Until recently, Cyprus was perceived as a “safe haven” for Russian capital—a jurisdiction with light regulation, a favorable tax system, and strong ties to Russian business elites. However, by 2026 the situation has changed dramatically. Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, the tightening of European Union sanctions policy,...
Political turbulence in Romania and the Kremlin’s shadow hand
Romania has entered another phase of political crisis after the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the largest force in the ruling coalition, withdrew its support for liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and began demanding his resignation. The loss of a parliamentary majority immediately created conditions for protracted inter-party negotiations and the...
Why Slovakia clings to Russian gas despite sanctions and alternatives
The European Union plans to completely phase out Russian natural gas by the end of 2027. While eurozone countries are working to establish alternative supply channels, several European capitals are openly defying this directive. Slovakia is one of them: on April 17, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that his government...
Russia’s humanitarian expansion in the Balkans
Russia demonstrates a heightened interest in preserving its influence in the Balkans, as existing opportunities allow it to convert historical, religious, cultural, and energy ties into real political leverage. In the long term, Moscow aims to prevent the Euro-Atlantic integration of the region's countries, as well as to undermine European...
Double standards of the International Olympic Committee
After the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) introduced restrictions aimed at completely isolating Russian athletes from international competition. Initially this was a full ban on participation in tournaments, but through behind-the-scenes pressure and lobbying from Russia, they were later permitted to compete under...
Hungary is using the energy crisis as a tool of pre-election mobilization
In the spring of 2026, Hungary once again found itself at the center of an energy and political crisis that, at first glance, appeared to be just another episode in the confrontation over Russian energy supplies to Europe. However, a closer look at the events surrounding the Druzhba and TurkStream...
How the Italian mafia turned European grants into a tool for enrichment
The Italian mafia has long ceased to be an ordinary paramilitary structure that profits from racketeering, banditry, and territorial control. Having abandoned the high-profile terrorist attacks and street violence that drew excessive law enforcement attention in the 1990s, mafia clans adopted a strategy of invisible infiltration into the legal sectors...
How France turned its suburbs into powder kegs
France has been grappling for several decades with a phenomenon that has gradually evolved from an urban planning problem into one of the country's key political challenges. This concerns the formation of suburban enclaves — the so-called banlieues — where social marginalisation, high unemployment, and ethnocultural segregation are concentrated. These...
Where is Babiš’s government leading the Czech Republic
The return of Andrej Babiš to the position of Prime Minister of the Czech Republic in December 2025 has led to noticeable shifts in Czech policy. His coalition with the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy party (SPD) and the right-populist Motorists for Themselves (Motoristé sobě) formed a new configuration of...
Russia builds a recruitment and training network of saboteurs to destabilize Europe
In the spring of 2026, materials from an investigation by Moldovan law enforcement agencies made it possible to reconstruct in detail one of Russia’s largest hybrid operations. It concerns the creation of a transnational network involving the recruitment, training, and use of agents to destabilize the political situation both in...