Opposition leader Friedrich Merz (CDU/EPP) confirmed on Tuesday (17 September) that he will run against German chancellor Olaf Scholz in next year’s national elections, as he secured the backing of his internal opponents.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday (17 September) unveiled her plan to divide responsibilities among the European Union’s next crop of commissioners. 

Europeans voted in June 2024 for new EU Parliament representatives. With a new mandate starting, a crucial question lingers: will Europe pursue ambitious climate action? Will it support net zero technologies like CCU to build more sustainable industrial production in Europe?

The incoming Commissioner for Energy must be tasked with delivering the clean heat transition: phasing out fossil fuels in heating and cooling is the gateway towards energy security, affordability, European industrial competitiveness, and essential climate action.

Lithuania's Andrius Kubilius was announced on Tuesday (17 September) as the bloc's new defence and space commissioner, which is considered central to the EU's ambitions to rearm faced with the threat from Russia.

Meta late Monday (16 September) said it is banning Russian state media outlets from its apps around the world due to "foreign interference activity."

The outgoing head of NATO Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday (16 September) he welcomed talks on Ukraine's use of long-range missiles to strike inside Russian territory, but any decision on the issue would have to be made by individual allies.

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about the UK and Italy comitting to finding new solutions to manage migration, Finland and Sweden stepping up cooperation to fight crime in Sweden, and so much more. 

President Vladimir Putin on Monday (16 September) ordered the regular size of the Russian army to be increased by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million active servicemen in a move that would make it the second largest in the world after China's.

A missing Macedonian flag during the meeting between Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and his counterpart Gordana Silyanovska-Davkova has triggered a new scandal and raised tensions between Sofia and Skopje on Monday.

Microorganisms are crucial to Europe’s bioeconomy, driving innovation across industries. However, outdated EU regulations hinder their potential. A modernized framework is essential to fully harness these tiny powerhouses for a sustainable future.

As the Polish government plans to apply to activate the EU's civil protection mechanism and the Czech government is exploring whether it can access EU funds for repairs after devastating floods, the government in neighbouring Slovakia has been criticised for not providing enough aid. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has offered support to European partners through the EU's emergency mechanism in response to severe flooding in central and eastern Europe but said no requests for assistance had yet been registered.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev urged visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday (16 September) to give up on the idea that Russia can be defeated on the battlefield and to support China's peace plan for Ukraine, a suggestion Scholz rejected.

Sweden and Finland have pledged to step up cooperation to fight organised crime in Sweden and its spill-over effects, including allowing police to cross borders, the two countries' governments said at a meeting in Sweden on Monday.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed a shared commitment to exploring innovative solutions and stepping up efforts to combat human trafficking as the two met in Rome to discuss new approaches to managing migration, focusing on the Italy-Albania model.

The European Commission pushed back against calls by automakers to postpone the 2025 CO2 reduction targets for cars, arguing that carmakers had enough time to prepare.

On a visit to Greenland, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships is seeking to secure the European Union's interests in this Arctic territory rich in raw materials crucial for the ecological transition.

The European Green Deal was meant to align ambitious climate policy with economic competitiveness and social protection, but policymakers are now focused on a file where environmental, social and economic trade-offs are toughest to navigate - energy taxation. 

Thierry Breton, the EU's Internal Market Commissioner, announced his resignation from the European Commission on 16 September, citing tensions with President Ursula von der Leyen.