Photo : Erwin Scheriau, Deutsche Welle
11 June 2025, Wednesday | NIAS Europe Daily Brief #1155
By Lekshmi MK, Merin Treesa Alex, & Vaihali Chittrothu
AUSTRIA
School shooting in Graz kills 11 people
On 10 June, Deutsche Welle reported on a school shooting in Graz, southern Austria, resulting in the death of 11 people. The police reported that 10 were killed in the school, and one of the suspects was injured. Interior Minister Gerhard said that the shooter was a former student at the high school, who did not graduate. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said that this rampage is a national tragedy and has shaken the conscience of the people. He also declared three days of mourning for the same. Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed their condolences. The authorities said the shooter acted alone, and the motive for the shooting remains unclear. Austria permits having certain firearms with licenses, but automatic weapons are banned. The attack is said to be the deadliest attack in Austria’s recent history. (Saim Dušan Inayatullah, “Austria: Several killed in Graz school shooting,” Deutsche Welle, 10 June 2025)
FRANCE
President Macron to ban social media for children under 15 years
On 10 June 2025, President Emmanuel Macron stated that France would ban access to social media for children under 15 years in a few months, if the EU do not address the situation first. He made the remarks following a stabbing of a school staff member by a 14-year-old during a bag check in eastern France. It remains unclear whether the attack was directly linked to any content the students encountered on social media. Macron calls for the EU to mobilise the use of social media in schools and warned that France could proceed unilaterally if no collective action occurred. (Gavin Blackburn,"Macron says France will ban social media access for under-15s if EU takes no action," Euronews, 10 June 2025)
Israel detains MEP Rima Hassan for illegal entry
On 10 June, French Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan was detained by Israeli authorities after being blocked as part of the Freedom Flotilla aboard the Gaza-bound vessel Madleen on 09 June. She sailed from Catania, Italy, on 03 June, with eleven other activists aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israeli forces detained all twelve individuals roughly 200 kilometres off the coast, on charges of illegal entry into Israeli territory. The detainees were presented with papers to sign recognising the illegality of their entry; four accepted and were deported, while Hassan and seven others refused and were held pending a court hearing. Hassan’s team described the imposed document as a propaganda operation and maintained that her detention violated her parliamentary immunity. The European Parliament engaged in constant contact with Israeli authorities to ensure her well-being and secure her release. (Vincenzo Genovese, "French MEP Rima Hassan detained in Israel following 'illegal entry'," Euronews, 10 June 2025)
GERMANY
Compact magazine banned in 2024, continues to publish
On 11 June, the extremist right-wing magazine, Compact, which was banned in 2024 by the former Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, describes it as a central mouthpiece for the right-wing extremism that speaks against Jews, ethnic migrants and Germany’s democratic system. Some reports state that Compact has ties with the right-wing groups and was behind the Free Saxons Party movement. The Federal Administration Court in Leipzig allowed the magazine to continue publishing temporarily while a final decision is pending. Even though the court found evidence of the Compact violating human dignity by demeaning the migrants, it questioned if it was sufficient evidence for a full ban, mainly due to the strong protections for press freedom that are intertwined in Germany’s basic law. The trial to decide on the outcome began on 10 June 2025. The court is now deciding how to balance freedom of speech against protection against hate speech and extremism. (Marcel Fürstenau,“Germany: Court to rule on press freedom for banned magazine, ”Deutsche Welle, 11 June 2025)
POLAND
PM Tusk facing confidence vote amid coalition tensions
On 11 June, Euractiv reported that Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk underwent a vote of confidence, aimed at consolidating support after his coalition's candidate lost the presidential election. His coalition retained a slim majority in the Sejm, resulting in 242 of 460 seats. However, the coalition was shaken by the unexpected victory of nationalist Karol Nawrocki over government-backed Rafal Trzaskowski on 01 June. Critics within the coalition blamed Tusk for lagging on campaign promises and contributing to Trzaskowski’s defeat. Tusk also encountered internal pressure from the coalition partners like PSL and Poland 2050 demanded renegotiation of their agreements and pushed for a refreshed mandate. Tusk recognised that the newly elected president, Nawrocki, could repeatedly veto reforms, threaten his judicial and pro-EU agenda, and prompt plans for a possible July cabinet reshuffle. Tusk described the confidence vote as "a new opening". The confidence vote was intended to demonstrate unity despite growing nationalistic challenges. (Aleksanda Krzysztoszek, "Tusk faces confidence vote as coalition tensions rise," Euractiv, 11 June 2025)
SWITZERLAND
Foreign Minister Cassis travels to Israel and Palestine
On 10 June, Switzerland’s Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis travels to Tel Aviv and Ramallah on 10–11 June, 2025, to meet Israeli and Palestinian officials. He held bilateral talks with Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Mustafa. He intends to gather his impression of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The discussions focused on the Gaza Strip war, the security environment in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and diplomatic efforts toward a political resolution. He met representatives of Swiss-supported international aid organisations active in Gaza to assess humanitarian conditions. The visit underlined Switzerland’s commitment to promoting dialogue, peace, and respect for international law in the region. ("Swiss foreign minister travels to Israel and Palestinian territories," Swissinfo, 10 June 2025)
Cantonal Finance Directors oppose the abolishment of the ‘Marriage Penalty’
On 10 June, a large majority of the Cantonal Directors of Finance recommended keeping the joint taxation for married couples, rejecting both the popular initiative for individual taxation and the government’s counter-proposal. They argued that moving to individual taxation would have increased complexity for both taxpayers and authorities. They pointed out that such a shift would create inequalities between one-earner and two-earner households. They also warned that replacing joint taxation would place a significant burden on public budgets and suggested that individual cantons should hold local referendums on the matter following their meeting in Heiden. ("Swiss finance directors against abolishing ‘marriage penalty’," Swissinfo, 10 June 2025)
THE UK
Protests over a racially motivated sexual assault case in Ballymena
On 11 June, violent unrest flared for a second consecutive night in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. This unrest followed a community vigil over an alleged sexual assault by two teenage boys. Hundreds of rioters threw petrol bombs, bricks, fireworks, and metal scaffolding pieces at police and attempted to set vehicles and houses ablaze. Police deployed water cannon, plastic baton rounds and armoured vans to disperse the crowd. The crowd was prompted to build barricades. One house was completely burned out, several homes and businesses sustained fire damage, and police reported up to six homes attacked. A total of fifteen officers were injured during the unrest, with some requiring hospital treatment. Authorities confirmed that several individuals were arrested, and they launched investigations into hate crimes. Police described the violence as "racially motivated" and called on the public to condemn the attacks, urging calm and cooperation to restore order. (“Racially motivated' attacks spark second night of unrest in Northern Irish town," France24, 11 June 2025)
REGIONAL
Eurostat reports on the children living below the poverty line belonging to the EU
On 10 June, Eurostat reported that in 2024, 19.5 million children in the EU live below the poverty line risk of poverty or social exclusion. The proportion of children facing this risk had slightly declined by 0.6 per cent from 24.8 per cent to 24.2 per cent between 2023 and 2024. Bulgaria recorded the highest child poverty rate in 2024 at 35.1 per cent, followed by Spain with 34.6 per cent and Romania with 33.8 per cent. Conversely, Slovenia (11.8 per cent), Cyprus (14.8 per cent), and the Czech Republic (15.4 per cent) had the lowest child poverty vulnerability in the EU. The data shows that children were more vulnerable than adults. 24.2 per cent of minors faced risk compared to 20.3 per cent of adults, marking a gap of 3.9 per cent. A strong correlation was identified between parental education and child poverty. 61.2 per cent of children whose parents had only lower secondary education were at risk, compared with just 11.0 per cent whose parents held tertiary qualifications, with a gap of 50.2 per cent. Spain’s high child poverty rate was linked to its low investment in family support, where only 1.3 per cent of GDP in 2021 compared with the OECD average of 2.3 per cent. (Ines Trinade Pereira, "Where are children more vulnerable to poverty in the EU?" Euronews, 10 June 2025)
European Commission criticises Spain’s Catalan Amnesty Law
On 11 June, the European Commission raised its concerns about Spain’s amnesty law for Catalan separatists in a leaked draft document. The law was adopted in 2023 with the support of the pro-independence Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) and the Junts party. They granted amnesty for offences committed between 2012 and 2023, which includes the 2017 unilateral declaration of independence by Catalonia. The Commission criticises the political process behind the law and describes the law as a self-amnesty, as it was supported by people who benefited from it. The Commission observed that the amnesty was set as a precondition for supporting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in his re-election in 2023. The Spanish government defended the law as promoting social and political reconciliation. Opposition leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, labelled the law as an “unconstitutional” power grab, trading impunity for political support. A separate review held last year by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission said that the amnesty promotes reconciliation and compliance with international law, but the Commission criticised the urgent legislative process and urged for a more institutional dialogue so as to ease the societal and political divisions. (Inez Fernandez-Pontes, “Commission raises rule of law concerns over Spanish amnesty law,” Euractiv, 11 June 2025)
INTERNATIONAL
UN panel calls for the UK to develop a new agreement with Mauritius
On 11 June, the UN expert panel urged the UK to scrap its sovereignty agreement over the Chagos Islands and enter into fresh negotiations with Mauritius. It was noted that the agreement transfers sovereignty to Mauritius while granting the UK a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia. The panel highlighted concerns that the existing deal failed to adequately consider the rights and involvement of the displaced Chagossian community. The panel emphasised that the treaty neglected provisions for Chagossians’ ability to return and benefit from their ancestral lands. It was urged that any new deal must be co-constructed with the Chagossian community to ensure it addresses historical injustices. (James Chater, "Scrap Chagos Islands deal and agree new one, UN panel urges UK," BBC, 11 June 2025)
Israeli ministers' comments on Gaza result in sanctions from the UK government
On 10 June, Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed that the UK government is imposing sanctions on the far-right Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Ben-Gvir for provoking extremist violence and human rights abuses against the Palestinians. Lammy said the sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans; similar actions are expected from the international allies. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemns the decision and said the government plans to respond. The two Israeli ministers have been advocating for Israel to conquer Gaza and expand the Jewish settlements, and also displace the Palestinians from there. Smotrich was seen stating that “Gaza will be destroyed.” The UK government criticises the growing Israeli settlements in the West Bank and describes the settlements as illegal under international law, as an obstacle to the two-state solution. (Emma De Ruiter, “UK to impose sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers over Gaza comments,” Euronews, 10 June 2025