Friedrich Merz secured parliamentary backing to become Germany’s chancellor after initial failure, marking a historic confirmation vote loss. Meanwhile, Hungary seeks to access over €750 million in frozen EU funds through legal loopholes, alarming several member states, and the UK’s foreign secretary David Lammy is set to discuss Europe’s security architecture amid rising tensions with Russia. Additionally, the EU solar industry defends renewables against blame for a recent Iberian blackout, advocating for improved energy storage systems.