Ireland’s corporation tax rate was in the sights of the man most likely to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor when he met Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore in Berlin.

Greek conservative leader Antonis Samaras is starting coalition talks after winning elections that follow weeks of uncertainty over the debt-crippled country’s future in the eurozone.

Humble beginnings and a good work ethic will help the new first lady hold her own in French circles, writes Elaine Ganley

Greece’s new government was hit by its first general strike today as thousands opposed to cuts marched through Athens.

Spain’s new government has begun the gigantic task of lifting the country out of its worst economic crisis in decades, following an overwhelming general election victory.

Former European Central Bank vice-president Lucas Papademos was officially named new Prime Minister of Greece today.

A new Greek interim government will be announced this afternoon, a government official said, after critical power-sharing talks between the country’s two parties dragged into a third day.

Greece’s ruling Socialists were in open revolt against their own prime minister ahead of a crucial confidence vote tonight.

France’s Socialists and sympathisers are choosing their nominee for next year’s presidential election – an expected showdown with embattled conservative president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Most public services in Greece ground to a halt and transport was disrupted today as unions staged a new general strike in protest at the government’s introduction of harsh austerity measures intended to keep the debt-ridden country solvent.

Hungary’s parliament has approved a bill making Holocaust denial punishable by up to three years in prison, but the measure may be unconstitutional.

A closely fought race between two women to become the new leader of France’s Socialist Party has ended in a dead heat, a senior party official said early today.

German Christian Democrat Hans-Gert Poettering, a veteran European politician, was elected president of the European Parliament today until 2009, an official said.

Thousands of mourners packed a square in front of Belgrade’s federal parliament building today to bid a final farewell to Slobodan Milosevic, who died while on UN trial for some of Europe’s worst atrocities since the Second World War.

The body of Slobodan Milosevic has been flown home to Serbia for burial, met on the tarmac by only a handful of party loyalists. The low-key arrival, after days of wrangling over his final resting place, was an unceremonious homecoming for a man once feared – and respected – by millions.

THE family and supporters of Slobodan Milosevic are pushing for a state funeral for the suspected war criminal.

Slobodan Milosevic’s Socialist party threatened to topple Serbia’s minority government if the former Yugoslav president was not buried with state honors in Belgrade and if his widow was not allowed to attend the funeral.

France’s lower house of parliament voted to extend a state of emergency for three months, after the government said the extra powers were still needed to end the country’s worst civil unrest in four decades.

PARLIAMENT legalised gay marriage yesterday, defying conservatives and clergy who opposed making traditionally Roman Catholic Spain the third country to allow same-sex unions nationwide.

Ministers in the Cabinet of newly elected Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany were set to be sworn in today as part of his push to raise living standards and apply “truly Social Democratic” values to Hungary.

Moving to end a political crisis with its government coalition partner, Hungary’s Socialist Party has announced that Prime Minister Medgyessy is no longer head of the government and that it plans to nominate his replacement next week.

The European Union’s massive democratic exercise of electing its new parliament was marked by widespread apathy and protest votes as citizens of the 25 EU nations punished their governments for everything from high unemployment to involvement in Iraq.

Voters turned out in record numbers today in a second round of balloting for Hungary’s next government, with the opposition Socialists hoping to build on their narrow lead to defeat the ruling Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Party.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat arrived in Athens today to attend a governing socialist party convention and meet with Greek political leaders.