Should Prague join the “sceptic camp” led by Budapest and Bratislava, it could tilt the balance against enlargement momentum. Traditionally, Czechia has been among the bloc’s most active champions of bringing in new members from both the Western Balkans and the Eastern Neighbourhood, often pushing above its weight in EU...
Romania launches volunteer military training programme
Against a backdrop of growing regional insecurity, Romania is pushing to rejuvenate and expand its depleted reserve forces. The Romanian government approved legislation introducing an expanded volunteer military training programme as part of a broader push to modernize the NATO member state’s defence capabilities and rebuild its reserve forces. The...
Kremlin propaganda and the reaction to the possible supply of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine
Russia’s deepest fears are all-too-visible in its media output. High-performance cruise missiles are high on its anxieties list. The propagandists and experts serving the Putin regime fulfill several functions. Their main, state-directed role is to repeat and refine official talking points handed down during regular Kremlin meetings. For outside observers,...
Billionaire Andrej Babiš’s ANO party won the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election on Saturday (4 October).
Billionaire Andrej Babiš’s ANO party cruised to victory in the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election on Saturday (4 October) The billionaire rejected accusations that his win would make his country a less reliable EU and NATO partner. Billionaire Andrej Babiš’s ANO party cruised to victory in the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election...
French government quits just hours after being appointed, deepening political crisis
"There can be no return to stability without a return to the polls and the dissolution of the National Assembly," National Rally leader Jordan Bardella said. France’s new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned on Monday, barely 14 hours after appointing his new cabinet, after allies and foes alike threatened to...
The Acceleration of Putin’s shadow war
Air incursions, military drills and escalating hybrid warfare hint at a new and alarming level of Russian aggression. Is it just for show? Russia and Belarus held joint military drills in September. But the biennial exercises were overshadowed by something that may be more ominous — an outbreak of drone...
Russia’s shadow over critical infrastructure
In recent weeks, European aviation has faced repeated disruptions from mysterious drone sightings, with authorities in multiple countries pointing fingers at Russia for orchestrating hybrid attacks aimed at sowing chaos and testing defences. These incidents coincide with heightened alerts in the Baltic region over suspected sabotage of undersea cables, gas...
Georgia local elections trigger mass protests in Tbilisi, clashes with police
The country’s prime minister accused EU officials of backing an “attempt to overthrow the constitutional order”. Georgian riot police used pepper spray and water cannons to drive demonstrators away from the presidential palace and detained five activists on Saturday, as the opposition staged a large demonstration on a day of...
The US-UK nuclear deal and Europe’s strategic future
The US-UK nuclear deal is especially significant, committing both nations to end reliance on Russian nuclear fuel by 2028. This is more than an energy decision. It reflects a strategic understanding that the future energy and technology transition will provide an edge against the hybrid warfare waged by Russia and...
The UK’s new defense industry plan
The announcement of a new defense-related policy tends to moisten the palms of British military personnel. Too often, they say, it means cutting everything by 15% and irreversibly disbanding an entire capability while claiming the country is better defended. Refreshingly, the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) published on September 8 makes...