# Country Profiles — Major EU Member States # Country Profiles — Major EU Member States **Last updated:** 25 May 2026 --- ## 🇩🇪 Germany **Chancellor:** Friedrich Merz (CDU) **Government:** CDU/CSU-SPD grand coalition (since Feb 2025) **Next election due:** 2029 (but coalition could collapse earlier) **State of the nation:** - Economy struggling — tax revenues slashed by ~€70bn for 2026-2030, blamed on Trump's Iran war causing global energy shock - Economy has been stagnant for years with high energy costs and weak export demand - Major transatlantic tensions: Merz publicly said US was "humiliated" by Iran; Trump responded by cutting 5,000 US troops from Germany - Migration policy shifted right under Merz — "asylum turnaround," pushbacks at borders - Asylum seeker numbers down - Merz proposed "associate EU membership" for Ukraine — Zelenskyy rejected it - **Key challenge:** Merz's weak mandate, internal coalition tensions, and an emboldened AfD at ~20% --- ## 🇫🇷 France **President:** Emmanuel Macron (lame duck — serving final year, cannot run again) **Next presidential election:** April-May 2027 **2027 Presidential Race:** - **Édouard Philippe** (ex-PM, Horizons, centre-right) is clear early favourite — only candidate who can beat RN in round two - **Marine Le Pen** (RN, 57) — still strong but facing potential EU embezzlement trial appeal verdict (7 July 2026), which could bar her from standing - **Jordan Bardella** (RN, 30) — will stand if Le Pen is barred - **Jean-Luc Mélenchon** (LFI, 70) — declared candidacy. Platform: dismantle billionaire media empires, heavy taxes on business, opt-out from EU rules - **Gabriel Attal** (Renaissance) — declared on Friday (date TBC) - **Bruno Retailleau** (Republicans) — centre-right risks splitting the vote - Macron has said he won't step down early **State of the nation:** - RN remains the dominant opposition force (polling ~30%+ in European elections) - Fiscal situation stretched — high debt-to-GDP ratio, pension reform still contested - Economy performing better than Germany but below expectations --- ## 🇮🇹 Italy **Prime Minister:** Giorgia Meloni (Fratelli d'Italia) **Government:** FdI-Forza Italia-Lega coalition **Next general election:** 2027 **State of the nation:** - Meloni lost the **constitutional referendum on 23 March 2026** — 54% No vs 46% Yes (turnout ~60%) - The reform would have separated judges and prosecutors; opponents said it threatened separation of powers - First significant electoral defeat for Meloni's government - Local elections (May 2026) showed coalition still performing well - Economy stagnant — Trump's Iran war hitting energy costs hard - EU relations: Meloni a close Trump ally domestically unpopular - Press freedom concerns remain (Politico: "A dangerous new phase") - Next general election due 2027 --- ## 🇪🇸 Spain **Prime Minister:** Pedro Sánchez (PSOE) **Government:** PSOE-Sumar coalition, dependent on Catalan separatist and Basque parties **Next election:** TBC (currently serving full term to 2027) **State of the nation:** - Sánchez still in power but embattled since corruption scandal involving wife Begoña Gómez (Apr 2024) - Catalan amnesty law passed May 2024 — controversial, approved by slim majority - Coalition with Sumar is fragile — depends on Junts, ERC (Catalan separatists) and Bildu, PNV (Basque) - Economy performing relatively well — "envy of Europe" per BBC (tourism boom, strong services sector) - Sánchez took strong anti-Trump line on Iran war trade threats - **April 2026:** Spain moves to grant legal status to 500,000 unauthorised immigrants — direct challenge to Vox - Far-right Vox remains significant opposition at ~12-14% --- ## 🇳🇱 Netherlands **Prime Minister:** Rob Jetten (D66) — from 23 Feb 2026 **Government:** Minority coalition — D66 + VVD + CDA **State of the nation:** - **Dramatic political shift in 2026:** Schoof cabinet (with PVV support) collapsed Feb 2026 after PVV withdrew June 2025 and NSC withdrew Aug 2025 - New election Oct 2025: D66's Rob Jetten (38) narrowly beat Wilders - Jetten became Netherlands' youngest ever and first openly gay PM - Wilders (PVV) now in opposition, vowing to oppose everything - Minority coalition means every reform must be negotiated vote-by-vote - Key policies: migration/asylum reform, €19bn extra defence spending, healthcare/benefits cuts --- ## 🇵🇱 Poland **Prime Minister:** Donald Tusk (Civic Coalition) **Government:** KO-Third Way-Left coalition **President:** Karol Nawrocki (PiS-aligned, from 2025) **State of the nation:** - Tusk's pro-EU coalition government in power since late 2023 - EU funds unblocked after rule-of-law restoration efforts (€137bn) - Rule of law restoration ongoing — reversing PiS judicial reforms - **President Nawrocki (PiS-aligned) elected 2025** — gives PiS veto power and ability to block legislation - PiS remains largest single party (~33-35%) - **Recent blow:** Politico (25 May 2026): "Poland's right wing topples Kraków's liberal mayor in fresh blow to Tusk" — local election setbacks - Tusk pushing military training for all men; accusing Russia of sabotage - Former PiS justice minister Ziobro a fugitive in US facing 26 charges --- ## 🇸🇪 Sweden **Prime Minister:** Ulf Kristersson (Moderates) **Government:** M-KD-L coalition with confidence-and-supply from Sweden Democrats **Next election:** 13 September 2026 **State of the nation:** - Kristersson in power since Oct 2022 via Tidö Agreement with SD - Most restrictive migration policy in Swedish history enacted under SD influence - Government still in office — polls suggest tight election ahead - Sweden backed Ukraine's NATO path - A September 2026 election will test whether SD can break into formal government --- ## 🇦🇹 Austria **Chancellor:** Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) — caretaker **Incoming:** Likely Herbert Kickl (FPÖ) **Government situation:** FPÖ won Sept 2024 election (~28.8%, first place). ÖVP initially refused coalition but now signalling willingness. **FPÖ-ÖVP coalition most likely outcome.** **State of the nation:** - If Kickl becomes Chancellor, he would be Austria's first far-right leader since WWII - Politico: "In Austria's Kickl, the EU has its next Orbán" - Kickl uses term "Volkskanzler" (Nazi connotations) and calls for "remigration" - EU nervously watching — Kickl would significantly alter the Council's political balance - Joined PfE grouping in European Parliament --- ## 🇧🇪 Belgium **Prime Minister:** Bart De Wever (N-VA) **Government:** Right-wing coalition with Flemish separatists **Formation history:** June 2024 election — 7+ months of negotiations. De Wever became PM on 31 Jan 2025. Longest formation crisis in Belgian history finally resolved. **State of the nation:** - N-VA (Flemish nationalist) largest party after June 2024 election, surprisingly beating Vlaams Belang - Government is right-wing coalition with Flemish separatist at helm - Ongoing tensions with French-speaking parties - Belgium's complex federal structure continues to make governance difficult - De Wever: the man who previously wanted to destroy Belgium now running it (Politico) --- ## Sources - BBC News — various country profiles and election coverage - Politico Europe — country-by-country analysis (May 2026) - BBC News — "Merz wins German election, CDU returns to power" (Feb 2025) - Politico Europe — "The incredible shrinking German chancellor" (May 2026) - BBC News — "Race for French presidency sees ex-PM Philippe as early favourite" (May 2026) - Politico Europe — "Meloni loses constitutional referendum" (Mar 2026) - Politico Europe — "Spain moves to grant legal status to 500,000 unauthorised immigrants" (Apr 2026) - BBC News — "Sánchez government survives but weakened" - Politico Europe — "De Wever: the man who wants to destroy Belgium reluctantly heads toward running it" (2024) - Politico Europe — "Netherlands: Jetten ousts Wilders in shock election result" (Oct 2025) - Politico Europe — "Poland's right wing topples Kraków's liberal mayor" (25 May 2026) - Wikipedia — various country election pages and government pages