Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić staged on Saturday (20 September) the largest parade in Serbia’s history, deploying 10,000 troops, 2,600 pieces of military equipment and a 300-metre Serbian flag. The display in Belgrade raised eyebrows in neighbouring countries and Brussels over the true intentions of the increasingly autocratic Serbian leader. Vučić…

Under the compensation programme for high electricity prices, Lukoil was granted €11.6 million from the Bulgarian state budget in 2024. The Russian-owned oil refinery Lukoil Neftochim near Burgas, the largest in the Balkans, reported a major loss of 213 million leva (€107 million) for 2025, meaning the company received more…

This week, the spotlight is at the United Nations General Assembly and it isn’t just on global crises like climate change, war in Ukraine, or artificial intelligence. It’s also firmly on France’s Emmanuel Macron, who is pushing for formal recognition of a Palestinian state. But will this move, backed by…

The European Parliament’s rapporteur on the digital euro file, centre-right MEP Fernando Navarrete, in a recent article, claimed to offer a rational common ground to discuss the proposal for a European Central Bank digital currency (CBDC). However, his approach reflects a fear of transition: warning of financial instability, lost innovation,…

Though their landscape is picturesque, the Baltic states are not built for defense. Lakes and swamps provide some benefit, but there are no mountains, jungles, or Rhine-sized rivers to stop an invader. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania can be Holland, but not Switzerland. Hence, the Baltic states want to build the…