World
The farmers' protests should be taken seriously by Europe's leadership
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews.
The ability of enraged minorities to act should not be underestimated, as this poses significant political and electoral risks — the past few weeks have proven it, Radu Magdin writes.
It doesn’t require a sophisticated political observer or analyst to recognise that an unprecedented number of Europe’s farmers have taken to the streets.
In this super-electoral year, with European elections scheduled for the beginning of June, they are seeking to capitalise on the political opportunity.
Strategically, this is the best time to express their grievances and to compel politicians to pay close attention to what they have to say.
The farmers are maximising their chances of success, so we should not be too harsh in condemning their tactics, even though their approach is causing headaches in many European cities and capitals.
It would be a mistake to solely focus on the repertoires of protests, on what the farmers can do to make their claim-making more convincing and vivid for those witnessing the protests and being, more or less, affected by them.
Regardless of how many memes one could see on social media, or AI-generated images with straw bales surrounding the Eiffel Tower, this is more than an aesthetic exercise.
An invitation to an honest discussion
Many European farmers, especially the small ones and those part of family farms, are suffering.
For them, this activity is part of their identity, and they find it increasingly hard to survive economically in a world where every input is getting more expensive, forcing them to reduce margins to the point that profit becomes a chimaera.
Furthermore, this entire episode should be seen as more than an attempt to negotiate from a position of strength under the threat that farmers (and the rural world in general) will abandon their conservative or centre-right voting proclivities to boost the chances of the radical right in this consequential year.
So, in a normal world, these events should be an invitation to honest discussion and decisions, for well-thought-out policies, and for genuine engagement that is more than photo-ops and kicking the can down the road until the polls have closed.
When looking at these protests, the instinct is to be sympathetic to these people’s demands and to wonder whether this is not part of a bigger trend, of various groups feeling left behind and alienated.
So, one is right to wonder, who will be next? Who will put more pressure on the European and national elite? How politicians will respond to the farmers’ predicament and grievances will, in no small part, determine what will happen.
It’s time for appeasement, not escalation
Apparently, a rational perspective would start with the figures. Thus, as many have already pointed out, agriculture accounts for only 1.4% of the EU’s GDP, 4.2% of the EU’s employment, and 14.3% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions, while, at the same time, receiving approximately 30% of the EU budget.
In the context of the EU’s quest for climate neutrality, Green Deal implementation, and fighting climate change in general, farmers should not pose too much of a problem, at least when considering these numbers.
However, the reality is much more nuanced, and we should approach all this from a different angle, taking into account political inequality, responsiveness, and the willingness to act by those who feel betrayed by their representatives.
Following the farmers’ mini-uprising, we have seen the national governments rushing to adopt agriculture-friendly policies, and the EU making serious concessions that could be seen as a major watering down of the Green Deal and the farm-to-fork strategy.
All of a sudden, in a key electoral year, every decision-maker has become risk-averse. A few days ago, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the farmers’ “remarkable resilience” and announced that “the farmers can count on European support.”
Moreover, she launched “strategic dialogues,” whose goal is to address the demands of those working on the land.
ADVERTISEMENTThese are all positive developments, and the European and national leaders should be commended for understanding where public opinion stands and that this is the time for negotiation and appeasement, and not for escalation.
Bringing the elites back to earth
At the same time, all these events emphasise a very reactive political establishment. Rather than bet on the farmers’ lack of reaction and be surprised to find them in Brussels, in front of Europe’s key institutions, a visionary (or even re-election-minded) politician would have been able to anticipate all these events.
Obviously, we do not ask politicians to predict the future or become super-forecasters. However, there is a clear need for them to get better at understanding the consequences of the policies they propose.
A key lesson here is that it matters less the overall positive effects of regulation; what triggers mobilisation and action are the distributional effects, and these have to be significantly better estimated so that the likely losers are swiftly and adequately compensated.
The ability of enraged minorities to act should not be underestimated, as this poses significant political and electoral risks — the past few weeks have proven it.
ADVERTISEMENTFor all those who love the European Union, an image one could distil from these protests is that of the political elites so far removed from the public that they had to be brought back to earth to understand what is really happening under their watch.
A correct diagnosis and a cure to follow
Insufficient impact assessment, inattention to distributional consequences, and unresponsiveness are some of the political pathologies we have observed these days. Hopefully, after a correct diagnosis, a (political) cure will follow.
More focus on the small farmers, on family businesses, and on how Europe should preserve and enhance its food security are all part of the serious conversation that should follow what is happening on Europe’s main streets, from Brussels to Bucharest, from Paris to Rome.
Before blaming the populists for taking advantage of these events, we should all engage in some perspective-taking and ask ourselves what could be done so that farmers and other similar categories will return to normal politics and claim-making.
We need to make politics and decision-making a bit more boring but significantly much more responsive to the public’s needs.
ADVERTISEMENTRadu Magdin is CEO of Smartlink and former advisor to prime ministers of Romania (2014-2015) and Moldova (2016-2017).
At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.
World
With US unleashing attacks, Iranian official threatens that the Islamic Republic will deliver a ‘hard slap’
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An Iranian official warned that the Islamic Republic will deliver a “hard slap” while another blatantly threatened the U.S. that “if you strike, you’ll get hit,” according to automatic translations from the two men’s Persian-language posts on X.
Ebrahim Rezaei, whose profile on the social media platform indicates that he is a representative in Iran’s Parliament and the spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, wrote in a post on X, “The martyred Khamenei taught us not to fear America and showed that ‘falsehood will perish.’ Await the hard slap from the Iranians.”
The speaker of Iran’s Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned, “America still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you’ll get hit. Don’t flail around pointlessly, or you’ll sink even deeper: the Strait of Hormuz will only open with ‘Iranian arrangements,’ not American threats.”
Both of the men issued their posts on Wednesday after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced more strikes against Iran.
“At the direction of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway,” CENTCOM had noted in a post on X.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN CEASEFIRE DEAL IS ‘OVER’ AFTER NEW ROUND OF STRIKES
People gather at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla for a farewell ceremony for Iran’s late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 4, 2026, in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
The U.S. military later provided more information about the attacks.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces completed an additional round of strikes against Iran, July 8, to further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping and innocent civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM noted on Wednesday night.
“U.S. forces struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets including air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities, and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline. The latest strikes follow successful execution of offensive strikes in Iran the night before,” the announcement noted. “CENTCOM forces hit approximately 80 Iranian military targets July 7, including more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats, to impose heavy costs for Iran violating the ceasefire by attacking three commercial vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz.”
TRUMP DEMANDS END TO TRADE WITH KEY US ALLY, CALLS IT A ‘WASTED CAUSE’
President Donald Trump indicated on Wednesday that, as far as he was concerned, the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding ceasefire was “over.”
Kuwait and Bahrain have both reported coming under attack.
The Kuwait Army noted in a Thursday post on X, which was written in Arabic, “The Official Spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Major General Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, stated that the armed forces detected, at dawn today, (3) ballistic missiles, (1) cruise missile, and (10) hostile drones within Kuwaiti airspace, which were successfully intercepted and dealt with.”
TRUMP SAYS ‘IRAN LIES AND CHEATS’ AS IRGC EMERGES AS DOMINANT FORCE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH US
President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, on July 8, 2026. (SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
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The Bahrain Defense Force noted in a post that was in Arabic, “The General Command clarifies that, with firm resolve and high combat readiness, the Bahrain Defense Force’s air defense systems confronted, intercepted, and destroyed several treacherous Iranian aerial attacks this morning, Thursday, July 9, 2026 CE.”
Three wins to go. How can your team reach the final and win the World Cup 2026? Click here to find out.
Who: Norway vs England list of 3 itemsend of list
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Quarterfinals
Where: Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, the United States
When: Saturday, July 11, at 5pm (21:00 GMT)
How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 18:00 GMT before our live text commentary stream.
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Four weeks ago, if you told Norwegians their team would be in the World Cup quarterfinals, they might have laughed it off. But this weekend, the Scandinavian country is set to break new ground.
Norway’s dream run in North America enters a new chapter when the tournament’s dark horses take on title contenders England for a place in the semifinals.
It took Norway a whopping 28 years to return to the sport’s biggest stage, and they have made their mark in style – from their traditional Viking row celebrations capturing global attention to striker Erling Haaland becoming the internet’s darling.
A lethal presence in the box and a goofy, no-nonsense personality off the pitch, Haaland has become somewhat of an all-round entertainer for viewers. His exemplary goal-scoring figures make you almost forget he’s playing in his debut World Cup – and next up, the towering striker will go toe-to-toe with England’s Harry Kane, another number nine who delivers when it matters most.
How did Norway and England reach the round of 16?
Norway finished second in Group I with six points, beating Senegal and Iraq and losing to France. They started their knockout phase with a late 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast before stunning Brazil by the same scoreline to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.
England topped Group L with seven points, beating Croatia and Panama and drawing with Ghana. They needed a second-half comeback to beat the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the round of 32 and knocked out cohosts Mexico 3-2 in a scintillating last-16 contest at the iconic Azteca Stadium.
Pressure firmly on England
The chants of “It’s Coming Home” were louder than ever when England’s fighting spirit – against the background of high altitude, history and a red card – steered them to victory against the home side Mexico.
Sharing 10 of the team’s 11 goals between them, the dynamic duo of Kane and Jude Bellingham has kept England alive in the title race, especially at a time when there are defensive deficiencies in the squad.
The in-form side, which also boasts more World Cup experience than Norway, are deemed favourites to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2018.
“We’ve been here a few times,” said England winger Bukayo Saka. “But the best team on the day is going to be the team that wins, so we’re aware of that and that’s where our focus is.”
England’s leaky defence – which has kept only two clean sheets in five games – will face its toughest test yet against Haaland, whose seven goals rank him third in the Golden Boot race, only behind Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
Haaland: The most recognisable face at the World Cup
In their first World Cup since 1998, Norway, a nation of just more than five million people, has exceeded expectations.
After stunning the record five-time world champions Brazil to reach their first-ever quarterfinal, Norway will be eager to take down another giant and extend their fairytale run.
As much as their success has been a team effort, the spotlight has centred on their poster boy, Haaland – the blond, pony-tailed, 1.95-metre- (6ft4-) tall striker and a new social media sensation.
With his nonchalant replies in news conferences, awkward post-match selfies on Snapchat and a glittering collection of luxury handbags, the striker has drawn attention for more than just his goal-scoring prowess. In fact, “Haaland mania” has reached a fever pitch during the course of the World Cup.
Instagram is flooded with AI-generated and animated videos of him, stitched with his now-famous song “Ha-ha-ha-Haaland”.
“It’s important to joke around … I like to joke a little bit, and I like to have fun,” Haaland said. “That’s a key for my daily life – to joke around and, of course, train well and prepare well.”
Haaland’s top-notch preparation has delivered outcomes that even the 25-year-old did not expect.
“To be in the quarterfinals with Norway in the World Cup is quite surprising, even for me,” he said.
“Just to be able to play in the World Cup is, for me, a huge honour, and it was a huge goal for me in my career. To be able to be here and play on the biggest stage with my Norwegian friends against the best teams in the world, it’s really special.”
Norway vs England predictions
The Opta supercomputer gives England a 50.4 percent likelihood of winning in regulation time, while Norway’s chances of winning are 25.1 percent.
The model estimates a 24.6 percent probability of the game going to extra time.
What time is Norway vs England?
- Norway: NRK1, NRK2, TV 2 (11pm, Central European Summer Time)
- United Kingdom: STV, STV Player, ITV1, ITVX (10pm, British Summer Time)
- USA: Peacock, Fox, Fox One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network (5pm, Eastern Daylight Time)
To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.
Who will the winner face in the semifinals?
The winner of the Norway vs England match will play Argentina or Switzerland in the semifinals in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Norway vs England: Head-to-head
Norway and England have never met at the World Cup, but have previously faced each other 12 times. England have won seven times, Norway twice, while three matches ended in a draw.
Their most recent encounter came in a 2014 international friendly, which England won 1-0 at Wembley.
Norway vs England: Team news
England will be without defender Jarell Quansah after he was handed a two-match ban for picking up a red card in the game against Mexico. He will miss the quarterfinal and a potential semifinal should England advance.
Centre-back Marc Guehi has a slight hamstring strain and will be assessed later on Friday to see if he is fit to play, while Reece James remains doubtful with a hamstring injury.
Defensive midfielder Jordan Henderson has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a broken wrist.
No issues have been reported in the Norway camp.
Norway’s predicted lineup
(4-3-3): Nyland (goalkeeper); Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Moller Wolfe; Berg, Berge, Odegaard; Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa
England’s predicted lineup
(4-2-3-1): Pickford (goalkeeper); Konsa, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
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