


Europeans are becoming less free to say what they think
It’s becoming dangerous to anger minority groups and politicians
Should the Finnish Lutheran church sponsor the Pride parade, a festival of rainbow flags and sexual inclusivity? Many might argue that a staid institution would do well to show prospective parishioners that it has kept up with the times. Paivi Rasanen is not among them. A staunch conservative, mother of five and member of parliament since 1995, she questioned on social media whether the church endorsing Pride was compatible with the Bible’s teachings on sin and shame. An accompanying picture of some of the book’s less tolerant passages made clear her own conclusions. That was in 2019. The temerity of her questioning has resulted in six years of police investigations, prosecution, trials and the threat of a hefty fine.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “A view to kill?”

Leo XIV will pose some tricky problems for Giorgia Meloni
The newly enthroned pope has criticised the MAGA bigwigs whom the Italian leader supports

Germany’s border controls are annoying the neighbours
Especially the Poles

Why so much is riding on Poland’s presidential elections
Watch what happens in Warsaw
Peace talks are starting in Istanbul, but who will be there?
Vladimir Putin seems to have developed cold feet
Uncertainty and tension ahead of possible Ukraine peace talks
Vladimir Putin has successfully divided Europe and America—again
Ukraine’s European backers challenge Putin to commit to a 30-day ceasefire
Their gambit is as much a test for Donald Trump as the Kremlin