In Hungary, a Kremlin-friendly leader just lost big. In Bulgaria, a Kremlin-friendly leader just won.
In both countries, candidates who campaigned against cronyism and corruption came out on top.
www.politico.eu/article/bulg...
Some reflections after a long weekend in Perugia.
lazoletters.substack.com/p/is-journal...
The beauty of Perugia and the pleasant Italian weather play an outsized role in maintaining the good vibes as journalists seek to understand why their industry still exists.
That said, I did not leave inspired by the state of journalism today.
There is no sustainable funding model. No way to reach audiences without capitulating to tech bros. No way to build trust in the age of AI slop and media fatigue. Almost everyone seems unhappy or confused about the future.
Perugia is a lovely city, and I’m glad I came to this year’s international journalism conference to see it. I also enjoyed seeing many old colleagues and friends from around the world.
Silvia Salis, ex-Olympic hammer thrower turned mayor of Genoa, is emerging as the new face of Italy’s centre-left, just as Giorgia Meloni shows signs of vulnerability.
Salis recently had Belgian techno DJ Charlotte de Witte play an event in Genoa.
www.euractiv.com/news/how-a-t...
And this one:
Rutte's main asset is a “rather limited sense of ego,” one EU diplomat told @euractiv.com, calling it an “interesting quality for a politician, and maybe even for a human.”
www.euractiv.com/news/brussel...
Really interesting reporting on NATO Sec Gen Mark Rutte's approach to Trump in @euractiv.com these days.
“He is essentially saying: in the history books, what will matter is not whether I called him ‘Daddy’ or not, but whether the United States remained in NATO.”
www.euractiv.com/news/keeping...
Jesus-Bildnis am Kreuz mit rollenden Augen
Prediction Markets sind in vielen Ländern illegal. Das Wetten auf zukünftige politische und gesellschaftliche Ereignisse wird aber immer populärer. Dabei sind die Wetten manipulationsanfällig und ethisch teilweise höchst fragwürdig.
netzpolitik.org/2026/hype-um...
U.S. Vice President JD Vance appeared next to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán during a campaign rally in Budapest and argued that Brussels bureaucrats are trying to destroy Hungary.
Russia and Washington are campaigning on the same side of the Hungarian elections.
www.euractiv.com/news/vance-p...
During today's press conference, President Trump said he'd learn Spanish to run for President of Venezuela, refused to rule out targeting schools in Iran, and lavished praise on Kim Jong Un.
Donald Trump just refused to rule out using force against schools in Iran.
A “reporter” just asked Trump if God supports the war in Iran. This is not a serious press conference.
Donald Trump just announced that he’s running for president of Venezuela.
I am very flattered by the sheer number of press releases I am receiving in German, even if none of them is particularly interesting.
Spaniards believe that US President Donald Trump poses a greater threat to global peace than Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a poll published by El País.
elpais.com/espana/2026-...
So, Customs and Border Protection officers abandoned a vulnerable, nearly blind refugee who didn't speak English in front of a New York coffee shop and left him to die of dehydration and hypothermia. This is beyond horrific.
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
Ukraine’s decision to block an EU mission to inspect the Druzhba pipeline that delivers Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia has divided and frustrated national capitals and Brussels.
Diplomats called the move ”not smart,” “an enigma,” and “unclear.”
www.euractiv.com/news/brussel...
"The present German government once again speaks of recruiting 'skilled labour', carefully specifying qualifications, language levels and economic usefulness – as if migration were primarily a transaction rather than a human relationship."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Attacks on Iran have damaged 82,000 civilian buildings, including hospitals, residential units, and the homes of 180,000 people, across 20 of Iran’s 32 provinces, the International Organization for Migration said.
apnews.com/live/iran-wa...
Really great piece by @emmcollet.bsky.social on how Central Asian migrants are increasingly looking to emigrate to Europe instead of Russia due to fears they’ll be forced to fight in Ukraine.
www.euractiv.com/news/central...
The Czech government is presenting draft legislation that would require organisations and individuals with foreign ties to register with the state, drawing criticism that it mirrors controversial “foreign agent” laws seen in countries including Russia and Hungary.
www.euractiv.com/news/czech-g...
Denmark is reported to have quietly prepared to blow up its own runways in Greenland – as European allies rushed troops north – amid fears that the United States might attempt to seize the Arctic territory by force in January.
www.euractiv.com/news/denmark...
Etienne Davignon, who was a junior diplomat based in DRC’s capital Kinshasa at the time, is the last surviving of 10 Belgians believed to be involved in the murder.
Though Lumumba was killed by Congolese separatists, the U.S. and Belgium are widely reported to have pulled the strings.
A Belgian court has ordered that a 93-year-old former diplomat stand trial in connection with the assassination of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) former prime minister and anti-colonial icon Patrice Lumumba in 1961.
apnews.com/article/patr...
Black Cube, famously involved in Hungarian govt sting operations against the opposition and NGOs critical of Viktor Orban.
Days before Slovenia's national election, Prime Minister Robert Golob announced an investigation into allegations that an Israeli spy-for-hire group led a covert operation to influence voters.
This, of course, involves the Israeli firm Black Cube again.
www.euractiv.com/news/spy-sca...
The beginning of 2026 ranks as the deadliest start to any year for people trying to cross the Mediterranean, with an unprecedented 682 people confirmed missing as of March 16.
apnews.com/article/migr...
In response to pressure from Donald Trump, EU foreign ministers are now meeting to discuss whether to expand Operation Aspides to the Strait of Hormuz.
Giving Aspides a broader executive role – i.e., potentially striking adversaries – would require unanimity.
www.euractiv.com/news/explain...
