This is a list of 2012 events that occurred in Europe.
Events Albania
Andorra
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
European Union President of the European Commission: José Manuel Barroso President of the Parliament: Jerzy Buzek (until 17 January) Martin Schulz (until 17 January) President of the European Council: Herman Van Rompuy Presidency of the Council of the EU: Denmark (January–July) Cyprus (July–December)
Finland
France
Germany
Georgia
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Vatican City
Events January
January 1: Denmark assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Poland. January 12: A series of street protests broke out in several cities across Romania. The protests turned violent, with both protesters and members of the Gendarmerie being injured during the ensuing clashes.BBC News - Romania protests: PM Emil Boc calls for dialogue January 13: The Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia partially sank on the night of January 13, 2012 after hitting a reef off the Italian coast and running aground at Isola del Giglio, Tuscany, requiring the evacuation of the 4,252 people on board. Thirty-two citizens drowned and other 64 people were injured.BBC News - Costa Concordia disaster: Rescuers blast holes in search for missing January 18: English version of Wikipedia was down for 24 hours in protest of SOPA and PIPA, two projects that provided for drastic measures against sites with "pirated" content. Were subsequently withdrawn. January 23: European Union foreign ministers have formally adopted an "unprecedented" oil embargo against Iran over its nuclear programme, banning all new oil contracts with the country.BBC News - EU Iran sanctions: Ministers adopt Iran oil imports ban January 24: A violent blizzard ravages Central, Southeast and Eastern Europe. There were hundreds of casualties among homeless people. Snow caused traffic chaos in several countries like Italy and United Kingdom.BBC News - Cold weather kills dozens in eastern Europe January 30: Leaders of the 27 EU member states met in Brussels, at a special summit, to discuss a clear strategy against the debt crisis. In Belgium was held a general strike.
February
February 5: National Coalition Party candidate and former finance minister Sauli Niinistö wins Finnish presidential election, easily beating his Green rival Pekka Haavisto. He is first conservative president since 1956. February 8: Italy's Mount Etna erupted into life during the night of 8–9 February, spewing forth lava fountains which brightened the midnight sky. The eruption followed a period of intermittent activity and produced a plume of ash which led to the temporary cancellation of some flights at the nearby Catania airport.BBC News - Mount Etna eruption led to temporary flight cancellations February 11: Protests against ACTA in more than 200 European cities. Protests broke out in Poland, spreading in several European countries such as Sweden, Germany, France or Romania. February 12: 500,000 protesters gathered in Athens outside the Parliament House to voice opposition to Lucas Papademos' caretaker cabinet's austerity measures, the Fifth austerity package which was being debated in Parliament. Following these street demonstrations, 45 buildings were set ablaze, 25 protesters and 40 officers were injured.CNN - Amid clashes, Greek Parliament approves austerity measures February 17: Christian Wulff resigned as President of Germany, facing the prospect of prosecution for allegations of corruption relating to his prior service as Prime Minister of Lower Saxony. February 19 Iran suspends oil exports to United Kingdom and France following sanctions put in place by the EU and the United States in January.CNN - Iran suspends oil exports to France, UK A series of explosions take place in a nightclub in Sighetu Marmaţiei (Romania). Following the deflagration, a citizen was killed and other 20 people were injured.Click.ro - Two explosions in Sighetu Marmaţiei February 21: Eurozone finance ministers reach an agreement on a second, €130-billion Greek bailout.The Sydney Morning Herald - Euro zone strikes deal on Greece bailout
March
March 4 Prime Minister Vladimir Putin wins the presidential election in the first round with over 63% of the vote, beating veteran Communist opponent Gennady Zyuganov into second place on 17%. Putin will serve a newly extended six-year term, beginning in May.LSMedia - Putin re-elected for third term Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe observers report irregularities at a third of monitored polling stations. Opponents take to the streets of several major cities to protest at the conduct of the election, and the police arrest hundreds. Two passenger trains have collided in southern Poland, near Szczekociny (Silesian Voivodeship), leaving 16 people dead and 58 hurt.BBC News - Poland suffers deadly train crash near Szczekociny March 5: A MAI employer shot eight people in a hair salon, Bucharest. Following the massacre, two people died and six others were seriously injured.Libertatea.ro - Shooting in Bucharest: two deaths and six people injured, in Perla area! March 13 A bus carrying Belgian and Dutch students returning from a ski holiday crashed into a wall in Sierre Tunnel (Switzerland), killing 28 people, of which 22 were 12-year-old students. Another 24 students were taken to hospital with injuries.Independent.ie - Experts claim death coach not speeding before crash After 244 years since its first publication, the Encyclopædia Britannica discontinues its print edition.The Guardian - Encyclopædia Britannica halts print publication after 244 years EU finance ministers decided to block funds worth €495-million for Hungary, due to the excessive budget deficit. March 18: Former pastor Joachim Gauck was elected President of Germany, before his sole rival, Beate Klarsfeld. March 19 Mohammed Merah, adherent of the Islamist organization al-Qaeda, opened fire in Ozar Hatorah schoolyard (Toulouse, France), killing three children, a teenager and a rabbi. President Nicolas Sarkozy suspended his electoral campaign and announced maximum terrorist alert in Toulouse. The perpetrator was killed in the morning of March 22, following a siege at his apartment in Toulouse.The New York Times - 4 killed at Jewish School in Southwestern France A series of devastating wildfires burst out in several Romanian counties.România TV - Devastating wildfires in several country areas March 31: A blast at a chemical plant of Evonik Industries AG in the city of Marl in Germany's Ruhr valley killed at least one person and left two others injured.Globalpost.com - Explosion at German chemical plant kills one
April
April 2 A Russian passenger plane carrying 43 people has crashed shortly after take-off in Siberia. Only 12 passengers survived the tragedy.BBC News - Russian plane crash kills 31 in Siberia President of Hungary, Pál Schmitt, resigned amid scandal on the withdrawal of his doctoral thesis.Business Insider - Hungarian President resigns after plagiarizing his doctoral thesis April 4: Serbian pro-Western President Boris Tadić resigned, paving the way for early presidential election where he will face strong challenge from a nationalist candidate.The Independent - Serbian President Boris Tadić resigns April 6 Members of the anti-terrorist squad of the Hungarian police have captured a man suspected of killing four relatives and injuring three others with a machete.CBS News - Hungary: Man suspected of killing 4 relatives Six people, including three Romanians and three Austrians, were injured in an explosion at the Petrobrazi Refinery (Ploiești, Romania). April 8: Leonid Tibilov won the South Ossetian presidential election with 54.12% of votes in the second round run-off. April 13: Three people died and another 13 were injured when a German regional train collided with a works engine near the town of Offenbach am Main.BBC News - Germany train crash: Three die in Offenbach collision April 16: The trial of Anders Behring Breivik, the perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, started on April 16, 2012 in Oslo District Court. He recognized the odious killing of all 77 citizens, but claimed self-defense. Eventually, he received a maximum prison sentence of 21 years.Scotsman.com - Norway shooting: Anders Behring Breivik enters plea of self-defence April 21: About 117 people have been injured, at least 16 of them seriously, when two passenger trains collided head-on near Westerpark in Amsterdam, between Amsterdam Centraal railway station and Amsterdam Sloterdijk railway station.BBC News - Netherlands train crash: Scores injured in Amsterdam April 27 Four co-ordinated explosions have rocked the city of Dnipropetrovsk in eastern Ukraine, injuring at least 27 people.BBC News - Blasts injure 27 in east Ukraine city of Dnipropetrovsk Romania's government has been unseated in a no-confidence vote, just two months after taking office. The opposition seized on public anger over austerity measures to oust prime minister Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu. Romanian President Traian Băsescu designated left-wing opposition leader Victor Ponta as new prime minister.The New York Times - Romania’s government collapses amid austerity backlashBBC News - Romanian government falls in no-confidence voteRealitatea.net - Romania's government has resigned
May
May 2: The Hungarian candidate János Áder was elected president with an absolute majority. May 3: At least eight people were killed and 20 injured in an apparent suicide car bomb attack and follow-up blast in the Russian city of Makhachkala.CNN - Twin explosions kill 8 in Russia May 4: More than 140 people were injured at a political rally in the central square of Armenia's capital, when clusters of balloons exploded.Global Post - Armenia: Explosions at rally injure over 140 May 6: François Hollande won the French presidential election with 51.64% of votes in the second round run-off. May 7: A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck the western part of Azerbaijan, at a depth of 23 km. At least two people died following the seism. About 1,050 families whose homes were damaged during the earthquake were placed in tents.M5.6 - 11km ENE of Aliabad, Azerbaijan (USGS) May 10: At least 116 people were injured after a crash involving three trams in western Bucharest, capital city of Romania.Realitatea.net - Bucharest: Tram accident with more than 92 injuries in Pasajul Lujerului May 15: Nearly 7,000 demonstrators have marched through Moldova's capital Chișinău to denounce Russia's continued influence in their country. May 20: A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Northern Italy, at a depth of 5.1 km.Magnitude 6.0 - Northern Italy (USGS) Seven people died and over 50 others were injured. Castello Estense (Ferrara) and other structures of historical significance have been damaged or destroyed.BBC News - Deadly northern Italy earthquake hits heritage sites May 21: At least 13 Albanian university students lost their lives when their bus plunged into a gorge near the town of Elbasan."At least 11 Albanian university students killed in bus crash", Reuters May 22: A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 24 km west of Bulgaria's capital Sofia, at a depth of 9.4 km. A citizen died from heart attack, several buildings were damaged. May 25: Three people were killed and other 18 wounded after a suicide bombing in central Turkey.CNN - 1 killed, 18 wounded in Turkey suicide bombing May 26: An 18-year-old man was arrested in Finland over a shooting spree that left two people dead and eight wounded."Police: 2 dead and 8 wounded in Finland shooting spree", CNN