We look back at the week in Europe where MEPs called on the Maltese leader to resign immediately, protests took place in the Czech Republic and Poland. A tumultuous end to a rollercoaster year in EU politics. Our journalists sum it up in their words of the year.
This week was the last business week of the year, and two things happened:
A frantic last-ditch activity to get things on the record before the holiday season – and the gradual switching of members of the EU bubble into Christmas mode.
Politically, we saw some unfinished business that will probably keep us busy even next year.
For it's not all joy and happiness in Europe, as the leadership in some countries has been naughty and not nice, according to the European Parliament.
Let's hope for peace on earth – especially in Malta, the Czech Republic and Poland.
Strasbourg condensed...
MEPs called on Maltese Prime Minister to resign immediately over his handling of the investigation into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. A large majority in the European parliament said it was deeply concerned about the integrity and credibility of the investigation into the death of the journalist.
The Czech Prime Minister is also in the spotlight. Brussels declared a conflict of interest between his businesses and political role and Czech prosecutors reopened a case against him.
Poland also saw big protests as the supreme court warned that the Government plans to overhaul the justice system could force the country to leave the EU
Words of the Year
If you ask people about the highlights of the year, you get a lot of individual answers. As the saying goes, where you stand depends on where you sit – and where you come from.
We asked our own Brussels correspondents about their words of the year that would best describe what people were talking about in their respective countries. Find them here.
That's it for this week and this year. We at Euronews in Brussels thank you for being such a loyal audience, wishing you happy holidays and a happy new year.