From 6h ago 06.27 EST First EU reactions to Trump’s tariff threats against the bloc – summary Jakub Krupa EU leaders have signalled that the bloc would be prepared to retaliate against the US if Donald Trump followed through on his threats to impose tariffs on European goods. Speaking ahead of their informal meeting in Brussels, they repeatedly called for calm and stressed the value of EU-US cooperation, but indicated that they would not hide away from responding with tariffs if targeted first. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc was “listening carefully” to Trump’s comments and “preparing on our side” to respond if needed. However, she stressed that “there are no winners in trade wars” and pointed out that China would be the only beneficiary of that scenario. French president Emmanuel Macron said that if Europe is “attacked in terms of trade … [it] will have to stand up for itself and therefore react.” Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said the EU should do all it can to avoid “totally unnecessary and stupid tariff wars,” adding it would be a “cruel paradox” if the bloc was forced into a trade war with a long-standing ally. Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen, who is already embroiled in a separate crisis with Trump over the future of Greenland, said that while she would typically “never support fighting allies, if the US puts tough tariffs on Europe, we need a collective and robust response.” Luxembourg’s prime minister Luc Frieden also said that “the answer to tariffs is to reply with [the] same action,” but insisted it should not overshadow today’s discussions on defence. But some leaders struck a more conciliatory tone. German chancellor Olaf Scholz said any tariffs would be “bad for the US and bad for Europe,” and stressed the need for cooperation to resolve this situation. Finnish prime minister Petteri Orpo said: “We have to negotiate with Trump,” before adding: “I am not going to start a war, I want to start negotiations.” France’s president Emmanuel Macron speaks to the press as he arrives for an informal EU leaders’ retreat at the Palais d’Egmont in Brussels. Photograph: Nicolas Tucat/AFP/Getty Images Share
16m ago 11.46 EST Idea we could run Nato without the US is a ‘silly thought’, Rutte says Rutte gets asked about a potential trade war between the US and Canada. “I am absolutely convinced that we can deal with these issues … and this will not get in the way of our collective determination to keep out deterrence strong,” he says. Starmer also gets asked on Trump’s tariffs. “It’s early days,” he says, stressing the importance of open trading relations. He acknowledges tensions with the EU, saying “I know that intense US-EU discussions are planned.” But he does not accept he would need to choose between the US and the EU. Repeatedly asked about Trump’s tariffs in follow ups, both Rutte and Starmer toe the diplomatic line to avoid any controversy. But Rutte eventually goes further in his comments when asked if its time to plan for Nato without the US. “To your question on Nato and the assumption that you could run Nato without the US. That is, for so many reasons, a silly thought,” he says. “A Nato, or whatever the organisation is then called, without the US, for many reasons, that would not work,” Rutte stresses. When you look at Ukraine, it’s not just Ukraine and Russia. This would be bad enough, but it is a geopolitical thing which is going on, and the US and the European side of Nato realise that. It is China, North Korea, Iran, all getting connected to Russia. This is a geopolitical thing playing out at the moment, and this is why Ukraine must win, not just for Ukraine’s sake, but also for the [wider] geopolitical impact. View image in fullscreen Starmer and Rutte speaking in Brussels. Photograph: Omar Havana/Reuters Share Updated at 12.00 EST
31m ago 11.31 EST And now we’re going over to Brussels, where Nato secretary general Mark Rutte and UK prime minister Keir Starmer have been speaking to the media. Rutte praises the UK for its support for Ukraine since 2022, but insisted that “we must not only sustain, but step up our support, so that when the time comes, Ukraine can sit at the negotiating table in a position of strength.” Starmer talks of his experience of recently visiting Kyiv, seeing residential buildings destroyed just days before, soldiers recovering from terrible burns, and children whose parents are out on the frontline. “This is not just a war in Ukraine, but on Ukraine, against those children and their future,” he says. “Peace will come through strength. We must do all that we can to support Ukraine’s defence,” he adds. Pointedly, he says “we need all allies stepping up, particularly in Europe.” View image in fullscreen Starmer and Rutte speaking at a press conference in Brussels. Photograph: Omar Havana/AP Share Updated at 11.34 EST
42m ago 11.21 EST Key lines from French PM Bayrou as he moves to force the 2025 budget without vote Kim Willsher in Paris Bayrou told the house: This is the hour of truth. This is the week of truth and responsibility. No country can survive without a budget and France less than others. Since almost 70 years our country is without a budget in February for the first time. Is this budget perfect? No. Nobody finds it perfect. It is a balance. We are faced with our duty and the decision is in your hands. On the social security bill, Bayrou said France’s approach from cradle to grave was one of “all for one” whereas other countries had the attitude of “everyone for themselves, their own families”. Explaining the PS decision not to back a censure motion, the PS spokesperson Arthur Delaporte, told journalists after the finance bill was passed. “It is not a good budget, but France needs a budget.” View image in fullscreen French prime minister Francois Bayrou leaves after he delivered his speech to the National Assembly. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters Share
51m ago 11.12 EST Back to France, I am not saying the situation is hectic, but Le Monde rolled out its own calculator so you can test different majorities possible with 12 different groupings in the Assemblée nationale to see in which scenarios Bayrou can survive the confidence vote later this week. You can play with it here. But, as the AFP notes, the long story short is: The hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party swiftly called for a no-confidence vote, but the motion had little chance of passing after the Socialist Party decided against backing it. The socialists issued this press release in the last few minutes, explaining why they’ll not back the motion. They directly criticise the government and point out numerous shortcomings of the proposed budget, but say that any further delays in its passing would pose a risk of harm to the most vulnerable citizens. View image in fullscreen France’s prime minister Francois Bayrou speaks during a French parliamentary session on the 2025 finance bill, and the social security budget at the National Assembly, France’s lower house parliament, in Paris. Photograph: Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images Share
1h ago 11.00 EST Merz rules out any form of cooperation with far-right AfD The CDU/CSU candidate and the frontrunner to be the next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is now also speaking in Berlin. He says he is “determined to win this federal election with a very good result,” as he hails that the CDU/CDU’s leadership in the past, all the way back to Konrad Adenauer, Ludwig Erhard and Helmut Kohl, saying “many decisions were hotly contested” and “not self-evident” at the time. He says the country is in a similar turning point that needs bold leadership, which needs to go beyond easy consensus. But he pledges that his party will never work with the far-right Alternative für Deutschland, saying it stands against everything against CDU/CSU values in western values, Nato, and democracy. His words are welcomed by long applause. View image in fullscreen A general view shows delegates listening to the speech of leader and top candidate for chancellor of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Friedrich Merz during the CDU Party Congress at the City Cube venue in Berlin on 3 February 2025. Photograph: John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images Share
1h ago 10.43 EST France’s Bayrou moves to force the 2025 budget without vote … and just as expected, François Bayrou moves to force the 2025 budget without a vote, using the constitutional measure known as 49.3, as explained by Kim Willsher earlier (13:36). View image in fullscreen France’s prime minister Francois Bayrou speaking at the National Assembly in Paris. Photograph: Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images Share
1h ago 10.34 EST People flee Santorini as earthquake fears grow Helena Smith in Athens Earthquake fears have prompted people to flee Santorini, as Greece’s most popular island destination continues to be hit by what scientists described as a “barrage” of tremors. Panic is beginning to take hold in Santorini where amid scenes of reported chaos on the island tourists and locals are now desperately try to leave – by boat and by plane. Local media showed hundreds converging on the port in the hope of boarding ferries. Meanwhile planes are departing for Athens “totally packed” while tickets for extra flights now being scheduled are selling “within seconds”. With authorities on heightened alert amid mounting concerns of an impending natural disaster, residents, tourists and workers are scrambling to leave the island on ferries and planes. By midday on Monday, Aegean airlines, the national carrier, had announced it was doubling the number of flights from Athens to Santorini for the next two days, as travel agents said the new flights were sold out “within seconds”. On Monday, an earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale, the most powerful yet, was registered at 2.17 PM local time. Land and rockslides were also recorded. People flee Santorini as earthquake fears grow Read more Earlier today, the country’s prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis appealed for calm, saying that authorities were monitoring a “very intense” geological phenomenon over recent days, and adding: “I want to ask our islanders above all to remain calm” (13:59). View image in fullscreen Passengers board a regularly scheduled ferry to Athens’ port of Piraeus, after a spike in seismic activity raised concerns about a potentially powerful earthquake in Santorini, southern Greece, on Monday. Photograph: Petros Giannakouris/AP Share Updated at 10.41 EST
2h ago 10.18 EST Aaaand in Brussels, here’s Nato secretary general Mark Rutte and UK prime minister Keir Starmer ahead of their meeting on European defence and security. I will bring you the key news lines from their press conference later. View image in fullscreen British prime minister Keir Starmer shakes hands with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte at the Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels. Photograph: Johanna Geron/Reuters Share Updated at 10.23 EST
2h ago 09.53 EST We’re still waiting for Merz as the CDU/CSU event is running slightly behind schedule, with the CSU’s Markus Söder delivering his lines first. In a passionate stump speech, he says chancellor Olaf Scholz is not fit for the job, as he insists Germany needs “a change of direction” so it does not follow a number of European countries down the populist right route. He also seeks to clearly distance CDU/CSU from the far-right Alternative für Deutschland, ruling out any form of cooperation with them after the election. View image in fullscreen Minister President of Bavaria state, Markus Soeder (CSU), speaks during the 37. Federal Party Convention of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) ahead of the upcoming 2025 general election in Berlin, Germany 3 February 2025. Photograph: Annegret Hilse/Reuters Share Updated at 09.53 EST
3h ago 08.59 EST Greek prime minister appeals for calm over ‘very intense’ tremors in Santorini Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis appealed for calm on Monday after a wave of seismic tremors hit the tourist island of Santorini, prompting concern among locals and hundreds of departures, AFP reports. Speaking from Brussels, Mitsotakis said authorities were monitoring a “very intense” geological phenomenon over recent days, adding: “I want to ask our islanders above all to remain calm.” Known for its spectacular cliffside views and a dormant volcano, Santorini and neighbouring Aegean Sea islands have been hit by hundreds of tremors since last week, the largest with a magnitude of 4.9. The neighbouring islands of Anafi, Ios and Amorgos have also been affected. The activity has prompted authorities to send rescue units to the area and close schools, and some areas have been declared off-limits because of rockslide risks. Greece sends rescue teams to Santorini amid fears of big earthquake Read more View image in fullscreen People wait on the quayside to embark a ferry at the port on the Greek Island of Santorini on February 3, 2025, as they prepare to leave in the wake of recurring earthquakes. Photograph: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen People wait on the quayside to embark a ferry at the port on the Greek Island of Santorini on 3 February 2025, as they prepare to leave in the wake of recurring earthquakes. Photograph: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen People embark a ferry at the port on the Greek Island of Santorini on 3 February 2025, to leave in the wake of recurring earthquakes. Photograph: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images Share
3h ago 08.53 EST What else is coming today? Jakub Krupa In terms of timings of what else is coming, we’re expecting (all times CET): CDU/CSU’s chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz to speak in Berlin around 15:15.
French prime minister François Bayrou to speak in Paris as he introduces his budget around 16:00.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte to speak with the media after their meeting in Brussels around 16:40. Then for all the night owls among you: The press conference after the EU leaders’ meeting in late evening, probably around 10pm (TBC) (We will catch up on that presser in tomorrow morning’s Europe Live.) View image in fullscreen Friedrich Merz attends the CDU’s federal party conference in Berlin, Germany. Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPA Share Updated at 08.53 EST
3h ago 08.36 EST Next steps in French budgetary talks Kim Willsher in Paris France faces further political uncertainty as the prime minister, François Bayrou, prepares to ignore threats of a no-confidence motion and force the 2025 budget bill through without a vote. With no majority in the Assemblée Nationale, the centrist politician has little choice but to use the constitutional measure, known as the “49.3”, on Monday to pass the legislation aimed at reducing the country’s soaring deficit. The hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) has said it will lodge a confidence vote immediately afterwards, a move supported by the country’s ecology party (EELV) and Communist party (PCF). The Parti Socialiste (PS) has not said if it will support the motion and the far-right National Rally party (RN) is meeting in the next few hours to decide whether to throw its weight behind the move, which would bring down a second government in less than two months. Bayrou, who was appointed shortly afterwards, will present his budget bill to the lower house on Monday afternoon after the text was approved by a cross party committee last week. If Bayrou uses the 49.3 to push through the bill, as he suggested this weekend he will, opponents have 24 hours to lodge a censure motion that must be voted on within 48 hours. If it succeeds, the bills are rejected, the government collapses and France returns to a political impasse. If the budget bill is passed, it will come into effect in the second half of the month. France’s PM to risk confidence vote with second attempt to force through budget Read more View image in fullscreen Bayrou speaking in the French parliament last week. Photograph: Andrea Savorani Neri/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock Share
4h ago 08.19 EST New Nato defence spending pledge will have to be ‘considerably higher than 2%’, Nato’s Rutte says Nato secretary general Mark Rutte has now joined the EU leaders at their informal meeting in Brussels. Before going into Palais d’Egmont, or Egmontpaleis if you prefer the Dutch name, he said that Europe needs to “ramp up defence spending”, and the new defence spending pledge will have to be “considerably higher than 2%”. He was also asked about Nato’s position on Greenland, and he diplomatically said that he had good discussions with Denmark and other allies, and all parties “have to do more collectively” to protect the high north. Asked to comment on Trump’s tariff threats, he declined to get involved saying jokingly that it’s above his pay grade. View image in fullscreen Secretary general of Nato Mark Rutte arrives for an informal EU leaders’ retreat at the Palais d’Egmont in Brussels. Photograph: Nicolas Tucat/AFP/Getty Images Share Updated at 08.23 EST
4h ago 07.53 EST Lessons from Serbia, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Poland and Belarus for Americans under Trump Julian Borger in Belgrade Citizens of central and eastern Europe are long accustomed to receiving counsel from a multitude of well-meaning US organisations on how to protect their fragile democracies following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Now, after just 10 days of Donald Trump’s executive orders and civil service purges, the advice is beginning to flow the other way. With the new Trump era likely to pose unprecedented challenges the message from Europe’s fragile democracies is: stay united and safeguard your institutions. Europeans on democracy’s frontlines offer advice to Americans: never give up Read more View image in fullscreen Students and citizens block one of the bridges in Novi Sad, Serbia during the demonstration last weekend, organised for the three-month anniversary of the fatal accident at the train station Photograph: Andrej Isaković/AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen People take part in a demonstration against the Slovak prime minister Robert Fico and his government in Bratislava, Slovakia last month. Photograph: Jakub Gavlák/EPA View image in fullscreen People carrying a historical Belarusian flag take part in the March of Belarusians in Warsaw last month. Photograph: Rafał Guz/EPA Share Updated at 08.01 EST