Train accidents, floods in Valencia - every disaster in Spain strongly reignites political battles. Using tragedy for political gain is widely condemned. Is this a typical Spanish thing, or is the taboo weakening?

Cyprus is in the first month of its EU presidency. The island took the role having spent more than a decade dismantling its reputation as a permissive financial hub, not least for wealthy Russians, and repositioning itself within the Western political, economic and security framework.

EU and Indian leaders signed a landmark trade pact on Tuesday, with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen describing it as “a tale of two giants", at a signing ceremony in New Delhi. 'We have sent a signal to the world that rules-based cooperation still delivers great outcomes,' she added.

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.