Summary of the day
French farmers continued protesting and blocking highways in different parts of the country.
The French government is expected to unveil new measures aimed at addressing farmers’ concerns later today.
The US ambassador in Budapest, David Pressman, said the US was disappointed Hungary’s ratification of Sweden joining Nato was taking so long, warning that Budapest was “really alone.”
Thousands of Austrians were expected to take to the streets of the country’s three largest cities this evening, in a spillover of protests over the rise of the far right in neighbouring Germany.
Germany had uncovered a significant pro-Russia disinformation campaign using thousands of fake accounts on X to try and stir anger at Berlin’s support for Ukraine, a media report said.
The International Rescue Committee said that the Italian government’s proposed migration deal to transfer people rescued at sea to Albania was “costly, cruel and counterproductive.”
Updated
Thousands across Austria to take part in protests against far right
Thousands of Austrians were expected to take to the streets of the country’s three largest cities this evening, in a spillover of protests over the rise of the far right in neighbouring Germany.
Under the slogan “defend democracy”, gatherings organised by a broad alliance of civil society organisations, NGOs, political groups, church communities and trade unions were planned for Innsbruck, Salzburg, and in front of the parliament building in Vienna.
The announcement of the demonstrations follows days of protests in villages, towns and cities across Germany, where a broad cross-section of society has turned out in their tens of thousands over the past two weeks despite the cold weather and a rail strike.
They have been demonstrating against the rise of the far right, in particular the populist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party after its members met the far-right Austrian Martin Sellner to discuss the mass deportation of foreigners and German citizens of foreign origin.
As farmers’ protests continue in France, there are also some demonstrations in Germany.
Speaking after a meeting with the food industry, the French finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, said today that “the central issue is the farmers’ revenue,” Reuters reported.
The government would “double down” on enforcing a law aimed at guaranteeing fair prices for farmers, he said.
The finance minister had earlier pressured food giants to lower their prices.
Germany unearths pro-Russia disinformation campaign on X
Germany has uncovered a significant pro-Russia disinformation campaign using thousands of fake accounts on X to try and stir anger at Berlin’s support for Ukraine, a media report has said.
The revelations, first reported in Der Spiegel, come amid growing concern about the impact increasingly sophisticated disinformation campaigns could have on elections.
Experts commissioned by the German foreign ministry used specialised software to monitor posts on the online platform X, formerly known as Twitter, between 20 December and 20 January, Der Spiegel wrote.
They reportedly stumbled across more than 50,000 fake user accounts that together pumped out more than a million German-language tweets.
A common theme was the accusation that Olaf Scholz’s government was neglecting the country’s own population in favour of helping Ukraine in its war against Russia, according to Spiegel, which said it had seen excerpts of the analysis.
Agence France-Presse in Frankfurt
Updated
Here are more photos from French farmers’ protests today.
Why are European defence leaders talking about war?
A wave of anxiety has gripped European defence ministers and armed forces as politicians and military leaders believe that Nato-sceptic Donald Trump could be elected as the next president of the US – and that Russia may not be forced out or defeated in Ukraine.
This febrile mood has prompted growing warnings that Europe could find itself involved in a war in Russia, even though at present Russia is embroiled in Ukraine.
At the same time, tensions in the Middle East have continued to rise. Israel’s assault on Gaza continues; hostilities with Iran-aligned Hezbollah in Lebanon increase; and the US and the UK launched bombing raids on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen to halt raids on shipping in the Red Sea.
International Rescue Committee criticises Italy-Albania deal
The International Rescue Committee said today that the Italian government’s proposed migration deal to transfer people rescued at sea to Albania was “costly, cruel and counterproductive.”
Italy’s lower chamber of parliament approved the agreement earlier this week.
Susanna Zanfrini, the IRC’s Italy country director, said: “As it moves a step closer to becoming a reality, Italy’s plan to build detention centres for asylum seekers in Albania remains deeply worrying – from a humanitarian, legal and moral perspective.”
She added:
It is unspeakably cruel for Italy to even consider sending people who have been rescued at sea directly to another country, where it cannot be guaranteed their rights will be upheld.
While the government has said this will not apply to children or people with vulnerabilities, the deal does not explicitly confirm this, and huge questions remain about how it would be implemented in practice.
Moreover, it is still far from clear how people held in the Albanian centres would access legal advice when lawyers are not just outside the facility, but in another country altogether.
Updated
US ‘disappointed’ that Hungary taking so long to approve Sweden joining Nato
The US is disappointed Hungary’s ratification of Sweden joining Nato is taking so long, Washington’s ambassador has said, warning that Budapest is “really alone” and that the Hungarian government is pursuing a “foreign fantasy” instead of foreign policy.
After months of delays, Turkey’s parliament approved Sweden’s Nato membership this week. The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, signed it off on Thursday, leaving Hungary as the only country in the 31-member alliance that has yet to ratify the Swedish bid.
While the Hungarian government formally supports Sweden’s accession, the country’s parliament has avoided voting on the matter, fuelling frustration among Nato allies and raising questions about the motivations of Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
The Hungarian leader routinely criticises his western allies and has been nurturing relationships with Moscow and Beijing.
In an interview at the US embassy in Budapest on Thursday afternoon, the US ambassador, David Pressman, said: “An alliance is only as strong as the commitments that we make to each other and the commitments that we keep.
“I think that it’s important that the Hungarian government live up to its commitment, and its commitment has been that it will not be the last ally to ratify Sweden’s accession.”
He added: “Keeping your word is obviously an important element of trust in any relationship.”
Read the full story here.
Here are the latest photos from France, as farmers block highways.
‘The world is changing too fast for us’: organic farmers on urgency of French protests
Pierre Bretagne woke at 4am to feed the cows on his organic farm near the coastal town of Pornic in western France, then did something he had never dared to before.
He made a cardboard protest banner about the nightmare of French bureaucracy and went to cheer on a go-slow convoy of tractors warning that French farming and the rural way of life was facing collapse. Effigies of dead farmers dangled from nooses on tractor trailers as the convoy drove into the centre of the Brittany city of Rennes, beeping horns and waving banners. “Quality has a price,” read one.
“We’re fed up and exasperated,” says Bretagne, 38. “I love my job – I farm organically because it’s what I believe in and it’s the right thing ethically and in terms of health. In nine years of farming, I’ve never been on a protest; I’d rather be with my animals. But things are getting so difficult – we need decent prices that reflect not just the quality of our produce but the love we put into this job and into the countryside. This is a passion, a vocation, but we don’t get the recognition for it.”
The French government has been taken by surprise by the scale and fury of grassroots farmer demonstrations that have spread from the south-west across the whole country this week.
Bales of hay and tractors have been used to block main highways; manure has been sprayed on public buildings and supermarkets in the south-west. Crates of tomatoes, cabbages and cauliflowers that farmers said had been cheaply imported were dumped across roads.
Although the protests follow other demonstrations by European farmers in countries including Germany and Romania, the French protests have a particularly urgent and local political flavour. France, the EU’s biggest agricultural producer, has thousands of independent producers of meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables and wine, who have a reputation for staging disruptive protests.
Read the full story here.
French farmers protest as government prepares to announce new measures
French farmers are once again protesting today, putting pressure on the country’s government, which is expected to announce new measures aimed at addressing the agriculture sector’s concerns.
Updated
Welcome to the blog
Good morning and welcome back to the Europe blog.
Send comments and tips to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.
