Europe news 2018

Here are some of the major news stories from Europe in 2018:

Politics

• Brexit: The United Kingdom officially triggered Article 50 in March, starting the process of leaving the European Union. The UK and EU negotiated a withdrawal agreement, which was rejected by the UK Parliament in January 2019.
• Italian Government Crisis: Italy's government collapsed in June after the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the far-right League party failed to agree on a budget. A new government was formed in June, led by Giuseppe Conte.
• French Presidential Election: Emmanuel Macron won re-election as President of France in April, defeating far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.
• German Election: Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party won the most seats in the German federal election in September, but lost its majority.

Economy

• Eurozone Growth: The Eurozone economy experienced its strongest growth in a decade, with GDP growth reaching 2.4% in 2018.
• European Central Bank (ECB) Policy: The ECB kept interest rates low and maintained its quantitative easing program throughout 2018, citing concerns about inflation and economic uncertainty.
• Trade Tensions: The EU imposed tariffs on US goods in response to US tariffs on steel and aluminum, leading to a trade war between the two sides.

Migration and Refugees

• Migration Crisis: The EU continued to grapple with the migration crisis, with over 1 million migrants arriving in Europe in 2018.
• EU-Turkey Deal: The EU and Turkey agreed to a deal in March to stem the flow of migrants from Turkey to Greece.
• Italy's Migrant Crisis: Italy faced a major migrant crisis in 2018, with over 600,000 migrants arriving by sea.

Security and Terrorism

• Paris Attack: A gunman attacked a Christmas market in Strasbourg, France, killing five people and injuring 12.
• Berlin Attack: A man drove a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany, killing 12 people and injuring many more.
• EU Counter-Terrorism Efforts: The EU launched several counter-terrorism initiatives in 2018, including a new strategy to combat online extremism.

Other News

• Catalonia Crisis: The Spanish government imposed direct rule on Catalonia in October after the region's government declared independence.
• Russian Election Interference: The EU accused Russia of interfering in the 2018 French and German elections.
• European Football Championship: The 2018 UEFA European Football Championship was held in Russia, with France winning the tournament.

These are just a few of the major news stories from Europe in 2018. It was a year marked by significant political and economic developments, as well as ongoing challenges related to migration, security, and terrorism.