Amid escalating state repression, Georgia finds itself at a pivotal turning point. The findings of the Eastern Partnership Index 2025 make one thing clear: under the ruling Georgian Dream party, Georgia is dangerously drifting away from the democratic values and European integration.

A growing number of member states, led by Austria and Luxembourg, are pushing to introduce a “no-risk” category into the EUDR — an exemption that would in practice harm both the EU’s deforestation agenda and its sanctions on Russian and Belarusian timber.

In cities like Belgrade, Tirana, and Pristina, the combined cost of rent and utilities is approaching, or even exceeding, average monthly salaries. The growing gap between supply and demand continues to push real estate and rental prices higher — making housing increasingly unaffordable.

Legal scholars have dubbed it a "sleeping beauty" — a potent yet practically unused EU Parliament instrument akin to the EU's own Article 7, designed to safeguard the rule of law and the integrity of its institutions.

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.

Russian spies are still active in the EU capital and have a "higher risk appetite" than before the Ukraine war — despite Belgium's efforts to push back against their plots.