Comment on Keir Starmer’s Daunting Challenges Ahead

When Joe Biden attended his first G7 summit as president in 2021, his message to U. S. allies was “America’s back.” Their response, the president recalled to TIME in a recent interview, was: “For how long?” Three years later, that question is at the top of European minds as they brace for the possibility—and, if recent polls are to be believed, probability—that Donald Trump could edge out Biden in the race for the White House in November.

Thousands of angry Barcelona residents took to the streets over the weekend to participate in a protest against mass tourism in the Spanish city. Their weapon of choice? The humble water pistol. Video footage showed protesters squirting water from colorful pistols at travelers who were dining in Las Ramblas, a tourist-heavy district.

French President Emmanuel Macron had a bruising night. After Sunday’s crucial legislative election, his centrist Ensemble alliance still has 168 MPs in the National Assembly. He may well try to stage a comeback after his Presidential term expires in 2027. But Macron’s deeper political project—the belief that he could single-handedly forge a new and lasting political consensus through pro-business reforms with an increased emphasis on law-and-order—has gone up in flames. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] It may take time for newly-elected legislators to reach a consensus and form a new government.

France’s election results, in which a coalition of left-wing and centrist parties staved off the insurgent rise of the far right, are being celebrated around the world—from politicians, like U. S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, to celebrities, including members of France’s national soccer team who are currently competing in the European Championship in Germany. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “The relief is equal to the worry of recent weeks, it is immense,” France soccer player Jules Koundé posted on X.

India’s prime minister begins a two-day visit to Russia on Monday, his first since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, a war that has complicated the relationship between the longtime allies and pushed Russia closer to India’s rival China. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit will include a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, whom he last saw in Russia in 2019, in the far eastern port of Vladivostok.

BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping called on world powers to help Russia and Ukraine resume direct dialogue and negotiations during a meeting Monday with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Orbán made a surprise visit to China after similar trips last week to Russia and Ukraine to discuss prospects for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Orbán praised China’s “constructive and important initiatives” for achieving peace and described Beijing as a stabilizing force amid global turbulence, according to CCTV. Besides Russia and Ukraine, the end of the war “depends on the decision of three world powers, the United States, the European Union and China,” Orbán wrote in a Facebook post showing him shaking hands with Xi. Read More: Why MAGA Republicans Are Obsessed With Viktor Orbán Orbán met with Xi just two months ago when he hosted the Chinese leader in Hungary as part of a three-country European tour that also included stops in France and Serbia, which unlike the other two is not a member of the European Union or NATO. Hungary under Orbán has built substantial political and economic ties with China.