Belgium has a new government. All it took was seven months of negotiation — which by Belgian standards is breakneck speed. New Prime Minister Bart De Wever had previously served as mayor of Antwerp from 2013, besides leading his N-VA party for the last two decades. An experienced and formidable politician, it’s surprising it’s taken him this long to lead his country.

Lawmakers in Europe have been shaken by allegations that Tatjana Ždanoka, a Latvian member of the European Parliament, has been working undercover as a Russian spy.

Two Swedish nationals were shot dead in Brussels on Monday night and another person was wounded in an attack that is being investigated as apparent terrorism. 

Belgian authorities said that the person responsible for the attack said on social media that he was inspired by the Islamic State militant group and that he was possibly motivated to attack Swedish people.

It was not immediately clear whether the shooter had been confronted by police or was in custody. 

Hungary has released more than 1,400 convicted people smugglers from prisons – but faces a legal challenge from the European Commission.

Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, decided in April to release the inmates and give them three days to leave the country.

Hungary said at the time its overcrowded jails were holding 2,600 people from 73 countries – 13 per cent of the prison population – at great cost to the taxpayer.

EU PRESENTS PLAN TO FIGHT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: Brussels will today unveil its eagerly anticipated proposal for an “EU ethics body” — the plan has been in the works for years, but it has seen expectations upon it grow following the Qatargate corruption scandal.

Side-hustle culture: Pro-transparency NGOs and MEPs were hoping the proposal would finally “drain the swamp” in Brussels and force politicians to unveil their secret side-earnings and conflicts of interest.

Belgium's notoriously messy political system is giving the EU a real headache in the way it doles out recovery fund cash.

In a story that embraces accusations of blackmail, a Flemish liberal prime minister, a French-speaking Socialist pensions minister, the mayor of an old industrial city and a workers' party that's not even in government, the country is at serious risk of missing out on €4.5 billion in EU grants.

President Joe Biden heads to Europe on Wednesday under increasing pressure at home and abroad to do more to aid Ukraine, as he tries to walk a fine line between providing support and deterring Russia while avoiding further escalation. 

After Margaret Thatcher survived the Brighton Hotel bombing, some 30 years ago, the I.R.A. released a statement, which went as follows: “Today we were unlucky, but remember we only have to be lucky once—you will have to be lucky always.”

In Europe, these d

Think like the enemy. Let’s suppose I am an Islamic State terrorist. I don’t do bombs or bullets. I leave the dirty work to the crazies in the basement. My job is what happens next. It is to turn carnage into consequences, body parts into politics. I am a consultant terrorist. I wear a suit, not explosives. A blood-stained concourse is a means to an end. The end is power.