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Socialists elect Nicolas Schmit as lead candidate for EU elections
The Party of European Socialists (PES) has elected Nicolas Schmit as its lead candidate for the EU elections amid worries of a far-right surge.
Schmit, the current European Commissioner for jobs and social rights, received the mandate by acclamation on Saturday afternoon at the end of the party’s congress in Rome. The 70-year-old politician from Luxembourg led the internal race uncontested, as he was the only name put forward.
“We will not allow that Europe will take the path of austerity and social repression as it did during the financial crisis. This is the main argument, this why we want to win these elections, together, in all 27 member states,” Schmit told the audience at La Nuvola, on the outskirts of Rome, as he took the stage surrounded by young activists.
“I want voters to know that social democrats will keep fighting for all citizens and will respect their commitments and promises.”
As a result, Schmit will face off against his boss, Ursula von der Leyen, the lead candidate of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP).
Both are part of the so-called Spitzenkandidaten system, under which the parties that take part in the elections to the European Parliament are supposed to select a top aspirant to preside the European Commission, the bloc’s most powerful and influential institution. Some groups follow the template, while others choose to ignore it.
The upcoming race, however, will be deeply uneven: Ursula von der Leyen is the indisputable frontrunner thanks to the strong reputation she has built throughout her first mandate at the Commission’s held, from which she spearheaded transformational policies to cope with climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the energy crisis and China’s assertive behaviour.
Schmit, for his part, has kept a low profile since his arrival in Brussels in 2019, when von der Leyen assigned him the portfolio of jobs and social rights. Among his most notable projects were the launch of a €100-billion programme for short-time work schemes during the coronavirus lockdowns and a directive to ensure minimum wages are set at “adequate levels.” His proposal to improve the conditions of platform workers, those who service apps like Uber, Deliveroo and Glovo, is currently stuck in negotiations among member states and is close to plunging into limbo.
Schmit’s cabinet is one of the teams overseeing the freezing of EU funds for Hungary over persistent rule-of-law deficiencies. The Commissioner faced the ire of the Parliament after the executive released €10.2 billion in cohesion funds for Budapest, despite the antagonistic attitude of Viktor Orbán, and pleas by civil society. As of today, Hungary is still denied access to roughly €21 billion in cohesion and recovery funds.
Speaking before the PES top ranks, including Germany’s Olaf Scholz, Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, Portugal’s António Costa and Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, the anointed candidate attempted to build his power base and vowed to defend the party’s core values and priorities: labour rights, gender equality, climate action and social justice.
“We are the movement that fights against precariousness, especially the lives and jobs of young people,” he said. “We will fight for the Green Deal with a red heart.”
Still, Schmit has virtually no chance of taking over the Commission. The Socialists and Democrats (S&D), the group in the European Parliament that encompasses PES members, is projected to finish second at the June elections. The latest estimate by Europe Elects, a poll aggregator, shows a considerable distance between the S&D (from 154 seats in 2019 to 140 in 2024) and the EPP (from 182 to 180).
Asked about the recognisability gap between himself and von der Leyen, Schmit said he had a “lot of esteem” for the president but insisted “we’re both candidates.”
“We will see,” he said. “The campaign will start and then I invite everyone to judge.”
‘The very soul of Europe is at risk’
Even more worrying for socialists, the forecasts also predict a strong rise of hard-right and far-right parties, which would tilt the hemicycle decisively towards conservative ideas and away from the progressive causes that socialists favour.
During von der Leyen’s first mandate, the grand coalition between EPP, S&D and the liberals from Renew Europe proved instrumental to advance far-reaching, ambitious proposals to speed up the transition to climate neutrality, rein in the excesses in the digital world, reform the bloc’s migration and asylum policy, ensure continued financial support for Ukraine, ramp up domestic production of cutting-edge technology, and decrease dependencies on unreliable suppliers, like Russia and China.
But in the past year, the grand coalition began to wobble and shake, as the EPP adopted a more confrontational attitude against the Green Deal, one of von der Leyen’s flagship initiatives, claiming the multiple pieces of legislation approved to slash the bloc’s greenhouse gas emission have created excessive red tape for the private sector, made it harder to invest and risked the loss of competitiveness.
The fierce battle over the Nature Restoration Law, a regulation to gradually rehabilitate the EU’s degraded ecosystems, laid bare the simmering tension between conservatives and socialists, with bitter recriminations and finger-pointing. Although the EPP eventually lost that fight, it enabled the group to re-position itself as a “pro-business” and, particularly, a “pro-farmers party,” a stance that the recent protests have only reinforced.
Von der Leyen’s withdrawal of a contentious law to halve the use of chemical pesticides, an important source of nitrogen emissions, was warmly celebrated by EPP lawmakers last month. The move marked the first major defeat under the Green Deal.
ADVERTISEMENTIn response to this ideological shift, socialists have ratcheted up their rhetoric, warning the EPP is moving away from the mainstream centre and normalising talking points of the extreme right for purely electoral purposes. The alliances struck between mainstream conservatives and hard-right formations in countries like Italy, Sweden and Finland are evidence of this increasingly blurred line, socialist leaders said at Rome.
In his speech, Schmit made it clear his political family will not cooperate with Identity and Democracy (ID) or the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), the two most Eurosceptic groups in the European Parliament. The candidate then asked the EPP and the liberals to “be coherent with yourself” and “stay faithful to your own history, to your European commitment” before striking any new alliances.
“We will fight those propagating hate and division in our societies, those who fuel fears and prepare the return of nationalism,” Schmit said. “The normalisation of the extreme right, as we have seen it in the Netherlands, is dangerous and irresponsible.”
A similar message was echoed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who spoke of “ghosts of the past” that are creeping over the European institutions and longing for a time that “never existed.”
“The far right is growing all over Europe, in many places supported by conventional right that is imitating its arguments and populist techniques,” Sánchez told the congress.
ADVERTISEMENT“The very soul of Europe is at risk. And once again, it’s up to us, the social democrats, to defeat that threat and ensure that history continues to advance in the right direction.”
Despite the difficult prospects ahead, socialists joined forces to reclaim their legacy, arguing the main policy responses provided to the most recent crises, including the €750-billion recovery fund and the joint procurement of coronavirus vaccines, had been inspired by social democracy and therefore justified the validity of their ideology.
“These elections are crucial for the future of Europe. It is up to us to provide progressive and fair solutions to the main challenges threatening our societies and our people,” said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, referring to migrant smuggling, social dumping, corporate tax evasion and children poverty.
“Our next step is to demonstrate how our social democratic goals of social justice, economic (equality), green ambition and security go hand in hand.”
The elections to the European Parliament will be held between 6 and 9 June. About 350 million eligible voters will be called to cast their ballots across 27 member states.
ADVERTISEMENTIn the immediate aftermath of the elections, EU leaders are expected to gather in a crucial summit to divvy up the bloc’s top jobs: president of the European Commission, president of the European Council and high representative for foreign and security policy.
With the Commission all but guaranteed to land on the EPP’s camp, socialists are aiming to secure the European Council’s presidency, currently occupied by Charles Michel, a liberal politician from Belgium.
This article has been updated with more information about the PES Congress.
-U43648517271Shc-1440x752@IlSole24Ore-Web.jpg?r=1170x507&ssl=1 "War breaking news. Trump postpones decision: nothing after two hours in Situation Room")
Iran, Trump shares draft agreement with Israel and other allies
US President Donald Trump has circulated the draft peace agreement for the war with Iran among allies, including Israel, while attempts are underway to prevent new ceasefire violations from escalating and derailing any agreement. Meanwhile, in an effort to accelerate negotiations, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, will be in Washington today to meet with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio.
Yesterday, Tehran targeted a US air base in Kuwait after Washington struck what it called an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the fragility of the situation as both negotiating parties refuse to give in on the final points of disagreement. On Wednesday, Trump’s cabinet was scheduled to discuss the deal, but Axios – which reported on the terms of the deal reached – reported that the US president needed a few more days to reflect on the eventual go-ahead.
Direct military negotiations between Israel and Lebanon start today at the Pentagon
The first direct meeting between Lebanese and Israeli military delegations opens today at the Pentagon as part of the negotiations promoted by the United States after the truce that came into effect, at least on paper, in mid-April. The talks take place while Israel intensifies raids and bombardments in Lebanon, including the southern suburbs of Beirut. The Jewish state has issued several forced displacement orders to Israeli civilians in Nabatiye and Tyre, the two main Lebanese cities in the south of the country. Beirut’s armed forces come to the table with a position defined by President Joseph Aoun, who is considered close to the United States: a complete ceasefire, an end to Israeli operations, withdrawal from the occupied areas in the south, and increased army deployment along the border. Beirut also demands the release of Lebanese prisoners, the return of displaced persons, and international support for reconstruction. The meeting follows two previous negotiating sessions held in Washington on 14 and 15 May, which led to the extension of the ‘truce’ for 45 days. The United States, engaged in large-scale negotiations with Hezbollah supporter Iran, is aiming to strengthen direct military coordination between the two sides. In this sense, a new political round at the State Department is scheduled for 2 and 3 June. However, the most delicate knot remains on the table: Israel claims the right to conduct preventive operations against threats considered imminent, a formula contested by Beirut and at the centre of internal Lebanese tensions. At the same time, Washington continues to exert pressure on the Hezbollah disarmament dossier, while the Shiite movement reiterates its rejection of direct negotiations and continues its operations against the Israeli occupation forces in southern Lebanon. According to data gathered from Lebanese sources, more than 4,500 Israeli violations, more than 5,500 homes destroyed, and direct or indirect Israeli military control over more than 65 locations in South Lebanon have been recorded since the start of the mid-April ‘truce’.
Emir Qatar hears Trump, ‘priority to political and diplomatic solutions’
Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has asked US President Donald Trump to “prioritise political and diplomatic solutions” in the Middle East, in the context of negotiations between Washington and Tehran for a possible agreement. The request came during a phone call between the two leaders, during which international efforts to reduce tensions in the region were addressed. This was reported by the Qatari state agency Qna. Al Thani emphasised ‘the need to prioritise political and diplomatic solutions, as well as dialogue between all parties, to consolidate regional security and stability and avoid further tensions and escalation’. Washington meanwhile confirmed an agreement in principle with Iran to extend the 60-day truce and guarantee shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, but the understanding remains pending Trump’s approval and has not yet been confirmed by Tehran.
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Israeli and Lebanese military delegations opened Pentagon-mediated talks Friday morning in Washington, launching a new U.S.-brokered security coordination track aimed at preventing renewed escalation along the Israel–Lebanon border and shoring up a fragile ceasefire reached in mid-April.
A State Department official told Fox News Digital that, “As we have continuously stated, the only path to lasting peace is through direct negotiations between the two sovereign governments.”
The discussions mark a shift from diplomatic negotiations into direct military coordination, with talks expected to focus on ceasefire enforcement, border stability, Israeli withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon and the role of the Lebanese Armed Forces in containing Hezbollah.
ISRAEL MOVES TOWARDS CEASEFIRE DEAL WITH HEZBOLLAH: REPORTS
Michael Needham, counselor for the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter pose for a photo before a meeting at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)
The talks come weeks after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire first reached during the broader regional conflict tied to the U.S.–Iran war. While large-scale fighting has eased, Israeli forces continue operating inside parts of southern Lebanon and Hezbollah maintains drone and rocket capabilities, keeping tensions high along the border.
The ceasefire was extended on May 15 for another 45 days, creating pressure on both sides to show progress before the current arrangement expires.
But analysts say the central question overshadowing the talks is whether Lebanon can realistically curb Hezbollah’s military power without risking internal collapse.
“This will be the first meeting between representatives of the militaries since the start of the negotiation process between Lebanon and Israel,” Ahmed Sharawi, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, told Fox News Digital.
Representing Lebanon in the talks is Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, who previously served as commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces in southern Lebanon, an area where Hezbollah maintains a strong presence. Hezbollah is the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist organization designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization.
“What we should expect is talks regarding de-confliction and what the expectations are for the LAF in terms of the broader disarmament plan against Hezbollah’s weapons,” he said.
Sharawi said the chances of a broader breakthrough remain limited so long as Hezbollah remains heavily armed and politically entrenched inside Lebanon.
“The biggest obstacle here is that the Lebanese state is yet to present a feasible plan to disarm Hezbollah,” he said.
LAWMAKERS QUESTION WHETHER US MOVING FAST ENOUGH TO CAPITALIZE ON HEZBOLLAH’S WEAKENED STATE
But analysts say the central question overshadowing the talks is whether Lebanon can realistically curb Hezbollah’s military power without risking internal collapse. (Ibrahim AMRO / AFP via Getty Images)
He pointed to the terms of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, which placed responsibility for disarming Hezbollah on the Lebanese state.
“We are yet to see the confiscation of one single bullet from Hezbollah,” Sharawi said.
He also warned that Hezbollah’s deep support among Lebanon’s Shiite population complicates any attempt to move toward normalization with Israel.
“There’s a fear of a civil war,” he said. “That also accounts for the Lebanese state’s unwillingness to disarm Hezbollah.”
The talks opened as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled Israel intends to maintain military pressure on Hezbollah despite the negotiations.
Sharawi argued the Trump administration nevertheless appears determined to push the process forward as part of a broader effort to weaken Iranian influence in the region.
“The reason behind these meetings is that President Trump is really trying to push for a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon,” he said. “Peace between these two countries could really undermine Hezbollah and its influence in Lebanon.”
WALTZ SAYS TRUMP HAS CREATED ‘BEST CHANCE IN OUR LIFETIME’ TO BREAK HEZBOLLAH’S GRIP ON LEBANON
Churches in the southern Lebanese town of Rmeish remained standing throughout the conflict, as residents say the community resisted Hezbollah attempts to launch rockets from the area. (Jusoor News)
Israeli analysts similarly described the talks less as a breakthrough and more as a strategic signal aimed at Hezbollah.
“The war between us and Hezbollah is continuing,” Yossi Kuperwasser, senior project manager at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and former head of the Research Division of Israeli Military Intelligence, told Fox News Digital.
“There is no doubt the Lebanese government does not have a monopoly on the use of force in Lebanon,” he said.
‘OVERBLOWN’ REPORTS ON ISRAEL–LEBANON NORMALIZATION RISK HINDERING BORDER TALKS BEFORE THEY BEGIN: OFFICIAL
IDF troops discovered a Hezbollah weapons cache near a UNIFIL post in southern Lebanon in 2024. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)
Kuperwasser said expectations for an immediate diplomatic breakthrough should remain low, but argued the talks themselves send an important political message.
“The purpose of these talks is first and foremost to send a message to Hezbollah and also to the Americans,” he said. “Both sides are prepared to sit together against Hezbollah and signal that they are moving, even if slowly, toward normalization between Israel and Lebanon.”
He argued Hezbollah has been weakened politically and militarily by the ongoing conflict and by growing frustration among Lebanese civilians displaced by the fighting.
“For years Hezbollah portrayed itself as the defender of Lebanon,” Kuperwasser said. “Now many Lebanese see Hezbollah as responsible for the suffering Lebanon is experiencing.”
Kuperwasser added that while Israel supports strengthening the Lebanese army, Beirut fears direct confrontation with Hezbollah could ignite another civil war.
“The Lebanese government fears military action against Hezbollah would lead to civil war,” he said. “That fear shapes everything.”
The talks also come amid mounting domestic pressure inside Israel, where critics of Netanyahu have accused the government of pursuing containment rather than decisive military victory against Hezbollah.
Speaking Friday during a visit to Israel’s northern front, Netanyahu said Israeli forces had crossed the Litani River and were operating across multiple parts of Lebanon.
“We are operating in Beirut, in the Bekaa Valley, across the entire front and striking Hezbollah hard,” Netanyahu said.
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A woman holds her dog as she walks past burned cars a day after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 9, 2026. (Emilio Morenatti/AP)
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s leadership is attempting to balance growing American pressure with fears of internal instability and renewed sectarian conflict.
Neither the Israeli Embassy in Washington nor the Lebanese Embassy in Washington immediately responded to requests for comment. The Pentagon did not have anything to add when asked to comment.
The United Nations has confirmed it placed Israel on a blacklist of countries suspected of committing sexual violence against civilians, and pushed back on accusations made by Israel regarding its inclusion.
The list, part of a “conflict-related sexual violence” report released on Friday, prompted Israel’s foreign ministry to say it would sever all ties with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
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Last August, the UN cited “credible information” regarding sexual violence committed by Israeli security forces against Palestinian detainees in prisons and other detention centres, and said UN inspectors had been denied access to the facilities.
“We invited the representative of the UN to come to Israel to check those ridiculous allegations. They chose not to come,” Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon posted on X on Thursday.
“I never received an iota of information on measures taken by the government of Israel on implementation of the preventive measures,” Pramila Patten, the UN official who authored the report, told reporters on Friday at a briefing at the UN’s New York headquarters.
“I have made several requests in writing, and sometimes during meetings, for details about initial steps, including the issuance of orders of command information on access and information on accountability measures, but I did not get any response on the substantive aspect of the preventive measures,” she added.
Patten did confirm that there had been an invitation from Israel, but referred also to disagreements about the scope of the visit and related issues of access and cooperation, and said it ultimately had to be suspended due to Israel’s war on Gaza.
‘Multiple incidents’ in Gaza and occupied West Bank
This year’s report said that in 2025 “the United Nations verified multiple incidents of conflict-related sexual violence, including as a form of torture, inflicted against 14 men, seven women, nine boys and one girl from the Gaza Strip and the [occupied] West Bank.”
It said 13 of the attacks happened last year, and 18 in 2023 and 2024.
“Violations consisted of rape, including with objects, gang rape, attempted rape, physical violence to the genitals, instances of targeted shooting of the genitals, touching of breasts and genitals, strip and cavity searches conducted without apparent security justification, forced nudity and threats of rape,” it said.
“Rape and gang rape, in some cases repeated, were perpetrated against nine victims, the majority Palestinians from Gaza,” it said, adding that perpetrators included Israeli armed and security forces. The assaults occurred primarily during detention and interrogation in several sites, including military camps, at checkpoints and during Israeli military operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
It said survivors included journalists and human rights defenders and in some cases, the violations were filmed or photographed, including one case of rape.
The report added that sexual violence against female detainees included mostly threats of rape, forced nudity, unwanted touching, and humiliating or degrading strip searches without justification, while men and boys were targeted with rape, attempted rape and violence to the genitals.
This resulted in five male victims suffering severe rectal bleeding or swelling for multiple days or weeks, it added.
Russia added to list alongside Israel
The latest UN report also contains harrowing descriptions of abuses at the hands of Russia’s military after “findings of continued patterns of sexual violence documented”.
The UN human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine had verified 310 cases of conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated by Russian armed and security forces.
It said the cases, including rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, electric shocks and beatings to the genitals, injured 280 men, 26 women and four girls.
The report’s annex lists 77 parties deemed responsible for patterns of conflict-related sexual violence, including 62 non-state actors.
New additions include three non-state armed groups operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Nearly 10,000 cases of conflict-related sexual violence were recorded worldwide last year – more than double the previous year’s figure, the report said.
Being added to the list does not automatically carry specific punitive measures such as sanctions, although public naming and shaming can cause significant reputational damage for the states involved, and those repeatedly listed are barred from UN peacekeeping operations.
Patten said the increase in cases of conflict-related sexual violence verified by the United Nations marks a very disturbing trend that was still only the “very tip of the iceberg”.
“This number can be attributed to the fact that we are going through a time when we have a record number of extremely violent conflicts, and the fact that perpetrators are feeling emboldened by a context of impunity, where this crime is almost cost-free,” she said.
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