Richard Grenell is stepping down from his role as the interim head of the Kennedy Center before the iconic venue closes down for major renovations, President Donald Trump said Friday. Grenell, a former ambassador who also serves as Trump’s envoy for special missions, will be replaced at the Kenney Center by Matt Floca, vice president of facilities for the performing arts center, the president said in a social media post. Trump, whose administration has affixed his name to the venue in apparent violation of the law and taken over programming by replacing the center’s leadership, said Floca will oversee renovations scheduled to start this year. “A Complete Reconstruction of THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER will begin after the July 4th Celebration, with a scheduled Grand Re-Opening in approximately two years,” Trump said. “Ric Grenell has done an excellent job in helping to coordinate various elements of the Center during the transition period, and I want to thank him for the outstanding work he has done.” Trump’s hands-on role in remaking the Kennedy Center has drawn criticism from Democrats throughout his second term. His decision to put his name on the building drew a lawsuit from Ohio Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, and his installation of close allies to leadership posts prompted several artists to opt out of performing at the center. Last year, the president hosted the annual Kennedy Center Honors and held the FIFA World Cup draw at the center, where he was presented with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. The president’s personal involvement in Kennedy Center leadership has led to fundraising problems, prompting Trump to bring in a longtime supporter to shore up the center’s finances. The move sidelined a senior leadership official at the center who worked closely with Grenell and inflated fundraising estimates. After the president first announced plans to rebuild the Kennedy Center, he told reporters that the project won’t be a complete teardown of the iconic Washington landmark, but would instead be a renovation that preserved some elements of the existing building.

A federal judge has quashed the Justice Department’s criminal probe into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s Senate testimony regarding the central bank’s headquarters renovation, writing that the grand jury subpoenas were a “mere pretext” to pressure the Fed. “There is abundant evidence that the subpoenas’ dominant (if not sole) purpose is to harass and pressure Powell either to yield to the President or to resign and make way for a Fed Chair who will,” Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg wrote. “The Government has offered no evidence whatsoever that Powell committed any crime other than displeasing the President.” U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro, whose office led the investigation, said in a press conference afterward that she would appeal the decision. She sharply criticized Boasberg, saying he “put himself at the entrance door to the grand jury, slamming that door shut, irrespective of the legal process, and thus preventing the grand jury from doing the work that it does.” “This process has been arbitrarily undermined by an activist judge,” she said. Pirro’s plan to appeal the decision could further delay the confirmation process of President Donald Trump’s pick to replace Powell, former Fed Gov. Kevin Warsh. Warsh’s nomination has been blocked by outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis until the investigation into Powell is resolved. The North Carolina Republican warned the administration on Friday afternoon against appealing the decision. “We all know how this is going to end, and the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office should save itself further embarrassment and move on,” Tillis posted on X. “Appealing the ruling will only delay the confirmation of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed Chair.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump has severely criticized Powell for more than a year for his reluctance to lower interest rates, with the president accusing him of holding back the economy. Powell has said the subpoenas were part of Trump’s pressure campaign to force him to cut borrowing costs. The investigation into Powell’s testimony on the status of a costly renovation of the central bank’s headquarters kicked off a firestorm that threatens Trump’s aims to stack the Fed board with appointees who share his views on lowering short-term borrowing costs. Powell’s term as chair expires in May, and Pirro’s vow to appeal the decision could prolong a legal clash that will keep the Fed’s future leadership up in the air. Tillis, who has vowed to block any Fed picks until the Powell probe is publicly dropped, sits on the Senate Banking Committee, which has jurisdiction over Fed nominations. Republicans have a 13-11 majority on the committee, meaning that Tillis’s vote is needed to advance any nominee to the Senate floor if every Banking Committee Democrat votes against them. In a hearing before the committee last June, the panel’s chair, Tim Scott (R-SC), asked Powell about the status of the Fed’s renovations after a New York Post article characterized them as akin to the “Palace of Versailles.” Powell told senators that “there’s no new marble. There are no special elevators. There are no new water features. There’s no beehives, and there’s no roof terrace gardens.” That caught the eye of Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who urged lawmakers to look into the matter, and the White House launched its own probe into the project last summer. Several Senate Banking Republicans — including Scott — have said they do not believe Powell committed a crime with his testimony. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), a Powell critic, said in a statement that the Fed chief “was wildly underprepared for his testimony, but, as I have said before, I’m not sure it rose to the criminal level.” Wall Street executives and top lawmakers have repeatedly cautioned Trump against actions that might undermine the central bank’s ability to independently set interest rates, which bolsters its credibility and is viewed as a stabilizing force for global markets. Trump has also tried to fire Fed Gov. Lisa Cook over unsubstantiated allegations of mortgage fraud — her fate will be determined by the Supreme Court — and the president has flirted numerous times with attempting to dismiss Powell. In January, Powell posted an extraordinary two-minute video to the central bank’s website claiming that the DOJ’s subpoenas represented a politically motivated attempt to pressure the central bank into lowering interest rates. The threat of criminal charges was a “consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president,” he said. The move was unusual because Powell has steadfastly refused to respond to Trump’s blizzard of insults since he returned to the White House. The president has publicly questioned Powell’s intelligence and competence, and has said his monetary policy decisions are driven by politics. In her combative press conference, Pirro called the judge’s decision on Friday “outrageous.” She cited a Supreme Court precedent that grand juries can investigate mere rumors. And she dismissed suggestions that she should look skeptically at allegations that may be politically motivated. “I’ll take a case from the devil if you can give me information that will lead me to possibly find a crime,” she said. “It doesn’t matter where the case comes from.” While Pirro suggested it is exceptional for a judge to block a grand jury subpoena, federal court rules allow them to do so if they believe a subpoena is “unreasonable or oppressive.” In his ruling, issued Wednesday and unsealed on Friday, Boasberg noted that numerous court precedents authorize judges to quash a subpoena when its “sole or dominant” purpose is improper. Boasberg, an appointee of President Barack Obama, conceded that the subpoenas issued to the Fed were relevant to a criminal investigation. But he said their obvious connection to attempts to exert unlawful pressure on Powell and other members of the Fed’s Board of Governors rendered the subpoenas unenforceable. “The President spent years essentially asking if no one will rid him of this troublesome Fed Chair. He then suggested a specific line of investigation into him,” the judge wrote. “The President’s appointed prosecutor promptly complied.” Boasberg’s rejection of the subpoenas to the Fed is just the latest clash between the chief judge of the federal district court in the capital and the Trump administration. The judge’s earlier rulings in a dispute over Trump’s drive to rapidly deport alleged gang members under a two-century-old wartime authority led Trump to call for Boasberg’s impeachment. Some House members embarked on that effort last year, but it has not progressed. Pirro said that in addition to an appeal, which would go to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, prosecutors intend to ask Boasberg to reconsider his ruling because it included some inaccurate dates. That could delay any appeal because judges typically cannot alter rulings while they are under appeal.

PARIS — Jack Lang, a former French culture and education minister, tendered his resignation from his position as the president of the Paris-based Arab World Institute after the latest revelations about his and his family’s financial ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot “took note of his resignation” and launched the procedure to replace him, according to a statement dated Saturday. Lang, who first acknowledged financial ties to Epstein in a 2020 interview with POLITICO, was under mounting pressure after the prosecutor’s office for financial crimes opened a preliminary investigation for suspected “laundering of tax fraud proceeds” after French investigative outlet Mediapart reported the existence of an offshore fund based in the Virgin Islands and jointly held by Epstein and Lang’s daughter, Caroline Lang. Caroline Lang was also to inherit $5 million in Epstein’s will, according to Mediapart. Caroline Lang told the outlet that the fund was to support emerging artists and that she knew nothing of the will. “The accusations against me are inaccurate, and I will prove it, beyond the noise and fury of the media and digital courts,” Lang said in his resignation letter sent to Barrot. Contacted by POLITICO, Lang shared the resignation letter. In the latest wave of Epstein correspondence released by the U.S. Justice Department, Lang appeared in a picture with Epstein outside of the Louvre, and shared by Epstein with Steve Bannon, former chief strategist for U.S. President Donald Trump.  “Now at the pyramid,” Epstein wrote in March 2019. “With the entire govt.” Epstein, a convicted sex offender, and the Lang family maintained a close relationship over the years, Jack Lang and his daughter admitted last week. Jack Lang told POLITICO last week that he “never knew of Epstein’s crimes.” Jack Lang, 86, is a well known name in French politics and history after having served as culture minister under former President François Mitterrand in the 1980s and early 1990s, during which he initiated the renovation of the Louvre and the construction of the pyramid. He also launched the Fête de la musique, a fixture of France’s festive calendar celebrated on June 21.

A majority of Americans oppose President Donald Trump’s plan to replace the White House’s East Wing with a $300 million ballroom, according to a new poll released Thursday. Fifty-six percent of Americans said they oppose the project, with just 28 percent expressing support for it, per the The Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. The survey found that the renovation enjoys significantly more support among Republicans than Democrats. Sixty-two percent of Republicans support it, while 88 percent of Democrats oppose the ballroom. Independents were more divided, with 17 percent supporting the project and 61 percent disapproving. While Trump initially insisted the project would not interfere with the existing White House structure, the administration has now fully demolished the East Wing of the White House, historically home to the first lady’s office and other reception rooms. Trump has said the new 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which the White House expects to be done well before 2029, will host White House events for nearly 1,000 people. The administration has solicited donations from several dozen high-profile Trump donors, including two Cabinet officials, multiple billionaire investors and some of the biggest tech and crypto companies in Silicon Valley to pay for the renovation. The White House has also promised to share how much money Trump is personally contributing to the project, a figure the administration has yet to release, but did not specify when it would do so. The project has faced sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Trump also ousted six commissioners on Tuesday who sat on a panel responsible for advising on planning federal projects and memorials in Washington, including White House renovations. Still, the White House has dismissed criticism of the project, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt maintaining that the ballroom will be “magnificent addition to the White House for many years to come.” “I believe there’s a lot of fake outrage right now because nearly every single president who has lived in this beautiful White House behind me has made modernizations and renovations of their own,” Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News last week. The Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll was conducted online Oct. 24-28, with a random sample of 2,725 adults. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 1.9 percentage points, with a larger margin for subgroups.

President Donald Trump said he’s restarting U.S. nuclear missile testing on Wednesday hours before meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, further escalating the stakes of the high-profile summit between the two leaders. Trump wrote in a social media post he instructed the Pentagon to “immediately” begin testing nuclear weapons “on an equal basis” with nuclear testing programs in other nations, specifically noting the nuclear stockpiles of Russia and China. “The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office,” Trump wrote. “Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.” “Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” he continued. “That process will begin immediately.” When asked during his official greeting with Xi about the decision, Trump paused and replied: “Thank you very much everybody.” The tests would likely be seen by foreign adversaries as a proclamation of U.S. military force. The U.S. has not conducted a nuclear test since 1992. Trump’s statement comes shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday that Russia successfully tested a nuclear torpedo capable of damaging entire coastal regions. Trump’s statement amplifies the significance of his meeting with Xi in South Korea, already a high-stakes affair as the two nations circle another potential trade dispute that could send shockwaves through the market.

BRUSSELS — Heard the one about the 12-and-half-hour meeting of 27 national leaders that succeeded in agreeing very little apart from coming up with quite a lot of “let’s decide in a couple of months” or “let’s just all agree on language that means absolutely nothing but looks like we’re united” or “let’s at least celebrate that we got through this packed agenda without having to come back on Friday”? No? Well let us enlighten you. And if that makes you question how we’ve managed to squeeze 29 things out of this, well let’s just say one of these is about badly functioning vending machines… 1 . STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX WITH A QUICK WIN ON SANCTIONS … The day was off to a flying start when Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico lifted his veto over the latest raft of Russia sanctions on the eve of the summit — allowing the package to get formally signed off at 8 a.m. before leaders even started talking. Fico rolled over after claiming to achieve what he set out to do: clinch support for Slovakia’s car industry. He found an unusual ally in German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who he met separately to discuss the impact of climate targets on their countries’ automotive sectors. 2. … BUT AGREEMENT ON FROZEN RUSSIAN ASSETS WAS LESS FORTHCOMING There was a moment earlier in the week where the EU looked to be on the cusp of a breakthrough on using Russian frozen assets to fund a €140 billion loan for Ukraine. Belgium, the main holdout, appeared to be warming to the European Commission’s daring idea to crack open the piggy bank. But Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever stuck by his guns , saying he feared taking the assets, which are held in a Brussels-based financial depository, could trigger Moscow to take legal action. 3. BELGIUM DIDN’T MOVE ON ITS BIG THREE BIG DEMANDS The Flemish right-winger’s prerequisites were threefold: the “full mutualization of the risk,” guarantees that if the money has to paid back, “every member state will chip in,” and for every other EU country that holds immobilized assets to also seize them. Leaders eventually agreed on that classic EU summit outcome: a fudge. They tasked the European Commission to “present options” at the next European Council — effectively deciding not to decide. “Political will is clear, and the process will move forward,” said one EU official. But it’s uncertain whether a deal can be brokered by the next summit, currently set for December. 4. DE WEVER REJECTS THE ‘BAD BOY’ LABEL After POLITICO ranked the Belgian leader among its list of “bad boys” likely to disrupt Thursday’s summit (rightfully, might we add), he protested the branding. “A bad boy! Me? … If you talk about the immobilized assets, we’re the very, very best,” he said. The day was off to a flying start when Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico lifted his veto over the latest raft of Russia sanctions on the eve of the summit. | Olivier Hoslet/EPA 5. URSULA VON DER LEYEN ALSO CONCEDED THEY’RE NOT QUITE THERE YET The high-level talks “allowed us to identify points we need to clarify,” the Commission president said tactfully. “Nobody vetoed nothing today,” European Council President António Costa chimed in. “The technical and legal aspects of Europe’s support need to be worked upon.” Translation in case you didn’t understand the double negative: The EU needs to come up with a better plan to reassure Belgium — and fast. 6. UKRAINE: EVER THE OPTIMIST Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ― a guest of the summit ― told reporters Russia must pay the price for its invasion, calling on the EU to follow through with its frozen assets proposal, adding he thought the leaders were “close” to an agreement. “If Russia brought war to our land, they have to pay for this war,” he said. 7. AND ZELENSKYY IS STILL HOLDING OUT FOR TOMAHAWKS “We will see,” was Zelenskyy’s message on the topic of acquiring the long-range missiles from the U.S., which Donald Trump has so far ruled out selling to Kyiv. “Each day brings something … maybe tomorrow we will have Tomahawks,” Zelenskyy said. “I don’t know.” 8. UKRAINE WANTS GERMANY TO SEND MORE WEAPONS TOO Merz held a meeting with Zelenskyy about “the situation in Washington and the American plans that are now on the table,” a German official said, adding Zelenskyy made “specific requests” to the chancellor about helping Ukraine with its “defense capabilities.” After the summit, the German leader said Berlin would review a proposal on how German technologies could help to protect Ukrainian’s energy and water infrastructure. 9. THUMBS UP TO DEFENSE ROADMAP! EU leaders endorsed the Defense Readiness Roadmap 2030 presented last week by the Commission, which aims to prepare member countries for war by 2030. One of its main objectives is to fill EU capability gaps in nine areas: air and missile defense, enablers, military mobility, artillery systems, AI and cyber, missile and ammunition, drones and anti-drones, ground combat, and maritime. The plan also mentions areas like defense readiness and the role of Ukraine, which would be heavily armed and supported to become a “steel porcupine” able to deter Russian aggression. As leaders deliberated, a Russian fighter jet and a refueling aircraft briefly crossed into Lithuanian airspace from the Kaliningrad region, underscoring the need for the EU to protect its skies. 10. KYIV IS PROMISING TO BUY EUROPEAN — MOSTLY Ukraine will prioritize domestic and European industry when spending cash from the proposed reparation loan funded by Russia’s frozen assets, Zelenskyy told leaders at the summit — but wants to be able to go across the pond when necessary. 11. MUCH THE SAME FOR SPAIN Spanish leader Pedro Sánchez said the country had committed to contributing cash to a fund organized by NATO to buy weapons for Ukraine from the U.S. | Nicolas Tucat/Getty Images Spanish leader Pedro Sánchez said the country had committed to contributing cash to a fund organized by NATO to buy weapons for Ukraine from the U.S. “Today, most of the air defense components, such as Patriots or Tomahawks … which Ukraine clearly needs, are only manufactured in the United States,” he said. Madrid has been a thorn in Washington’s side over its lax defense spending. 12. THERE WAS A MERCOSUR SURPRISE Merz stunned trade watchers when he announced the leaders had backed a controversial trade agreement with Latin American countries. “We voted on it today: The Mercosur agreement can be ratified,” the German chancellor told reporters, adding that he was “very happy” about that. “All 27 countries voted unanimously in favor,” Merz added on Mercosur. “It’s done.” The remark sparked confusion amongst delegations, as the European Council doesn’t usually vote on trade agreements — let alone one as controversial as the mammoth agreement with the countries of the Latin American bloc of Mercosur, which has been in negotiations for over 25 years. One EU diplomat clarified that it’s because European Council President António Costa sought confirmation from EU leaders that they would agree to take a stance on the deal by the end of this year — and no formal vote was taken yet. 13. CLIMATE TALKS PASSED WITHOUT A HITCH One of the hotter potatoes ahead of the summit passed surprisingly smoothly. Leaders ultimately refrained from bulldozing the EU’s climate targets, agreeing to a vaguely worded commitment to a green transition, though without committing to a 2040 goal, which proposes cutting emissions by 90 percent compared to 1990 levels. In the words of one diplomat: “Classic balance, everyone equally unhappy.” 14. AT LEAST ONE LEADER SEEMED PLEASED, THOUGH Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the summit a “turning point” in Europe’s approach to green policy, adding he succeeded in inserting a “revision clause” into the EU’s plan to extend its carbon-trading system to heating and transport emissions that will give member countries the option to delay or adjust the rollout. “We’ve defused a threat to Polish families and drivers,” he declared, calling the change a signal that “Europe is finally speaking our language.” 15. BUT THE ISSUE WON’T STAY BURIED FOR LONG Ministers are set to reconvene and cast a vote on the 2040 goal on Nov. 4, described by one diplomat as “groundhog day.” 16. MEANWHILE, THERE WAS NOTHING ON MIGRATION … Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the summit a “turning point” in Europe’s approach to green policy. | Thierry Monasse/Getty Images Aside from promising to make migration a “priority,” the EU’s leaders failed to make any kind of breakthrough on a stalled proposal for burden-sharing. Reminder: The EU missed a deadline last week to agree on a new way of deciding which member countries are under stress from receiving migrants and ways of sharing the responsibility more equally across the bloc. 17. … BUT THE ANTI-MIGRANT BREAKFAST CLUB LIVES ON Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen and the Netherlands’ Dick Schoof have kept up their informal pre-summit “migration breakfasts” since last June, swapping innovative ideas on tougher border and asylum policies. They met again on Thursday with von der Leyen, who updated them on the EU’s latest plans for accelerating migrant returns, and the trio agreed an informal summit will take place next month in Rome. 18. NOR DID THE EU’S SOCIAL MEDIA BAN GET MUCH OF A LOOK IN As expected, the leaders endorsed a “possible” minimum age for kids to use social media, but failed to commit to a bloc-wide ban, with capitals divided on whether to make the age 15 or 16, as well as on the issue of parental consent. 19. THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF WAITING FOR NEWS… Journalists were frantically pressing their sources in the Council and national delegations to find out what was happening at the leaders’ table as the meeting dragged into the late hours. It eventually finished at 10.30 p.m. ― 12 and a half hours after it began. 20. … AND THE GREENS SEIZED THEIR MOMENT The EU Parliament’s Greens group co-chair Bas Eickhout wandered the hallways of the Justus Lipsius building ready to brief bored journalists about the wonders of the Green Deal — while leaders debated how to unravel it in the other room. 21. THE COMBUSTION ENGINE BAN FELL FLAT One of the pillars of the EU’s green transition, its 2035 de facto combustion engine ban, was set to play a major role in the competitiveness and climate discussions, with Merz and Fico spoiling for a fight over the proposal — yet it barely registered as a footnote. Slovakia used the climate talks to oppose the ban, and the Czech Republic chimed in to agree, but in the end the summit’s official conclusions welcomed the Commission’s proposed ban without mentioning how it should be watered down. 22. THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL’S VENDING MACHINES AREN’T VERY, ER, COMPETITIVE Officials and journalists alike found that the vending machines in the EU’s Justus Lipsius building, which incidentally is due for a €1 billion renovation, about as efficient as a roundtable of 27 national leaders lasting 12 and a half hours. 23. THE BLOC IS WORRIED ABOUT CHINA… Beijing’s export controls on rare earths came up in the talks on competitiveness, according to two EU officials, with some leaders expressing their concerns. 24. … BUT THEY’RE NOT READY TO GO NUCLEAR — YET One of the officials said the EU’s most powerful trade weapon, the Anti-Coercion Instrument, was mentioned, but didn’t garner much interest around the table. 25. HOUSING GETS 40 MINUTES — NOT BAD FOR A FIRST RUN Leaders spent a chunk of time discussing the continent’s housing crisis. A solid start for the topic, which made it onto the agenda for the first time at Costa’s behest. The EU executive “is ready to help,” von der Leyen said after the summit, announcing a European Affordable Housing Plan is in the pipeline and the first EU Housing Summit in 2026. | Dursun Aydemir/Getty Images During talks, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on the Commission to create a database tracking which housing policies work — and which don’t — across Europe. Most leaders agreed that, while housing remains a national competence, the EU still has a role to play. 26. AND THE COMMISSION WANTS TO ROLL UP ITS SLEEVES The EU executive “is ready to help,” von der Leyen said after the summit, announcing a European Affordable Housing Plan is in the pipeline and the first EU Housing Summit in 2026. 27. LEADERS ENJOYED A FEAST OR TWO For lunch, langoustine with yuzu, celeriac and apple, fillet of veal with artichokes and crispy polenta, and a selection of fresh fruit. For dinner, cannelloni with herbs, courgette velouté, fillet of brill with chorizo and pepper, and fig meringue cake. Yum. 28. THOUGH A FEW COULDN’T MAKE IT Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was the most notable absence, rocking up several hours late due to a national holiday in Budapest. Portugal and Slovenia’s leaders were also absent at one point. 29. AND COSTA KEPT HIS PROMISE … JUST The European Council president pledged to streamline summits under his watch, making them one-day affairs instead of two. And with just a couple hours to spare, he was successful. Okay, breathe. Did we miss anything? (Don’t answer that.) Gerardo Fortuna, Max Griera Andrieu, Jordyn Dahl, Gabriel Gavin, Hanne Cokelaere, Clea Caulcutt, Hans von der Burchard, Kathryn Carlson, Tim Ross, Jacopo Barigazzi, Gregorio Sorgi, Eliza Gkritsi, Carlo Martuscelli, Nicholas Vinocur, Saga Ringmar, Sarah Wheaton, Louise Guillot, Zia Weise, Camille Gijs, Bartosz Brzezinski and Giedre Peseckyte contributed to this report.

PARIS — The blame game and finger pointing following Sunday’s heist at the Louvre Museum kicked off almost as quickly as the seven-minute robbery itself.   France’s far right was quick to assign fault to President Emmanuel Macron and his allies for the brazen, broad-daylight theft of the French crown jewels, accusing them of being soft on crime and failing to sufficiently protect the nation’s heritage.  MEP Marion Maréchal proposed eliminating the €200 cultural vouchers offered to French high school students, a measure put in place under Macron, and redirecting those funds toward protecting France’s “national treasures.” She later called France the “laughingstock of the world” and called on Culture Minister Rachida Dati — who has acknowledged “failures” in securing the world’s most visited museum in several interviews — to demand the resignations of the museum’s director and head of security. “The responsibility lies with 40 years of abandonment during which problems were swept under the rug … We always focused on the security of cultural institutions for visitors, much less for that of the artworks,” Dati told broadcaster M6 on Monday. Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a high-ranking official with the country’s biggest far-right party, the National Rally, accused the French “political and media system’s … soft-on-crime ideology” of being “responsible” for the heist.   In a series of angry social media posts, he claimed that “French museums, like our historic buildings and churches, are DELIBERATELY not secured to the same standard as the treasures they contain.” National Rally President Jordan Bardella called the incident a “humiliation” before asking: “How far will the breakdown of the state go?” Meanwhile, conservative lawmaker Alexandre Portier announced plans to propose a parliamentary inquiry into the protection of French heritage and museum security, as first reported by POLITICO.  Security concerns have long been a point of contention within the museum. Trade unions have repeatedly sounded the alarm over what they describe as poor working conditions and understaffing among security personnel — who have gone on strike several times, most recently in June, amid growing visitor numbers driven by mass tourism. In a bid to modernize the museum’s aging infrastructure, Macron in January announced an ambitious renovation project featuring a new entrance and a dedicated room for the Mona Lisa. The plan — dubbed Louvre — Nouvelle Renaissance — also includes security upgrades such as next-generation surveillance cameras, enhanced perimeter detection and a new central security control room, according to the culture ministry.  As of Monday, the perpetrators remain at large — and the Louvre was closed to the public for a second consecutive day. 

CAGLIARI, Italy — Sardinia is one of the world’s most beautiful islands, which raises the question: Where is everyone? Not tourists — there are plenty of those — but locals. The island’s population is 1.57 million, down from 1.64 million three decades ago, but half live in its two largest urban areas, while smaller towns and villages are withering. The big problem is that people aren’t having babies. With an average of 1.18 children per woman, Italy has one of the lowest fertility rates in the European Union. Sardinia recorded the lowest rate in Italy, at 0.91 children per woman. Just to keep a population stable, women should have an average of 2.1 children. High unemployment on the island and better job prospects elsewhere are doing the rest, emptying dozens of villages of their young people. “The last child was born here 10 years ago,” said Maria Anna Camedda, the mayor of Baradili, Sardinia’s smallest village with a population of 76. The place is tiny — less than 500 meters separates the “Welcome to Baradili” sign from the one marking the end of the village, which is well-maintained and adorned with photos — like a big family house. The risk of places like Baradili becoming ghost towns is prompting the island to try to lure in newcomers. A couple moving to a Sardinian village of fewer than 3,000 residents can receive up to €15,000 to purchase or renovate a home, up to €20,000 to start a business that creates local jobs, and a monthly subsidy of €600 for their first child plus €400 for each subsequent child until they turn 5. These incentives are part of an anti-depopulation package introduced by the island. They come on top of local emergency measures, such as the municipality of Ollolai’s offer of €1 houses for newcomers. Despite the incentives, migrants are snubbing the island. The risk of places like Baradili becoming ghost towns is prompting the island to try and lure in newcomers. | Tommaso Lecca/POLITICO Romania, Senegal, Morocco, China and Ukraine are the home countries of roughly half of the 52,000 foreigners residing in Sardinia, which is about 3.3 percent of the island’s population. The national average is 8.9 percent. In 2022, the number of foreigners moving to Sardinia did not account for even a quarter of the population decline that occurred that year. The Italian demographic winter, which is even tougher in Sardinia, recently forced Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government to allow 500,000 foreign workers into the country over the next three years. But the population collapse remains stark in small communities like Baradili. Over 30 years ago, the village closed its one-room primary school, in which all 15 local children, ranging in age from 6 to 10, learned together. Baradili and nearby villages opted for a rotating school system in which children attend classes in three different villages throughout the year. A free bus picks them up every morning. Attending high school or reaching a hospital is much harder, as both services are over 30 kilometers away. The challenges of serving communities like Baradili prompted Meloni’s government to acknowledge in the recent National Strategic Plan for Internal Areas that some parts of the country “cannot set themselves any goals for reversing the [depopulation] trend, but neither can they be left to their own devices.” The document proposed setting up “a targeted plan to assist them in a process of chronic decline and aging.” This wording provoked indignation, even among 140 Catholic Church representatives, who denounced the government’s plan as “support for a happy death” of villages. But Camedda is not impressed. “It was simply put down in black and white what the government — not just this government — has been doing for several decades,” she said. Baradili is doing everything it can to survive. It introduced a €10,000 subsidy on top of the incentives granted at the regional level. The village is served by a swimming pool, a football field, tennis and padel courts and even a motorhome park. In 2022, Baradili celebrated the arrival of four families, which brought nine new residents. EXPAT CAVALRY While many young Sardinians are leaving small rural villages to embrace urban life, some expats are taking the opposite direction. Ivo Rovira, a Spanish photographer working for the America’s Cup sailing competition, ended up in his new home village of Armungia by chance. In 2023 he spent several months in Cagliari, the capital city of Sardinia, snapping photos for the Italian sailboat Luna Rossa. “One day, in January, I was driving toward the interior of the island looking for some snow. I arrived in Armungia, a place I had never heard of before.” Rovira’s photographer’s eye was captivated by the landscape of the village, which has fewer than 400 residents. Ivo Rovira, a Spanish photographer working for the America’s Cup sailing competition, ended up in his new home village of Armungia by chance. | Tommaso Lecca/POLITICO “I parked the car and went for a walk. I found a house in the historic center with a ‘For Sale’ banner. Ten days later, I put down a deposit to buy it,” he said. After renovating the old house, which used to be a wine shop but had sat empty for 30 years, Rovira and his wife, Ana Ponce, moved to Armungia permanently. They also set up a restaurant that is open a few days per month, depending on demand. “It takes half an hour to drive to a supermarket along winding roads, but there is an international airport an hour away,” he said. “We don’t feel like digital nomads; we are real Armungians,” Rovira added. Bianca Fontana, an Australian with Italian roots, dreamed of moving to Italy after the pandemic. She joined a friend who was staying in Nulvi, a town of around 2,500 — larger than some tiny communities, but still eligible for the regional grants. A historical photo of the Secci family store, the house purchased by Ivo Rovira. Courtesy of the Sa Domu de is Ainas – Armungia Ethnographic Museum Collection. | Tommaso Lecca/POLITICO “I bought a house within two weeks. And I moved here about six months later,” Fontana said. She grew up in a country town in Australia before living in London and Shanghai. “I did get to a point where I was feeling quite exhausted in bigger cities, and I wanted to find a smaller, quieter place,” she said. Fontana now talks about her new life in Sardinia on her YouTube channel, which has over 3,000 subscribers. Many of them regularly comment on her videos about renovation grants, work on her own house, archaeological excursions and local wine. There is also an effort to keep locals from leaving. Marcello Contu left Sardinia at the age of 18 to move to Turin, and then lived in Barcelona and Australia. Bianca Fontana sits in front of a mural in the village of Nulvi. Courtesy of Bianca Fontana. | Tommaso Lecca/POLITICO But then he moved to the 120-person village of Bidonì to start a vegan cheese-making business. “The artisanal production of plant-based cheeses requires great attention, waiting times, experimentation, and daily care that are difficult to reconcile with chaotic environments,” he said. Contu’s products are now available in dozens of restaurants and shops across Sardinia and the rest of Italy. “Geographical isolation and a lack of services translate into a constant practical challenge: Sourcing raw materials or making deliveries often requires long journeys, with longer times and higher costs than for those working in better-connected areas,” he said. But Contu believes that small villages can become “ideal places for developing craft, creative, and sustainability-related activities, because they offer what large cities have often lost: time, spaces on a human scale, authentic relationships, and a strong connection with the local area and nature.” Rovira and Fontana are also impressed by the capacity of Sardinian villagers to stick together. Ivo Rovira and Ana Ponce in front of their new house in Armungia. | Tommaso Lecca/POLITICO Rovira was once told by a neighbor: “We live in such a small village that if we don’t help each other, we’re dead.” REALLY, REALLY CHEAP HOUSES Ollolai made a name for itself as the town of €1 houses — a project that started in 2016. According to Francesco Columbu, the local mayor, about 100,000 people registered interest in the €1 houses, but the municipality could only accommodate a few aspiring Ollolai residents. The scheme acts as an intermediary between owners of old houses — often split across different families of heirs — and those seeking to obtain them for peanuts. As a result, only a handful of foreign families have obtained a €1 house. Meanwhile, the village has continued to lose inhabitants, dropping from 1,300 when the offer began to 1,150 now. “While it’s possible that a cultured American or German who loves stone architecture or that of another Sardinian village moves there, this does not create the economic benefits needed to solve problems,” said Anna Maria Colavitti, professor of urban planning at the University of Cagliari. Colavitti analyzed the results of the €1 houses, concluding that they “alone are not enough, just as incentives for having kids are not enough,” she said. Colavitti’s study also showed that new owners sometimes decide to resell the €1 property at the same price they paid for it because they cannot afford the higher-than-expected renovation costs or are dissatisfied with their choice. But the mayor of Ollolai keeps fighting with the tools he has. “Ollolai will not die so easily. The inland villages of Sardinia have seen their fair share of crises. They went through periods of plague in the 1600s … yet they recovered,” Columbu said. “We have a better quality of life, and we’re an hour away from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I say the beautiful things will never die.”

The Grenfell Tower tragedy stands as a devastating reminder of what can happen when fire safety is not prioritized in construction, whether renovation or new build. The Netflix documentary, Grenfell: Uncovered, alongside the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, highlights how decisions made throughout the renovation process — including the use of combustible façade insulation and cladding — resulted in catastrophic human consequences, with 72 people dying in the tower blaze.   At its core, the Grenfell tragedy is the result of systemic neglect — neglect that encompassed regulation, industry practice, and enforcement at local and national levels. De-regulation, poor oversight, misleading industry practice, ignored safety warnings and cost-cutting all played a role. Sadly, Grenfell is not an isolated incident. Similar tragedies have occurred across Europe, most recently in Valencia.   The EU’s EPBD presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape Europe’s built environment. It is extremely positive that the renovation wave will improve millions of buildings by 2050, targeting the worst-performing ones first and ultimately leading to a fully decarbonized building stock by 2050. And while transformational goals such as these are welcome, it’s imperative that EPBD implementation puts fire safety on equal footing alongside energy efficiency.   There is an urgent need for policymakers and industry leaders to take decisive action.  Fire safety should be non-negotiable  With the EU about to transform its built environment to provide a sustainable future, we have to get it right.   A well-insulated, energy-efficient building can reduce heating needs by up to 70 percent. It can also improve occupant comfort, reduce noise and improve a building’s aesthetic if a new façade is installed. As the Netflix documentary demonstrates, these benefits mean little if achieved at the expense of safety.   The good news lies in what we already know — and it’s not complicated. Non-combustible insulation and cladding reduce the fire risk, while combustible counterparts don’t. Why? Because non-combustible materials like stone wool insulation don’t burn. And because it can withstand temperatures up to 1,000 C, stone wool insulation can help stop a fire from spreading. Another important factor is that non-combustible stone wool does not produce significant amounts of toxic smoke or gases when exposed to fire.  > The good news lies in what we already know — and it’s not complicated. > Non-combustible insulation and cladding reduce the fire risk, while > combustible counterparts don’t.   One shouldn’t underestimate the risk of toxic smoke and gases in a fire. Grenfell Tower was wrapped in combustible plastic foam insulation and plastic-filled cladding panels. According to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, all 72 people who died in the fire were overcome by toxic gases. The same toxic smoke and gases are responsible for many of the firefighters who attended at Grenfell developing serious long-term health disorders.    Fire safety matters greatly as EU member states embark on a massive energy efficiency building renovation wave. Policies governing the use of combustible façade materials vary widely among member states. There is no central register to tell us where combustible facades remain in place, leaving a knowledge gap about the extent of combustible facades use in the current building stock. But we do know, from market data, that significant volumes of combustible products continue to make up a large portion of the EU market despite available alternatives, and that puts lives at risk.  via DEUTSCHE ROCKWOOL Learning the lessons from the Grenfell Tower fire  The public inquiry that followed the Grenfell Tower fire said in its final report that the “safety of people in the built environment depends principally on a combination of three primary elements, good design, the choice of suitable materials and sound methods of construction…”.   It also said that a “fresh approach needs to be taken to reviewing and revising the Building Regulations and statutory guidance that is driven primarily by considerations of safety.” It is critical for EU member states to learn from the report’s findings as they implement the EPBD.    > “Safety of people in the built environment depends principally on a > combination of three primary elements, good design, the choice of suitable > materials and sound methods of construction”  — Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 > report . ROCKWOOL has long argued for strict regulations mandating the use of non-combustible façade materials in high-rise and high-risk buildings. As legislation among member states continues to vary greatly, the EU should be advising member states to adopt stronger fire safety standards that ban the use of combustible materials on high-rise and high-risk buildings like schools, hospitals and care facilities that have vulnerable occupants and take longer to evacuate.   What it means to get it right  We have an opportunity to create a new generation of energy efficient, acoustically comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and fire-safe buildings — our homes, workplaces, schools, care facilities, and so much more. It’s essential that renovation should mean energy efficiency and fire safety together, not one or the other.   Across the EU, we must learn the tragic lessons from the Grenfell Tower fire to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. The formula is straightforward. For high-rise and high-risk buildings, member states should simply require the use of non-combustible façade insulation and cladding.   When so many good alternatives are readily available, why take the risk to do otherwise? 

CONSTRUCTION CHAOS AND DEEP DEBT PLUNGE EUROPEAN QUARTER REMAKE INTO CRISIS At its center is the Schuman roundabout revamp, now plagued by spiraling costs, bureaucratic spats and local frustration. By ELENA GIORDANO and SEB STARCEVIC in Brussels Photos by Arnau Busquets Guàrdia/POLITICO Exit the Berlaymont or Europa building and the dust stings your eyes, drilling pierces your ears and jackhammers rattle the glass facades as you weave through fenced-off detours, hemmed in by honking drivers trapped in perpetual traffic. Throughout the European Quarter of Brussels — where many of the European Union’s institutions are headquartered — the story is much the same, with tired office buildings torn down to make way for gleaming new developments, filling the streets with an incessant rumble of demolition and construction.   Even for a city used to reinventing itself, the European Quarter’s transformation is bold. But spiraling costs, bureaucratic spats and local frustration are beginning to overshadow what was meant to be a flagship renewal. At the center of it all is the Schuman roundabout, a traffic-choked junction now under full-scale redevelopment. By mid-2026, the concrete-heavy site is set to become a greened-up pedestrian promenade. Just down the road, a sprawling new European Commission conference center is rising at Rue de la Loi 93-97, replacing a long-abandoned office block and once-beloved mural. Another structure at Rue de l’Industrie 44 has been razed, although its future remains unclear. Around a dozen more sites around the quarter, from Rue de la Science to Avenue de Cortenbergh, are now in some state between demolition and reconstruction. Several streets, such as Rue Guimard, will be ripped up and have trees planted as part of an ambitious master plan to make the quarter greener. To that end, the Commission last year sold 23 of its office buildings to Belgium for €900 million to redevelop, in a bid to build a “modern, attractive and greener” district. Belgium bought 23 of the European Commission’s buildings, colored on the map above, to redevelop. | SFPI It’s a grand vision that taps into Brussels’ long history of chaotic redevelopment — captured in the deprecating term “Brusselization,” coined during the city’s notorious construction boom of the 1960s and 1970s. That era saw unchecked freedom to developers, razing much of the city’s Art Nouveau history and transforming the EU capital into a mishmash of architectural styles. But despite the buzz around the ambitious current makeover, not everyone is sold. With local businesses worried about the long-term impact on foot traffic, a paralyzed Brussels government, allegations of budgetary fraud and a city deep in debt, this redevelopment risks becoming the ultimate stress test for the capital of Belgium — and the EU.  LOCALS FEEL THE STRAIN Among business owners and employees around the Schuman roundabout POLITICO talked to, not everyone was convinced that the upheaval will be worth it. “It’s a mess,” said a staffer at Portuguese restaurant Puro, which borders the construction site, who like others in this story was granted anonymity to freely discuss the impact of the works. Lunchtime business has dropped, he said, though noted a slight uptick as work progresses. At nearby Papillon, a favorite spot for EU officials and diplomats, a manager called the noise “frustrating,” but said project managers had kept him informed. They’re still aiming to finish the work by April 2026, he added. A Commission employee, likewise granted anonymity, was more skeptical. “For a while, we have been receiving a lot of emails announcing the project,” she said. “I just hope there will actually be some green when the project is finished — so far it’s a lot of concrete.” Brussels has a reputation for never-ending, unsightly construction and bureaucratic paralysis — standing in stark contrast to cities in Asia or the Americas, where skyscrapers have been assembled and sinkholes filled in weeks or less. Making matters worse is the lack of coordination among various worksites in the EU capital. Brussels’ own Construction Coordination Commission is tasked with synchronizing infrastructure projects across a patchwork of institutions and municipalities. But in practice, that often falls short. “In Brussels, there’s a coordination problem,” admitted David Dubois, Cabinet chief of the Etterbeek municipality, which borders the Schuman site. “It’s not easy. It requires a lot of consultations, and there are many factors to take into consideration when working with different municipalities,” he added. CASH CRUNCH AND POLITICAL DISPUTES In early June, Brussels’ caretaker government asked EU institutions to contribute €3 million toward the Schuman redevelopment, warning that failing to do so before the end of the month could lead to “even further additional cost.” Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho confirmed the EU executive had received the request. “We will respond to the letter in due time,” she said, without giving away any details on if — or how much — the Commission would contribute. At the end of August, a spokesperson for the infrastructure agency Beliris told POLITICO they were not aware of any response from the Commission to the letter. The European Commission’s conference center is being built on Rue de la Loi. | Arnau Busquets Guàrdia/POLITICO Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever, however, slammed the region’s plea as a “true disgrace” and a “total humiliation,” urging EU institutions not to enable what he called the “failed state” politics of the capital. Dubois wasn’t surprised by the financial ask. “We know the reality that is going on with every construction site: With inflation and rising material costs, it’s difficult to finish the works and keep costs at the same level as they were defined a few weeks prior,” he said. “But this project — it’s symbolic, and we need to finish it. It’s important to create as quickly as possible an environment that is comfortable for citizens, so we have to move forward,” he added. Adding another twist, in late August Beliris announced that the revamp of the Schuman roundabout will be completed without its showpiece steel canopy — unless Brussels finds more money by mid-September. PARALYSIS AND DEBT The political situation isn’t helping. Brussels has been without a functioning regional government for more than 13 months, with coalition negotiations stalled since the June 2024 elections. Talks resumed in mid-July, with six parties sitting down for formal coalition talks — but hopes for a new government unraveled within a day. “Everyone knows the situation is difficult, financially and politically,” said Dubois. “We’ve had no government, no direction, since the last election,” he added. Meanwhile, the capital’s debt exceeds €14 billion, with another €1.6 billion expected to be added this year. A recent investigation by The Brussels Times reported that €250 million in EU infrastructure loans may have been diverted to cover general expenses instead of transportation projects, potentially violating EU rules. Following the investigation, the Flemish nationalist New Flemish Alliance party, led by De Wever, called for a parliamentary inquiry into possible budgetary fraud. For now, hard-hatted construction crews are plowing ahead, chiseling sidewalks, pouring fresh cement and weaving scaffolding ever higher, with pedestrians forced to pick their way through fenced-off detours. The Schuman roundabout is supposed to be completed by April of next year — but don’t expect the noise and detours to end for the European Quarter as Brusselization marches on.