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Ukip has collapsed in the polls and faces the loss of almost every council seat it won four years ago. With the results still coming in, the Brexit cheerleaders have already lost 86 of the 166 seats they won last time. Ukip is currently on just two seats - one of which is a gain in Derby in defiance of the nationwide performance.

US President Donald Trump's vow to step-up protectionist policies to boost the US car industry could lead to a 10-percent drop in profits for German automakers, Germany's Center for Automotive Research (CAR) has warned. The trade barriers would see the European Union's alliance with America "deteriorate significantly," the center's director, Ferdinand Dudenhöffer told DW. He said Trump's desire to "punish" Washington's main trading partners in Europe would inevitably end in a messy divorce that would hurt US car manufacturers more.

BERLIN – Germany's economy will grow much stronger than previously expected thanks to a strong labor market and buoyant demand from abroad and at home, the government said Wednesday. "The German economy is in a very good shape," said Brigitte Zypries, Germany's economics minister. "The strong rise in...employment last year is particularly satisfying."

A confidential report prepared for the British government and leaked on Monday suggests all UK industries will be hurt by leaving the European Union, Buzzfeed News reported. The findings are the latest embarrassment for British Prime Minister Theresa May's government, which has faced renewed criticism from other EU leaders about the lack of a coherent Brexit strategy.

The European Union says economic sentiment across the 19-country eurozone has risen to near-decade highs as the recovery gathers steam across sectors and nations. In a monthly survey published Thursday, the EU's executive arm says its economic sentiment indicator for the eurozone rose 1.9 points to 111.1 in June, its highest level since August 2007.

[BERLIN] The mood among German consumers rose to its highest level in almost 16 years heading into July, a survey showed on Thursday, supporting expectations that private consumption will contribute strongly to growth this year. The consumer sentiment indicator, published by the Nuremberg-based GfK institute and based on a survey of around 2,000 Germans, rose to 10.6 going into July, the highest level since October 2001. A Reuters poll had expected an unchanged reading of 10.4, from last month, also a near 16-year high. GfK linked the high reading to income expectations reaching their highest level since reunification in 1990...

The government should rethink its Brexit strategy, following last week's election, according to the engineering industry organisation, the EEF. It said without a more pro-business stance, the resulting political instability may force more firms to alter their plans "away from the UK". The EEF is the latest business organisation to call for a rethink of the government's Brexit plans. It wants access to the single market to be at the heart of Brexit negotiations.

The number of nurses from the European Union registering to work in the UK has fallen by 96% since the Brexit vote last year. Figures collated by the Nursing & Midwifery Council show that the number of new applicants from the EU fell from 1,304 in July last year to just 46 in April this year. The dramatic fall in applicants to work in the UK is likely to place more pressure on the NHS as it grapples with a recruitment crisis, and increase political pressure to secure a guarantee for NHS staff from Brexit negotiations. There are an estimated...

Higher consumer spending has helped to boost growth in the economy Germany's economy grew strongly in the first three months of this year, driven by investment and consumption, official figures show. First-quarter GDP growth was 0.6%, faster than the October-to December 2016 figure of 0.4%. Household and state spending were strong, while firms invested money in construction and equipment, said German statistics authority Destatis. Foreign trade also helped, as exports increased faster than imports.

Germany’s exports in goods reached a value of €118.2 billion in March while imports climbed to €92.9 billion, the highest monthly figures ever reported, the country’s federal statistical office announced Tuesday. In comparison to March last year, German exports increased by 10.8 percent and imports by 14.7 percent.

German authorities have made another arrest linked to an alleged plot to murder a senior public figure. The man, a soldier, is accused of conspiring with another army officer who had falsely registered as a Syrian refugee, and a student. The suspected right-wing extremists wanted to frame refugees for the attack, say prosecutors. Their alleged targets included former German president Joachim Gauck and Justice Minister Heiko Maas.

Break out the sequins and pop the champagne - it's Eurovision time again. It's that time of year when delegations from across Europe - and further afield - come together to find out which country will be crowned the winner of the annual song contest-cum-live TV spectacle. This year marks the 62nd edition of the international gathering that, over the years, has brought us such gems as Waterloo by Abba, Making Your Mind Up by Bucks Fizz and Flying the Flag by Scooch. For some it's a deluge of gaudiness, kitsch and music to make your ears bleed. To many...

In Europe, Europe Day is an annual celebration of peace and unity in Europe. There are two separate designations of Europe Day: 5 May for the Council of Europe, and 9 May for the European Union (EU).[1] The latter is the EU's flag day and has a greater visibility. The Council of Europe's day reflects its own establishment in 1949, while the European Union's day is also known as Schuman Day and celebrates the historical declaration by French foreign minister Robert Schuman in 1950.[2] Europe Day is one of a number of European symbols designed to foster unity among Europeans.

... declared Brexit a “crime” in his manifesto, and pledged to be “tough” on the UK in an interview in February. Macron told Channel 4: “If your Government decides to organise a Brexit, I will be pretty tough on it. “We have to preserve the rest of the European Union and not to convey the message that you can decide to leave without any consequences.”

French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron was more impressive than rival Marine Le Pen in Wednesday evening's final TV debate, a viewers' poll says. The candidates traded insults for more than two hours, arguing over terrorism, the economy, and Europe. The French broadcaster BFMTV found voters had a more favourable view of Mr Macron than Ms Le Pen in most categories. He was the "most convincing" of the pair in the opinion of 63% of viewers.

A French legal source said Thursday that the EU Parliament has accused Marine Le Pen of using funds meant for European parliamentary assistants to pay staff for party work in France between 2012 and 2017, while still leader of the far-right National Front (FN). The allegations, which Le Pen has denied, triggered an investigation in France. The parliament had initially estimated the amount of the contested salaries to be 1.9 million euros ($2.1 million) but now believes the FN wrongfully spent 4,978,122 euros, the source said, quoting a note to French investigators from the parliament's legal team. Patrick Maisonneuve, a...

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić has won Serbia’s presidential election in the first round, nearly complete official results showed yesterday (3 April). The EU said his election was “a vote of confidence” showing that the people of Serbia fully endorse the EU path. Vučić won about 55% of Sunday’s vote, clearing the 50% threshold required to win in the first round, according to results released by the electoral commission based on more than 90% of polling stations. Two obstacles for EU membership talks, started in 2014, seem to have been removed. Vučić’s predecessor Tomislav Nikolić, a pro-Russian member of Vučić’s own...