English Channel.

Conservative Party home affairs spokesman Chris Philp was joined by government-adjacent news outlets on a hired boat in the English Channel on Wednesday morning to record interview pieces about the boat migrant crisis, but was interrupted by a small French warship engaging in what was said to be a live firing exercise. Philip called the shooting an apparent attempt at intimidation by the French, given the sea was otherwise clear of craft, the firing only took place as the French warship was at its closest point of approach to the British boat, and there was no warnings broadcast by radio beforehand.

British state media the BBC, which was interviewing Philp at sea as the firing commenced, caught in their footage the French patrol boat P676 Flamant passing approximately 300 meters to starboard while the Conservative politician delivered a piece to camera, and as the firing began. Coastal patrol boats of the Flamant type, which are mainly for coastal constabulary duties, carry no fixed naval weapons systems but can embark machine guns, and in this case the firing exercise was reported to be a French officer discharging a handgun at a towed target.

Philip told the BBC that the shooting in close proximity to his boat where there was plenty of sea room to exercise elsewhere “felt to me like an attempted intimidation to stop us covering migrant crossings”. He told the broadcaster:

It is extraordinary that the French Navy will fire live rounds to defend their waters against a visiting British politician but cannot bear to do anything about stopping illegal Channel crossings.

If France showed people smugglers half the seriousness they showed me, the boats would stop.

Instead, the French wave them through and pass them off to the British coastguard so it’s our problem.

U.S. walks out on UN meeting following France’s human rights criticism – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

U.S. walks out on UN meeting following France’s human rights criticism – National– globalnews.ca
News Source
EXCERPT:

U.S. diplomats walked out as their French counterparts were speaking at the United Nations on Monday after America’s close European ally criticized the Trump administration’s human rights record.

The surprise move during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine followed U.S. opposition to giving U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk another four-year term. The reappointment on Friday got overwhelming support, including from France.

The U.S. walkout reflects not only the more strained relations between President Donald Trump and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, but also wider tensions between the U.S. and Europe. These include questions over Trump’s commitment to NATO, possible changes to U.S. troop deployments in Europe, and Trump’s desire to control Greenland, which belongs to NATO member Denmark.

Trump has complained that Europeans, who weren’t consulted, did not help the U.S. during the Iran war. Amid the tensions, Macron has taken a lead in trying to build up Europe’s military and ensure a nuclear umbrella as one of the continent’s two nuclear powers, along with Britain.

Euthanasia Bill Resurfaces in Britian

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

A new bill has been introduced in Britian that will legalize euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide. The bill is the same as the one that failed in 2024. This is just the latest effort to legalize the creation of a suicide industry that eventually enables the state to nudge economic liabilities towards death.

The Radical Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide in Britain is Back– www.lifenews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

The following message was sent out by Not Dead Yet UK:

By now you’ll know that the assisted dying bill is back.

On 17 June, Labour MP Lauren Edwards introduced a new version of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. MPs will vote on whether it should proceed at its second reading on 11 September 2026. That’s less than two months away.

So what’s new?Honestly? Not much.

This is the same bill Kim Leadbeater brought forward in 2024 — the one that spent months being picked apart in the House of Lords, generating more than 1,300 amendments before running out of time in April. The bill fell not because it was defeated, but because Parliament was prorogued. Now it’s back, with two minor Lords amendments incorporated.

The first is a technical Wales amendment. Because delivering health services is devolved to the Welsh Government, the bill now requires the Senedd to give its approval before Welsh Ministers can set up the regulations for assisted dying in Wales. It’s a constitutional housekeeping change. It doesn’t alter what the bill actually does.

The second concerns people with eating disorders. This one is more serious. During the Lords debates earlier this year, peers raised concerns that someone with anorexia could potentially stop eating — deliberately — in order to reach the six-month terminal threshold and qualify for an assisted death. A minor amendment was added in the Lords to address this. But experts who work with people with eating disorders say it doesn’t go far enough. The loophole, they argue, remains. We agree.

Burnham brings members of Socialist Campaign Group into government | Andy Burnham– www.theguardian.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Burnham brings members of Socialist Campaign Group into government | Andy Burnham– www.theguardian.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Andy Burnham has appointed three new ministerial aides from Labour’s most leftwing faction, the first time members of the Socialist Campaign Group have been part of the government.

The new chief whip, Anneliese Midgley, has also promised MPs that the government will beef up the role of ministerial aides – known as parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs) – who traditionally go under the radar, allowing them to do more media appearances, take on parliamentary roles and contribute more directly to policy direction.

Burnham has said he wanted to end the Labour factionalism that divided the party under both Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer – and would seek to make appointments from the party’s left and centrist wings.

Though Burnham has returned several soft left ministers to key positions in the cabinet – such as Louise Haigh, Lucy Powell and Angela Rayner – there were no ministerial appointments from the party’s most leftwing caucus, the Socialist Campaign Group, which was the group affiliated with Corbyn.

Firefighters in France hold back vast wildfire as heat returns to test their grip– abcnews.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Firefighters in France hold back vast wildfire as heat returns to test their grip– abcnews.com
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EXCERPT:

Firefighters have kept a vast wildfire in southwest France from advancing overnight, extinguishing flare-ups near Atlantic coast dunes before returning heat and drier air threatens to test their hold on the blaze

LEGE-CAP FERRET, France — Firefighters kept a vast wildfire in southwest France from advancing overnight Tuesday, extinguishing flare-ups near Atlantic coast dunes before returning heat and drier air threatened to test their hold on the blaze.

The fire remained stabilized at 6 a.m. after a calm night and the burned area was unchanged at 420 square kilometers (162 square miles), the Gironde prefecture said.

Several flare-ups were detected overnight north of Le Porge and in dune land north of Cap Ferret but were brought under control by firefighters, authorities said.

The areas lie along the Atlantic coast west of Bordeaux, where crews have battled the blaze since it erupted near Saumos last week.

Berlin Pride suspect shot dead by police after man ‘rams van into crowd with 1 killed and 16 injured’– www.mirror.co.uk

pgnewser July 28, 2026 0

Berlin Pride suspect shot dead by police after man ‘rams van into crowd with 1 killed and 16 injured’– www.mirror.co.uk
News Source
EXCERPT:

German police have shot dead the man suspected of driving a van into a crowd near Berlin’s Pride festival, killing a woman and injuring at least 29 people.

Alleged terrorist Abdul Ballout, 21, rushed at police with a weapon before being shot by cops, officials said. The suspect was tracked down to an allotment garden in Spandau, West Berlin.

Authorities had previously issued a wanted notice and warned people against approaching Ballout, a German citizen with Lebanese roots, saying he may be armed and dangerous.

Polizei Berlin said last night: “At around 6pm, the suspect in yesterday’s attack in the Grosser Tiergarten was located in an allotment garden in Spandau.

“He is said to have rushed toward our emergency forces with a stabbing weapon, after which police firearms were used.

German Nuclear Fuel Plant Cleared to Work With Russia’s Rosatom– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

German Nuclear Fuel Plant Cleared to Work With Russia’s Rosatom– www.themoscowtimes.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Germany on Wednesday approved an application by French firm Framatome to produce nuclear fuel rods under a licensing agreement with state-backed Russian firms despite political concerns, arguing it lacked the legal basis for a rejection.

A Framatome subsidiary had applied to produce at its plant in northern Germany fuel elements to supply nuclear plants in the eastern European market using Russian licenses and technology in a joint venture with Russian firms TVEL/Rosatom.

Despite political concerns due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the environment ministry in the state of Lower Saxony with guidance from the federal environment ministry granted the necessary approval subject to certain conditions.

A spokesperson for the federal ministry said that while the government in Berlin has a critical view of the cooperation with a Russian state-owned company, the decision was made in accordance with the relevant nuclear laws of Germany.

“The appropriate instrument to address this, however, is not nuclear law, but rather EU-wide sanctions, including those in the nuclear sector,” the ministry said in a statement.

France Destroys Opposition Party Leader Before Election

pgnewser October 16, 2025 0

Shortly after being selected, the new PM had to survive a no-confidence vote, which he was able to do. Hope of replacing the current dominant political parties were dimmed when a court ruled that Marine Le Pen, the leading opposition figure, cannot stand for election at all. The decision is sure to further destabilize France as the global oligarchs desperately hold on to power.

Blurb:

France may be teetering on the verge of national snap elections, but the poll-topping sovereigntist leader Marine Le Pen is banned from even standing, a Paris court has confirmed, over a conviction her supporters say is a case of politically targeted lawfare.

The French Council of State, the body of top lawyers which provides legal advice to the government and supreme court, has rejected an appeal by National Rally leader Marine Le Pen to have her “ineligibility” order overturned, reports Le Figaro. The order that was imposed on the politician in March by a judge is considered unusual and controversial because unlike normal criminal punishments, it is being imposed immediately, despite the appeals process to have the conviction itself overturned not having been exhausted.

The Next French PM will be selected within 48 Hours, Will they last that long?

pgnewser October 9, 2025 0

France’s Macron to appoint new prime minister within 48 hours

from www.aljazeera.com

Blurb:

The announcement came after last-ditch talks by outgoing premier Sebastien Lecornu failed to find a solution to crisis.

French President Emmanuel Macron will name a new prime minister within the next 48 hours, his office has said, in the latest effort to chart a path out of the worst political crisis of his presidency.

The announcement on Wednesday followed two days of last-ditch talks with party leaders by outgoing Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu in a bid to break the country’s political deadlock, after his cabinet lineup, unveiled on Sunday, was rejected by allies and rivals alike.

The Elysee presidential office said in a statement that Lecornu’s discussions with various parties had concluded that a majority of lawmakers were not in favour of parliament being dissolved for early elections, and that there was “a platform for stability” that could make it possible for a budget to be passed by the year’s end.

“On this basis, the President of the Republic will appoint a Prime Minister within the next 48 hours,” said the statement.

 

Chaos on the streets of France as ‘900k’ refuse to go to work | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser September 22, 2025 0

Chaos on the streets of France as ‘900k’ refuse to go to work | World | News– www.express.co.uk
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Excerpt:

France has been rocked by day of chaos and disruption, with hundreds of thousands of people joining a nationwide strike. Trade unions in the country called for a day of protests against budget cuts, as France continues to be plagued by political turmoil.

Between 600,000 and 900,000 people are thought to have attended the anti-government demonstrations, according to France’s Interior Ministry. Officials said they deployed 80,000 police officers across the country in response to the protests. Police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators in Lyon and Nantes, as tensions reached boiling point.

Roads and streets have reportedly been blocked by protesters in other major cities across France.

Major disruptions to public transport have been reported, with many metro lines in Paris said to be closed.

Students also gathered in front of their schools and universities in the capital and beyond, chanting slogans and blocking entrances. Around a third of teachers joined their students in taking strike action, boycotting classes.

Spain’s Ruling Party Might Faces Supreme Court Indictment

pgnewser September 16, 2025 0

Congress of Deputies - Wikipedia

Spain’s Supreme Court Moves Closer to Indicting Ruling Socialist Party – The European Conservative
Source Link
Excerpt:

The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), currently leading the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, is facing its most serious judicial threat in decades. According to judicial and police sources, Spain’s Supreme Court now has sufficient “indications” to indict the party itself on charges of illegal financing.

The move would mark an unprecedented escalation in the so-called ‘Koldo case’, a corruption scandal that has already implicated several senior Socialist figures. The investigation is being led by Supreme Court justice Leopoldo Puente, who handles a sealed case concerning an alleged criminal organization tied to two former Organization Secretaries of the PSOE: José Luis Ábalos and Santos Cerdán.

The scandal led to the preventive detention of Santos Cerdán, one of Sánchez’s closest allies until just months ago. Judicial documents describe a “multi-million-euro loot” managed by companies and intermediaries.

Investigators point to two key sources of evidence: documentation seized in police raids on Spanish construction companies earlier this year, and irregular expenses and donations linked to Ábalos and Cerdán during their time running the party’s powerful organizational machinery.

According to the Guardia Civil’s Central Operative Unit (UCO), donations allegedly linked to kickbacks from public contracts may have been funneled into the PSOE’s accounts. Since 2014, the Supreme Court has demanded detailed financial records from the party, including membership fees, voluntary contributions, and payments.

Spanish government calls for sports ban on Israel, threatens to boycott Eurovision– www.france24.com

pgnewser September 16, 2025 0

The Spanish government: politics in Spain | Expatica

Spanish government calls for sports ban on Israel, threatens to boycott Eurovision– www.france24.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, September 16: We look at reactions from the Spanish press after the government calls for a sports and Eurovision boycott of Israel. Also, it’s been three years since Mahsa Amini died at the hands of Iran’s morality police – what has changed in the country? Plus: Armand Duplantis is celebrated for his new world record. Finally, in Britain, locals band together and save the world’s smallest theatre from demolition.

Britain’s Spirit of Freedom Is Dying – PJ Media– pjmedia.com

pgnewser September 10, 2025 0

Britain’s Spirit of Freedom Is Dying – PJ Media– pjmedia.com
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Excerpt:

… British politics has gotten frustrating in recent years for true conservatives, and watching Britain slide into authoritarianism on free speech is something even a dyed-in-the-wool Anglophile like me can’t support. And I’m not alone.

Last week, Lee Cohen wrote a column in The Spectator that resonated deeply with me:

Today, for the first time, I find Britain indefensible. The affection and historical respect remains. The confidence is gone.

Britain now prosecutes her own citizens, not for violence or treason, but for words. Lucy Connolly was sentenced to 31 months in prison for a tweet in the wake of the Southport murders last year. Her crime was expression, harsh perhaps, but still speech. This week, Graham Linehan, the award‑winning creator of Father Ted, was arrested at Heathrow Airport by armed officers for online comments defending women’s spaces. Arrested, by police carrying weapons, for his opinions. This is the country that gave the world John Stuart Mill.

“Such cases expose what Britain has become: a two‑tier system of justice. Those branded far‑right, nationalist, or ‘Islamophobic’ are persecuted with zeal,” Cohen added. “Those spreading incendiary rhetoric from Islamist or minority factions are, all too often, met with indulgence.”

Spain declares arms embargo on Israel– www.yahoo.com

Spain declares arms embargo on Israel– www.yahoo.com

pgnewser September 8, 2025 1

Spain declares arms embargo on Israel– www.yahoo.com

Spain declares arms embargo on Israel– www.yahoo.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is imposing an arms embargo on Israel as part of an effort to, in his words, “stop the genocide in Gaza.”

The nine measures, which are to come into force immediately, also include a travel ban on people directly involved in what he called a “massacre.”

“Spain will be on the right side of history,” said Sánchez, who has been one of the most outspoken national leaders in his criticism of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

Other steps include increased humanitarian aid for Gaza, additional funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and a ban on the import of products from Israeli settlements.

Civil War Is Coming To Britain– thefederalist.com

pgnewser August 27, 2025 0

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Excerpt:

By now you might have seen a video clip circulating on social media of a defiant and terrified young Scottish girl wielding a knife and a hatchet to fend off the advances of a migrant man who allegedly had been harassing her and her younger sister. You can hear the fear and anger in their voices, a mix of desperation and rage and confusion. You can also hear the man’s voice, taunting them. At one point one of the girls cries out, “Don’t touch my little sister, she’s only twelve!”

You might also have heard how the story ended: the police arrested the girl for possession of a bladed weapon. They didn’t detain or even investigate the migrant man.

The entire sordid history of Britain’s civic collapse — stretching back decades to the Rotherham rape gangs scandal and forward to today — is in some ways contained in the striking image of this wisp of a girl with knife and hatchet in hand, facing down a predatory migrant. She is clearly desperate, abandoned by the adults who were supposed to protect her, sold out by the political leaders who were supposed to maintain the cohesion and safety of her city, reduced at last to brandishing crude weapons to defend herself from foreign men brought to her native land against her will.