By Yohan Taillandier – Europe Against the Tide
This European press review for 25 May 2026 begins in Strasbourg, where the European Parliament held a plenary session from 18 to 21 May. The week may not have made the headlines on every news programme, but it was a highly political one: European steel, foreign investment, Slovakia, victims’ rights, trade with the United States, Ukraine, the European budget, the defence industry and housing in Spain. In short, it was a week in which the European Union revolved around a single word: protection.
Protecting European factories from global overcapacity. Protecting strategic sectors from foreign takeovers. Protecting victims of crime. Protecting European funds from abuses of the rule of law. Protecting Ukraine without offering it a second-rate Europe. And, on a lighter note, protecting that popular Europe found in festivals, museums, music, boats, stages and stadiums.
In everyday life, these decisions are not abstract. They are about industrial jobs, wages, fishing ports, unaffordable housing, young Estonian footballers, Bulgarian fans at Sofia Airport, families stepping into a museum at night, and Slovak citizens seeing the rule of law become a European issue. This is the Europe we are telling you about here.
To explore this perspective further, you can read our previous European press reviews, in which we follow the European Union week by week through shopping receipts, ballot papers and train tickets.
EU news of the week: the European Parliament wants to tighten controls on foreign investment
On 19 May 2026, the European Parliament approved new rules on the screening of foreign investments in the European Union. Reuters reported the news in “European Parliament approves new EU foreign investment rules”, published on 19 May 2026.
The text aims to strengthen scrutiny of investments in sensitive sectors: defence, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, electoral infrastructure, critical raw materials and financial services. It also extends scrutiny to certain investments made within the EU when the company is ultimately controlled by an investor from a third country.
This vote marks a turning point. For years, the European Union has too often taken its market for granted: if capital flows freely, everything will be fine. But today’s globalisation is no longer a liberal free-for-all. It is shaped by war, the rivalry between China and the United States, dependence on critical technologies, cybersecurity, raw materials, data and attempts to exert influence. When a strategic European company falls under foreign control, it is not merely a financial transaction. It can affect jobs, patents, infrastructure, economic security and even democracy.
This vote does not solve everything, but it shows that the EU is beginning to move beyond its naivety. It can no longer be merely a large open market. It must become a political entity capable of saying no.
Figure of the week: 18.3 million tonnes of steel, or the dividing line between an open market and industrial protection
On 19 May 2026, the European Parliament approved new measures to protect the European steel industry from global overcapacity. Reuters explained in “EU lawmakers back near halving of duty-free steel imports and raised tariffs”, published on 19 May 2026, that the text was adopted by 606 votes to 16, with 39 abstentions. The European Parliament stated, in “Steel overcapacity: MEPs approve new measures to protect EU steel market”, published on the same day, that duty-free steel imports would be limited to 18.3 million tonnes per year, a reduction of around 47% compared with the 2024 quotas. Above this level, a 50% duty would apply.
This figure is powerful because it tells the story of a battle over society itself. Steel is not just a raw material. It means the automotive industry, railway tracks, bridges, wind turbines, machinery, construction sites, infrastructure, defence, industrial towns and tens of thousands of jobs. When Europe allows its steel industry to die, it is not merely losing tonnes of production. It is losing expertise, industrial communities, trade unions, regions and lives organised around a factory.
But protection is not enough. The real question is: what is the point of protecting? Is it to preserve quality jobs, decarbonise the steel industry, invest in local communities and safeguard a vital industry? Or is it to provide a windfall for large corporations without any social or environmental safeguards?
Person of the week: Dara, the Bulgarian singer who has Europe singing along
The 27-year-old Bulgarian singer Dara was welcomed home to Sofia as a heroine after her Eurovision victory with “Bangaranga”. The Associated Press reported in “Bulgaria gives its Eurovision winner Dara a grand welcome upon her return home”, published on 18 May 2026, that hundreds of fans were waiting for her at Sofia Airport, waving flags, cheering, displaying visible national pride and expressing that particular emotion felt by European countries that suddenly find themselves in the spotlight. AP had also reported that Dara won Eurovision 2026 in Vienna with 516 points, giving Bulgaria its first victory in the contest.
Dara is our person of the week because she showcases a Europe that is more popular than the one seen at summits. Eurovision is never just a song contest. It is a cultural, economic, diplomatic, tourist, identity-defining, queer-friendly, sometimes kitsch, often political and deeply European event. For Bulgaria, this victory is a tremendous boost to its profile. The country is no longer seen solely through the prism of inequality, emigration or economic fragility. It is also becoming a country that wins, sings, brings people together and inspires.
But this joy also has a very practical consequence: the organisation of Eurovision 2027. ESCXTRA reported, in “Sofia declares interest in hosting Eurovision 2027” and “BNT and Bulgarian government hold first planning meeting for Eurovision 2027”, both published on 20 May 2026, that Sofia had declared its interest and that Bulgarian public broadcaster BNT had begun initial discussions with the government. Hosting Eurovision is not just about setting up a stage. It involves managing hotels, transport, security, prices, fans, giant screens, city concerts and a country’s international image.
The overarching theme: protecting Europe, but for whom?
This European week revolves around a single word: protect. Protecting strategic sectors from foreign takeovers. Protecting the European steel industry from global overcapacity. Protecting Ukraine without offering it second-rate membership.
This debate takes a very concrete form in Slovakia. The European Parliament stated in “Slovakia: MEPs demand action to protect EU values and the EU budget”, published on 20 May 2026, that its resolution was adopted by 347 votes to 165, with 25 abstentions. MEPs are calling on the Commission to assess whether there is a clear risk of a serious breach of European values by the Slovak government and to mobilise the available instruments to protect the Union’s values and the European budget.
This is a landmark vote. Robert Fico’s Slovakia is not Viktor Orbán’s Hungary, but it is causing concern in Brussels: the media, the judiciary, NGOs, fundamental rights and the use of European funds. This issue extends far beyond Bratislava. It raises a question for the entire Union: what should be done when an elected government uses its majority to weaken checks and balances, attack the media, curtail freedoms or capture public funds? Hungary had already placed this question at the heart of the EU. Slovakia shows that it has not gone away. It is spreading.
But European protection cannot be limited to institutions. It must also extend to those who work. On 21 May 2026, the European Parliament called for the establishment of a European day to commemorate the victims of workplace accidents and to uphold the dignity of workers. In “Parliament calls for EU day to commemorate the victims of work-related accidents”, Parliament notes that in 2023, the European Union recorded 3,298 fatal workplace accidents and approximately 2.8 million non-fatal accidents resulting in at least four days’ absence from work.
The proposed date, 8 August, was not chosen at random. It refers to 8 August 1956, the day of the Bois du Cazier mining disaster in Marcinelle, Belgium, in which 262 miners died, including many Italian migrant workers. This European workers’ memory speaks volumes: Europe was also built in mines, factories, construction sites, on roads, in fields and in warehouses. It cannot talk about protection without mentioning those who still die while working.
This vote will not bring anyone back to life, but it does have political significance. It serves as a reminder that dying at work is not inevitable. It is often the result of the way work is organised, subcontracting, pressure to meet production targets, a lack of preventive measures, inadequate inspections and a hierarchy of priorities in which productivity takes precedence over people’s health and safety. In a week devoted to the theme of protection, this issue is crucial. Protecting Europe is not just about protecting steel, strategic investments or European funds. It is first and foremost about protecting the workers who keep the continent running.
The European Union in brief, and on a positive note: Romani culture in Prague and museums open at night
It is not all doom and gloom in the EU. There are also heart-warming stories, even if they do not resolve the continent’s major conflicts.
In the Czech Republic, Prague launched the Khamoro festival on 24 May 2026, one of the world’s largest professional Romani festivals. Festival Finder notes that Khamoro features Romani music concerts from several countries, exhibitions, children’s activities, film screenings, dance workshops and talks. The festival attracts around 10,000 visitors each year and aims to build bridges between the Roma minority and the non-Roma majority through art and culture.
This story is beautiful because it carries political significance without being preachy. In a Europe where Roma people still face discrimination, poverty and invisibility, Prague has chosen to place this culture at the heart of the city. Khamoro means “sun” in Romani. And frankly, for a positive feature, it is hard to find anything more radiant: musicians, families, children, costumes, dances, a parade, films and voices declaring that Romani culture is not on the margins of Europe. It is one of its suns.
Finally, on 23 May 2026, the European Night of Museums opened the doors of thousands of cultural venues in France and across some thirty European countries, either free of charge or in a different way. Paris je t’aime detailed the programme in “European Night of the Museums in Paris”, published on 20 May 2026: guided tours, workshops, concerts, screenings, readings, and audio or visual installations. Versailles, for example, hosted a musical evening in the Gallery of Battles, while many French museums welcomed the public until late into the night.
Once again, the good news is simple. A family entering a museum for free in the evening, a child discovering a work of art by torchlight, a city becoming more welcoming, an intimidating place opening up in a different way: that is no small thing. Europe’s cultural life is not confined to capital cities and major festivals. It also plays out in these open-door events, these late-night openings, these moments when beauty ceases to be the preserve of regular visitors. And sometimes, after a week of steel, Slovakia, war and global trade, we need to be reminded that Europe can also be a light left on in a museum.
Brussels / institutional agenda: agriculture, the budget, China and climate-friendly cities
The Council of the European Union announced in “Forward look: 25 May – 7 June 2026”, published on 22 May 2026, that agriculture and fisheries ministers are due to meet on 26 May to discuss the availability and cost of fertilisers, as well as agricultural trade issues. This has a direct impact on everyday life: when fertilisers are expensive, farmers face pressure to produce, and food prices can end up rising in household shopping baskets. The same agenda also includes a meeting of the General Affairs Council to discuss the future European budget for 2028–2034 and preparations for the European Council in June.
For its part, the European Parliament announced, in “The Week Ahead 25–31 May 2026”, an EU-China interparliamentary meeting in Beijing. The agenda covers trade, industrial dependencies, human rights, economic security and Europe’s position between Washington and Beijing. The discussion is not remote. It concerns batteries, semiconductors, electric vehicles, raw materials and European industrial jobs.
Finally, the European Union has announced the “Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Annual Event”, scheduled to take place in Turin from 27 to 29 May. Behind the institutional jargon, the issues at stake are very concrete: renovation, urban heat, pollution, transport, energy and quality of life. A climate-neutral city must not become a technological showcase for senior executives. It must be a city where residents breathe more easily, travel more cheaply and pay lower energy bills.
To the east of the European Union: Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia
In Ukraine, Reuters reported in “EU signs MoU with Ukraine, paving way for disbursement in mid-June”, published on 20 May 2026, that the European Commission had signed a memorandum of understanding paving the way for the disbursement of €3.2 billion in mid-June, as part of a wider €90 billion support package for 2026 and 2027. For Kyiv, this money is not merely for balancing the books. It is used to sustain a state at war, pay for public services, stabilise the economy and keep the path to Europe open.
On 23 May, Reuters also published “Ukraine’s Zelenskiy says proposal of associate EU membership ‘unfair’”. In it, Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticises the idea of associate membership without voting rights. His statement is brief but weighty: he deems the proposal “unfair”. For Ukraine, the stakes are existential: it must not become a buffer state, useful to Europe for its security but deprived of a genuine political role.
In Romania, Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or-winning film “Fjord” presents a different view of Eastern Europe. Reuters reported on 23 May that the film, set in Norway, explores family and cultural tensions through a Romanian story. It is an artistic victory, but also a political one: Eastern Europe tells the story of Europe as a whole — its migrations, divisions, families and contradictions.
In Estonia, ERR published “Remi Sebastian Kits: Most citizens consider the government’s foreign policy to be poor” on 18 May 2026. The article states that a poll shows 56% of respondents view the government’s foreign policy negatively, compared with 31% who view it positively. In a country bordering the Russian sphere of influence, foreign policy is not a luxury reserved for diplomats. It permeates schools, Russian-speaking families, the media, military budgets and everyday life.
Estonia also had a sporting highlight. ERR reported in “Estonia hosting UEFA U17 European football championship starting Sunday”, published on 22 May 2026, that Tallinn and Rakvere are hosting the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship. Eight teams are taking part in the final tournament. It is a less glamorous side of Europe than the Champions League, but a more popular one, with families in the stands, coaches, volunteers, young players and towns on a human scale.
In Central Europe: the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Austria
In the Czech Republic, Deník N published “Míra inflace v Evropské unii se v dubnu zvýšila na 3,2 procenta z březnových 2,8 procenta” on 20 May 2026. The newspaper reported that inflation in the European Union rose from 2.8% in March to 3.2% in April. In the Czech Republic, it rose from 1.5% to 2.1%. This is not a dramatic surge, but it is the kind of rise that eats into people’s monthly budgets, particularly food, transport and leisure.
Poland and Hungary are directly affected by two parliamentary issues this week: steel and European funds. Poland remains a major industrial nation, with a strong working-class heritage and sectors exposed to global competition. Hungary, for its part, remains the symbol of the standoff between Brussels and illiberal governments. When the EU talks about protecting industry or the rule of law, these two countries are at the heart of the political landscape.
In the south of the European Union: Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal
In Spain, El País published “Vivienda aprueba con el apoyo de todas las comunidades el reparto de los 7.000 millones del nuevo plan estatal” on 21 May 2026. The Spanish government secured the agreement of the autonomous communities on the distribution of the €7 billion from the new 2026–2030 housing plan. The plan allocates 40% of the funds to affordable public housing, 30% to renovation and 30% to vulnerable groups or rural areas.
This plan is important because it recognises an urgent need: housing is no longer just a market. It is a social right in crisis. In Spain’s major cities, young people, workers in precarious employment, low-income families and even parts of the middle class find themselves caught between insufficient wages and exorbitant rents. A social Europe must look closely at Spain: if social housing is back at the centre of the debate, it is because the market has failed.
But that same week, El País also published “El Supremo anula el registro único de alquileres turísticos al considerar que el Estado carece de competencias para crearlo”, on 21 May 2026. The Spanish Supreme Court overturned the single register of tourist rentals, ruling that the State did not have the authority to create it. This register had identified more than 111,000 illegal contracts and covered more than 341,000 properties. The message is stark: the State wants to build and renovate, but it struggles to control properties that are being taken off the residential market to become tourist accommodation.
In Italy, the energy and budget crisis remains a major issue. In a country where public debt is a heavy burden, every rise in energy prices or interest rates potentially leaves less room for social policies. The issue is therefore not confined to Rome or Brussels. It affects hospitals, transport, public sector wages and household support. The question facing Italy is simple: how can social protection be funded when markets, energy costs and budgetary rules are all pulling in different directions?
In Greece, the European poverty map published by Euronews Business on 18 May highlights that several Greek regions remain among those most at risk of poverty or social exclusion. After more than a decade of austerity, the country continues to be characterised by low wages, the departure of many young people, pressure from tourism and fragile public services.
Portugal shares this tension felt across the South: its appeal to tourists, rising prices, pressure on Lisbon and Porto, and the difficulty residents face in staying in city centres. Even when the week does not bring a major national decision of the kind seen in Spain, the country is fully part of this landscape where the European sun can turn very cold for tenants.
In the western part of the European Union: France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland
In France, the industrial debate centres on steel, defence and fisheries. The European vote on steel directly affects France’s industrial regions. The vote raises several questions: how can industrial jobs be protected without compromising on climate targets? A steelworks may be a source of pollution, but it is also a source of employment, trade unionism, skills and sovereignty. The green transition cannot simply be a redundancy plan repainted green.
Germany is also at the heart of the vote on steel and the debate on the defence industry. Euronews published “‘Each day counts’: EU scrambles to seal defence industry deal” on 19 May 2026. The article explains that the European institutions are seeking to speed up an agreement on the defence industry. The Ukrainian crisis is very real. But here too, the social question must remain: will the billions spent on defence go towards skilled jobs and a democratic strategy, or merely to a handful of large industrial groups?
In Belgium, Euronews Business noted in its 18 May article on poverty that 33.6% of people in the Brussels-Capital Region are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This is one of the most striking paradoxes in the European Union. Brussels is home to institutions, diplomats, lobbyists, corporate headquarters and NGOs. But it is also home to high levels of poverty. The capital of Europe is therefore also a capital of contradictions.
In Ireland, Reuters published “Protesters condemn Ireland’s ‘George Floyd moment’ after death of Congolese-born man” on 21 May 2026. Hundreds of people demonstrated in Dublin following the death of Yves Sakila, a man born in the Congo, who died after being restrained outside a shop. The tragedy sparked strong emotions and accusations of racism. This issue sheds a different light on Western Europe: wealthy countries like to portray themselves as open, democratic and modern, but racial issues, discrimination, precarious living conditions and violence remain a reality.
In the north of the European Union: Finland, Sweden, Denmark
Finland and Sweden are directly affected by the European debate on the defence industry. Since the invasion of Ukraine, their strategic environment has changed. But the challenge for the Nordic countries is not to sacrifice the social model for the sake of security. The Nordic countries have long embodied the idea that a state can be effective, protective, democratic and socially minded.
Denmark also features in the geopolitical landscape of the Arctic and Greenland. The issue extends far beyond Copenhagen. It concerns resources, sea routes, the military, climate, American influence and European sovereignty in the Far North. The European North therefore serves as a reminder that even societies considered strong do not exist in isolation from the rest of the world. They must protect their borders, their social models, their digital infrastructure, their young people and their natural resources.
Sources and references:
- Reuters – “European Parliament approves new EU foreign investment rules” – 19 May 2026
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/european-parliament-approves-new-eu-foreign-investment-rules-2026-05-19/ - Reuters – “EU lawmakers back near halving of duty-free steel imports and raised tariffs” – 19 May 2026 – https://www.reuters.com/business/eu-lawmakers-back-near-halving-duty-free-steel-imports-raised-tariffs-2026-05-19/
- European Parliament – “Steel overcapacity: MEPs approve new measures to protect the EU steel market” – 19 May 2026 – https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20260513IPR43305/steel-overcapacity-meps-approve-new-measures-to-protect-eu-steel-market
- Associated Press – “Bulgaria gives its Eurovision winner Dara a grand welcome on her return home” – 18 May 2026 – https://apnews.com/article/bulgaria-eurovision-song-contest-winner-dara-1811923696ea01bb39153516336980db
- ESCXTRA – “Sofia expresses interest in hosting Eurovision 2027” – 20 May 2026 – https://escxtra.com/2026/05/20/sofia-declares-interest-in-hosting-eurovision-2027/
- ESCXTRA – “BNT and the Bulgarian government hold first planning meeting for Eurovision 2027” – 20 May 2026 – https://escxtra.com/2026/05/20/bnt-and-bulgarian-government-hold-first-planning-meeting-for-eurovision-2027/
- European Parliament – “Slovakia: MEPs call for action to protect EU values and the EU budget” – 20 May 2026 – https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20260513IPR43308/slovakia-meps-demand-action-to-protect-eu-values-and-the-eu-budget
- European Parliament – “Parliament calls for an EU day to commemorate the victims of work-related accidents” – 21 May 2026 – https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20260513IPR43313/parliament-calls-for-eu-day-to-commemorate-the-victims-of-work-related-accidents
- Festival Finder – “World Roma Festival Khamoro 2026” – taking place from 24 to 30 May 2026 – https://www.festivalfinder.eu/festivals/world-roma-festival-khamoro-2026
- Khamoro – “World Roma Festival” – 2026 edition, Prague, 24–30 May 2026 – https://khamoro.cz/en
- Paris, I Love You – “European Night of Museums in Paris” – published on 20 May 2026 – https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/the-european-night-of-museums-paris-a951
- Council of the European Union – “Forward look: 25 May – 7 June 2026” – published on 22 May 2026 – https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2026/05/22/forward-look-2026/
- European Parliament – “The Week Ahead 25–31 May 2026” – institutional agenda
- https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/agenda/weekly-agenda/2026-22
- European Commission – “Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Annual Event” – event to be held in Turin from 27 to 29 May 2026 – https://european-union.europa.eu/news-and-events/events_en
- Reuters – “EU signs MoU with Ukraine, paving the way for disbursement in mid-June” – 20 May 2026 – https://www.reuters.com/business/eu-signs-mou-with-ukraine-paving-way-disbursement-mid-june-2026-05-20/
- Reuters – “Ukraine’s Zelenskiy says proposal for associate EU membership is ‘unfair’” – 23 May 2026 – https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-zelenskiy-says-proposal-associate-eu-membership-unfair-2026-05-23/
- ERR – “Remi Sebastian Kits: Most citizens consider the government’s foreign policy to be poor” – 18 May 2026 – https://news.err.ee/1610026687/remi-sebastian-kits-most-citizens-consider-government-s-foreign-policy-poor
- ERR – “Estonia to host the UEFA U17 European Football Championship from Sunday” – 22 May 2026 – https://news.err.ee/1610030341/estonia-hosting-uefa-u17-european-football-championship-starting-sunday
- Deník N – “Inflation in the European Union rose to 3.2 per cent in April from 2.8 per cent in March” – 20 May 2026 – https://denikn.cz/minuta/2069090/
- El País – “The Ministry of Housing approves the allocation of the 7 billion euros from the new state plan, with the support of all the autonomous communities” – 21 May 2026 – https://elpais.com/economia/vivienda/2026-05-21/vivienda-aprueba-con-el-apoyo-de-las-comunidades-el-reparto-de-los-7000-millones-de-euros-del-nuevo-plan-estatal.html
- El País – “The Supreme Court overturns the single register for tourist rentals, ruling that the State lacks the authority to establish it” – 21 May 2026 – https://elpais.com/economia/2026-05-21/el-supremo-anula-el-registro-unico-de-alquileres-turisticos-al-considerar-que-el-estado-carece-de-competencias-para-crearlo.html
- Euronews Business – “Europe’s poverty divide: Which cities and regions are most and least at risk?” – 18 May 2026 – https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/05/18/europes-poverty-divide-which-cities-and-regions-are-most-and-least-at-risk
- Euronews – “‘Every day counts’: EU scrambles to seal defence industry deal” – 19 May 2026 – https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/05/19/each-day-counts-eu-scrambles-to-seal-defence-industry-deal
- Reuters – “Protesters condemn Ireland’s ‘George Floyd moment’ following the death of a Congolese-born man” – 21 May 2026 – https://www.reuters.com/world/hundreds-protest-dublin-over-death-congolese-born-man-restrained-outside-store-2026-05-21/
