Esme Nicholson

Growth in solar and wind-powered energy across the EU has boosted the share of renewables to 47% and solar energy is the bloc's fastest-growing power source with an 11% share. These are the latest figures from a report released by climate think tank EMBA, which show a marked decline in fossil fuel dependency.

Coal now provides just 10% of Europe's energy, and soaring gas prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine have accelerated the continent's transition to renewables. Europe's increasing energy independence comes as President Trump is pulling the United States out of the Paris Agreement. For NPR News, I'm Esme Nicholson in Berlin.

For NPR News, I'm Esme Nicholson in Berlin.

Friedrich Merz is set to be Germany's next chancellor, but as results come in, it remains unclear who he will partner with to form the majority needed to govern. The far-right Alternative für Deutschland, or AFD, has secured its best result ever, doubling its number of seats in Germany's parliament, the Bundestag.

Merz says he stands by his vow to uphold the firewall against the far right to keep it at bay from the corridors of power. AFD leader Alice Weidel argues this ignores the will of the electorate. Appealing to other parties, Merz stresses that a new government must form quickly as Europe comes under pressure from an increasingly hostile and unpredictable US administration.

Speaking to lawmakers in Poland's lower house of parliament, Tusk said his government aims to introduce military training for all adult men by the end of this year to create a reserve force that can, quote, stand up to possible threats.

Situated on NATO's eastern flank, Poland already spends a higher proportion of its GDP on defence than any other member of the alliance, including the United States. As concerns grow about Russian ambitions to move further westwards, Warsaw is considering enshrining defence spending of at least 4% of GDP into the constitution. For NPR News, I'm Esme Nicholson in Berlin.