Latest news with #EuropeanPolicyCentre
Euronews
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Portugal: Young men vote 5 times more for far-right than women
Young Portuguese men vote five times more for the far right than girls. The conclusion, presented in a report by the European Policy Centre, reflects a growing trend that marks a gender divide among European youth when it comes to politics - men are oriented towards far-right ideals, while women lean towards progressive movements. In Portugal, in the youth population, every female vote for a far-right party is matched by 4.9 male votes. This is the second highest figure in the European Union, behind only Croatia (6.0), and ahead of countries like Spain (4.6), Denmark (4.4) and Finland (4.2). The pattern was found in the votes for the last European elections in 2024. The cause of this gender disparity in young people's voting behaviour may lie in the economy. "The rise in anti-feminism among young men is not just a reaction to feminism, but also the result of growing precariousness - especially among working men who don't have a university degree," notes Javier Carbonell, author of the study, emphasising that younger men have less access to employment. Job opportunities, he stresses, "have been increasing among women under 24 for decades, while they have been decreasing for men". Due to the decline "in terms of income, wealth, employment, purchasing power, educational attainment and mental health", European men under 25 are being attracted to the "traditional vision of masculinity" advocated by far-right parties, which "have successfully capitalised on the frustration associated with the loss of a stable job and financial independence - traditional markers of masculinity", explains Carbonell. The study warns that "this gender gap threatens not only gender equality, but also the foundations of democratic support itself, since radicalised young men often show a weaker commitment to democratic norms".
Euronews
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Trump has neutral impact on European voting patterns, study finds
ADVERTISEMENT When Trump won the 2025 US elections, many analysts and outlets saw his victory catalysing a swing to the right among European voters: with right wing leaders and movements across Europe celebrating his win, viewing it as an endorsement of their stances on issues like immigration or climate change, and hoping it would empower their own parties. By contrast, after the announcement on "Liberation Day" of tariffs on European exports, and the abrasive meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump, others believed there could be a negative effect on right wing parties and an upswing for the left. However, according to recent research by Brussels-based think tank European Policy Centre - which assessed polling data and political events across Europe before and after Trump's election - has shown that, actually, Trump is not having an effect on European voting patterns at all. 'At the electoral level, the EU is very independent from the United States. European voting behaviours are mainly influenced by internal factors and do not vary according to American political movements,' said Javier Carbonell, an expert at the EPC and one of the study's co-authors. This isn't true in every sector – markets and technological regulations, he said are more closely tied to US dynamics – but 'Trump has not altered voting preferences in Europe'. At the local level At the local level, support for parties to the right of the European People's Party group showed very little change between October 2024 and April 2025, according to the study. Most countries, such as Austria, Germany, Spain, and Portugal, maintained steady voter support. Some countries like the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Italy consistently showed high support for right-wing parties, but this support stayed stable throughout these months. Other countries with lower far-right support, like Sweden, Slovenia, Denmark, and Finland, also didn't experience significant changes. Graph showing average far-right support, from the European Policy Centre EPC Romania was an exception to the rule however, the report's authors said. 'We didn't include it in the study's database because there were reliability issues with the electoral data following the annulment of the results,' said Carbonell, citing Romania's controversially annulled 2024 presidential election. Overall, across Europe, the average level of voter support for the more right-wing parties stayed around 24-25%, which further suggests that Trump's victory had minimal local impact. Meanwhile, public opinion has turned against Trump: according to a survey by Le Grand Continent and Cluster 17, only 6% to 8% of German, Spanish, and French citizens perceive him as an 'ally'. And in countries like Denmark, Sweden, Germany and France, the indices tracking US reputation showed decreases of between 20 to 30 percentage points, according to YouGov. This is unsurprising, the study says, claiming Trump's economic policies are harming voting bases otherwise favourable to right-wing ideas, like those in the Cognac and wine sectors in France and Italy. Making Europe Great Again? Attempts to mobilise Trump's tropes also had limited impact, according to the report. Examples include a 'Make Europe Great Again' summit organized by Spain's Vox in Madrid, or Elon Musk's interview with AfD's Alice Weidel. 'These efforts did not fail, but they were counteracted,' according to Carbonell. 'Unlike in Canada, where Trump's victory did have an impact in the recovery of the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party's decline, European voters act according to internal factors,' Carbonell said. 'Our research indicated that support for right wing and far-right parties in the EU comes from internal factors, which could be: low economic growth, an increase in inequality, cultural changes related to diversity and migration, and strong distrust towards the political system,' said Tabea Schaumann, fellow EPC expert and study co-author. 'There's also backlash against advances in sustainability, feminism, and diversity politics. And every country has its particularities; in Spain, for example, the territorial conflict with Catalonia is an important factor.'
Euronews
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Ilegal migrant crossings: Which is becoming the most difficult route to Europe?
ADVERTISEMENT Frontex, the EU's external border protection agency, reports a 31% drop in illegal migrant crossings in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period one year ago. Crossings fell to nearly 33,600 with a decline reported across every single route leading to Europe. The biggest fall was observed along the Western Balkan route, -64%. Why are crossings dropping along the Western Balkan route? "The drop in crossings could be due to multiple factors: Increased policing of borders by Balkan countries, harsh winter conditions that make the journey hard and awareness of widespread risks of human rights violations," says Helena Hahn, Migration and Diversity analyst at the European Policy Centre. She also pointed to geopolitical factors, such as "the change in regime in Syria, which led to a 17% decrease in asylum applications in 2024," adding however that arrivals might rise again "towards the end of the summer and in Autumn." Crossing attempts into Spain from Africa down by nearly a third A significant drop, -30%, was also observed on the Western African route, which connects Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia and Western Sahara to Spain's Canary Islands. Similarly, a 29% fall was reported in crossings along the Eastern Mediterranean route, mostly leading to Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria from Afghanistan, Sudan and Egypt. The third sharpest fall, -26%, was on the Central Mediterranean route, from western and central Africa through Niger and Libya across the Central Mediterranean towards Europe, in particular Italy. Related Refugee allowance and rent compensation: Here's how benefits for Ukrainians are changing in Europe Eastern Mediterranean busiest route for illegal migration into Europe With 9,267 crossing attempts, the Eastern Mediterranean route ranked as the preferred extra-European pathway for illegal migrants. The Western African path follows closely with 9,205 attempts, primarily from Mali, Senegal and Guinea. The third most active route was the Central Mediterranean (8,542), mostly taken by Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Syrians. The United Kingdom however seems to remain the final destination in Europe for thousands of migrants, as Frontex reported 11,000 illegal crossing attempts in the first four months of 2025 from France towards the other side of the Channel.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ilegal migrant crossings: Which is becoming the most difficult route to Europe?
Frontex, the EU's external border protection agency, reports a 31% drop in illegal migrant crossings in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period one year ago. Crossings fell to nearly 33,600 with a decline reported across every single route leading to Europe. The biggest fall was observed along the Western Balkan route, -64%. "The drop in crossings could be due to multiple factors: Increased policing of borders by Balkan countries, harsh winter conditions that make the journey hard and awareness of widespread risks of human rights violations," says Helena Hahn, Migration and Diversity analyst at the European Policy Centre. She also pointed to geopolitical factors, such as "the change in regime in Syria, which led to a 17% decrease in asylum applications in 2024," adding however that arrivals might rise again "towards the end of the summer and in Autumn." A significant drop, -30%, was also observed on the Western African route, which connects Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia and Western Sahara to Spain's Canary Islands. Similarly, a 29% fall was reported in crossings along the Eastern Mediterranean route, mostly leading to Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria from Afghanistan, Sudan and Egypt. The third sharpest fall, -26%, was on the Central Mediterranean route, from western and central Africa through Niger and Libya across the Central Mediterranean towards Europe, in particular Italy. Related Refugee allowance and rent compensation: Here's how benefits for Ukrainians are changing in Europe With 9,267 crossing attempts, the Eastern Mediterranean route ranked as the preferred extra-European pathway for illegal migrants. The Western African path follows closely with 9,205 attempts, primarily from Mali, Senegal and Guinea. The third most active route was the Central Mediterranean (8,542), mostly taken by Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Syrians. The United Kingdom however seems to remain the final destination in Europe for thousands of migrants, as Frontex reported 11,000 illegal crossing attempts in the first four months of 2025 from France towards the other side of the Channel.
Japan Times
12-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Jolted by Trump, EU woos new partners from Asia to Latin America
Shaken by Donald Trump's tariff blitz, the EU has embarked on a charm offensive to diversify its alliances in Asia and beyond, with summits lined up back-to-back and trade talks launched in all directions. When the U.S. president unleashed his crippling "Liberation Day" tariffs on April 2, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen gave her first reaction, not in Brussels, but from Uzbekistan where she was in talks to bolster trade ties with Central Asia. Although Trump has since rowed back with a 90-day pause, the European Union still faces tariffs of 10% on a vast majority of goods and higher on steel, aluminum and cars — with an uphill challenge to negotiate a way out of the standoff. Faced with Trump's disruptive protectionism, Brussels is pulling out the stops to salvage its €1.6 trillion ($1.8 trillion) relationship with Europe's main trade partner the United States. But it is also trumpeting its mission to cultivate trade ties elsewhere. "Europe continues to focus on diversifying its trade partnerships, engaging with countries that account for 87% of global trade and share our commitment to a free and open exchange of goods, services, and ideas," von der Leyen said Thursday. The following day China openly urged Europe to join forces — as Beijing wages a trade war with the United States with tit-for-tat levies — but while there are opportunities in the relationship, the path is also fraught with peril. And the EU's diversification efforts may hit roadblocks including the fact that the United States has a market power and demand unparalleled worldwide, experts say, which makes it hard to replace — especially in the short term. "Rerouting trade routes and flows will take time. It does not happen overnight," said Varg Folkman, of the European Policy Centre (EPC). The EU's trade relations diary has been packed full since January. The bloc made a show of agreeing to strengthen trade ties with Mexico days before Trump was sworn in, and reopened commerce negotiations with Malaysia on his inauguration day. Then in February and March, the EU's top officials met leaders of India and South Africa for talks on topics including trade, while actively pursuing closer Canada ties. This week alone, the EU agreed to launch talks for a free trade deal with the United Arab Emirates and confirmed a high-level summit in China in July, hot on the heels of a meeting in Japan. And top EU officials will meet with Latin American and Caribbean states in November, with trade high on the agenda. But before the EU starts striking new trade deals, the European Commission has previous agreements to get past member states including the Mercosur accord clinched in December. Previous staunch critic Austria ditched its opposition to the agreement with the South American bloc after Trump's tariffs assault, but France says its position has not changed. Senior officials believe they can sway Paris — which fears a flow of lower-cost agricultural goods outcompeting Europe's farmers. But unless they do, it risks taking the wind out of von der Leyen's sails — since commission trade deals need sign-off by both member states and the European Parliament. The EU is trying to balance complex goals: developing open, free trade while also boosting the continent's competitiveness and manufacturing. There's also the issue of size. "The EU ... will not find a market with the depth of demand and buying power that the U.S. supplies," EPC's Folkman cautioned. Nonetheless, von der Leyen's efforts are echoed by EU leaders including Spain. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, leading his own bid to woo Asia, said in Vietnam this week Madrid was "firmly committed" to opening Spain and Europe up to southeast Asia. One key relationship brings its share of pitfalls for the EU: China. Trump's onslaught threatens to cause a related headache with officials fearing a flood of Chinese goods to Europe — where levies are lower than the United States — at a moment when Europe already had concerns about cheap products and Beijing's subsidies. But there are signs of the potential for ties to improve, against the backdrop of a Beijing-Washington showdown. An EU spokesman on Friday said the two sides had been discussing an alternative to the EU's extra tariffs on electric vehicles made in China imposed last year after it found Beijing's state aid to auto manufacturers was unfair.
