The president of the European Council has said he expects a vote on the UK’s Brexit agreement “as soon as possible”, as world leaders commended Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s General Election success.

Macron wants to lead the EU into the 21st century. But he will succeed only if he does not go too far.

The apparent triumph of Nigel Farage in the British political sphere has cast a huge shadow over a nation struggling to find its identity, writes Gordon Brown.

Bonjour. This column comes to you from Paris, France, as the Americans might say, in case you mix it up with Paris, Texas or any other Paris.

The monopoly of power has been broken. Europe has found itself at a crossroads as the far right and Greens make substantial gains in European elections, writes Lorne Cook.

Voters across Europe are about to head to the polls to elect 751 members to the European Parliament from across 28 separate member states, representing more than 512m people.

If a decision to stand as a candidate in an election is an expression of optimism or frustration, of ambition or dissatisfaction, or as it seems at its simplest, a declaration of enduring faith in the political process, then the 59 Irish candidates who declared for the European elections before yesterday’s noon deadline suggest that a healthy belief in politics capacity to change or protect our world endures.

The euro hit new year-to-date lows against the dollar last week as the currency’s political sensitivity returned to the forefront of investor concern.

Presidential candidate Peter Casey has enlivened an otherwise comatose, and if the polls are right, pointless, waste-of-time-and-money race for the tenancy of Áras an Uachtaráin.

The rise of pro-Putin parties in the recent Italian elections has again underlined how American leverage has waned in comparison, writes John Lloyd.

Two populist and stridently anti-European Union political groups, both fierce rivals, surged in Italy's parliamentary election at the expense of the country's traditional powers, but neither gained enough support to govern alone, preliminary results showed.

French prosecutors have filed preliminary charges against far-right leader Marine Le Pen for tweeting brutal images of Islamic State (IS) violence.

A French appeals court has upheld the far-right National Front's decision to expel party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen over anti-Semitic remarks, a stinging defeat for him and a victory for his daughter and rival Marine.

At a moment when faith in politics, especially international politics, to champion liberal, uplifting, human-rights values is at a low ebb, it is reassuring that Angela Merkel seems close to securing a fourth term as Germany’s chancellor.

In the wake of Catalonia’s bid for independence, Yanis Varoufakis argues that a wish for a pan-European democracy is the prerequisite for imagining a Europe worth saving.

Sections of recent Dáil debates and international statements made by the Taoiseach threw up some interesting statistics.

“Our Taoiseach calling a female politician cranky... Not good,” was one message on Twitter on Wednesday evening.

Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Mary Lou McDonald has been told to leave the Dáil chamber following a fresh clash with the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

The Taoiseach has likened Sinn Féin deputy leader, Mary Lou McDonald, to French far-right leader Marine Le Pen during heated exchanges in the Dáil.

The election of Donald Trump, Brexit, the rise of Marine Le Pen, and, maybe to a lesser degree, the fragmentation of the Dáil, are all a consequence of so many workers believing that the system they had supported all of their working lives has betrayed them.

WikiLeaks has said it is publishing around 20,000 emails allegedly stolen from French President Emmanuel Macron's campaign on its website in a searchable form.

No opposition leader can muster a vision inspiring enough to compete with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, says Leonid Bershidsky

The US president is in Poland this week, where his brand of populism is welcome, as it is in Hungary, but we must not allow him to play eastern and western Europe against each other, says Guy Verhofstadt.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been charged with misusing European Parliament funds relating to the payment of parliamentary aides.

French voters have given President Emmanuel Macron's party a solid victory in the parliamentary election.

French voters are casting their ballots in the final round of parliamentary elections that could clinch President Emmanuel Macron's hold on power, as his fledgling party appears set to rout mainstream rivals.

Voters attracted by Emmanuel Macron say they will back his party candidates. However, despite the grandiose claims, it’s impossible to say if Macron’s staggering success is evidence of a new electoral cycle or a mere blip.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has been urged to condemn “racist” comments made by a Fine Gael councillor.

The first round of parliamentary elections suggests the new president will get the majority needed to push through radical reforms, say Philippe Aghion and Benedicte Berner.

French voters are choosing politicians on Sunday in a vote that is crucial for newly-elected president Emmanuel Macron.

Planning for the initial public offering (IPO) of a 25% chunk in AIB was at a late stage when the Government debated the timing for the launch of the €3bn sale.

Here's your morning news bulletin.

Yanis Varoufakis supported Emmanuel Macron in his battle with Marine Le Pen, but is determined to see the French president turn his back on his failed neoliberalist policies

Macron appealed to French nationalism to bolster allegiance to the EU: ‘We built this Europe’, writes Victoria White

The United States watched Russians hack France's computer networks during the election and tipped off French officials before it became public, a US cyber official told the Senate today.

One of the first functions attended by France’s president-elect Emmanuel Macron was an event to mark the end of the Second World War.

The election of Emmanuel Macron in France is a positive for the country’s creditworthiness but his presidency could yet come unstuck if it fails to deliver growth to help cut its large debts, Moody’s Investors Service has said.

The Government has downplayed the possibility of a fresh attack on Ireland’s corporate tax rate following the election of Emmanuel Macron in France.

A French politician has died after collapsing on stage while making a speech at a rally for presidential contender Emmanuel Macron.