https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Europe in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed With less than a month until parliament is set to vote on Sweden's biggest citizenship overhaul in years, Spotify Workers Unionen and the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees (TCO) have thrown their support behind a campaign to include transitional rules for those already in the Migration Agency's queue. https://www.thelocal.com/20260402/swedish-union-leaders-warn-haphazard-citizenship-reforms-could-harm-international-reputation Thu, 02 Apr 2026 08:31:41 +0200 swedish-union-leaders-warn-haphazard-citizenship-reforms-could-harm-international-reputation Despite claims that the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES) border checks would be "fully operational" by April 10th, many airports have reported disruption and some Channel ports don't even have the technology for full rollout yet. https://www.thelocal.com/20260411/full-rollout-of-new-eu-border-checks-hit-by-delays-and-disruption Sat, 11 Apr 2026 15:56:38 +0200 full-rollout-of-new-eu-border-checks-hit-by-delays-and-disruption Bureaucratic backlogs and rule changes on residency rights are having an increasing impact on the lives of foreigners living around Europe. Many say they have been left in legal limbo with their lives effectively on hold. https://www.thelocal.com/20260411/a-nightmare-lives-of-foreigners-across-europe-hit-by-residency-card-delays Sat, 11 Apr 2026 11:53:39 +0200 a-nightmare-lives-of-foreigners-across-europe-hit-by-residency-card-delays In this week's Inside Spain, we explore why every time there's news of a bullfighter being killed by a bull, the overwhelming reaction by our foreign readers is one of joy. https://www.thelocal.com/20260411/inside-spain-its-hard-to-find-a-foreigner-who-supports-bullfighting Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:09:57 +0200 inside-spain-its-hard-to-find-a-foreigner-who-supports-bullfighting From a French footballer's tax troubles to the no-so private life of the far right leader, via May 1st working and some extra French public holidays, Inside France is our weekly look at the news and talking points from France. https://www.thelocal.com/20260411/inside-france-far-right-fairytale-and-the-footballer-versus-the-fisc Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:06:10 +0200 inside-france-far-right-fairytale-and-the-footballer-versus-the-fisc A footballer who claimed not to be a tax resident of France has been handed a €5 million tax bill after authorities tracked his Deliveroo account and found more than 200 meal deliveries in a single year to his French address. https://www.thelocal.com/20260407/frenchman-hit-with-e5m-tax-bill-after-takeaway-orders-betray-residency-status Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:03:12 +0200 frenchman-hit-with-e5m-tax-bill-after-takeaway-orders-betray-residency-status France is being redrawn before our eyes - writes John Lichfield - the old political maps of Left-Right-Centre no longer make sense. Politicians are trying to re-invent them. https://www.thelocal.com/20260408/opinion-le-pen-pushes-to-cast-aside-far-right-label-as-france-redraws-political-map Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:40:11 +0200 opinion-le-pen-pushes-to-cast-aside-far-right-label-as-france-redraws-political-map The Talking France podcast is back with the tale of French tax woes over takeaways, the new plan to cut waiting times for residency cards, why one part of France doesn't have motorway tolls and whether France is really running out of fuel. https://www.thelocal.com/20260409/podcast-french-tax-traps-to-avoid-and-why-paris-is-divided-in-two Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:01:42 +0200 podcast-french-tax-traps-to-avoid-and-why-paris-is-divided-in-two Copenhagen Airport has now fully implemented the EES border check system after a partial roll-out in October last year, meaning that non-EU travellers arriving in the country from outside the Schengen Area will be fingerprinted at border control. https://www.thelocal.com/20260410/ees-border-checks-now-fully-implemented-at-copenhagen-airport Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:07:46 +0200 ees-border-checks-now-fully-implemented-at-copenhagen-airport France's far-right leader Jordan Bardella appears strolling hand-in-hand with an Italian princess on the cover of a glossy magazine - in what commentators called a drive to hone his image ahead of next year's presidential elections. https://www.thelocal.com/20260410/french-far-right-leader-and-italian-princess-in-fairytale-romance-photoshoot Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:02:28 +0200 french-far-right-leader-and-italian-princess-in-fairytale-romance-photoshoot Summer houses in Denmark are a hugely popular destination for those who want to vacation without going abroad. Can foreign nationals buy them in the same way as permanent homes? https://www.thelocal.com/20240212/can-foreigners-buy-a-summer-house-in-denmark Mon, 12 Feb 2024 17:10:17 +0100 can-foreigners-buy-a-summer-house-in-denmark Many people in Sweden have a summer house or 'sommarstuga' to escape to during their long holidays. Getting one of your own can be easier than you think – and can be surprisingly affordable, despite the increased cost of living. https://www.thelocal.com/20190625/guide-how-to-buy-the-swedish-summer-house-of-your-dreams-sommarstuga Tue, 25 Jun 2019 11:51:38 +0200 guide-how-to-buy-the-swedish-summer-house-of-your-dreams-sommarstuga Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday the European Union should ease spending rules as it did during Covid if the Iran war and the resulting energy shock worsens. https://www.thelocal.com/20260409/italys-meloni-suggests-suspending-eu-spending-rules-over-iran-war Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:04:57 +0200 italys-meloni-suggests-suspending-eu-spending-rules-over-iran-war The Centre for Justice has taken on Indian researcher Fahima Ayub Khan's migration court case, which her lawyer describes as "part of a much broader system failure" in Sweden. https://www.thelocal.com/20260409/we-are-not-bonded-labourers-university-researcher-fights-swedish-deportation-order Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:29:53 +0200 we-are-not-bonded-labourers-university-researcher-fights-swedish-deportation-order Sweden's border police requested that a former work permit holder be deported as soon as possible because he was too intelligent and was posing legal problems for the authorities, in an email seen by The Local. https://www.thelocal.com/20260408/swedish-police-asked-to-speed-up-deportation-of-intelligent-and-articulate-software-engineer Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:09:11 +0200 swedish-police-asked-to-speed-up-deportation-of-intelligent-and-articulate-software-engineer Flights to and from Germany haven't been severely impacted by jet fuel supply issues yet, but that could change quickly if the war in the Middle East continues. We asked airlines what passengers can expect. https://www.thelocal.com/20260408/will-travellers-in-germany-be-affected-by-europes-looming-jet-fuel-crisis Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:20:46 +0200 will-travellers-in-germany-be-affected-by-europes-looming-jet-fuel-crisis Italy could bring in nationwide emergency measures to save energy as early as May if disruption to fuel supplies in the Middle East continues. Here's what the government is planning. https://www.thelocal.com/20260408/driving-and-air-conditioning-whats-in-italys-energy-saving-emergency-plan Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:11:15 +0200 driving-and-air-conditioning-whats-in-italys-energy-saving-emergency-plan Air traffic controllers at 14 of Spain's smaller airports have called stoppages from mid-April, as ground handling staff at other major airports pause their strikes this week while wage negotiations get underway. https://www.thelocal.com/20260408/air-traffic-controllers-call-strikes-at-14-airports-in-spain Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:35:07 +0200 air-traffic-controllers-call-strikes-at-14-airports-in-spain Sweden's government is pushing ahead with its plan to abolish permanent residency for many future applicants, including those on the basis of Long Term Residence (LTR), ignoring complaints that this would affect Swiss citizens and foreign researchers. https://www.thelocal.com/20260408/sweden-pushes-ahead-with-plan-to-abolish-permanent-residency Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:52:56 +0200 sweden-pushes-ahead-with-plan-to-abolish-permanent-residency Germany’s recently updated military service law requires male citizens of a certain age to seek approval before spending more than three months abroad. What does this mean for dual-nationals and would‑be Germans? https://www.thelocal.com/20260407/how-germanys-new-military-service-rules-affect-travel-for-foreign-nationals Tue, 07 Apr 2026 17:07:20 +0200 how-germanys-new-military-service-rules-affect-travel-for-foreign-nationals