Free Republic

During what was supposed to be a cordial meeting, followed by a lunch and a joint press conference between President Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, fireworks erupted when Vice President JD Vance urged diplomacy and called Zelenskyy out for “trying to litigate this in front of the American media” and pointed out that he is “going around forcing conscripts to the frontlines because [he] has manpower problems.” After making a veiled threat to the United States, claiming we don’t “feel it” now because we have a “nice ocean” around us but “will feel it in the future,” President Trump inserted himself...

The Hague (AP) -- The International Criminal Court on Friday called on its member states to stand up against sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump, saying that the move was an attempt to “harm its independent and impartial judicial work”. And the embattled court got plenty of support from traditional US allies in Europe who stood up against the Trump measure. “Sanctioning the ICC threatens the court’s independence and undermines the international criminal justice system as a whole,” said European Council President António Costa, who heads the summits of the European Union’s 27 leaders. It was the toughest direct...

The economy is experiencing a golden moment thanks to exports and tourism after cleaning up its accounts. But the country has paid a price in migration of qualified workers and reduction of public services. Ten years after the departure of the “men in black” — the international managers of the European Commission, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank who cleaned up Portugal’s accounts with a machete, the country has emerged as the most diligent student in southern Europe. In 2023, for the first time, public debt fell below 100% of GDP (it stood at 98.7%) and there was a...

Europe is continuing its shift to the right, as voters in Portugal on Sunday rejected socialist governance and cemented the populist-nationalist Chega party as a major political force in the country and potentially a coalition partner in the next government. Following a corruption scandal hitting the highest levels of the socialist government of António Costa, whose own chief of staff and other government ministers were arrested on suspicion of corruption, forcing the PM to announce his resignation and call for an early election, the party has tumbled in the weekend’s election.

Portugal’s Socialists conceded defeat in a parliamentary election on Sunday which saw the far-right emerge as the biggest winner. With nearly 99% of votes counted, the center-right AD coalition had secured 77 seats against 75 seats for the Socialists. “Everything indicates that the result won’t enable the Socialist Party to be the most voted party," Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos said. He congratulated the AD for their election victory. Far-right party Chega recorded the biggest jump in support compared with the 2022 election - it has already won 46 seats, almost quadrupling its current tally. This means the AD would...

LISBON, Portugal (AP) – Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa said Tuesday he is resigning after being involved in a widespread corruption probe. Costa said in a nationally televised address that “in these circumstances, obviously, I have presented my resignation to the president of the republic.” Costa’s shocking announcement came hours after Portuguese police arrested his chief of staff while raiding several public buildings and other properties as part of a widespread corruption probe.

LISBON - Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Friday that the Netherlands’ attempt to block economic support to fight the coronavirus raised questions about the future of the European Union. “If under these conditions it’s not possible for Europe to ensure a common response to this challenge, this is a sign of great concern for those who believe in Europe,” Costa said in an interview with local news agency Lusa. Costa questioned whether “there is anyone who wants to be left out” of the EU or the 19-member euro zone. “Naturally, I’m referring to the Netherlands,” he said. “There...