Europe – Page 68 – Prologue Journal

He Inherited a Seat in the House of Lords. The UK Government Says He Will Lose It in 2025.

New York Times The U.K. government has pledged to remove hereditary peers from Parliament in 2025. For Lord Cromwell and 87 others, it is a wistful departure. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/24/world/europe/uk-parliament-hereditary-peers-lords.html

Is a Putin Ally in Belarus Making a Cautious Overture to the West?

New York Times President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus keeps arresting political opponents, but analysts wonder if a string of unusual pardons is a bid to get sanctions eased. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/24/world/europe/belarus-lukashenko-putin-west-sanctions.html

French President Emmanuel Macron Appoints New Cabinet After Previous Government’s Collapse

New York Times President Emmanuel Macron named the choices less than three weeks after the previous government collapsed. He had already picked François Bayrou as prime minister. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/23/world/europe/macron-new-cabinet-france.html

Slovak Leader Visits Putin, Breaking With E.U.’s Policy of Isolation

New York Times Prime Minister Robert Fico’s surprise visit to Moscow on Sunday, reportedly to discuss natural gas and Ukraine, was a blow to European unity against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/23/world/europe/slovak-leader-visits-putin.html

Christmas Market Attack in Germany Stirs Political Sniping

New York Times After an assailant driving an S.U.V. killed five people, calls for solidarity have quickly given way to criticism by rival lawmakers, ahead of snap elections set for February. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/23/world/europe/germany-christmas-market-attack-politics.html

A Canceled Vote in Romania Hands Russia a Propaganda Coup

New York Times Many in the West have applauded the annulling of the first round of the presidential election, won by a Moscow-friendly candidate, but even his critics say it raises troubling questions about Romanian democracy. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/23/world/europe/romania-election-russia.html

Holiday Datelines From Decembers Past

New York Times As Christmas nears, New York Times journalists send dispatches from places like Santa Claus, Ind., and North Pole, N.Y. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/23/insider/dateline-yonder-star.html

Monday Briefing

New York Times An attack at a Christmas market in Germany. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/23/briefing/germany-market-assad-trump.html

‘I Was Destroyed by It’: 4 Men on Abuse at Ireland’s Catholic Schools

New York Times After decades of silence, dozens of older men are talking about the sexual abuse they suffered at schools run by religious orders. We spoke to four of them. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/23/world/europe/ireland-catholic-priest-abuse.html

Germany Searches for Motives in Christmas Market Attack

New York Times The authorities said they were struggling to understand the motives for the attack with a car in the eastern city of Magdeburg, in which a 9-year-old boy was among the five victims. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/22/world/europe/germany-christmas-market-attack.html