https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Europe in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed In the first six months of operation of the new EU digital border system, the Entry-Exit System (EES), almost 7,000 travellers were denied entry into Europe's border-free Schengen area because they stayed beyond their permitted time limit, a European Commission report has revealed. https://www.thelocal.com/20260520/ees-7000-overstayers-snared-since-launch-of-eus-new-schengen-border-checks Wed, 20 May 2026 14:37:30 +0200 ees-7000-overstayers-snared-since-launch-of-eus-new-schengen-border-checks The launch of an investigation into the awarding of contracts by a French mayor wouldn't normally merit headline news - but this mayor is one of the favourites for France's crucial 2027 presidential election. https://www.thelocal.com/20260520/explained-could-an-embezzlement-probe-cost-french-centrist-philippe-the-election Wed, 20 May 2026 14:14:10 +0200 explained-could-an-embezzlement-probe-cost-french-centrist-philippe-the-election The story of the French film producers, the Breton billionaire and the blacklist is complicated but - argues John Lichfield - should be taken seriously as a genuine danger to France's culture. https://www.thelocal.com/20260520/opinion-bollores-influence-on-french-cinema-tv-and-media-is-dangerous Wed, 20 May 2026 09:50:24 +0200 opinion-bollores-influence-on-french-cinema-tv-and-media-is-dangerous EU lawmakers and member states reached a deal in the early hours of Wednesday to implement the bloc's nearly year-old trade pact with the United States, with President Donald Trump threatening new tariffs unless it is done by July 4th. https://www.thelocal.com/20260520/eu-agrees-to-implement-us-trade-pact-after-trump-threats Wed, 20 May 2026 09:15:17 +0200 eu-agrees-to-implement-us-trade-pact-after-trump-threats With the collapse of the Swedish parliament's pairing system, the opposition would, if it really wanted, have a real chance of blocking or amending the migration laws the government wants to pass before the election. But it's unclear how willing it is to do this. https://www.thelocal.com/20260518/what-laws-could-swedens-opposition-block-after-collapse-of-pairing Mon, 18 May 2026 15:57:02 +0200 what-laws-could-swedens-opposition-block-after-collapse-of-pairing France refused entry to 200 British citizens in 2025, latest EU data shows, with most refused because they either did not have the correct paperwork or had previously over-stayed the 90-day limit. https://www.thelocal.com/20260519/france-refuses-entry-to-hundreds-of-brits Tue, 19 May 2026 12:22:13 +0200 france-refuses-entry-to-hundreds-of-brits Sweden's government is set to buy four new frigates for its navy from France's Naval Group in what it called "a very large international defence-industrial deal". https://www.thelocal.com/20260519/sweden-to-buy-four-new-frigates-from-france-in-major-defence-deal Tue, 19 May 2026 10:38:06 +0200 sweden-to-buy-four-new-frigates-from-france-in-major-defence-deal Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, of the conservative Moderates, went head to head with opposition leader Magdalena Andersson, of the centre-left Social Democrats, in a debate at Kulturhuset in Stockholm. https://www.thelocal.com/20260519/swedish-party-leaders-clash-on-taxes-and-work-permits-in-live-debate Tue, 19 May 2026 10:31:15 +0200 swedish-party-leaders-clash-on-taxes-and-work-permits-in-live-debate The Sweden Democrats would be willing to allow young people who have already received deportation orders the chance to remain in Sweden, after the Moderate Party shifted on the issue. https://www.thelocal.com/20260519/sweden-democrats-join-u-turn-on-letting-to-be-deported-teenagers-stay-in-sweden Tue, 19 May 2026 10:27:45 +0200 sweden-democrats-join-u-turn-on-letting-to-be-deported-teenagers-stay-in-sweden France and Turkey have the highest levels of prison overcrowding among Council of Europe member states, with 131 inmates for every 100 places, a specially commissioned report said Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.com/20260519/france-and-turkey-have-most-overcrowded-jails-in-europe Tue, 19 May 2026 10:09:25 +0200 france-and-turkey-have-most-overcrowded-jails-in-europe The 2028 Tour de France will embark from Reims in the French champagne region, organisers ASO revealed on Monday. https://www.thelocal.com/20260518/champagne-start-in-reims-for-2028-tour-de-france Mon, 18 May 2026 16:44:05 +0200 champagne-start-in-reims-for-2028-tour-de-france The number of people refused entry to the EU and Schengen area has risen dramatically, according to new statistics, while thousands of US, UK and Indian nationals have been found to be illegally present in EU/Schengen countries. https://www.thelocal.com/20260518/trend-will-continue-number-of-people-refused-entry-to-europe-on-the-rise Mon, 18 May 2026 15:58:26 +0200 trend-will-continue-number-of-people-refused-entry-to-europe-on-the-rise Two beloved museums in central Stockholm are at risk of closing because the government agency which owns the land is now requiring the museums, which are also run by a government agency, to pay market rents on the space. https://www.thelocal.com/20260518/why-two-iconic-stockholm-museums-might-have-to-close Mon, 18 May 2026 10:19:21 +0200 why-two-iconic-stockholm-museums-might-have-to-close The last step before a citizenship application can be approved is the personal appearance at a Migration Agency office. The Local's Becky Waterton had her appointment last week – here's what happened. https://www.thelocal.com/20260518/the-final-hurdle-what-happened-at-my-personal-appearance-for-swedish-citizenship Mon, 18 May 2026 13:23:13 +0200 the-final-hurdle-what-happened-at-my-personal-appearance-for-swedish-citizenship Inter Ikea Group, the holding company that oversees Ikea, is cutting 850 jobs, including 300 in Sweden. https://www.thelocal.com/20260518/ikea-to-cut-more-than-800-jobs-including-300-in-sweden Mon, 18 May 2026 13:03:03 +0200 ikea-to-cut-more-than-800-jobs-including-300-in-sweden Sweden and India are set to double their trade and investment over the next five years, in a new strategic partnership penned during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Gothenburg. https://www.thelocal.com/20260518/sweden-and-india-forge-strategic-partnership-to-double-economic-exchange Mon, 18 May 2026 10:08:06 +0200 sweden-and-india-forge-strategic-partnership-to-double-economic-exchange A former Moderate Party defence minister has told The Local that opposition parties are "quite correct" to accuse the Sweden Democrats of cheating in the vote on transitional rules for citizenship at the end of April. https://www.thelocal.com/20260515/sweden-democrats-cheated-on-citizenship-vote-says-moderate-party-heavyweight Fri, 15 May 2026 15:22:52 +0200 sweden-democrats-cheated-on-citizenship-vote-says-moderate-party-heavyweight The launch of limited-edition Swatch watches descended into chaos Saturday in several European cities and New York, with French police firing tear gas to restore order at one store near Paris. https://www.thelocal.com/20260517/scuffles-in-france-italy-and-beyond-as-swatch-sale-descends-into-chaos Sun, 17 May 2026 16:50:40 +0200 scuffles-in-france-italy-and-beyond-as-swatch-sale-descends-into-chaos Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest on Sunday with Dara's catchy floor-filler "Bangaranga" sweeping the 70th edition of the world's biggest live televised music event and pushing into second place Israel, whose participation had triggered a major boycott. https://www.thelocal.com/20260517/bulgarias-bangaranga-wins-eurovision-with-israel-second Sun, 17 May 2026 10:44:45 +0200 bulgarias-bangaranga-wins-eurovision-with-israel-second From where to stay, what to do and how to travel, Berlin-based journalist and mom Rachel Stern lays out some tested tips on going on a family holiday in and around Germany. https://www.thelocal.com/20240710/10-tips-for-travelling-with-kids-in-germany Wed, 10 Jul 2024 14:19:08 +0200 10-tips-for-travelling-with-kids-in-germany