Europe between fear and freedom

Tensions in Mosaic: From Courts to the Streets

Spring 2025 brings new emphases across the Old Continent. Political elites are confronted with public demands for changes that can no longer be ignored—whether in matters of war and security, individual rights, migration policy, or social justice. In this context, four major European democracies—the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Spain—have become stages for conflicts where memory, fear, and the desire for renewal collide. Unexpectedly, the Netherlands joins the ranks with a union crisis revealing the fragility of democratic mechanisms on a micro level.

United Kingdom: Control Instead of Compassion

The UK continues rewriting its post-Brexit identity. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's new proposal to reduce legal immigration sparked a wave of criticism. The ban on hiring foreign care workers and stricter visa requirements were labeled "short-sighted"—including by Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch (The Times).

Amid this political controversy, another dimension of human dignity is being debated—the right to die. The Scottish Parliament is preparing to vote on legislation to legalize euthanasia for terminally ill patients over 18 years old, with diagnosis confirmed by two doctors (BBC). 

The law could become a precedent for the entire UK.

Meanwhile, the UK private sector faces one of the most severe cyberattacks in recent years—the target being the Marks & Spencer retail network. The hacking group DragonForce claimed responsibility, stating it had stolen personal data of thousands of clients, including names, birthdates, and addresses. Online services have been paralyzed for more than three weeks.

According to BBC, the attack’s structure resembles operations characteristic of campaigns sponsored by hostile states, although no direct link to specific intelligence services has been officially confirmed.

In legal news, a high-profile case is challenging the export of British-made F-35 components to Israel: the Palestinian NGO Al-Haq filed a lawsuit in the London High Court, arguing that their use in Gaza violates international humanitarian law (Reuters).

Finally, the case of Peter Sullivan—who served 38 years in prison for a murder he did not commit—has once again raised questions about the reliability of the UK judicial system. His exoneration marks the longest-known wrongful conviction in the country’s history (The Guardian).

The London District Court not only released Sullivan but also disclosed data showing that 89% of all serious criminal cases adjudicated before 1990 have been reviewed or partially overturned. This figure points to a systemic problem in past legal practices—when justice often relied on circumstantial evidence, lacked DNA testing, and offered inadequate defense. According to a representative of Innocence Project UK, “Sullivan is not an exception, but a ghost from an entire generation of convicts.”

The case has triggered a wave of new appeals: as of May, over 400 inmates convicted before 1990 have filed for retrials. Some human rights advocates are calling for an independent commission to thoroughly review all judicial decisions from the "pre-genetics era."

Germany: Between the Front Line and the Fronde

Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a new military aid package to Ukraine worth 2.7 billion euros. It includes Leopard tanks, Marder IFVs, and IRIS-T air defense systems (AP).

Simultaneously, Germany issued an ultimatum to Russia, demanding that attacks cease by May 13 or face sanctions. Moscow responded with another wave of drone strikes targeting Ukrainian infrastructure (Euronews).

Domestically, tensions have flared around the SPD’s pension reform, which the opposition CDU/CSU has dubbed an "electoral gift" detrimental to future generations. Economists, including Professor Bernd Raffelhüschen, have warned of looming budgetary imbalances (Welt).

Meanwhile, the far-right AfD party is expanding its digital footprint: Telegram and YouTube have become its primary communication channels, with the party’s online TV amassing over 330,000 subscribers (Center for Digital Action).

France and Spain: Tension Between Reform and Resistance

In France, public sector workers continue to protest, demanding the abolition of the "waiting day" rule for sick leave. On May 13, demonstrators marched from Place de Bercy to Place de la Nation, calling for improved labor conditions (Sortiraparis).

The core of the conflict lies in a disproportionate penalty for illness. Under current rules, even with an official medical note, every employee loses pay for the first day of a sick leave. For thousands of workers in education, healthcare, and local services, this translates to real financial harm with every bout of flu, COVID-19, or injury. Unions argue the measure “discriminates against the most vulnerable” and violates basic principles of labor rights.

This regulation has become a symbol of broader struggle—for fairness, solidarity, and respect for workers in a country that calls itself social.

Simultaneously, the French Parliament is debating a bill to legalize euthanasia. Health Minister Catherine Vautrin described the law as “an alternative to unbearable suffering,” while opponents argue it threatens the moral fabric of medicine (Le Monde).

The foreign policy backdrop is shaped by President Emmanuel Macron’s upcoming visit to the UK on July 8–10. Key topics include strengthening post-Brexit cooperation and security coordination (Reuters).

In Spain, the government has reformed the institution of the attorney general by setting a five-year term and decoupling the office from executive power—a move aimed at reinforcing judicial independence (El País).

Previously, the attorney general was appointed directly by the Council of Ministers, raising concerns over political influence. Now the mandate is fixed and staggered from electoral cycles, which, according to the Justice Minister, “should restore citizens’ trust in the judiciary.”

The reform also introduces new transparency and accountability procedures: annual public reports become mandatory, and internal appointments must be confirmed by Parliament.

Netherlands: When a Union Becomes a Mirror

In the Netherlands, the country’s largest trade union faces internal turbulence. The FNV’s parliamentary group voted to dismiss the interim leadership appointed after a previous crisis. The decision was driven by disputes over election timing and a growing trust deficit within the institution meant to protect workers’ rights (De Volkskrant).

This move reflects a deeper institutional fracture: for over a year, the FNV has struggled to form a stable leadership able to agree on core union strategy. Accusations of “lack of democracy,” “opacity,” and “decision paralysis” have become commonplace. Analysts from Utrecht University suggest the FNV crisis may trigger a broader debate about the future of union movements in the digital era—an era where the authority of traditional structures is rapidly eroding.

Europe in a Time of Democratic Restructuring

All of these developments point to a crisis of intermediary institutions—the entities that connect citizens to the state: unions, courts, regulators, parliamentary debate. Each country charts its own path: the UK turns toward control, Germany toward geopolitical firmness, France toward social resistance, Spain toward institutional modernization, and the Netherlands toward internal restructuring.

The common denominator? The attempt to preserve dignity without sacrificing order. Europe in 2025 is not a continent of triumphant democracies, but one that is learning to be democratic anew.