Organised crime networks are using call centres in Albania to defraud people across Europe, conning them with promises of big profits from scam investments and employing sophisticated social-engineering techniques. It began in June 2019 with a Google search for ‘investment opportunities’. The results took Carina Christine Bruenig and her husband,...
Germany’s Merz under pressure from CDU to abandon ‘firewall’ against AfD
As Germany readies itself for five separate state elections early next year, chancellor Friedrich Merz's centre-right Christian Democrats faces a dilemma over how to handle the surging influence and popularity of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). In the run-up to the CDU party convention last weekend, voices within the...
EU battles to phase out Russian fossil-fuels by either 2027 or 2028
“Russia weaponised energy like it weaponises information, like it weaponises all the possibilities that it has to influence the decisionmaking process in the EU but not only in EU – this is something we have to keep in mind to avoid aggression of Russia in the future,” the Ukrainian ambassador...
Germany’s former Chancellor Schroeder as a symbol of political corruption
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder defended the construction of the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 during a parliamentary committee session in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on October 17, 2025. Schroeder emphasized that Russia could supply inexpensive natural gas through the pipeline, arguing that the initiative was economically beneficial. He and his allies rejected...
The EU’s appeal endures through democratic and regional advances
The EU is proving its enduring appeal and resilience through democratic breakthroughs and strategic gains in its near abroad. In the cacophony of pessimism that often shrouds European Union-related news – tales of division, indecision, or decline – a cascade of underreported victories is quietly reshaping the continent’s geopolitical landscape....
Bulgaria’s F-16 fiasco
Bulgaria’s F-16 fiasco: prolonged delays, pilot shortages, and mounting concerns over air force inertia. Only one of four delivered jets has been formally accepted while Sofia struggles to train pilots and certify aircraft Bulgaria’s protracted and inexplicably slow transition to its new F-16 Block 70 jets – marked by technical...
EU internally explores limited accession for Ukraine, Moldova, and Western Balkans
New EU members would gain full voting rights only after the EU implements major institutional reforms to curb veto power abuse. The European Union is exploring a groundbreaking enlargement model that would grant new member states limited voting rights initially, a move aimed at overcoming hurdles to expansion, particularly Hungary’s...
The meeting between Trump and Zelensky signals a turning point in the US strategy towards Ukraine
One of the most scrutinised topics was the potential transfer of long-range Tomahawk cruise missile systems to Ukraine. While Kyiv pressed the case for their delivery, Washington did not commit. Trump cited the risk of escalation and concerns about U.S. stockpiles.Following the meeting, Trump publicly called on Ukraine and Russia to “stop...
French police arrest 4 suspects in plot against exiled Russian activist Osechkin
French anti-terror prosecutors opened an investigation on October 16, 2025, into a planned attack against Russian human rights activist Vladimir Osechkin, head of the Gulagu.net project, who has lived in France for the past decade. Authorities arrested four men, aged 26 to 38, on October 13 at different locations across...
France’s political instability puts the Franco-German alliance to the test
France’s political turmoil is testing the strength of the Franco-German partnership. At a joint cabinet meeting, President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to overcome their countries’ disagreements on key issues. Yet the absence of concrete progress is troubling, given both leaders’ fragile political standing. In a world shaken...