After the ECB announced its decision to redesign euro banknotes, Euronews asked you what new theme youโd like to see represented on the currency. ๐ถ
Scroll through the thread for the most popular choices ๐
Many of you voted for prominent European politicians, including German chancellor Angela Merkel. ๐ฉ๐ช
Also popular were older politicians seen to have contributed to European unity, including ex-UK prime minister Winston Churchill and ex-EU Parliament president Robert Schuman. ๐ช๐บ
Some want to see other prominent Europeans throughout history featured, such as Marie Curie, Giuseppi Garibaldi and Julius Caesar. ๐ถ
Another popular requested theme was people from underrepresented groups, including women or Europeans from the LGBTQ+ and BAME communities. ๐ณ๏ธโ๐
Some of you think the new design should embrace European mythology, including characters from the stories of Ancient Greece and Rome. ๐
Others voted for Europeโs geography to be featured, such as a map of the continent without borders or interesting landscapes. ๐บ
European landmarks, cities and their skylines were another popular choice. ๐
Some of the major ones suggested were the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and the Colosseum in Rome. ๐ผ
Euronews viewers suggested European flora and fauna as the banknotesโ new theme, including species which might be endangered or already extinct.๐ฐ
These pictures show the European rabbit, common seal, Iberian lynx, and golden eagle. ๐ฆ
Others voted for European flags. ๐ช๐บ
There were also people who voted to keep the banknotes as they are now, with some saying theyโd prefer the ECB to focus on other issues. ๐ถ
Read more about the ECBโs decision to redesign the banknotes here ๐
๐ญ๐บ When Viktor Orban made his first posts on Twitter this week, one of them gave us a clue as to why Hungary's PM has chosen now to join the social media platform. cutt.ly/jBmFtD6
๐ฑ With Hungarians generally preferring Facebook, there is seemingly little domestic motivation for Orban to join the rival platform.
๐ญ๐บ Experts have told Euronews Orban's arrival points to the fact he is keen -- amid the fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine and a long-running dispute with Brussels over access to EU funds -- to influence opinion in the Anglo-Saxon world.
๐ฉ๐ฐ When party leaders faced each other last week in the first TV debate of Denmark's election, they disagreed along familiar party lines.
But there was one subject which united left and right: a controversial plan to outsource asylum seekers to Rwanda. cutt.ly/BBcy0ug
๐ฌ๐ง Although there is no formal agreement yet between the two countries, that is clearly the direction of travel, with the whole scheme looking very similar to a policy the UK government is trying to get off the ground - so far, unsuccessfully.
โ๏ธ Opponents argued that it is illegal and inhumane to send people thousands of miles to a country they donโt want to live in, and so far no flights have actually left the UK for Rwanda after legal interventions at the European Court of Human rights.
๐ฌ๐ง The funeral on Monday of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will see the biggest gathering of royalty this century - perhaps ever - in London.
So who is attending the funeral, and how are they related to Queen Elizabeth II, if at all? Here's our guide. ๐ cutt.ly/AVwLXaF
๐ง๐ช King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will be representing Belgium at the funeral.
King Philippe's ancestor is King Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians, who was also Queen Victoria's uncle. And Queen Victoria was Queen Elizabeth II's great-great-grandmother.
๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark's Queen Margrethe II will be attending the funeral with her son Crown Prince Frederik.
Queen Margrethe II was a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and were descendants of both Queen Victoria and also King Christian X of Norway.
๐ญ๐บ Hungary is no longer a full democracy, MEPs have declared in a non-binding but highly symbolic report.
Instead, it should be considered a "hybrid regime of electoral autocracy" in which elections are regularly held without respecting democratic norms. cutt.ly/cC4cu3X
๐ช๐บ In their resolution, MEPs point the finger directly at Prime Minister Viktor Orbรกn and condemn his government's "deliberate and systematic efforts" to undermine the EU's core values.
๐ณ๏ธโ๐ They raise concerns about a long list of fundamental rights they believe to be under threat, including the electoral system, the independence of judiciary, media pluralism, LGBTIQ rights and the protection of minorities.
๐ช๐บ Ursula von der Leyen delivered on Wednesday her annual State of the Union speech, unveiling the main political priorities for the next working year.
๐ท๐บ Von der Leyen said Russian industry is in โtattersโ because of the sanctions the EU has slapped on Moscow over the Ukraine war.
She assured that the EU wonโt relent in its sanctions, despite fears that it might have to due to the energy crisis.
๐บ๐ฆ The Commission chief also unveiled several proposals to align Ukraine with the single market, including by extending the European free-of-charge roaming area, and support its reconstruction, with โฌ100 million to rebuild damaged schools. cutt.ly/uC1YhdH
ICYMI: ๐ช๐บ Here's our roundup of what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her annual #SOTU address:
๐บ๐ฆ The EU has "risen to the occasion" on the Ukraine war, she said.
"Our response was united, determined and immediate and I think we can be proud of that."
๐ท๐บ Russia's industry "is in tatters", VDL said.
She argued that since sanctions have been imposed, three-quarters of Russia's banking sectors were cut off from international markets, the production of cars fell by 75%.