Germany's visa warning puts Alpine border checks in focus

Germany is urging European Union countries to cut holiday visas for Russian citizens after a Belarusian national, reportedly holding a tourist visa issued by Italy, was investigated over an alleged attempt to attack Leipzig airport, The Guardian reported on Friday.

The appeal, made as EU ministers gathered for talks, targets the bloc's tourism visa regime. Germany argues such visas have become a security vulnerability, pointing to the Leipzig case as evidence that Schengen-issued documents can be exploited.

For Valle d'Aosta, the debate lands at the intersection of two defining facts: the region's reliance on cross-border traffic through the Mont Blanc tunnel and its position within Europe's border-free Schengen area.