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 As it stands right now, a 'Tidö 2' government lacks a mandate, as does the Centre Party's dream 'middle government', and two of the four opposition parties who could form a majority refuse to rule together. If nothing changes, what does this mean for foreigners in Sweden? https://www.thelocal.com/20260914/what-does-swedens-unexpectedly-close-election-result-mean-for-foreigners Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:03:13 +0200 what-does-swedens-unexpectedly-close-election-result-mean-for-foreigners As the French government prepares its latest budget, another political crisis seems inevitable - but John Lichfield argues that France is now in deep trouble over its spiralling debt. https://www.thelocal.com/20260916/opinion-france-is-in-deep-trouble-over-its-debt Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:08:37 +0200 opinion-france-is-in-deep-trouble-over-its-debt The Centre Party is the kingmaker for Sweden's next government, but it has boxed itself in with red lines in all directions. Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist should learn from Ebba Busch if she wants to find a way out, argues The Local's James Savage. https://www.thelocal.com/20260916/opinion-the-misunderstood-centre-party-could-learn-from-ebba Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:16:15 +0200 opinion-the-misunderstood-centre-party-could-learn-from-ebba The party is still leading the polls for next year's French election, but as John Lichfield reports there are increasing tensions within the far right Rassemblement National party, particularly between Marine Le Pen and her deputy Jordan Bardella. https://www.thelocal.com/20260909/opinion-in-the-french-far-right-the-rift-widens-between-le-pen-and-bardella Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:34:26 +0200 opinion-in-the-french-far-right-the-rift-widens-between-le-pen-and-bardella "Remigration is nothing other than a synonym for ethnic cleansing," said Merz on Wednesday, voicing uncharacteristically strong opposition to the far-right following a ground-shaking state election. https://www.thelocal.com/20260909/is-german-chancellor-merz-repositioning-in-response-to-far-right-vote Wed, 09 Sep 2026 17:06:32 +0200 is-german-chancellor-merz-repositioning-in-response-to-far-right-vote As the 2027 French presidential election campaign gets underway in earnest, polls show Marine Le Pen with a commanding lead - John Lichfield looks at whether a far right victory is really a foregone conclusion. https://www.thelocal.com/20260902/opinion-le-pen-looks-unbeatable-but-her-own-arrogance-and-laziness-may-be-her-undoing Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:16:27 +0200 opinion-le-pen-looks-unbeatable-but-her-own-arrogance-and-laziness-may-be-her-undoing Looking out from my garden in the Norman hills, I can see a corner of a Europe-wide catastrophe unfold - writes John Lichfield. My village resembles the Oklahoma dust bowl circa 1936. https://www.thelocal.com/20260819/opinion-drought-will-plunge-france-into-a-food-prices-crisis Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:10:06 +0200 opinion-drought-will-plunge-france-into-a-food-prices-crisis From conspiracy theories to attempts to blame Green politicians, the blame game for the French wildfires has begun - writes John Lichfield - and is likely to continue until next year's elections. https://www.thelocal.com/20260805/opinion-as-french-wildfires-still-burn-the-blame-the-greens-deflection-has-begun Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:27:34 +0200 opinion-as-french-wildfires-still-burn-the-blame-the-greens-deflection-has-begun As Marine Le Pen prepares herself for her great election gamble, French academic Emile Chabal explores the similarities with populists Nigel Farage and Donald Trump - and whether these tactics will work in France. https://www.thelocal.com/20260806/let-the-people-judge-me-how-marine-le-pen-and-nigel-farage-learned-a-potent-populist-tactic-from-donald-trump Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:56:11 +0200 let-the-people-judge-me-how-marine-le-pen-and-nigel-farage-learned-a-potent-populist-tactic-from-donald-trump Following the outcry over politician Jens Spahn's decision to have a baby through surrogacy in the US, writer Caitlin Hardee argues that Germany missed a key moment to reckon with its own restrictive reproductive laws. https://www.thelocal.com/20260805/opinion-germanys-outdated-surrogacy-laws-are-the-real-scandal Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:14:41 +0200 opinion-germanys-outdated-surrogacy-laws-are-the-real-scandal Will this summer's repeated fatal heatwaves and enormous wildfires cause French politicians to get serious about tackling climate change? Don't bet on it, says John Lichfield. https://www.thelocal.com/20260729/opinion-french-politicians-are-failing-their-trial-by-wildfire Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:26:19 +0200 opinion-french-politicians-are-failing-their-trial-by-wildfire Jens Spahn’s surrogacy scandal shines a light on a political class that has repeatedly shown contempt for the laws and standards it sets, argues columnist Brian Melican. Let it mark the beginning of more accountability in German public life. https://www.thelocal.com/20260724/opinion-spahns-resignation-is-a-rare-case-of-a-german-politician-facing-the-music Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:42:22 +0200 opinion-spahns-resignation-is-a-rare-case-of-a-german-politician-facing-the-music Coming from North American work culture, where you're often expected to pretend to love your job, it can be a bit of a shock to find that, in Sweden, a common conversation in the workplace is how eager you are to get away from it for a whole month, writes The Local's Mandy Pipher. https://www.thelocal.com/20260612/snart-ar-det-semester-how-to-talk-about-summer-holidays-like-a-swede Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:56:35 +0200 snart-ar-det-semester-how-to-talk-about-summer-holidays-like-a-swede Talented French footballers - many drawn from the multi-racial suburbs - have become a net export for the country. France itself could learn a great deal from the success of its grassroots sports operation, writes John Lichfield. https://www.thelocal.com/20260714/opinion-france-should-learn-from-the-success-of-its-wonderful-multi-racial-football-team Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:08:32 +0200 opinion-france-should-learn-from-the-success-of-its-wonderful-multi-racial-football-team The field for France's presidential election in 2027 currently resembles the starting line-up at the Paris or London marathon, writes John Lichfield. https://www.thelocal.com/20260624/opinion-crowded-field-in-frances-2027-election-wont-necessarily-hand-victory-to-the-far-right Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:04:11 +0200 opinion-crowded-field-in-frances-2027-election-wont-necessarily-hand-victory-to-the-far-right France's heatwaves always spark debates on air conditioning - which much of the country remains deeply resistant to. Some argue that warming temperatures make widespread AC inevitable, but The Local's editor Emma Pearson explains why she thinks the French are right to resist. https://www.thelocal.com/20250707/opinion-the-french-are-right-to-shun-air-conditioning-even-during-heatwaves Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:31:35 +0200 opinion-the-french-are-right-to-shun-air-conditioning-even-during-heatwaves Russian propaganda and pro-Kremlin talking points, once veiled, have become overt in certain sections of the French media, writes John Lichfield. So why have the Putin-supporters come out into the open now, and what does it mean for French politics? https://www.thelocal.com/20260617/opinion-russia-is-stepping-up-its-propaganda-helped-by-a-french-billionaire Wed, 17 Jun 2026 09:19:03 +0200 opinion-russia-is-stepping-up-its-propaganda-helped-by-a-french-billionaire When I moved to Umeå with my Swedish husband, our two-year-old understood Swedish but spoke only in English. After a month of preschool in Sweden, that flipped – long before I could follow along, writes The Local's Mandy Pipher. https://www.thelocal.com/20260529/the-hardest-part-of-moving-to-sweden-suddenly-not-understanding-my-own-child Fri, 29 May 2026 09:52:09 +0200 the-hardest-part-of-moving-to-sweden-suddenly-not-understanding-my-own-child Jordan Bardella has stumbled upon reality - writes John Lichfield. A dangerous thing for a populist politician. https://www.thelocal.com/20260610/opinion-the-french-pension-crisis-could-be-a-landmine-for-jordan-bardella Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:24:38 +0200 opinion-the-french-pension-crisis-could-be-a-landmine-for-jordan-bardella The Champions League win of Paris Saint-Germain football club was followed by widespread rioting with almost 900 people arrested and three deaths. John Lichfield looks at how a French football victory leads to these kind of scenes. https://www.thelocal.com/20260603/opinion-why-french-football-victories-lead-to-riots Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:10:16 +0200 opinion-why-french-football-victories-lead-to-riots