Opinion

Delors’ political vision was spot on for the time, just as it is now

The German politician and statesman, who died on Boxing Day, stood out as the embodiment of democracy

Ultimately, the prime minister knows which side his bread is buttered

The predicament of cancerous smokers is a bit like that of Brexit voters: we all did something fucking stupid, knowingly, and now we’re paying the price

Sunak ‘guaranteed’ the next general election would take place next year but it would be a brave man who would bet the farm on a promise made by the PM

Germany has dominated too much and Greece should never have been allowed to join

Most of the emergency government aid went to covering care homes’ loss of revenue. Care workers, meanwhile, kept the sector afloat through overtime

A failed prime minister is blocking progress as the country crumbles around him

More red tape will make life more difficult for producers - and more expensive for us

Theresa May and David Cameron already have plans to stop him

Local authorities can expect increasingly large cuts in the years to come as the Conservatives seek to fund their tax agenda

The pseudo free-speech lobby was never about freedom. It’s about allowing a small class of powerful individuals and ideas to dominate public discourse

But is the new prime minister brave or foolish - or both?

Animal welfare, Ireland and the US car industry meant the Brexiteers' Stateside ambitions were destined to be thwarted

It will take political bravery to overcome the current narrative of deterrence, but it is urgently necessary

Despite endless promises of post-EU jam tomorrow, Rishi Sunak’s government has been forced to eat humble pie over the last 12 months

For the bereaved citizens of Ukraine, the holiday season is the cruellest time of all

For Christian Palestinians there will be no twinkling lights or Christmas trees, as all churches agree this year there can be no celebration

Our diarist gives his personal rundown of who has been good – and who has been bad – over the last 12 months

In a way, the Ahmadi feel like a very suburban, very pacific, rather twee and English sort of Muslim sect

After holding off some formidable competition, Michelle Mone has claimed the coveted title of The New European’s Liar of the Year for 2023

Don't miss this festive season’s must-watch production...

The west must understand that when it comes to Putin, there are only binary outcomes

The returning sci-fi series – a British institution – reminds us that we still do many things brilliantly and with generosity of spirit

The belief that saying something instantly makes it a fact is a very dangerous tendency, but it seems to be a common affliction in politicians

There is some irony in the fact that the word “epicurean” is now used to describe people who relish the sensual pleasures of eating fine food and drinking fine wine

The populist leaders of Argentina and Venezuela fly under the radar in the northern hemisphere, but the threat they pose is very real

For our final letters pages of 2023, a selection of our favourite missives of the year. Thank you to all who wrote in

Shut out of the UK by exorbitant costs and complicated procedures, English-learners in Europe are heading elsewhere

A general election could be just weeks away. But Labour is yet to have crucial meetings about its agenda in power

Cardinal Angelo Becciu has been sent to prison for embezzlement and a full clean-up may follow