Party hoped to take 30 municipalities but secured three after share of vote halved from parliamentary elections. Portugal’s far-right Chega party has won its first mayoral seats in local elections, final results showed, but fell well short of expectations and its vote share halved from parliamentary elections in May. The...
Belgium considers use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine reparations loan
On October 23–24, 2025, European Union leaders will convene at the European Council to discuss a proposal from the European Commission to extend a €140 billion “reparations loan” to Ukraine, backed by frozen Russian state assets held in Belgium. The plan aims to channel parts of €175 billion in assets...
Kosovo’s local elections
Preliminary results reveal a competitive political landscape, with no single party dominating following the 12 October vote. Kosovo citizens voted on 12 October to elect mayors and municipal councils across 38 municipalities in a calm and orderly process. The 3 November runoffs will clarify local power dynamics and serve as...
Viktor Orban has intensified his rhetoric against the opposition party Tisza
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has intensified his rhetoric against the opposition party Tisza, accusing it of cooperating with Ukrainian intelligence and attempting to influence domestic politics. In a radio interview on October 10, a segment of which was later posted on his social media account, Orban claimed that “Ukrainian intelligence...
Vučić acknowledges Russian blackmail – and U.S. pressure over fate of NIS refinery
The Serbian President said Washington had suggested the gradual nationalization of the Serbian oil industry in order to avoid sanctions. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić lamented that Russia had offered Serbia a gas supply contract only until the end of the year, calling the development “disappointing,” as Belgrade had “expected the...
Russia threatens consequences as Moldova aligns with Europe
Peskov threatens consequences as Moldova aligns with Europe On October 12, 2025, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Moldova would face “nothing good” if it continued its path of distancing itself from Russia in favor of closer ties with Europe. His remarks came in response to Moldova’s newly adopted military...
Inside Russia’s expanding information war in Europe
A Coordinated Push for Influence Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow’s information operations in the European Union have evolved from overt propaganda into a sophisticated, multi-layered campaign. The Kremlin has fused traditional state media with new digital ecosystems — proxy websites, cloned news portals, localised Telegram...
With EU politicians contaminated with PFAS, will Brussels finally act?
Over the summer, a group of 24 European politicians, ministers, commissioners, senior officials, agreed to have their blood tested for toxic PFAS chemicals. The results that now came out showed that every single one of them tested positive. But will these results push Brussels to act or to water down...
A Roadmap for Europe-US tech cooperation
The United States and Europe confront a common challenge: staying ahead of China in the global innovation race. But the US has moved far ahead in key digital technologies while Europe lags. The Trump administration recognizes the key role of technology for geopolitical competition. It has made US global leadership...
Europe Cannot Hide Behind its Walls
Europe Should Re-listen to Its Great Ancestors Europe should re-listen to its great ancestors. Thucydides, the Athenian general and historian who wrote almost 2,500 years ago, has a hard-won reputation as the father of political realism. And at a time of rising threats and uncertain alliances, that can be priceless...