> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://middlepowers.fyi/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Western Europe
> Week of April 13, 2026
## Regional Summary
**Bold Abroad, Broken at Home**
The Paris summit this week was the clearest sign yet that Europe can act without the United States when it decides to. Fifty nations gathered to plan a naval mission through the Strait of Hormuz, and Washington was not invited. France and Britain will co-lead the military planning. Italy dropped its long-standing requirement for a UN Security Council mandate to join. The Élysée called it a "third way" between American maximum pressure and an Iranian blockade, and 50 governments signed on. By some distance, it was the clearest proof in years that Europe could act alone. The problem is that the governments making this assertion cannot pass their own legislation.
France illustrates the gap most sharply. Sébastien Lecornu, the prime minister, suffered what French outlets called his "black week" — the sharpest parliamentary setback since he took office. His own coalition's absenteeism, not the opposition, defeated his unemployment insurance bill. He retreated on May Day work legislation after trade union threats, withdrew an antisemitism bill, and warned publicly of "worrying demobilisation" among deputies; privately, coalition members told reporters he had made them "look like fools." His approval fell to 32%. That same week, Emmanuel Macron turned the death of a French soldier in a roadside ambush near Ghanduriyah into diplomatic pressure, publicly blaming Hezbollah — sharper language than France usually uses in such incidents — and summoning the Lebanese prime minister to the Élysée. The confidence abroad and the dysfunction at home are not accidents of the same week; they are the same government's two faces. Meanwhile, Jordan Bardella, the National Rally's president, lunched with the full executive board of the Movement of French Enterprises (Medef), France's main employers' federation — the first time his party had been received that way — a signal that business has begun treating the National Rally as a government-in-waiting while the current one cannot govern.
Italy makes the same point in sharper form. Giorgia Meloni spent the week repositioning on nearly every major relationship Italy has. She refused US bombers use of Sigonella, attended the Paris summit, suspended a defence cooperation memorandum with Israel, and — through her defence minister, Guido Crosetto — publicly questioned whether the UN mission in Lebanon still makes sense, the language with which withdrawals tend to begin. Four consequential decisions in one week, each pulling Italy away from its earlier positions. The American president responded by attacking Ms Meloni in the pages of Corriere della Sera, Italy's newspaper of record — no modern US president has done such a thing to a sitting allied leader in her own country's press — and threatened to withdraw security guarantees. Ms Meloni came out personally stronger: 80% of Italians view the American president unfavourably, and even the opposition defended her. But her deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, was simultaneously addressing a badly attended rally in Milan, calling for remigration and a return to Russian gas — positions that put him at odds with Ms Meloni — while her coalition partner Forza Italia brought its own demonstrators to the same square as a direct rejoinder. A government repositioning on four fronts at once while its own coalition pulls in opposite directions is placing bets it may not be able to settle.
Britain is the inverse case: a government trying to hold the Atlantic relationship together just as it destroys the apparatus for doing so. Peter Mandelson took the Washington post without passing the required security vetting. Keir Starmer sacked Olly Robbins, the Foreign Office's most senior civil servant, claiming Mr Robbins had kept him in the dark — an explanation every opposition leader rejected. King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in Washington on April 27 for a state visit designed to bypass the friction between Downing Street and the White House. That channel depends on coordination between Whitehall officials and their Washington counterparts. The apparatus for it has just been gutted: the ambassador's vetting status is disputed, the permanent secretary is gone, and the government's communications have been consumed by the crisis. Kemi Badenoch compressed the choice into four words — "lying or grossly incompetent" — and the phrase ran from Reuters to Al Jazeera. Labour's 411-seat majority makes a confidence vote impossible, but parliamentary arithmetic cannot restore governing authority that is draining away.
The Hormuz coalition's durability will be tested precisely when it matters — when military planning turns concrete, when parliamentary authorisations are needed, and when governments are asked to sustain commitments through domestic turbulence they are already struggling to manage. France cannot pass unemployment insurance. Britain has gutted its Foreign Office. Italy's government is moving in two directions at once. Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, who said publicly it would be "desirable" for the United States to be involved, has already signalled that the non-American premise is contested even among the summit's participants. Acting without Washington proved the easy part. Holding together the governments that agreed to do so is another matter.
## Country Summaries
***
### 
France
France assembled roughly 50 nations in Paris this week to plan a naval mission that Washington was explicitly not invited to join.
The April 17 conference, co-chaired by Macron and Keir Starmer, was aimed at securing merchant shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The Élysée made the logic plain: France "will not enter a coalition with the Americans simply because we are not parties to the conflict." Mr Macron described the initiative as a "third way" between American maximum pressure on Iran and an Iranian blockade. France and Britain will co-lead the military planning, with a follow-on conference in London. Dozens of countries have offered assets. The mission is conditional on the ceasefire holding, so no ships sail imminently — but the framework now exists, and 50 governments signed on to it.
Not everyone was comfortable with Washington's exclusion. Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, said publicly it would be "desirable" for the US to be involved — a dissent that reveals France's framing as contested even among its closest partners. The coalition's durability will depend partly on whether those partners accept the non-American premise once military planning turns concrete.
The same week, a French soldier died in southern Lebanon. Sgt-Chef Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment was killed on April 18 in a roadside ambush near Ghanduriyah while leading a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (FINUL) mine-clearance patrol to restore communications to an isolated post cut off for several days by fighting. Small arms fire hit him at close range; his comrades could not revive him. Three others were wounded, two seriously. Catherine Vautrin, the armed forces minister, confirmed the operational details. France's roughly 700 troops in Lebanon are not sitting in static positions — they are conducting live mine-clearance missions in hostile conditions during a fragile ceasefire.
The president moved fast. He publicly attributed responsibility to Hezbollah — more assertive than France's usual hedged language in FINUL incidents — and demanded "immediate arrests" from Lebanese authorities. He announced he would receive Nawaf Salam, the Lebanese prime minister, at the Élysée on April 21, converting a military casualty into diplomatic pressure. Hezbollah denied involvement; FINUL's initial findings pointed to "non-state actors." A further complication: the American president publicly accused Iran of targeting a French vessel in the strait — a claim the Élysée had not confirmed, and one that, if true, would alter the "non-belligerent" premise of the Hormuz initiative. The claim warrants watching.
The confidence France projects abroad is not matched at home. Sébastien Lecornu, the prime minister, suffered what French outlets called his "black week" — the sharpest parliamentary setback since he took office in October. In a single week, the unemployment insurance bill was defeated not by opposition votes but by his own coalition's absenteeism, which Les Échos called a "major setback." Mr Lecornu retreated on May 1st work legislation after trade unions threatened censure motions, allowing florists and bakers to open without sanction rather than risk a vote. He withdrew the antisemitism bill. Mr Lecornu warned publicly of "worrying demobilisation" among deputies; privately, coalition members were rather more direct, telling reporters he had made them "look like fools." Le Parisien reported that Mr Lecornu himself "didn't expect it to go up in flames" — suggesting he lacks reliable intelligence about his own parliamentary bloc.
The rift with Gabriel Attal — his predecessor as prime minister and a rival for 2027 — is now in the open. Mr Attal boycotted the Monday coalition leaders' dinner at Matignon. Mr Lecornu's approval fell 4 points to 32%, its lowest since he took office; Mr Macron's also fell, with the fuel price crisis feeding discontent with a government promising a long-term electrification programme. That programme faces pressure too: a Marianne cover story called it a "great illusion" — opinion rather than reporting, but it reflects wider scepticism among elites about whether the €10 billion annual commitment can be delivered by a government that cannot pass its own unemployment insurance bill.
While Mr Lecornu struggles, Jordan Bardella is building. On April 20, the National Rally (RN) president lunched with all 15 members of the executive bureau of Medef, France's main employer federation — a first for his party — arriving with a new economic adviser, François Durvye, and a joint letter from himself and Marine Le Pen asking business leaders to list regulatory obstacles ahead of a proposed simplification decree ready for publication if the RN wins in 2027. Mr Bardella told the room "this is not an audition," reversing the usual logic. Patrick Martin, Medef's president, drew the conclusion plainly: "We will have to talk to representatives of the National Rally." Business opinion remains divided — executives at Ms Le Pen's earlier dinner at Drouant grew tense over her euroscepticism and plans to reverse pension reform — but the shift from private dinners to a formal meeting with Medef's executive bureau marks a step up. Marylise Léon of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT) called the engagement "cynicism." Whether business elites want it or not, the RN is now treated as a government-in-waiting by France's main employer federation.
* **French FINUL soldier killed in Lebanon ambush, Macron blames Hezbollah and summons Lebanese PM** — Sergeant-chef Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment was killed on April 18 in a roadside ambush in southern Lebanon while on a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (FINUL) mission, with three other French soldiers wounded. Macron publicly attributed responsibility to Hezbollah, demanded immediate arrests from Lebanese authorities, and announced plans to receive Nawaf Salam, the Lebanese prime minister, at the Élysée on April 21; Montorio's remains were repatriated to France on April 19. *([huffingtonpost.fr](https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2026/04/18/ce-que-l-on-sait-de-la-mort-du-sergent-chef-florian-montorio-le-soldat-francais-tue-au-liban_6681155_3210.html))*
* **Lecornu government hit by week of parliamentary defeats, popularity falls to record lows** — In what outlets described as a "black week", Sébastien Lecornu, the prime minister, faced the rejection of an unemployment insurance bill by his own coalition's absenteeism, retreated on May 1st work legislation after trade unions threatened censure, watched an antisemitism bill withdrawn, and saw his approval rating fall four points to 32% — its lowest since his appointment in October 2025. The episode exposed deepening tensions with his predecessor Gabriel Attal, who is positioning for the 2027 presidential race. *([lemonde.fr](https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2026/04/15/le-gouvernement-de-sebastien-lecornu-multiplie-les-revers-a-l-assemblee-parfois-venus-de-son-propre-camp_6680202_823448.html))*
* **Bardella-princess romance goes public in Paris Match, triggering Le Monde lawsuit threat and media storm** — Jordan Bardella, the National Rally (RN) president, officially confirmed his relationship with aristocrat Maria Carolina de Bourbon des Deux-Siciles during the France 2 evening news on April 15 after Paris Match published photographs taken in Corsica; he subsequently threatened to sue Le Monde after the newspaper ran a story with inaccuracies about a private jet, then published corrections. The episode drew wide coverage for its implications for the RN's political prospects ahead of 2027.
* [Emmanuel Macron accuse le Hezbollah d'avoir tué un soldat français au Sud-Liban — huffingtonpost.fr](https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/international/article/emmanuel-macron-accuse-le-hezbollah-d-avoir-tue-un-soldat-francais-au-sud-liban_262808.html)
* [Emmanuel Macron recevra le Premier ministre libanais mardi à l'Elysée — franceinfo.fr](https://www.franceinfo.fr/monde/proche-orient/liban/emmanuel-macron-recevra-mardi-le-premier-ministre-libanais_7949897.html)
* [Ce que l'on sait de la mort du sergent-chef Florian Montorio — lemonde.fr](https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2026/04/18/ce-que-l-on-sait-de-la-mort-du-sergent-chef-florian-montorio-le-soldat-francais-tue-au-liban_6681155_3210.html)
* [Guerre au Moyen-Orient : un militaire français tué et trois autres blessés au Liban — lefigaro.fr](https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/liban-un-militaire-francais-decede-et-trois-blesses-20260418)
* [Un soldat français a été tué 'dans une embuscade' dans le sud du Liban, Emmanuel Macron accuse le Hezbollah — bfmtv.com](https://www.bfmtv.com/international/moyen-orient/liban/un-soldat-francais-a-ete-tue-dans-une-embuscade-dans-le-sud-du-liban-emmanuel-macron-accuse-le-hezbollah_AV-202604180224.html)
* [Un soldat français est mort au Liban, annonce Emmanuel Macron — i24news.tv](https://www.i24news.tv/fr/actu/international/artc-un-soldat-francais-est-mort-au-liban-annonce-emmanuel-macron)
* [Macron: un soldat français tué et 3 blessés dans une attaque visant la FINUL au Liban — sana.sy](https://sana.sy/fr/international/2301272/)
* [Mort du sergent-chef Florian Montorio : ce qu'il faut savoir après l'attaque — lavoixdunord.fr](https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/1695680/article/2026-04-18/guerre-au-moyen-orient-un-militaire-francais-tue-et-trois-autres-blesses-dans)
* [Ce que l'on sait de l'embuscade qui a tué un soldat français de la Finul — leparisien.fr](https://www.leparisien.fr/international/israel/guerre-au-moyen-orient-embuscade-tirs-a-tres-courte-distance-ce-que-lon-sait-de-la-mort-dun-soldat-francais-au-liban-18-04-2026-5ZUQRWQP2FDKBDLB3MPF2ZZW4M.php)
* [Un soldat français tué et deux gravement blessés au Liban, Macron accuse le Hezbollah — lesoir.be](https://www.lesoir.be/741599/article/2026-04-18/un-soldat-francais-tue-et-deux-gravement-blesses-au-liban-macron-accuse-le)
* [Ce que l'on sait de la mort de Florian Montorio, Casque bleu français tué dans une embuscade au Liban — lanouvellerepublique.fr](https://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/a-la-une/ce-que-l-on-sait-de-la-mort-de-florian-montorio-casque-bleu-francais-tue-dans-une-embuscade-au-liban-1776528986)
* [Liban : ce que l'on sait après l'attaque qui a tué un Casque bleu français — letelegramme.fr](https://www.letelegramme.fr/monde/au-liban-un-casque-bleu-francais-tue-et-trois-autres-blesses-ce-que-lon-sait-7028204.php)
* [Proche de la retraite, père, rugbyman… Qui était le sergent-chef Florian Montorio ? — lavoixdunord.fr](https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/1695842/article/2026-04-19/proche-de-la-retraite-pere-rugbyman-qui-etait-le-sergent-chef-florian-montorio)
* [Liban : qui est Florian Montorio, le soldat français tué dans une embuscade ? — europe1.fr](https://www.europe1.fr/international/liban-qui-est-florian-montorio-le-soldat-francais-tue-dans-une-embuscade-926035)
* [Père de deux filles, « profondément généreux et courageux » : qui était Florian Montorio ? — nicematin.com](https://www.nicematin.com/faits-divers/pere-de-deux-filles-toujours-le-sourire-profondement-genereux-qui-etait-florian-montorio-le-militaire-francais-mort-au-liban-10677460)
* [Soldat français tué au Liban : sa 'dépouille rapatriée en France' ce dimanche — ici.fr](https://www.ici.fr/infos/international/soldat-francais-tue-au-liban-sa-depouille-rapatriee-en-france-ce-dimanche-annonce-la-porte-parole-du-gouvernement-2702183)
* [Conflit au Moyen-Orient : le corps de Florian Montorio rapatrié ce dimanche — sixactualites.fr](https://sixactualites.fr/actualites/conflit-au-moyen-orient-le-corps-de-florian-montorio-soldat-francais-tombe-au-liban-rapatrie-ce-dimanche/107905/)
* [« Militaire d'exception », proche d'un retour à la vie civile… qui était le sergent-chef Florian Montorio ? — leparisien.fr](https://www.leparisien.fr/societe/militaire-dexception-proche-dun-retour-a-la-vie-civile-qui-etait-le-sergent-chef-florian-montorio-tue-au-liban-19-04-2026-YTHTBEODPRD7LI4QDNVS3IZTXA.php)
* [Décès d'un soldat au Liban : l'Afghanistan, le Mali... 19 ans de service pour la France — laprovence.com](https://www.laprovence.com/article/societe/1449900901839815/soldat-francais-mort-au-liban-qui-etait-le-sergent-chef-florian-montorio)
* [Qui était Florian, le Français casque bleu tué au Liban? — watson.ch](https://www.watson.ch/fr/international/france/134083813-mort-au-liban-qui-etait-le-sergent-chef-florian-montorio)
* [Soldat tué au Liban : 'La position de la France, il faut la saluer', commente le député RN Jean-Philippe Tanguy — tf1info.fr](https://www.tf1info.fr/politique/soldat-tue-au-liban-la-position-de-la-france-il-faut-la-saluer-nous-sommes-un-acteur-de-paix-commente-le-depute-rn-jean-philippe-tanguy-2436854.html)
* [Guerre au Moyen-Orient : le chef de l'ONU 'condamne fermement' l'attaque qui a coûté la vie à un Casque bleu français au Liban — leparisien.fr](https://www.leparisien.fr/international/direct-guerre-au-moyen-orient-liran-menace-de-refermer-le-detroit-dormuz-si-le-blocus-de-donald-trump-se-poursuit-18-04-2026-EC5J66YOABH3NPOP3ZR43RDP5Y.php)
* [Guerre au Moyen-Orient : le chef du Hezbollah promet de riposter — ouest-france.fr](https://www.ouest-france.fr/monde/iran/direct-moyen-orient-donald-trump-dit-que-le-blocus-des-ports-iraniens-continuera-si-un-accord-nest-pas-conclu-14ec0e6c-3646-4655-86b8-504df6792d36)
* [REPLAY. Guerre au Moyen-Orient : tout navire s'approchant d'Ormuz sera 'pris pour cible' — ladepeche.fr](https://www.ladepeche.fr/2026/04/18/direct-guerre-au-moyen-orient-donald-trump-assure-quun-accord-avec-liran-est-tres-proche-mais-laisse-planer-la-menace-13330735.php)
* [Pour le Liban libre, nous devons agir ! — melenchon.fr](https://melenchon.fr/2026/04/19/pour-le-liban-libre-nous-devons-agir/)
* [l'Iran menace de cibler 'tout navire' qui s'approchera du détroit d'Ormuz — france24.com](https://www.france24.com/fr/moyen-orient/20260418-moyen-orient-en-direct-l-iran-menace-de-refermer-le-d%C3%A9troit-d-ormuz-si-le-blocus-am%C3%A9ricain-se-poursuit-trump-ghalibaf-gardiens-r%C3%A9volution-israel-liban-etats-unis-petrole)
* [En direct : Emmanuel Macron qualifie le blocage du détroit d'Ormuz d'« erreur des deux côtés » — france24.com](https://www.france24.com/fr/moyen-orient/20260419-en-direct-iran-promet-riposter-bientot-arraisonnement-cargo-par-etats-unis-detroit-ormuz-blocus-port-pourparlers-guerre-liban-hezbollah-jd-vance)
* [Guerre au Moyen-Orient : Trump accuse de nouveau l'Iran d'avoir ciblé un navire français dans le détroit d'Ormuz, CMA CGM confirme — leparisien.fr](https://www.leparisien.fr/international/etats-unis/guerre-au-moyen-orient-donald-trump-accuse-de-nouveau-liran-davoir-cible-un-navire-francais-dans-le-detroit-dormuz-19-04-2026-NDKTCSVL5VGX5M7NZ7CZ6T7K7E.php)
* [Liban : Emmanuel Macron s'inquiète d'un cessez-le-feu « fragilisé par la poursuite d'opérations militaires » — lefigaro.fr](https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/liban-emmanuel-macron-s-inquiete-d-un-cessez-le-feu-fragilise-par-la-poursuite-d-operations-militaires-20260417)
* [Moyen-Orient : Emmanuel Macron préoccupé par le cessez-le-feu « fragilisé » — actu.orange.fr](https://actu.orange.fr/politique/moyen-orient-emmanuel-macron-preoccupe-par-le-cessez-le-feu-fragilise-par-la-poursuite-d-operations-militaires-magic-CNT000002oIVn3.html)
* [UK and France to lead defensive mission in Strait of Hormuz — bbc.com](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yjz819vmgo)
* [US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz: What do the numbers show? — france24.com](https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20260415-us-blockade-of-the-strait-of-hormuz-what-do-the-numbers-show)
* [Guerre au Moyen-Orient : Donald Trump assure que l'accord entre les États-Unis et l'Iran 'en bonne voie' — bfmtv.com](https://www.bfmtv.com/international/moyen-orient/direct-guerre-en-iran-et-au-moyen-orient-l-armee-libanaise-accuse-israel-d-actes-d-agression-apres-l-entree-en-vigueur-du-cessez-le-feu_LN-202604170116.html)
* [Les 'non-belligérants' en sommet autour de Macron et Starmer pour la sécurisation du détroit d'Ormuz — actu.orange.fr](https://actu.orange.fr/france/les-quot-non-belligerants-quot-en-sommet-autour-de-macron-et-starmer-pour-la-securisation-du-detroit-d-ormuz-CNT000002oIRDO.html)
* [Les 'non-belligérants' préparent une mission de sécurisation du détroit d'Ormuz — france24.com](https://www.france24.com/fr/europe/20260417-macron-re%C3%A7oit-starmer-%C3%A0-paris-pour-une-conf%C3%A9rence-sur-la-s%C3%A9curisation-du-d%C3%A9troit-d-ormuz)
* [Une trentaine de pays autour d'Emmanuel Macron et de Keir Starmer à Paris pour la mission de sécurisation de la navigation dans le détroit d'Ormuz — bfmtv.com](https://www.bfmtv.com/international/moyen-orient/une-trentaine-de-pays-autour-d-emmanuel-macron-et-de-keir-starmer-a-paris-pour-la-mission-de-securisation-de-la-navigation-dans-le-detroit-d-ormuz_AD-202604170173.html)
* [Réouverture du détroit d'Ormuz : 'De très bons échanges avec l'Iran', déclare Donald Trump — tf1info.fr](https://www.tf1info.fr/international/guerre-en-iran-direct-la-situation-au-moyen-orient-les-dernieres-informations-treve-liban-vendredi-17-avril-2026-2436503.html)
* [En direct : Emmanuel Macron qualifie le blocage du détroit d'Ormuz d'« erreur des deux côtés » — france24.com](https://www.france24.com/fr/moyen-orient/20260419-en-direct-iran-promet-riposter-bientot-arraisonnement-cargo-par-etats-unis-detroit-ormuz-blocus-port-pourparlers-guerre-liban-hezbollah-jd-vance)
* [La popularité d'Emmanuel Macron et Sébastien Lecornu s'effrite, sur fond de guerre en Iran et de crise des carburants — leparisien.fr](https://www.leparisien.fr/politique/la-popularite-de-demmanuel-macron-et-sebastien-lecornu-seffrite-sur-fond-de-guerre-en-iran-et-de-crise-des-carburants-19-04-2026-RNGCGQ7NQRCVTCX3LUHNQWTZUY.php)
* [G7 : les ministres des Finances prêts à intervenir pour limiter les retombées du conflit iranien — zonebourse.com](https://www.zonebourse.com/actualite-bourse/g7-les-ministres-des-finances-prets-a-intervenir-pour-limiter-les-retombees-du-conflit-iranien-se-ce7e50d2d98ffe22)
* [Les ministres des Finances du G7 plaident pour une 'paix durable' au Moyen-Orient — zonebourse.com](https://www.zonebourse.com/actualite-bourse/les-ministres-des-finances-du-g7-plaident-pour-une-paix-durable-au-moyen-orient-et-s-inquietent-de-ce7e50db8ffe21)
* [Guerre au Moyen-Orient : Trump accuse de nouveau l'Iran d'avoir ciblé un navire français dans le détroit d'Ormuz, CMA CGM confirme — leparisien.fr](https://www.leparisien.fr/international/etats-unis/guerre-au-moyen-orient-donald-trump-accuse-de-nouveau-liran-davoir-cible-un-navire-francais-dans-le-detroit-dormuz-19-04-2026-NDKTCSVL5VGX5M7NZ7CZ6T7K7E.php)
* [Le gouvernement de Sébastien Lecornu subit plusieurs revers à l'Assemblée, parfois venus de son propre camp — lemonde.fr](https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2026/04/15/le-gouvernement-de-sebastien-lecornu-multiplie-les-revers-a-l-assemblee-parfois-venus-de-son-propre-camp_6680202_823448.html)
* [Sébastien Lecornu perd petit à petit le fil avec le Parlement — lopinion.fr](https://www.lopinion.fr/politique/sebastien-lecornu-perd-petit-a-petit-le-fil-avec-le-parlement)
* [La popularité d'Emmanuel Macron et Sébastien Lecornu s'effrite, sur fond de guerre en Iran et de crise des carburants — leparisien.fr](https://www.leparisien.fr/politique/la-popularite-de-demmanuel-macron-et-sebastien-lecornu-seffrite-sur-fond-de-guerre-en-iran-et-de-crise-des-carburants-19-04-2026-RNGCGQ7NQRCVTCX3LUHNQWTZUY.php)
* [Gouvernement : la popularité de Macron et Lecornu s'érode sur fond de hausse des prix des carburants — sudouest.fr](https://www.sudouest.fr/politique/emmanuel-macron/gouvernement-la-popularite-de-macron-et-lecornu-s-erode-sur-fond-de-hausse-des-prix-des-carburants-28754846.php)
* [Popularité : Sébastien Lecornu au plus bas depuis son arrivée à Matignon — lopinion.fr](https://www.lopinion.fr/politique/popularite-sebastien-lecornu-au-plus-bas-depuis-son-arrivee-a-matignon)
* [Sébastien Lecornu ex-LR, appelle son ancien parti à « une grande clarification » avec le RN — 20minutes.fr](https://www.20minutes.fr/politique/4218570-20260415-sebastien-lecornu-ex-lr-appelle-ancien-parti-grande-clarification-rn)
* [Le bloc central exaspéré par Sébastien Lecornu — rfi.fr](https://www.rfi.fr/fr/podcasts/politique-le-choix-de-la-semaine/20260418-le-bloc-central-exasper%C3%A9-par-s%C3%A9bastien-lecornu)
* [Assemblée nationale : Sébastien Lecornu s'inquiète d'une démobilisation «préoccupante» des députés — lefigaro.fr](https://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/assemblee-nationale-sebastien-lecornu-s-inquiete-d-une-demobilisation-preoccupante-des-deputes-20260417)
* [Assurance-chômage : l'Assemblée rejette l'accord sur les ruptures conventionnelles, un revers majeur pour Lecornu — lesechos.fr](https://www.lesechos.fr/economie-france/social/assurance-chomage-lassemblee-rejette-laccord-sur-les-ruptures-conventionnelles-un-revers-majeur-pour-lecornu-2226940)
* [Sébastien Lecornu se dit inquiet d'une 'démobilisation préoccupante' des députés à l'Assemblée nationale — bfmtv.com](https://www.bfmtv.com/politique/gouvernement/sebastien-lecornu-se-dit-inquiet-d-une-demobilisation-preoccupante-des-deputes-a-l-assemblee-nationale_AD-202604170752.html)
* [Sébastien Lecornu s'inquiète d'une démobilisation 'préoccupante' de ses troupes à l'Assemblée — tf1info.fr](https://tf1info.fr/politique/sebastien-lecornu-s-inquiete-d-une-demobilisation-preoccupante-de-ses-troupes-a-l-assemblee-nationale-2436662.html)
* [Députés moins présents et impliqués : Sébastien Lecornu alerte sur une démobilisation inquiétante à l'Assemblée nationale — nextplz.fr](https://www.nextplz.fr/societe/546897-deputes-moins-presents-et-impliques-sebastien-lecornu-alerte-sur-une-demobilisation-inquietante-a-lassemblee-nationale)
* [« Il ne pensait pas que ça allait partir en torche » : dans les coulisses de la semaine noire de Sébastien Lecornu — leparisien.fr](https://www.leparisien.fr/politique/il-ne-pensait-pas-que-ca-allait-partir-en-torche-dans-les-coulisses-de-la-semaine-noire-de-sebastien-lecornu-17-04-2026-JJMO4DI5D5HOVHSYDZXQG5NQDM.php)
* [«Un manque de courage» : vives tensions entre Sébastien Lecornu et Gabriel Attal après le fiasco sur le 1er Mai — lefigaro.fr](https://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/fiasco-du-1er-mai-comment-les-ambitions-de-gabriel-attal-ont-percute-la-prudence-de-sebastien-lecornu-20260414)
* ['On nous pisse dessus' : les députés macronistes ulcérés contre Sébastien Lecornu, après son rétropédalage sur le 1er-Mai — rtl.fr](https://www.rtl.fr/actu/politique/on-nous-pisse-dessus-les-deputes-macronistes-ulceres-contre-sebastien-lecornu-apres-son-retropedalage-sur-le-1er-mai-7900623703)
* ['On nous pisse dessus' : les revirements de Lecornu sur le 1er mai vus par un macroniste — bvoltaire.fr](https://www.bvoltaire.fr/on-nous-pisse-dessus-les-revirements-de-lecornu-sur-le-1er-mai-vus-par-un-macroniste/)
* [Électrification et made in France : la grande illusion de Sébastien Lecornu — marianne.net](https://www.marianne.net/economie/energies/electrification-et-made-in-france-la-grande-illusion-de-sebastien-lecornu)
* [Alain Duhamel : « Lecornu est un intérimaire doué » — letelegramme.fr](https://www.letelegramme.fr/politique/alain-duhamel-lecornu-est-un-interimaire-doue-7028099.php)
* [La photo d'Attal qui crispe les élus... Les indiscrets du Figaro — lefigaro.fr](https://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/la-photo-d-attal-qui-crispe-les-elus-les-indiscrets-du-figaro-20260418)
* [«Le moment de la grande clarification» : Sébastien Lecornu demande à Bruno Retailleau — bfmtv.com](https://www.bfmtv.com/politique/le-moment-de-la-grande-clarification-sebastien-lecornu-demande-a-bruno-retailleau-s-il-prefere-travailler-avec-la-gauche-republicaine-ou-le-rn_AV-202604150751.html)
* [Travailler le 1er mai : Sébastien Lecornu laisse fleuristes et boulangers faire travailler leurs employés sans sanctions — humanite.fr](https://www.humanite.fr/social-et-economie/1er-mai/travailler-le-1er-mai-sebastien-lecornu-laisse-fleuristes-et-boulangers-faire-travailler-leurs-employes-sans-sanctions)
* [Le 1er mai, les boulangeries et fleuristes pourront ouvrir et leurs salariés travailler, annonce Sébastien Lecornu — huffingtonpost.fr](https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/politique/article/le-1er-mai-les-boulangeries-et-fleuristes-pourront-ouvrir-et-leurs-salaries-travailler-annonce-sebastien-lecornu_262780.html)
* [Les artisans boulangers et fleuristes pourront faire travailler leurs salariés 'ce 1er mai', annonce Sébastien Lecornu — franceinfo.fr](https://www.franceinfo.fr/decouverte/1er-mai/les-boulangers-et-les-fleuristes-artisanaux-pourront-ouvrir-ce-1er-mai-annonce-sebastien-lecornu_7945730.html)
* [Travail le 1er Mai : Sébastien Lecornu évite de peu la crise — lefigaro.fr](https://www.lefigaro.fr/conjoncture/travail-le-1er-mai-sebastien-lecornu-evite-de-peu-la-crise-20260417)
* [Le gouvernement renonce à la loi sur le travail le 1er-Mai, Les Républicains dénoncent un 'recul' — franceinfo.fr](https://www.franceinfo.fr/decouverte/1er-mai/sebastien-lecornu-ne-convoquera-pas-de-commission-mixte-paritaire-pour-statuer-sur-la-loi-sur-le-travail-le-1er-mai_7935083.html)
* ['Il se démerde bien' : Emmanuel Macron salue le travail de Sébastien Lecornu — fr.news.yahoo.com](https://fr.news.yahoo.com/d%C3%A9merde-bien-emmanuel-macron-salue-104606152.html)
* [France Inc moves to influence far right's economic agenda — reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/business/france-inc-moves-influence-far-rights-economic-agenda-2026-04-17/)
* [Ces grands patrons s'agacent du mythe de l'irrésistibilité du RN — huffingtonpost.fr](https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/politique/article/ces-grands-patrons-s-agacent-du-mythe-de-l-irresistibilite-du-rn-clx1_262706.html)
* [Ces grands patrons s'agacent du mythe de l'irrésistibilité du RN — huffingtonpost.fr](https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/politique/article/ces-grands-patrons-s-agacent-du-mythe-de-l-irresistibilite-du-rn_262706.html)
* [Les rencontres des patrons avec le RN se multiplient à un an de la présidentielle 2027 — lesechos.fr](https://www.lesechos.fr/politique-societe/politique/les-rencontres-des-patrons-avec-le-rn-se-multiplient-a-un-an-de-la-presidentielle-2027-2226681)
* [Le Medef dément un virage RN, avant une rencontre avec Bardella — 20minutes.fr](https://www.20minutes.fr/economie/4218655-20260416-medef-assure-avoir-massivement-pris-parti-rn-malgre-rencontres)
* [Le RN peine à asseoir sa crédibilité auprès des milieux économiques — boursier.com](https://www.boursier.com/actualites/reuters/le-rn-peine-a-asseoir-sa-credibilite-aupres-des-milieux-economiques-416199.html)
* ['Le RN n'est pas un parti comme les autres' : la CFDT voit du 'cynisme' dans l'invitation du Medef à déjeuner avec Jordan Bardella — bfmtv.com](https://www.bfmtv.com/economie/entreprises/le-rn-n-est-pas-un-parti-comme-les-autres-la-cfdt-voit-du-cynisme-dans-l-invitation-du-medef-a-dejeuner-avec-jordan-bardella_AD-202604190214.html)
* [Le RN, un allié des grands patrons ? 'Un échange, ce n'est pas un alignement idéologique', répond Sébastien Chenu sur RTL — rtl.fr](https://www.rtl.fr/actu/politique/le-rn-un-allie-des-grands-patrons-un-echange-ce-n-est-pas-un-alignement-ideologique-repond-sebastien-chenu-sur-rtl-7900625673)
* [Marylise Léon (CFDT) voit du 'cynisme' dans l'invitation par le Medef du RN — actu.orange.fr](https://actu.orange.fr/france/marylise-leon-cfdt-voit-du-quot-cynisme-quot-dans-l-invitation-par-le-medef-du-rn-CNT000002oL3yI.html)
* [RN : Marine Le Pen peine à convaincre les patrons après un dîner à Paris — lopinion.fr](https://www.lopinion.fr/politique/rn-patronat-les-patrons-consternes-apres-leur-rencontre-avec-marine-le-pen)
* [Dîner de grand patrons avec Marine Le Pen : le DG de la Maif déplore une 'erreur tactique' et 'illusion politique' — boursorama.com](https://www.boursorama.com/actualite-economique/actualites/diner-de-grand-patrons-avec-marine-le-pen-le-dg-de-la-maif-deplore-une-erreur-tactique-et-illusion-politique-ea640167a46c20e94bb4b924967a21b7)
* ['Pour l'emporter en 2027, il faut réunir le peuple et les élites' : Jordan Bardella déjeune avec les patrons du Medef — radiofrance.fr](https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/podcasts/l-info-de-france-inter/pour-l-emporter-en-2027-il-faut-reunir-le-peuple-et-les-elites-jordan-bardella-dejeune-avec-les-patrons-du-medef-8228933)
* [Deux semaines après le dîner de Marine Le Pen avec la fine fleur du capitalisme français, Jordan Bardella déjeunera avec le Medef le 20 avril — bfmtv.com](https://www.bfmtv.com/economie/entreprises/deux-semaines-apres-le-diner-de-marine-le-pen-avec-la-fine-fleur-du-capitalisme-francais-jordan-bardella-dejeunera-avec-le-medef-le-20-avril_AD-202604130634.html)
* [Extrême droite : le grand patronat adoube le RN pour 2027 — humanite.fr](https://humanite.fr/politique/entreprise/extreme-droite-le-grand-patronat-adoube-le-rn-pour-2027)
* [Déjeuner entre Bardella et le Medef : 'Le cynisme, c'est de considérer que l'économie passe avant tout', dénonce Marylise Léon — liberation.fr](https://www.liberation.fr/economie/conso/dejeuner-entre-bardella-et-le-medef-le-cynisme-cest-de-considerer-que-leconomie-passe-avant-tout-denonce-marylise-leon-20260419_JNRV2MEP45H6HMCZEOFUHRS7AY/)
* [«Plusieurs patrons pensent qu'il est possible de cornaquer le RN» : Michel Offerlé analyse les liaisons dangereuses entre Bardella et le Medef — humanite.fr](https://www.humanite.fr/politique/extreme-droite/plusieurs-patrons-pensent-quil-est-possible-de-cornaquer-le-rn-michel-offerle-analyse-les-liaisons-dangereuses-entre-bardella-et-le-medef)
* [«Le patronat n'a pas pris massivement parti» pour le RN : avant la présidentielle, le Medef prend ses distances — challenges.fr](https://www.challenges.fr/politique/le-patronat-na-pas-pris-massivement-parti-pour-le-rn-avant-la-presidentielle-le-medef-prend-ses-distances-avec-marine-le-pen_642794)
* [Présidentielle 2027 : crédibilité économique, Marine Le Pen… pourquoi Donald Trump et le RN s'éloignent de plus en plus — ladepeche.fr](https://www.ladepeche.fr/2026/04/18/presidentielle-2027-credibilite-economique-marine-le-pen-pourquoi-donald-trump-et-le-rn-seloignent-de-plus-en-plus-13330262.php)
* [«Le RN n'est ni de gauche ni de gauche, son image sociale est largement factice» — lemonde.fr](https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2026/04/16/le-rn-n-est-ni-de-gauche-ni-de-gauche-son-image-sociale-est-largement-factice_6680466_3232.html)
* [La rude semaine du RN — atlantico.fr](https://atlantico.fr/article/rdv/la-rude-semaine-du-rn)
* [Politique. L'actualité politique décryptée | JDD — lejdd.fr](https://www.lejdd.fr/politique/immigration-ecologie-punitive-a-milan-bardella-salue-le-reveil-des-peuples-en-europe-171888)
* [«Je demande au gouvernement une baisse de la TVA sur les prix du carburant» : Jordan Bardella considère que les mesures envisagées par Sébastien Lecornu 'n'auront aucun impact' — franceinfo.fr](https://www.franceinfo.fr/politique/front-national/je-demande-au-gouvernement-une-baisse-de-la-tva-sur-les-prix-du-carburant-invite-de-france-2-jordan-bardella-considere-que-les-mesures-envisagees-par-sebastien-lecornu-n-auront-aucun-impact_7941200.html)
***
### 
Germany
Friedrich Merz hosted Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin this week for Government Consultations — Germany's highest bilateral diplomatic format, reserved for its closest partners.
The format matters. It typically pulls ministers together across portfolios — foreign, defence, economy, finance — and produces multi-year cooperation frameworks. Activating it with Ukraine now is a real commitment, not a symbolic one: Germany is not just providing military assistance but locking the relationship into its most durable diplomatic structure. What was agreed remains unclear; specific commitments, declaration text, and any new aid packages cannot be confirmed from available sources this week.
Even as it engaged Ukraine at the highest level, the government signalled its economic intentions abroad. Berlin announced a package combining short-term crisis relief with structural reform and, notably, published a simultaneous French-language version — suggesting the announcement was aimed at EU partners or Francophone audiences rather than the domestic press. The pattern fits announcements timed to EU Council cycles or coordinated with France, Belgium or Luxembourg. What the package contains — which sectors, how much money — cannot be determined from available sources.
Both moves come against a fraught domestic backdrop. From the prior week: the Alternative for Germany had taken its first-ever polling lead over the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union across multiple institutes, recording 26–27% against 23–25%; the chancellor's approval had fallen to 20–27% — the lowest of any tracked politician; and the coalition was showing friction between Lars Klingbeil, the finance minister, and Katherina Reiche, the economics minister, over the shape of the economic response. The IMF had cut its 2026 growth forecast to 0.8%. None of those readings has been corroborated or contradicted this week — they stand as the baseline.
One thread that had been active went quiet. Planning for a potential German naval contribution to a Hormuz maritime coalition — which Boris Pistorius, the defence minister, had been advancing through partner and capability studies — produced nothing new this week. Whether that reflects a genuine pause or a gap in available sources cannot be determined. The prior assessment that operational planning is under way stands.
* [Germany's Merz, Brazil's Lula stress close European-Brazilian cooperation — reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/germanys-merz-brazils-lula-stress-close-european-brazilian-cooperation-2026-04-19/)
* [Hannover-Messe: „Am besten keine Zölle" – Merz bekennt sich bei Treffen mit Lula zum Freihandel — welt.de](https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article69e505887c6e5e236a26c078/hannover-messe-am-besten-keine-zoelle-merz-bekennt-sich-bei-treffen-mit-lula-zum-freihandel.html)
* [Hannover Messe: Merz will Zeichen der Zuversicht — zeit.de](https://www.zeit.de/news/2026-04/19/hannover-messe-merz-will-zeichen-der-zuversicht)
* [Merz und Lula setzen auf Wirtschafts- und Klimadialog — n-tv.de](https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Merz-und-Lula-setzen-auf-Wirtschafts-und-Klimadialog-id30731683.html)
* [News: Donald Trump, Irankrieg, Wolfgang Kubicki, Friedrich Merz, Lula da Silva, Alexander Dobrindt — spiegel.de](https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/news-donald-trump-irankrieg-wolfgang-kubicki-friedrich-merz-lula-da-silva-alexander-dobrindt-a-cb4d8d19-acae-424f-880b-6e093ca03081)
* [Hannover Messe: Industrie will von Merz 'großen Wurf, keine Flickschusterei' — stern.de](https://www.stern.de/gesellschaft/regional/niedersachsen-bremen/hannover-messe--industrie-will-von-merz--grossen-wurf--keine-flickschusterei--37323612.html)
* [Beziehungen zu Brasilien: Merz empfängt Lula – und würdigt Mercosur-Abkommen — stern.de](https://www.stern.de/politik/ausland/beziehungen-zu-brasilien--merz-empfaengt-lula---und-wuerdigt-mercosur-abkommen-37322220.html)
* [Merz umwirbt Brasiliens Präsidenten Lula — sueddeutsche.de](https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/berlin-brasilien-handel-hannover-messe-li.3470419)
* [Merz empfängt Präsident Lula vor deutsch-brasilianischen Regierungskonsultationen — stern.de](https://www.stern.de/news/merz-empfaengt-praesident-lula-vor-deutsch-brasilianischen-regierungskonsultationen-37323446.html)
* [Erstmals Schwerpunkt Rüstung: Eröffnung der Hannover Messe mit Merz und Lula — n-tv.de](https://www.n-tv.de/ticker/Eroeffnung-der-Hannover-Messe-mit-Merz-und-Lula-id30729825.html)
* [Eröffnung der Hannover Messe mit Merz und Lula – 18.04.26 — ariva.de](https://www.ariva.de/news/eroeffnung-der-hannover-messe-mit-merz-und-lula-11974019)
* [Partner & Pragmatiker: Lula da Silva eröffnet Hannover Messe — dw.com](https://www.dw.com/de/brasiliens-pr%C3%A4sident-lula-da-silva-er%C3%B6ffnet-hannover-messe/a-76807135)
* [Merz empfängt Lula auf Schloss Herrenhausen — gn-online.de](https://www.gn-online.de/niedersachsen/merz-empfaengt-lula-auf-schloss-herrenhausen-607877.html)
* [Merz und Lula wollen strategische Partnerschaft ausbauen — gn-online.de](https://www.gn-online.de/niedersachsen/merz-und-lula-wollen-strategische-partnerschaft-ausbauen-607843.html)
* [Zwei Kontinente, eine Botschaft an Trump — web.de](https://web.de/magazine/politik/kontinente-botschaft-trump-42135774)
* [Merz empfängt Lula – und würdigt Mercosur-Abkommen — bnn.de](https://bnn.de/nachrichten/deutschland-und-welt/merz-empfaengt-lula-und-wuerdigt-mercosur-abkommen)
* [Merz trifft Lula in Hannover: Deutschland und Brasilien wollen Partnerschaft und Handel stärken — newstime.joyn.de](https://newstime.joyn.de/themen/politik/merz-und-lula-vertiefen-partnerschaft-bei-treffen-in-hannover-111380)
* [Deutschland und Brasilien wollen Partnerschaft ausbauen – Merz empfängt Lula — stern.de](https://www.stern.de/news/deutschland-und-brasilien-wollen-partnerschaft-ausbauen---merz-empfaengt-lula-37322882.html)
* [Industrie will von Merz «großen Wurf, keine Flickschusterei» — sat1regional.de](https://www.sat1regional.de/newsticker/industrie-will-von-merz-grossen-wurf-keine-flickschusterei/)
* [Eröffnung der Hannover Messe – 'Versorgungssicherheit hat höchste Priorität': Merz kündigt Sitzung des Nationalen Sicherheitsrats an — deutschlandfunk.de](https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/merz-und-lula-wollen-strategische-partnerschaft-ausbauen-100.html)
* [Weltgrößte Industrieschau – Merz zur Hannover Messe: «Zuversicht, das ist der Geist» — sueddeutsche.de](https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/weltgroesste-industrieschau-merz-zur-hannover-messe-zuversicht-das-ist-der-geist-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-260419-930-966642)
* [Hannover Messer 2026: Erstmals geht es um Rüstung – auch KI und Robotik stehen im Fokus — tagesschau.de](https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/niedersachsen/merz-und-brasiliens-staatschef-lula-haben-hannover-messe-eroeffnet,hannovermesse-102.html)
* [Hannover Messe: Kann die Rüstung Deutschlands Maschinenbauer retten? — faz.net](https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/hannover-messe-kann-die-ruestung-deutschlands-maschinenbauer-retten-accg-200714627.html)
* [Merz zur Hannover Messe: «Zuversicht, das ist der Geist» — infranken.de](https://www.infranken.de/deutschland/merz-zur-hannover-messe-zuversicht-das-ist-der-geist-art-6344087)
* [BDI mahnt Merz zu Reformen — ad-hoc-news.de](https://www.ad-hoc-news.de/politik/bdi-hauptgeschaeftsfuehrerin-tanja-goenner-fordert-von-bundeskanzler/69204684)
* ['Keine erkennbare Grundlage': Merz widerspricht Trump bei Kuba-Politik — t-online.de](https://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/ausland/internationale-politik/id_101213794/usa-news-merz-lehnt-trump-intervention-in-kuba-ab.html)
* [Merz zur Hannover Messe: «Zuversicht, das ist der Geist» (Stern) — stern.de](https://stern.de/politik/deutschland/5-minuten-talk-podcast/steuerreform--traut-sich-merz-an-die-reichen-ran--37302952.html)
* [Iran-Krieg aktuell: Merz weiter bereit für Mission an Straße von Hormus — fr.de](https://www.fr.de/politik/bundeswehr-merz-wohl-bereit-fuer-mission-an-strasse-von-hormus-94267652.html)
* [Hormus-Einsatz: Merz zu Beteiligung bereit – unter Bedingungen — zdfheute.de](https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/ausland/iran-hormus-mission-schifffahrt-konferenz-paris-100.html)
* [Friedrich Merz: Deutschland signalisiert Beitrag zu Mission in der Straße von Hormus — spiegel.de](https://www.spiegel.de/politik/friedrich-merz-deutschland-signalisiert-beitrag-zu-mission-in-der-strasse-von-hormus-a-8557fd85-1422-49bf-80ea-1205d42820b8)
* [Hormus-Konferenz in Paris: Ein Zeichen der Geschlossenheit — tagesschau.de](https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/asien/hormus-konferenz-paris-100.html)
* [Iran-Krieg: Merz sagt deutsche Hilfe für Hormus-Mission zu – Bundeswehr soll Minenjagdboote entsenden — welt.de](https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article69e0f24962672238fee07d3a/iran-krieg-merz-sagt-deutsche-hilfe-fuer-hormus-mission-zu-bundeswehr-soll-minenjagdboote-entsenden.html)
* [Irankrieg: Macron, Starmer und Merz starten Krisengipfel zur Straße von Hormus — zeit.de](https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2026-04/iran-strasse-von-hormus-emmanuel-macron-keir-starmer-friedrich-merz)
* [Pistorius bekräftigt Bereitschaft zu Beteiligung an Hormus-Mission — tagesschau.de](https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/bab-pistorius-strasse-von-hormus-100.html)
* [Verteidigungsminister – Pistorius zu Straße von Hormus: Deutsche Marine bereitet sich bereits auf möglichen Einsatz vor — deutschlandfunk.de](https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/pistorius-zu-strasse-von-hormus-deutsche-marine-bereitet-sich-bereits-auf-moeglichen-einsatz-vor-102.html)
* ['Wir spielen das durch': Deutsche Marine bereitet Einsatz in Straße von Hormus vor — n-tv.de](https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Deutsche-Marine-bereitet-Einsatz-in-Strasse-von-Hormus-vor-id30731726.html)
* [Iran: Bundeswehr vor Hormus-Einsatz? Warum Deutschlands Flotte im Vorteil ist — morgenpost.de](https://www.morgenpost.de/politik/article411731151/bundeswehr-vor-hormus-einsatz-warum-deutschlands-flotte-im-vorteil-ist.html)
* [Iran nimmt Öffnung der Straße von Hormus zurück: Deutscher Marineeinsatz rückt wieder in weitere Ferne — tagesspiegel.de](https://tagesspiegel.de/politik/iran-nimmt-offnung-der-strasse-von-hormus-zuruck-deutscher-marineeinsatz-ruckt-wieder-in-weitere-ferne-15496473.html)
* [Straße von Hormus: Deutsche Marine bereitet Einsatz vor, sagt Pistorius — rtl.de](https://www.rtl.de/news/strasse-von-hormus-deutsche-marine-bereitet-einsatz-vor-sagt-pistorius-id30731860.html)
* [Bundeswehr bereitet sich auf Einsatz in der Straße von Hormus vor — br.de](https://www.br.de/nachrichten/meldung/bundeswehr-bereitet-sich-auf-einsatz-in-der-strasse-von-hormus-vor,3007c537f)
* [Sicherung Straße von Hormus: Deutsche Marine bereitet Einsatz in Straße von Hormus vor — news.de](https://www.news.de/politik/859536379/deutsche-marine-bereitet-einsatz-in-strasse-von-hormus-vor/1/)
* [Ölpreise, Linke, AfD: Strategiewechsel und ein Schminkteam am Unfallort (Hormus-Bezug) — taz.de](https://taz.de/Oelpreise-Linke-AfD/!6172220/)
* [Vertrauliche Gespräche: Diese EU-Länder planten bereits vor Wochen Militäroperation in Straße von Hormus — welt.de](https://www.welt.de/politik/article69df37df40aab24936cd19de/vertrauliche-gespraeche-diese-eu-laender-planten-bereits-vor-wochen-militaeroperation-in-strasse-von-hormus.html)
* [Iran-Verhandlungen bringen Hoffnung auf Kriegsende – und dann möglichen Einsatz der Bundeswehr — zdfheute.de](https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/ausland/iran-krieg-ende-hoffnung-bundeswehr-100.html)
* [Iran-Liveblog: Trump: USA beschlagnahmen iranischen Frachter — tagesschau.de](https://www.tagesschau.de/newsticker/liveblog-iran-sonntag-110.html)
* [„Solange es eine Seeblockade gibt": Trump kündigt neue Verhandlungen am Montag an — tagesspiegel.de](https://www.tagesspiegel.de/internationales/liveblog/solange-es-eine-seeblockade-gibt-trump-kundigt-neue-verhandlungen-am-montag-an--iran-blockt-ab-10586281.html)
* [Bei Rettungsmission zweier US-Soldaten im Iran: Berater hielten Trump von Krisensitzung fern — tagesspiegel.de](https://www.tagesspiegel.de/internationales/liveblog/bei-rettungsmission-zweier-us-soldaten-im-iran-berater-hielten-trump-offenbar-von-krisensitzung-fern-10586281.html)
* [Iran-Liveblog: Trump rechnet in «ein oder zwei Tagen» mit Iran-Deal — tagesschau.de](https://www.tagesschau.de/newsticker/liveblog-iran-freitag-110.html)
* [Britische Außenministerin warnt vor Zöllen für die Straße von Hormus — finanzen.net](https://www.finanzen.net/nachricht/aktien/britische-aussenministerin-warnt-vor-zoellen-fuer-die-strasse-von-hormus-15614482)
* [Germany is not taking part in the Iran war, but it is feeling its effects, Finance Minister says — reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/business/germany-is-not-taking-part-iran-war-it-is-feeling-its-effects-finance-minister-2026-04-15/)
* [Hannover: Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz will Nationalen Sicherheitsrat wegen Kerosinmangels einberufen — spiegel.de](https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/hannover-bundeskanzler-friedrich-merz-will-nationalen-sicherheitsrat-wegen-kerosinmangel-einberufen-a-0ee6f9a0-3cf2-4e70-8902-611d050ab611)
* [Kanzler Friedrich Merz will Nationalen Sicherheitsrat einberufen — stern.de](https://www.stern.de/politik/kanzler-friedrich-merz-will-nationalen-sicherheitsrat-einberufen-37323784.html)
* [Klingbeil fordert Vorbereitungen auf Kerosinmangel — tagesschau.de](https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/klingbeil-warnung-kerosinmangel-100.html)
* [Kerosinmangel droht ab Mai – Klingbeil sieht Reiche gefordert — zdfheute.de](https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/deutschland/kerosin-mangel-klingbeil-vorbereitungen-100.html)
* ['Sehr ernst nehmen': Klingbeil warnt vor Kerosinmangel – Reiche widerspricht — t-online.de](https://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/deutschland/innenpolitik/id_101218822/kerosin-mangel-klingbeil-warnt-reiche-widerspricht.html)
* [Möglicher Kerosinmangel: Ministerin Reiche lädt zu Krisensitzung – und warnt vor 'Alarmismus' — welt.de](https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article69e31f90f2a72ab0b3a6c9e5/herausfordernde-situation-klingbeil-fordert-reiche-wegen-drohendem-kerosinmangel-zum-handeln-auf-sie-warnt-vor-alarmismus.html)
* [Klingbeil zum Tankrabatt: 'Bin nicht 100 Prozent überzeugt' — zdfheute.de](https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/deutschland/klingbeil-energiekrise-tankrabatt-100.html)
* [Krieg und Energiekrise: Klingbeil für weitere Entlastungen offen — n-tv.de](https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Klingbeil-fuer-weitere-Entlastungen-offen-id30730580.html)
* [Kerosin-Krise: Klingbeil und Reiche sind sich nicht einig! — derwesten.de](https://www.derwesten.de/politik/klingbeil-reiche-kerosin-bundesregierung-id302043577.html)
* [Iran-Krieg: Klingbeil warnt vor Kerosinmangel und fordert Gegenmaßnahmen — handelsblatt.com](https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/iran-krieg-klingbeil-warnt-vor-kerosinmangel-und-fordert-gegenmassnahmen/100218026.html)
* [Energiekrise: Lars Klingbeil fordert Katherina Reiche zu Vorbereitung auf Kerosinmangel auf — spiegel.de](https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/energiekrise-lars-klingbeil-fordert-katherina-reiche-zu-vorbereitung-auf-kerosinmangel-auf-a-ee3c436d-66d0-4ca4-89f3-2476f5f9291a)
* [Spritpreis-Paket der Koalition: Ist das der Start in ein Reformjahr? — tagesschau.de](https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/union-spd-energiepreise-reformen-100.html)
* [Iran-Krieg und Energiepreiskrise: Klingbeil für weitere Entlastung offen — sueddeutsche.de](https://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/iran-krieg-und-energiepreiskrise-klingbeil-fuer-weitere-entlastung-offen-li.3470602)
* [ROUNDUP 2: Klingbeil und Miersch für weitere Entlastung offen — ariva.de](https://www.ariva.de/news/roundup-2-klingbeil-und-miersch-fuer-weitere-entlastung-11974194)
* [Lars Klingbeil schließt weitere Entlastung für Bürger nicht aus — rtl.de](https://www.rtl.de/news/lars-klingbeil-schliesst-weitere-entlastung-fuer-buerger-nicht-aus-id30730719.html)
* [Iran-Krieg im Liveticker: Merz: Wohl nur Rutte und ich können noch gut mit Trump reden — n-tv.de](https://www.n-tv.de/politik/21-35-Merz-Wohl-nur-Rutte-und-ich-koennen-noch-gut-mit-Trump-reden-id30415311.html)
* [Deutschland: Trübe Wachstumsprognose, Rezession unwahrscheinlich — zdfheute.de](https://www.zdfheute.de/wirtschaft/wirtschaft-wachstum-rezession-iwf-iran-100.html)
* [Germany: Neighbor attacked for pounding schnitzel too loudly (live blog incl. NSR/energy) — dw.com](https://www.dw.com/en/germany-news-neighbor-attacked-for-pounding-schnitzel-too-loudly/live-76840275)
* [Klingbeil offen für weitere Gespräche über Gesundheitsreform — onvista.de](https://www.onvista.de/news/2026/04-19-klingbeil-offen-fuer-weitere-gespraeche-ueber-gesundheitsreform-0-10-26502309)
* [Erneute Merz-Klatsche: AfD mit Rekordvorsprung auf Union — focus.de](https://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/erneute-merz-klatsche-afd-mit-rekordvorsprung-auf-union_6574309d-9c35-4386-9c98-6202c0fdccdd.html)
* [CDU/CSU nur noch bei 24 Prozent: AfD liegt in neuer Umfrage drei Punkte vor der Union — tagesspiegel.de](https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/cducsu-nur-noch-bei-24-prozent-afd-liegt-in-neuer-umfrage-drei-punkte-vor-der-union-15496539.html)
* [Umfrage-Schock für Merz: Auch im ZDF-Politbarometer kippt die Stimmung gegen die Union — t-online.de](https://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/deutschland/innenpolitik/id_101217148/politbarometer-afd-liegt-in-zdf-umfrage-erstmals-vor-der-union-von-merz.html)
* [RTL/ntv Trendbarometer: Drei Gründe, warum Merz so unbeliebt ist — n-tv.de](https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Drei-Gruende-warum-Merz-so-unbeliebt-ist-id30712503.html)
* [Umfrage-Hammer: AfD hängt Union ab – 79 Prozent der Deutschen mit Merz-Regierung unzufrieden — merkur.de](https://www.merkur.de/politik/afd-in-neuer-umfrage-klar-staerkste-kraft-vor-union-zr-94262341.html)
* [Germany news: Far-right AfD ahead of Merz's conservatives — dw.com](https://www.dw.com/en/germany-news-far-right-afd-ahead-of-merzs-conservatives/live-76817891)
* [Sonntagsfrage Unternehmer: AfD vor Union — nius.de](https://nius.de/statistik/sonntagsfrage-unternehmer-afd-vor-union)
* [AfD Overtakes CDU/CSU: Merz Faces Record Unpopularity — europeanconservative.com](https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news-corner/afd-polling-cdu-csu-friedrich-merz-rating-record-unpopularity/)
* [Barometer: AfD in Deutschland erstmals vor der Union — diepresse.com](https://www.diepresse.com/20776224/barometer-afd-in-deutschland-erstmals-vor-der-union)
* [Wahlumfrage: AfD ist auch im ZDF-»Politbarometer« erstmals stärkste Kraft — zeit.de](https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2026-04/wahlumfrage-afd-zdf-politbarometer-staerkste-kraft-sonntagsfrage-gxe)
* [ZDF-Politbarometer: AfD erstmals vor Union — zdfheute.de](https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/deutschland/politbarometer-sonntagsfrage-energiepreise-100.html)
* [AfD klar stärkste Kraft bei Wahlumfrage – CDU unter 20 Prozent — pi-news.net](https://pi-news.net/2026/04/afd-klar-staerkste-kraft-bei-wahlumfrage-cdu-unter-20-prozent/)
* [Umfrage-Hammer: So groß war Abstand zwischen AfD und Union noch nie — tag24.de](https://www.tag24.de/nachrichten/politik/deutschland/afd-baut-vorsprung-in-den-umfragen-auf-rekordniveau-weiter-aus-3491211)
* [Neueste Wahlumfragen im Wahltrend / Sonntagsfrage — dawum.de](https://dawum.de/Bundestag/)
* [AfD klar stärkste Kraft – deutliche Verluste für Union — web.de](https://web.de/magazine/politik/inland/afd-staerkste-kraft-deutliche-verluste-union-42121224)
* [Friedrich Merz und die Frage, die er nicht mehr beantwortet — schwaebische.de](https://schwaebische.de/politik/friedrich-merz-und-die-frage-die-er-nicht-mehr-beantwortet-4502163)
* [Umfrage-Überraschung im Norden: Merz-CDU und SPD verlieren massiv – AfD zieht davon — fr.de](https://www.fr.de/politik/umfrage-knall-im-norden-merz-cdu-und-spd-verlieren-massiv-zr-94264582.html)
* [AfD vor SPD, CDU verliert, doch Schwarz-Grün bleibt Favorit in neuer Schleswig-Holstein-Umfrage — ndr.de](https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/sonntagsfrage-schwarz-gruen-haelt-mehrheit-afd-zweistellig,infratest-104.html)
* **Hannover Messe opens with Merz-Lula bilateral talks on trade, climate, and world order** — Friedrich Merz, the chancellor, and Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president, opened the Hannover industrial fair on April 19, holding talks on the EU-Mercosur free-trade agreement, climate cooperation and shared responses to the American president. German-Brazilian government consultations were scheduled to continue on Monday; Mr Merz also rejected US threats of intervention in Cuba at a joint press conference with Mr Lula. *([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/germanys-merz-brazils-lula-stress-close-european-brazilian-cooperation-2026-04-19/))*
* **Germany joins Paris Hormuz conference, offers Bundeswehr mine-clearing vessels contingent on ceasefire** — Friedrich Merz, the chancellor, attended a multilateral Paris conference on April 18 with Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer and Giorgia Meloni to plan a potential international naval mission securing the Strait of Hormuz after the Iran war. Mr Merz offered German participation via mine-clearing ships and maritime reconnaissance aircraft, conditioning any deployment on a stable ceasefire and international legal mandate. Boris Pistorius, the defence minister, confirmed the Bundeswehr had begun concrete planning; Mr Merz also convened the newly established National Security Council to address the energy situation. *([tagesschau.de](https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/asien/hormus-konferenz-paris-100.html))*
* **Germany-Ukraine defence partnership: Zelenskyy visits Berlin, joint drone production deal signed** — Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, travelled to Berlin on April 14 for German-Ukrainian government consultations, resulting in a strategic defence partnership including joint drone production agreements and cooperation on air defence. Germany will gain access to Ukrainian drone expertise while providing additional support. Boris Pistorius, the German defence minister, and Fedorov also met at the Bendlerblock. *([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-germany-drones-431729ff9d7fa55e88b227334371c358))*
* **Ukraine Contact Group meets in Berlin: Germany pledges Patriot missiles, warns against focus shift from Ukraine** — Boris Pistorius, the defence minister, co-hosted the 34th Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting in Berlin on April 15 alongside John Healey, his British counterpart. Germany pledged hundreds of Patriot missiles and additional IRIS-T systems; the UK committed 120,000 drones. Mr Pistorius warned against the Iran war distracting international attention from Ukraine, noting Russia profits from rising oil prices. *([tagesschau.de](https://www.bmvg.de/de/aktuelles/pistorius-udcg-treffen-berlin-zeichen-geschlossenheit-6090722))*
* **Germany-Israel relations deteriorate after far-right minister compares Merz to Nazis** — German-Israeli diplomatic tensions escalated after Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's finance minister, posted a historically charged attack on Friedrich Merz, the chancellor, using Nazi-era ghetto imagery in response to Mr Merz expressing concern over Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank during a phone call with Netanyahu. Israel's ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, publicly condemned the attack as eroding Holocaust memory; the episode intensified a broader estrangement dating to Germany halting some arms exports in 2025. *([dw.com](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/14/israeli-ambassador-germany-condemns-bezalel-smotrich-chancellor-friedrich-merz-nazi-regime))*
* **Berlin hosts Sudan donor conference; Germany and international partners pledge over €1.3 billion** — Johann Wadephul, the foreign minister, hosted the Third International Sudan Conference in Berlin on April 15, securing pledges exceeding €1.3–1.5 billion in humanitarian aid from international donors. Germany committed €212–230 million of its own. Mr Wadephul called Sudan the world's worst humanitarian crisis and pledged to keep pressure on the UN Security Council. Sudan's military government had sharply criticised the conference before it took place. *([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/germany-pledges-212-mln-euros-sudan-berlin-conference-2026-04-15/))*
* **AfD leads CDU/CSU in all major polls for first time; Merz records historic approval low** — Multiple major polling institutes — the Second German Television (ZDF) Politbarometer, the Institut für neue soziale Antworten, YouGov and Forsa — published surveys during the week showing the Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) for the first time, with one institute recording a three-point margin (27% vs 24%). Simultaneously, Friedrich Merz's personal approval fell to a record low of 20–25%, with around 80% of Germans dissatisfied with the federal government, making him the most unpopular leader among those polled in a Morning Consult study of 24 democracies. *([focus.de](https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/deutschland/politbarometer-sonntagsfrage-energiepreise-100.html))*
* **Government announces energy price relief package: fuel tax cut and €1,000 employee bonus** — The coalition of the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) agreed on a relief package including a two-month fuel tax cut of approximately 17 cents per litre (Tankrabatt) and a proposed tax-free €1,000 employee premium, responding to the Iran war's energy price impact. The Bundestag held a first reading of the fuel tax bill; the package drew criticism from the Greens, industry groups and opposition as inadequate or structurally flawed. *([tagesschau.de](https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/union-spd-energiepreise-reformen-100.html))*
* **Klingbeil-Reiche coalition clash: SPD Finance Minister blocks CDU economic minister's energy laws** — A major intra-coalition dispute erupted between Lars Klingbeil, the finance minister and Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader, and Katherina Reiche, the economics minister (CDU), over energy legislation. Mr Klingbeil's ministry vetoed several of Ms Reiche's draft laws, including a renewable energy act revision, calling them a brake on Germany's energy transition. The clash was compounded by Ms Reiche's alleged proximity to gas lobby interests and a separate row over her public criticism of the SPD. Friedrich Merz first distanced himself from Ms Reiche, then reversed course and expressed full support at a CDU board meeting. *([spiegel.de](https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/energie-klingbeil-stellt-sich-gegen-zentrale-energiegesetze-von-reiche/100217092.html))*
* **Iran war's economic impact on Germany debated at IMF; Bundesbank rules out recession** — Lars Klingbeil, the finance minister, attended the IMF/World Bank spring meetings in Washington, where the IMF cut Germany's 2026 growth forecast by 0.3 percentage points to 0.8%. Joachim Nagel, the Bundesbank president, said a recession was unlikely despite the oil price shock from the Strait of Hormuz blockade, calling Hormuz the 'Achilles heel of the global economy.' Mr Nagel also indicated the European Central Bank (ECB) would keep all options open for its upcoming rate decision. *([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/business/germany-is-not-taking-part-iran-war-it-is-feeling-its-effects-finance-minister-2026-04-15/))*
* **Klingbeil attends Barcelona progressive summit, draws domestic criticism** — Lars Klingbeil, the vice-chancellor and leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), attended two left-of-centre international conferences in Barcelona on April 19, including an 'In Defence of Democracy' summit organised by Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, and a socialist and progressive parties meeting. Mr Klingbeil called for coordinated action against a 'global right.' The events drew criticism from conservative commentators who noted he used official ministry channels to promote them and attended in his government rather than party capacity. *([zeit.de](https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2026-04/spanien-barcelona-pedro-sanchez-linke-demokratie-angriff))*
* **Pistorius bans private phones from Bundeswehr facilities over Russia/China espionage fears** — Boris Pistorius, the defence minister, issued a directive restricting private smartphones and smartwatches in sensitive areas of the Federal Defence Ministry (known as the Bendlerblock) and Bundeswehr installations, citing acute eavesdropping risks from Russian and Chinese intelligence services. The Bundeswehr was described as a priority target for foreign espionage. *([tagesspiegel.de](https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/boris-pistorius-verbannt-privathandys-aus-den-amtsstuben-spionagegefahr-a-f3e7b805-fcf6-4c42-ab20-dbd1cd1fa683))*
* **Bundeswehr restructuring: Applicants up 20%, procurement approvals, new exercises and facilities** — Multiple concurrent Bundeswehr stories covered the week: applications rose 20% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026 to about 22,700 as Mr Pistorius races to build war readiness; the Bundestag's budget committee (Haushaltsausschuss) approved €1.9 billion in procurement including Rheinmetall drones for the Lithuania brigade; the Wiesel light tank was successfully airdropped from an A400M for the first time; major exercises 'Orange Road' involving about 1,000 military police (Feldjäger) troops ran across southern Germany; and the Bundeswehr agreed to return to the former MFG-5 naval airfield in Kiel. *([rp-online.de](https://rp-online.de/politik/deutschland/bundeswehr-20-prozent-mehr-bewerber-bei-der-bundeswehr_aid-146971039))*
* **Steinmeier's 'Ortszeit Deutschland' visit to Stralsund coincides with viral Baltic whale story** — Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the federal president, relocated his office to Stralsund for three days (April 14–16) as the 18th stop of his 'Ortszeit Deutschland' (Local Time Germany) regional outreach programme, visiting the Volkswerft shipyard, hosting citizen dialogues on Ukraine and migration, and meeting local business and social groups. His visit overlapped with intense national media attention on a stranded humpback whale, 'Timmy', near Wismar; Mr Steinmeier met marine experts at the Ozeaneum and called for moderation in social media debates about the whale. A privately funded rescue attempt using airbags was organised and covered extensively.
***
### 
United Kingdom
Peter Mandelson failed security vetting before being installed as Britain's ambassador to Washington. The revelation has put Keir Starmer's leadership under more pressure than at any point since he took office, one week before King Charles III arrives in the United States to repair the relationship.
Mandelson was already a controversial appointment: the American president had made his hostility plain, and his Epstein connections had attracted scrutiny. He took the Washington post without passing the required vetting. Starmer sacked Olly Robbins, the Foreign Office permanent secretary, claiming Robbins had kept him in the dark. Every opposition leader rejected the explanation. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, reduced the choice to four words — "lying or grossly incompetent" — and the phrase dominated coverage from Reuters to Al Jazeera.
Starmer's survival depends on cabinet solidarity, not parliamentary arithmetic. Labour's 411-seat majority makes a no-confidence vote impossible, but it cannot restore the governing authority that is draining away. David Lammy, the foreign secretary, and Liz Kendall went public over the weekend to back their leader — the kind of visible loyalty that signals the cabinet is not yet moving. Bloomberg ran a successor-candidate analysis; prediction markets moved sharply on resignation odds. Ministers, the newsletter noted, are "watching and waiting."
Buckingham Palace confirmed this week that King Charles and Queen Camilla will make a four-day state visit to the United States April 27 to 30, stopping in Washington, New York and Virginia before continuing to Bermuda. The king will address a joint session of Congress and meet privately with the American president. The visit aims to repair the relationship — bypassing the friction between Starmer and the White House and the tensions over the Iran war that have strained ties.
That channel depends on coordination between Whitehall and Washington. It is now compromised. The Foreign Office has just lost its permanent secretary. Its ambassador in Washington has a disputed vetting status and Epstein ties that have re-emerged to shadow any contact with the president's team. The diplomatic apparatus — the officials who do the detailed work a state visit requires — has been gutted precisely when it is most needed.
Removing Robbins — the most senior career civil servant in the Foreign Office — is an extraordinary act. If he withheld material information from the prime minister, that is a serious breach of the civil service's duty of candour. If he did not, the damage to Whitehall norms will outlast the immediate crisis. Either way, the consequences for the relationship between ministers and officials will be lasting.
The government made no defence or security announcements this week — unusual for a government a week from a major diplomatic occasion, particularly as military cooperation over the Iran war remains unresolved. The Mandelson crisis appears to have absorbed all government communication, leaving scheduled announcements unmade and the week's other business suspended.
* **Mandelson security vetting scandal puts Starmer's leadership on the line** — Keir Starmer faced a parliamentary showdown and calls for his resignation after it emerged that Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting before being appointed Britain's ambassador to Washington. Starmer sacked Olly Robbins, the Foreign Office permanent secretary, claiming he had been kept in the dark, but opposition leaders — including Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, and all other major party leaders — branded the explanation a lie or evidence of gross incompetence. David Lammy, the foreign secretary, and Liz Kendall rallied publicly behind Starmer over the weekend, ahead of his statement to the Commons on Monday. *([reuters.com](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/world/europe/uk-starmer-mandelson-foreign-office-robbins-fired.html))*
* **King Charles III to make first US state visit as monarch, aiming to repair UK-US rift** — Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will make a four-day state visit to the United States April 27–30, stopping in Washington, D.C., New York and Virginia, followed by a visit to Bermuda on May 1–2. Charles will address a joint session of Congress and meet privately with the American president. London hopes the visit will ease tensions caused by the Iran war and the friction between Starmer and the White House. Commentators noted the visit carries diplomatic risk given unresolved questions about Prince Andrew's Epstein ties.
* [UK's Starmer seeks to deflect blame over Mandelson appointment — reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-starmer-faces-parliament-over-mandelson-vetting-resignation-demands-swirl-2026-04-19/)
* [Keir Starmer would have blocked Peter Mandelson over vetting, says David Lammy — bbc.com](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80m2z42pr1o)
* [Five questions awaiting Starmer as he faces Commons over Mandelson scandal — bbc.com](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yw6egnjg2o)
* [Starmer's Mandelson nightmare never ends. This time, it may cost him his job as UK leader — apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/britain-starmer-mandelson-epstein-vetting-ambassador-trump-35c2c302e7370efcd0098b5b9419c72e)
* [Starmer Faces Commons Grilling Over Mandelson Vetting Controversy — bloomberg.com](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-19/starmer-nears-showdown-with-sacked-official-over-mandelson-saga)
* [Allies back Starmer as Mandelson-Epstein connection leaves U.K. leader fighting for his job — latimes.com](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-04-19/allies-back-starmer-as-mandelson-epstein-leave-uk-leader-fighting-for-his-job)
* [British PM Starmer under new pressure to resign over U.S. ambassador appointment — nbcnews.com](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/united-kingdom/british-pm-starmer-new-pressure-resign-us-ambassador-appointment-rcna332302)
* [Allies back Starmer as Mandelson and Epstein leave the UK leader fighting for his job — apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/keir-starmer-mandelson-epstein-ambassador-security-vetting-266cda693968937f15a661f39f48663c)
* [Starmer Fires Senior U.K. Civil Servant Over Mandelson Revelations — nytimes.com](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/world/europe/uk-starmer-mandelson-foreign-office-robbins-fired.html)
* [Newspaper headlines: 'Commons showdown' and 'Starmer fights for future' — bbc.com](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yw67p205xo)
* [Newspaper headlines: 'Starmer in peril' and 'Gunners hero dead' — bbc.com](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78lqv241zpo)
* [Starmer faces calls to resign as UK government admits ambassador to US failed vetting process — yahoo.com](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/starmer-faces-calls-resign-uk-185204183.html)
* [Starmer rejects calls to resign over Mandelson appointment as pressure builds — apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/mandelson-epstein-starmer-security-resignation-6eb6ed59845c9ebac87607a7f6b09829)
* [Starmer encuentra apoyos en una crisis que pone en juego su cargo de primer ministro — chicagotribune.com](https://chicagotribune.com/2026/04/19/starmer-encuentra-apoyos-en-una-crisis-que-pone-en-juego-su-cargo-de-primer-ministro)
* [UK prime minister Starmer faces pressure to resign, pleads ignorance over Mandelson — cnn.com](https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/16/europe/peter-mandelson-failed-security-vetting-intl)
* [Mandelson, a Friend of Epstein's, Became U.S. Ambassador Despite Failing Security Vetting — nytimes.com](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/16/world/europe/peter-mandelson-epstein-starmer-security.html)
* [Starmer's Cabinet Watches and Waits as Mandelson Scandal Returns — bloomberg.com](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-17/starmer-s-cabinet-watches-and-waits-as-mandelson-scandal-returns)
* [Starmer resignation odds surge after Mandelson fallout — news.kalshi.com](https://news.kalshi.com/p/starmer-resignation-odds-surge-mandelson-appointment-uk)
* [Starmer: a weak, professionally incompetent and negligent man — taxresearch.org.uk](https://taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2026/04/19/starmer-a-weak-professionally-incompetent-and-negligent-man)
* [Starmer says it is 'staggering' and 'unforgivable' he was not told Mandelson failed vetting – as it happened — theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/apr/17/peter-mandelson-keir-starmer-olly-robbins-vetting-foreign-office-latest-news-updates)
* [UK ministers back Starmer as calls grow for PM to resign — union-bulletin.com](https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/world/uk-ministers-back-starmer-as-calls-grow-for-pm-to-resign/article_512f8b8c-7d2f-5b44-a690-8f19f9de2e43.html)
* ['Almost like a Bond villain': why Labour MPs expect Starmer to cling on as PM — theguardian.com](https://theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/17/labour-mps-keir-starmer-prime-minister)
* [UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Crisis Over Peter Mandelson Scandal — bloomberg.com](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-04-17/uk-prime-minister-keir-starmer-in-crisis-over-peter-mandelson-scandal)
* [The Starmer scandal — lionelbarber.substack.com](https://lionelbarber.substack.com/p/the-starmer-scandal)
* [Olly Robbins 'thrown under bus' by No 10, says ex-Foreign Office chief — theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2026/apr/18/keir-starmer-peter-mandelson-olly-robbins-antonia-romeo-labour-uk-politics-latest-news-updates)
* [Starmer rechaza dimitir por nombrar a amigo de Epstein como embajador en Washington — apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/starmer-epstein-mandelson-nombramiento-dimision-reino-unido-6e7cb6965b1981f04fba5d2f40153551)
* [Will Keir Starmer resign? — aljazeera.com](https://www.aljazeera.com/video/inside-story/2026/4/18/will-keir-starmer-resign)
* [British Prime Minister Starmer faces angry lawmakers over Mandelson's appointment as ambassador — thegazette.com](https://www.thegazette.com/news/world/british-prime-minister-starmer-faces-angry-lawmakers-over-mandelsons-appointment-as-ambassador/article_3ef84a1c-2e0e-5d6b-9477-86425dd9d995.html)
* [It is 'inconceivable' that Sir Keir Starmer and David Lammy were not told about Peter Mandelson failing the security vetting — aol.com](https://www.aol.com/articles/no-way-lammy-wasn-t-173349207.html)
* [UK's Lammy Signals Support for PM Starmer Over Latest Mandelson Row — usnews.com](https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-04-18/uks-lammy-signals-support-for-pm-starmer-over-latest-mandelson-row)
* [Lammy rallies behind Starmer as rival party leaders double down on calls for PM to go over Mandelson row — lbc.co.uk](https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/lammy-rallies-behind-starmer-mandelson-vetting-5HjdXxz_2/)
* [Starmer nears showdown with sacked official over Mandelson saga — hanfordsentinel.com](https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/national/starmer-nears-showdown-with-sacked-official-over-mandelson-saga/article_c66978e7-5398-5120-b492-113950eabb81.html)
* [AP News Summary at 4:04 p.m. EDT — thegazette.com](https://www.thegazette.com/news/national/ap-news-summary-at-3-13-p-m-edt/article_93218662-2cad-5d1f-9733-e25d31d63ae1.html)
* [Lammy backs Starmer amid Mandelson row, easing Labour pressure — cryptobriefing.com](https://cryptobriefing.com/lammy-backs-starmer-amid-mandelson-row-easing-labour-pressure/)
* [Allies back Starmer as Mandelson and Epstein leave the UK leader fighting for his job — thetelegraph.com](https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/world/article/allies-back-starmer-as-mandelson-and-epstein-22214405.php)
* [UK's Starmer to face grilling from MPs over Mandelson scandal — purdueexponent.org](https://www.purdueexponent.org/news/national/uks-starmer-to-face-grilling-from-mps-over-mandelson-scandal/article_5c68a3eb-27c4-582b-9efd-399e77987bc6.html)
* [Diplomatic Scandal: Mandelson's Controversial Appointment Stirs Political Storm — devdiscourse.com](https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/politics/3879339-diplomatic-scandal-mandelsons-controversial-appointment-stirs-political-storm)
* [UK ministers back Starmer amid fresh calls to quit — manilatimes.net](https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/04/19/world/uk-ministers-back-starmer-amid-fresh-calls-to-quit/2323444)
* [Allies rally behind Starmer as Mandelson scandal puts UK prime minister under pressure — emirates247.com](https://www.emirates247.com/world/allies-rally-behind-starmer-as-mandelson-scandal-puts-uk-prime-minister-under-pressure/945)
* [Keir Starmer to address House of Commons on latest Peter Mandelson revelations — manchestereveningnews.co.uk](https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/keir-starmer-address-house-commons-33797423)
* [Downing Street rallies behind Prime Minister as 'judgment day' looms amid Peter Mandelson vetting scandal — manchestereveningnews.co.uk](https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/downing-street-rallies-behind-prime-33794333)
* [El caso Epstein vuelve a complicar a Starmer y esta vez podría costarle el cargo — lanacion.com.ar](https://www.lanacion.com.ar/el-mundo/el-caso-epstein-vuelve-a-complicar-a-starmer-y-esta-vez-podria-costarle-el-cargo-nid18042026/)
* [Starmer se juega esta semana su futuro político al dar explicaciones sobre el polémico caso Mandelson — larazon.es](https://www.larazon.es/internacional/starmer-juega-esta-semana-futuro-politico-dar-explicaciones-polemico-caso-mandelson_2026041969e4fc14097ebe16ad7ebc6f.html)
* [UK PM Starmer sacks Foreign Office Chief Olly Robbins over Mandelson vetting scandal — firstpost.com](https://www.firstpost.com/world/keir-starmer-sacks-olly-robbins-foreign-office-chief-over-madelson-vetting-scandal-uk-epstein-14001333.html)
* [Keir Starmer recibe el apoyo de sus ministro un día antes de su presentación en el Parlamento británico por el caso Mandelson — infobae.com](https://www.infobae.com/america/mundo/2026/04/19/keir-starmer-recibe-el-apoyo-de-sus-ministro-un-dia-antes-de-su-presentacion-en-el-parlamento-britanico-por-el-caso-mandelson/)
* [Epstein Fallout: Starmer Slammed Over Controversial Mandelson Appointment — timesnownews.com](https://www.timesnownews.com/world/europe/epstein-fallout-starmer-slammed-over-controversial-mandelson-appointment-article-154104036)
* [Kemi Badenoch: Sir Keir Starmer is 'lying or grossly incompetent' — news.sky.com](https://news.sky.com/video/kemi-badenoch-sir-keir-starmer-is-lying-or-grossly-incompetent-13533151)
* [Badenoch slams Starmer's 'preposterous' claims about Mandelson vetting failure — independent.co.uk](https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/starmer-mandelson-vetting-badenoch-b2960053.html)
* [Starmer accused of a 'cover-up' over Mandelson vetting scandal — independent.co.uk](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/starmer-mandelson-vetting-epstein-badenoch-b2959968.html)
* [Senior official ousted over Mandelson security row to face MPs — rainbowradioonline.com](https://rainbowradioonline.com/2026/04/18/senior-official-ousted-over-mandelson-security-row-to-face-mps/)
* [Starmer rejects calls to resign over Mandelson appointment as pressure builds — smdailyjournal.com](https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/world/starmer-rejects-calls-to-resign-over-mandelson-appointment-as-pressure-builds/article_c71ff310-beed-473c-9304-a1a8bdc9bcbf.html)
* [Starmer faces calls to step down after appointing Epstein associate — euronews.com](https://www.euronews.com/2026/04/18/starmer-faces-calls-to-step-down-after-appointing-epstein-associate)
* [Starmer's Mandelson nightmare never ends. This time, it may cost him his job as UK leader — smdailyjournal.com](https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/world/starmers-mandelson-nightmare-never-ends-this-time-it-may-cost-him-his-job-as-uk/article_85c77963-5085-59bf-8ef9-ec68831e7fae.html)
* [Starmer's Mandelson nightmare never ends — messenger-inquirer.com](https://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/national/starmers-mandelson-nightmare-never-ends/article_563f0676-1abe-5b99-924e-4688af743155.html)
* [Lammy backs Starmer amid Mandelson appointment vetting scandal — prismnews.com](https://www.prismnews.com/news/lammy-backs-starmer-amid-mandelson-appointment-vetting)
* [The Labour Contenders Who Could Replace a Weakened Starmer — financialpost.com](https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/the-labour-contenders-who-could-replace-a-weakened-starmer)
* [Starmer faces calls to resign as UK government admits ambassador to U.S. failed vetting process — japantoday.com](https://japantoday.com/category/world/starmer-faces-calls-to-resign-as-uk-government-admits-ambassador-to-us-failed-vetting-process)
* [Starmer's Credibility Just Took Another Body Blow Over the Mandelson Scandal — nytimes.com](https://nytimes.com/2026/04/17/world/europe/starmer-credibility-mandelson-epstein-scandal.html)
* [Lammy rallies behind Starmer amid Mandelson row, easing Labour pressure (via Diplomatic Scandal article) — devdiscourse.com](https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/politics/3879339-diplomatic-scandal-mandelsons-controversial-appointment-stirs-political-storm)
* [Starmer nears showdown with sacked official over Mandelson saga — bloomberg.com](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-19/starmer-nears-showdown-with-sacked-official-over-mandelson-saga)
* [King Charles III and Queen Camilla Will Visit D.C., New York and Virginia — nytimes.com](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/world/europe/king-charles-queen-camilla-us-visit.html)
* [King Charles is about to meet Trump and the timing could not be worse — smh.com.au](https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/king-charles-is-about-to-meet-trump-and-the-timing-could-not-be-worse-20260418-p5zoz0.html)
* [King won't meet Epstein survivors, but state visit could help ease US-UK tensions — bbc.com](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg44q1zdeno)
* [King Charles to address joint meeting of Congress and meet privately with Trump on US state visit — cnn.com](https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/14/world/king-charles-trump-state-visit-latam-intl)
* [King Charles III and Queen Camilla to visit NYC during U.S. trip — cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/king-charles-queen-camilla-nyc-visit-2026/)
* [King Charles, Queen Camilla unveil itinerary for upcoming US visit — thehill.com](https://thehill.com/policy/international/5832758-king-charles-queen-camilla-us-trip-itinerary/)
* [King Charles, Camila plan royal NYC visit: What to know — nbcnewyork.com](https://www.nbcnewyork.com/new-york-city/royal-nyc-visit-when-king-charles-queen-camila/6490246/)
* [Find out what King Charles III will do on his state visit to America — apnews.com](https://apnews.com/video/find-out-what-king-charles-iii-will-do-on-his-state-visit-to-america-0000019d9763db4aa99ddfe734ee0000)
* [King Charles to head to US to woo Trump and restore 'closest of friendships' — reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/king-charles-head-us-woo-trump-restore-closest-friendships-2026-04-14/)
* [Why are King Charles III and Queen Camilla visiting Washington DC? — yahoo.com](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/why-king-charles-iii-queen-181646357.html)
* [King Charles III and Queen Camilla are coming to DC. Why, and when? — usatoday.com](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2026/04/16/king-charles-iii-and-queen-camilla-are-coming-to-dc-why-and-when/89621195007/)
* [Britain's King Charles to charm Trump on state visit overshadowed by US-UK rift — scmp.com](https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350114/britains-king-charles-charm-trump-state-visit-overshadowed-us-uk-rift)
* [King Charles III and Queen Camilla to visit Virginia at the end of April — rocktownnow.com](https://rocktownnow.com/news/218812-king-charles-iii-and-queen-camilla-to-visit-virginia-at-the-end-of-april/)
* [The King and Queen of England are coming to NYC — pix11.com](https://pix11.com/news/local-news/the-king-and-queen-of-england-are-coming-to-nyc/)
* [King Charles' State Visit to See Trump Has a Major Problem — newsweek.com](https://www.newsweek.com/king-charles-state-visit-trump-major-problem-11831659)
* [UK banks on royal diplomacy to soothe a strained alliance with Trump — courthousenews.com](https://www.courthousenews.com/uk-banks-on-royal-diplomacy-to-soothe-a-strained-alliance-with-trump/)
* [Palace Reveals Details of King Charles' State Visit — newser.com](https://newser.com/story/387368/palace-reveals-details-of-king-charles-state-visit.html)
* [King Charles, Queen Camilla head to America: What to expect on their state visit — goodmorningamerica.com](https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/king-charles-camilla-state-visit-united-states-131)
***
### 
Italy
The American president gave Corriere della Sera an exclusive interview this week declaring that Giorgia Meloni, Italy's prime minister, had lost his respect. No modern US president has attacked a sitting allied leader in her own country's newspaper of record.
Two decisions by Ms Meloni triggered it. She refused to let US bombers use Naval Air Station Sigonella — Italy's main air hub in the Mediterranean — for strikes on Iran. Then she called the president's attacks on Pope Leo XIV "unacceptable." His response in the Corriere was blunt: "I thought she had courage, but I was wrong. Italy wasn't there for us; we won't be there for it." The explicit threat to withdraw US security guarantees confirmed that Washington took the Sigonella refusal as a genuine defection, not a negotiating position.
The rupture has not weakened Ms Meloni at home. Nine in ten Italians are worried about energy prices from the Iran war, and 80% view the American president unfavourably. Opposition parties — the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement — both defended her. Elly Schlein, the Democratic Party leader, called the attack "unacceptable." Il Foglio called this cross-party solidarity the week's most notable domestic consequence. Ms Meloni comes out personally stronger, at a cost to Italy's place in the alliance.
Even as Washington attacked, Ms Meloni was in Paris. She attended a summit at the Elysée Palace with Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, and Friedrich Merz to plan a European naval mission to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. The economic stakes were plain: Italy imports roughly 10% of its gas from Qatar through Hormuz-dependent routes, and diesel has risen above €2 a litre. Italy offered minesweepers and potentially multi-mission frigates (FREMM). Guido Crosetto, the defence minister, said eight of Italy's ten minesweepers are deployable and could reach the strait in 20–25 days. Ms Meloni also dropped Rome's long-standing requirement for a UN Security Council mandate before joining such missions, citing the energy emergency. Parliamentary authorisation and a ceasefire remain conditions — genuine constitutional requirements, not diplomatic cover.
The Paris summit marks a clear break. Italy joining France, Germany, and Britain in military planning without US leadership or UN authorisation — using the EU's Red Sea operation as its model — takes Italy further into independent European military action than it has gone before. The Sigonella refusal and the four-country alignment in the same week are not coincidental.
Also that week, Mr Crosetto sent a formal letter to his Israeli counterpart suspending the automatic renewal of a 2003 defence cooperation memorandum, citing "the current situation." Ms Meloni, Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister, Mr Crosetto, and Matteo Salvini, the deputy prime minister, took the decision together. The day before, Mr Tajani had condemned Israeli strikes on Lebanese civilians as "unacceptable," prompting Israel to summon Italy's ambassador. Israel dismissed the move — "We have no security agreement with Italy" — and Italian officials were still working out what the suspension means in legal terms. The signal was clear regardless: Rome was repositioning on both its most sensitive relationships in the same week.
A Hezbollah ambush in southern Lebanon's Bint Jbeil district killed a French sergeant major and wounded three others. Sergio Mattarella, the president, wrote personally to Mr Macron describing the attack as "a blow to the heart of international humanitarian law." Mr Crosetto went further, saying that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) "no longer makes sense in current conditions" and writing to the UN Secretary-General. Italy has roughly 1,000 troops in UNIFIL and commands it; a defence minister questioning the mission's rationale is how withdrawals begin. Italian contingents have also recently faced Israeli warning shots in the same district.
Meanwhile, Mr Salvini held a rally at Milan's Piazza Duomo billed as a show of strength for the Patriots for Europe movement. Jordan Bardella of France's National Rally and Geert Wilders of the Dutch Party for Freedom appeared on stage. Mr Salvini called for remigration, an end to the EU Green Deal, a return to buying Russian gas, and opposition to a European army — positions that put him at odds with both Ms Meloni and coalition partner Forza Italia. Forza Italia organised its own counter-demonstration at the same venue, bringing second-generation immigrants as a direct rejoinder to Mr Salvini's remigration agenda. Turnout fell well short of expectations: 2,000 to 5,000 people attended against projections of tens of thousands. The irony was sharp: while Mr Salvini called for remigration from a half-empty square, the government was introducing remigration by law. Lega and the rest of the coalition now operate without coordination.
Ms Meloni also received Volodymyr Zelensky at Palazzo Chigi for joint press statements — a sign that Italy's distance from Washington does not mean softening on Ukraine.
* **Paris 'Willing' nations summit on Hormuz: Italy offers minesweepers pending parliamentary vote** — Giorgia Meloni attended a summit at the Elysée Palace with Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, and Friedrich Merz to discuss a European mission to secure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Italy offered to contribute minesweepers — Guido Crosetto, the defence minister, said eight of Italy's ten are deployable and could reach the area in 20–25 days — but Ms Meloni conditioned any deployment on prior parliamentary authorisation. The summit produced a show of European unity against a backdrop of continued US pressure on Italy over the Sigonella refusal, and sparked a domestic debate between parties on the conditions for Italian participation. *([ilfattoquotidiano.it](https://www.governo.it/it/media/conferenza-sulla-navigazione-marittima-nello-stretto-di-hormuz/31571))*
* **Salvini hosts European 'Patriots' rally at Milan's Piazza Duomo with Bardella and Wilders; counter-protests erupt** — Matteo Salvini, the Lega leader, organised a rally branded "Without Fear — Masters in Our Own Home in Europe" at Piazza Duomo in Milan, featuring far-right European politicians including Jordan Bardella of France's National Rally (RN) and Geert Wilders of the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV). Mr Salvini called for remigration, a points-based residency permit, an end to the EU Green Deal, a return to Russian gas purchases, and opposition to a European army. Turnout fell short of expectations — reports estimated 2,000–5,000 attendees — while three counter-demonstrations organised by left-wing social centres, Forza Italia (which brought second-generation immigrants), and left-wing parties drew comparable or larger crowds. The event highlighted Mr Salvini's strategic divergence from both Ms Meloni and coalition partner Forza Italia.
* [Italy's Meloni breaks with Trump over war in Iran, pope — dw.com](https://www.dw.com/en/italys-meloni-breaks-with-trump-over-war-in-iran-pope/a-76827787)
* [Italy's Meloni issues rare criticism of Trump after his attack on pope — reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italy-rallies-round-pope-trump-attack-tests-ties-with-meloni-2026-04-13/)
* [Trump al Corriere: 'Giorgia Meloni non vuole aiutarci nella guerra, sono scioccato' — corriere.it](https://www.corriere.it/esteri/26_aprile_14/trump-contro-meloni-papa-64037787-b0ad-4708-88c9-f50519e2dxlk.shtml)
* [Trump critica Meloni: tensioni su Papa e guerra in Iran — ilsole24ore.com](https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/trump-sono-scioccato-giorgia-meloni-pensavo-avesse-coraggio-mi-sbagliavo-AIEF71UC)
* [Trump posta immagine insieme a Gesù e attacca di nuovo Meloni — ilsole24ore.com](https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/nuovo-attacco-trump-meloni-chi-nega-aiuto-non-piu-stesso-rapporto-noi-AIDBpCWC)
* [Trump attacca Meloni: 'Scioccato, non ci aiuta nella guerra' — ilfattoquotidiano.it](https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/04/14/trump-meloni-scontro-iran-papa-oggi/8355485/)
* [Trump: 'Scioccato da Meloni, mi sbagliavo su di lei' — repubblica.it](https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2026/04/14/news/trump_meloni_guerra_attacco_papa-425283157/)
* [Strappo USA-Italia, Trump insiste: 'Italia: Voi non c'eravate, noi non ci saremo' — rainews.it](https://www.rainews.it/maratona/2026/04/nord-america-stati-uniti-donald-trump-giorgia-meloni-nuovo-attacco-guerra-iran-papa-non-abbiamo-piu-lo-stesso-rapporto-8c906e86-6971-4174-9ace-dd3268788fb6.html)
* [Scontro Trump-Meloni sui media esteri: la fine dell'idillio tra alleati — ilfattoquotidiano.it](https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/04/15/scontro-trump-meloni-media-internazionali-notizie/8356229/)
* [Gelo Trump-Meloni, il governo: 'Nostra scelta obbligata, siamo alleati degli Usa ma serve rispetto' — adnkronos.com](https://www.adnkronos.com/politica/trump-attacco-meloni-risposta-governo_OpFCMRoIa2lULXTRvmH9d)
* [Trump al Corriere: 'Scioccato da Meloni, pensavo avesse coraggio'. Schlein: 'Condanna unanime' — rainews.it](https://www.rainews.it/articoli/2026/04/trump-al-corriere-scioccato-da-meloni-pensavo-avesse-coraggio-mi-sbagliavo-su-di-lei-15b9197a-ef40-4bdf-ba8f-303c56fa7397.html)
* [Trump attacca ancora: 'L'Italia non c'è stata per noi, noi non ci saremo per lei' — ilfattoquotidiano.it](https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/04/17/trump-meloni-litalia-non-ce-stata-per-noi-noi-non-ci-saremo-per-lei/8357632/)
* [Trump incalza Roma: 'Non ci ha sostenuti e noi non la sosterremo' — ansa.it](https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/mondo/2026/04/15/trump-attacca-ancora-meloni-con-chi-nega-laiuto-non-piu_0462a777-8816-42ff-8bc8-d59b1062e46a.html)
* [Trump attacca ancora Meloni: 'Con chi nega aiuto non c'è più lo stesso rapporto'. Tajani: 'Nessuna crisi' — ilmessaggero.it](https://www.ilmessaggero.it/politica/trump_contro_meloni_non_piu_stesso_rapporto-9476309.html)
* [Trump attacca ancora l'Italia, l'avviso a Meloni: 'Non ci saremo per loro' — quifinanza.it](https://quifinanza.it/esteri/trump-attacco-italia-meloni-sigonella/974203/)
* [MELONI-TRUMP, IL GRANDE FREDDO — corrierediroma.org](https://www.corrierediroma.org/meloni-trump-il-grande-freddo/)
* [Nuovo attacco di Trump. Meloni: 'Non si può dividere l'Occidente' — ansa.it](https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/mondo/2026/04/15/nuovo-attacco-di-trump.-meloni-non-si-puo-dividere-loccidente_0462a777-8816-42ff-8bc8-d59b1062e46a.html)
* [L'opposizione difende Meloni da Trump. Schlein: 'Attacco inaccettabile'. M5s: 'Solidarietà, ma premier prona' — ilfoglio.it](https://www.ilfoglio.it/politica/2026/04/14/news/lopposizione-difende-meloni-da-trump-schlein-attacco-inaccettabile-m5s-solidarieta-ma-premier-prona--276563)
* [Tajani: 'Agli Stati Uniti lo spiegheremo: essere alleati serve anche a voi' — corriere.it](https://roma.corriere.it/notizie/politica/26_aprile_15/ministro-tajani-intervista-usa-72d48c27-ee67-476e-9fea-f63ef8793xlk.shtml)
* [Tajani: 'Noi alleati degli Usa ma l'interesse nazionale va difeso con dignità' — ilmessaggero.it](https://www.ilmessaggero.it/politica/italia_usa_alleanza_tajani_israele_intervista-9477003.html)
* [Crosetto difende Meloni dopo lo scontro Trump-Papa Leone XIV — infodifesa.it](https://infodifesa.it/crosetto-difende-meloni-post-trump-papa-leone-xiv/)
* [Lazar: 'Meloni non ha avuto vantaggi da Trump' — lastampa.it](https://www.lastampa.it/economia/2026/04/20/news/lazar_meloni_trump_macron_populisti-15590608/)
* [Meloni non si pieghi: arriverà il 'Dear Giorgia' — nicolaporro.it](https://www.nicolaporro.it/politicoquotidiano/meloni-non-si-pieghi-arrivera-il-dear-giorgia/)
* [Guerra, crisi e alleati bizzosi, Meloni può solo galleggiare — editorialedomani.it](https://www.editorialedomani.it/politica/italia/guerra-crisi-e-alleati-bizzosi-meloni-puo-solo-galleggiare-xqja6j2t)
* [Il sovranismo europeo di Meloni e la chincaglieria nazionalista di Salvini — huffingtonpost.it](https://www.huffingtonpost.it/politica/2026/04/19/news/il_sovranismo_europeo_di_meloni_e_la_chincaglieria_nazionalista_di_salvini-21718921/)
* [Salvini si smarca da Trump dopo l'attacco a Papa Leone e Meloni — virgilio.it](https://www.virgilio.it/notizie/salvini-si-smarca-da-trump-dopo-l-attacco-a-papa-leone-e-meloni-inutile-e-offensivo-ma-il-problema-e-suo-1748925)
* [Due consigli non richiesti a Giorgia Meloni — ilriformista.it](https://www.ilriformista.it/due-consigli-non-richiesti-a-giorgia-meloni-509171/)
* [Cacciari contro Moratti: 'Meloni alleata di Trump? No, è totale subordinazione' — ilfattoquotidiano.it](https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/04/15/cacciari-moratti-meloni-trump-usa-gaza-israele-iran/8356126/)
* [Stretto di Hormuz, oggi Meloni a Parigi: vertice con Macron, Starmer e Merz — ilfattoquotidiano.it](https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/04/17/stretto-hormuz-vertice-parigi-meloni-notizie/8357525/)
* [Conferenza sulla navigazione marittima nello Stretto di Hormuz — governo.it](https://www.governo.it/it/media/conferenza-sulla-navigazione-marittima-nello-stretto-di-hormuz/31571)
* [I Volenterosi per Hormuz: 'Pronti a una missione pacifica'. Meloni: 'Noi disponibili a fornire navi con l'ok del Parlamento' — ilgiornale.it](https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/guerra/meloni-vertice-parigi-tavolo-sminare-hormuz-2652687.html)
* [I volenterosi pronti per lo Stretto di Hormuz. Trump, 'la Nato stia fuori' — ansa.it](https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/politica/2026/04/17/meloni-attesa-a-parigi-alle-14-il-summit-su-hormuz-alleliseo_12b34e13-6f53-4b4a-afb9-62919d9d2228.html)
* [Hormuz, l'Italia scende in campo: la missione affidata a Meloni e i mezzi a disposizione — quifinanza.it](https://quifinanza.it/attualita/italia-missione-hormuz-cacciamine/974331/)
* [Iran, Macron riceve Meloni e gli altri leader all'Eliseo — ilmattino.it](https://www.ilmattino.it/video/primopiano/iran_macron_riceve_meloni_e_gli_altri_leader_all_eliseo-9479011.html)
* [Hormuz: sì di Roma alla missione anche senza l'Onu, ma servirà l'ok del Parlamento — ilsole24ore.com](https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/hormuz-si-roma-missione-anche-senza-l-onu-ma-servira-l-ok-parlamento-AIDhoEYC)
* [Le due navi cacciamine e una fregata, il piano italiano per lo Stretto — ilmessaggero.it](https://www.ilmessaggero.it/politica/cacciamine_fregata_impegno_italia_sbloccare_stretto_hormuz-9479388.html)
* [Hormuz, il piano dell'Italia (con l'Europa): modificare la missione Aspides — ilmessaggero.it](https://www.ilmessaggero.it/politica/hormuz_piano_italia_missione_aspides_cacciamine-9481317.html)
* [Governo, Meloni su Hormuz: 'Lavoriamo per stabilità', Schlein: 'Navi italiane solo con la pace' — fanpage.it](https://www.fanpage.it/live/governo-meloni-ultime-notizie-crisi-dimissioni-19-aprile-diretta/)
* [Meloni offre le navi italiane, 'Ma serve il voto del Parlamento' — quotidiano.net](https://www.quotidiano.net/esteri/meloni-offre-navi-italiane-hormuz-lbsnxtzo)
* [Meloni su Hormuz: 'Il quadro cambia continuamente, lavoriamo alla stabilità' — tg.la7.it](https://tg.la7.it/politica/meloni-hormuz-stabilita-18-04-2026-255599)
* [Meloni domina su Instagram, Starmer guida nei commenti — ilgiornale.it](https://ilgiornale.it/news/interni/i-volenterosi-sui-social-meloni-domina-su-instagram-starmer-2652942.html)
* [Meloni volenterosa per forza. 'Nostre navi con l'ok del parlamento' — ilmanifesto.it](https://ilmanifesto.it/meloni-volenterosa-per-forza-nostre-navi-con-lok-del-parlamento)
* [Il piano dell'Italia (con l'Europa): modificare la missione Aspides — ilgazzettino.it](https://www.ilgazzettino.it/esteri/italia_modifica_missione_aspides_strategia_europea_mar_rosso-9481596.html)
* [Hormuz, vertice a Parigi: Giorgia Meloni tra i leader attesi all'Eliseo — globalist.it](https://www.globalist.it/world/2026/04/17/hormuzvertice-a-parigi-giorgia-meloni-tra-i-leader-attesi-alleliseo/)
* [RAINEWS \* POLITICA: maggioranza e opposizione si confrontano sulla partecipazione alla missione nello Stretto di Hormuz — agenziagiornalisticaopinione.it](https://www.agenziagiornalisticaopinione.it/opinionmix/rainews-politica-maggioranza-e-opposizione-si-confrontano-sulla-partecipazione-alla-missione-nello-stretto-di-hormuz/)
* [Iran Hormuz crisi energetica Meloni: 'Il quadro cambia continuamente, al lavoro su stabilizzazione' — adnkronos.com](https://www.adnkronos.com/politica/iran-stretto-hormuz-crisi-energetica-meloni-ultime-news_6tz911kXKaYcD5ghFlxkbg)
* [Governo, Salvini invoca l'acquisto di gas russo. Meloni pronta per l'intervento a Hormuz — fanpage.it](https://www.fanpage.it/live/governo-meloni-ultime-notizie-crisi-dimissioni-18-aprile-diretta/)
* [Stefania Craxi: 'È il momento per l'Europa di agire. Nello Stretto anche senza gli Usa' — ilmessaggero.it](https://www.ilmessaggero.it/politica/craxi_momento_europa_di_agire_nello_stretto_senza_usa-9483024.html)
* [Conte: 'Intervento a Hormuz solo con il sì dell'Onu. Meloni? Un paio di giravolte non cancellano la linea' — ilmessaggero.it](https://www.ilmessaggero.it/politica/giuseppe_conte_hormuz_trump_meloni_iran_cosa_ha_detto-9483015.html)
* [Meloni impegnati su tema energia, in Azerbaijan tra un paio di settimane — ansa.it](https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/topnews/2026/04/18/meloni-impegnati-su-tema-energia-in-azerbaijan-tra-un-paio-di-settimane_ea9caef1-ef11-4722-b68f-5fb55a9148cb.html)
* [Italy will not renew defence agreement with Israel, Meloni says — bbc.com](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr71184ex91o)
* [Italy suspends defence agreement with Israel — aljazeera.com](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/14/italian-suspends-defence-agreement-with-israel)
* [Italy's Meloni suspends defence cooperation deal with Israel — reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/italy-suspends-defence-cooperation-deal-with-israel-2026-04-14/)
* [Why has Italy's Giorgia Meloni suspended a defence pact with Israel? — aljazeera.com](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/15/why-has-italys-giorgia-meloni-suspended-a-defence-pact-with-israel)
* [Meloni: 'Sospeso il rinnovo automatico dell'accordo di difesa con Israele' — ilfattoquotidiano.it](https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/04/14/meloni-sospende-accordo-difesa-israele-notizie/8355209/)
* [Roma contro Netanyahu, sospeso il memorandum sulla difesa con Israele — ansa.it](https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/politica/2026/04/14/meloni-sospeso-il-rinnovo-automatico-dellaccordo-di-difesa-con-israele_354db594-d517-4829-975b-2a8e4900a781.html)
* [Accordo difesa Italia-Israele, Crosetto scrive a Katz: 'Sospeso memorandum' — adnkronos.com](https://www.adnkronos.com/politica/crosetto-a-ministro-israeliano-sospeso-memorandum-alla-luce-dellattuale-situazione-lopposizione-esulta_5S7xgMCNmen0iNjrDQmESz)
* [Tajani: 'Raid su civili inaccettabili'. Israele convoca ambasciatore italiano — tg24.sky.it](https://tg24.sky.it/politica/2026/04/13/tajani-raid-israele-civili)
* [Tajani: 'Attacchi inaccettabili'. E Israele si infuria con l'Italia — ilmanifesto.it](https://ilmanifesto.it/tajani-attacchi-inaccettabili-e-israele-si-infuria-con-litalia)
* [Tajani, missione a Beirut. Si scatena l'ira di Israele — ilgiornale.it](https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/politica/italia-pronta-ospitare-i-colloqui-frase-contro-attacchi-tel-2650922.html)
* [Libano, Tajani critica i raid. Israele convoca l'ambasciatore — repubblica.it](https://www.repubblica.it/politica/2026/04/14/news/scontro_tajani_israele_attacchi_libano-425281178/)
* [Meloni sospende il Memorandum Italia-Israele sulla difesa: stop al rinnovo automatico — infodifesa.it](https://infodifesa.it/meloni-sospende-memorandum-italia-israele-accordo-militare)
* [Memorandum Italia-Israele sospeso da Meloni e Crosetto, cosa prevedeva l'accordo del 2016 — virgilio.it](https://www.virgilio.it/notizie/memorandum-italia-israele-sospeso-da-meloni-e-crosetto-cosa-prevedeva-l-accordo-del-2016-su-difesa-e-armi-1748670)
* [Vittoria pacifista, revocato il Memorandum militare Italia-Israele — peacelink.it](https://peacelink.it/editoriale/a/51160.html)
* [Libano, soldato francese morto in un attacco ai caschi blu. Mattarella scrive a Macron: 'Gesto inammissibile' — open.online](https://www.open.online/2026/04/19/libano-soldato-francese-morto-attacco-caschi-blu-mattarella-sente-macron-gesto-inammissibile/)
* [Mattarella scrive a Macron: inammissibile l'attacco all'Unifil in Libano — ansa.it](https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/topnews/2026/04/19/mattarella-scrive-a-macron-inammissibile-lattacco-allunifil-in-libano_9bfc5abd-6e76-44c9-ba04-8f7404a09e51.html)
* [Le news sulla guerra in Iran del 20 aprile 2026 (includes Mattarella letter) — repubblica.it](https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2026/04/19/diretta/guerra_iran_usa_israele_news_oggi-425291573/)
* ['Era l'ultima missione prima del congedo': il cordoglio di Mattarella per la morte del sergente Montorio — zazoom.it](https://www.zazoom.it/2026-04-19/era-lultima-missione-prima-del-congedo-il-cordoglio-di-mattarella-per-la-morte-del-sergente-montorio-il-para-morto-in-libano/19030070/)
* [Mattarella a Macron 'Inammissibile attacco a Unifil in Libano' — stampaparlamento.it](https://www.stampaparlamento.it/2026/04/19/mattarella-a-macron-inammissibile-attacco-a-unifil-in-libano/)
* [IL MESSAGGIO - Mattarella a Macron: 'Inammissibile l'attacco all'Unifil in Libano' — napolimagazine.com](https://napolimagazine.com/attualita/articolo/il-messaggio-mattarella-a-macron-inammissibile-l-attacco-all-unifil-in-libano-siamo-vicini-al-lutto-19-04-2026)
* [Mattarella a Macron: 'Inammissibile attacco contro Unifil' — agenzianova.com](https://www.agenzianova.com/news/mattarella-a-macron-inammissibile-attacco-contro-unifil/)
* [Mattarella condanna attacco all'Unifil in Libano — gomagazine.it](https://www.gomagazine.it/mattarella-condanna-attacco-allunifil-in-libano/alessandro-terracciano/)
* [Mattarella a Macron: 'Inaccettabile attacco a Unifil in Libano, la stabilità è fondamentale' — lanotteonline.it](https://www.lanotteonline.it/2026/04/19/mattarella-a-macron-attacco-inammissibile-contro-lunifil-colpito-il-cuore-del-diritto-internazionale/)
* [Attacco a una squadra Unifil, ucciso soldato francese: Mattarella contatta subito Macron — notizie.it](https://www.notizie.it/attacco-squadra-unfil-ucciso-soldato-francese-mattarella-contatta-macron/)
* [Messaggio di Mattarella a Macron dopo la caduta del sergente Florian Montorio in Libano — notizie.it](https://www.notizie.it/messaggio-di-mattarella-a-macron-dopo-la-caduta-del-sergente-florian-montorio-in-libano/)
* [Mattarella: solidarietà a Macron per morte militare francese in Libano — confronto.eu](https://confronto.eu/mattarella-solidarieta-a-macron-per-morte-militare-francese-in-libano/)
* [Mattarella a Macron: 'Inaccettabile attacco a Unifil in Libano' — blog.it](https://www.blog.it/mattarella-a-macron-inaccettabile-attacco-a-unifil-in-libano-la-stabilita-e-fondamentale/)
* [Ucciso in Libano un soldato francese Unifil, Macron accusa: è stato Hezbollah (Crosetto e Tajani condannano) — corriere.it](https://www.corriere.it/esteri/26_aprile_18/ucciso-in-libano-un-soldato-francese-unifil-macron-accusa-e-stato-hezbollah-01bb8dd9-98e3-4149-9584-5a4afe368xlk.shtml)
* [Libano, casco blu francese ucciso. Onu: 'È stato Hezbollah'. Che nega — tg24.sky.it](https://tg24.sky.it/mondo/2026/04/18/libano-israele-ultime-notizie)
* [Salta la tregua tra Hezbollah e Israele: ucciso un soldato francese dell'Unifil in Libano — it.euronews.com](https://it.euronews.com/2026/04/18/tregua-tra-israele-e-libano-il-presidente-anou-siamo-in-una-nuova-fase)
* [Iran, Trump: 'Su Hormuz Teheran non può ricattarci'. Soldato francese ucciso in Libano - La diretta (includes Crosetto) — lapresse.it](https://www.lapresse.it/esteri/2026/04/18/iran-muro-contro-muro-su-hormuz-trump-senza-accordo-il-blocco-dei-porti-resta-la-diretta/)
* [Crosetto: Hezbollah mira a destabilizzare il Libano e la regione — stranotizie.it](https://www.stranotizie.it/crosetto-hezbollah-mira-a-destabilizzare-il-libano-e-la-regione/)
* [Manifestazione a Milano: oggi tra i 'patrioti europei' Bardella e Salvini — milano.repubblica.it](https://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2026/04/18/diretta/manifestazioni_milano_oggi_remigrazione_antifascisti-425290542/)
* [Milano, Salvini raduna i Patrioti in piazza Duomo e attacca l'Ue: 'Un nuovo lockdown? No grazie' — open.online](https://www.open.online/2026/04/18/corteo-lega-milano-remigrazione-video/)
* [Salvini spiazza i contestatori parlando di pace, lavoro e sicurezza — laverita.info](https://www.laverita.info/manifestazione-patrioti-milano-salvini-2676762269.html)
* [Salvini: permesso soggiorno a punti e remigrazione per criminali — askanews.it](https://askanews.it/2026/04/18/salvini-permesso-soggiorno-a-punti-e-remigrazione-per-criminali/)
* [Milano: il popolo leghista non si vede. In pochi seguono Salvini — ilmanifesto.it](https://ilmanifesto.it/milano-il-popolo-leghista-non-si-vede-in-pochi-seguono-salvini)
* [La Lega in piazza e il karaoke con Achille Lauro e Max Pezzali — video.corriere.it](https://video.corriere.it/politica/la-battaglia-sovranista-della-lega-sotto-la-madonnina-anche-i-cani-hanno-bisogno-di-sicurezza/cc485f1d-a945-427a-b0e5-433f86296xlk)
* [salvini europa von der leyen gas russo energia patrioti milano — laverita.info](https://www.laverita.info/salvini-europa-von-der-leyen-2676762233.html)
* [Remigrazione, Salvini fa flop in piazza. Ma il governo la introduce per legge — editorialedomani.it](https://www.editorialedomani.it/politica/italia/remigrazione-salvini-fa-flop-in-piazza-ma-il-governo-la-introduce-per-legge-bx23t0tx)
* [Remigration, Salvini riunisce i sovranisti ma non riempie piazza Duomo — milano.repubblica.it](https://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2026/04/18/news/patrioti_europei_lega_manifestazione_milano-425291399)
* [Salvini e i patrioti in piazza. I leader europei sul palco del Duomo — quotidiano.net](https://quotidiano.net/politica/salvini-e-i-patrioti-in-piazza-i-leader-europei-sul-palco-a7n3pb2s)
* [Alla kermesse dei Patrioti Salvini rilancia il 'permesso di soggiorno a punti' — huffingtonpost.it](https://www.huffingtonpost.it/politica/2026/04/18/news/milano_kermesse_dei_patrioti_salvini_rilancia_il)
***
### 
Spain
The weekend of April 18, Pedro Sánchez hosted five progressive heads of state in Barcelona while Madrid's right pinned a gold medal on a Venezuelan opposition leader aligned with the American president — a split screen that showed clearly where each side stands.
The Barcelona summit gathered Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum, Colombia's Gustavo Petro, South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, and Uruguay's Yamandú Orsi under an explicit banner of resistance to Washington's current direction. Its most durable result came quietly: Ms Sheinbaum and Mr Sánchez met alone for nearly an hour, and the Mexican president emerged to say there was no diplomatic crisis, and never had been — closing a seven-year freeze over Spain's handling of colonial history that had constrained Ibero-American diplomacy since 2019. Spain and Brazil held their first bilateral summit on the margins. King Felipe VI received Mr Ramaphosa at the palace — the first South African state visit since Nelson Mandela attended the 2004 royal wedding. Mr Sánchez's ministers spread across the conference halls: the justice minister met Britain's deputy prime minister, the economy minister met European Parliament committee chairs, the agriculture minister met Uruguay's foreign minister.
This was not passive anti-American signalling but active coalition-building, and it followed, by three days, a formal visit to Beijing. Mr Sánchez met Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People on April 14, with José Manuel Albares, the foreign minister, alongside. The China trip drew almost no domestic coverage, crowded out by Barcelona — an absence that is itself telling. Spain has absorbed engagement with Beijing into its normal diplomatic rhythm, treating it as an unremarkable complement to its progressive multilateralism rather than a tension with it.
While Mr Sánchez built his international network, María Corina Machado arrived in Madrid. The Venezuelan opposition leader drew thousands to the Puerta del Sol, collected the Comunidad's Gold Medal from Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the regional president, received the city's Golden Key from its mayor, and met Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the People's Party leader, and Vox's Santiago Abascal. She presented the American president's Nobel peace prize to him by proxy. Mr Sánchez offered to meet her; she declined, saying the Barcelona summit made it inadvisable. King Felipe VI had already sent her a private congratulatory letter, which the royal household confirmed publicly the same day. That the Crown was simultaneously publicising Queen Letizia's Unicef briefing — which cited 600 children killed or wounded in Lebanon since March, naming April 8 as "especially devastating" — shows the palace managing two separate audiences at once, reinforcing Spain's humanitarian framing of the Middle East conflict while keeping a line open to the Machado network.
The week's most consequential domestic act was the cabinet's approval of a mass regularisation for up to 500,000 undocumented migrants, the largest since a Socialist government did the same for 577,000 people in 2005. Eligibility requires five months of verifiable residence before January 1, 2026 and a clean criminal record; the application window runs through June 30. The Funcas think-tank puts the total undocumented population at 840,000, suggesting the measure could reach further still. Elma Saiz, the migration minister, put it in openly economic terms: "our prosperity is demonstrably linked to our management of migration." Mr Sánchez took the decree-law route because a prior parliamentary attempt had collapsed — his minority coalition lacks a reliable majority for legislation of this scale. Mr Feijóo called the measure "inhuman, unjust, insecure and unsustainable," accused the government of legalising criminals (a claim Cadena SER fact-checked as false), and labelled Mr Sánchez "the Orbán of the south" for bypassing parliament. The Catholic Church supported the measure. A union representing immigration officers immediately warned of a capacity shortfall.
That same week, Mr Feijóo's party formalised a coalition with Vox in Extremadura, giving Vox the regional vice-presidency and two ministries. The 74-measure agreement includes a "national priority" clause reserving preference in social benefits and public housing for Spanish nationals — a Vox signature demand, now written into a governing programme for the first time. María Guardiola, the regional president, called the outcome "democracy winning over friction." Mr Feijóo, pressed on his dependence on Vox, said "we have no choice." Ms Ayuso, his own party's Madrid chief, called the deal illegal and challenged Mr Abascal to test it in court. Aragón is expected to follow with a similar agreement within days. Both parties describe Extremadura explicitly as a national template; Mr Feijóo's words have now confirmed what polling has long suggested — the right cannot govern without Vox and has stopped pretending otherwise.
All of this precedes the Andalusia election on May 17, which polls consistently show the People's Party winning outright while the Socialists register their worst regional numbers on record. The two sides have staked opposite positions on the week's central story: the People's Party treating the regularisation decree as a security failure, the Socialists treating the Extremadura coalition as a preview of national right-wing government. Spain has operated on rolled-over 2023 budget allocations for three consecutive years, and the EU recovery fund's August 2026 disbursement deadline is approaching with no budget negotiations in sight — a tightening constraint for a government that has already exhausted most of its parliamentary room.
Margarita Robles, the defense minister, visited NATO's Supreme Allied Command Europe in Mons and joined the Ukraine Defense Contact Group by videoconference — active allied participation running alongside, not in contradiction to, the base-denial posture maintained since March. Carlos Cuerpo, the economy minister, was in Washington for the IMF and World Bank spring meetings, delivering a panel on the euro area's economic architecture alongside the European Central Bank's Isabel Schnabel and economists Daron Acemoğlu and Olivier Blanchard. These were the week's quieter signals, but they point in the same direction as the louder ones: a minority government reaching for every table still available to it.
* **Andalucía regional elections precampaign intensifies with rival rallies, polls show People's Party near majority and Socialists at historic lows** — With the May 17 regional elections approaching, both the People's Party (PP) and the Socialist Party (PSOE) opened formal pre-campaign activities the weekend of April 18-19. Mr Feijóo joined Moreno Bonilla at the PP Intermunicipal in Córdoba, calling for an absolute majority; Mr Sánchez and the PSOE candidate Montero held a joint rally in Huelva. Multiple polls show PP on track for an absolute majority with PSOE registering its worst results on record, and the Andalusian Socialists already discussing succession options for Montero. *([abc.es](https://www.elconfidencial.com/esp))*
* [Mexico mends ties with Spain in first presidential visit in eight years — reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/spains-sanchez-mexicos-sheinbaum-hold-meeting-leftist-summit-2026-04-18/)
* [Global leftist leaders gather in Spain to mobilise against far right — reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/global-leftist-leaders-gather-spain-mobilise-against-far-right-2026-04-17/)
* [With a handshake, Spain and Mexico put diplomatic tussle over colonial past behind them — apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/spain-mexico-colonial-past-sheinbaum-sanchez-7ca927e01d56d74cae729efaaae6fe46)
* [Mexico's Sheinbaum denies 'diplomatic crisis' with Spain after conquest row — bbc.com](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp86r29l45go)
* [Sheinbaum asegura en Barcelona que 'nunca ha habido' crisis diplomática entre México y España — 20minutos.es](https://www.20minutos.es/cataluna/barcelona/sheinbaum-asegura-barcelona-que-nunca-ha-habido-crisis-diplomatica-entre-mexico-espana_6959813_0.html)
* [Encuentro de Pedro Sánchez con Claudia Sheinbaum — abc.es](https://abc.es/espana/encuentro-pedro-sanchez-claudia-sheinbaum-20260418143343-nt.html)
* [Sánchez se reúne con Sheinbaum para zanjar el choque entre España y México por la Conquista — cronicadecantabria.com](https://cronicadecantabria.com/cr/snchez-se-rene-con-sheinbaum-para-zanjar-el-choque-entre-espaa-y-mxico-conquista)
* [Sánchez y Sheinbaum dialogan para resolver tensión entre España y México por la Conquista — diarioenpositivo.com](https://www.diarioenpositivo.com/articulo/mundo/sanchez-reune-sheinbaum-zanjar-choque-entre-espana-mexico-conquista/20260418145203079174.html)
* [Sánchez gana peso internacional con la Cumbre Progresista de Barcelona — naiz.eus](https://naiz.eus/eu/hemeroteca/gara/editions/2026-04-19/hemeroteca_articles/sanchez-gana-peso-internacional-con-la-cumbre-progresista-de-barcelona)
* [Sánchez se coloca en el centro del eje de países que desafían el nuevo orden de Trump — elconfidencial.com](https://elconfidencial.com/espana/cataluna/2026-04-19/sanchez-coloca-centro-eje-paises-desafia-trump_4340734)
* [Sánchez teje una coalición contra Trump, busca un salvavidas político en casa — es.euronews.com](https://es.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/04/19/sanchez-teje-una-coalicion-contra-trump-busca-un-salvavidas-politico-en-casa)
* [Las opciones internacionales de Sánchez — cope.es](https://cope.es/actualidad/linea-editorial/audios/opciones-internacionales-sanchez-20260417_3347995.html)
* [Sánchez sella una alianza de izquierdas y contra la guerra con Lula, Petro y Sheinbaum — noticiasdealava.eus](https://noticiasdealava.eus/politica/2026/04/17/sanchez-sella-alianza-izquierdas-guerra-10950324.html)
* [Pedro Sánchez se corona líder de la izquierda corrupta radical y antiespañola en Barcelona — libertaddigital.com](https://libertaddigital.com/espana/2026-04-17/pedro-sanchez-se-corona-lider-de-la-izquierda-corrupta-radical-y-antiespanola-en-barcelona-7390107)
* [Un senador estadounidense: «Sánchez ha mostrado al mundo cómo enfrentarse a los matones» — ultimahora.es](https://ultimahora.es/noticias/internacional/2026/04/18/2612113/senador-estadounidense-sanchez-mostrado-mundo-como-enfrentarse-matones.html)
* ['The New York Times' afirma que las disputas de Sánchez con Trump 'desvían la atención de los problemas internos' — elperiodico.com](https://elperiodico.com/es/politica/20260419/the-new-york-times-define-sanchez-escapista-mas-talentoso-europa-129275583)
* [New York Times describe a Sánchez como 'el artista de la evasión más consumado de Europa' — esdiario.com](https://esdiario.com/chismografo/medios/260418/185405/new-york-times-describe-sanchez-artista-evasion.html)
* [La imagen de Sánchez — lavanguardia.com](https://lavanguardia.com/participacion/cartas/20260416/11514640/imagen-sanchez.html)
* [Sánchez no está solo y su adversario ya no es Feijóo — eldiario.es](https://www.eldiario.es/politica/sanchez-no-adversario-no-feijoo_129_13153617.html)
* [El antitrumpismo de Sánchez estrecha la relación del PSOE con los Demócratas de EEUU — elconfidencial.com](https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2026-04-19/antitrumpismo-sanchez-estrecha-relacion-psoe-partido-democrata-de-eeuu_4340752/)
* [Sánchez y Feijóo confrontan el fin de semana su agenda exterior — 20minutos.es](https://www.20minutos.es/nacional/sanchez-feijoo-confrontan-fin-semana-su-agenda-exterior-tres-cumbres-izquierda-frente-respaldo-publico-machado_6959172_0.html)
* [El ruido interno erosiona la estrategia internacional de Sánchez — 20minutos.es](https://www.20minutos.es/nacional/ruido-interno-erosiona-estrategia-internacional-sanchez-abalos-koldo-begona-gomez-armengol_6959446_0.html)
* [Sánchez es cruyffista — es.ara.cat](https://es.ara.cat/politica/sanchez-cruyffista_129_5707665.html)
* [Gonzalo Celorio, protagonista de la Semana Cervantina, con la relación España-México de telón de fondo — europapress.es](https://www.europapress.es/cultura/libros-00132/noticia-gonzalo-celorio-protagonista-semana-cervantina-relacion-espana-mexico-telon-fondo-20260419121450.html)
* [Sánchez posiciona a España a nivel internacional en la lucha contra la ultraderecha — elconstitucional.es](https://www.elconstitucional.es/es/nacional/cronicas/sanchez-posiciona-espana-nivel-internacional-en-lucha-contra-ultraderecha-en-defensa-democracia-pero-tiene-vivienda-como-tema-pendiente_3647_102.html)
* [Las izquierdas en Barcelona y Corina Machado en Madrid — larazon.es](https://www.larazon.es/opinion/izquierdas-barcelona-corina-machado-madrid_2026042069e5577db7e0a27eb99e064b.html)
* [Amigos por el interés — noticiasdenavarra.com](https://www.noticiasdenavarra.com/opinion/2026/04/18/amigos-interes-10955176.html)
* [Rosa Belmonte: Sapos y sapos — canarias7.es](https://www.canarias7.es/opinion/rosa-belmonte-sapos-sapos-20260419181236-ntrc.html)
* [Venezuelan opposition leader draws a huge crowd in Madrid and rebuffs Spain's Sánchez — apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-spain-trump-maduro-machado-nobel-sanchez-4819d547e7f3ff9a86228d0e457e92be)
* [Ayuso impone la Medalla de Oro a María Corina Machado mientras el 'socialismo del siglo XXI está de guateque en Barcelona' — heraldo.es](https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/nacional/2026/04/18/ayuso-impone-medalla-oro-maria-corina-machado-mientras-socialismo-esta-guateque-barcelona-2013236.html)
* [Pedro Sánchez afirmó que María Corina Machado rechazó reunión en La Moncloa — elnacional.com](https://www.elnacional.com/2026/04/pedro-sanchez-afirmo-que-maria-corina-machado-rechazo-reunion-en-la-moncloa/)
* [Corina Machado recibe la Medalla de Oro de la Comunidad de Madrid: el acto y los ataques de Ayuso — telecinco.es](https://www.telecinco.es/noticias/madrid/20260418/corina-machado-medalla-comunidad-madrid-acto-ayuso-ataques-socialismo_18_018923333.html)
* [Almeida otorga la Llave de Oro de Madrid a María Corina Machado — nuevaradio.org](https://www.nuevaradio.org/2026/04/19/almeida-otorga-la-llave-de-oro-de-madrid-a-maria-corina-machado-destacando-su-compromiso-con-la-libertad-democracia-y-paz-asegura-que-pronto-se-reuniran-en-una-venezuela-libre-gracias-a-su-liderazgo/)
* [Feijóo arropa a Corina Machado en Madrid: 'El sitio es con la libertad, no con la dictadura escondida en el aeropuerto de Barajas' — 20minutos.es](https://www.20minutos.es/nacional/feijoo-arropa-corina-machado-madrid-sitio-es-con-libertad-no-con-dictadura-escondida-aeropuerto-barajas_6959494_0.html)
* [Feijóo y Abascal contraponen a Machado a los que apoyan la tiranía — diariodeleon.es](https://www.diariodeleon.es/nacional/260418/2082231/feijoo-abascal-contraponen-machado-apoyan-tirania.html)
* [El acto de Feijóo con Corina Machado desata la ironía: 'Ambos no son presidentes porque no quieren' — publico.es](https://www.publico.es/tremending/acto-feijoo-corina-machado-desata-ironia-ambos-son-presidentes-quieren.html)
* [Muchos se fijan en este pequeño detalle en la fotografía de Feijóo y Corina Machado — huffingtonpost.es](https://www.huffingtonpost.es/virales/muchos-fijan-pequeno-detalle-fotografia-feijoo-corina-machado-f202604.html)
* [Feijóo se vuelca con María Corina Machado: «Aquí está tu partido en España» — abc.es](https://www.abc.es/espana/feijoo-vuelca-maria-corina-machado-partido-espana-20260417122613-nt.html)
* [AM- Feijóo respalda a Corina Machado: 'El sitio de España es con la libertad y no con la dictadura escondida en Barajas' — pressdigital.es](https://www.pressdigital.es/articulo/politica/2026-04-17/5848458-am-feijoo-respalda-corina-machado-sitio-espana-libertad-no-dictadura-escondida-barajas)
* [María Corina Machado explica la hoja de ruta para devolver la libertad a Venezuela — libertaddigital.com](https://www.libertaddigital.com/espana/politica/2026-04-17/maria-corina-explica-la-hoja-de-ruta-para-devolver-la-libertad-a-venezuela-es-el-momento-de-avanzar-7390084/)
* [María Corina Machado confirma que coordina con Trump su regreso a Venezuela — alnavio.es](https://alnavio.es/maria-corina-machado-confirma-que-coordina-con-trump-su-regreso-a-venezuela/)
* [Abascal critica a Sánchez por reunión con Machado mientras ve a cómplices de Maduro en cumbre — capital.es](https://capital.es/actualidad/abascal-afea-a-sanchez-querer-reunirse-con-maria-corina-machado-cuando-se-ve-con-los-complices-de-maduro/178218/)
* [Felipe VI felicitó a Corina Machado por el Nobel de la Paz en una carta privada — heraldo.es](https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/nacional/2026/04/17/felipe-vi-carta-privada-machado-nobel-paz-espana-venezuela-2013039.html)
* [El primer pacto autonómico entre el PP y Vox marca la agenda de la semana política — infobae.com](https://www.infobae.com/espana/agencias/2026/04/19/el-primer-pacto-autonomico-entre-el-pp-y-vox-marca-la-agenda-de-la-semana-politica/)
* [Puente destroza a Feijóo y Corina Machado con tan sólo cinco palabras: 'Es la ganadora' — elplural.com](https://www.elplural.com/politica/espana/puente-destroza-feijoo-corina-machado-tan-solo-cinco-palabras-es-ganadora_387456102)
* [Las izquierdas en Barcelona y Corina Machado en Madrid — larazon.es](https://www.larazon.es/opinion/izquierdas-barcelona-corina-machado-madrid_2026042069e5577db7e0a27eb99e064b.html)
* [Abascal desafía a Ayuso por la 'prioridad nacional' — democrata.es](https://www.democrata.es/politica/abascal-responde-a-ayuso-defiende-la-prioridad-nacional-y-la-insta-a-recurrir-el-pacto-de-extremadura-si-lo-ve-ilegal/)
* [Abascal replica a Ayuso que 'prioridad nacional' no es 'exclusividad' y la reta a que lo 'recurra' ante la Justicia — 20minutos.es](https://www.20minutos.es/nacional/abascal-replica-ayuso-que-prioridad-nacional-no-es-exclusividad-reta-que-recurra-ante-justicia_6959769_0.html)
* [Dardos entre PP y PSOE en Andalucía: Sánchez critica su 'discurso racista' — lasexta.com](https://www.lasexta.com/elecciones/autonomicas/dardos-psoe-andalucia-sanchez-critica-discurso-racista-mientras-feijoo-denuncia-corrupcion-insoportable-gobierno_2026041969e4d2099e87c91dbffa8293.html)
* [López (PSOE) sitúa Ayuso como 'alumna aventajada' del 'proyecto ultra' internacional — ultimahora.es](https://www.ultimahora.es/noticias/comunidades/2026/04/18/2611961/lopez-psoe-situa-ayuso-como-alumna-aventajada-del-proyecto-ultra-internacional-del-madrid-punta-lanza.html)
* [Spain approves plan to give around 500,000 undocumented migrants legal status — bbc.com](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy511nln2xvo)
* [Spain finalizes amnesty measure for potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants — apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/spain-immigration-amnesty-legal-european-union-migrants-255b9c28a05c496851864b60f0766008)
* [Spain launches programme to offer amnesty to 500,000 undocumented migrants — france24.com](https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260415-spain-launches-programme-to-offer-amnesty-to-500-000-undocumented-migrants)
* [Sánchez critica la 'hipocresía' del PP con los migrantes — abc.es](https://www.abc.es/espana/sanchez-critica-hipocresia-pp-migrantes-20260419133616-nt.html)
* [El Gobierno supedita la regularización a que los inmigrantes prueben que no han delinquido — ideal.es](https://www.ideal.es/nacional/gobierno-preve-aprobar-martes-regularizacion-extraordinaria-medio-20260414090843-ntrc.html)
* [Feijóo clama contra la regularización masiva: «Es inhumana, injusta, insegura e insostenible» — abc.es](https://www.abc.es/espana/feijoo-clama-regularizacion-masiva-inhumana-injusta-insegura-20260414135814-nt.html)
* [Feijóo asegura que el Gobierno va a regularizar a 'inmigrantes que han abusado de una mujer' — eldiario.es](https://www.eldiario.es/politica/feijoo-asegura-gobierno-regularizar-inmigrantes-han-abusado-mujer_1_13143956.html)
* [¿Antecedentes penales, policiales o informes? Desmentimos los bulos de Feijóo sobre la regularización de migrantes — cadenaser.com](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2026/04/16/antecedentes-penales-policiales-o-informes-policiales-desmentimos-el-bulo-de-feijoo-sobre-la-regularizacion-de-migrantes-cadena-ser/)
* [Feijóo, tú si que eres inhumano, inseguro, insostenible — elmundo.es](https://www.elmundo.es/opinion/columnistas/2026/04/16/69df815cfdddff97798b45a1.html)
* [Feijóo carga contra la regularización de inmigrantes: 'Es inhumana e insostenible' — atlantico.net](https://www.atlantico.net/espana/feijoo-carga-regularizacion-migrantes-inhumana_1_20260414-4236372.html)
* [Feijóo, sobre Sánchez: 'Vamos a liberar a Europa y España del Orbán del sur' — eldiario.es](https://www.eldiario.es/politica/feijoo-sanchez-liberar-europa-espana-orban-sur_1_13141817.html)
* [Cuartango critica las palabras de Feijóo sobre Orbán: 'El PP tiene que trabajar en un programa de Gobierno' — lasexta.com](https://www.lasexta.com/programas/al-rojo-vivo/cuartango-critica-palabras-fejoo-orban-tiene-que-trabajar-programa-gobierno-insistir-discurso-que-sanchez-tiene-que-dimitir_2026041469de5f249e87c91dbff46ac3.html)
* [Feijóo llama al PP a revalidar la mayoría absoluta de Moreno — huffingtonpost.es](https://www.huffingtonpost.es/virales/feijoo-llama-sanchez-el-orban-sur-oscar-puente-responde-dandole-mas-duelebr-f202604.html)
* [El PSOE busca voluntarios en sus sedes para formar y atajar el caos por la regularización de inmigrantes — elconfidencial.com](https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2026-04-18/psoe-voluntarios-en-sedes-para-caos-regularizacion-inmigrantes_4340638/)
* [La columna de Manuel Carmona | Regularización, un paso con la explotación laboral — lavozdelsur.es](https://www.lavozdelsur.es/opinion/regularizacion-paso-con-explotacion-laboral_356122_102.html)
* [Yolanda Díaz anima a las personas migrantes a denunciar abusos laborales aunque estén en situación irregular — noticiastrabajo.huffingtonpost.es](https://noticiastrabajo.huffingtonpost.es/empleo/yolanda-diaz-anima-a-las-personas-migrantes-a-denunciar-abusos-laborales-aunque-esten-en-situacion-irregular/)
* [España 2050: 9,7 millones de extranjeros y 'solo' 1,8 millones de nativos más — vozpopuli.com](https://www.vozpopuli.com/economia/macroeconomia/espana-2050-97-millones-de-extranjeros-y-solo-18-millones-de-nativos-mas.html)
* [La inmensa mayoría de los nuevos trabajadores extranjeros proceden de fuera de la UE — vozpopuli.com](https://www.vozpopuli.com/economia/la-inmensa-mayoria-de-los-nuevos-trabajadores-extranjeros-proceden-de-fuera-de-la-ue.html)
* [Víctor Gutiérrez liquida a Feijóo y a Guardiola tras el pacto en Extremadura: 'Se han travestido de Vox' — elplural.com](https://www.elplural.com/autonomias/victor-gutierrez-liquida-feijoo-guardiola-pacto-extremadura-se-han-travestido-vox_387463102)
* [Feijóo del pie en pared ante Vox por la inmigración a la 'prioridad nacional' del pacto extremeño — diariovasco.com](https://diariovasco.com/politica/feijoo-pie-pared-ante-vox-inmigracion-prioridad-20260419132526-ntrc.html)
* [Vox cierra el pacto con el PP en Extremadura y tendrá una vicepresidencia y una consejería — lavanguardia.com](https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20260416/11514490/pp-vox-cierran-pacto-extremadura-vicepresidencia-consejeria-abascal.html)
* [PP y Vox hacen oficial el acuerdo de gobierno en Extremadura con una vicepresidencia y dos consejerías para los de Abascal — elmundo.es](https://www.elmundo.es/espana/extremadura/2026/04/16/69e12713e4d4d8ac3e8b459b.html)
* [Abascal celebra el pacto en Extremadura frente al 'acoso' de los radicales de izquierda en Granada — libertaddigital.com](https://www.libertaddigital.com/andalucia/2026-04-16/abascal-celebra-el-pacto-en-extremadura-frente-al-acoso-de-los-radicales-de-izquierda-en-granada-7389750/)
* [Abascal asegura que Extremadura «va a tener los impuestos más bajos de toda España» — hoy.es](https://www.hoy.es/extremadura/abascal-asegura-extremadura-tener-impuestos-bajos-espana-20260417093205-nt.html)
* [Vox gestionará 1.408 millones en Extremadura, aumentando su participación del 3,9% al 24% del presupuesto — nuevaradio.org](https://www.nuevaradio.org/2026/04/19/vox-gestionara-1-408-millones-en-extremadura-aumentando-su-participacion-del-39-al-24-del-presupuesto-en-tres-anos/)
* [Los entresijos del pacto extremeño: quién ha cedido más en el acuerdo PP-Vox — eldia.es](https://www.eldia.es/nacional/2026/04/19/entresijos-pacto-extremeno-cedido-acuerdo-129274724.html)
* [Feijóo asume en Extremadura su dependencia de Vox con un acuerdo de vocación 'nacional' — eldiario.es](https://eldiario.es/politica/feijoo-asume-extremadura-dependencia-vox-acuerdo-vocacion-nacional_1_13152047.html)
* [Abascal (Vox) dice que Moreno (PP-A) ha traicionado 'al cambio' — elcorreo.com](https://www.elcorreo.com/politica/abascal-dice-moreno-pp-a-traicionado-cambio-20260416204514-vi.html)
* [Hipótesis — lavanguardia.com](https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20260419/11517601/hipotesis.html)
* [Ayuso califica de 'ilegal' el acuerdo racista alcanzado por Feijóo y Abascal en Extremadura — elplural.com](https://www.elplural.com/politica/espana/ayuso-califica-ilegal-acuerdo-alcanzado-feijoo-abascal-extremadura_387357102)
* [Abascal desafía a Ayuso por la 'prioridad nacional' — democrata.es](https://www.democrata.es/politica/abascal-responde-a-ayuso-defiende-la-prioridad-nacional-y-la-insta-a-recurrir-el-pacto-de-extremadura-si-lo-ve-ilegal/)
* [Abascal replica a Ayuso que 'prioridad nacional' no es 'exclusividad' — 20minutos.es](https://www.20minutos.es/nacional/abascal-replica-ayuso-que-prioridad-nacional-no-es-exclusividad-reta-que-recurra-ante-justicia_6959769_0.html)
* [Vox mantiene su postura firme frente a los 'perroflautas' y la 'Irene Montero extremeña' — nuevaradio.org](https://www.nuevaradio.org/2026/04/19/vox-mantiene-su-postura-firme-frente-a-los-perroflautas-y-la-irene-montero-extremena-que-ahora-estaran-junto-a-ellos/)
* [El artículo de Tomás Gómez: Sánchez y Abascal — larazon.es](https://www.larazon.es/espana/sanchez-abascal_2026041969e42dc2b7e0a27eb99d26c7.html)
* [Feijóo del pie en pared ante Vox por la inmigración a la 'prioridad nacional' del pacto extremeño — diariovasco.com](https://www.diariovasco.com/politica/feijoo-pie-pared-ante-vox-inmigracion-prioridad-20260419132526-ntrc.html)
* [Vox acusa al PP de estar en una 'estrategia suicida' para doblegar a Abascal — elmundo.es](https://www.elmundo.es/espana/2026/04/18/69e39eb6e9cf4ac4368b459b.html)
* [Mayte Alcaraz | No le llamen amor, es necesidad — eldebate.com](https://www.eldebate.com/opinion/20260420/no-le-llamen-amor-necesidad_408495.html)
* [Cinética en Andalucía — lavanguardia.com](https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20260419/11517601/cinetica-andalucia.html)
* [Sánchez y Montero se atrincheran en su feudo onubense para reivindicar el «patriotismo» de lo público — abc.es](https://abc.es/espana/andalucia/sanchez-montero-atrincheran-feudo-onubense-reivindicar-patriotismo-20260419134904-nts.html)
* [Sánchez pide 'defender' lo público desde la Junta frente a 'la privatización' — noticiashuelva.com](https://www.noticiashuelva.com/2026/04/19/sanchez-pide-defender-lo-publico-desde-la-junta-frente-a-la-privatizacion-que-no-te-enganen/)
* [El PSOE es la única opción en contra del desmantelamiento de lo público y promete rescatar la sanidad — noticiashuelva.com](https://www.noticiashuelva.com/2026/04/19/el-psoe-es-la-unica-opcion-en-contra-del-desmantelamiento-de-lo-publico-y-promete-rescatar-la-sanidad-destaca-montero/)
* [Moreno y Feijóo agitan el riesgo de la «vía extremeña» para blindar la mayoría absoluta en Andalucía — hoy.es](https://www.hoy.es/nacional/moreno-feijoo-agitan-riesgo-via-extremena-blindar-20260419141621-ntrc.html)
* [Moreno y Feijóo abren la precampaña del PP para las elecciones andaluzas — cordopolis.eldiario.es](https://cordopolis.eldiario.es/cordoba-hoy/sociedad/moreno-feijoo-abren-precampana-pp-elecciones-andaluzas-mayoria-absoluta-decidira-penaltis_1_13155191.html)
* [Feijóo: 'Es compatible servicios que funcionan y pagar menos impuestos' — ppandalucia.es](https://ppandalucia.es/feijoo-compatible-buenos-servicios-impuestos-bajos/)
* [Feijóo carga contra Sánchez en la precampaña andaluza: 'La gente está harta de tener a un presidente que es un trilero' — rtve.es](https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20260419/fejoo-moreno-pp-cordoba-sanchez/17031026.shtml)
* [Andalucía: el PP acaricia la absoluta, batacazo histórico del PSOE y Vox modera su ascenso — elconfidencial.com](https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2026-04-16/elecciones-andalucia-17m-encuesta-imop-insights-pp-psoe-vox_4338580/)
* [Desbandada en el PSOE-A: 257.000 votantes de 2022 se van a PP, Vox y la izquierda radical — elconfidencial.com](https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2026-04-17/elecciones-andalucia-17m-encuesta-imop-psoe-transferencia-votos_4339676/)
* [El total de andaluces valora mejor a Juanma Moreno que los votantes del PSOE a Montero — elconfidencial.com](https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2026-04-17/elecciones-andalucia-17m-encuesta-imop-valoracion-candidatos_4338890/)
* [Las campañas opuestas de PSOE y PP: Montero implica a todo el partido y Moreno solo a Feijóo — elconfidencial.com](https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/andalucia/2026-04-17/campanas-opuestas-psoe-pp-andalucia_4338837/)
* [Sánchez vuelve a los 110 escaños gracias a Trump y a costa de Vox; pero Feijóo no baja — elespanol.com](https://elespanol.com/espana/politica/20260419/efecto-trump-altera-mapa-electoral-sondeo-noche-sanchez-rebota-vox-cae-feijoo-afianza/1003744212983_0.html)
* [Sánchez vuelve a los 110 escaños gracias a Trump y a costa de Vox (duplicate URL) — elespanol.com](https://www.elespanol.com/espana/politica/20260419/efecto-trump-altera-mapa-electoral-sondeo-noche-sanchez-rebota-vox-cae-feijoo-afianza/1003744212983_0.html)
* [Dardos entre PP y PSOE en Andalucía — lasexta.com](https://www.lasexta.com/elecciones/autonomicas/dardos-psoe-andalucia-sanchez-critica-discurso-racista-mientras-feijoo-denuncia-corrupcion-insoportable-gobierno_2026041969e4d2099e87c91dbffa8293.html)
* [En el PSOE andaluz se piensa ya en relevar a Montero — larazon.es](https://www.larazon.es/espana/psoe-andaluz-piensa-relevar-montero_2026041469dd91a29e87c91dbff396b7.html)
* [El PP sube con fuerza a costa de Vox y tendría mayoría absoluta en Andalucía, mientras el PSOE sale del coma — libertaddigital.com](https://www.libertaddigital.com/andalucia/2026-04-13/el-pp-sube-con-fuerza-a-costa-de-vox-y-tendria-mayoria-absoluta-en-andalucia-mientras-el-psoe-sale-del-coma-7387245/)
* [El CIS andaluz da al PP la mayoría absoluta y hunde al PSOE mientras Moreno pide 'prudencia' — libertaddigital.com](https://www.libertaddigital.com/andalucia/2026-04-14/el-cis-andaluz-proyecta-la-mayoria-absoluta-del-pp-y-el-hundimiento-del-psoe-mientras-moreno-pide-prudencia-7387964/)
* [Moreno rozaría la mayoría absoluta en Andalucía frente a un PSOE que se descalabra — 20minutos.es](https://www.20minutos.es/andalucia/pp-mayoria-absoluta-andalucia-moreno-psoe-montero-pero-resultado-centra_6957771_0.html)
* [Así van las encuestas en Andalucía: ajustada mayoría absoluta para el PP con el PSOE agravando su caída — rtve.es](https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20260414/asi-van-encuestas-andalucia-ajustada-mayoria-absoluta-para-pp-con-psoe-agravando-su-caida/17021925.shtml)
* [Montero tensa al PSOE andaluz: malas encuestas y una campaña salpicada por su acta de diputada — larazon.es](https://www.larazon.es/espana/montero-tensa-psoe-andaluz-malas-encuestas-campana-salpicada-acta-diputada_2026041669e034a09e87c91dbff63581.html)
* [Montero comparece mañana en la 'comisión SEPI' del Senado, en plena precampaña de las elecciones andaluzas — infobae.com](https://www.infobae.com/espana/agencias/2026/04/19/montero-comparece-manana-en-la-comision-sepi-del-senado-en-plena-precampana-de-las-andaluzas/)
* [El PP irá 'con todo' contra Montero en el Senado para sacar rédito de la corrupción en las andaluzas — 20minutos.es](https://www.20minutos.es/nacional/pp-ira-con-todo-contra-montero-senado-para-sacar-redito-corrupcion-las-andaluzas-esta-todos-los-caballitos_6959465_0.html)
* [El PSOE cancela el acto con los expresidentes de la Junta tras la muerte de la esposa de Rodríguez de la Borbolla — elespanol.com](https://www.elespanol.com/espana/andalucia/20260417/psoe-cancela-acto-expresidentes-junta-muerte-esposa-rodriguez-borbolla/1003744211669_0.html)
* [El PSOE andaluz suspende el homenaje a los ex presidentes de la Junta — elmundo.es](https://www.elmundo.es/andalucia/2026/04/17/69e2426e21efa04a078b4570.html)
* [Moreno pide una mayoría suficiente para no repetir el pacto en Extremadura — noticiasdegipuzkoa.eus](https://www.noticiasdegipuzkoa.eus/politica/2026/04/19/moreno-pide-mayoria-suficiente-repetir-10959615.html)
* [Moreno: 'Nos vamos a dejar la piel para que Andalucía siga en la vía del progreso' — ppandalucia.es](https://ppandalucia.es/moreno-nos-vamos-a-dejar-la-piel-para-que-andalucia-siga-en-la-via-del-progreso-del-futuro-y-la-moderacion-gracias-a-una-mayoria-suficiente/)
* [Feijóo cree que Moreno 'merece' repetir mayoría absoluta para asentar el 'cambio' en Andalucía — europapress.es](https://www.europapress.es/videos/video-feijoo-cree-moreno-merece-repetir-mayoria-absoluta-asentar-cambio-andalucia-20260419171351.html)
* [Feijóo llama al PP a revalidar la mayoría absoluta de Moreno para 'consolidar el cambio' en Andalucía — eldiadecordoba.es](https://eldiadecordoba.es/cordoba/feijoo-llama-revalidar-mayoria-absoluta-consolidar-cambio-andalucia_0_2006543922.html)
* [PARTIDO POPULAR | Feijóo clausura este domingo en Córdoba la Intermunicipal del PP de Andalucía — elperiodicodearagon.com](https://www.elperiodicodearagon.com/espana/2026/04/19/feijoo-clausura-domingo-cordoba-intermunicipal-129270018.html)
* [Varios ministros del Gobierno arropan al candidato de Por Andalucía en un encuentro en Sevilla — diariodejerez.es](https://www.diariodejerez.es/andalucia/elecciones_andalucia/ministros-gobierno-arropan-candidato-andalucia_0_2006543424.html)