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Special Reports
How to watch the French presidential election like a pro
France is heading to the polls for the election’s first round Sunday.
‘McKinseygate’ dogs Macron’s reelection campaign
The French government is under fire for its costly use of the US consultancy firm.
What if you held a French election and nobody came?
Voter apathy is putting President Emmanuel Macron’s second term at risk.
5 charts to help you read the French presidential election
With polls pointing to Emmanuel Macron’s likely reelection, turnout could be low … and that could help spring a surprise.
Macron’s scare tactics
The French president has encouraged fears of a Le Pen victory, but polls still point to a likely win for him.
How Marine Le Pen closed the gap on Emmanuel Macron
The far-right leader’s campaign strategy is finally paying off against the incumbent French president as the election approaches.
The European Parliament’s mid-season report card
POLITICO breaks down the power dynamics and voting records of the ninth European Parliament so far.
The good, bad and ugly of the European Parliament
Here’s who stood out during the first term.
5 takeaways on Parliament’s power dynamics
The Social Democrats have overtaken the conservatives in popularity ahead of 2024 elections.
The European Parliament’s black book
Which MEPs got sanctioned for misconduct and why.
Macron’s two presidencies collide
The French will head to the polls midway through the country’s stint at the helm of the Council of the EU.
A wonk’s guide to the French EU presidency policy agenda
Emmanuel Macron is angling to push ahead new rules on tech companies, change global tax rates and rethink the EU’s role in the world.
The French people Europe needs to know
From Paris to Brussels, 12 French officials will play a key role during the French EU presidency.
What the French think of the EU presidency, in charts
Not much, it seems.
How Biden puts Emmanuel Macron in a bind
As US president takes back international spotlight, his French counterpart adjusts to new role.
Europe’s love (or not) for Biden — mapped
Introducing the Biden Compatibility Index, a ranking of countries according to their affinity to the US president.
Where Europe and the US don’t see eye to eye
As Joe Biden heads to Brussels, relations on many issues are far from rosy.
UK Tories and Biden’s Democrats cozy up post Brexit
Boris Johnson will be hoping that remaining points of disagreement over Northern Ireland will not burst into the open at G7 summit.
The rise of AI surveillance
The pandemic has opened the door to data collection and tracking on an unimaginable scale.
Your boss is watching: How AI-powered surveillance rules the workplace
Companies are buying increasingly intrusive artificial intelligence tools to keep an eye on their workers.
In Europe, a coronavirus boom for foreign surveillance firms
The pandemic has allowed American, Chinese and Israeli companies to expand their footprint on the Continent.
One group that’s embraced AI: Criminals
From deepfakes to enhanced password cracking, hackers are discovering the power of AI for malicious use.
‘Project Love’ — Boris Johnson’s plan to save the union
The UK’s secretaries for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on what it will take to keep things from falling apart.
The British monarchy has a succession problem
While the queen is popular, a series of scandals has tarnished the rest of the royal family.
Can Northern Ireland survive Brexit?
Those who dream of a united Ireland see hope in the economic unity between north and south provided by the Brexit deal.
Scotland’s EU charm offensive
SNP’s opponents warn relationship building in Brussels shouldn’t be used to promote independence.
Europe’s Brexit dividend is a small one
The UK has lost post-Brexit ground to the EU in financial services, but London’s role as a major global hub looks secure — for now.
3 ways the City of London can beat Brexit — and 1 way it can’t
Despite the loss of some business to the EU, British financial players are optimistic about the future.
EU wrestles for control of euro clearing after Brexit
Brussels wants regulatory power to be able to intervene in times of crisis.
Brexit has crippled EU’s soft power over financial rules
Losing rule-setting power over London will erode Europe’s global sway.
How consultants like McKinsey took over France
Private companies now involved in everything from country’s vaccine rollout to combating climate change.
Macron’s unfair reelection advantage: His opponents
France’s president may be unpopular, but his opposition is hopelessly divided.
The return of Marine Le Pen
Macron’s far-right challenger is making waves in the polls ahead of next year’s presidential election.
Macron’s Mr. Europe
President’s Mini-Me is part of network increasing French influence on EU.
Who’s who: Macron’s top challengers for 2022
Presidential hopefuls are gearing up a year ahead of the election.
Coronavirus cargo helps rescue smaller airports
‘The future is bright’ for some smaller airports with big air freight businesses.
Europe’s regional airports go into a coronavirus-induced nosedive
For many small town airstrips, the coronavirus has made a bad situation even worse.
How to recycle an airport
Berlin’s old terminals and airstrips offer visions of a post-plane world.
Inside Amazon’s global worker movement
The American tech goliath’s employees are starting to think globally.
Big Tech’s essential workers
The coronavirus crisis has shone a light on the precarious livelihoods and vulnerabilities of gig workers.
When humans stopped managing social media content
During the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Facebook, Twitter and Google all used automation instead of people to scrub harmful content from their platforms.
Why European welfare is failing gig workers
Regulators are struggling to extend traditional protection to Uber drivers, Deliveroo riders and other platform workers.
Fear and loathing (of Donald Trump) in the EU
EU leaders worry the transatlantic relationship won’t survive another four years.
Biden’s first foreign policy challenge would be domestic
Should he win, his toughest diplomatic task will be dealing with a resurgent American left.
Can the world survive four more years of Donald Trump?
From climate change to nuclear weapons to global health — this election isn’t just about you, America.
Biden or Trump — who would be better for Brexit?
The British government can’t decide which kind of ‘special relationship’ it wants.
How recycling is killing the planet
By taking the guilt out of consumption, it undermines effort to cut back on waste.
The problem with recycling? One word: Plastics
No matter how well we sort, much of what we throw away cannot be reused.
Why Turkey became Europe’s garbage dump
The growing wave of waste is creating a political problem for the government.
Denmark’s ‘devilish’ waste dilemma
Its state-of-the-art trash incinerators are sending its climate ambitions up in smoke.
Voice of China’s European ambitions
Beijing’s largest media mouthpiece eyes a Brussels expansion.
Chinaskepticism is the new Euroskepticism
Tory backbenchers press Boris Johnson to turn tough on Beijing.
How Germany opened the door to China — and threw away the key
Economic ties have caused Berlin to tread lightly on human rights.
China isn’t Europe’s ‘partner’ on climate
Treating Beijing as reliable undermines Europe’s ability to hold it to account.
Europe’s wolf warriors
Experts and policymakers calling for the EU to push back against Beijing.
Europe’s China weak spot: Germany
EU diplomats say Berlin’s focus on the economy have put human rights on the back burner.
Mo money, mo pandas: China’s influence in Europe — by the numbers
Beijing’s toolkit: Investment, trade, cultural diplomacy and cuddly black-and-white ambassadors.
Ignore Washington: That’s Europe’s China strategy
The EU is right to strengthen its own relationships with Beijing and other Asian governments.
Why China’s Xi Jinping is the world’s most dangerous man
European leaders can no longer afford to ignore Beijing’s aggressive authoritarianism.
Systemic rivals: How China’s Belt and Road challenges the EU
The monumental project isn’t about infrastructure but the creation of a new economic and political order.
Digital tax: A cautionary tale
EU effort to tax tech giants falters under pressure from US.
Europe’s big battery bet
Commission plans for tech sovereignty run into a problem: The competition.
Europe’s tech moonshot
A quick guide to quantum computing in the Union.
Europe’s litmus test over cloud computing push
EU’s Gaia-X cloud platform depends on the participation of foreign giants.
Britain toughens stance on China as it eyes US
The UK government is widely expected on Tuesday to adopt a more hawkish stance on Chinese tech giant Huawei.
Britain’s other fish talks
Britain is preparing for a front-line role in Northeast Atlantic fisheries management.
Liam Fox faces uphill battle to put Global Britain on the map in Geneva
Britain could be a bridge to keep Trump in the WTO, but the EU is unlikely to support Liam Fox.
Power list: Who matters in UK trade?
Battle for influence underway as British government starts setting independent trade policy.
The UK trade negotiator reaching for Brexit’s greatest prize
A lucrative (and quick) deal with the US would be a huge political win for Boris Johnson’s government.
What Merkel wants
The coronavirus has forced Berlin to acknowledge that the EU won’t survive without German leadership.
We’ll all be speaking German soon
The language of Goethe is gaining ground in the EU capital.
Merkel’s Germany will outlast her
The Germany that takes over the presidency of the European Union on July 1 has fundamentally shifted its attitude toward integration, solidarity and spending.
Where to eat, drink and plot in Berlin
An insider’s guide to the world of German politics.
Merkel’s Dr. No gets his toughest mission yet
Chief Europe adviser will try get EU to say ‘yes’ to common debt.
The EU’s most powerful Germans
Beyond von der Leyen: Here are 18 to watch as Berlin takes charge of the Council of the EU.
Germans need to stop with the finger-wagging
Absolutist moral posturing is holding Berlin back in a world where it is being called upon to play a leading role.
Europe’s climate goal: Revolution
To eliminate emissions by 2050, the EU will have to ‘remake civilization.’
Can democracies beat climate change?
Our governments are subservient to the voice of the people, not experts.
Europe’s stranded assets: Mapped
To reach carbon neutrality, the world will need to scrap trillions of euros of fossil fuel infrastructure.
What’s next for European travel? Future tech — or back to the past
Slow, clean and rare or fast and cheap — the clashing visions for how we’ll travel in 2050.
Beef farmers are the new coal miners
Red meat could be a casualty of EU’s climate goals.
Europe struggles to seed the forest for the trees
With warm weather stressing native species, new types of trees may be needed to absorb carbon dioxide.
Why carbon-free Europe will still need North African energy
The EU plans to source hydrogen from across the Mediterranean.
The city of 2050: Less smog, more bikes and hyper-local living
Coronavirus lockdowns offer a glimpse at life in a low-carbon future.
Criminals poised to take advantage of coronavirus crisis
Waves of government cash could swamp banks’ ability to spot money laundering.
Scandinavia seeks to launder its dirty-money image
Nordic banks have emerged as a weak link in fight against illicit cash.
Wanted: A watchdog, with teeth, to sniff out dirty money
European Commission’s proposals to tackle money laundering run into resistance from national capitals.
Money laundering on the high street
Loopholes in Britain’s cash transfer system fuel surge in crime and drug trade.
The world’s dirty money by the numbers
Regulations are in place — but 99 percent of criminal proceeds still escape control in the EU.
Artificial intelligence isn’t as smart as it thinks
The technology is decades away from being able to mimic human decision-making.
Brussels considers pan-EU police searches of ID photos
Law enforcement would seek matches with surveillance photos using facial recognition technology.
The Achilles’ heel of Europe’s AI strategy
Europe’s strategy is all about companies sharing their data. That’s easier said than done.
Politics beats competition in new EU
Paris and Berlin want strategy to prioritize industrial ‘champions’ over antitrust rulebook.
Europe’s last free-traders plan their counterattack
Without the British, Stockholm tries to lead the liberal resistance.
Thierry Breton: Europe’s big players won’t crush the little guys
Internal market czar dismisses fear that overpowerful corporate kingpins will suffocate small enterprise.