The European Union is built on the idea of the Single Market, and at the heart of the Single Market lies one of its most celebrated achievements: the freedom of movement of goods, capital, services and people.

Last year, the European Union made its political priority to increase the number of returns of ‘irregularly staying third-country nationals’ (TCNs). On 12 June 2026, after years of negotiations between EU member states, the new Pact on Migration and Asylum finally entered into application.

On the 5th of May 2026, a large group of people gathered in front of a statue in Twinbrook, Belfast. Among them were community members, politicians, and activists, all standing in front of the statue of a young man brandishing an Irish flag, who died after 66 days of hunger strike: his name is Bobby Sands.

One of Europe’s core values is democracy. In today’s world, where autocratisation is more likely to happen than democratisation, this core value becomes an even more important element in Europe’s society. One of Europe’s great achievements regarding democracy is the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), which offers citizens the opportunity to be more directly involved in the creation of legislation.

On 16 July 2025, the European Commission presented its proposal for the next ‘ambitious and dynamic’ Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028 to 2034, the EU’s long-term budget. It amounts to almost 2 trillion euros (or, in other words, 1.26% of the EU’s gross national income), the largest amount ever recorded in the bloc’s history.

The Spanish government wants abortion to be a constitutional right. This comes at a time when Europe is already trying to protect reproductive rights in law. The proposal unfolds within a domestic context shaped by uneven access to public healthcare due to the regional-level administration of health services.  So, what stage has the Spanish process reached, and why is the debate more complicated than it first appears?