In Poland, two frontrunners for one presidential seat
This came as a significant surprise given the forecasts had predicted a large gap and it suggested a highly contested second round on June 1. The transfer of votes is also likely to be complicated for both camps.
The second surprise came from the exceptionally high score of the far right, divided between the nationalist libertarian party Konfederacja, led by Slawomir Mentzen (14.9%), and the royalist and openly antisemitic candidate, Grzegorz Braun (6.4%). This surge is particularly important among 18-29 year olds, 41% of whom cast a ballot for these candidates (36% for the former, 5% for the latter).

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Local France
an hour ago
- Local France
In Numbers: How the populations of European countries have changed
The EU population grew by almost 1.1 million in 2024, reaching an estimated 450.4 million residents on January 1st 2025, according to data published by the European statistical office Eurostat. The year 2024 was the fourth consecutive year of population growth in the EU, after a drop recorded during the pandemic. The increase is largely due to net migration (the difference between the number of people arriving and those leaving) rather than natural change (the difference between births and deaths). Only six EU countries – France and Sweden, together with Ireland, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta – recorded more births than deaths, in addition to positive net migration. Effects of migration Historically, the difference between births and deaths in the EU was positive – yet slowing – until 2011. Since 2012, more deaths than births were recorded but the total EU population has kept increasing due to positive net migration. Only during the Covid-19 pandemic was the negative natural change not compensated by migration, Eurostat says. In 2024, deaths (4.82 million) outnumbered births (3.56 million), resulting in a negative natural change of 1.3 million people. On the other hand, positive net migration was 2.3 million, lower than the almost 3 million of 2022. These factors together made up for a population increase of 1,070,702. On a country level, 19 EU member states saw their population growing while eight saw a decline. The highest growth rates compared to the total population were recorded in Malta (the smallest EU country by population, at 0.6 million), Portugal and Ireland. Denmark was the only EU country with zero natural change and its population was stable at around 5.9 million. Advertisement Except for Latvia, where people emigrating keep outnumbering those immigrating, all EU countries had positive net migration in 2024. In 13 EU countries (Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia and Finland), this was the reason for population growth. Largest countries Germany, France and Italy are the largest EU countries by population (19 percent, 15 percent and 13 percent respectively, and comprise almost half of all EU residents. In 2024, Germany had 83.5 million inhabitants compared to 83.4 in 2023, France 68.6 million compared to 68.4 the previous year, and Italy 59.7 million people, a slight decrease over 2023. Spain follows with 49 million people, compared to 48.6 in 2023. In Sweden, the total population reached 10.5 million, and Austria 9.1 million, both representing a slight increase compared to 2023. Norway followed a similar trend, at 5.5 million, and Switzerland's population reached 9 million people, compared to 8.9 in 2023. Advertisement Countries losing population In 2024, the population declined in eight EU countries (Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia), as the negative natural change was not offset by immigration. The largest declines were recorded in Latvia, Hungary, Poland and Estonia. Latvia was the only country with both negative natural change and negative net migration. Future trend The EU population grew by about 0.9 million each year between 2005 and 2024, compared to 3 million per year during the 1960s. In 1960, the population of the current EU countries was 354.5 million. In the future, due to the ageing population, the number of deaths is expected to further increase, and if fertility rates remain at current levels, the negative natural change could continue . This is in line with a global trend with a growing number of older adults and fewer under 25, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Centre . This also shows that Europe's median age is 43, making it the oldest region in the world.

LeMonde
5 hours ago
- LeMonde
EU chief to Zelensky: Keep anti-graft bodies independent
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LeMonde
a day ago
- LeMonde
Israel allows aid air dops to Gaza to resume
Israel said Saturday, July 26, it would allow food to be airdropped to Gaza and designate humanitarian corridors for UN aid convoys, as thousands of Palestinians face the threat of widespread famine. Before Israel announced that the flights would resume, the United Arab Emirates had said it would restart aid drops and Britain said it would work with partners including Jordan to assist them. The decision to loosen up the flow of aid came as the Palestinian civil defense agency said over 50 more Palestinians had been killed in Israeli strikes and shootings Saturday, some as they waited near aid distribution centers. Later Saturday, Israel troops boarded a boat carrying pro-Palestinian activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as it attempted to approach Gaza from the sea, in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade. "The humanitarian airdrop operation will be conducted in coordination with international aid organizations and the (Israeli army), led by COGAT and the IAF," the Israeli statement said, referring to the civilian affairs unit for Palestinian territories and the air force. "In addition, it was decided that designated humanitarian corridors would be established to enable the safe movement of UN convoys delivering food and medicine to the population." The statement also noted this would improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza and disprove "the false claim of deliberate starvation in the Gaza Strip." Humanitarian chiefs are deeply skeptical that airdrops can deliver enough food to tackle the deepening hunger crisis facing Gaza's more than two million inhabitants. They are instead demanding that Israel allow more overland convoys. But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed the idea, vowing to work with Jordan to restart airdrops. An Israeli official had told AFP on Friday that airdrops in Gaza would resume soon and that they would be conducted by the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Starmer's office said that in a call with his French and German counterparts, the "prime minister set out how the UK will also be taking forward plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance." The United Arab Emirates said it would resume airdrops "immediately." "The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached a critical and unprecedented level," Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a post on X. "Air drops are resuming once more, immediately." 'Starving civilians' A number of Western and Arab governments carried out air drops in Gaza in 2024, when aid deliveries by land also faced Israeli restrictions, but many in the humanitarian community consider them ineffective. "Airdrops will not reverse the deepening starvation," said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. "They are expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians." Israel imposed a total blockade on the entry of aid into Gaza on March 2 after talks to extend a ceasefire in the over 21-month-old conflict broke down. In late May, it began letting a trickle of aid enter. Israel's military insists it does not limit the number of trucks going into the Gaza Strip, and alleges that UN agencies and relief groups are not collecting the aid once it is inside the territory. But humanitarian organizations accuse the Israeli army of imposing excessive restrictions, while tightly controlling road access within Gaza. A separate aid operation is under way through the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, but it has faced fierce international criticism after Israeli fire killed hundreds of Palestinians near distribution points. Naval blockade On Saturday evening, the live feed on the Handala – an aid boat belonging to pro-Palestinian activist group Freedom Flotilla – showed Israeli troops boarding the vessel. The soldiers moved in as the boat approached Gaza and three video livefeeds of the scene broadcasting online were cut minutes later. Israeli forces last month intercepted and boarded another boat run by the same group, the Madleen. Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli fire killed over 50 people on Saturday, including 14 killed in separate incidents near aid distribution centers. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defense agency and other parties. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas's October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The Israeli campaign has killed 59,733 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.