The Basque National Party (EAJ-PNV), a founding party of the European Democratic Party, has taken a clear stance on Venezuela. With deep historical, political and human ties to the country, its voice carries particular weight. 1/2

Nicolás Maduro’s capture marks the fall of a brutal dictator. A man who starved his people, dismantled institutions and ruled through fear is finally out of the picture. For Venezuela, this moment brings relief —and a sense that justice has, at last, caught up. Yet we cannot ignore how this happened

“Iranians must have the right to express and to assemble freely and peacefully. Calls for a better life, for democracy and for human rights are legitimate. Unlawful use of force should not be tolerated.” — Maxime Prévot, Belgian Foreign Minister

Protests are spreading across Iran as people rise against economic collapse and decades of repression. Yesterday alone, six people were killed by regime forces during demonstrations across the country including a 15-year-old. Mass arrests and threats against families are being used to crush dissent.

The tragedy in Crans-Montana has shaken us deeply. Lives cut short, families torn apart, a community plunged into grief in the heart of Europe. In moments like this, borders disappear and what remains is our shared humanity.1/3

“There are only two options today: either the world stops Russia’s war, or Russia drags the world into its war.” In his end-of-year address, President Volodymyr Zelensky put it with brutal clarity.

During the New Year’s Eve fireworks organised by Sir Sadiq Khan in London, the European Union flag was projected onto the London Eye, with its twelve stars lighting up the city skyline.

Thank you for being part of this journey. In 2025, EDP showed that a clear, pro-European and humanist voice can be heard even amid the noise. Ranked first on Facebook and second on Instagram in Brussels (leading for 11 months out of 12), our content reached more people than ever before.

George and Amal Clooney, with their twins, are now French — and European — citizens. The choice is not symbolic. France granted citizenship recognising their strong ties to the country and their international profile, but values matter too.

Congratulations to Zohran Mamdani, who has just been sworn in as the new Mayor of New York. A historic moment for the city – and a powerful signal far beyond it. Mamdani, from a different tradition compared to us, is part of a new generation of Democrats:

In his New Year address, Macron set a clear deadline. Acceleration means moving from words to commitments: stronger European defence, investment in our security, industry and technologies. Independence is not automatic. It requires choices, resources and courage. Europe cannot wait any longer.

2025 was a year that tested democracy, and strengthened it. Across Europe and beyond, we stood firm where others hesitated. We defended democratic institutions, free media and the rule of law in a political climate marked by pressure and polarisation.

From tomorrow, 1st of January 2026, Bulgaria officially adopts the euro. A historic step that strengthens the country’s place at the heart of the European project and deepens economic convergence across the Union. 1/3

Nothing new from Moscow.

For a year now, we've had European institutions that are too weak, and this weakness, effectively, in the world we're surrounded by what? Predators. Consider that this week, not only was a commissioner banned from the US simply for doing his job. 1/4

Moscow keeps fabricating incidents to derail peace talks or to force Ukraine to pay an ever higher price. The alleged drone attack on Putin’s residence is the latest case in point. The respected Institute for the Study of War has found no evidence to back the Kremlin’s claim. 1/3

A selfie can freeze a moment. This one opens a conversation across time. In “The Pantheon”, an AI video, our Secretary-General Sandro Gozi meets the architects of democracy and European values: John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jean Monnet, Simone Veil, Mahatma Gandhi, Altiero Spinelli, 1/3

In Tehran, a single protester sits on the asphalt while the regime advances on motorbikes. No weapons. No violence. Just courage. Thousands are protesting against soaring prices and the collapse of Iran’s currency. The answer they receive is intimidation and force. 1/2

The photo is from yesterday, taken during the peace talks in Florida. Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev surfing in Miami. Former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton stopped at the US border. Hard to explain. Impossible to justify. 1/2

When peace talks are shaped almost entirely by men, exclusion is not an accident — it is structural. In discussions on the future of Ukraine, there are only 2 women out of 15 decision-makers, presidents included. 1/2

Bilge Kağan, a 19-year-old member of the CHP youth wing, has been arrested in Istanbul for doing what democracies should protect, not punish: peacefully protesting against the Erdoğan government. He was demonstrating against a new minimum wage 1/2

We are neither naïve nor ingenuous. Anyone serious about mediation knows that peace talks require dialogue with all sides. But there is a line between diplomacy and detachment from reality. When Donald Trump claims that “Russia wants Ukraine to succeed”, that line is clearly crossed. 1/2

A new civic energy is taking shape across Serbia. Yesterday, after months of large demonstrations, a nationwide petition was launched calling for early parliamentary elections. Under the slogan “Raspiši pobedu” (“Demand victory”), almost 500 stands were set up in more than 100 cities. 1/3

As talks begin at Mar-a-Lago between President Trump and President Zelensky, expectations are mixed and the future remains uncertain. Yet Europe cannot afford to give in to pessimism.

When Poland’s President Nawrocki suggests that the West should be seen as a threat, something fundamental goes wrong. It is a shameful distortion of history and of today’s reality. Poland has always been a bridge between East and West – never a wall against Europe. 1/3

Donald Trump returned to the White House promising strength and prosperity. The numbers tell a different story. In just one year, his personal wealth jumped from $2.3 billion to $6.3 billion. 1/2

Farewell, Brigitte Bardot — not as one says goodbye to a person, but as one takes leave of a season. You belonged to a time when freedom was learned by breaking the frame, when beauty unsettled rather than consoled.

Today, students across Serbia are mobilising peacefully to demand accountability, transparency and democratic dignity. What began after the tragic collapse of the Novi Sad railway station grew into a broader call for justice, institutional responsibility and elections that are genuinely free 1/3

Zelensky puts it plainly: Ukraine wants this war to end. Russia doesn’t. That’s why the question is simple, not ideological: if you truly want peace, you stand with Ukraine. When Kyiv accepts ceasefire and Moscow keeps attacking, “neutrality” isn’t balance — it’s an advantage for the aggressor.

The attempt by the US administration to label Thierry Breton and other European figures as persona non grata is not a diplomatic slip. It is political intimidation. We fully support the words of our Deputy Secretary-General, Yvan Verougstraete: 1/3

While President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Florida to talk, listen and push for a just and lasting peace, Vladimir Putin answers with missiles. Once again, Kyiv is bombed at night. As it was at Christmas. As it has been for months. 1/3

A red carpet for a dictator you claim to seek peace with — yet who remains a war criminal. At the same time, visa bans for former EU officials and researchers whose only “crime” is defending digital sovereignty and ensuring that power follows the rules approved by a fully democratic institution. 1/2

Europe’s security is built through cooperation, not isolation. In the recent days, EU member states endorsed the agreement allowing Canada to join SAFE, the €150 billion common procurement instrument strengthening Europe’s defence industrial base.

They call it a “free speech battle”. But it’s only free when it suits them. The same political camp that denied visas to Thierry Breton and four other Europeans for their views on global digital governance now lectures the world on liberty.

On this sacred day of Christmas, when silence and compassion should prevail, we allow ourselves one simple, human hope: that there is still a trace of humanity left in Vladimir Putin. That today he stops the attacks on Ukraine. 1/2

🎄✨ Merry Christmas! All I want for Christmas is EU. A stronger, fairer and more united Europe.

Today on France 24, Sandro Gozi was crystal clear on the controversy surrounding the visa refusal to Thierry Breton and the broader pressure on Europe’s digital rules. Big Tech is lobbying the US administration to force Europe to roll back its digital legislation. 1/3

We stand fully behind every single word of President Macron’s message. Europe’s digital sovereignty is not negotiable. We will not step back, not even by an inch. The attack by the US against Thierry Breton and five other European figures is a clear provocation — and it does not intimidate us. 1/2

Something worrying is happening in Serbia. While United Media, owner of the country’s main independent outlets, remains silent, the CEO of state-owned Telekom Srbija has publicly spoken about its alleged internal plans.

The announcement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Thierry Breton and four other European citizens are “not welcome” in the United States is more than a diplomatic incident. It is a political signal – and a worrying one.

A 2.5-minute street interview. That is all it took in today’s Turkey. Dilruba Kayserilioğlu criticised the government and the blocking of social media. For her words – not for violence – she was arrested, jailed for weeks and put on trial for “insulting the President” and “inciting hatred”.

Alone, we’re fish among old and new sharks. Together, we’re Europe.

In which world is Russia “fully committed to peace”? While Russian missiles keep hitting Ukrainian cities. While civilians are targeted. While children are killed in their homes, schools, hospitals. We understand the role of a peace envoy: optimism is part of the job.

At the end of 2025, The Atlantic summed it up with brutal clarity: “The Most … Administration Ever.” The Epstein files were finally released — and they were so heavily redacted that transparency became a parody of itself. This is what happens when power fears daylight.

President Zelensky is right. In a country at war, it is for Ukraine – and Ukraine alone – to decide if, when and how elections are held. Not Putin. Democracies do not take lessons from autocrats who have clung to power for 25 years, nor from those responsible for war crimes. 1/2

Singing a song is not extremism. Yet in today’s Russia, it can cost you three years of freedom. Alexander Nesterenko, a philosophy lecturer in Moscow, has been sentenced to prison for sharing Ukrainian songs online. According to RusNews, prosecutors framed culture, memory and dissent as a threat.

What is happening in Lithuania deserves our full attention. Thousands are protesting yesterday in Vilnius against a draft law that would weaken the independence of the public broadcaster LRT, opening the door to political interference in governance and appointments.

A young woman holds up a sign. The State responds with prison. Esila Ayık, a Turkish student and activist, spent 37 days in detention for showing a placard reading “Dictator Erdoğan” during a protest. Tomorrow, she faces a court hearing.

Vanity Fair USA has published a controversial interview with Susie Wiles, Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff. What emerges is not damage control, but an alarming insider account of power. Wiles describes a President with an “alcoholic personality”: impulsive, ego-driven, obsessed with dominance.

Fidesz has dropped to 28% in the latest IDEA Institute poll — a clear sign that Viktor Orbán is losing ground. Years of authoritarian rule, entrenched corruption, and now the disgraceful “reformer” pardon scandal have deeply shaken public trust. 1/2