Across Europe, countries are shifting from volunteer soldiers to conscript armies — with Austria now also weighing up whether to extend its mandatory military service.

Coastal EU states have signalled a harsher crackdown on Russia's 'shadow fleet', as Ukraine peace talks falter.

Or maybe we should ask a harder question: what if the goal is not to actually communicate – but just to be seen trying?

Across Europe, mayors and local councillors are facing a disturbing rise in harassment, threats, disinformation, and even physical violence. These aren’t isolated incidents — they are a growing pattern. And they’re not 'just politics'. They are deliberate attempts to silence, intimidate, and push people out of public life, warns the Council of European Municipalities and Regions.

A French banker inside Euroclear, who flew to Russia 155 times for "private" reasons, allegedly tried to connect the company's CEO, Valérie Urbain, with Russian spies and threatened her when she declined, according to an investigation by EUobserver, Humo, De Morgen, and Dossier Center.

Today, we kick off an anniversary campaign to convince new supporting members to join EUobserver's mission of providing the information citizens need to safeguard EU democracy.