In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Evi Kiorri explores what life is really like far from the cities, speaking with Emanuele Monaco, who left urban life to build a distillery in rural Puglia, Italy.

In ousting and arresting Nicolás Maduro, US president Donald Trump wants the political gains of fighting a war — without actually having to fight one. Whereas fascists and imperialists know that war requires real combat, Trump seems unwilling or unable to go that far, not least because he is weak at home, writes historian and author Timothy Snyder.

France, Spain, and Denmark mildly rebuked the US over its actions in Venezuela at UN crisis talks, whilst China, most of Latin America, and African states voiced outrage.

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.