Council of Europe members suspected of corruption

The past few days have delivered more reports of atrocities committed by the Russian military in Ukraine: women and girls raped, civilians locked up and shot, plus reports of chemical weapons being deployed in Mariupol. Calls continue for more to be done to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the EU, leaders have condemned the Kremlin, decrying the attacks as "war crimes".

Spain’s Alejandro Sanchez, Germany’s Marie-Thérèse Kaiser and Italy’s Fabrizio Busnengo all have two things in common: They are under 35 and are positioning their respective far-right political parties at the gates of power. Each of them shrugs off the dark side of their countries’ history, campaigning with gusto for parties that are less than a decade old: Vox in Spain, Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and Brothers of Italy. Our correspondents Sarah Morris, Céline Schmitt, Armelle Exposito, Anne Mailliet, Louise Malnoy and Lorenza Pensa report on the new faces of the far right in Europe.

Russian energy giant Gazprom said it would halt gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, raising concerns that Moscow could use energy supplies as blackmail over the conflict in Ukraine.

The rest of Europe may not be at war, but is it ready for the sacrifices of a wartime economy? The Kremlin shutting the gas tap on Bulgaria and Poland may be but a prelude to a brutally swift transition away from Russian gas and oil. Deals will be dropped, money will be lost.

Europe is at a crossroads. Amid the war in Ukraine, can the continent wean itself off Russian gas? An energy transition is underway, but the alternatives could lock countries into dirty fossil fuels for years to come. We take a closer look in this edition of Down to Earth.

The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. Leaders voiced optimism at the prospect of both joining the European Union.

Is it a sign that Northern Ireland is ready to overcome old divides, or of new troubles ahead? For the first time ever, Unionists could find themselves in the minority when ballots are counted in regional assembly elections. Under the Good Friday Agreement, the DUP would still share power with Sinn Fein, who could trigger a referendum on a united Ireland.

A select group of citizens of the EU has gathered multiple times since last May to discuss what the bloc should look like in the years ahead. But implementing some of the ideas would mean overhauling how the EU works.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen voiced support for rewriting the bloc's treaties during a conference on the EU's future that was dominated by the war in Ukraine.

Europe wants to build stronger ties with Africa but several issues between the two remain unresolved. While the African continent is hoping for more trust and collaboration, Europe remains uncompromising with its demands. What will it take to reset the relationship?

In March 2022, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed that the UK has taken in "more vulnerable people fleeing theatres of conflict than any other country in Europe." FRANCE 24's Georgina Robertson and Sophie Samaille unpack some of the key figures about refugees in Europe.

It took the invasion of Ukraine for Europeans to realise that decades of short-sighted energy policy have caught up with them. As Germany strips its former chancellor of parliamentary privileges over his refusal to sever ties with Gazprom, Gerhard Schröder's downfall is a reminder that it's all of Germany and most of Europe that went for a quick buck by buying Russian oil and gas.