Europe

• France: boom in baptisms and Bible sales 9 October 2025
  An unexpected spiritual revival is unfolding in France, where more than 10,000 adults are set to be baptised in 2025 - a 45% increase in one year. This surge, accompanied by record youth participation in pilgrimages and a marked rise in Bible sales, is reshaping the French Catholic landscape. Journalist…
• France: new PM to be named within 48 hours? 9 October 2025
  Emmanuel Macron is expected to appoint a new prime minister within 48 hours, following the abrupt resignation of Sébastien Lecornu’s government just 14 hours after being named. Lecornu, asked to outline a path forward, concluded that most lawmakers oppose snap elections and that a narrow parliamentary plurality could support a…
• Europe: EC proposes drastic cut in steel imports, doubles tariffs 9 October 2025
  The European Commission has proposed halving the volume of steel imports entering the EU duty-free - from 30.5 million to 18.3 million tonnes annually - and doubling tariffs on imports exceeding that quota to 50%. The move, announced by EC president Ursula van den Leyen, aims to protect the struggling…
• France: implications of Sarkozy’s unexpected conviction for corruption 3 October 2025
  Former president Nicolas Sarkozy has been convicted of criminal conspiracy and sentenced to five years in prison, marking a historic and dramatic moment in French politics. The Paris court ruled that he engaged in an attempted ‘corruption pact’ with Muammar Gaddafi’s regime to secure millions in illegal funding for his…
• Czech Republic: former PM poised for comeback, faces difficult balancing act 3 October 2025
  Billionaire and former prime minister Andrej Babis is poised for a political comeback as his ANO party leads polls ahead of the October 3-4 elections. Having shifted from a liberal to a national-conservative position, Babis is promising voters financial relief and protection from external pressures such as immigration and climate…