euobserver
Artikelen over euobserver
Socialist MEPs urge von der Leyen to cap methane-rules delay at one year, or withdraw it
Centre-left MEPs are trying to convince the European Commission to withdraw its proposal to pause EU methane rules, if parliament or member states try to delay them for more than one year.
Who ordered the strike that killed my friend and maimed me? The EU must demand answers from Israel
I survived an Israeli strike on 13 October 2023 with one leg missing, while my friend and colleague Issam was killed. Yet three years later, no one has been held accountable. I am asking the EU to turn its commitments to protecting journalists into concrete action: demand answers from Israel and use its leverage to ensure that those responsible face justice.
Listen: Could the EU shield the ICC from US sanctions?
The United States has imposed new sanctions on the International Criminal Court, this time targeting the institution itself. The EU, while supportive of the ICC, does little to counter the sanctions.
Poll shows public revulsion on caged hens ahead of EU-ban deadline
In a poll of 25,080 adults across 25 EU member states, 75 percent of Europeans indicated support for a hen-cage ban by 2035.
Europe’s skills passport is missing a page, EMPASS wants to add it
Employers are reporting skills bottlenecks because CVs and qualifications often fail to capture skills they are looking for. Europe needs bridges between education and employment.
France, Greece, and Netherlands see steep fall in crisis-resilience, study finds
With one in five adults worldwide hit by disasters in the past five years, millions of people in Greece and France could be dangerously exposed when the next natural or man-made crisis strikes.
MEPs don’t have to meekly accept an EU budget deal, but will they go to war over €141bn in cuts?
MEPs and the champions of EU integration point to the parliament’s co-decision powers as proof of the institution’s importance. But will MEPs dare use those powers in a budget fight with governments?
[Interview] Spanish socialist MEP sees no other leader than Sánchez, as housing and immigration dominate snap election
Some 23 percent of Spain’s working population were immigrants, who were “paying taxes and [contributing to] pensions for everyone," said the MEP, ahead of a snap election dominated by its housing crisis and the Ceuta migrant crisis.
Forged news of military conscripts in Kaliningrad had hallmarks of a Western counter-attack in Putin’s info wars
Western spymasters may finally be testing Kremlin-style information tricks on Russian soil to rattle Putin’s war regime.
Tanks vs. drones battle exposes lie in Russia’s map of territorial gains, as Ukraine once again bombs Yandex data centres (Ukraine Battlefield update, day 1,691)
Drones are now deciding who survives on the battlefield — and even which side's maps or propaganda can still be believed.
‘Made in Europe’ wind, solar, and nuclear power can protect us from future energy shocks
The American humorist Will Rogers observed that there are three kinds of people in this world: those who learn by reading; those who learn by observation; and the rest, who have to learn by peeing on the electric fence for themselves.
Listen: Should we be worried about Europe’s level of gas reserves?
European gas storage levels are unusually low for this time of year, reaching their lowest autumn level since 2011. With Russian gas imports set to end in 2027, could Europe face a tougher challenge in the months ahead?
[Interview] Ex-Bosnia envoy sees no risk of renewed violence, but the fractured country’s EU dream is rotting away
As one of Dayton’s former guardians, Schmidt fears less instability than a quiet collapse of trust, as youth reject segregated schools, politicians glorify war criminals, and Europe fails to turn Bosnia’s pro-EU mood into real opportunities.
EU’s 2026 rule‑of‑law report doesn’t trigger real action, says human rights watchdog
The EU’s picture of rule-of-law improvements is rosy, but civil liberties groups were not fooled. A new analysis reveals the commission’s recommendations to have been adopted 4 times out of 100, while most remain ignored.
This WEEK: Leaders to focus on economy at EU summit, in shadow of Russia threat and Middle East turmoil
Money and how to make more of it are among the top issues to be discussed among EU leaders as they gather for a two-day summit in Brussels, while they also struggle with ongoing problems on Ukraine, the Middle East, migration, defence, and new rules for EU-hopefuls, such as Montenegro.
MEPs warn Irish EU budget plan is ‘short‑sighted’ and risks ‘historic failure’ as cuts of €141bn spare farm and cohesion funds
The Irish government has set the path for a showdown between MEPs and governments over the next seven year EU budget after proposing an 8 percent cut worth €141bn to the European Commission’s spending plan.
EU leaders to speak no evil of Israel, as Nobel prize recalls Gaza ‘genocide’
EU leaders will stay mute on Gaza and merely “condemn” West Bank violence at next week’s summit, as the 2026 Nobel peace prize highlights UN findings on Israel’s “genocide”.
EU should use Digital Services Act against online tormentors of Belarusian and Russian exiles in Europe
By treating digital attacks on Belarusian and Russian exiles as a systemic risk under the DSA, the EU could reshape how global platforms handle online transnational repression.
[Interview] France school protests go deeper than rioting or reactionism, says Sciences Po lecturer
Professor Jan Rovný argues French school protests could turn into a movment against spending cuts by a government with growing debt. He explains why private school pupils have joined publicly educated peers revolting on the streets, and how police violence will shape public mood.
Who really owns Czech Vanadium? Investigators trace possible sanctions-evasion links to Russian oligarch Abramovich
Vanadium businesses owned by UAE-based entity appear to be linked with Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. This has prompted complaints to police about the circumventing of sanctions.
EU trade chief hails ‘crucial first step’ as Beijing talks avoid trade war
EU and Chinese officials agreed a series of trade concessions covering electric cars, rare earths and tariffs that dragged them away from a damaging trade war on Friday (9 October), following two days of crisis talks.
‘When you laugh at a dictator, you take away his power’: Artist behind viral naked Trump statue speaks out
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale, a gold-covered statue of a naked Trump in the halls of European Parliament is meant to make politicians think about democracy, says 'Orange Plague' artist Jens Galschiøt.
EU puts 46 more mines and recycling plants on ‘strategic’ list, without closing funding gap
The European Commission has added 46 projects to its list of critical raw materials investments, but its own figures show little EU money has reached similar schemes it selected last year.
Nato state Montenegro detains top Russian war-blogger Rybar, on suspicion of plotting hybrid tricks (Ukraine Battlefield update, day 1,688)
While Rybar’s pro-war editors complain of tightening fronts near Sloviansk, Komar and Dobropillia, independent maps and Ukrainian sources show Moscow’s forces clawing back exaggerated gains as Kyiv tests ambitious advances on the ground and in Russia’s digital backbone.
Agrochemical lobbyists are defending a toxic model of agriculture that is heading for collapse
As pesticide lobbyists dominate a key hearing in Strasbourg, the EU risks locking farmers and citizens into a costly, chemical-dependent food system that poisons water, fuels disease and drains billions in EU subsidies away from real sustainable farming.
Listen: What would a coalition of right and far-right in Spain mean for Europe?
Spain is heading for early elections, after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap vote last week. According to current polls, the conservative People's Party, or PP, is ahead of Sánchez's Socialists, while Vox is also making significant gains. What would happen if they governed together?
Orbán channelled public money into propaganda through Hungarian billionaire Lőrinc Mészáros (Day 150 of the Tisza government)
Internal documents show how a top Orbán-era rail contractor showered Megafon influencers with billions of forints.
Video game industry believes EU Kids Act will drive small creators and old games into extinction
Campaigners have warned that stringent requirements to adapt games to children by default would prompt the extinction of small games and make costs spiral for developers.
French kitchenware Tefal faces legal ultimatum over harmful chemicals, as Europeans’ health at stake
Environmental NGOs have threatened to sue the owner of Tefal, a leading French kitchenware company, over failing to phase out forever chemicals from their products, at a high price for consumer health.
EU Parliament’s 7 October memorial honours Israelis, sidelines Palestinians — and sows division
A memorial to victims of 7 October in Israel, which made no mention of Palestinian casualties, ended in tumbling flags, anger, and grief.
EU let member states rewrite targets after they had sought recovery-fund payment, auditors find
EU governments were allowed to water down targets in their post-Covid pandemic recovery plans after they had already asked Brussels for the money, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said on Thursday (8 October).
EU trade chief Šefčovič has no cards to play on China ‘ultimatum’ trip
Persuading China that its €1bn daily trade surplus with the EU is not sustainable was always going to be a hard sell for EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.
EU pleads with Russian authorities to lift the lid on plague death in Siberia
The European Commission has joined the WHO and US in calling on Russia to share information on the sudden death of a lab technician in a bio-research facility. But the Kremlin has said there is nothing to see.
Trapped under Russian occupation, people in Oleshky forced to eat dogs to survive (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,687)
Witnesses describe an occupied town where a hospital director feeds only pro-Russian loyalists, others boil weeds or eat dogs to survive, and Russian troops punish anyone caught accepting Ukrainian aid dropped in by drone.
EU agency Frontex told Libyans where to find migrant boat with children, then watched them run it over
The 19 June incident saw the Libyans once again attacking people fleeing the country on boats after having first been informed of their location by Frontex, an EU agency based in Warsaw.
French school protests to continue, after prime minister ignores demands
Two-weeks long protests by French high-school students demanding better education conditions risk getting more heated due the French government’s lack of response.
EU disowns Vilnius event that warned of US political interference, but France maintains support
An annual conference on foreign information manipulation opened in Vilnius this week with a sensitive question on its agenda: Can the United States be considered a threat to Europe’s information space?
Morocco’s surveillance state does not stop at Western Sahara — and Europe can no longer pretend not to know
As new evidence emerges of Moroccan spying on Sahrawi activists, including in Europe, European governments continue to deepen their security ties with Rabat without seriously questioning how those capabilities are being used.
Cut the EU budget and we all lose
As national leaders call for massive cuts in the next EU budget, the parliament’s budget chiefs, MEP Siegfried Mureşan and Carla Tavares, warn that slashing EU cash now will undercut Europe’s competitiveness, security and social safety net for years to come.
Listen: Are student protests in France actually being fuelled by Mélenchon’s party LFI?
Production: By Europod, in co-production with Sphera Network. EUobserver is proud to have an editorial partnership with Europod to co-publish the podcast series “Briefed” hosted by Léa Marchal. The podcast is available on all major platforms. Find the full transcript below: France has been seeing growing protests by high school and university students in recent weeks. The movement is
Germany’s most promising industries depend on China, clashing with Berlin’s derisking push, study finds
Small electrical firms best placed to drive Germany's industrial renewal rely on China as their main supplier, competitor and sometimes customer, leaving Berlin with a dilemma: the fastest way to scale them up is with the very Chinese components it wants to reduce reliance on.
Broken promise of ‘European solution’ on migration overshadows next week’s summit
Twelve years ago, EU summit leaders announced they had a strategy to tackle unprecedented migrant arrivals.
If it worked with Ukraine, why not also Iran? Green MEPs urge EU to tax oil super profits
As Europeans foot the bill for the Iran war while oil firms' profits surge, the EU Parliament's left hit a commission-shaped brick wall in Strasbourg.
Drone strikes on Black Sea cargo ships point to wider European arc of Russia hybrid threats
The Alfa Watan, a ship sailing under the flag of Togo, and the Able, a vessel flying the flag of Palau, were targeted by naval and aerial drones on Tuesday (6 October) morning in the Black Sea near the Bulgarian coast.
Ukraine forces becoming more agile under new commander-in-chief Drapatyi, who is also drafting a ‘grand strategy’ for the war (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,686)
Anonymous commanders paint a picture of an army suddenly trusted to improvise, led by rehabilitated critics and 30‑something officers, while Russia marks Putin’s birthday with mass strikes and a burning oil tanker off Sochi’s coast.
After 50 EU summits, leaders are still copy‑pasting failed migration ‘solutions’
A trawl through 52 sets of summit conclusions reveals how EU leaders keep quietly copy‑pasting calls for tougher returns and externalised border control, while largely sidelining legal migration and resettlement schemes that could save lives.
Sanctions in February, handshakes in September: EU’s flip-flop Iran policy is putting lives at risk
By sitting down with senior Iranian figures who publicly back the Revolutionary Guard while keeping sanctions limited to technocratic lists, EU governments risk undermining their own leverage at a time of rising regional tensions.
Why Oxygen Forensics US tech CEO selling software to Europe agencies was arrested
US authorities arrested men who sold a forensic software to government bodies across Europe, hid the tool's true owners and concealed its Russian development.
EU will need to tax AI ‘workers’ to keep funding human pensions
As AI shifts work from people to machines, it will force a rethink of who gets taxed, on what, and where. Nowhere is that question more urgent than in Europe, which funds the world's most comprehensive welfare states primarily through taxes on work.
Listen: Are we now heading to a trade war with China?
Chinese carmakers are gaining more space in the European market, provoking EU debates about competitiveness.
‘EU Inc’? Simplification must go hand-in-hand with legal certainty
Europe is about to create a form of company that no public authority will be able to check in substance. Speed is not the same as trust. With the European Parliament and the Council finalising their positions, the Notaries of Europe urge legislators to strengthen its safeguards.
Commission seeks 15-year safeguards on future member states, but says reforms won’t create two-tier EU
A proposed safeguard to last up to 15 years after EU accession would make it easier to suspend future member states' voting rights if they misbehaved.
How bad does it have to get for the ECB to save France?
France is no Greece. A full-blown debt crisis is not yet on the cards. But as things stand, a protracted muddling through seems the most likely outcome.
MEPs warn against EU rush to restarting funds for Hungary while corruption and plurality concerns remain
Hungary is starting to address the EU’s concerns over the rule of law and judicial independence, and the EU seems tkeen to quickly resume frozen funding for Budapest.
Von der Leyen joins MEPs in defence of EU’s €2 trillion spending plan ahead of summit
“I would like to caution against large cuts. It would risk cutting deep into critical priorities that we all together have agreed on,” the EU Commission chief told MEPs during a speech in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
EU needs to solve the cost-of-living crisis to stop far-right populists, Portuguese PM Luís Montenegro tells MEPs
Portuguese prime minister told MEPs that solving the cost of living crisis is key to keeping the far-right out of power, as ultra-nationalist party reaches record popularity at home.
German ex-spy chief arrested over espionage and treason allegations involving leaked BND files
Germany’s former spy chief now stands accused of selling thousands of ultra-sensitive intelligence files to foreign clients, in a scandal insiders warn could cripple Berlin’s trust with allied services.
The children of Gaza are being killed every day. Where are the headlines?
EU governments continue to authorise arms sales to Israel despite rules and the EU treaties that require them to protect children's rights.
AI machine-gun turrets do battle with Russian jet drones for the skies of Kyiv (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,685)
The battle for Kyiv's skies aside, Ukraine’s air raids on Russian oil sites saw it boast that over half of Moscow’s refinery capacity was offline, potentially choking fuel supplies far from the front.
Centre-right’s Muslim Brotherhood witch-hunt in EU Parliament risks criminalising everyday activism
If Brussels accepts this vague hunt for “Muslim Brotherhood networks”, the same logic could later be turned against almost any vocal minority in Europe.
Listen: Is the EU actually willing to speed up enlargement?
The EU wants to bring new countries on board faster. But after years of waiting, will the Commission’s new proposals actually make enlargement easier?
Why ‘Made in Europe’ could push Burnham’s UK back into the EU’s arms
Having said several months ago that he had no intention of a ‘rerun’ of the Brexit debate, UK prime minister Andy Burnham told Labour delegates at the party’s annual conference in Liverpool last week that nothing should be off the table as far as EU-UK relations are concerned.
Women MEPs targeted by AI ‘nudifier’ apps push EU leaders to enforce December ban
If a woman enters politics, she may have to confront the fact that she may be one in 14 being digitally stripped by ‘nudifying’ technology. Such is what an EU ban is trying to stop: but whether it will be implemented in time, according to the Parliament’s greens party, is far from certain.
Putin and Vučić dominate Bosnia elections, as EU fades out of view
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s election, held on Sunday (4 October), has reinforced the country’s deep ethnic and political divisions, with nationalist parties retaining a strong grip on power and low turnout underscoring voters’ growing disillusionment with a political system that has long frustrated the country’s ambitions to join the European Union.
Spain’s 54-day sprint to the polls: can Sánchez’s housing gamble stop the far-right from entering into government?
Spain’s Pedro Sánchez has called snap elections for 29 November, after parliament rejected his housing decrees, giving him a hot-button political issue for his election platform. But polls favour the opposition centre-right People’s Party, which may need the far-right Vox to govern. And the loss of Sánchez would be a big blow for the centre-left in Brussels.
‘They want to shut me up’: Norwegian activist fights 20‑year Greek prison threat over asylum aid
Norwegian activist Tommy Olsen says he is facing enormous personal and financial costs over Greek allegations that he belongs to a criminal organisation, in a trial that starts on Tuesday in Rhodes.
Russia’s army making no progress on the ground, but Kyiv’s old bridges are vulnerable to drone strikes (Ukraine Battlefield update, day 1,684)
Drone attacks on Kyiv’s ageing bridges risk paralysing commutes, trade and emergency services for hundreds of thousands of people ahead of winter.
Trump cheers Bolsonaro Jr’s advance on Lula in Brazil, but EU fears for Mercosur alliance
Flávio Bolsonaro is the favourite to defeat president Lula in the second round of Brazil's presidential elections, which could mean disaster for EU-Latin America relations.
Listen: Will Germany come back to nuclear energy?
Germany shut down its last nuclear power plants in 2023 but as the pro-atom far-right Alternative for Germany gains broader support, the country might change course.
Russia is losing its grip on Kaliningrad, despite using the exclave for anti-Nato scare stories
Nuclear sabre-rattling only underlines the fragility of Russia’s grip on its trophy territory.
THIS WEEK: EU trade chief heads to China as Brussels unveils long-delayed pre-enlargement reforms
The European Commission is expected to present its long-delayed pre-enlargement policy reviews to prepare for the integration of Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova.
Latvian PM holds onto power as Russia-Ukraine war shapes election
Despite its ordinary conduct, Russia’s war still shaped Latvia’s election in a new normal for Europe that most of us had hardly imagined just five years ago.
[Explainer] Gas glut or supply crunch? And what it means for EU methane rules
The EU has decided to delay its methane regulation, and the reason is simple enough. Europe imports almost 90 percent of its gas, which makes it one of the most exposed buyers in the world. And the US-Israeli war with Iran has choked gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Making matters more complicated is the fact that Europe is still phasing out Russian gas, with a total ban on Russian overseas liquified gas due to be implemented next year.
[Interview] ‘Putin understands only strength’: EU envoy in Kyiv urges stronger air defences and hybrid-war response
Katarína Mathernová, the EU's ambassador to Ukraine, says Putin is boiling Kyiv 'like a frog', but she is determined to stay. She sees parallels between Hitler's Mein Kampf and Putin's essay which stated that Ukraine has no right to national existence, sovereignty or identity.
Brazil’s cliff‑hanger election could rob EU of key ally in Latin America
Brussels is watching as one of the world’s largest democracies heads to the polls on Sunday (4 September), with climate resilience and the Trump administration’s influence in the Americas at stake.
[Interview] AI threatens to deepen gender gaps — unless women seize the tools, says computer expert
From biased hiring algorithms to disappearing administrative posts, Bieliková argues that women risk being hit hardest by AI unless they seize the tools early and push for fairer, more accountable systems.
Orbánism without Orbán? Why Magyar picked a fight with Kyiv over the ‘Carpathian Eight’
Some expected a change in Hungary's pro-Russian foreign policy after Viktor Orbán’s fall. But they failed to take into account the domestic political pressures on Hungary's PM .
G7 releases diesel stocks after Trump pressure, EU denies caving
G7 leaders agreed on Friday to release 100 million barrels of emergency oil and fuel stocks after weeks in which Washington pressed European capitals to open their diesel reserves. Brussels said US threats played no part.
The war changes yet again: Ukrainians use domestic missile for first time as Russians launch assault on bridges (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,681)
A defence analyst warned that Russia is mass-producing "thousands" of new drones “far more dangerous and faster" than jet-powered Shaheds which Ukraine cannot yet stop.
Brunner takes victory lap on irregular arrivals as Syrian asylum claims collapse for reasons beyond EU policy
Syria’s regime collapsed in December 2024, over 22 months ago. The country was the largest source of irregular arrivals in 2023. Today, the EU disingenuously attributes its migration policies for the drop of arrivals.
French far-right leader Bardella denies writing antisemitic messages
Jordan Bardella, a leader of the French far-right National Rally, has denied writing antisemitic messages in 2013, as the race ahead of next May’s presidential elections continues to heat up.
Magyar waives his own immunity, as Hungary targets billions in alleged fraud and two former Orbán ministers in custody (Day 143 of the Tisza government)
PM Peter Magyar waives his own immunity as Hungary's "Operation Purgatory" saw authorities detain two former Orbán ministers over alleged multibillion-forint corruption. The new asset recovery office took over four major cases, including Orbán's brother's visa business, while Hungary may soon join the European Public Prosecutor's Office.
From the Netherlands to Sierra Leone: EU aid, a president’s daughter and Europe’s most‑wanted cocaine boss
The EU has played down claims by the Dutch government that the bloc’s decision to suspend aid support for Sierra Leone was because the west African country refused to extradite one of the world’s most-wanted drug traffickers to face trial in the Netherlands.
Ceuta has become a laboratory for the degradation and dehumanisation of migrants
We went to Ceuta to see how Europe treats people who arrive at its borders. We came back asking how Europe can still call itself a continent governed by law. What we saw there was the often abstract failure of migration policy made brutally concrete: the daily humiliation of human beings.
Why young men are drawn to the far right and young women to the far left
Gender now splits the youngest voters more than class or education. Many young men feel sidelined by a shifting balance and vote far-right while young women vote far-left.
Europe’s Affordable Housing Act must look beyond short-term rentals
As Brussels pins its housing fix on curbing Airbnb-style rentals, campaigners warn lawmakers are ducking a far bigger fight over Europe’s millions of empty homes and the people still sleeping rough.
Listen: Are EU countries allowed to bring back border controls whenever they want?
Italy brought back border controls with Spain in August, and has now extended them until at least 15 October, as more EU countries introduce checks.
Europe led on abortion – now the neo-conservative backlash is stalling the final push
The general trend of abortion care has been on the up, but the effect of neo-conservatism’s modern revamp has been impossible to ignore. From Rome to Budapest, governments have been rolling back the progress, with initiatives stalling all the way up to EU level.
[Interview] Le Pen and Mélenchon are ‘economically illiterate’ and weaponising migration, says French scholar ahead of 2027 race
French political scientist Jacques Rupnik says the economic illiteracy of Marine Le Pen and Mélenchon is astonishing. He anticipates that in the first round of France's presidential election, most voters will back a candidate they believe can stop Le Pen. A Mamdani moment could happen, since people feel that politics has exhausted itself.
Listen: How does Trump’s AI pact compare with the EU?
Donald Trump is betting on voluntary commitments from AI companies. On Tuesday (29 September), he unveiled a self-regulatory agreement drawn up with some of the biggest names in the AI industry.
EU accession of Moldova and Ukraine is alternative to Nato, as Russia draws new Iron Curtain in Europe
With Nato doors closed to Ukraine and Russia pushing a new Iron Curtain across the Black Sea, an “urgent” EU expansion toward Kyiv and Chișinău is emerging as Europe’s main tool to defend its eastern flank and preserve its global clout.
Europe’s children will inherit public-health crisis from new EU pesticide approvals
By extending pesticide approvals and keeping hazardous products on the market, Brussels is bending to Big Pharma and causing a food-system and public-health burden for decades to come.
Inside Poland’s fake student scheme: cheap labour, bogus visas and Russian ties
In Poland, student status has become a sought-after commodity that employment agencies exploit for gains. Many foreign workers were unaware they were enrolled in fake schools associated with pro-Kremlin figures.
AI chatbots turn users’ most intimate data into a potential goldmine for advertisers, researchers warn
Researchers found that even when users rejected non-essential cookies, Perplexity, DeepSeek, Gemini, Copilot, ChatGPT and Claude still connected to Google Ads.
The EU’s ‘return regulation’ makes your home fair game for police — and Belgium is racing to use it
The EU’s return regulation is being formally adopted on Thursday, setting a new precedent for police raids. The Belgians are pressing ahead with their own national version, putting civil liberties of everyone at risk.
Where Russian maps place the occupiers, and where they really are — an overview of parts of the front (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,679)
Ukraine is losing the battle in the skies but holding strong on the battleground. And Russian media highlight “liberated” villages, but in reality they are still under Ukrainian control.
US civil society groups call on EU not to delay methane rules
As Brussels moves to delay its methane rules, nearly 100 US civil society groups are urging EU governments not to cave to oil and gas lobbyists and the White House.
AI firms using fears of future dystopias to distract Europeans from existing problems
As Big Tech companies dramatise rogue AI and China fears, the real fight is over who pays the price for today’s fraud, failures and job threats — and who pockets the productivity gains.
Israeli outpost-linked firms exploit loophole to buy up European property even as the EU curbs trade with illegal settlements
From a €4m holiday resort in rural Finland to demolished Bedouin villages in the Negev, the same Israeli developer exposes how Europe’s new trade curbs on settlements still leave the door wide open for settlement-linked firms to profit on EU soil.
[Interview] Ceuta crisis shows how EU border outsourcing puts children at risk, says German lawyer
By outsourcing border control to Morocco, Turkey or Albania and then panicking when they “open the gates,” German lawyer Lena Riemer says EU capitals have handed hostile regimes a cheap, reliable way to divide and humiliate Europe.
[Interview] 70% of Montenegro supports EU membership – so will it happen in 2028? We ask lead MEP Marjan Šarec
EUobserver spoke to Marjan Šarec, former Slovenian prime minister, MEP for Renew Europe, and the parliament’s rapporteur for Montenegro. He’s keeping his optimism for the country’s accession.
Listen: Did the Spanish government address the protesters’ demands on housing?
The Spanish government strengthens tenants' rights amidst pressure from hundreds of protesters in Madrid.
Divided EU cyber defence faces real-life Russian and Chinese threats
From phishing attacks on Polish soldiers to near-blackouts in winter, the EU’s fragmented cyber defence is seeing Russian online threats spill into real‑world dangers for ordinary Europeans.
EU states urged to ‘go beyond’ AI Act to protect people from abusive surveillance
As AI-powered biometric identification is adopted by police, national authorities should go beyond legal requirements to build trust within the public, the EIU has advised.
Frugal EU states seeking budget cuts are shooting their own regions in the foot
Despite joining a frugal ultimatum for EU budget cuts, the Dutch get roughly as much growth from EU investment as they pay in, while narrowing the gap between wealthier and poorer regions.
Former MEP Rachida Dati’s 2014 emails derided corruption allegations, which now form core of French trial
Former French MEP Rachida Dati is facing intense scrutiny following allegations she took lobbying money from French energy giant GDF Suez/Engie during her time at the European Parliament, on top of a separate investigation into her ties with French car maker Nissan-Renault.
MEPs vote for €47bn in new Erasmus+ funds, as frugal states seek cuts to EU budget
The European Parliament’s culture committee has voted to increase EU funds for the flagship Erasmus+ student exchange programme by €7bn in 2028-2034, even as so-called frugal countries seek to cut overall funding.
EU’s centre-right EPP seeks asylum opt-outs, as commission silent on new crisis rules
Political pressure for allowing EU asylum opt-outs continues to increase, as commission drafts vague new emergency rules in the wake of this summer's Ceuta episode.
Scientists flee burning building in Kyiv’s mini-9/11, as Russian drone also explodes 200m from EU embassy (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,678)
Despite global audiences being numbed to daily Kyiv airstrikes and casualties, Russia's 9/11-type attack on a scientific institute, in a botched assassination attempt, still grabbed world attention.
EU reduces funds for women’s rights groups, in wider budget bonfire of good causes
As the EU seeks budget cuts to break a stalemate in member states’ talks, women’s rights groups are on the chopping bloc, prompting advocates’ concern that important causes are fading from the common agenda.
Private money follows profit, not ruins in Ukraine’s EU-backed reconstruction
Internal financing data, loan records, and investment flows reveal how European promises to “rebuild Ukraine” quietly sidestep the utilities, housing, and local firms in Ukraine’s battered eastern and frontline regions, while capital concentrates in Kyiv and the safer west.
Listen: Can EU countries agree on the next long-term budget?
The EU is negotiating its next long-term budget as countries discuss possible new taxes directly to the EU budget or, on the contrary, funding cuts.
From Munich to Prešov and Leipzig: a GRU-linked sabotage network operated from Slovak territory
Slovakia has become a staging ground for Russian operations. A bad news meaning Europe’s defence industry, airports and supply lines to Ukraine can be targeted far from the actual front line.
From Yemen to Ethiopia and Europe: Everything is connected
The sudden escalation in fighting between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigrayan rebels in the Afar region, raising fears of a new civil war, is part of a wider potential cascade effect from Yemen that could hurt Europe.
‘Made in everywhere’: MEPs clash over reach of EU industrial law
Lead MEPs want ‘Made in Europe’ perks limited to the 27 member states. The centre-right, whose votes could decide the file, is split.
Kallas regrets EU delisting of oligarchs, as Russia ‘ridicules’ Germany after UN meeting
The EU’s delisting of two Russian oligarchs despite multiplying sabotage attacks in Europe was “regrettable”, while German-Russian talks at the UN ended in “ridicule”, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas has said.
Munich talks keep EU return‑hub plan alive despite drop in border arrivals and budget questions
Irregular arrivals to the EU are falling, but the infrastructure of its militarised borders is only getting started. Interior ministers from various member states met in Munich to advance plans to offshore migration processing to third countries.
Protesters in Brussels press EU on ‘broken promises’ over caged animals
Animal rights activists call for the commission to finally table cage ban proposals after years of delays, while Irish Ferries has 15 days to respond to a new complaint about transporting calves without giving them food.
Baltic states seek to calm panic on Russia, in role reversal
Warnings about Russia's escalation against Nato have prompted fear in Europe, but the Baltic states' risk assessments remain unchanged.
Ukrainians captured 250 Russian soldiers during Operation Vivaldi (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,677)
Telegram channels and satellite images reveal a quieter truth behind official statements: Russian lines north of Sloviansk are buckling, logistics hubs are burning, and both sides are scrambling to adapt to a war increasingly fought by drones.
What the new De Gaulle film leaves out on how WWII ended for eastern Europe
The new biopic about the wartime leadership of general Charles de Gaulle is a must-watch. The two-part epic depicts the transformation of France’s fortunes from defeat and collaboration to victory and sovereignty, exemplified by de Gaulle.
Listen: How are Europeans contributing to the reconstruction of Gaza?
Rebuilding Gaza will require tens of billions of dollars, and the 883.6m package announced by the EU is not nearly enough.
Volkswagen benefited from €1.5bn in German EV subsidies as it lobbies EU to hit Chinese cars harder
The EU imposed tariffs on Chinese electric cars in 2024. Today, Beijing's hybrid cars are making record sales in Europe amid fresh German calls to extend the tariffs.
THIS WEEK: Interior ministers discuss Fortress Europe, as Kallas goes to Syria
Interior ministers will discuss how to secure borders and deport more immigrants in the wake of the Ceuta episode, while foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas takes EU diplomacy to Syria.
Chess body FIDE elects Kazakh billionaire, amid Russia’s return to world sports
It has been a good week for Russian soft power in the sporting world. On Tuesday (22 September) in Brussels, the EU lifted a visa-ban on a portly 73-year-old Russian billionaire, Alisher Usmanov, who is head of the International Fencing Federation. And on Saturday in Samarkand, FIDE, the world chess body, elected a Kazakh billionaire, Timur Turlov, who has no professional chess rating, but who does have strong links to Russia, to be its next president.
Lithuania moves to lift ban on nuclear weapons as ‘Russians do not attack the strong’
Lithuania’s parliament this week backed a proposal to lift the constitutional ban on the deployment of nuclear weapons and foreign military bases, opening the way for future deployment of nuclear weapons in the country.
[Interview] ‘Poor but sexy’ Berlin faces worsening housing crisis and bad fixes, warns German economist
Over the last decade, Berlin rent has spiked 75 percent to €15.78 per square metre. Economist Alexander Kritikos breaks down the bureaucratic nightmare of building housing in the German capital and warned how the Left's plans to purchase flats from corporate landlords may not yield the desired results.
First blind the Russians, then catch them with robots: Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi shows cutting edge of modern warfare (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,674)
By driving Russian forces back to their 2022 lines and crippling refineries deep in Samara, Operation Vivaldi shows how a tech-heavy Ukrainian corps can threaten not just a single sector near Lyman, but Russia’s wider ability to wage war.
Deadlock on EU pesticides bill after scientists call for pause
EU governments are deadlocked on how to proceed with a major overhaul to the bloc’s pesticides rules following a sustained pushback from scientists and countries outside the EU.
How a Chinese ‘smart sex toys’ company fed Russian war tech against Ukraine — and exposed an EU sanctions blind spot
Sanction one company, and another appears. Europe needs to start screening addresses in the EU sanctions-list against Russia. Most are in China and Hong Kong, but have generic names, no websites, and almost no public footprint.
Shadow fleet tankers flock back to being flagged as Russian, creating more headaches for EU states
As European coastal states detain more vessels sailing under false flags and pressure mounts on flag-of-convenience registries to remove sanctioned tonnage, Russia itself is increasingly becoming the destination of last resort for the oil trade’s shadow fleet.
The pay gap isn’t dead, and Brussels is a hotbed for it – even in the NGO sector
The pay-gap 'myth' is alive and well, and these women are the proof. Since Brussels attempted to implement its EU Pay directive, their job terminations could have been avoidable. Member states like Belgium are yet to implement the change, where pay discrimination persists - even in the human rights sector.
Listen: How do European authorities deal with misogynism online?
Production: By Europod, in co-production with Sphera Network. EUobserver is proud to have an editorial partnership with Europod to co-publish the podcast series “Briefed” hosted by Léa Marchal. The podcast is available on all major platforms. Find the full transcript below: This summer, a group of 45 men was arrested in France. the reason: their adherence to misogynist ideas and incitement to hatred in a Telegram group with more than 1,700 members.
Deporting humans becomes big business, as Brussels and Washington race to pay African countries to take them
The Americans have secured some 35 deals to deport people, often with no strings attached. The multi-million US dollar business appears to have turned into a race with the Europeans, who are hoping to secure their first deal with the Rwandans.
EU’s Costa calls out ‘dangerous escalation’ by Russia amid increasing hybrid attacks
EU Council president António Costa described Russia’s recent hybrid attacks on European countries as “unacceptable,” urging Moscow to end what he called a “dangerous escalation”.
Mining firms’ plea for EU critical minerals budget falls on deaf ears
Mining companies want a dedicated EU budget for critical raw materials, citing ineffective EU financing and the risk of being pushed aside by other priorities. But the European Commission and member states prefer to keep the money flexible.
EU data chief adds voice to unions’ fears of ‘carte blanche’ use of workers’ data for AI
EU data protection chief Wojciech Wiewiórowski has joined trade unions and privacy activists in their concerns over the bloc’s ‘Digital Omnibus’ — which includes amendments to EU privacy rules that may allow data harvesting from workers without their permission to feed AI models.
Macron’s ego may just have permanently damaged EU unity on Russia
See if you can guess which EU politician I am talking about. A leader who threatened to veto Russia sanctions unless the EU delisted an oligarch, after making a secret deal for his own interest. He met Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where he pretended to speak for the EU. His country has a track record of trampling on EU laws at home. And his capital city is full of grand buildings from an old empire. Former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán ticks all those boxes, naturally.
Russians dream of encircling Dobropillia, as Ukraine’s Azov force pushes back (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,673)
While Kyiv suffers the highest number of Russian attacks since March 2022, Russian Z bloggers have exaggerated claims of trapping Ukrainian soldiers in "cauldrons” in Dobropillia.
Critical minerals at core of Trump-Xi talks as US ups its game in race to rival Beijing
Critical minerals are at the heart of the trade talks between US president Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Washington that started on Thursday (24 September), with EU officials watching on closely.
Orbán dominoes start falling: Hungary’s accountability drive reaches ex-Fidesz ministers (Day 135 of the Tisza government)
More than a year ago, we launched our Hungary Briefing series, in which we provided weekly roundups of news from Hungary’s election campaign. The series continues as we report on developments following the historic April election and the actions of the Tisza government. This week, we cover:
How (not) to make the best use of European money
To make best use of the limited funds the EU has available, Europe does not need a commission that measures its success by the amount of money it has been able to spend. It needs a Commission that is willing and able to prioritise and focus EU intervention where it does the most good and is then willing to stand up and defend those priorities against member states’ national interests.
Listen: What would EU Inc change for European companies?
The proposal that would let you create a Europe‑wide company from your laptop in two days is also exposing a deeper question: how much national legal sovereignty are governments really prepared to sacrifice for competitiveness?
In Italy’s schools, Meloni makes migrant kids pay the price for her culture war
Italy’s far-right has taken its war on migration into the classroom, where children from foreign backgrounds are expected to have their numbers capped so as to not marginalise white Italian children, according to PM Giorgia Meloni. Taking cultural battles to the playground is below even the far-right, but beyond being childish, it’s lacking a leg to stand on.
EU 40% development aid cut would be ‘drastic betrayal’ of values, says top MEP
EU governments are preparing to slash the bloc’s development budget by up to 40 percent in the bloc’s next seven-year budget – in the latest pushback against aid spending.
No Israeli bonds on sale in EU for now, in de facto €2.2bn sanction
Neither Ireland nor Luxembourg have been authorising sales of Israeli bonds since the start of September, potentially costing Israel €2.2bn a year, as shock over Gaza and West Bank grows.
A Russian tank survived 40 drone strikes, suggesting mechanised warfare could make a comeback (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,672)
New videos and expert accounts reveal how Russia’s upgraded “tsar tent” tanks, Arena-M defences, and drone-hunting tactics are being tested in real combat long before Moscow admits what is really working.
EU moves to unlock €4.2bn for Hungary as Magyar strengthens rule-of-law and corruption rules
The European Commission proposed on Wednesday (23 September) to unlock €4.2bn in EU funds for Hungary, which were frozen due to concerns over rule of law breaches linked to the previous government of Viktor Orbán.
Tax the rich, cap the rents: the policy mix helping Europe’s left push back the far-right
In the last two weeks, leftwing parties have surged across Europe. It is no surprise that leftwing parties running on affordability and wealth redistribution platforms have been gaining ground.
Unions rally against new ‘EU Inc’ race-to-bottom on labour laws and pay
The EU is hoping to ease business expansion across the single market – but Europe’s unions worry about the price this will carry for labour rights and remuneration if employers can choose to register their business thousands of kilometres from where their workers are based.
Montenegro is the question von der Leyen left unanswered
Europe does not win by inventing fancy titles for its friendships, or by naming the rivals it means to keep out. It wins by being the place its neighbours both choose and can integrate into.
‘Bullies cannot be appeased’: Pressure mounts on EU to shield ICC from new US sanctions
The Trump administration seems ready to hit the International Criminal Court with new sanctions, as it seeks in its own words to “dismantle” the global tribunal – further blowing up what remains of the rule of law and international justice.
France bullies EU into delisting top Russian oligarch, angering allies in last-minute showdown
Ambassadors held three meetings on Monday and two more on Tuesday as the clock ticked toward the legal collapse of Russia sanctions due to a French veto.
Dutch fossil-fuel exit plan shows EU struggle to set binding deadlines
The fossil fuel phase-out plan recently announced by the Netherlands has triggered questions and scrutiny from experts and green groups – amid a broader pushback against climate neutrality targets in the EU.
Ukraine shows how it shoots down jet-powered Russian drones, as Moscow seeks to expand production (Ukraine Battlefield update, day 1,671)
Ukraine has finally found ways to hunt Russia’s fastest drones in mid-air, as new satellite images and documents suggest the Kremlin is preparing to flood the battlefield with tens of thousands more.
Fourth Russia-linked LNG carrier puts Danish shipyard in new ‘sanctions gamble’
A fourth Russia-linked liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker is heading to the Danish shipyard Fayard, according to Germany-based environmental and human rights organisation Urgewald — intensifying scrutiny of the Danish yard’s continued servicing of vessels involved in Russia’s Arctic energy trade.
EU-Philippines free-trade pact joins Brussels’ growing ‘harvest’ of Asia deals
An EU pact with the Philippines is the latest of a “positive crop” and “harvest” of free trade deals unveiled by the EU Commission on Tuesday(21 September).
German minister slams Costa over EU budget, says he has ‘completely lost touch with reality’
Time is running out for member states to move closer together on the next seven-year budget, with EU leaders aiming to strike a deal by the end of the year. But efforts by European Council president António Costa to bring capitals together in recent weeks have so far yielded little result.
What JK Rowling’s Voldemort can teach us about Ukraine war
Since the start of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as the West decided to support Ukraine in its defensive efforts, Moscow has been sounding exactly like Lord Voldemort: “Give me Ukraine. It cannot win."
The secretive Saudi arms deal with Greece making Athens a democratic ‘black box’
When a European government enters a military agreement with a foreign power, citizens should not have to wait for a payment dispute or a renewal crisis to discover what their government has agreed to. Greece's Patriot deployment in Saudi Arabia raises precisely this question.
The Houthis Red Sea capture hands the EU a major trade and security headache
Seemingly a second-tier problem from a civil war in a distant land, the Houthis’ capture of Yemen’s Red Sea coast actually risks major disruption to trade and the EU’s security missions on the Horn of Africa.
EU-Bahrain talks move ahead, even as European political prisoners recount years of torture
Two EU citizens have faced years of uninterrupted torture and rights deprivation while battling Bahrain’s crackdowns during the Arab Spring. The issue has hardly topped the EU’s negotiations with Bahrain on trade and security - which experts think could make-or-break the human rights defenders’ potential release.
Poland’s pushback drive and EU asylum ‘emergency’ plan put rights ‘on a cliff edge’, warns Europe’s top rights chief
Poland is taking credit for a new so-called European emergency response framework, announced last week by the European Commission president. Details are scant but Poland is seeking to loosen UN rules on pushbacks, citing article 33(2) of the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Auditors find EU cyber‑attack response is weakened by overlapping systems and secretive member states
Europe has spent billions building a common cybersecurity architecture. But a new audit has found that when a major cyber incident strikes, the EU’s response remains hampered by fragmented responsibilities, limited information-sharing and overlapping systems.
Loophole in new EU labelling will let fossil-fuelled data-centres pass as ‘green’
The European Commission’s new rating system grades data centres on efficiency, but does not show their emissions or how much power and water they use. It also lets sites partly powered by fossil fuels present themselves as renewable by buying green certificates over a whole year.
What Ukraine fired at Moscow on Sunday, in its largest air-raid since the war began (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,670)
The mass drone raid shows Ukraine can now reach deep into Russia’s most defended airspace. Moscow has to rethink how it protects its energy and logistics hubs before winter.
Irish regulator hits Google with €403m GDPR fine over invasive location tracking
The consumer-rights group which filed complaints against the tech giant lashed out at the “disproportionate” time taken for the Irish privacy watchdog to protect sensitive location data.
Germany offers a warning for Europe ahead of 2027 election year: the Putin/Trump security crisis won’t necessarily save the political centre
Mainstream parties might assume that this new age of insecurity will work in their favour. But If Europe’s security environment continues to deteriorate as voters head to the polls in 2027, mainstream leaders should not assume that geopolitics will do the political work of containing the far-right for them.
Merz ‘fighting for political survival’ as AfD takes another state and The Left wins Berlin
Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke to press just minutes after polls revealed massive CDU losses. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the party failed to make the five-percent threshold. In Berlin, where the party had held power, it was thrashed by the Left.
Russia’s hybrid war and Trump’s tantrums are pushing Europe towards real strategic autonomy
Not for the first time, Russian behaviour has proved tactically smart but strategically stupid. The escalating stunts and provocations across Europe have worked in the short term. But European leaders are now far more willing to state bluntly that Russia is the perpetrator.
Listen: Fuel price spike reignites push for EU windfall tax on oil and gas profits
With fuel bills rising again, a group of EU governments including Spain, Germany and Portugal want a common tax on crisis profits to fund relief and green investments - but most of the bloc is pushing back.
THIS WEEK: Next budget and protectionist industrial policy on EU agenda as EPP chief visits Ceuta
As EU ministers clash over how protectionist Europe’s new industrial push should be, EPP chief Manfred Weber is flying to Spain’s north African enclave. Meanwhile, Trump’s wars, tariffs and tensions with allies are also set to dominate the UN General Assembly, with Ukraine, Gaza and Iran high on the agenda.
‘Too little, too late’: Europe’s Arctic gas would arrive two decades too late, new research finds
Norwegian politicians say Arctic gas is crucial to the EU’s future energy security and want Brussels to drop its moratorium on Arctic drilling. But a new report from a Norwegian NGO finds the volumes would be small and would not arrive until the 2040s which is ‘too little, too late’.
Trump’s joke Greenland deal offers hope for US-EU diplomacy
Are there still grown ups in the State Department and White House who not only know the right thing to do, but also how to sell it to the creepy man-baby in the Oval Office?
[Interview] Why does Putin bother with elections when everybody knows they are a sham? Russia expert explains weekend vote – and how it may escalate war
The Krelim is hoping for a high voter turnout and a convincing United Russia win, expert Filip Scherf explains.
Ozone layer recovery is on track, but UV exposure risk remains high in Europe
The Antarctic ozone hole is dissapearing, but scientists warn of risks presented by rising UV levels and patchy monitoring.
France in ‘game of chicken’ with EU on Russia sanctions, as clock ticks to expiry deadline
The talks will resume on Monday, but the EU-27 agreed there would be no more deadline extensions. “It’s turned into a game of chicken [with France],” an EU diplomat said.
Beijing tells EU to weaken ‘Made in Europe’ industrial bill ahead of October showdown
China has demanded that the EU water down its ‘Made in Europe’ law that would offer incentives for European companies to source materials for their products from European suppliers.
Polish leader Tusk exposes classified figures on sky-high Ukrainian casualties (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,667)
With tens of thousands of Ukrainians reportedly killed or wounded each month, the coming autumn and winter campaign could stretch Ukraine’s manpower, air defences, and battered cities to breaking point.
Scene set for verbal punch-up at UN in New York, as Trump and Netanyahu face critics from EU and further afield
US president Donald Trump’s Iran war and Israel’s US-backed genocide in Gaza are set to dominate the 81st UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, with Russian and Ukrainian, as well as Israeli and Iranian delegations, to take the floor.
EU commits €3.3bn to Ukrainian drones as funding gap remains unresolved ahead of ‘tough winter’
As von der Leyen rushes through billions in new funding for Ukrainian drones, EU diplomats are privately questioning Kyiv’s spiralling deficit, while Belgium continues to block the use of frozen Russian assets — intensifying pressure on Europe to find a way to plug Ukraine’s widening funding gap.
Berlin election shows how the EU turns its most mobile citizens into second‑class voters
European law gives EU citizens the right to vote in municipal elections, but this does not extend to state or national elections, for which Germany reserves voting rights to German citizens. This results in an odd discrepancy even within a single member state.
Sweden begins shipping off prisoners to rented Estonian cells
While Estonia has prison cells to spare, Sweden's prisons are full. Stockholm will pay €30.6m annually for the first 300 prisoners it sends to a Tartu prison. The deal has been criticised by both countries.
Listen: How does the EU plan to ban social media for under-15s?
The EU Kids Act promises to wean children off endless scrolling and late‑night gaming, but privacy advocates and parts of the tech industry warn the EU’s own age‑verification system could open the door to new risks.
Europe is trying to ‘replicate’ Silicon Valley. Is it China that offers the better lesson?
On Wednesday (16 September), Ursula von der Leyen proudly announced that the EU had recently invested in Finnish satellite company ICEYE, the first investment through its Scaleup Europe Fund. Its two founders were in the room.
Civil partnership from abroad not enough to stay in EU country, according to ECJ preliminary opinion
A new opinion from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) says that a civil partnership with an EU citizen is not enough in itself to get residence status in an EU country.
Israel triples size of key West Bank settlement, testing von der Leyen’s ‘unacceptable’ rebuke
The revelation of the West Bank expansion plan came the same day European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen condemned the original, smaller scheme in her State of the Union speech in Strasbourg.
EU plans Europe‑wide social media age limits, but can Brussels really police Big Tech?
A revolution in tech, or another Brussels-bred measure that will fall flat on enforcement? Such has been the debate surrounding the EU’s new social media ban for teens, though it is still pending review by law-making bodies.
Details emerge on Canada’s ‘associate membership’ EU offer, as Brexit UK left looking on
EUobserver understands that Ursula von der Leyen did not consult EU governments before making the offer to Canada and there is anxiety in some EU capitals that cosying up to Mark Carney could inflame Donald Trump into re-starting his tariff war with Europe.
Russians trying to capture Dobropillia, before the leaves fall from the trees (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,666)
By concentrating three combined-arms armies and key drone units near Dobropillia, Moscow is gambling on a southern encirclement route that could threaten the Kramatorsk–Sloviansk stronghold without launching a frontal assault.
Orbán re-emerges after long summer holiday, as Magyar strips homophobia from child protection laws (Day 128 of the Tisza government)
Prime minister Péter Magyar tackles the child protection law, moving to strip the Orban-era conflation of homosexuality with paedophilia from Hungary’s laws.
‘Computer says no’: how Brussels is letting algorithmic social-scoring in by the backdoor
Just as European courts and regulators are beginning to expose the consequences of a system of algorithmic social scoring, Brussels, with its Digital Omnibus, is considering weakening key safeguards against such automated decision-making on citizens.
German chancellor hopes for election gains this Sunday — but CDU may lose votes and Merz his job
With far-right and far-left forces poised to take votes from the Christian Democrats, pressure is building on German chancellor Friedrich Merz. Sunday's state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania could make or break the leader's prospects of political survival.
Listen: After Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, why hasn’t justice been done?
As Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family watches her alleged mastermind walk free for now, Malta’s leaders face mounting fury over whether powerful suspects can ever be convicted for killing a journalist.
After the poison of Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin election could be the antidote
The likely victory of The Left (Die Linke) in Berlin on Sunday (20 September) – and the probable emergence of a Red-Red-Green coalition to govern the capital city of the most powerful player in the EU – has garnered an awful lot less headlines than the grim but not unexpected win for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks ago.
Von der Leyen’s ‘European values,’ paid for by private equity, powered by Claude
Ursula von der Leyen talks about European sovereignty and keeping Europe’s fate in European hands, but the model she presented for achieving that sovereignty relies heavily on non-European technology and global capital.
Belgian minister under fire for denying evacuation to 13 Gazan scholarship students
A group of 13 students from Gaza with scholarship offers from Belgian universities held their breath as ministers seated 2000 miles away from their makeshift tents debated their fate on Wednesday (16 September) in Brussels, as the school year started without them.
Turkey’s anti-LGBTI+ crackdown draws meek EU criticism
Civil society and politicians in Europe have voiced concerns over a wave of arrests targeting LGBTI+ activists and protesters in Turkey, following raids on rights organisations and businesses in several provinces.
We lied to ourselves again, Russians write, as Ukrainians reportedly advance beyond the Zherebets river (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,665)
Ukrainians brace for another winter of blackouts, but are still overwhelmingly continuing resistance.
Former Kosovo leader is war criminal rules EU-backed court, tearing open old Western Balkans wounds
Once an EU darling who was regularly invited to Brussels, Kosovo’s former prime minister and president, Hashim Thaçi, will spend the next 20 years in prison for war crimes, after a trial which tore open old wounds in the Western Balkans.
Did Europe’s ‘summer of truth’ push climate up von der Leyen’s agenda? Yes, but there were some shocking omissions
Ursula von der Leyen highlighted the devastating impacts of climate change during her State of the Union address, including hectares of land burned, crops lost and additional heatwave-related deaths.
Von der Leyen set to cave into Greek asylum busting demands
The Greeks suspended asylum in 2020. They did it again last year. The EU commission endorsed both. Greece last month asked for new EU rules to suspend asylum and the commission appears to have complied.
Canada’s Carney gets the red carpet treatment and EU ‘associate member’ offer
EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen offered unprecedented 'associate member' status of the bloc to Canada on Wednesday. But what could this mean in practice?
Putin and Netanyahu will be laughing at EU after von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech
Russian president Vladimir Putin and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be laughing at the EU after European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s annual State of the Union speech in the European Parliament on Wednesday (16 September).
[Interview] Russia has never stopped thinking like an empire — here’s how it shapes and may break the Kremlin
When other empires stopped expanding, Russia refused to stop. "Perhaps Russia was too successful for too long," argues political geographer Michael Romancov. He explained that over five centuries of land grabs worked for so long it became part of Russia's "genetic make-up".
Listen: What should Europeans expect from Ursula von der Leyen on climate?
With summer droughts, fires and rising food insecurity fresh in mind, von der Leyen is expected to weigh only modest moves like a new Water Act and climate-risk plan.
The EU’s 15 year self-declared war against migrant smugglers is a deadly joke
Magnus Brunner, the EU migration commissioner, makes an impassioned plea to tackle migrant smugglers. The EU has been saying the same thing for the past 15 years, yet profits remain high and people continue to die.
Von der Leyen’s State of the Union likely to tiptoe around China ahead of trade showdown
The EU's competitiveness problems and its trade dispute with China have not gone away, but Ursula von der Leyen won't pile on the criticism of Beijing at Wednesday's State of the Union address, as trade talks enter the crunch stage.
EU sanctions needed against Russian bot and troll factories, MEPs say
Foreign actors spreading disinformation should face harsher sanctions, MEPs agreed on Tuesday (15 September), while identifying Russia as the “primary external threat to Europe’s security and democratic integrity”.
EU’s new cross‑border work rules favour recruitment, not workers, say critics
The EU’s single market has come up against a labour force-sized issue time and time again. A new bundle of regulations takes aim at streamlining hiring across the bloc, although critics worry this only facilitates recruiters while leaving workers still exposed to vulnerabilities in the workplaces
Ukraine hit record number of Putin’s refineries, as Trump pleads for energy ceasefire (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,664)
Ukraine is also keen for a deal to spare its own power plants and ports, but Putin shows no sign of stopping his energy strikes in the run-up to winter.
Babiš’s ‘blind trust’ under fire: EU says Czech PM still benefits from Agrofert profits
Brussels’ objections could see millions in EU subsidies for Agrofert frozen or clawed back, while ordinary Czech farmers still receive direct payments under a system the commission deems less vulnerable to Babiš’s conflict of interest.
MEPs scrap ‘kill switch’ on EU carbon border levy
MEPs voted to strip the European Commission of a proposed power to temporarily exempt goods (such as fertilisers) from the EU’s carbon border levy, setting up a clash with member states.
The Pope, Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon just handed Brussels a mandate to rein in AI
When Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon take the stage together to call for responsible AI development, and Pope Leo XIV does so in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, all aligning with the direction of EU regulation, there is political space for urgent action.
State of the Union: Three shocks Ursula von der Leyen isn’t prepared for
Here are three crises Ursula von der Leyen probably won't mention on Wednesday in her State of the Union address: a US financial crash, sanctions on China, and taking on Big Tech's algorithms.
Sweden Democrats’ ‘era of deportations’ leaves lasting mark across Europe as Stockholm forms new government
As the final ballots are counted before an official result on Wednesday, Sweden's outgoing government was one tainted with one of the strongest deportation rates and most stringent migration policies in the EU.
No circular economy without good working conditions
Europe’s Circular Economy Act can reduce dependencies, strengthen industrial resilience and create skilled green jobs. But it will only succeed if workers, working conditions and social dialogue are placed at its heart.
Listen: Will ‘Made in Europe’ spark a new trade battle with the US?
A single EU fund for “strategic projects” has become a major standoff, putting US steel tariffs, supply chains, and transatlantic relations at risk.
What competitiveness experts expect from von der Leyen’s State of the Union
For our new report, Economic Competitiveness and European Citizens, we asked 11 experts from across Brussels and beyond 12 questions about Europe’s competitiveness debate. Download it for free here.
Fighting fossil-fuel inflation with ECB rate hikes punishes renewables, research finds
Every 10-percent rise in oil and gas prices increases overall inflation by 0.35 percentage points. The European Central Bank’s rate hikes risk making it worse by making renewable investments more expensive, finds the London-based research institute New Economics Foundation.
Canada’s Carney’s ‘unique alliance’ with the EU? It’s already being built
A ‘unique alliance’ or ‘associate membership’; either way Canadian prime minister Mark Carney wants the cosiest of relationships with the European Union.
Von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech risks making border pushbacks ‘normal’ EU migration policy
Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce new migrant-busting proposals on Wednesday during her State of the Union speech in Strasbourg. Speculation is rising on what they could be, given the bloc has spent 10 years debating asylum reforms which only kicked into force three months ago.
Was it coincidence Russia attacked the railway used by Johnson and the former CIA chief? Three takeaways from the strike near Nato’s border
A strike just six kilometres from Poland’s border has jolted Warsaw and Kyiv into openly debating whether Nato should start flexing its own muscles along the frontier to force Vladimir Putin to pull troops away from Ukraine.
EU extends Russia sanctions for one week only, after France insists on delisting Usmanov
EU countries have extended talks on Russia sanctions for one week after France insisted on delisting a Russian billionaire on “national security” grounds, prompting speculation of a secret deal between Paris and Baku or Moscow.
Croatia’s toxic waste dump scandal shows the cost of Europe’s ‘forever chemicals’
Some 45,000 tonnes of hazardous plastic and medical waste lies uncollected and polluting groundwater in Croatia more than a year after it was discovered — prompting street protests in Zagreb, whilst chemical industry lobbyists in Brussels push for more exemptions for ‘forever chemicals’
Putin sends a 14th century saint’s hand to Ukraine front to boost morale (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,663)
Putin has paraded a medieval saint’s severed hand before frontline troops, as Russian forces grind forward around Orikhiv and drones openly hunt Kherson civilians.
Leipzig was a warning shot. Here’s what real deterrence against Kremlin terror would look like
Germany is under attack, but it does not know how to respond. The news that the suspected perpetrators of the potentially fatal attack on Leipzig airport last month are a Russian linked to that country’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, and a Belarusian, highlights both gaps in defence and the lack of deterrence. The Russian (who entered from Turkey and then left for Serbia) was identified on arrival as having GRU connections. But the German authorities lacked the resources to put him under surveillance.
The EU’s Arctic problem won’t go away without Norway, Iceland and UK’s help
With Monday and Tuesday's Arctic summit, the EU’s real Arctic weakness is not a lack of ambition, but a lack of a proper category for its closest non-member neighbours – Norway, Iceland, and increasingly the UK.
Sweden’s left bloc edges ahead in tight election as far-right support slips
With the left only narrowly in front, Swedes will now face days of negociations over who will run their hospitals, schools and migration system as fragile alliances and bitter rivalries collide in coalition talks.
Listen: How the far right threatens women’s rights
Behind softened rhetoric on women’s rights, far-right parties are pushing quieter legal changes that keep women under greater control
State of the Union? Ursula von der Leyen can keep a five-year-old promise in two sentences
Before this year's State of the European Union address on Wednesday (16 September), the EU Commission asked people on social media what they wanted to hear in the speech. There is already an answer on file. More than 1.4 million people gave it six years ago through the European Citizens' Initiative "End the Cage Age" — and they are still waiting for a response they can act on.
What should a more competitive Europe deliver for its citizens? Download our free report
EUobserver’s first Stakeholder Report bring together people working on European policy to examine the choices facing the EU and what they mean for citizens. Through interviews and analysis, we explore competing perspectives, practical priorities and questions that deserve a wider debate.
THIS WEEK: Canada’s Carney attends von der Leyen’s State of the Union, as new talks on Russian frozen assets for Ukraine return to EU agenda
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will outline her vision for the EU in her annual State of the European Union speech, as Canada’s Mark Carney edges closer to Brussels and away from Washington. Curbs on teenagers’ use of social media and measures to counter hybrid threats are also on this week’s agenda.
Early poll suggests Swedes reject far-right party in election
A poll by the SVT public broadcaster showed Kristerssen’s liberal-rightwing bloc trailing with 46.8 percent, compared to 51.3 percent for the left-green alliance of former socialist prime minister Magdalena Andersson.
Europe built its medical science around male bodies – and women are paying the price
Just consider this - after almost four decades of EU-funded research, just 10 projects out of 145,983 have focused specifically on endometriosis, a condition affecting an estimated 10-15 percent of women of reproductive age, writes Renew Europe MEP Billy Kelleher.