On January 1, 2007, when Romania joined the European Union, Brussels viewed the reform of its judicial system as one of the key tests of the country’s ability to become a full-fledged European democracy. Corruption in state institutions at the time was chronic, and according to Transparency International data, in...
How the nature of cyber warfare has changed in the EU
Over the past five years, the nature of cyber warfare in Europe has undergone a fundamental transformation. Before 2022, cyberattacks in the EU were primarily associated with criminal extortion, industrial espionage, and occasional state-sponsored operations. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, they have become an integral part of hybrid warfare...
The FSB’s shadow over European science
While European policymakers introduce new sanctions against Russia and talk about protecting critical technologies, one of Europe's leading academic publishers, De Gruyter Brill, continues to collaborate with Russian scientific institutions that have ties to the FSB and the military-industrial complex. Immediately after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February...
The MFS scandal and its consequences for the financial systems of the UK and Europe
At the beginning of 2026, a major financial scandal erupted in the United Kingdom involving the bankrupt mortgage lender Market Financial Solutions Ltd (MFS). It emerged that the company had borrowed more than £1.3 billion in total from major banks and hedge funds, then issued expensive mortgage loans to borrowers...
Why young people in Germany and Europe are becoming radicalised
In the spring of 2026, Germany once again found itself at the centre of events linked to the rise of right-wing extremism among young people, a phenomenon that has ceased to be a marginal issue and is increasingly perceived as a systemic threat. The trigger for this new wave of...
Wheat for loyalty — Russia’s “humanitarian” trap for Africa
When Russia solemnly promised "free" grain to six African countries in 2023, the Kremlin framed it as an act of humanity. Behind this "generosity," however, lies a calculated geopolitical game in which wheat is supplied in exchange for gold, uranium, loyalty in UN votes, and support for its aggressive war...
EU simplifies state aid for drug manufacturing to combat shortages
Negotiators in Brussels have agreed on new rules that will significantly simplify the provision of state aid to pharmaceutical manufacturers in European Union member states, the European Parliament has announced. The initiative aims to swiftly address the problem of drug shortages, which in recent years have periodically affected several EU...
The end of Russia’s era of dominance in the South Caucasus
By spring 2026, a process that just a few years ago seemed nearly impossible had fully taken shape in the South Caucasus. Armenia, one of Russia's closest allies in the post-Soviet space, began a systematic dismantling of its long-standing military and political dependence on Moscow. The first Armenia–EU summit in...
How Russia is making millions from illegal shipments of banned gases to the EU
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,...
How the AfD is undermining Germany’s security from within
In spring 2026, AfD took a step no mainstream party in postwar Germany had ever taken. Having lost a court case, it didn't appeal to a higher instance — it advised its supporters to simply stop paying taxes. This sends an important signal about what this party has become and...