Closing summary
And, on that note, we will be closing the blog for today.
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German chancellor Friedrich Merz cancelled a planned phone call with US president Donald Trump on Wednesday, hours after Trump publicly celebrated a regional election win by Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland party (14:02).
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The news came hours after a fierce exchanges between Merz and AfD’s leader Alice Weidel during a parliamentary debate in the Bundestag, during which the chancellor accussed the far-right party of seeking “ethnic cleansing” (10:05), and his defence minister Boris Pistorius pointed out its links with Russia (15:07).
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Celebrating her party’s win in the Saxony-Anhalt election over the weekend, Weidel said Merz “failed to understand the message” from the voters, but his time was “up anyway”.
In other news,
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Norway bid farewell to King Harald V in a ceremonial funeral attended by royals and leaders from several other countries (12:03, 13:04, 14:33, 17:01).
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Moldova’s president Maia Sandu warned that “Russia’s frontline is moving further west” after a Russian strike on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border overnight, a day after a drone incursion into Moldovan airspace (10:59).
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Two people were killed in an explosion at a power plant in southern Switzerland, which police said was “a serious workplace incident” (11:49, 17:16).
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One person died and four were seriously injured after a passenger train collided with a cement truck in Poland (12:47, 17:16).
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Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić dissolved parliament and announced snap elections for next month as he seeks to extend his hold on power by running for prime minister (12:49).
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As promised, I have been keeping an eye on reports coming from Switzerland (11:49) and Poland (12:47) after two incidents there earlier today, so here is the latest.
Swiss police confirmed that two people were killed in an explosion at a power plant in southern Switzerland, which it described as a “serious workplace incident.”
The building suffered “extensive damage”, their statement said, adding that the exact circumstances and cause of the accident were under investigation, AFP said.
Meanwhile, in Poland, one person died and at least four were seriously injured after a train collided with a cement truck at a level crossing.
Speaking to journalists after the accident, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk called for stricter regulations for drivers violating railway crossing signals.
Norway ends official mourning period as King Hakoon, royal family greet public from balcony
Back in Oslo, the funeral ceremony for late King Harald V has now concluded, with his successor, King Haakon, and the royal family appearing together on the balcony of the royal palace to greet the public.
The flag above the palace was also raised back to fly at full mast, ending the official mourning period after 12 days since Harald’s death.
Updated
UK air traffic control provider boss given one week to deliver report into flight chaos
Gwyn Topham and Mark Sweney
The head of the UK air traffic control provider Nats has been given a week to report back on the reasons for the technical failure that has disrupted thousands of flights in the UK and across Europe since Tuesday.
Downing Street said the government still had confidence in Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe, who was summoned to meet the UK transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, on Wednesday morning as the number of flight cancellations passed 2,000.
Rolfe has been facing increasing pressure to quit after the third large-scale stoppage to flights in just over three years.
Hundreds of thousands of passengers had their travel disrupted and delayed, with many stuck on grounded planes for many hours as the incident unravelled. Other passengers were stranded overnight at airports in the UK and abroad.
Alexander raised “significant concerns” with Rolfe, according to the prime minister’s official spokesperson, who told reporters: “She’s asked him to carry out a full investigation into what happened to make sure that lessons are learned, so that this doesn’t happen again.”
They added: “It’s self-evident that she wants answers and the full investigation to be reported back in a week’s time, and she’s got confidence in him to deliver that.”
Pressed on whether the government’s confidence in the head of air traffic control was conditional on the investigation, the spokesperson replied: “We have confidence in him and he’s been tasked with the investigation, which will report in a week’s time.”
Airlines including Ryanair and WizzAir have called for Rolfe to resign or be sacked by Alexander.
EU grants Spain €115m in aid for Ceuta, border security
Meanwhile, the European Union said it was granting Spain €115m in emergency aid to help bolster border security and assist returns after the massive migrant rush into the north African exclave, AFP reported.
“The situation in Ceuta has put pressure on our external borders. Our message remains clear: we are committed to combat illegal migration and ensure the swift return of those who remain illegally in Ceuta,” said European Commission vice-president Henna Virkkunen.
German chancellor accuses far-right AfD party of seeking ‘ethnic cleansing’
And if you missed our earlier coverage of Friedrich Merz’s fiery debate with AfD’s leader Alice Weidel (10:05, 10:21), we have this report by our Berlin correspondent, Deborah Cole.
“Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has accused the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) of seeking “ethnic cleansing” with its “remigration” drive, after the nativist party’s seismic weekend victory in a state election.
In his first public confrontation with the AfD since Sunday’s shock outcome in Saxony-Anhalt, Merz said at a raucous parliamentary debate that the far-right party would take an axe to one of the pillars of the German economy with a racist campaign of mass deportations.
“The term ‘remigration’ is nothing but a synonym for ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin colour,” he said on Wednesday to applause from the other parties in the Bundestag lower house.
In a fiery speech addressed to the AfD parliamentary group, which repeatedly interrupted him with loud taunts and heckling, Merz said millions of working immigrants were crucial to German society.
“If those working in Germany have to leave the country again because you are championing ‘remigration’,” Merz said, “then the skilled trades in Germany will no longer be able to function: not a single care home will remain open, not a single hospital in Germany will remain operational, and not a single restaurant in Germany will be able to stay in business.”
He said the AfD’s rhetoric, which propelled it to the strongest showing for a far-right party in a German state since the Nazi period, “is precisely what is dividing our society so deeply”.
Support for Merz, a conservative Christian Democrat, has plummeted in the 16 months since he took office at the helm of a coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats, amid disappointment over slow progress on economic growth and the cost of living.
He has adopted a hard line on border policy in a faltering bid to win back AfD supporters, and acknowledged Germany still had “problems in the area of migration”.”
Germany's Pistorius warns against 'real, serious, acute' threat from Russia and criticises 'treasonous' AfD
Meanwhile, German defence minister Boris Pistorius is speaking in the Bundestag, outlining why Germany needs to ramp up its defence spending to counter the emerging threat from Russia.
He says the proposed spending is needed to deliver on the pledge to keep the country safe, despite some criticism based on “very simplistic approach” of “populist” comparisons against schools, roads, or hospitals.
“A strong, capable Bundeswehr and a united, capable Nato are essential if we are to truly protect and preserve our achievements and our way of life. Without security, nothing else matters,” he says.
He says the Russian threat Germany and Europe more broadly is “real, serious and acute,” as demonstrated by the recent attempted drone attack in Leipzig, as well as other incidents including an armed Russian fighter jet in Estonian airspace and drone incidents elsewhere.
“Russia is attempting to spy on, influence, intimidate, and destabilize our societies – and, above all, to sow uncertainty among the public. And this represents a new level of threat. Moscow is increasingly willing to accept the risk of escalation.”
He says Russia is “massively ramping up” its defence spending, a clear “threat” against Europe.
Without willing to disclose too much, Pistorius adds:
“Why, after all, did CIA Director Radcliffe travel to Moscow just under two weeks ago? Certainly not to buy matryoshka dolls or go to the ballet.”
“And the only ones … who deny it, who call him a friend … who want to pull out Nato and jeopardise the security of us all, they are sitting right there – that is the AfD,” he says, adding that the party’s links with Russia are “treasonous.”
“You need to realize that these are the very people ready to hand us over to Putin tomorrow,” he warns.
Coffin of King Harald being moved to the royal mausoleum at Akershus Fortress
Back in Oslo, the funeral procession with the coffin of Norway’s King Harald V is now again on the move.
After a funeral service at the Oslo Cathedral, the coffin is now being moved towards Akershus Fortress, where the late monarch will be buried in the royal mausoleum, next to his parents and grandparents.
After the ceremony at the cathedral, four F-35 fighter jets flew over the cathedral in a “missing man” formation, their tribute to the king.
The rest of the funeral will proceed in private.
Updated
A senior politician in the Social Democratic party, Merz’s coalition partners, Dirk Wiese, condemned Trump’s social media comments as “interference” with German politics, and calling them “unacceptable.”
“I believe we, as the federal government, cannot tolerate it,” he said in comments reported by Suddeutsche Zeitung and Deutschlandfunk.
Germany's Merz cancels phone call with Trump after social media post celebrating AfD win to 'make Germany great again'
German chancellor Friedrich Merz cancelled a planned phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, hours after Trump publicly celebrated a regional election win by Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland party.
A spokesperson for Merz declined to give a reason for the cancellation, but noted in response to questions from journalists that it was not due to scheduling conflicts, AFP said.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, hailed the “really big night” for the AfD, and used an abbreviation MGGA, apparent reference to an adapted version of Trump’s trademark slogan, “make Germany great again.”
“Wow! The Populist Party in Germany just had a really big night. They finally got tired of the absolutely horrible Immigration rules and regulations which have hurt Germany so badly. THEY ARE ON THE RISE, and not going to take it anymore! MGGA!!! President DJT”
AFP said Merz’s spokesman did not directly respond to Trump’s comments and declined to comment if there is a link between the two developments, but noted that the chancellor had frequently objected “in general terms” to “interfering in or commenting on the domestic political situation, particularly regarding elections”.
Updated
EU unveils ‘buy European’ public procurement rules to counter China
in Brussels
European authorities will be encouraged to buy more domestic goods and services when they spend public money under the EU latest effort to counter China’s economic might.
In a further “Buy European” plan, the European Commission published proposals on Wednesday for a sweeping overhaul of EU public procurement rules.
National authorities and public bodies, such as schools and hospitals, will be encouraged to buy goods and services made in Europe but, unlike earlier plans to promote domestically manufactured clean tech, there will be no binding “made in Europe” quotas.
Brussels officials are concerned that many public agencies think existing EU rules oblige them to choose the cheapest bid when spending public money, which can lead to the contract going to a non-European firm.
The European Commission’s lead official on industrial policy, Stéphane Séjourné, told reporters the regulation would give public sector buyers greater legal certainty and clarity about purchasing goods and services made in Europe.
“Purchasers can have a more preferential approach to European bids [and] restrict or reject bids from countries which do not have a public procurement agreement or do not play by binding rules in terms of public procurement internationally,” he said.
Séjourné hopes the proposals will encourage more democratic scrutiny over the spending of public money by local authorities.
“It won’t be the European Commission’s fault if purchasers were to prefer Chinese buses to European buses because … in the [draft regulation] there is every possibility to give preference to European buses.”
Funeral service for King Harald V gets under way
Back to Oslo, the funeral procession has now arrived at the Oslo Cathedral, where the service for the late King Harald V is about to get under way.
Earlier, a 21-gun salute rang out over the capital at the start of the roughly 30-minute funeral procession from the royal palace, AP said.
Here are some pictures from the events so far:
Serbia's Vučić calls snap election on 25 October
Meanwhile in Serbia, the country’s president Aleksandar Vučić dissolved parliament and announced snap elections for next month as he seeks to extend his hold on power by running for prime minister.
Reuters reported that Vučić, a populist who has been in power as president or prime minister for 12 years, has faced nearly two years of anti-corruption demonstrations triggered by the collapse of a railway station awning in the city of Novi Sad in November 2024 that killed 16 people.
He set the election date as 25 October.
Updated
At least 20 injured after passenger train crashes with truck in Poland
At least 20 people have been injured, four of them seriously, after an InterCity passenger train struck a truck at a level crossing in Poland and derailed.
Poland’s railway operator, PKP Intercity, said 120 people were on board at the time of the crash.
Emergency services are currently on the scene.
I will keep an eye on this for you.
Updated
Russia hopes to see restarted peace talks with Ukraine, says Europe 'harming itself' by cutting off Russian gas
Russia hopes that peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by the United States, will resume in the near future, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in comments reported by Reuters.
No such direct talks have taken place since February.
But the Kremlin will not publicly discuss potential elements of a possible peace settlement, Peskov added.
He was speaking after Russian president Vladimir Putin and US president Donald Trump had a telephone call on Tuesday to discuss prospects for ending the war.
Peskov also said that European countries have found themselves in a difficult position amid rising gas prices, and that they could buy gas at cheaper prices from Russia.
European natural gas prices have soared amid the war in Iran, hitting their highest level last week since late 2022, when the start of the Ukraine conflict prompted Europe to cut off Russian pipeline gas.
Peskov said Europe was harming itself by buying expensive gas at spot prices as opposed to the more affordable Russian option, and suggested that the controversial Nord Stream pipeline could be restarted soon.
Kremlin’s spokesperson also confirmed that Russia would respond to Hungary’s decision to expel 10 Russian diplomats from Budapest.
Funeral procession for Norway's King Harald begins
Back to Oslo, the funeral procession for King Harald is about the begin, and the 1.2km route to the Oslo Cathedral is lined up with 1,900 soldiers from all branches of the Norwegian defence forces.
The procession is expected to walk very slowly – at around 60 steps per minute – and will include the royal family, including King Haakon, followed by a royal car with the widow, Queen Sonja.
Other distinguished guests – including foreign royals, heads of state, prime ministers – will follow.
Thousands of members of the public are also along the route, with more screens set up to help them follow the events.
Irish police investigate suspected drone sighting ahead of Trump's visit this weekend
Meanwhile, Irish police are investigated a suspected – and as of yet unconfirmed – sighting of a large drone over the Irish Sea on Tuesday night – just days before US president Donald Trump is expected to visit the country.
The drone was first reported by a pilot of an Aer Lingus plane just after 5pm local time. He said the “large black” drone was operating at 6,000ft.
In a statement reported by the Irish Times, the Garda said: “Gardaí in the Dublin Region are aware of an alleged sighting of an unconfirmed object over the Irish Sea, off the east coast, earlier this evening, Tuesday, 8 September 2026.”
The incident comes just days before US president Donald Trump is expected to visit Ireland for the Irish Open golf tournament this weekend.
Ireland also currently holds the rotating presidency in the European Council, and regularly hosts senior EU ministerial meetings in the country.
Updated
Swiss emergency services responding to a reported explosion at hydroelectric powerplant in Ticino canton
Swiss media are reporting an explosion at a hydroelectric power plant in the Swiss canton of Ticino, and part of the building reportedly collapsed.
A major emergency response operation is under way.
Local media carried conflicting reports about potential injuries. They also said that it’s not clear if the explosion happened within the old plant, or a new facility being built next door, which is meant to open in 2027.
I will keep an eye on this for you.
Norway to bid farewell to King Harald at ceremonial funeral in Oslo
Meanwhile, large crowds are gathering in Oslo for the funeral of late King Harald V, which is expected to attract some of other leading royals from Europe and beyond, including Britain’s Prince William, Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino, Spain’s King Felipe, and Denmark’s King Frederik. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also in Oslo.
A procession on foot from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral is expected to start in about half an hour, with a church ceremony at midday UK time (1pm local time).
Despite its recent troubles, the monarchy remains broadly popular: 72% of Norwegians support it, while 20% favour a republic or another form of government, a Norstat poll for broadcaster NRK published on 1 September found, the first poll taken since Harald’s death, as reported by Reuters.
Updated
French far-right leader Bardella faces domestic criticism over migrant deal with Reform UK
Rowena Mason and Angelique Chrisafis in Paris
Reform UK has insisted its deal with France’s far-right National Rally to return migrants back across the channel was fully approved by the party and signed off by its president, Jordan Bardella, amid a furious backlash in France.
The agreement unveiled on Friday between Nigel Farage and Bardella, who is the 30-year-old protege of presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, appeared to directly contradict Le Pen’s long-held policy of refusing to accept the return of those who arrive in the UK in small boats from France.
Le Pen was pressed for her position by journalists from France TV, the state broadcaster, on Monday. Le Pen declined to comment, saying she would talk about the issue soon, but at a time of her choosing.
In 2021, Le Pen said she wanted a rewriting of border agreements for the UK to specifically send people arriving on boats back to their countries of origin, instead of returning them to France.
Since the agreement, Bardella has come under fire from political parties in France for signing the deal, with Benjamin Haddad, the Europe minister, criticising Bardella for “submission” that was “against our interests and sovereignty”.
Some French media have questioned whether Bardella was duped by Reform, querying whether the French translation accurately conveyed the meaning by Farage that the National Rally (RN) was prepared to accept any migrants back who travel by small boat.
'Russia's frontline is moving west,' Moldova's president warns
Moldovan president Maia Sandu warned that “Russia’s frontline is moving further west” after a Russian strike on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border overnight, a day after a drone incursion into Moldovan airspace.
“We condemn these attacks and this brutal war. Our thoughts are with the victims and with Ukraine. Moldova will keep strengthening its air surveillance and defences with our European partners – and I urge more air defence support for Ukraine,” she said.
The overnight attack forced the closure of the border checkpoint, around 500 kilometres (310 miles) south of Kyiv, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service said.
Europeans want a united Europe but question whether it can get there, study finds
Europeans overwhelmingly want a strong, united and independent Europe but question whether it can get there, according to a study that suggests a continent-wide crisis of confidence is creating fertile ground for far-right narratives of decline.
The report, based on 5,800 interviews in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and the UK and analysis of the way Europe is discussed in the politics and media of 15 countries, paints a picture of an ambitious but disillusioned public.
It found that 68% of respondents spoke about Europe in terms of a “general deterioration or loss of normality”, compared with just 12% who said they viewed the present moment as a time of “European awakening and renewal”.
Many recognised the major challenges facing Europe, including war (43%), economic pressures (33%) and the need for greater international autonomy (29%). But 74% said Europe was not dealing well with them, and 56% believed its future was “in danger”.
The problem is not lack of ambition: an overwhelming 73% of respondents harbour a strong European vision of unity and political integration (35%), peace and security (28%) or prosperity (19%), while only 13% hope for “less Europe” or EU dissolution.
For many, said the study’s author, Paweł Zerka, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) thinktank, the problem was “not that they’ve stopped wanting a stronger Europe, but that they no longer believe it’s achievable”.
The result, Zerka added, was an “imagination gap. People can picture the kind of Europe they want, but struggle to imagine a credible path from where it is today to where they want it to be. These are matters of policy, not just communication.”
Major material damage from Leipzig drone attack prevented 'only by pure chance,' Merz says
In his comments, Merz also responded to the attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport last month, saying it had been prepared in Russia over an extended period and that a disaster was only narrowly averted.
“This attack was planned in Russia for months and was specifically targeted at Germany, and only by pure chance was major material damage and harm to people prevented,” Merz told the parliament.
Russia has rejected any involvement in the drone incident at Leipzig airport.
Chancellor Merz, AfD's Weidel clash over German policy on Ukraine, migration, economy
Over in Germany, AfD’s Alice Weidel said in the Bundestag the result of the Saxony-Anhalt election over the weekend showed “the people finally want a change in policy,” saying the ruling coalition should be “over.”
She also harshly criticised the government’s track record on migration, “war propaganda” against Russia, and on energy, calling for resumption of deliveries through the Nord Stream pipeline.
“You failed to understand the message the voters in Saxony-Anhalt sent you last Sunday. But that hardly matters, because your time is up anyway,” she told chancellor Merz.
Responding to her comments, Merz said Weidel “is and will remain a destructive force,” as he pledged Germany “will continue to support” Ukraine, “because it is defending our freedom too.
“You are openly demonstrating the downright grotesque reversal of who is the victim and who is the perpetrator,” he said in a speech, which was repeatedly interrupted by AfD.
Merz also strongly criticised Weidel’s “remigration” proposals, saying they amounted to an attempted “ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin colour,” which would leave Germany “no longer able to function” as one in six skilled workers are of immigrant background.
“Not a single nursing home will remain open, and not a single hospital in Germany will remain open, not a single restaurant will be able to operate in Germany. That would be the result of your immigration policy,” he said, while stressing that his government will push to tighten its policy against irregular migration.
Updated
Morning opening: 'Too little response' to Russian strikes on Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
At least two people died were injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying “there has been too little response from the international community to these strikes.”
Two people were killed, three injured and 16 evacuated after a strike on the Starokozache border crossing with Moldova. Four people were injured after a Russian drone struck an apartment building in Kyiv. More strikes were reported in Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Zhytomyr.
“A response is needed – Moscow must not go into the winter believing that it can get away with missile and drone terror without consequences. The aggression must be stopped here and now, before it spreads any further,” Zelenskyy said.
He called for “effective” sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine, saying “the partners who can help know exactly what is needed every day.”
The Russian defence ministry said that its forces had struck a Ukrainian cargo vessel carrying military equipment in the Black Sea en route to the port of Odesa, as well as a warehouse in Kyiv, belonging to a company manufacturing drones, Russian news agencies reported.
I will keep an eye on this.
Elsewhere, Germany’s embattled chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing AfD’s leader Alice Weidel in a general debate in the Bundestag this morning after a bruising result in the Saxony-Anhalt state election on the weekend. I will monitor it for key lines.
Over in Oslo, Norway will bid farewell to King Harald V with a funeral paying tribute to the 35-year reign of the monarch, with many international guests expected to attend.
Lots to cover.
It’s Wednesday, 9 September 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
