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 Air conditioning is not common in Germany, especially in private homes, but there other ways to keep yourself and your home cool during a heatwave. https://www.thelocal.com/20250813/six-ways-to-keep-your-german-home-cool-without-air-conditioning Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:57:28 +0200 six-ways-to-keep-your-german-home-cool-without-air-conditioning More than 100,000 people gathered in the university town of Lund on Saturday to attend the student-run Lundakarnevalen, which is organised every four years. https://www.thelocal.com/20260525/in-pictures-more-than-100000-people-celebrate-university-carnival-in-lund Mon, 25 May 2026 09:59:00 +0200 in-pictures-more-than-100000-people-celebrate-university-carnival-in-lund Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson has his eyes set on roughly half of the seats in a future right-wing cabinet, including three of the following portfolios: finance, foreign, justice and defence. https://www.thelocal.com/20260525/sweden-democrats-aim-for-half-of-cabinet-seats-in-a-right-wing-government Mon, 25 May 2026 08:51:07 +0200 sweden-democrats-aim-for-half-of-cabinet-seats-in-a-right-wing-government Raising a child is expensive, but in Germany parents also get supportive benefits, as well as affordable childcare and health insurance. Here's a look at how much it really costs to raise a family here. https://www.thelocal.com/20260318/how-much-does-it-cost-to-raise-children-in-germany Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:13:46 +0100 how-much-does-it-cost-to-raise-children-in-germany 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 In this week’s edition, we explain how Spain is continuously fighting on numerous fronts to prevent diseases passed from animals to humans from spreading and leading to another pandemic, as the world hopes for the hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks to end soon. https://www.thelocal.com/20260523/inside-spain-the-overlooked-fight-to-prevent-another-pandemic Sat, 23 May 2026 09:04:04 +0200 inside-spain-the-overlooked-fight-to-prevent-another-pandemic From the scandal of the film blacklist to the latest financial investigation into a French politician, via an exciting new biopic and the right to beauty in our cities, Inside France looks at the latest news and talking points from France. https://www.thelocal.com/20260523/inside-france-the-film-blacklist-and-the-right-to-beauty Sat, 23 May 2026 09:01:29 +0200 inside-france-the-film-blacklist-and-the-right-to-beauty With governments across Europe tightening citizenship and residency requirements, language and country knowledge tests are often framed as measures of integration. But are governments really talking to domestic political audiences? https://www.thelocal.com/20260523/are-government-language-tests-in-europe-integration-policy-or-just-political-posturing Sat, 23 May 2026 10:24:29 +0200 are-government-language-tests-in-europe-integration-policy-or-just-political-posturing 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 Companies offering 'airport concierge' services say they have seen a spike in bookings since the start of the EU's EES system of biometric passport checks - so is it worth paying extra for these? https://www.thelocal.com/20260522/can-an-airport-concierge-service-help-you-with-ees-in-france Fri, 22 May 2026 16:56:47 +0200 can-an-airport-concierge-service-help-you-with-ees-in-france Several new night trains will bring passengers from Germany to popular cities around Europe this year, and a couple of popular connections that were set to end are being saved. Here are four exciting overnight journeys to ride this year. https://www.thelocal.com/20260129/four-international-night-trains-from-germany-to-try-in-2026 Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:50:19 +0100 four-international-night-trains-from-germany-to-try-in-2026 Payment provider Nets reported an outage for much of Thursday which caused card payments across the country to be declined. What can you do if you need to pay for something? https://www.thelocal.com/20260521/can-you-still-buy-things-in-denmark-if-payment-service-nets-is-down Thu, 21 May 2026 13:26:13 +0200 can-you-still-buy-things-in-denmark-if-payment-service-nets-is-down In the first of two votes, the Swedish parliament voted to enable authorities to strip dual citizens of their Swedish citizenship in certain situations. https://www.thelocal.com/20260521/swedish-mps-vote-to-revoke-citizenship-over-crimes-that-harm-vital-interests Thu, 21 May 2026 09:35:56 +0200 swedish-mps-vote-to-revoke-citizenship-over-crimes-that-harm-vital-interests Swedish opposition politicians welcomed an opinion piece from a Sweden Democrat MP in which he apologised for his party's decision to send in two extra MPs to block a motion on transitional citizenship rules. https://www.thelocal.com/20260521/swedish-opposition-welcomes-sweden-democrat-mps-apology-over-citizenship-vote Thu, 21 May 2026 09:50:15 +0200 swedish-opposition-welcomes-sweden-democrat-mps-apology-over-citizenship-vote Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson said she wants to cooperate across bloc lines on several issues after the election, even if she manages to secure a centre-left majority. https://www.thelocal.com/20260521/social-democrats-aim-for-cross-bloc-collaboration-on-key-issues-after-election Thu, 21 May 2026 09:25:49 +0200 social-democrats-aim-for-cross-bloc-collaboration-on-key-issues-after-election A Sweden Democrat MP has apologised for his party's decision to send in two extra MPs to block a motion on transitional rules, saying that the party's action had been "wrong" and that principles should never be sacrificed for "short-term parliamentary gains". https://www.thelocal.com/20260520/sweden-democrat-mp-apologises-for-party-manipulating-citizenship-vote Wed, 20 May 2026 12:34:20 +0200 sweden-democrat-mp-apologises-for-party-manipulating-citizenship-vote 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 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 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