European Parliament in Nutshell: January 2026
Every month, the European Parliament plenary session takes place in Strasbourg. And every month, IR Media follows it closely. These are the highlights of the last plenary session taking place from 19th to 22nd January 2026: European Parliament stood up for passenger rights On Wednesday, the European Parliament rejected the European Council’s proposal to weaken the rights of air passengers. These rights have been in force since 2004. The European Council consists of ministers from all EU countries. In this case it was the Ministers for Transport who made this proposal in June 2025. They proposed to reimburse the passengers only if their flight is delayed by four to six hours depending on the flight distance. instead of the current three hours. And tried to reduce the upper limit of compensation for flight delays or cancellations from 600€ to 500€. Parliament refused that. The MEPs also want to introduce pre-filled forms to simplify the process of claiming a reimbursement. And they want to give passengers a year to file this request. Free trade agreement between EU and Latin America paused On Wednesday Eurodeputies voted to refer the free trade agreement between EU and MERCOSUR to the Court of Justice of the European Union to assess if the agreement is compatible with European law. MERCOSUR is the abbreviation of Southern Common Market, which is a trade bloc of South American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay… But Mercosur is also used as a global term for that free trade agreement. European Parliament discussed this free trade agreement for years because it’s quite controversial. On the one hand, it will create the largest free trade zone in the world, strengthen the European economy, and help Latin American countries. On the other hand, importing goods from there will be environmentally unfriendly and create a strong competition for European farmers. Despite their numerous protests, the European parliament adopted the agreement. The weekend before this Plenary session the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen even signed it. But right now it’s frozen and awaits the decision of the Court. European Parliament stands with Iran On Thursday the European Parliament adopted a resolution against the repressions and mass murders committed by the Iranian regime against protesters in Iran. If you want to know more about what’s happening in Iran, we made a Story of the Last Week about this topic. By this resolution the EP demands the immediate and unconditional release of all protesters held under arrest. Parliament also calls on the EU and its member states to take strict measures against the regime like visa bans, money freezing, and providing technical and financial support to fight against the censorship happening in Iran. The next sitting will be held from 9th to 12th February 2026 in Strasbourg
Greenland Crisis : Story of the Last Week
The Greenland crisis has escalated over the past week. Greenlanders are protesting, Trump is threatening, NATO troops are on the scene… How did we get there? Donald Trump first came up with the idea of buying Greenland during his first presidency. At the time, everyone just waved it off as an absurd joke. It wasn’t until his second presidency – when he returned to power with much more radical rhetoric – that people realized he wasn’t joking. In the spring of 2025, Trump began to claim Greenland again – but this time more boldly. He even sent his son and JD Vance there to incite the locals against Denmark, which administers the island. Even though the topic faded from public attention amid other global crises, it never fully disappeared. Greenland resurfaced again when the US attacked Venezuela at the beginning of January. A few hours later, a disturbing status appeared on the Twitter account of Katie Miller. The wife of Trump advisor Stephen Miller shared a map of Greenland with the American flag and the caption “soon.” Stephen Miller later stated that “Greenland should be part of the US” and that “nobody’s gonna fight the US over the future of Greenland”. Soon, Donald Trump himself joined in. In addition to statements such as “The US would own Greenland one way or another,” he ordered special forces to draw up a plan for a possible invasion of Greenland. As a result, “Hands off Greenland” protests started in Denmark this weekend. Many European leaders also supported these protests. At the same time, Denmark, along with other NATO members like Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands, sent its soldiers to Greenland for exercises. To demonstrate to Donald Trump that they are not afraid of him. Trump responded on his own social media platform. He threatened to impose tariffs on all states that participated in the exercise, which he would gradually increase. But how did Trump even come up with the claim to Greenland? Up until the 10th century, Greenland was inhabited by Indigenous Arctic people. In 985, Norse Viking Erik the Red arrived on the island, naming it “Greenland” to attract other Norsemen. Their settlements thrived for centuries but mysteriously declined by the 15th century (likely due to climate change or conflict with Inuit). In the 18th century, Denmark-Norway rediscovered Greenland during its colonial expansion. When the monarchy of Denmark and Norway broke apart in 1814, Denmark kept Greenland. And that’s when the US enters the game for Greenland for the first time In 1867, after buying Alaska from Russia, US Secretary of State William Seward tried to buy Greenland. He was not only motivated by Greenland’s vast fisheries and mineral wealth but also by its strategic location. By acquiring Greenland, he could force Canada (which lies between Alaska and Greenland) to become part of the US. But Denmark refused. US governement discussed this plan again in 1910 – but made no official offer to Denmark. However, in 1916, Denmark sold to the US another of its islands: the West Indies (now the Virgin Islands) – mainly because they were economically draining. Then came World War II. After Germany occupied Denmark in 1940, the United States signed a “Greenland Defense” agreement with the Danish ambassador, granting the US the right to build military bases on the island. After Germany surrendered in May 1945, the Danes expected the Americans to go home. But they refused. The Cold War with the Soviet Union was beginning, and the Americans were well aware of the strategic location of Greenland. In 1946, during the Truman presidency, the US proposed to pay Denmark $100 million for the island. However, the then Danish Foreign Minister Gustav Rasmussen rejected the proposal – he considered it absurd. According to him, Denmark owed America a lot for its help in the war, but not the whole island of Greenland. Ultimately, in 1951, a compromise was reached. The US and Denmark signed an agreement allowing a US military presence in Greenland in exchange for financial aid. This gave the US the control over Greenland’s defense, though Denmark retained sovereignty. Greenland’s path to independence In 1953, Greenland was integrated into Denmark, meaning that it was no longer a colony. During the 1970s, an independence movement emerged, culminating in 1979, when Greenland gained so-called “home rule” (= self-governance in certain domestic affairs). In 2008, a referendum on greater autonomy leading to eventual independence was held. The vast majority of people voted for loosening ties to Denmark. So, in 2009, Greenland upgraded to “self-government,” meaning total autonomy except for defense and foreign policy, which are still controlled by Denmark. And it also means that Greenlanders can organize a referendum on total independence from Denmark – if they want to. Do they want to? According to the Verian Group survey, 56% of Greenlanders would vote yes to Greenlandic independence if a referendum were held today. But at the same time, 45% of Greenlanders do not want independence if the standard of living is negatively affected. So, the reason the referendum hasn’t been held yet is probably due mainly to economic reasons… On the other hand, when it comes to the question of whether Greenlanders want to be part of the US, the polls show very clear no (by 85%). There have been no major US attempts to acquire Greenland since 1951 – not until Donald Trump raised the idea again in 2019. Why does Greenland matter for Trump? strategic positon Trump claims that Greenland is important to him because of its strategic position toward Russia and China, currently operating in the Arctic region and therefore posing a threat to the US. Although Russian and Chinese ships have appeared in the Arctic Ocean, their main “territory” remains the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, near the US state of Alaska. So, strategically speaking, Trump should be much more worried about the Russian and Chinese threat to Alaska than to Greenland. Moreover, the US
Protests in Iran: Story of the Last Week
Over the past week, Iran has seen a new wave of protests. It all started economically on December 28, 2025, in Tehran, Iran’s capital, when local merchants protested after another sharp drop of the Iranian currency (the rial). This time, however, it reached its lowest value in history: inflation has risen to 40%. Iran’s worsening economic situation is due to both corruption and sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program. Students soon joined, and the demonstrations turned political, with slogans targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. While Iran has a president, his role is purely ceremonial. The real power lies with the Supreme Leader – a position created after the 1979 revolution, when Iran became an Islamic state. Only two men have held this lifelong role: Ruhollah Khomeini and the current leader, Ali Khamenei, who has ruled for 36 years and is now facing protests The protests in Iran are the largest protests since 2022, with over 550 people killed and 20,000 detained after the death of Mahsa Amini. But let’s start from the beginning… How did Iran get here? Although Russia and Britain always tried to get Iran under their influence, Iran maintained its independence for a long time. Until World War II, when it sided with Germany. Fearing this alliance, Britain and the USSR invaded, removed the Shah, and installed his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Unlike his father, the new Shah was not afraid to open the country to foreign – mainly Western – influences. But the Iranian people were a bit more skeptical of his open foreign policy. In 1951, they democratically elected Mohammad Mossadegh as prime minister. Mossadegh nationalized Iran’s oil industry, controlled by the British at that time. This upset the British, so they convinced the US that Mossadegh’s rule would inevitably lead to a communist coup and that Iran would side with the Soviet Union in the Cold War. In 1953, the American and British secret services orchestrated a coup, overthrowing Mossadegh. Initially, Mohammad Reza was against it, but he quickly realized that with such an attitude, the British and Americans wouldn’t let him stay in power for long, so eventually, he joined the coup. Because of that, the Iranians started to consider him a coward. To prove to them (and to himself) that he was not, he began to implement various socio-economic reforms. His goal? To turn Iran into a modern, Western-style superpower. He redistributed land from large landowners to small farmers, built dams and power plants, fighted illiteracy, and gave women the right to vote… And, to REALLY show that he was no coward, he became more autocratic. He even established a secret police, SAVAK, that brutally suppressed any opposition to him. Mohammad Reza’s style of government inevitably led to increased US influence in Iran – at least economically. Concerning security, the Americans were not so eager to guarantee military help to Iran in case of an attack by the USSR. But if the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad will go to the mountain. In this case, Mohammad Reza began negotiations with the Soviet Union about a non-aggression pact. Of course, the American president didn’t like that, so he convinced Mohammad to back down from these negotiations – which in turn angered the Soviet Union, who began supporting Mohammad Reza’s opponents. Iran Islamic revolution in 1979 And he had quite a few opponents: Ruhollah Khomeini, a Shia cleric, became the loudest critic of Mohammad Reza’s rule – not only in religious circles – he managed to appeal to a wide spectrum of dissatisfied people. What’s the difference between Shia and Sunni Islam? Simply put, the two groups differ over who they recognize as Muhammad’s rightful successor. Shia Muslims (the majority in Iran) believe leadership should be hereditary, passing to Muhammad’s descendants. Sunni Muslims (the majority globally) argue that the leader should be elected. The Revolution Anti-government protests began in October 1977 and gradually intensified, escalating in the spring of 1979, when Mohammad Reza fled into exile and Khomeini took over the government. Shortly after, he held a referendum on whether Iran “should become an Islamic Republic or not”. According to official results, 99% of people voted “yes,” and the turnout was 99%. Mohammad Reza was indeed unpopular, but the fact that the elections were held publicly and that the ballots were color-coded (green for yes, red for no) certainly played some role in this result. At the same time, the question “Islamic Republic: yes or no” is quite vague. Even today, in the age of the internet, it’s hard to understand what you’re signing up for – let alone in the 70s as someone living in extreme poverty… Many, focused on survival, didn’t grasp the implications until later – when it was too late. Life Under Sharia Law Since the revolution, Iran’s legal and political system has been strictly based on so-called Sharia law. Sharia law is not some uniformly codified law written in black and white somewhere. It’s more like different interpretations of how people should live according to the Quran (in the case of Iran, this interpretation is led by the Supreme Leader). This is a deeply problematic system because everyone can interpret the Quran basically however they want, since Islam does not have any central authority, like the Pope, to which they would be accountable. Iran is living proof of that. What exactly does living in accordance with the Quran mean according to its Supreme Leaders? For example: Sanctions on Iran Frankly, it’s primarily women who are negatively affected. But they are not the only ones with a reason to protest: Since the revolution, Iran has been regularly subject to sanctions – mainly from the United Nations, US, UK, and EU, primarily because of its nuclear program (on which Iran cooperates with China and Russia). Sanctions have led to an increasingly deteriorating economic situation, affecting everyone. There have been several big protests in Iran’s history: Unfortunately for Iranians, each wave of protest has been met
European Parliament in Nutshell: December 2025
Every month, the European Parliament plenary session takes place in Strasbourg. And every month, IR Media follows it closely. These are the highlights of the last plenary session taking place from 15th to 18th December 2025: European Parliament supported “My voice, my choice” initiative for safe and accessible abortion On Wednesday 17th December, eurodeputies supported the European Citizens´Initiative “My voice, my choice” for safe and accessible abortion. A European Citizens’ Initiative is a tool for people from the EU to ask the European Commission to propose some new legislation. To be considered, the initiative must collect at least one million signatures in 7 member states. In this case, the initiative calls for creation of some financial mechanism that would be available to all member states that choose to take part and would allow them to finance abortion care for women who cannot access it in their own country. The European Commission now has time until March 2026 to explain how it will respond to this initiative. Gradual ban of Russian gas The main point of the European plenary session this month was the Russian gas imports. On Wednesday 17th December eurodeputies voted to gradually move away from Russian LNG (= liquified natural gas) and pipeline gas. This comes in response to Russia’s weaponisation of energy supplies, which was happening for the last two decades and escalated with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The ban will come gradually. First on the short-term supply contracts for LNG in April 2026, then on the short-term supply contracts for pipeline gas in July 2026, then on the long-term LNG contracts in January 2027 and lastly on the long-term pipeline gas contracts in September 2027. Sakharov prize 2025 As every year, the European Parliament awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought during its December session. This year, to journalists Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli. Who are currently imprisoned by the political regimes in their countries because of their work. Andrzej Poczobut, a member of the Polish minority in Belarus, was sentenced to 3 years in prison in 2021 for allegedly insulting the President of Belarus and inciting ethnic hatred. In 2023, he received an additional sentence of 8 years for what authorities described as actions harming Belarusian national security. Mzia Amaglobeli was arrested at the beginning of this year for taking part in protests against the Georgian government who is trying to pull the country away from its pro-European course and bring it closer to Russia. Amaglobeli is Georgia’s first female political prisoner since Georgia´s independence in 1992 after the fall of the Soviet Union. Did you know? The Sakharov Prize bears the name of Andrei Sakharov, a Soviet scientist and dissident. He spoke out against political repression and became a symbol of the fight for human rights and freedom of expression. The next sitting will be held from 19th to 22nd January 2026 in Strasbourg