EUalive

Black Sea city of Burgas beats Sofia to host Eurovision 2027

August 13, 2026 13:07

The choice, somewhat surprising, is seen as a great opportunity for advertising Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast

Fugitive Polish politician’s Budapest institute received generous public money for little work

August 13, 2026 16:31

Money was earmarked for a “working group”, but the institute’s only publicly named staff member was Marcin Romanowski, a former Polish deputy justice minister

EUalive stands with North Macedonia journalist Erol Rizaov against death threats

August 13, 2026 15:36

Criticism of political figures, government decisions and public statements forms an essential part of independent journalism

The Wires

Putin visits Japan-claimed islands for first time; Tokyo protests

The move underscores the enduring sensitivity of the dispute more than 80 years after the Soviet seizure of the Kuril Islands

Rare total solar eclipse plunges northern Spain into darkness, drawing cheers from millions

Western Europe’s first totality in 27 years captivates crowds from rural Spanish viewing spots to Iceland, which welcomed 80,000 visitors

New attacks on shipping as Iran war talks hit fresh impasse

Comments by Iranian officials indicate that the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen to shipping anytime soon

Ukraine considers shipping grain by rail via Moldova to the Romanian port of Constanța

Increased Russian attacks on Ukrainian shipping and port infrastructure in recent months make impossible exports from Ukrainian ports

News

German intelligence reform to enable sabotage, cyber disruption and forgery

A draft law grants intelligence active powers to neutralise threats independently for the first time since their founding

Germany

Putin says Russia will respond “in kind” to seizures of its ships

Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused the EU of using its IRINI mission to “intimidate commercial carriers and hinder freedom of navigation”

Russia

Selection of European prosecutor from Bulgaria: back to square one

Sofia will launch a new procedure after the previous selection was challenged over concerns about the independence and transparency of the process

Bulgaria

Three criminal cases against prominent Cyprus journalist raise alarm over press freedom

Makarios Drousiotis is being investigated over alleged dissemination of false news, personal data violations and an illegal fundraising campaign

Cyprus

Greece’s aging electricity grid blamed for disproportionate share of catastrophic wildfires

Uncomfortable questions arise over modernisation delays under the long-serving Mitsotakis governments

Greece

Ukraine halts drone strikes on tankers at Novorossiysk after Vance request

Despite the heavy reliance of several European countries on CPC blend crude, neither individual EU member states nor EU institutions publicly reacted to the mid-July strikes

Kazakhstan

Extreme summer lays bare nuclear plants’ vulnerability to climate extremes

From jellyfish invasions clogging French reactors to record-low Danube levels forcing shutdowns, this season’s heat and drought have exposed critical weaknesses

France

Views

What is behind the Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan Collective Defence Framework?

The Mecca Pact formalises mutual defence among three major Muslim powers, reflecting declining confidence in Western security guarantees

Geopolitics

Analysis: How the Kyiv-Varna train derailed in Sofia

Bulgaria missed out on Ukrainian tourists over a bill of EUR 300 thousand to fund the project

Energy & Transport

Ceuta crisis: EU alarmism backfired

In their criticism of Spain’s migration policy, 22 European leaders found themselves closely aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump

Geopolitics

Security expert: A quarrelsome Slovakia serves Russia’s interests best

The government’s pro-Russian tone does not protect Slovakia from attacks. Moscow benefits from a fragile and divided country, says Patrik Haburaj

Geopolitics

The Fedorov controversy: “The matter is not in the surnames. People have a demand for justice”

Captain Roman Sinitsyn on the protests, Mykhaylo Fedorov’s work, and Defence Forces strikes on the temporarily occupied territories

Geopolitics

Cyprus issue: Why did Guterres come to the island?

As conflict spreads across the Eastern Mediterranean, the UNSG sees the unresolved Cyprus issue not merely as a diplomatic problem but as a growing security vacuum

Energy & Transport

The masquerade called “Funeral of the Century”: what the world’s media didn’t show

Leading media - such as Reuters, Associated Press, BBC, Al Jazeera, Euronews, and a number of European publications - fell into a trap

Geopolitics

Catch the wind in your sails with your next big campaign!

Ready to propel your brand forward?

You say you want a revolution? Lead the charge with your brand!

Make sure you lead, not lag!

Analysis

Zelenskyy in Belgrade: Vučić refused to let Serbia foot Putin’s bill

The claim that the President of Ukraine was invited primarily for Brussels does not survive contact with the facts

Opinion

The €300bn question: Why Russia’s frozen assets are still not financing Ukraine

Four years after the first pledges, sovereign assets remain frozen, private assets rarely reach confiscation, and sanctions fines are only partially redirected

Catch the Eye

Nigel Farage and the drama at Clacton

An Ipsos survey found that 33% of adults across the UK would prefer to see satirical candidate Count Binface win the election while 21% indicated a preference for the Reform UK leader

Editor's Take

A journalist’s blunder that served Moscow well

Journalists who insert themselves so aggressively into the story they cover, as Michael Martens from FAZ did, do not serve their readers

Policy Topics

Is Orbán looking for a soft landing at FIFA or just immunity at the UN?

Even in exile from power, the former leader continues to treat institutions as potential extensions of personal ambition

Society

Iceland’s small referendum with big consequences for the EU

Should voters endorse reopening accession negotiations, then Iceland could become one of the EU’s fastest-moving candidates

Geopolitics

Low Danube waters in Bulgaria expose foundations of famous Roman bridge

A series of discoveries highlight both the scientific value of extreme low-water events and the broader impacts of climate-driven drought on Europe’s major waterways

Culture

A pre-summer holidays energy outlook for Europe amid escalating Middle East conflict

Analysts note that while physical supply has held up better than feared thanks to U.S. output and weak demand elsewhere, “it may not last” if attacks intensify

Energy & Transport

Beach rules or bust: Greece, Italy and Spain crack down on rowdy tourists

New fines target irresponsible behaviour - here’s what travelers need to know before hitting the Mediterranean this summer

Economy

Summer travel gridlock: EU countries demand more time for troubled border system

The introduction of the European Union’s new biometric border control system EES has unleashed significant disruptions across the Schengen area

Energy & Transport

Soviet monuments, legal obligations and propaganda risks: Romania’s memory dilemma

Hundreds of monuments and cemeteries dedicated to the Red Army are being re-examined amid concerns they preserve a distorted narrative of World War II