MEP

Eva Kaili, the Greek MEP at the centre of a cash for influence scandal implicating Qatar, will remain in jail pending trial, a Belgian court has decided.

2022 December 22, Jennifer Rankin, “Greek MEP Eva Kaili to stay in custody after corruption charges, says court”, in The Guardian

A French train carrying hundreds of MEPs and their teams from Brussels ended up by accident at Marne-la-Vallée, the stop for Disneyland Paris.

2023 October 16, Lisa O'Carroll, “Rail signalling error diverts Strasbourg-bound MEPs to Disneyland”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

European Parliament
European Parliament#English

(European politics) Initialism of Member of the European Parliament.


troll

Partly:
* from Middle English trol (“demon (?); sorcerer (?)”) [and other forms], from Old Norse trǫll (“conjurer, mage; witch”), from Proto-Germanic *truzlą (“supernatural being; demon, fiend; giant; monster”), probably from *trudaną (“to step on; to tread”) + *-ilą (suffix forming agent nouns); and
* borrowed from Norwegian Bokmål troll, Swedish troll, or Danish trold, from Old Norse trǫll (see above).
Doublet of droll and trow.
cognates
* Danish fortrylle (“to bewitch”), trylle (“to conjure”)
* Icelandic tröll
* Middle High German trol, trolle (“spook, wraith; ogre, monster”)
* Norwegian fortrylle (“to bewitch”), trylle (“to conjure”)
* Swedish trolla (“to conjure”)

der

He followed their advice, and rode through a rye-field, where the Trolls were unable to follow him, but in their exasperation cried after him, "The red cock shall crow over thy dwelling." And behold! his house stood in a blaze.

1851, Benjamin Thorpe, “Norwegian Traditions. [The Girl at the Sæter.]”, in Northern Mythology, […], volumes II (Scandinavian Popular Traditions and Superstitions), London: Edward Lumley, […], →OCLC, page 7

In these manuscripts we are again in an atmosphere of eotens and trolls, there are traces of even older terrors, when the first Teuton settlers in Europe struggled with the aborigines who lived in caves, hints as elusive as the phantom heroes in the Saxon poems, and as unforgettable.

1922, Eleanour Sinclair Rohde, “The Anglo-Saxon Herbals”, in The Old English Herbals, London: Longmans, Green and Co. […], →OCLC, page 3

(originally Scandinavian mythology, now European folklore, fantasy), a giant supernatural being, especially a grotesque humanoid creature living in caves or hills or under bridges.

طْرُول

giant supernatural being; grotesque humanoid creature living in caves or hills or under bridges


shuck

(European folklore) A supernatural and generally malevolent black dog in English folklore.


DMA

The other law announced by the European Commission on Tuesday, the Digital Markets Act (DMA), is closer to antitrust legislation.

2020 December 15, Billy Perrigo, “European Union Announces New Big Tech Regulations”, in Time

Digital Markets Act
w:Digital Markets Act

(European politics) Initialism of Digital Markets Act.


TCA

Labour, which has said it will not take the UK back into the EU, the single market or customs union, has, however, already committed to using the 2025 review of the TCA to try to reduce barriers to trade.

2023 February 11, Toby Helm, “Revealed: secret cross-party summit held to confront failings of Brexit”, in The Observer, →ISSN

Trade and Cooperation Agreement
w:EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement

(European politics, UK politics) Initialism of Trade and Cooperation Agreement.


changeling

/ˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒlɪŋ/

The noun is derived from change + -ling (suffix with the sense ‘immature; small’). Sense 6 (“idiot, simpleton”) is from the idea that foolish children had been left by magical creatures (sense 1).
The adjective is derived from the noun.

suffix

Juſt as a Changeling ſeems below the reſt / Of Men, or rather is a two-legg’d Beaſt, / So theſe Gigantick Souls amaz'd we find / As much above the reſt of human kind.

1709, Earl of Murlgrave [i.e., John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, formerly Earl of Mulgrave], An Essay on Poetry, London: […] H. Hills, […], →OCLC, page 15

It was easy enough to see that the child was a changeling, for it wasn't like other children at all it screamed and cried, as if a knife stuck in it, and it wheezed and hit about with its arms like a huldre-cat, and was as ugly as sin.

1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 298

His nurse had told him all about changelings, and how the little people would always try to steal a beautiful human child out of its cradle and put in its stead one of their own ailing, puking brats [...]

1961, Muriel Saint Clare Byrne, Elizabethan Life in Town and Country, 8th edition, London: Methuen & Co., →OCLC, page 285

(European folklore, also figurative) In pre-modern European folklore: an infant of a magical creature that was secretly exchanged for a human infant. In British, Irish and Scandinavian mythology the exchanged infants were thought to be those of fairies, sprites or trolls; in other places, they were ascribed to demons, devils, or witches.

خائن

infant of a magical creature secretly exchanged for a human infant


erlking

Partial calque of German Erlkönig (literally “alder-king”), a mistranslation of Danish ellerkonge (“king of the elves”).

pcal

So easy for one young son to be swallowed up in a world teeming with Erlkings, real and imagined.

2010, Rachel Billington, The Missing Boy, Hachette

He was in the forest looking to see the trees / But none were there / He found a girl / She found the erlking

2012, ミラクルミュージカル (lyrics and music), “Murders”, in Hawaii: Part II

By now, he seems less a cartoon character than some contemporary Erlking, the malicious spirit made famous by Goethe (and Schubert) but found originally in a Danish ballad.

2018 October 22, Carol Rumens, “Poem of the week: Three Poetesses by Kristín Ómarsdóttir”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

(European folklore) In German literature and modern folklore, a malicious elf or spirit who preys on children.


mara

Borrowed from Old Norse mara, from Proto-Germanic *marǭ, cognate with Old English mare or mære. Doublet of mare. See nightmare.

The corpus of related texts tells us that within rural society it was not improbable for your neighbour's envy of your fine cattle to take the form of a mara.

1996, Catharina Raudvere, “Now you see her, now you don't: some notes on the conception of female shape-shifters in Scandinavian traditions”, in Sandra Billington, Miranda Green, editors, The Concept of the Goddess, pages 41–55

(European folklore) A nightmare; a spectre or wraith-like creature in Germanic and particularly Scandinavian folklore; a female demon who torments people in sleep by crouching on their chests or stomachs, or by causing terrifying visions.

խիպիլիկ

(folklore) a nightmare; spectre or wraith-like creature


Schengen Area

Named after Schengen, the town in Luxembourg where the treaty was signed.

(European politics) The group of European countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement, abolishing border controls between each other.


EDL

European Defence League
w:European Defence League

(European politics) Initialism of European Defence League.


Eurogroup

“We look forward to working with whomever comes out of this democratic process,” said Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister, who chairs the eurogroup.

2016 July 11, Jennifer Rankin, The Guardian

(European politics) The informal body composed of the finance ministers of the countries in the Eurozone.


EPP

European People's Party
w:European People's Party

(European politics) Initialism of European People's Party.


rye wolf

(European folklore) An evil creature of German folklore lurking in the rye-fields.


Maid Marian

(European folklore) The love interest of the legendary outlaw Robin Hood; originally a shepherdess figure associated with May Day.


DSA

The DSA is aimed at improving what many European lawmakers see as the lack of oversight over large tech companies.

The warning from the EU came from Věra Jourová, the European Commission vice-president for values and transparency, who tweeted that “news about arbitrary suspension of journalists on Twitter is worrying” and said the economic bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA) required platforms to respect media freedom.

2022 December 16, Dan Milmo, Rowena Mason, Alex Hern, “Twitter’s suspension of journalists sets ‘dangerous precedent’, UN warns”, in The Guardian

The big platforms will also have to publish an independent audit of their compliance with the DSA, as well as how many people they employ in content moderation.

2023 April 25, Dan Milmo, “‘Unprepared’ Twitter among tech firms to face tough new EU digital rules”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

Digital Services Act
w:Digital Services Act

(European politics) Initialism of Digital Services Act.


Article 50

Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty sets out how an EU country might voluntarily leave the union. The wording is vague, almost as if the drafters thought it unlikely it would ever come into play.

2016 June 25, Jennifer Rankin, Julian Borger, Mark Rice-Oxley, “What is article 50 and why is it so central to the Brexit debate?”, in The Guardian

The Scottish cross-bench peer who wrote Article 50 - the procedure by which the UK would leave the EU - believed it was "not irrevocable". In a BBC interview, Lord Kerr of Kinlochard said the UK could choose to stay in the EU even after exit negotiations had begun.

2016 November 3, Glenn Campbell, “Article 50 author Lord Kerr says Brexit not inevitable”, in BBC News

Today, therefore, I am writing to give effect to the democratic decision of the people of the United Kingdom. I hereby notify the European Council in accordance with Article 50 (2) of the Treaty on European Union of the United Kingdom’s intention to withdraw from the European Union.

2017 March 29, Theresa May, Theresa May’s Letter Invoking Article 50

If the Liberal Democrats were to secure a majority in December, they would revoke Article 50, cancelling Brexit.

2019 November 24, Stephen Wynn-Davies, “Hastings and Rye candidates outline their stances on Brexit”, in The Hastings Observer

(European politics) Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon which holds the EU's exit clause, allowing and setting out rules for countries leaving the European Union.


post-Brexit

In a step that may stoke concerns in Britain that Brexit could hasten the fragmentation of the UK, diplomats are planning to ask leaders of the EU’s 27 post-Brexit member countries to endorse the idea in a summit on Saturday.

2017 April 28, Alex Barker, Arthur Beesley, Vincent Boland, “EU prepares for post-Brexit membership for united Ireland”, in The Financial Times

Senior EU figures have attacked Theresa May’s post-Brexit immigration plan with the president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, signalling that he expects a row with the British prime minister at an upcoming “moment of truth” summit.

2018 October 2, Daniel Boffey, “EU anger over May's post-Brexit immigration plan”, in The Guardian

Tens of thousands of low-skilled migrants could come to the UK to work for up to a year under proposed new post-Brexit immigration rules. The measure, which would last until 2025, is intended to protect parts of the economy reliant on overseas labour.

2018 December 19, “Immigration: White Paper sets out post-Brexit rules for migrants”, in the BBC

Theresa May's government consistently rejected proposals and amendments to the 2018 Withdrawal Act to maintain current rights and protections post-Brexit. She appeared content to see the back of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, a huge loss which would mean less power to protect rights for women, and also to do away with the 2006 and 2010 Equalities Acts.

2019 November 25, Mary Honeyball, “Boris Johnson's Brexit day would be a dark day for women”, in The New European, archived from the original on 2019-11-27

Member states, MEPs and the new EU commission are all gearing up to launch a discussion on the future of post-Brexit Europe early next year.

2019 November 26, Eszter Zalan, “EU gears up for post-Brexit renovation”, in The EU Observer

‘Choose London’: Sadiq Khan steps up efforts to lure EU citizens post-Brexit [title]

2023 October 6, Heather Stewart, “‘Choose London’: Sadiq Khan steps up efforts to lure EU citizens post-Brexit”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

(European politics) Referring to the time after the UK leaves the EU.


plague doctor

(European history) A physician treating the bubonic plague, or employed simply to collect demographic and epidemiological data, especially one wearing protective clothing including goggles and a mask with a long bird's beak filled with aromatics to ward off the disease.


Springtime of Nations

Printemps des peuples

period 1848-49 in Europe characterised by revolutions

(history, European history) A period, sometimes confounded with the Age of Revolution in Europe and/or the pre-March era (Vormärz) specifically in Germany; variously beginning in 1789 (the French Revolution) or (in Germany) either in 1815 (German Confederation) or 1830 (French July Revolution) and leading up to to the Revolutions of 1848.

Völkerfrühling

period 1789/1815-48 in Europe characterised by revolutions

1964, book review in Quarterly Review of Scientific Publications, Issues 25-32, Polish Academy of Sciences, page 48,
Literary life in Silesia is portrayed in the period from 1806 (the date of the final annexation of Silesia by Prussia) until 1849 (the end of the Springtime of Nations).

But what about the harbinger of the Springtime of Nations; and Karl Marx; and the visions of the brotherhood of mankind?

1951, “The Twentieth Century, Volume 150”, in Nineteenth Century and After, Limited, page 20

[…]was but the prodrome of a succession of Slavic revolts: first in Poland in 1830–31, and then of the Czechs, Croats, and Ruthenians in Galicia at the time of the revolutions of 1848-49 ("The Springtime of nations").

1999, New York Public Library News, Volumes 8-9, New York Public Library, page 89

(history, European history) A period from 1848-49 (Revolutions of 1848) characterised by political upheavals throughout Europe which aimed to replace monarchies with independent nation-states.


pre-Brexit

(European politics) Referring to the time before Brexit.


New Right

Employing the lambda symbol, identitarianism has gained increasing purchase amongst youth across western Europe, and France in particular, growing out of the (European) New Right (Nouvelle Droite), which dates to the 1970s and GRECE (Research and Study Group on European Civilization).

2020, Tim Nieguth, editor, Nationalism and Popular Culture, Routledge

Various right-wing political groups or policies in different countries:

(European politics) The European New Right.


Ascapart

(European folklore) A legendary giant in English folklore.


EFSA

European Food Safety Authority
w:European Food Safety Authority

(European politics) Initialism of European Food Safety Authority.


VLOSE

Coordinate term: VLOP

(European politics, DSA) Initialism of very large online search engine.


VLOP

Coordinate term: VLOSE

Tech platforms must reach at least 45 million monthly active users in the EU in order to be designated VLOPs or VLSEs.

(European politics, DSA) Initialism of very large online platform.