标签： Europe

Ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Ireland this coming weekend, Ireland’s largest opposition party Sinn Féin has confirmed it will participate in widespread public demonstrations against the trip, citing Washington’s ongoing facilitation of Israeli military actions in Palestine that the party leadership describes as genocide. The visit, which will see Trump hold formal meetings with Ireland’s head of state and top elected official before heading to a private golf resort, has sparked significant public and political backlash across the country, which holds one of the most pro-Palestinian policy stances in the European Union.

During Sinn Féin’s annual pre-parliamentary term policy think-in in Dublin this week, party president Mary Lou McDonald told reporters that public outrage over the crisis in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank has made protests against the visit not just inevitable, but entirely justified. “I’m not surprised that there will be protests at this visit,” McDonald stated. “I think that is quite correct given the scale of the breaches of international law, given the genocide in Palestine, events in Gaza and on the West Bank, we are seeing settler violence at a rate that is literally unspeakable.”

McDonald emphasized that the United States bears direct responsibility for the ongoing crisis, saying “The United States, and I say this with deep, deep regret and some anger, facilitates that, facilitates Israel in its onslaught against the Palestinian people. So quite correctly there will be a protest against some of that. I would be deeply shocked if there weren’t and, yes, Sinn Féin will be there.”

Beyond joining the street demonstrations, McDonald has publicly pressured Irish President Catherine Connolly and Taoiseach Micheál Martin to openly raise the Palestinian crisis during their scheduled meetings with Trump. Connolly, who was a vocal critic of U.S. policy prior to her election to the presidency last year, will hold a short introductory meeting with Trump at the Áras an Uachtaráin, the official presidential residence. McDonald said she expects Connolly to use even that brief encounter to address the issue of U.S. military and political support for Israel’s campaign in Gaza. “I would imagine and I would hope that given the opportunity, that she would raise the matter particularly in regards to Palestine and the United States ongoing facilitation and arming of Israel,” McDonald said, adding that she made the call aware of the limited time available for the meeting.

For Martin, who is set to hold a full bilateral meeting with the U.S. president, McDonald said the taoiseach has a clear obligation to reflect the widespread public opposition to Israeli actions in Ireland. “The taoiseach will have every opportunity again to set out the views and the position of the Irish State and the Irish people and I believe he must do so very, very clearly and very firmly,” she added.

Trump’s itinerary for the weekend confirms he will first meet with Connolly and Martin in Dublin before traveling to his private golf resort in Doonbeg, County Clare, where he will attend the Amgen Irish Open golf tournament. Opposition politicians across Ireland have argued that the Irish government should not extend a warm welcome to Trump, amid widespread public anger over his administration’s unwavering support for Israel.

The call for Irish leaders to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict comes just days after the United Kingdom announced new sanctions against illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband framed the move as the start of a new approach to the conflict that backs up criticism of injustice with concrete action, accusing the Israeli government of ignoring settler-driven ethnic cleansing of Palestinian communities. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded by calling Miliband’s accusation an outrageous lie, and announced retaliatory measures including the closure of the UK’s consulate in East Jerusalem.

This week marks the annual pre-session think-in period for all major Irish political parties, held ahead of the new term of the Dáil, Ireland’s national parliament. The closed-door gatherings bring together parliamentary party members, TDs (the Irish equivalent of members of parliament) and senators to map out policy priorities and legislative strategies for the coming year.

The political landscape of Germany shifted dramatically this week, following a landmark electoral upset that has reignited fierce ideological battles in the country’s federal parliament. Just days after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured a sweeping victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt — capturing nearly 44% of the popular vote, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) saw its support cut in half to just 17.2% — Merz and AfD leader Alice Weidel faced off in their first high-stakes parliamentary debate since the election result.

In a charged address to the Bundestag, Merz launched a scathing attack on the AfD, labeling the party a fundamental “destructive force” for German democracy and society. His sharpest criticism targeted the AfD’s flagship “remigration” policy, a hardline agenda that prioritizes mass deportations of irregular migrants and has been repeatedly flagged by Germany’s domestic intelligence service, which already classifies the Saxony-Anhalt AfD branch as a confirmed right-wing extremist movement. Merz argued that the policy would strip Germany of one-sixth of its skilled labor force, many of whom have migrant backgrounds. He called the proposal “nothing other than ethnic cleansing in the skilled trades, based on skin color and national origin.”

Weidel, who opened the debate, struck back at Merz’s three-party coalition government with center-left Social Democrats, framing the Saxony-Anhalt result as a clear public rejection of the administration’s agenda. She told assembled MPs that voters had delivered a definitive verdict: Merz’s government was a complete failure, and its time in power had run its course. She blamed mass, unregulated migration for rising public insecurity, citing repeated incidents of knife violence in public spaces including trains and transit stations. Weidel also accused the coalition of driving Germany’s national finances toward bankruptcy, noting that the CDU had been “pulverized” at the polls in the eastern state.

The debate quickly descended into chaos, with repeated heckling from AfD MPs that grew so disruptive that Bundestag President Julia Klöckner was forced to intervene, threatening to expel unruly members from the chamber. “We are not on a football pitch,” she warned.

Beyond the acrimonious verbal exchange, the election result has upended decades of political convention in post-World War II Germany. No far-right party has held executive power in any of Germany’s 16 federal states since 1945, and the AfD fell three seats short of an outright parliamentary majority in Saxony-Anhalt, leaving the path to forming a state government unclear. The party has already begun exploring coalition options, opening talks that could see it govern with the left-wing populist BSW, while local AfD officials have even floated the possibility of working with Merz’s CDU — if the mainstream party abandons its longstanding “firewall” policy that bans any formal cooperation with the far-right.

Merz rejected that prospect outright, dismissing the AfD’s claims of a mandate and accusing the party of breaking its pre-election promise to only govern if it won an outright majority. He also criticized the AfD for its pro-Russia stance, arguing that the party’s foreign policy positions actively harm German national interests, and warned that its remigration agenda would cripple core public and private services: if the policy was implemented, Merz said, not a single care home, hospital, or restaurant would be able to function normally. While he acknowledged that targeted deportations of undocumented migrants are a necessary policy, Merz stressed that the government maintains a critical distinction between people who contribute to German prosperity and those without legal permanent residency.

Internationally, the AfD’s historic gains have already drawn high-profile praise from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who hailed the outcome as a victory for global populism. Trump linked the result to widespread public anger over what he called “absolutely horrible immigration rules and regulations” in Germany. Merz, for his part, acknowledged that the result represents a “seismic” shift that has permanently altered the country’s political terrain.

BERLIN – A historic electoral upset by Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has escalated into a fierce public confrontation in the federal parliament, deepening political turbulence just weeks ahead of two more key regional votes.

Last Sunday, the AfD secured its largest-ever electoral victory in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, delivering a crippling blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which saw its voter support cut roughly in half. The outcome has cemented the AfD’s rising momentum across eastern Germany, exposing widespread public discontent with Germany’s struggling national coalition government and its failure to reverse years of sluggish economic growth. Unlike the party’s early focus centered almost exclusively on restricting immigration, analysts note the AfD has successfully broadened its appeal to tap into voter anger over a wide range of unaddressed policy failures.

Opening the annual federal budget debate on Wednesday, AfD co-leader Alice Weidel used the upset victory to openly taunt Merz, declaring that Saxony-Anhalt’s voters did not merely punish the CDU – they “pulverized” the party. Weidel argued that Merz’s administration had completely failed to grasp the message sent by voters, adding that “your time has run out anyway. Citizens want a change of policy and they will get it.” She predicted upcoming national elections would deliver a clear governing mandate to the AfD, and pushed back against Merz’s criticism of the party’s Russia and Ukraine stance, accusing the chancellor of escalating unnecessary confrontation with Moscow to distract from his own government’s poor performance.

A combative Merz pushed back sharply against Weidel’s taunts, acknowledging the AfD’s “remarkable” result but noting the party fell just short of the absolute majority it had campaigned for in Saxony-Anhalt. The chancellor insisted the far-right party would never secure a national governing majority, dismissing it as a “destructive force” that poses a fundamental threat to Germany’s democratic and foreign policy commitments.

Merz zeroed in on the AfD’s longstanding opposition to military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, and its call to lift international sanctions on Russia. He accused the party of a “grotesque inversion of perpetrator and victim” in the war, noting it openly aligns with Russia even after German authorities blamed Moscow for a recent attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport. The chancellor also condemned the AfD’s inflammatory “remigration” policy, which calls for mass deportations of foreign-born residents. Merz argued the term is nothing less than a coded reference to ethnic cleansing based on ancestry and skin color, warning that implementing the policy would collapse critical sectors of Germany’s economy including healthcare, hospitality and elder care. While Merz confirmed his governing coalition supports expanding deportations for undocumented residents with no legal right to stay, he drew a clear line between that policy and the AfD’s blanket call for forced expulsion.

The AfD’s landmark victory has already drawn international attention and praise from far-right actors across the globe. Far-right nationalist parties across Europe have celebrated the result, and former U.S. President Donald Trump highlighted the upset in a post Tuesday to his Truth Social platform. Though he did not name the AfD explicitly, Trump wrote that “the Populist Party in Germany just had a really big night. They finally got tired of the absolutely horrible Immigration rules and regulations which have hurt Germany so badly. THEY ARE ON THE RISE, and not going to take it anymore!”

The political showdown comes as Germany prepares for two more regional elections on September 20, to be held in Berlin and the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Polling has long shown the CDU is deeply unpopular in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while the AfD already holds strong support in the state, raising fears among mainstream parties of another far-right upset that would further erode the CDU’s standing nationally.

OSLO, Norway — On Wednesday, Norway gathered to lay to rest one of its most beloved modern monarchs, King Harald V, in a state funeral drawing royalty, heads of state, and senior officials from across the globe. The ceremony capped a week of national mourning for the 89-year-old ruler, who died on August 28 and left behind a 35-year legacy of institutional modernization that cemented the monarchy’s place in Norwegian public life.

King Harald, who stood as Europe’s oldest serving monarch at the time of his death, broke with a growing trend among older European royals by declining to abdicate the throne during his lifetime. Just days after his passing, his son Haakon VIII immediately succeeded to the crown and took a formal oath of allegiance to Norway’s constitution in a ceremony held in parliament last week, securing a smooth transition of constitutional power.

In the hours leading up to Wednesday’s funeral service, preparations unfolded across central Oslo in a display of solemn military pageantry. Norwegian soldiers, standard-bearers carrying the national flag, and a military marching band formed up along a broad city boulevard adorned with Norwegian flags, stepping in time to steady drumbeats and the rhythmic clatter of horses’ hooves. Additional troops were posted outside the Royal Palace, where thousands of well-wishers had already turned out to lay flowers in tribute, creating a dense, vibrant floral memorial to the late king.

Across the country, Norwegians organized to make the historic event accessible to all members of the public. Public broadcaster NRK confirmed that hundreds of churches, public libraries, cultural centers, and municipal government buildings had installed large public screens to broadcast the funeral ceremony for those unable to travel to Oslo. Mass crowds converged on the capital for the service, prompting local authorities to close the entire downtown area to motor vehicles and electric scooters; police also issued public guidance banning bicycles, umbrellas, and sharp objects from the event area for security reasons.

In the days leading up to the funeral, more than 46,000 Norwegians queued for hours to pay their respects as the king’s coffin lay in state in the Royal Palace chapel. Over the weekend, wait times to pass the casket stretched to seven hours at their peak, a testament to the widespread affection and respect Norwegians held for their long-serving monarch.

The guest list for Wednesday’s ceremony reflected the deep family and diplomatic ties the Norwegian royal house maintains with royal and state institutions across the globe. Attending dignitaries included reigning monarchs from Sweden, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Jordan, alongside heir to the British throne Prince William and Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino. Multiple European presidents also joined the service, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in attendance — a visit that included a pre-funeral meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on Tuesday to discuss ongoing developments in the war in Ukraine. The United States was represented by Allison Hooker, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.

The formal funeral service inside Oslo Cathedral will open with a nationwide minute of silence, followed by eulogies delivered by Norway’s parliament speaker and prime minister. A multifaith candle-lighting ceremony, featuring representatives from religious communities across the country, will also be held as part of the service.

While the Norwegian government has not designated the funeral as an official national holiday, it has encouraged individual schools and employers to permit students and staff to watch the proceedings, with guidance that all noisy public activity should be paused for the duration of the ceremony.

Following the cathedral service, King Harald’s coffin will be carried in a formal procession to the royal chapel at Akershus Castle, the centuries-old resting place of the late king’s royal ancestors. After a private ceremony for the Norwegian royal family, joined by visiting foreign dignitaries and senior Norwegian government officials, the coffin will be interred in the castle’s royal crypt.

Norway’s monarchy traces its unbroken lineage back to King Harald Fairhair, who unified the country in the 9th century. When Norway regained full independence from Sweden in 1905, a national referendum saw three-quarters of voters endorse the restoration of the monarchy as the country’s constitutional form of head of state. Today, the Norwegian royal family maintains close blood ties to most other European royal houses: both King Harald and his successor King Haakon are direct descendants of Britain’s Queen Victoria, sharing that lineage with King Charles III of the United Kingdom and King Felipe VI of Spain.

While the modern Norwegian monarchy holds a largely ceremonial role, with full governing power vested in the country’s elected parliament and government, the institution remains a key soft power asset, helping to promote Norway’s global profile as one of the world’s wealthiest and most stable Scandinavian nations.