Berlin Playbook Newsletter

1 day ago | politico.eu | Gabriel Gavin

BRUSSELS — A new EU review is likely to find Israel is falling short of its human rights obligations, one of the bloc’s leaders warned, as diplomats push for concrete action to be taken against the country. “The situation in Gaza is of course completely unacceptable,” European Council President António Costa said in comments first reported by POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook.

1 day ago | politico.eu | Antoaneta Roussi |Gabriel Gavin

LUXEMBOURG — The European Union will work more closely with national militaries and the NATO defense alliance to respond to large-scale cyber attacks, national ministers decided on Friday. Ministers gathering in Luxembourg for a European Union meeting on telecom policy approved an update of the bloc's “cybersecurity blueprint” laying out Europe's response mechanisms to major cybersecurity incidents.

1 day ago | politico.eu | Chris Lunday

BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday he is fully confident that the United States under President Donald Trump will remain in NATO, despite years of tensions over defense spending and commitment within the alliance. “I have no doubt whatsoever that the American government is committed to NATO,” Merz said during a Q&A at an event of the Family Entrepreneurs Association in Berlin.

1 day ago | politico.eu | Sam Coates |Anne Mcelvoy

Politics at Sam and Anne’s podcast. By SAM COATES and ANNE McELVOYICYMISky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics. Here’s a round up of this week’s episodes. MONDAYThis time last year, Labour and the Conservatives were in the throes of an era-defining election campaign that would end in Sir Keir Starmer winning an extraordinarily large majority.

1 day ago | politico.eu | Dan Bloom |Stefan Boscia

Britain’s ruling Labour Party defied pundits Friday by clinching victory in a key by-election, despite a surge for right-wing populists Reform UK. Labour took the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse seat in the Scottish Parliament from the Scottish National Party on a 7.4 percent swing, winning 31.6 percent to the SNP’s 29.4 percent. However, Reform UK — Nigel Farage’s upstart movement that is leading U.K. national opinion polls — came a close third with 26.1 percent.