Europe looks at banning social media for teens, and girls are most impacted

By Tamsin Paternoster 
Published on 19/06/2026

EURONEWS

As the UK joins a growing list of countries looking at banning or severely curbing children's access to social media, data shows girls have higher levels of problematic social media use than boys across Europe.

The UK's plans to ban social media access for teenagers has reignited a debate playing out across Europe, as governments face growing calls from parents to teachers to protect children online.

Countries including France, Spain, Austria and Denmark are all discussing measures to restrict access for children, with concerns ranging from cyberbullying and addictive platform design, to tragedies including suicide and self-harm.

According to a study by WHO-backed Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, problematic social media use among adolescents increased from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022.

It defined problematic social media use using a behavioural scale that measures symptoms such as an inability to cut back, neglecting other activities and experiencing conflicts or negative consequences as a result of spending time online.

According to 15-year-olds surveyed, some of the highest rates of problematic social media use were recorded in Romania, Ireland and Malta.

On the other end of the scale, the Netherlands, Denmark and Estonia recorded some of the lowest levels.

Teenage girls lead the way

Across the countries surveyed, girls reported significantly higher levels of problematic use than boys.

This gap is particularly pronounced in Romania, where 28% of 15-year-old girls reported problematic use, compared with 18% of boys. In Ireland, the figures were 25% and 13% respectively.

Girls were also more likely to report they were in contact with friends online around the clock, with 44% of 15-year-old girls compared to 29% of boys.

According to the report, girls tend to be more socially connected online and may face a different virtual experience than boys.

Various research has found that adolescent girls were found to experience greater pressure over their appearance and body-dissatisfaction on social media than boys, a well as report slightly higher levels of cyberbullying-related experiences.
Support for bans is high, but evidence they work is limited

As governments debate curbing access, political support for restrictions on children's access to apps is at a high.

A YouGov survey published in April found that 79% of people in France supported banning social media for under-16s, alongside 76% in the UK, 74% in Germany and 70% in Italy. Majorities also backed restrictions in Spain (68%) and Poland (53%).

Parents particularly backed bans and restrictions, with 79% of those with children supporting a ban in Britain, Italy and Spain.

Government's are listening to this political push: France's National Assembly has approved legislation restricting access to social media for under-15s, while Spain has proposed raising the minimum age for social media access to 16.

Greece has gone a step further, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announcing a ban on social media for under-15s in April, with parliament set to vote on the legislation this summer.

Many of the proposals being discussed across Europe require effective age-verification systems and may face legal and practical challenges under EU-wide rules, under which national governments cannot simply force apps such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat to block those under-16 overnight.

Yet while support for bans is at a high, evidence that they are effective is very limited —primarily because there are very few long-term case studies that have allowed researchers to effectively assess the impact of bans on children's wellbeing.

W thinks it has the X Factor: Europe’s alternative to mainstream social media

Copyright Canva

By Anna Desmarais

Published on 19/06/2026 -  EURONEWS

The Swedish-based “W” platform” is the latest in a series of new social media sites vying to replace US Big Tech companies.

The European Commission announced Wednesday that it was joining a new, made-in-Europe alternative social media platform called “W.”

The platform, first announced at the World Economic Forum in January, is built on “verified human users, transparency, privacy and free speech.”

W, based in Sweden, was built by entrepreneurs in media, technology and artificial intelligence, according to the platform’s website. The platform’s beta version launched this week, with users required to apply for vetting by the “W” team before they can post.

Top European officials are using the platform as well, including EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council.

Before getting access, users have to verify themselves either by sharing their real name or anonymously through W Identity, a separate app that scans the user’s passport or national ID to verify them directly on their device.

CEO Anna Zeiter previously told Euronews that it plans to host its data on “European servers owned by European companies,” and limiting its investors to those based on the continent.

Relate

At the time, Zeiter said W plans to use Proton, a Swiss encrypted email provider, and UpCloud, a cloud computing platform based in Finland, in accordance with EU privacy laws.

The launch coincides with a broader tech and artificial intelligence (AI) sovereignty movement in Europe to distance companies, governments and individuals away from Big Tech companies based in the United States.

Several countries, including France, Germany and the Netherlands, have raised concerns that reliance on Big Tech could lead to national security and data concerns.

Other alternative social media sites​

W is one of several alternative social media platforms launched recently based in Europe, including Bulle (French for bubble), Eurosky, Monnett and eYou.

Some of these platforms signed a declaration last week committing to build Europe’s “social stack,” which it says will bring a “diverse and resilient infrastructure” to the continent to “move away from large monopolistic platforms with their authoritarian governance.”

However, experts have previously told Euronews Next that it is very difficult for alternative platforms to maintain an audience because it will be hard for them to stay as convenient or engaging as platforms that are trying to maximise time on the site.

India blocks Telegram over 'medical entrance exam fraud' concerns


India's government has blocked messaging app Telegram until ​June 22, saying the platform was used to "defraud candidates" taking the medical entrance examination. The restriction was issued under a stringent provision ​of the IT law, which empowers ‌the government to block access to online sites in the "interest of sovereignty and integrity of ‌India".


Issued on: 16/06/2026 - 
By: FRANCE 24

The icon for the instant messaging Telegram app is seen on a smartphone, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. © Matt Slocum, AP


India blocked access to Telegram messenger on Tuesday ahead of a retest of a nationwide medical college entrance examination, after a scandal last month over a question paper leak.

The failure of the hugely competitive exam, along with a separate marking fiasco in high school tests, sparked outrage and fuelled youth protests demanding the education minister's resignation.

The Ministry of Electronics issued the order restricting access to Telegram until June 22, the day of the retest. Message-editing features, which allow users to alter existing posts, will remain restricted until June 30.

"Both measures have been taken in the interest of public order, in response to the organised use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates," India's National Testing Agency (NTA) said in a statement.

The National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) is one of the country's most competitive exams, attracting more than two million aspiring doctors.

The NEET exam was scrapped in May following allegations that the question paper was leaked in advance, including reports that it had been circulated through Telegram channels.

The intense pressure to succeed in these exams has fuelled a lucrative industry, with tens of thousands of coaching centres across the country.

Fierce competition means that success often comes at a significant personal and financial cost -- creating opportunities for criminal networks seeking to sell leaked examination papers to the highest bidder.

India's Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested the "kingpin" alleged to be behind the leak, naming him as a chemistry lecturer involved in the examination process for the NTA.
Test pilots

The education ministry launched on Monday a website where the public can report "suspicious claims, unauthorised content, or fraudulent activities" related to the NEET exam.

Indian air force helicopters on Tuesday were seen readying for the delivery of the test papers, to "to prevent any possibility of leak", the Press Trust of India news agency reported, broadcasting images of preparations in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Despite rapid economic growth, millions of people in the world's most populous nation still struggle to find stable and well-paying jobs, fuelling discontent.

Students spend years preparing for exams in the hope of securing a professional career, with the pressure intensified by limited opportunities and intense competition.

Indian media reported suicides of teenagers following the fiasco over the NEET exam.

The NEET scandal came on top of another controversy, related to the online marking system used for tests taken by nearly two million high school students.

Many students said the system had assigned incorrect grades or issued results to the wrong candidates.

Anger at the exam mishandling has been channelled by the newly-founded satirical "Cockroach People's Party", which has won millions of followers on social media since its launch in May.

The movement emerged after India's Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly likened young people who criticised the government to "cockroaches" and "parasites" during a court hearing, sparking outrage among the youth. Kant later said his comments were taken out of context.

The group, the "Cockroach Janta Party", which has since launched protests in person, based their name on a play on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

How armed groups in Colombia are using TikTok to recruit young people

Cover image: Watch “Colombia: Using TikTok as a recruitment tool”, a visual investigation produced by the FRANCE 24 Observers. © Observers / Upian

Issued on: 19/06/2026 - FRANCE 24 Observers
11:46 min  From the show


As Colombia’s conflict has intensified in recent years, armed groups have flooded social media like TikTok with videos aimed at getting new recruits – particularly young people. The FRANCE 24 Observers team investigated the inner workings of this new recruitment method.

Wads of cash, gold watches and attractive young women: this is what life inside Colombia's armed groups looks like, at least according to numerous TikTok posts.

Some publications highlight the values these groups purportedly champion, such as “the defence of the people”, while others openly invite online users to join them.

The goal is to attract new recruits, especially young ones, who constitute the platform's main audience.
These images were posted by TikTok accounts linked to Colombian guerrillas and paramilitary groups. The texts read: “Good kids study. Lazy ones make money” (left), and “The true revolutionary is the one who fights for his people and asks nothing in exchange” (right). © TikTok

Such posts have multiplied in recent years, spanning all of Colombia’s active armed groups – including dissidents of the former FARC guerrilla movement, the ELN (one of the country's main guerrilla groups), and the Clan del Golfo (the biggest paramilitary group).

For these groups, recruiting new members is crucial, as the conflict has intensified over the last few years.

“We are open for recruitment,” the left image reads. The letters on the red armband correspond to a paramilitary group in the Tolima department. The image on the right reads, “Join us! We’re waiting for you. The doors of the FARC are open to all who have a rebel spirit.” © TikTok
‘We found armed groups offering as much as 12 million pesos a month [€2,900]’

Lina Mejía Torres works for the Colombian NGO Vivamos Humanos, which released a report in early 2026 on the recruitment of young people through social media.

“We found armed groups offering as much as 12 million pesos a month [Editor’s note: €2,900 – seven times the Colombian minimum salary in 2026]. When you see that kind of pay in a region where there's high unemployment, it gets attention. The groups target young people who are vulnerable, who aren't in school.

The work they give kids is not just being a lookout or harvesting coca leaves; children are sometimes recruited for jobs like flying drones.”
‘How does it work if I want to join?’

Some of the TikTok posts get more than 100,000 views – and they also get comments. Some online users ask how to join the armed groups, and some social media accounts tell them to contact them via direct messages.

Some posts from accounts affiliated with armed groups get more than 100,000 views. © Upian

Our team created a fake TikTok account and contacted 33 accounts affiliated with the armed groups, primarily by posting comments or sending messages. We posed as a 17-year-old Colombian teen in order to see whether being underage posed a problem.

Six accounts responded; we exchanged messages to learn about their recruitment process and salary ranges. Several appeared willing to recruit a minor.

Excerpt from a conversation with an account linked to a FARC dissident group. Our team asked them, using a fake TikTok account, “Do you accept people who are 17 years old?” They answered, “Yes, of course”. © TikTok

The recruitment and use of minors in armed conflict is a crime punishable by 23 years in prison, according to the Colombian penal code.

The UN reports that the number of children under 18 in Colombia’s armed groups climbed by 320 percent between 2019 and 2024.

However, no data is available on the exact number of young people recruited specifically via social media platforms.
‘They can reach the entire country from a base in a single place’

Online recruitment offers several advantages over traditional recruitment methods, said Juana Cabezas of the Indepaz human rights group. The Colombian organisation has studied forced recruitment by Colombia’s armed group alongside the platform Pacifista.


“Before, the armed groups had to be physically present on the ground to recruit minors. They'd go from house to house in an area, recruiting one or two minors [at a time] by force. Today, they can be omnipresent: they can reach the entire country from a base in a single place.

Recruitment via social media also goes largely unnoticed because children simply vanish, leaving their families completely in the dark about what happened to them."

Mejía Torres told our team:


“Tracking down those involved in the recruitment is far more difficult because social media allows for anonymity. We won’t necessarily find out who is behind all of this or who is responsible.”

Recruiting online also offers a way to downplay the dangers.

This image was published on an account linked to the ELN, which regularly pays tribute to fallen guerrilla members. This young girl, for instance, died at the age of 14. Our team translated part of the text in the image. © TikTok
‘The groups call their families to tell them to come pick up the children's bodies’

We spoke to a member of an indigenous NGO in Cauca, the region with the highest number of young people recruited. We are hiding his identity for security reasons. He told our team:


“There are children who have joined the armed groups. One or two weeks later, the groups call their families to tell them to come pick up their body, because they've been killed.”

A report by the Colombian Institute of Legal Medicine says 30 minors under the age of 18 died between August 2025 and May 2026 – half of them in fighting between the armed groups, half in fighting with the military.

This image was posted on an account affiliated with a FARC dissident group. © TikTok


Accounts deleted, content replicated

Our team reviewed nearly a hundred TikTok accounts recruiting for armed groups. We found that they can remain active for a year or more before being taken down. And when they are deleted, their content often shows up on other accounts.

Moreover, when we first started our investigation, we used keywords to identify accounts affiliated with armed groups. But after just a day and a half, that was no longer necessary – our TikTok feed had become flooded with content related to these groups.

Yet, TikTok’s community guidelines ban “criminal organisations” and “supporting, recruiting for, or promoting these entities”. The platform also says it is protecting people under 18.

When contacted by our team, TikTok said it “takes proactive measures to stop the cartels using the platform, recognising that this is a very real challenge (...). Through specialised teams dedicated to dismantling these constantly evolving criminal networks, we strive to anticipate their new tactics and strictly apply our rules by deleting content and accounts that violate our guidelines.”

TikTok also said they "work closely" with the Colombian authorities.
Law designed to protect minors on social networks

In 2025, the Colombian parliament adopted a law concerning the “development of safe digital environments” for minors.

The NGO Vivamos Humanos says it is a promising first step. But the law has not yet gone into effect, and it does not mention recruitment by the armed groups.

The Colombian Ombudsman’s Office, also contacted by our team, said that the response should “include preventive measures (...) particularly in areas where armed groups are most present.”
BY:

The FRANCE 24 Observers

Chloé LAUVERGNIER

G7 & Co: Who rules the new world ?

Cover image: © France 24
Issued on: 19/06/2026 - 
Play (46:27 min)From the show

In a week that an interim peace agreement WAS signed between the US and Iran bringing a temporary end to the conflict and the beginning of a sixty day window to negotiate the many unresolved issues.

President Trump signed the Memorandum of Understanding over a dinner at the Palace of Versailles, and before he’d had time to digest his dessert of Hot Chocolate Pie and French Vanilla Ice Cream there were already grumblings within the Republican party that a military win had been turned into a strategic defeat. Iran’s Supreme Leader claimed Trump had made a deal out of desperation, but it was bravo and cheers at the Chateau.

It’s been a week’s that’s seen the leaders of the G7 nations meet lakeside in Geneva. It was in Evian, five decades on from the inaugural meeting in France established to work out how to deal with the global economic turbulence in the aftermath of the oil crisis of 1973. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US back alongside Canada. This year some other handpicked leaders were invited, the prime ministers of India and Kenya, the Presidents of Brazil, Turkey, Egypt and the UAE, the emir of Qatar, and, what we’ll be discussing in the programme tonight:, the new faces at the table, the bosses of big tech. Canada’s Mark Carney said the old ritual gathering is useful for weaving the strands of a new world order through broader engagement, but the G7 no longer pretends to run the world.

It’s been a week that‘s seen President Zelensky secure renewed western commitment at the G7 with European Leaders talking of an apparent renewed focus and tone from President Trump. This time last year Trump compared the war to two boys fighting in a park, sometimes you’re better off leaving them to it, he said. This week he put his name to a joint statement declaring “unwavering support” for Ukraine, and backed calls for increased pressure on Russia and while he stopped short of criticising Putin, he said Moscow should make a deal.


OUR GUESTS

Anne BAGAMERY Independent journalist
Francis Collings  Freelance journalist based in Paris
Bojan PANCEVSKI  Chief European Political Correspondent, WSJ
Richard WERLY  France/Europe correspondent for Blick

VIDEO BY:
Daniel Whittington
Gavin LEE

 

Gas expansion in the guise of security: Is Europe making the energy crisis permanent?

Copyright AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File

By Angela Symons

Published on 19/06/2026 - EURONEWS

Flexible power and energy security are being used to lock Europe deeper into fossil fuels, a new report warns.

The fossil fuel price shock triggered by the war on Iran has exposed Europe’s dangerous reliance on oil and gas. But rather than treating it as a warning, governments across the EU are doubling down – with plans to build almost 60 gigawatts of new gas plants that could lock the continent into fossil fuel dependence for decades to come, a new analysis cautions.

The ‘Merchants of Crisis’ report, published by campaign group Beyond Fossil Fuels (BFF) on 15 June, finds that the planned gas plants, if built, would burn around 28 billion cubic metres of gas every year – equivalent to around nine per cent of the EU’s projected gas imports, or the annual gas consumption of 46.4 million households.

Natural gas prices in Europe have already risen by 60 per cent since the outbreak of the war, with Europe entering the crisis with much lower gas storage levels than in recent years – 46 billion cubic metres at the end of February 2026, compared with 60 billion cubic metres a year earlier.

Households and businesses are bearing the brunt with spiking energy bills and a deepening cost of living crisis.

“Building more gas plants will not protect people in Europe from future energy crises – it will deepen our dependence on volatile fossil fuel imports, while energy companies profit,” says Juliet Phillips, energy campaigner at Beyond Fossil Fuels. “The real solution is establishing a strategy to phase out fossil fuels while accelerating progress on renewables, storage, grids and clean flexibility.”

Related

• World will cross 1.5°C warming limit by 2030 if emissions continue at current rate - report
• Spain’s renewables revolution is paying off: Electricity bills are lower despite energy crisis

Germany is on the frontline of new gas power

The report argues that “a powerful alliance of politicians and energy companies” is pushing Europe deeper into fossil fuel dependence in the guise of energy security. This creates what it calls “a self-reinforcing cycle” that enriches energy companies while leaving households exposed to future price shocks.

It singles out Germany as a prominent example. The German government plans to add 12 gigawatts of power plant capacity by 2031, 10 of which are earmarked for hydrogen-ready, gas-fired plants.

While this is down from the coalition government’s initial plans to tender 20 GW of gas capacity by 2030, it’s still a significant addition to the country’s existing portfolio of roughly 31 GW. The German government mandates that all newly built gas-fired capacity must “decarbonise” by 2045 – although it leaves the door open for this to be achieved through carbon capture and storage (CCS), which critics including the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) warn is not a proven or cost-efficient solution.

In particular, BFF contends that while Germany’s Energy Minister Katherina Reiche is central to the country’s energy policy, she is not neutral. BFF claims she brings a pro-gasindustry stance to her role, after a decade working with E.ON subsidiary Westenergie AG, which supplies over 6.6 million people with fossil-fuelled energy, and VKU, an influential lobby group for municipal energy utilities.

Related

• EU powerhouses like Germany ‘on track’ to miss 2030 emissions goal while Spain may smash its target

Since entering office, she has pushed for the expansion of gas-fired power plants, advocated for the EU to relax its net-zero deadlines to protect industry, and proposed cuts to solar and grid subsidies. She also backed the rollback of Germany’s renewables-focused Heating Act last month.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWE) did not immediately reply when contacted for comment.

Germans already face the highest energy bills in the EU due to the country’s high exposure to volatile global gas and oil markets, which set electricity prices. Around 95 per cent of gas consumed in Germany comes from imports.

The report also highlights Poland and Romania as having significant government shares in oil and gas that influence policy decisions. In Poland, the state is the majority owner of utilities PGE and ENEA and the top shareholder in energy and utility conglomerates Orlen and Tauron.

In Romania, gas producer Romgaz is 70 per cent state-owned, while the state holds a 20.7 per cent share in oil company OMV Petrom. The two companies are co-developing the €4 billion Neptun Deep Black Sea gas project, which is set to double Romania’s gas production from 2027. Romania’s Mintia gas-fired thermal power plant, slated to be the largest in the EU, is expected to become operational this year – despite EU grid body ENTSO-E finding much of the planned capacity would not be economically viable by 2035.

Flexible power: Why can’t Europe move forward?

Germany’s energy security plans highlight a wider problem: the existing electricity system was built around fossil-fuelled power, and “energy security” is once again being used to justify maintaining the status quo rather than investing in reform.

By mandating that 10 GW of its new power capacity “must be able to generate electricity continuously over a longer period of time”, Germany is effectively favouring gas-fired plants. These are currently relied on across Europe to provide flexible, dispatchable power – balancing the grid when wind and solar output doesn’t match demand.

But campaigners and energy analysts argue this approach could leave countries with stranded assets. Focusing on battery storage and other clean flexibility solutions could be cheaper and more resilient.

"Clean flexibility is scaling fast," think tank Ember's senior energy analyst, Dr. Beatrice Petrovich, tells Euronews Earth. "Grid-scale battery costs hit a record low in 2025, continuing a decade-long trend, while installed capacity more than doubled in just two years – making batteries a cheaper alternative to new gas for short-term grid balancing that is also faster to build.

"In Germany alone, battery capacity is expected to grow from 2.5 GW in 2025 to over 10 GW in the next few years. Combined with AI-enabled demand flexibility from a growing fleet of EVs and heat pumps, this progress shows that policymakers should carefully assess the risks of overbuilding fossil assets, including gas supply disruption and stranded costs at the expense of taxpayers."

Poland’s capacity auctions go even further: they explicitly only allow gas-fired units to participate, framed by the government as “system stabilisation and energy security”. But new research by Krzysztof Bodzek at the Silesian University of Technology suggests this is also a political choice rather than an unavoidable necessity – finding that by 2040, local energy balancing alone could displace the need for 20.8 GW of gas power plants.

The prioritisation of gas as a controllable power source is especially problematic because it draws investment and political focus away from making renewables more flexible through things like battery storage, demand-side response, and time-of-use tariffs.

Germany is a stark illustration of how far behind Europe’s largest economy is on this front: while countries like France, Italy, Spain and Sweden have smart meter coverage of 95 per cent or above, just under four per cent of German households had a smart meter at the end of September 2025.

Smart meters are a necessity for dynamic electricity tariffs, which are in turn essential for aligning variable renewable generation with consumption – and reducing reliance on gas as a backup.

TTEP, a recent joint venture between TotalEnergies and EPH announced in May, is set to become one of Europe’s largest gas power producers. It, too, has been framed as a flexgen player. But campaigners say it will effectively create a new fossil gas giant with a structural interest in prolonging Europe’s dependence on gas imports.

Smart meters help to balance variable renewable generation with consumption. Canva

‘European households need freedom from fossil fuel price shocks’

“Energy security cannot be used as a pretext for making the fossil fuel industry even richer through new gas deals,” says Phillips. “European households and businesses need exactly the opposite: lower bills, greater resilience and freedom from fossil fuel price shocks.”

BFF is calling on EU leaders, who are meeting this week for the European Council, to endorse a long-term framework to progressively reduce Europe’s structural dependence on fossil fuels – backed by measurable targets and supported by accelerated investment in renewables, storage and grid infrastructure.

The European Commission has already proposed a package of new measures, AccelerateEU, in response to the current crisis, but BFF argues these fall short of the structural shift needed to prevent Europe from becoming permanently vulnerable to fossil fuel price shocks.

A letter signed by over 20 industry groups, climate NGOs and trade unions has been delivered to EU leaders ahead of the Council meeting, calling for measures that structurally reduce Europe’s exposure to fossil fuel volatility.

Energy crisis heightens risk of poverty and social exclusion: EU Commissioner Minzatu

Cover image: TALKING EUROPE © FRANCE 24
Issued on: 22/05/2026 
Play (12:04 min)From the show

Our guest has an important role in promoting social policies in the European Union, at a time when much of the political oxygen is being sucked out by the competitiveness and simplification agenda, as well as by defence and security issues. Roxana Minzatu is Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and is in charge of social rights and skills, quality jobs and preparedness.

Minzatu is a Romanian social democrat, a former minister for European funds in the Romanian government and a former MEP. She recently presented an anti-poverty strategy aimed at dealing with the fact that one in five Europeans – or 93 million people – are at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

"I want to send a signal of optimism with this strategy. I don't want to paint a bleak picture," Minzatu tells the programme. "But the reality is that the numbers (of people at risk of poverty) are dynamic. The cost of living is rising, the energy shocks crisis, the invasion of Ukraine, and now the Middle East crisis. There are a number of shocks that could modify these numbers. And then this strategy sets the path forward and sets out a kind of shield."

But isn't Minzatu limited by the fact that it's up to EU member states to decide on their own anti-poverty measures?

"I meet prime ministers and ministers of finance, not just ministers of labour and education," she responds. "They're not easy conversations. Of course, many times the temptation is to say, 'but, you know, we need to invest more in security. We need to invest more in technology.' But I always bring into the discussion the essential role of people, and the quality of their jobs."

Minzatu insists on the link between quality jobs and competitiveness, pointing to the proposed Quality Jobs Act that will focus on labour relations, high-risk or precarious sectors, and health and safety in the workplace. "Quality jobs are a key ingredient of being more competitive and stronger economically," she says. "Our proposal for a Quality Jobs Act is now in consultation, so both trade unions and employers are giving us their input. Trade unions want more legislation, more binding rules. Employers want more guidance."

The Quality Jobs Act would work hand in hand with the Union of Skills, and with the Skills Portability Initiative, "which will make use of everything we can: legislation, digital tools, AI tools to create much more equivalence and trust in qualifications, degrees and diplomas between member states, so that people can travel freely with their knowledge, with their education."

Minzatu admits that all this will be a challenge amid declining performance in maths and science among young Europeans. "Looking at the statistics, the pandemic was the turning point where numbers started to deteriorate a bit more," she notes. "That has to do with how education was offered; the online teaching. But then we see numerous other transformations, including the impact of artificial intelligence, of technology, of social networks."

We ask Minzatu about the collapse of the pro-EU government in her home country, Romania, following a no-confidence vote in the parliament.

"Romanians are highly pro-European, and the dream of many generations has been to be part of Europe. This dream does not disappear easily," she remarks. "But people will of course judge politicians from the perspective of their everyday lives. So we need to be able to address their concerns about their cost of living, their concerns about the taxes that they pay, and so on. The reactions (of Romanians) are very concretely anchored into that."

Programme prepared by Isabelle Romero, Perrine Desplats, Aline Bottin and Oihana Almandoz.

BY: Armen GEORGIAN

World's worst energy crisis? Iran war sparks scramble for alternatives to Gulf oil

Issued on: 22/04/2026 - FRANCE24
Play (42:08 min) From the show

Will the world have enough fuel to fill the tanks and fertilise the crops? The seizure of ships by Iran is adding to global jitters as the extension of a ceasefire offers zero visibility on prospects for the planet's biggest choke point for oil and gas. Nearly two months on, the Paris-based International Energy Agency is calling it the biggest-ever energy disruption in history. We ask about prices at the pump, cancelled flights and more broadly, if oil's not flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, where to find it and what's the alternative?

Cue images of the French president who staged his Wednesday cabinet meeting in the central Allier region, where Emmanuel Macron also inaugurated a large lithium mine.

How fast can the energy transition make up for lost oil? How much of a bind is this for Europe, when harmony among the 27 rests on Russian oil flowing to eastern members through the Druzhba pipeline and when China's dominance of the battery and electric vehicle markets makes it very hard to compete?

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Andrew Hilliar.

OUR GUESTS

Noam RAYDAN

Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Hélène CONWAY-MOURET

French senator, Socialist Party
Philippe CHARLEZ

Energy analyst, Le Millénaire
Jan ROSENOW

Professor of Energy and Climate Policy, University of Oxford
BY:
François PICARD

Rebecca GNIGNATI

Juliette Laffont

Ilayda HABIP

Andrew HILLIAR

VIDEO BY:
François PICAR

Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline: an African dream that could reshape world energy markets

After two decades of delays, the colossal trans-Saharan gas megaproject to export Nigerian gas to Europe via Niger and Algeria is back in the spotlight with this month's announcement that construction of the Algerian section had rebegun. The pipeline, once completed, could fundamentally reshape Europe's energy map.


Issued on: 20/06/2026 - FRANCE24
By:
David RICH
Tahar HANI

The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline will connect Algeria and Nigeria, two gas-producing powerhouses that together account for more than half of Africa's natural gas production and reserves. © AFP, STR


After several false starts, work on the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) officially restarted in early June amid the recent thawing of relations between Niger and Algeria. The megaproject linking Nigeria with the two countries began with an initial construction phase in early April in Algeria's Adrar region.

Over 4,000 kilometres long, the pipeline will enable the transport of Nigerian gas through Niger and Algeria, where it can then be exported to European markets, namely through Italy and Spain by way of the Mediterranean Sea.

“This project is not at all new, but it’s ramping up,” said Brahim Oumansour, associate researcher at the Institute for International and Strategic Relations (IRIS). "Algeria and Niger have chosen to put their differences aside for a common goal, in a geopolitical context that is favourable to them."

Long road to construction

The project of a pipeline between Algeria and Europe has existed since the 1980s. Since then, the project has experienced a long and winding road, with long pauses as it was relegated to the drawers of ministries and research departments. Nigeria, Niger, and Algeria first signed a deal in 2009 to “define the project” – with the first delivery of gas scheduled for 2015. After several years of delays, the project was revived in 2022 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Algiers.

“The feasibility studies for this gigantic project and the issue of financing took a long time,” said Algerian political scientist Hasni Abidi. “The three partner companies [Algeria’s Sonatrach, Nigeria’s NNPC and Niger’s Sonidep] had to find a financial arrangement. Niamey didn’t have the financial resources necessary for the construction.”

The project was also delayed because of diplomatic tensions such as those caused by Niger’s 2003 coup d’état which created a rift in relations between Niamey and its partners.

In mid-February of this year, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune welcomed the head of Niger’s junta, Abdourahamane Tiani, on an official visit in Algiers during which both sides hailed their “brotherhood”. The diplomatic engagement allowed for the revival of the ambitious project, which gained traction amid the energy supply shock created by the Middle East war and the destruction of energy infrastructure in the Gulf countries.
Corridor between two African gas giants

The TSGP's ambition is to connect two natural gas powerhouses. Algeria is the leading producer in Africa, and Nigeria, which has the continent's largest untapped reserves (6 billion cubic meters, equivalent to a quarter of Qatar's reserves), is the third-largest. When combined, the two countries account for over half of Africa's natural gas production and reserves.

"This is a very ambitious project, and one that will reshape the landscape of regional energy business," said Abidi.

Dubbed the "project of the century" in Africa, the 4,128-kilometre-long pipeline begins in Nigeria’s Warri City and ends in Algeria’s Hassi R’Mel in the northern Sahara.

On a map, the pipeline appears as a nearly vertical line, with 1,000 kilometres running north through Nigeria, 840 kilometres through Niger and 2,300 kilometers through Algeria.

Some 1,800 kilometres still need to be built: 100 in Nigeria, 700 in Niger and 1,000 in Algeria.

Construction on the Algerian portion was officially launched on June 4 during a ceremony in the country's southern Aoulef region attended by the three participating countries' energy ministers.

Nigeria is scheduled to begin construction on its portion in early 2027, according to its minister of petroleum.

The Africa Atlantic Gas Pipeline championed by Morocco includes 13 countries. © France Médias Monde Graphic Studio

Financial and geostrategic godsend

The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline will enable the transport of around 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Nigeria to Europe via Algeria with its existing Transmet and Medgaz pipelines, which lead to Italy and Spain.

This volume represents about 11 percent of Europe’s annual imports of natural gas (270 billion cubic metres in 2025).

Other quantities of natural gas will be liquefied at Algeria's Arzew and Skikda refineries before being exported to Europe in ships in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

"Algeria wants to reinforce its status as a reliable energy partner for Europe, but its capacities are limited. The partnership with Nigeria should allow it to increase its volumes to meet European demand," said researcher Brahim Oumansour.

One of Africa’s poorest countries, Niger intends to take advantage of transit rights for the gas and attract new infrastructure and energy investments, which create jobs.

Obstacles and limitations

Despite the project's relaunch, several obstacles jeopardise its ambitious timeline which aims for completion by 2029.

The cost of the pipeline’s construction was approximately $13 billion when it launched in 2009. Since then, the cost has increased to around $20 billion, some energy sector experts estimate. The increasing cost of raw materials and the challenging desert terrain are largely to blame. The countries participating in the project have not yet disclosed the project's current budget.

African and international banks might lend their support to the Algerian and Nigerian investments, but no confirmation has been given thus far.

The pipeline also has security issues since the infrastructure crosses zones, particularly in northern Nigeria and Niger, where armed groups and trans-border smuggling networks are active.

Competition from Morocco

Another major gas project spearheaded by Morocco, Algeria's main regional rival, could overshadow the TSGP. The Africa Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) is a 6,000-kilometre-long project which includes 13 countries. The pipeline connects Nigeria to Morocco with the same objective as the TSGP: to export Nigerian gas to European markets.

The cost of the project is estimated at $25 billion.

Route of the Africa Atlantic gas pipeline, as proposed by Morocco, which includes 13 countries. © France Médias Monde Graphic Design Studio

“These two projects are in competition because they are aiming for the same customer,” Oumansour said. “Algeria is ahead, since the trans-Saharan project has made more progress. The Moroccan project depends on the construction of complex offshore structures and many more partners.”

These rival projects could both eventually win over the European market. The demand for natural gas in the European Union is higher than ever since the bloc turned its back on Russia for invading Ukraine. Iran’s chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz also reinforced European political will to strengthen nearby energy partnerships with Africa.

Yet the volatility of energy prices remains a significant risk factor for the viability of these large projects, Abidi said.

"These are colossal investments over the medium and long term. The price of gas has increased significantly, but it could fall again if Iran enters the gas market or if the war in Ukraine ends. The demand is currently there – but nothing guarantees the financial success of these projects."

This article has been translated from the original in French.

Over a billion children exposed to three or more climate hazards UN report shows

More than one billion children face at least three overlapping climate hazards, the UN childrens' agency Unicef has warned, while highlighting the disproportionate impact in some regions of the world.


Issued on: 16/06/2026 - RFI

Children displaced by floods play in a relief camp, in Jaffarabad, a district in the southwestern Baluchistan province, Pakistan, 2022. © Zahid Hussain / AP



For the report, the UN agency cross-referenced data showing where the roughly 2.4 billion children on the planet live with the geographic distribution of the eight most common climate impacts. They are coastal flooding, river flooding, drought, tropical storms, heat waves – at least three days above a high temperature threshold, which varies by country – extreme heat, wildfires and sandstorms.

The report primarily focuses on the 1.1 billion children who are exposed to at least three risks, with the most common combination being drought, extreme heat (above 35 degrees Celsius) and heat waves.

That combination affects some 296 million children, including 74 million in Nigeria, 34 million in Pakistan and 32 million in India.

The number of children in this three-or-more category has increased sharply over the past 20 years.

Children are 'first victims' of climate change, French rights watchdog warns

Almost all children – some 2.3 billion – are exposed to at least one risk. Two billion are exposed to at least two, while 364 million face at least four.

Of the 123,000 children exposed to seven or more climate hazards, some 46,000 are in Myanmar.

"Children are at the forefront of the impact of climate change," said Unicef chief Catherine Russell.

As for the worst place for a child, "there isn't a super short answer," one of the report authors, Tom Slaymaker, told AFP.

"But they're not all equal," Slaymaker said. "We do see some hot spots... it's really concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia."
Chad's children at risk

Countries with large populations of children – including Bangladesh, India, Nigeria and Pakistan – are at the top of the list for the number of children exposed to at least three hazards.

But in sheer percentage terms, countries in Sub-Saharan Africa – particularly the Sahel – have the largest proportion of children affected by hazards. The impacts are often exacerbated by governments' inability to cope with climate hazards.

Chad, for example, faces a humanitarian crisis with limited access to water, electricity and food. According to the report, more than 95 percent of kids in the country are exposed to at least three hazards – one of the highest proportions in the world.

'A vicious cycle that exhausts bodies and minds': the human cost of climate change

Other particularly vulnerable countries include 39 island states that face challenges such as limited freshwater, import dependence, and inability to easily shelter elsewhere after a disaster such as a hurricane.

No country is truly spared, the report shows.

"In many countries, there will be small pockets of the population which are not exposed to these hazards," Slaymaker said. "They tend to be in the northern hemisphere, particularly so, parts of Scandinavia."

But that is because the report looks only at the eight most common risks worldwide, he stressed, noting that children in those countries may face other threats not covered in the report, such as melting glaciers or thawing permafrost.

(with AFP)

BIO WARFARE

France ramps up fight against tiger mosquitoes after record outbreaks

France is bracing for another summer of dengue and chikungunya risk, as climate change helps the disease-carrying tiger mosquito spread north and authorities test new ways to curb its advance.


Issued on: 17/06/2026 - RFI
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The tiger mosquito, which can transmit dengue, chikungunya and Zika, is now present across most of France, where researchers are testing new ways to reduce its numbers. AP - Rick Bowmer

The tiger mosquito, known scientifically as Aedes albopictus, can transmit dengue, Zika and chikungunya. First detected in mainland France in 2004, it is now present across most of the country.

Public health authorities recorded an unprecedented 809 locally transmitted cases of chikungunya and 30 locally transmitted cases of dengue in France in 2025.

The same year also saw 2,398 imported chikungunya cases and 81 local transmission clusters.

One effort to reduce the insect's numbers is taking shape in Montpellier, where French startup Terratis breeds male mosquitoes before sterilising and releasing them.

Rising temperatures in Europe open door to spread of chikungunya virus

Mosquitoes against mosquitoes

"After sterilisation, we release them into urban areas. They look for females and mate, but when the females lay eggs, those eggs are empty," Terratis co-founder Clélia Oliva told the French news agency AFP.

Male mosquitoes are exposed to X-rays in batches of 400,000, making them infertile. The aim is to flood an area with sterile males so fewer viable eggs are produced and the population gradually declines.

First developed 50 years ago for agriculture, the sterile insect technique is now being adapted to fight mosquitoes as disease-carrying species continue to multiply.

Terratis produces 1.5 million sterile mosquitoes a week and aims to reach 40 million within two years.

"This year, we've seen a surge in orders," Oliva said, citing strong interest from cities struggling to control mosquito populations.

France sees record spike in chikungunya cases as tiger mosquito spreads

Scaling up

"In principle, the sterile mosquito technique works," said Frédéric Simard, head of the Institute of Research for Development in Montpellier, which helped launch Terratis.

Major challenges remain, including increasing production, reducing costs and adapting the method to different regions so it can be competitive and sustainable, Simard said.

"If I had to compare it, I'd say we're at the iPhone 1.0 stage," he said.

Other approaches are also being used. In parts of South America and Asia, mosquitoes are infected with a bacterium called Wolbachia, which prevents them from transmitting certain viruses.

In Brazil, one facility produces as many as 100 million eggs a week using the method.

No single solution will be enough, Simard told AFP. "The Wolbachia technique, sterilisation, traps, insecticides – all of this needs to be combined," he said.

Wolbachia is an "emergency response" to immediate health risks, while sterilisation forms part of a longer-term strategy.

Cost and regulation

In Montpellier's Malbosc district, a trial that began in August 2025 is continuing this year.

"Twice a week, we release 100,000 mosquitoes across 31 locations," Terratis employee Florian Vernichon told AFP.

The programme remains expensive. The current experiment is estimated to cost around €70,000.

"We don't have the means to finance releases on the scale of an entire city, and we believe this should be handled by the state and regional health agencies," said Montpellier deputy mayor Stéphane Jouault.

The approach also faces a regulatory hurdle in France. Sterile mosquitoes fall into a grey area because they are neither biocides, designed to control harmful organisms, nor genetically modified organisms. The uncertainty could discourage private investment.

Early results have been encouraging. In Brive-la-Gaillarde, where Terratis released 11 million sterile mosquitoes in May 2025, half of the eggs ready to hatch in spring were sterile, Oliva said.

The proportion is expected to reach 90 percent by the end of summer 2026.

The goal is not to eradicate the species entirely, but to reduce its numbers significantly and sustainably.

(with newswires)

European robotics start-ups go up against Chinese heavyweights

Paris (France) (AFP) – Humanoid robots able to perform tasks from grape harvesting to welcoming visitors were front and centre at France's Vivatech trade fair this week, with European firms looking to fill niches beyond what dominant Chinese giants can offer.


Issued on: 19/06/2026 - RFI

Mirokai from France's Enchanted Tools already welcomes people at hospitals and airports © JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP/File

French company Enchanted Tools was showing off its Mirokai, a "social" robot with long orange ears and wide blue eyes.

Able to communicate in over 50 languages, prototypes of the Paris-based firm's machine are already out in the wild welcoming people to hospitals and airports, marketing chief Richard Malterre said on a Vivatech stage.

The start-up hopes its first mass-produced models will arrive by the end of this year.

"At least 60 percent of the robot is manufactured in Europe, and we're fighting to keep it that way," Malterre told AFP.

But some of the AI robotics know-how is "not necessarily available" in Europe, he said, such as the graphics processors from American chip giant Nvidia that power Mirokai's brain as well as the broader generative AI boom.
'Dark factories'

When it comes to sheer robotics production capacity, China is unrivalled thanks to companies including Unitree and Agibot.

PAL Robotics' Francesco Ferro shows off machines that can harvest grapes 

© JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP/File

Their androids' tightly choreographed displays wowed visitors to Vivatech, the latest fair to show them off in recent months.

Around 87 percent of the 13,000 humanoid robots deployed worldwide in 2025 rolled off a Chinese production line, according to the UK-based consultancy Omdia.

"China is definitely on the forefront" as its companies increasingly show off "dark factories" where robots work largely without human supervision, said Joern Buss, a robotics expert at the consultancy Arthur D. Little.

Nevertheless, Europe is "catching up" behind Japan and Korea, he added, boasting "some good robotics players" including longstanding firms.

New players on the European scene include Germany's Neura, which builds humanoid industrial and household robots as well as a platform for training them to carry out human tasks.

The company recently announced it had raised $1.4 billion.

"We get requests for everything, even dentists, everyone is calling us and asking if they can have a robot as a supporter, because they can't find people," chief executive David Reger told AFP.

China's Unitree is one of the giants of the sector

 © JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP/File

Like other advanced economies around the world, Europe faces an ageing population that could squeeze the labour supply in both manufacturing and services.

Reger called robots like Neura's the continent's "last chance", saying "Europe does require this economic pillar to sustain" itself.

He cited familiar challenges for European tech firms including tight regulation and a tougher search for financing than competitors in the United States.

But Reger has no plans to uproot Neura's business, which is collaborating with German car component suppliers Bosch and Schaeffler on factory automation.

He vaunts Neura's order book of over $1 billion.
Data protection

"If all robot production goes to Japan or China, that could be a big problem when it comes to sovereignty," said Francesco Ferro, chief executive of Spain's PAL Robotics.

His company was at Vivatech showing off its latest models bolted together in Barcelona.

Robots have been a star visual attraction at recent tech trade shows 

© JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP/File

One is a black biped that has been dubbed Kangaroo, while the Tiago machine is fitted with jointed arms that have been put to use in logistics as well as picking grape harvests.

Robotics developers use vast quantities of data to train their machines' movements, and they collect still more information as they carry out their tasks.

The continent should aim to create "a totally European supply chain, without thinking only about price", as that could lead prospective clients to buy Chinese robots, Ferro said.

That would risk seeing valuable or sensitive data "falling into the wrong hands", he warned.

French-American start-up Genesis AI plans to re-shore production of its Eno multifunctional robot next year after making it in China.

Prospective customers include "the big industrial base in France, Italy and Germany," co-founder Theophile Gervet told AFP.

Enchanted Tools' Malterre also believes the demand exists, and "I'm confident in our ability and creativity to endure".

"We need to be ready for a fight, not throw in the towel."

© 2026 AFP

French startup unveils non-humanoid robot as AI race moves to physical machines


French robotics startup Genesis AI on Tuesday unveiled "Eno", its first general-purpose robot, marking a step toward bringing advanced AI from online chatbots into physical machines. Backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, the company says the wheeled robot is designed to extend human capabilities rather than mimic human form, with commercial deployments planned from late 2026.


Issued on: 16/06/2026 
By: FRANCE 24

French startup Genesis AI launched "Eno", a non-humanoid AI robot that has human-like hands and folds into its base. © via Genesis AI

Genesis AI, the French robotics startup backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, unveiled ​its first general-purpose robot on Tuesday, as AI capabilities expand beyond chatbots and into physical machines.

The robot, called "Eno", breaks from the humanoid design usually favoured by leading manufacturers, ​featuring a ‌wheeled base rather than legs, a foldable tower and hands ⁠that the company says match the form of a human hand.

Driven by advances in AI, the global robotics ‌market is expanding rapidly, sparking debate over its impact on employment, though ⁠technical challenges, mostly about processing power and battery life, remain.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll this month showed 53 percent of Americans were concerned that AI would put ​them or someone in their household out of work.

Founded in ‌early 2025, Genesis AI has raised $105 million (€90.6 million), one of France's largest and matching the record seed round of Mistral AI – Europe's leading AI company. Genesis AI's valuation was ‌not immediately available. Eno runs on Genesis's own AI model and is not built to look like humans, but ​to extend human capabilities, according to the company.

Genesis AI plans to begin production and targeted customer deployments by the end of 2026, starting with logistics and manufacturing customers, ​followed by hotels, hospitals and consumers.

In a statement, Schmidt said the robot's breakthrough ​will not replace human expertise, but rather "amplify it" to ​unlock what he called "one of the largest economic opportunities of the AI era".

Genesis AI has built dozens of units so ​far and plans to scale up production in the second half of 2026, Vivian Sun, Vice President of Commercial and Strategy at Genesis AI, told Reuters. Sun said the wheeled base was chosen because most industrial customers operate on flat floors, adding that legs ⁠would only make sense for use cases like climbing stairs.

"We are mimicking humans in capabilities, not ⁠in form. Humans can ​go up and down, and so does the robot, but through this foldable design."

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)