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Russians between Resignation and Hope towards Europe

An ECFR study suggests resignation rather than enthusiasm shapes participants’ attitudes towards Russia’s war against Ukraine, while hostility towards Europe coexists with hopes for renewed ties.
October 6, 2026
byTizian Stocker
0

    Published on 1 October, the study draws on 14 Levada-Center focus groups held in four Russian cities between April and August 2026, as well as opinion surveys. The groups are not nationally representative

    Participants generally expect Russia to prevail but struggle to define victory. Economic anxiety and war fatigue have not translated into readiness to challenge the Kremlin

    Europe increasingly replaces the US as the main perceived adversary. Participants rarely connect European opposition to Russia’s invasion, yet many expect relations with Europe eventually to improve

    The authors urge Europe to combine security measures with support for independent Russian-language media, civil society and carefully safeguarded contacts, avoiding blanket condemnation of all Russians

    Sources: ECFR – Bewitched sleep: Russians’ views on Ukraine and the world

    Transparency Note: Use of AI

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    Education PolicyInside EuropeÉdouard GeffrayFiresFranceProperty DamageRiot PoliceSchoolsStudent ProtestsUnrest

    French Student Protests Escalate Nationwide

    High school protests that began near Paris in late September have spread across France, as demands for better education conditions increasingly collide with violence and a tougher government response.
    →Update (06.10.2026): News: Mélenchon doubles down on support for French student protests despite violent clashes (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (05.10.2026): News: French Human Rights League warns police response to school protests reflects broader erosion of rule of law (RFI⁠)
    →Update (05.10.2026): News: Teenager loses hand during confrontation between French school protesters and police (BBC⁠)
    →Update (03.10.2026): News: French students call for ‘act three’ as school protests seek to maintain momentum (RFI⁠)
    →Update (03.10.2026): News: Protests disrupt more than 730 French schools as students call for new rallies (RFI⁠)
    →Quick Brief:
    →Students are demanding more teachers and funding, smaller classes and better school buildings, while also raising concerns about the university admissions system Parcoursup
    →More than 1,000 of France’s roughly 3,700 high schools were affected by actions on 1 October, while around 400 were closed the following day
    →Clashes, fires and property damage have accompanied parts of the movement, prompting the government to deploy specialist riot police
    →The government says the protests have partly shifted into “urban violence.” Education Minister Édouard Geffray is meeting student and parent representatives, while authorities seek to contain the unrest
    →Sources:⁠ Le Monde⁠, BBC News⁠
    →Transparency Note: Use of AI
    read
    Europe in the worldInside EuropeUKantisemitismGreen PartyIsraelJewishPalestineRacismZack PolanskiZionism

    UK: Israel Bars Polanski After Zionism Vote

    Israel has barred Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entry after his party adopted a motion equating Zionism with racism, triggering internal divisions and criticism from Jewish organisations.
    →Update (06.10.2026): News: EU Greens leadership candidates reject UK party’s ‘Zionism is racism’ stance (Rapporteur⁠) 
    →Quick Brief:
    →On 4 October, members of the Green Party of England and Wales approved the motion by 1,022 votes to 813 at their Brighton conference
    →The policy declares the party anti-Zionist and supports a single democratic state across historic Palestine, alongside an arms embargo against Israel
    →Polanski, who is Jewish, did not participate in the vote. Amendments he supported were rejected, while several senior Greens opposed the motion
    →Israel’s foreign ministry condemned the resolution as antisemitic and announced the entry ban. The Greens maintain that their policy targets a political ideology, not Jewish identity, and reaffirm their opposition to racism
    →Sources: Green Party⁠, BBC News⁠, Sky News⁠
    →Transparency Note: Use of AI
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    GeopoliticsInside EuropeWestern BalkansBallot ScannersBosniaElectionsEU IntegrationEuropean UnionMilorad DodikRepublika SrpskaRussiaSerbiaSNSD

    Bosnia Election Tests Democratic Resilience

    Bosnia and Herzegovina’s general election on 4 October will test the country’s democratic resilience as new voting technology meets persistent ethnic divisions, separatist politics and competing European and Russian influence.
    →Update (05.10.2026): Analysis: Putin and Vučić dominate Bosnia election as EU influence fades (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (04.10.2026): News: Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats vote for rival leaderships as Bosnia’s election tests political stability and EU accession (Reuters⁠)
    →Quick Brief:
    →More than 3.4 million voters will elect the three-member Presidency, state parliament and institutions of the country’s two entities
    →Biometric voter identification and ballot scanners will be used nationwide for the first time, aiming to reduce electoral manipulation
    →Milorad Dodik cannot hold public office but remains influential as leader of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), the dominant Bosnian Serb party in Republika Srpska
    →The election also has a geopolitical dimension: the EU’s integration agenda competes with growing Russian influence, while neighbouring Serbia retains close political ties with Republika Srpska
    →Sources: CEC BiH⁠, OSCE⁠, EU Delegation⁠, Associated Press⁠
    →Transparency Note: Use of AI
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    Economic PolicyInside EuropeHousing CrisisMaricarmen AbascalMatridPedro SánchezProtestsSpain

    Spanish PM Sánchez Calls for Snap Elections for 29 November after Losing Key Housing Crisis Vote

    An 87-year-old Madrid pensioner whose eviction triggered protests can return to her longtime home, as her case adds pressure on Spain’s government to address the country’s wider housing crisis.
    →Update (05.10.2026): Analysis: Sánchez bets on housing agenda to keep far right out of government in Spain’s snap election (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (05.10.2026): News: Sánchez calls snap Spanish election for November 29 (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (03.10.2026): News: Tens of thousands protest across Spain over deepening housing crisis (The Guardian⁠) 
    →Update (02.10.2026): News: Sánchez loses key housing crisis vote after eviction of 87-year-old woman (BBC⁠)
    →Update (30.09.2026): Podcast: Did Spain’s government address protesters’ demands on housing? (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (29.09.2026): News: Spain moves to stem housing protests (Rapporteur⁠)
    →Quick Brief:
    →Maricarmen Abascal was evicted on 23 September from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for more than 70 years, turning her case into a symbol of Spain’s housing crisis
    →The eviction prompted protests in Madrid, amid wider concerns over rising rents and access to affordable housing
    →The property owner has agreed to let Abascal return under a new eight-year rental contract, with rent capped at 30% of her net income. She still has to approve the agreement formally
    →Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez explicitly referred to Maricarmen’s case while calling for parliamentary support for new housing measures aimed at strengthening tenant protection and addressing Spain’s housing crisis
    →Sources: BBC⁠, Reuters⁠, El País⁠
    →Transparency Note: Use of AI
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    National PoliticsFar RIghtGovernment crisis

    After Romanian Government Collapse – Romania’s political deadlock

    Romania’s government crisis highlights rising concerns in the EU about stability, reform commitments, and the country’s ability to secure vital EU funding while staying aligned with its pro-Western path.
    →Update (05.10.2026): News: Luca Niculescu becomes Romania’s fourth prime ministerial candidate in five months (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (30.09.2026): News: Romanian political crisis deepens as parliament rejects PM nominee Siegfried Mureșan (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (23.09.2026): News: Romania’s political deadlock risks handing power to far right, PM nominee warns (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (June 22, 2026): Romanian parliament rejects PM nominee, deepening political crisis (Euractiv)
    →May 05, 2026:
    →Bolojan as PM was removed by no-confidence vote, concerning his austerity measures
    →Social Democrats teamed up with the far right to oust him
    →George Simion, the far right leader, is further gaining influence
    →Instability risks EU funding, though President Nicușor Dan backs a pro-West path
    →Source: Politico
    read
    Europe in the worldGeopoliticsLatin AmericaBrazilBRICSEuropean UnionFlávio BolsonaroJair BolsonaroLuiz Inácio Lula da SilvaPresidential electionsStrategic AutonomyUSA

    Brazil Presidential Election: Flávio Bolsonaro emerged in pole position with 47 Percent from a first round of voting Sunday

    Brazil votes on 4 October in a presidential election between competing political and foreign-policy visions, with implications for the country’s relations with Europe, the United States, China and BRICS.
    →Update (05.10.2026): Analysis: Bolsonaro Jr.’s advance against Lula raises EU concerns over Brazil-Mercosur alliance (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (04.10.2026): News: Flávio Bolsonaro leads Lula as Brazil heads to a runoff (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (03.10.2026): Analysis: Brazil’s cliffhanger election could cost EU a key Latin American ally (EUobserver⁠)
    →Quick Brief:
    →President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva faces Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, as the two leading candidates in a field of 12. A runoff will follow on 25 October if no candidate wins a majority
    →Lula has pursued strategic autonomy, maintaining relations with Europe and China while strengthening Brazil’s role in BRICS and the Global South
    →Bolsonaro represents a different direction, with his campaign associated with closer political alignment with Donald Trump’s United States and the wider conservative movement
    →For Europe, the election could shape relations with Latin America’s largest economy, including cooperation on trade, climate and the EU-Mercosur partnership, as Brazil navigates competition between Washington and Beijing
    →Sources: Brazilian Electoral Court (TSE)⁠, Reuters⁠, POLITICO Europe⁠
    →Transparency Note: Use of AI
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    International RightNational PoliticsSecurityUkraineWar in Ukraine24 February 2022DiplomacyHard WinterRussiaUSA

    Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

    More than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine continues to resist as the war has evolved from Moscow’s failed attempt at a rapid victory into a prolonged conflict with no political settlement in sight.
    →Update (05.10.2026): Analysis: Russian drone strike injures Moldovan citizen for first time at Ukraine-Moldova border crossing (ISW⁠)
    →Update (04.10.2026): News: Kyiv bridge hit during German Chancellor’s snap visit (Rapporteur⁠)
    →Update (04.10.2026): Interview: EU envoy in Kyiv urges stronger air defences and hybrid war response, saying Putin ‘understands only strength’ (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (03.10.2026): Analysis: Russia strikes Kyiv bridge to disrupt transport, economy and civilian life (ISW⁠)
    →Update (02.10.2026): Analysis: Ukraine deploys domestically produced FP-7 ballistic missile for first time (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (02.10.2026): Analysis: Putin portrays European responses to Russian threats as aggression (ISW⁠)
    →Update (02.10.2026): Analysis: Russia governs occupied Oleshky through humanitarian decline (ISW⁠)
    →Update (30.09.2026): Analysis: Russia begins winter campaign targeting Ukraine’s energy security (ISW⁠)
    →Update (30.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine’s war chest is running low at a critical moment (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (30.09.2026): News: Russian air strikes kill three and injure seven in and around Kyiv (Reuters, MarketScreener⁠)
    →Update (29.09.2026): Analysis: Russian drone strikes Kyiv research institute and explodes near EU embassy (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (29.09.2026): News: Zelenskyy says North Korea prepares to deploy another 10,000 troops to Russia (Reuters⁠)
    →Update (28.09.2026): News: Ukraine regains territory and captures POWs in frontline push (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (28.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi uses deception to liberate five settlements north of Lyman (ISW⁠)
    →Update (28.09.2026): News: Kremlin says Ukraine is ‘paying the price’ for attacks on Russia (Reuters⁠)
    →Update (26.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine’s new counteroffensive tactics could help break positional warfare and restore tactical maneuver (ISW⁠) 
    →Update (25.09.2026): Analysis: Russia intensifies strikes on Ukraine’s data centres and telecommunications infrastructure (ISW⁠)
    →Update (24.09.2026): News: Russian missile attack on Kyiv kills civilians and damages residential areas (Reuters⁠)
    →Update (23.09.2026): Analysis: Russian tank survives 40 drone strikes, suggesting mechanised warfare could make comeback (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (23.09.2026): Analysis: Kremlin rejects proposed energy ceasefire and reiterates maximalist war demands (ISW⁠) 
    →Update (23.09.2026): Analysis: Kremlin uses sham elections to manufacture legitimacy in occupied Ukraine (ISW⁠)
    →Update (22.09.2026): News: Ukraine races to counter new jet-powered Russian drones (BBC⁠)
    →Update (22.09.2026): Analysis: Russian Ministry of Defense falsely claims encirclement of Dobropillya as part of cognitive warfare campaign (ISW⁠)
    →Update (22.09.2026): Analysis: Western tech helps funnel foreign recruits into Russia’s war (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (21.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine’s largest Moscow air raid overwhelms defences and hits key oil refinery (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (20.09.2026): Analysis: Russia secretly plans to massively expand kamikaze drone production (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (20.09.2026): News: Ukrainian drones hit Moscow oil refinery, killing two (Reuters⁠)
    →Update (19.09.2026): Analysis: Russian Ministry of Defense exaggerates battlefield gains ahead of UN General Assembly (ISW⁠)
    →Update (18.09.2026): Analysis: Tusk reveals classified estimates of Ukrainian battlefield casualties (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (18.09.2026): Analysis: Kremlin denies post-election mobilization amid fears of public backlash (ISW⁠)
    →Update (18.09.2026): Podcast: Ukraine faces mounting pressure ahead of wartime winter (ECFR⁠) 
    →Update (17.09.2026): Analysis: Russia pushes to capture Dobropillia before autumn conditions worsen (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (17.09.2026): Analysis: Russia continues deporting Ukrainian female political prisoners to distant penal colonies (ISW⁠)
    →Update (17.09.2026): News: Russia targets passenger trains to undermine Ukraine’s economy and morale (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (16.09.2026): Analysis: Ukrainian forces reportedly advance beyond Zherebets River (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (16.09.2026): Analysis: Putin frames Duma elections as referendum on Ukraine war (ISW⁠)
    →Update (15.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine hits record number of Russian refineries as Trump pushes energy ceasefire (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (15.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi disrupts Russia’s Fortress Belt encirclement (ISW⁠) 
    →Update (14.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine races to counter Russia’s jet-powered drones (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (14.09.2026): Analysis: Zelensky reiterates readiness for mutual energy strikes moratorium (ISW⁠)
    →Update (13.09.2026): Analysis: Russian strikes near Polish border signal growing escalation (ISW⁠) 
    →Update (12.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine disrupts Russia’s Donbas offensive plans (ISW⁠)
    →Update (13.09.2026): Analysis: Anthropic AI joins Ukraine war after Russian exploitation (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (11.09.2026): Analysis: Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment (ISW⁠)
    →Update (10.09.2026): Analysis: Russia spent over €110bn on Ukraine war so far in 2026 (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (10.09.2026): Analysis: Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment (ISW⁠)
    →Update (10.09.2026): Analysis: Russian Occupation Update (ISW⁠)
    →Update (10.09.2026): Analysis: Zelenskyy gambles on pressure to force Putin into peace talks (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (09.09.2026): Analysis: Russia’s claimed Kharkiv encirclement lacks evidence (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (09.09.2026): News: Zelenskyy’s plane nearly hit by drone en route to Oslo (Euronews⁠)
    →Quick Brief:
    →Russia launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, expecting rapid military gains, but its attempt to seize Kyiv failed as Ukrainian forces resisted
    →The failed initial offensive developed into a long war of attrition, with Russia occupying Ukrainian territory while Ukraine continues to defend itself and strike Russian military and economic targets
    →Winter has repeatedly intensified pressure on civilians: Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine’s electricity and heating infrastructure, causing widespread outages and disruption
    →Diplomacy has not ended the war: renewed US-led efforts have so far failed to bridge fundamental differences between Moscow and Kyiv, while Russian military operations continue
    →Sources: UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine⁠, Reuters⁠, Associated Press⁠
    →Transparency Note: Use of AI
    read
    African RelationsHealth PolicyDemocratic Republic of CongoEbolaEpidemicUgandaWHO

    Ebola Epidemic: DRC’s deadliest, Conflicts make situation worse

    The World Health Organisation declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a global public health emergency.
    →Update (05.10.2026): New numbers, new infections (CDC)
    →Update (01.10.2026): News: Thousands flee Ebola-hit Congo camp, raising fears of wider disease spread (Reuters⁠)
    →Update (24.09.2026): News: WHO says Congo’s Ebola outbreak remains out of control amid health worker shortage (PBS NewsHour⁠)
    →Update (20.09.2026): News: Congo prioritizes Ebola health care workers for Ervebo vaccine effective against different virus strain (AP⁠)
    →Update (26.08.2023): Conflict drives DRC cholera outbreak (RFI)
    →Update (20.08.2026): Ebola vaccines allocated to Congo (WHO)
    →Update (13.08.2026): WHO chief warns of deadliest Ebola outbreak (BBC News)
    →Update (10.08.2026): Interview with expert: How missing international aid increasingly exacerbates the crisis (ZDFheute)
    →Update (05.08.2026): Expert speaks about potential future Ebola vaccine (FAZ)
    →Update (July 24, 2026): First person gets new experimental vaccine for Ebola (BBC)
    →Update (July 13, 2026): Ebola vaccine made in UK now ready for trials (BBC)
    →Update (July 09, 2026): Ebola rumours fuel attacks on health workers (BBC)
    →Update (July 03, 2026): Ebola treatments trial begins in DR Congo (BBC)
    →Update (June 15, 2026): Recovery of Ebola patients offers rare moments of joy (BBC)
    →Update (June 02, 2026): Protests against US Ebola quarantine centre plan in Kenya, two deaths (BBC)
    →Update (June 01, 2026): Three Ebola vaccines in development (BBC)
    →Update (May 31, 2026): How Ebola spreads and why it is so dangerous (BBC)
    →Update (May 31, 2026): Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned about Ebola in DRC: "Deeply alarming" situation (BBC)
    →Update (May 25, 2026): Many African countries want to cooperate to prevent the virus from further spreading (BBC); the EU and UNICEF mobilise over 100 metric tonnes of emergency supplies to DRC (UNICEF)
    →Update (May 24, 2026): African Centres for Disease Control warns of 10 other countries being at risk (BBC)
    →Update (May 22, 2026): Drastic missing information and education about the danger of Ebola within the population. Regional conflicts affect the situation. The population has high levels of mistrust of the government, corruption, and institutions like hospitals (BBC). WHO warned of very high national and regional spread, a potential epidemic and healthcare risks, but low global influence (BBC)
    →May 21, 2026:
    →WHO and the African Union declared a public health emergency over the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, which started in Eastern Congo (Ituri)
    →Bundibugyo Ebola is a rare Ebola strain with no approved specific vaccine or treatment yet; a vaccine could take 9 months
    →WHO reported approximately 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, but the situation is highly fluid
    →Sources: WHO, BBC
    read
    ChinaEconomic PolicySecurityCompetivenessDeficitEuropean CommissionTrade

    EU Trade Balance Turns Negative, a Trade War with China possible?

    Update (05.10.2026): News: EU trade chief heads to China (EUobserver⁠) Update (05.10.2026): News: Merz and Macron push tougher…
    →Update (05.10.2026): News: EU trade chief heads to China (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (05.10.2026): News: Merz and Macron push tougher EU trade response to China (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (04.10.2026): News: Britain expected to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (Reuters⁠)
    →Update (01.10.2026): Commentary: EU unity and leverage will determine whether it can stand up to China on trade (Carnegie Europe⁠)
    →Update (30.09.2026): News: China vows response if EU introduces measures targeting Chinese trade (Reuters⁠)
    →Update (29.09.2026): News: EU eyes tariffs on Chinese goods with new trade weapon (Rapporteur⁠)
    →Update (28.09.2026): Analysis: EU-China trade showdown increasingly appears inevitable (Internationale Politik Quarterly⁠) 
    →Update (18.09.2026): News: Beijing urges EU to weaken ‘Made in Europe’ industrial bill (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (17.09.2026): Analysis: EU firms redesign supply chains amid geopolitical risks (EIB⁠)
    →Update (17.09.2026): News: EU asks China to voluntarily limit hybrid car exports (Financial Times⁠)
    →Update (16.09.2026): News: Von der Leyen warns EU-China trade deficit has hit ‘tipping point’ (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (15.09.2026): Analysis: European businesses caught between US-China trade and tech war (POLITICO⁠)
    →Update (11.09.2026): News from China: Chinese experts warn EU protectionism cannot fix industrial woes (Global Times⁠)
    →Update (09.09.2026): News: EU spirits exports squeezed by US-China trade tensions (Euractiv⁠)
    →Update (08.09.2026): News: EU warns China to buy more European goods or risk trade war (Euractiv⁠)
    →Update (08.09.2026): News: China’s exports accelerate on autos and high-tech goods (Euronews⁠)
    →Update (07.09.2026): News: Commission proposes anti-China EU procurement rules (Euractiv⁠)
    →Update (02.09.2026): Interview: Šefčovič warns China of harsher measures by October (YouTube)
    →Update (02.09.2026): News: Think tank urges UK-EU cooperation against China (POLITICO)
    →Update (01.09.2026): Analysis: EU split over courting Chinese factories (EUobserver)
    →Update (31.08.2026): News: EU seeks to curb Chinese exports (POLITICO)
    →Update (31.08.2026): Commentary from China: Europe risks miscalculating a trade war with China (Global Times⁠) 
    →Update (31.08.2026): News: Hoekstra says Beijing weaponised clean-tech dominance (Euractiv)
    →Update (31.08.2026): Interview: Hoekstra says China isn’t playing by trade rules (YouTube)
    →Update (27.08.2026): Dutch think tank urges tougher China tariffs (EUobserver)
    →Update (27.08.2026): Von der Leyen warns China on trade (Euractiv)
    →Quick Brief:
    →The EU recorded a €21.8 billion goods deficit in Q2 (April–June) 2026, after a €6.7 billion surplus in Q1 (January–March)
    →The main driver was energy: the deficit in energy products widened to €101.1 billion
    →Imports rose by €63.4 billion, considerably more than the €34.9 billion increase in exports
    →The EU’s trade deficit with China reached €103.3 billion in Q2, adding to concerns over European industrial competitiveness
    →Sources: Eurostat, Euractiv
    →Transparency Note: Use of AI
    read
    BalticsEconomic PolicySecurityAndris KulbergDefenceDisinformation CampaignsHybrid ThreatsLatviaParliamentary ElectionsRussiaUkraine

    Latvia Election: Kulberg Wins, Pro-European Coalition Possible

    Latvia’s parliamentary election on 3 October will test political stability as voters weigh economic concerns and national security amid heightened tensions with Russia.
    →Update (04.10.2026): News: Latvian PM holds onto power as Russia-Ukraine war shapes election (EUobserver⁠)
    →Update (04.10.2026): News: Latvian partial election results point to a pro-European and pro-Ukraine choice (Le Monde⁠)
    →Update (01.10.2026): News: Russia divides Latvian society ahead of parliamentary election (Reuters⁠)
    →Quick Brief:
    →Voters will elect the 100-member Saeima, with Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs’ United List leading recent polling but expected to need coalition partners
    →Cost of living and economic concerns are central to the campaign, alongside national security and Latvia’s preparedness for hybrid threats
    →The previous government collapsed amid longstanding coalition tensions, accelerated by a Ukrainian drone crash reportedly linked to Russian jamming, highlighting air-defence gaps
    →Latvia is preparing for possible Russian disinformation and provocations, although its security service has found no significant systematic foreign interference so far
    →Sources: Reuters, OSW, Latvian Security Service
    →Transparency Note: Use of AI
    read
    Economic PolicyInside EuropeTechnology and Digital PolicyAlexis TsiprasDebtELASESMEuropean CommissionEuropean UnionFinancial CrisisGrowthInvestmentKyriakos MitsotakisReformsUnemployment

    Greece: EU Problem Child in 2015, Growth Model in 2025?

    Greece’s recovery, supported by tourism, reforms and EU investment, offers lessons on rebuilding economic strength and trust in the state after crisis.
    →Tourism remains a major growth driver. Greece’s economy grew by 2.1% in 2025, while unemployment has fallen from over 25% during the crisis to below 8%
    →The recovery spans successive governments. Alexis Tsipras accepted a third bailout in 2015, committing Greece to further fiscal and administrative reforms. His new party, ELAS, polls currently in second place
    →Under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, first elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, digital services and stronger tax enforcement have improved administration and public finances. Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis argues that visible improvements rebuild trust and counter populism
    →For Europe, Greece illustrates how reforms and EU investment can support recovery. Yet high debt, tourism’s vulnerability to external shocks and austerity’s social costs complicate its role as a model
    →Sources: ZEIT⁠, European Commission⁠, European Stability Mechanism⁠
    read
    National Politicsantisemitismfar-rightFranceJordan BarellaNational Rally

    Bardella to File Defamation Complaint Over Anti-Semitism Claims

    Far-right National Rally president Barella set to file a defamation complaint with the French outlet Mediapart over alleged antisemitic expressions.
    →French far-right leader Jordan Bardella to file a defamation complaint against a media outlet's publication on his alleged anti-semitic views
    →The complaint is against the French Investigative Mediapart outlet which had released parts of Bardella's emails from a decade ago
    →The experts contain alleged antisemitic expressions which Bardella dismissed as false
    →His lawyer told Rapporteur he would file the defamation complaint with the Paris prosecutor’s office on October 4th
    →Source: Rapporteur
    read
    All briefings Weekly Briefing on Instagram
    October 6, 2026
    byTizian Stocker
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