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Year in review: Ten defining moments for Europe in 2023

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Year in review: Ten defining moments for Europe in 2023

As the year draws to a close, Euronews breaks down ten pivotal moments that shaped Europe in 2023.

1. One year of war in Ukraine

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked one year since the outbreak of Russia’s war in Ukraine with a whirlwind tour of London, Paris and Brussels. He called on allies to step up their support for the war-torn country, and in Brussels pitched for Ukraine’s speedy accession to the European Union.

“This is our Europe. These are our rules. This is our way of life. And for Ukraine, it’s a way home,” Zelenskyy told a full house of the European Parliament in Brussels.

2. Finland joins NATO

Finland became NATO’s 31st member on April 4, doubling the alliance’s border with Russia.

The invasion of Ukraine prompted Finland and Sweden to abandon their decades-long policy of military non-alignment, with both countries applying for NATO membership in May 2022.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stalled Sweden’s accession over concerns the country was harbouring Kurdish militants. He dropped his veto in July and the Turkish parliament gave its consent in December, paving the way for Sweden’s accession in early 2024.

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3. The Adriana migrant boat disaster

An overloaded fishing boat carrying up to 750 migrants capsized off the coast of Pylos, Greece on 14 June, in one of the deadliest shipwrecks in the Mediterranean.

A search and rescue operation by Greece’s Hellenic Coast Guard (HCG) and the military rescued 104 men and recovered 82 bodies. Still, officials later confirmed over 500 were presumed to have lost their lives.

Conflicting testimonies raised questions as to whether an HCG rescue boat had caused the boat to sway and capsize. The EU’s border agency Frontex also faced mounting scrutiny over its part in the response operation.

4. EU’s Nature Restoration Law survives knife-edge vote

A new bill aiming to rehabilitate at least 20% of EU land and seas by 2030 survived a knife-edge vote in the European Parliament in July. 

Right-wing parties, particularly the European People’s Party (EPP), had led a bitter campaign in a bid to entirely reject the legislation, citing a threat to the livelihood of farmers and fishers. The vote was seen as a victory for progressives, environmentalists and conservationists, who held out against fierce backlash in a bid to protect Europe’s biodiversity.

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The law passed its next hurdle in November when lawmakers struck an agreement with the bloc’s member states.

5. Greece fights largest wildfire on record in EU

The largest wildfire ever recorded in the EU raged in north-eastern Greece in August, as the EU mobilised half of its aerial firefighting fleet to contain the blaze.

The most recent data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) suggests that over 463,000 hectares of land burned across the EU’s 27 member states this year alone, with Spain’s canary islands, the Greek islands of Rhodes and Corfu, Portugal’s southern Algarve region and the Italian island of Sicily all experiencing intense summer blazes.

6. War erupts between Israel and Hamas

Hamas militants’ deadly rampage in Israel on October 7 left more than 1,100 dead and around 250 hostages. It marked the beginning of a devastating war that has since raged relentlessly, with just one six-day respite in fighting in late November. More than 20,000 Palestinians are estimated to have lost their lives in the conflict.

The humanitarian crisis engulfing the Gaza Strip prompted mixed reactions from Europe. While some nations called for a humanitarian ceasefire from the outset, others resisted, citing Israel’s right to self-defence and the need to eradicate Hamas through military means.

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By early December, a majority of the EU’s member states backed a United Nations resolution calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire.”

7. Pro-EU opposition takes power in Poland

Opposition parties secured enough votes to oust the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) in Poland’s October election, paving the way for former European Council president Donald Tusk to become the new prime minister.

Although PiS was the largest party at 35% of the vote, Tusk was able to form a coalition government after his Civic Coalition party struck an agreement with two other pro-EU parties, the Third Way Party and the New Left.

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Tusk has since taken the first steps to change policies related to the rule of law, launching the process to join the European public prosecutor’s office and sacking the bosses of state TV and radio, which had been under the tight grip of his populist predecessors.

8. Amnesty deal sparks protests in Spain

July’s inconclusive general election left no clear road to government for the right- or left-wing coalitions in Spain. But Pedro Sánchez’s socialists struck a deal with Catalan separatists to form a government in exchange for a controversial amnesty for those who participated in the failed attempt at secession from Spain in 2017.

The deal sparked weeks of violent protests in Spain’s capital Madrid, and invited scrutiny by officials in Brussels, amid concerns about potential rule of law breaches.

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9. Geert Wilders wins Dutch election

The Dutch snap election delivered a shock result in November, as the Eurosceptic, anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) snatched victory after a last-minute surge in the polls.

PVV leader Geert Wilders has since vowed to tame his hardline policies, after previously calling for a ban on mosques and Islamic headscarves, and a referendum on the Netherlands’ exit from the EU.

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But with centre-right parties hesitant to join forces with Wilders, he could fail to piece together a 76-seat majority in the ongoing coalition talks.

10. Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia inch closer to EU membership

In a historic move, EU nations approved opening formal talks on Ukraine and Moldova’s EU membership in December, following the European Commission’s recommendation.

Viktor Orbán abstained from the vote in a choreographed political move, as he left the room momentarily to allow the remaining 26 leaders to take a unanimous decision. Georgia was also made an official candidate for EU accession.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has injected a new sense of urgency into the EU’s enlargement, as the bloc looks to integrate its eastern flank, including war-torn Ukraine.

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Brussels had also hoped to approve a €50-billion long-term fund for Ukraine in a December summit but faced resistance from Orbán.

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The decision has been postponed to February when leaders could be forced to piece together a makeshift fund outside the core EU budget if Orbán continues to dig in his heels.

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Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over ceasefire violations

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Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over ceasefire violations
Iran’s top joint military command, ​Khatam al-Anbiya Central ‌Headquarters, said on Saturday that the Strait ​of Hormuz would ​be closed to vessel ⁠traffic, citing ​alleged violations of a ​ceasefire agreement by the U.S. and Israel, Iran’s ​Mehr state ​news agency reported.
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Keir Starmer reportedly considering stepping down as PM and could announce timetable for departure

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Keir Starmer reportedly considering stepping down as PM and could announce timetable for departure

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly considering stepping down and could announce a timetable for his departure as early as Monday, according to a report published Saturday.

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Britain’s Observer newspaper reported that Starmer was discussing his future with his wife at his Chequers country residence before making a final decision.

The outlet reported that senior Labour Party figures expect a statement addressing his future as early as next week.

A government source told Reuters that Starmer remains focused on governing and pointed to previous comments in which he vowed to remain in office.

AS EPSTEIN-LINKED APPOINTMENT SPARKS BACKLASH, UK PM STARMER FACES PARTY REVOLT AMID RESIGNATION CALLS

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer awaits Switzerland’s Federal President Guy Parmelin on the sidelines of the G7 summit, in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday. (Isabel Infantes/Pool Reuters via AP)

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the prime minister’s office for comment.

Pressure on Starmer has been building for months amid growing dissatisfaction within his party and concerns over the government’s handling of the economy and cost-of-living issues.

The political threat to Starmer intensified Friday after rival Andy Burnham won a seat in Parliament, positioning him to mount a formal leadership challenge.

LABOUR MP PUTS CABINET ‘ON NOTICE,’ THREATENS TO TRIGGER LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE AGAINST STARMER BY MONDAY

Britain’s Labour party candidate Andy Burnham speaks to supporters after the Makerfield by-election in Ashton in Makerfield, England, Friday. (Jon Super/AP)

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Starmer congratulated Burnham following the victory, writing on X that voters, “chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate.”

When asked about Burnham’s apparent ambitions to replace him, Starmer insisted he intends to remain in office.

“I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that,” Starmer said.

UK’S STARMER JUGGLES TROUBLE AT HOME AS HE WALKS GEOPOLITICAL TIGHTROPE WITH TRUMP

Sir Keir Starmer is battling to save his position and refusing to stand aside despite dozens of Labout MP’s demanding he resigns. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

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Starmer has led the Labour Party since 2020 and became prime minister in 2024.

Calls for his resignation intensified last month, with more than 100 Labour lawmakers publicly urging him to step aside or set out a timetable for his departure. Several parliamentary aides also resigned in protest.

The internal revolt followed a series of disappointing local election results for Labour, which lost hundreds of council seats across England, surrendered long-held ground in Wales and fell behind political rivals in Scotland.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks a news conference at Downing Street in London, March 5. (Tolga Akmen/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)

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Starmer’s popularity has also declined amid a persistently high cost of living, sluggish economic growth and criticism over his acceptance of gifts from wealthy donors.

Fox News Digital’s James Cirrone and Emma Bussey, and Reuters contributed to this report.

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Trump vows Iran will not charge Strait of Hormuz tolls, but says US might

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Trump vows Iran will not charge Strait of Hormuz tolls, but says US might

United States President Donald Trump has pledged there will be no tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, unless they are collected by his own country.

Trump’s statement, made in a Saturday afternoon post on Truth Social, is the latest sign that a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) may be unravelling.

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“There will be NO TOLLS in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired,” Trump wrote, “unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America.”

Since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, Iran has successfully used the Strait of Hormuz as a pressure point, closing the strategic waterway to traffic.

But under the terms of Wednesday’s ceasefire memorandum, the strait is supposed to reopen for an interim period of 60 days. During that time, Iran is barred from charging vessels for passage.

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On Saturday, however, Iran’s joint military command said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing a “clear breach” of the memorandum’s commitments.

US Central Command (CENTCOM), the agency that oversees military operations in the region, denied that report and maintained that the traffic continues to flow through the waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz has long been a flashpoint in the conflict between the US and Iran. Nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas is transported through the strait, as well as about 30 percent of the global fertiliser trade.

Closure of the strait has caused global fuel costs to soar and has tested agricultural sectors across the world.

Trump had responded to Iran’s chokehold over the strait by imposing a US naval blockade on Iran’s ports in the region.

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But that naval blockade was lifted under the terms of Wednesday’s memorandum. The deal also paused fighting on all fronts in the regional conflict, including in Lebanon.

The memorandum, though, was not intended as a long-term deal. It serves as a launching point for negotiations on key issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear programme.

Several points of divergence also went unaddressed in the memorandum. Nowhere does the memo say that future tolls cannot be collected from the strait after the 60-day period expires.

Before the war, there was no charge for passage through the strait. Trump himself said in an interview with The New York Times that the waterway should remain “permanently toll-free”.

But he appeared to reverse course in Saturday’s post, once again floating the possibility that the US could extract tolls in the strait, while barring Iran from doing so.

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No fees should be levied, Trump wrote, “unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed”.

He explained that such a charge would compensate the US “for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs”.

Trump used similar language in his New York Times interview earlier this week, floating the US becoming “the guardian of the Middle East” in exchange for 20 percent of its revenue.

Saturday’s post is not the first time Trump has mused about the US imposing tolls in the strait, either.

In April, for instance, he discussed the idea with reporters, saying, “What about us charging tolls? I’d rather do that than let them have them. Why shouldn’t we? We’re the winner. We won.”

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There has been no indication that Trump’s plans have been officially presented to countries in the region, many of whom have struck a careful balance in their dealings with both the US and Iran during the war.

Iranian officials, meanwhile, have repeatedly said they will not rule out imposing tolls in the strait, framing the issue as a matter of sovereignty and regional negotiation. The strait sits between Iran and Oman.

Further discussions are expected on the matter in the coming weeks.

But such negotiations have been thrown into jeopardy amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Lebanon, which threaten to violate Wednesday’s ceasefire memorandum.

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Iran claimed that Saturday’s closure of the strait was a result of new Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, which killed dozens of people after the ceasefire was announced.

Iranian officials have also said that any upcoming talks should focus on proper implementation of the initial memorandum, and that the 60-day negotiating period stipulated in Wednesday’s deal would begin after that was settled.

Pakistan, a top mediator between the US and Iran, has said that follow-up talks are set to begin in Switzerland on Sunday.

Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that an Iranian delegation, led by parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, has already arrived for the negotiations.

On the US side, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Vice President JD Vance are expected to attend.

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Vance departed for Switzerland late Saturday.

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