EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen plans to give governments early access to the bloc’s cash for farmers as the Brussels executive pulls out the stops to get national capitals to give the green light to a trade deal with the South American Mercosur bloc. 

The European Union has shifted its focus to the Middle East, amid renewed turmoil in the region — from the conflict in Syria to worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and protests throughout Iran.

Journalist Veronika Munk reviews Hungary’s political developments on the road to the April election, from campaign infighting and Viktor Orbán’s press limits to new Budapest candidates, the Beneš decrees row with Slovakia, the government's U-turn on Venezuela, and the death of Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr.

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.