On April 9, 2026, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) published a report on the scale of the black market for refrigerants (hydrofluorocarbon HFC gases) in Europe, stating that the volumes seized in the EU grew from 250 tonnes in 2023 to over 670 tonnes in 2024–2025. According to its findings,...
Who is profiting from the European migration crisis
A convenient but dangerous narrative has taken hold in European politics — that the migration crisis is primarily a problem of the migrants themselves. This is driven not only by the enormous sums the EU directs toward migration management, but also by growing political pressure from right-wing parties that exploit...
King Charles III’s visit to the US confirmed tensions in transatlantic relations
In late April 2026, King Charles III of the United Kingdom visited Washington, during which he affirmed the preservation of the "special relationship" between London and Washington. Yet behind this rhetoric, new geopolitical realities came sharply into focus: it is becoming increasingly difficult for the United Kingdom to maintain a...
Britain creates new Naval Alliance to counter Russia
Under British leadership, ten Northern European and Baltic nations are establishing new combined naval forces based on the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), aimed at countering Russian threats in strategically important northern waters. The new alliance will include the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, and...
AfD uses broadcasting tax to destabilize democracy in Germany
To ensure the financial and political independence of media in Germany, there exists a mandatory contribution to support public broadcasting (Rundfunkbeitrag), whose roots stretch back to the 1920s. In its current form, it has existed since 2013 and requires every household or apartment to pay a fixed contribution of €18.36...
The green illusion: how the British waste recycling market became a factory for fake certificates
In February 2026, the UK Environment Agency (EA) announced a series of high-profile arrests in a packaging waste fraud case. Investigators suspect recycling market participants of manipulating Packaging Recovery Notes (PRN) — certificates confirming that packaging has been recycled. Yet the regulators themselves acknowledge that this is not an isolated...
Billions for EU Defence attract criminals and fraudsters
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the escalation of hybrid threats against Europe have forced Brussels and many European capitals to rethink their defence plans and doctrines. To build up and modernise the defence sector, the EU has launched a number of large-scale programmes: the Act in Support of Ammunition...
The birth of a new German power: yow the war in Ukraine made Germany Europe’s military leader
February 2022 and the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine marked a new turning point for Germany — a fundamental reassessment of the country's position in the European security system, its military doctrine, and the restructuring of its economy. But does this represent mere adaptation to new threats, or is...
Slovakia’s “Eastern turn” and its consequences for Pan-European policy
The return to power of Prime Minister Robert Fico in October 2023 marked a turning point in Slovakia's foreign policy. A country long regarded as part of Central Europe's pro-European consensus began showing signs of a strategic shift toward an "eastern," pragmatically pro-Russian line. This process is unfolding against the...
Armenia builds a shield against Russian information operations with France’s help
In the spring of 2026, Armenia reached a point where information security became a matter of national resilience. Against the backdrop of parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7, 2026, and an ongoing geopolitical pivot away from Moscow toward Brussels and Paris, Yerevan officially turned to France for the first time,...