We are told every day that we are in a mighty struggle between liberal democrats and illiberal populists. We are told that ‘we’, the former have to defend our freedoms against ‘them’, the latter.
This framing is wrong and it is a gift for semi-authoritarian parties, warns Michael Meyer-Resende.
Hitting EU targets for heat pumps, solar and wind could wipe out liquefied natural gas (LNG) demand equivalent to twice Qatar’s potential LNG supply, cutting households’ exposure.
What went wrong? Russian missile attack on open-air weapons exhibition exposes catalogue of errors (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,615)Investigators now say the exhibition near Bucha that Russia hit was advertised online, poorly sheltered and held beside civilian homes, exposing how ignored warnings and lax oversight handed Moscow an easy but devastating target.
China became a hub of industrial manufacturing because it was able to produce essentially the same goods as Western countries, but much more cheaply. Something similar is now happening in artificial intelligence.
Preserving this Greek carve-out sends precisely the wrong signal. It tells companies that sufficiently valuable commercial interests may eventually secure exemptions. It tells member states that delaying agreement can produce favourable outcomes. And it tells Moscow that Europe’s political unity remains negotiable when influential industries are affected.
The deadly attack on Berlin’s annual pride parade was widely condemned by leaders across Europe from across the political spectrum, as the hard-right courts their newest voter base: the LGBTI+ community.
The FBI chief Kash Patel is heading to Moscow, where he is to be hosted by the Russian security service, the FSB. Nothing wrong with that in principle: under the previous administration the then CIA chief Bill Burns regularly acted as message-carrier to the Kremlin. But news of the visit comes as allies’ trust in American spookdom is hitting new lows, warns Edward Lucas.
![Rima Hassan in her Brussels office: '[It's] not merely a lack of courage; it is a criminal policy to advocate for a two-state solution today'](https://static.euobserver.com/2026/07/DSC_0345-2-2400x1602.jpg)
Rima Hassan MEP has seen displacement, an Israeli prison, refugee camps, and since becoming a politician just two years ago, has faced 22 legal proceedings. But the Left Franco-Palestinian MEP will not stop denouncing ‘the genocide that is currently taking place’.
While an internal panel cleared Karim Khan of misconduct, US and Israeli pressure has pushed ICC governments toward a politically charged removal vote that quietly rewrites the court’s own rules.
Three Epstein-linked men, including Siad, have now died before trial, leaving victims to piece together the network with journalists instead of judges.
By racing ahead of the currently stalled EU process, Sweden joins a small group of member states using national bans on ‘forever chemicals’.
The EU’s efforts to crack down on Big Tech have resulted in weeks of fines and debates to tackle child safety online, and Friday’s investigation into TikTok’s teen account settings is the latest piece of a greater policy puzzle to regulate social media giants.
Russia’s top Su‑57 fighter crashes near Moscow amid claims of Ukrainian cyber “friendly fire” op (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,612)If Ukraine really hijacked Russian air defences to kill a Su-57 over Moscow while blunting a major push toward Dobropillia, it would mark a sharp escalation in the technological duel shaping the next phase of the war.
The EU has drafted the legal basis to slap visa bans on Russian soldiers, but won’t decide when to make it operational until after the long summer holiday break – when many Russians go to France, Italy and Spain.
The Azerbaijani regime has arrested investigative journalists and dismantled independent media, leaving virtually no one on the ground to report on corruption and trade violations. And yet the EU Commission and German government are placing their trust in the authoritarian petro-state.
Each new multi-million euro fine on Google, Apple and Meta raises a blunt question for Europeans: are tougher rules on online giants worth the risk of higher US tariffs?
Europe fears escalation with Russia, but by clinging to an “old world” mindset it may be quietly losing a war it refuses to acknowledge.
Google has been fined close to €1bn by the EU due to its search engine monopoly, which prioritised Google Flights or Google Store over other results, and for charging business too much on Google Play.
The battle over this 21st sanctions round lays bare a new fault line in Europe’s Russia policy, with Greece and Austria securing sensitive carve-outs.
From higher defence budgets to tighter control over social media, liberals are quietly backing a more muscular state they once resisted, arguing it is the price of keeping European freedoms alive.