🔁 What's moving Europe today
- Trump's deal with Putin on Russian oil is running into criticism in almost all of Europe and in the US Congress. Critics say that Moscow in particular is benefiting from the deal; according to Die Presse, Russia continues to attack Ukrainian energy facilities. 🇩🇪 ↗ · 🇦🇹 ↗ · 🇷🇴 ↗ · 🇸🇪 ↗ · 🇬🇧 ↗
- The commander of allied NATO forces in Europe, Alexus Grynkewich, presented a "theory of victory" over Russia. "We are ready to fight tonight," he told Moscow; according to NRC, he warned that NATO forces are prepared, in the event of an attack on an alliance member, to destroy "everything and everyone." 🇩🇪 ↗ · 🇧🇪 ↗ · 🇫🇷 ↗ · 🇳🇱 ↗ · 🇵🇱 ↗
- The EU approved its largest sanctions package against Russia to date – more than 1,600 new individuals and companies, targeting the military and drone complex. 🇵🇱 ↗ · 🇭🇺 ↗ · 🇪🇸 ↗ · 🇧🇪 ↗ · 🇺🇦 ↗
- Federal agents searched the home of Democratic congresswoman and Trump critic Ilhan Omar shortly before the elections. The investigation is being led by the ICE immigration police unit over alleged irregularities in her naturalization; the Justice Department confirmed it approved the search warrant, while Democrats speak of an abuse of power. 🇩🇪 ↗ · 🇫🇷 ↗ · 🇧🇪 ↗ · 🇮🇹 ↗ · 🇺🇸 ↗
- A massive cyberattack knocked out the cooling systems of hundreds of French supermarkets and also hit Belgian and Dutch stores; tons of food ended up in the trash. Damages run into millions of euros, and the Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation. 🇫🇷 ↗ · 🇦🇹 ↗ · 🇳🇱 ↗ · 🇮🇹 ↗ · 🇫🇮 ↗
- German Labor Minister and SPD leader Bärbel Bas has stepped down from both her government and party roles – Alexander Schweitzer takes her place in government. Chancellor Merz's coalition continues to shake, and new SPD leadership won't be elected until the turn of the year. 🇩🇪 ↗ · 🇦🇹 ↗ · 🇨🇭 ↗ · 🇧🇪 ↗ · 🇳🇱 ↗
- British Prime Minister Burnham accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards of planning an attack on the Fairford military base – the accusation was backed by thirty countries, and London is promising further sanctions against Iran. On that occasion he also repeated that Russia had influenced the Brexit referendum. 🇬🇧 ↗ · 🇪🇸 ↗ · 🇵🇹 ↗ · 🇫🇮 ↗ · 🇭🇷 ↗
- In Germany, two Turkish nationals were detained in connection with arson at a Polish Starlink station, which Warsaw sees as an act of hybrid warfare linked to Russia. 🇵🇱 ↗ · 🇩🇪 ↗ · 🇷🇴 ↗ · 🇧🇪 ↗ · 🇱🇹 ↗
- Saudi Arabia is running out of interceptors against the Houthis, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is reportedly moving between palace bunkers according to several media outlets, and Riyadh's airport remains closed until October 17. 🇩🇪 ↗ · 🇳🇱 ↗ · 🇧🇦 ↗ · 🇹🇷 ↗ · 🇷🇴 ↗
- Elon Musk is the largest Republican donor ahead of the US midterm elections – more than $276 million since July. 🇩🇪 ↗ · 🇬🇧 ↗ · 🇵🇱 ↗ · 🇵🇹 ↗ · 🇺🇸 ↗
- Zelensky signed a law on education in minority languages – meant to remove one of the main obstacles to opening accession clusters with the EU. 🇺🇦 ↗ · 🇭🇺 ↗ · 🇱🇹 ↗
- The EU and China agreed on a cap for hybrid car imports – a maximum of 350,000 units per year, a de-escalation of the trade war. 🇩🇪 ↗ · 🇦🇹 ↗ · 🇧🇪 ↗ · 🇳🇱 ↗ · 🇱🇻 ↗
- According to a BBC investigation, auditing firm Deloitte helped falsify documents so that Russian-British oligarch Roman Abramovich could avoid taxes – backdated papers also made his yachts and villas disappear from the accounts. 🇬🇧 ↗ · 🇧🇪 ↗ · 🇳🇱 ↗ · 🇵🇹 ↗ · 🇬🇧 ↗
DE🇩🇪German media
- The CDU in Saxony-Anhalt is considering leaving the chamber to avoid votes for the AfD candidate for prime minister – a dispute over maintaining the "firewall" against the far right. Süddeutsche Zeitung ↗
- Iran claims it attacked a supertanker in the Strait of Hormuz. Spiegel ↗
- Israel denied a visa to a taz newspaper correspondent, the dispute over press freedom continues. Welt ↗
- A Hamburg court seized the podcast recordings of Die Zeit journalist in the "Block" case, the editorial team speaks of an attack on press freedom. Spiegel ↗
- Merz is pushing for a reduction in the electricity tax for all households, critics call it a risky populist move. Tagesspiegel ↗
- Berlin's Die Linke postponed by two weeks the congress at which it was to vote on starting coalition talks with the SPD and the Greens. Tagesspiegel ↗
- A joint dinner between representatives of Sahra Wagenknecht's BSW and the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt has sparked a rift within her movement. Welt ↗
PL🇵🇱Polish media
- Services published a communiqué about a planned assassination attempt on PM Tusk and the defense minister, after which Tusk still walked to the government office on foot, former head of the protection service BOR Mirosław Gawor says this may make protecting the prime minister harder. Onet ↗
- The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection UOKiK imposed multi-million fines on four banks for unlawfully raising fees by up to 200 percent. Rzeczpospolita ↗
- Central bank governor Glapiński may face the State Tribunal, NBP warns of the consequences of the parliamentary committee's decision. Do Rzeczy ↗
- Former Justice Minister Ziobro may be brought before the State Tribunal, not only over prosecutors' accusations. Rzeczpospolita ↗
- Łukasz Gibała became mayor of Kraków on his fourth attempt and immediately announced his first decisions, KO politicians admit their candidate was a weak choice. Rzeczpospolita ↗
- The investigative committee into the Pegasus wiretapping case published its findings – "it wasn't just wiretapping, but a takeover of a life," says committee chair Magdalena Sroka. Rzeczpospolita ↗
HU🇭🇺Hungarian media
- Opposition leader Péter Magyar accused half of Fidesz-KDNP's MPs in parliament of illegitimacy, claiming they secured their mandates through fraud. 24.hu ↗
- András Baka nominated Péter Fejes for the post of chief prosecutor. Telex ↗
- Fraudsters posing as employees of the state agency NVVH tried to swindle two billion forints, a court has remanded two suspects in custody. Telex ↗
- The faction's ethics committee will decide on Tuesday about Tisza party MP Tibor Kaprinyák over photos from a luxury hunt. Telex ↗
- Zsolt Borkai resigned his mandate on Győr's city council, leaving politics for good. Telex ↗
- Sensitive information about US nuclear weapons has leaked, and Washington is responding with a drastic step. Portfolio ↗
AT🇦🇹Austrian media
- The European Commission is reviewing XXXLutz's acquisition of the Porta company. ORF ↗
- Interior Minister Karner defends detention of Ukrainian journalists in Vienna – "it's not a simple scenario." Der Standard ↗
- Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger refused a trip to see Lavrov in Moscow and declared Israeli politician Ben Gvir unwelcome in Austria. Die Presse ↗ · ORF ↗
- ÖVP openly criticizes coalition partner Neos in the dispute over conscription. Kurier ↗
- Anti-corruption prosecutor's office WKStA investigates insolvency of Meinl Bank. Der Standard ↗
- New electricity grid tariffs – whoever draws a lot of power at once will pay more. Der Standard ↗
- Sexual harassment of a girl by a robot in Cologne livestreamed – investigation into two minors. Der Standard ↗
- OpenAI and Anthropic are secretly preparing for AI catastrophe "Day X," according to Der Standard. Der Standard ↗
UA🇺🇦Ukrainian media
- Russia launched a massive attack on Kharkiv, destroying the entrance of an apartment building in the Kholodnohirskyi district, seven injured, two in serious condition. Ukrainska Pravda ↗
- The Kremlin rejected Zelensky's proposal for a 60-day truce during the election period, offering only a one-day pause. Ukrainska Pravda ↗
- NATO has drawn up a defense plan against Russia including strikes on military targets directly inside Russia and Belarus. Censor.NET ↗
- Ukrainian strikes on three data centers of Russia's Yandex caused outages, which the company has still not resolved. Censor.NET ↗
- Nigel Farage called Ukraine "one of the most corrupt countries in the world," sparking criticism. Ukrainska Pravda ↗
- Zelensky, after a phone call with Merz, announced a new meeting of the "coalition of the willing." Censor.NET ↗
- Britain imposed sanctions on a Dutch businessman for supplying machinery to Russian missile manufacturers – the case was uncovered by Kyiv Independent. Kyiv Independent ↗
FR🇫🇷French media
- High school students enter another week of protests against education cuts, with teachers also planning to join Tuesday's march. Le Figaro ↗
- A fourteen-year-old student shot the principal and a teacher at a school in Aubagne, bringing a shotgun in a guitar case; according to Le Figaro his goal was "to kill teachers." Le Figaro ↗
- Ségolène Royal, after losing the primaries, made her support for Glucksmann's campaign conditional – if it shifts toward "Macronism," she won't be part of it. Le Figaro ↗
- Republican presidential candidate Retailleau unveiled a €197 billion austerity program for the 2027 budget and speaks of a "nearly bankrupt France." Libération ↗
- Rating agency Fitch is considering lowering France's credit rating. Le Figaro ↗
- Prime Minister Lecornu promises cheaper diesel at the pump starting November 1. Le Figaro ↗
- Macron announced the detention of a tanker from Russia's "shadow fleet" near Réunion Island for illegal fuel transport. Le Figaro ↗
- Congo's ex-president Kabila has taken the lead of a new political-military grouping that also includes M23 rebels, raising the risk of further escalation in eastern DR Congo. Le Monde ↗
IT🇮🇹Italian media
- Matteo Salvini formally resigned as leader of the League and announced his own congress, with a new logo and political secretariat. Corriere della Sera ↗
- 2027 budget: Finance Minister Giorgetti wants to use part of the energy funds to help families. AGI ↗
- Meloni pressures Brussels with a letter alongside Chancellor Merz – wanting to tell the EU "what doesn't work in energy and flexibility." Corriere della Sera ↗
- The opposition has filed 30 lawsuits with the Constitutional Court against the "Melonellum" electoral law, raising six doubts about its constitutionality. Corriere della Sera ↗
- MPS bank: CEO Lovaglio stands firm on his plan ahead of the decisive shareholders' meeting. La Repubblica ↗
- Gas futures prices in Amsterdam jumped 3.34% to 84.16 euros per megawatt-hour. ANSA ↗
- Stellantis opens up the possibility of a second model for the Mirafiori plant, seeking state help with energy and logistics costs. Il Fatto Quotidiano ↗
- Pope Leo XIV will be hospitalized at Gemelli hospital to have a nodule removed from his lung. AGI ↗
CH🇨🇭Swiss media
- CDU in deep decline in the polls, Chancellor Merz seeks a "liberating blow" through tax relief. Neue Zürcher Zeitung ↗
- Switzerland has launched a referendum against loosening the law on military equipment exports, as an alliance begins collecting signatures. SRF ↗
- American rating agency warns: Zurich could lose its top AAA rating over 7.2 billion francs in debt. Tages-Anzeiger ↗
LU🇱🇺Luxembourg media
- Prime Minister Luc Frieden cannot follow Merz's "saving mania" in the EU budget, the newspaper writes in an editorial. Luxemburger Wort ↗
- Luxembourg is considering further legal steps in the $16 billion arbitration dispute with Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman. Luxembourg Times ↗
ES🇪🇸Spanish media
- The Supreme Court upheld the suspension of voting rights for people who obtained citizenship under the "grandchildren's law" – it rejected the state attorney's appeal by five votes to one. El Mundo ↗
- Sánchez admitted he hid for 74 days the fact that Moroccan warships entered Ceuta's waters during a mass migrant crossing. El Español ↗
- The left-wing Frente Amplio proposed Ada Colau as its candidate for prime minister, leaving the involvement of Podemos open. El País ↗
- The PP mayor of Algeciras faces a second accusation of sexually abusing party officials, with his own party calling for his resignation. El Mundo ↗
- Clashes broke out between far-right activists and a camp of demonstrators at Madrid's Puerta del Sol, leaving one police officer injured and two detained. El Mundo ↗
- First serious rift between Catalan premier Illa and ERC over leadership of public broadcaster TV3 following a report on vaccines. El Confidencial ↗
- Renault questions the future of its Valladolid plant if subsidies for Chinese electric vehicles continue, while Seat awaits a decision on a second platform for the Martorell plant. El País ↗
BE🇧🇪Belgian media
- Days of unrest near Brussels-South station have ended, leaving behind a trail of destruction and nine detained minors. Het Laatste Nieuws ↗
- The Walloon government is targeting a budget deficit of €1.35 billion in 2027. De Morgen ↗
- Flemish Media Minister Cieltje Van Achter definitively refuses further negotiations over cuts at public broadcaster VRT – which is supposed to save around another €10 million. VRT NWS ↗
- Israel heads toward historic elections, with Netanyahu in a tight race against his former chief of staff, who lost a son in the war. Het Laatste Nieuws ↗
- The EU and the United Kingdom announced a summit for November 20 in Brussels. La Libre ↗
- Belgium keeps the "Russia House" open in Brussels despite the risk of propaganda and disinformation. De Standaard ↗
PT🇵🇹Portuguese media
- Interior Minister Luís Neves dismissed the ministry's secretary-general Ricardo Carrilho, according to a communiqué it is a reorganization of the general secretariat. Jornal de Negócios ↗
- Interview with former PM Passos Coelho reopens the question of a PSD coalition with Chega, PM Montenegro signals that PSD does not have to live "tied" to Chega. RTP ↗
- The city of Porto labeled a tent camp an "illegal occupation" and confirmed a crackdown – authorities on Monday morning called on housing-rights protesters to leave Praça D. João I and remove the tents in which they have been sleeping since Saturday. CM Jornal ↗
- Two Chega MPs stormed into the studio of a university radio station in Coimbra. Expresso ↗
- Israel's Supreme Court demands the army set deadlines for the return of 30,000 Palestinians expelled from the West Bank. CM Jornal ↗
- Oil company Galp achieved a record refining margin of $33.8 per barrel – the highest in the company's history. Expresso ↗
- Deputy Governor Máximo dos Santos is leaving Banco de Portugal at the end of the month, no replacement has been named yet. Expresso ↗
IE🇮🇪Irish media
- Unions rejected Minister Jack Chambers's offer of talks on pay before the WRC and insist on the announced strike. Irish Independent ↗
- Former swimming coach George Gibney received 16 years and eight months in prison, to serve 15 and a half years for sexually abusing four young swimmers. Irish Examiner ↗
- Alleged drug gang boss Daniel Kinahan will apply for bail "at the right time," before the Special Criminal Court he is seeking disclosure of files from two foreign investigations. The Irish Times ↗
- The Orange Order is appealing in court against the ban on the Drumcree march. The Irish Times ↗
- Irish engineer Robert Pether returned home after five years of imprisonment in Iraq. The Irish Times ↗
NL🇳🇱Dutch media
- The EU wants to "hold a dialogue" with Washington over US sanctions against the International Criminal Court. Trouw ↗
- Dutch Health Minister Hermans is scrapping the thirteen-week ultrasound scan for pregnant women from 2028 – the Health Council recommended last month not including it in standard care. NOS ↗
- The opposition in The Hague attacks the government's tax plan, criticizing the "sly freedom allowance." NU.nl ↗
- A Dutch soldier received two years in prison, ten months of which suspended, for selling confidential information from police systems in exchange for cocaine and money. NU.nl ↗
🌍 Other countries
RS🇷🇸Serbian media
- SPS leader Dačić announced his candidacy for President of Serbia, although Vučić reportedly trusts someone from the opposition more. Danas ↗
- European Parliament mission is finally coming to observe the elections in Serbia, having received the invitation only after the deadline. N1 Serbia ↗
HR🇭🇷Croatian media
- Air measurements near the controversial landfill in Gospić confirmed it is clean, further measurements will be arranged by the county. Večernji list ↗
- A young AfD representative resigned after the publication of a "Greater Germany" map featuring parts of twelve other states, the map sparked outrage across Europe. Index.hr ↗
TR🇹🇷Turkish media
- The PKK has withdrawn from four camps in northern Iraq, according to Turkish security sources – another step in the peace process. TRT Haber ↗
- Erdoğan, after a government meeting, said that in Turkey "no one, not even himself," is above criticism. Cumhuriyet ↗
RO🇷🇴Romanian media
- The Senate approved an AUR political declaration demanding the government explain the alleged waiver of its EU veto right, acting Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu called it "a lie from start to finish." Pro TV Stirile ↗
- A decision on house arrest in the Călin Georgescu case has been postponed, after two weeks behind bars he returned to DIICOT to complete computer searches. Pro TV Stirile ↗
GB🇬🇧British media
- AI Minister Kanishka Narayan warned that a breach of Britain's cyber defenses is "likely," the government wants to deploy advanced AI against attacks. BBC News ↗
- Britain has spent £1.6 trillion on working-age benefits over the past 20 years, three times what it invested in infrastructure. The Sun ↗
GR🇬🇷Greek media
- Greece wants a bill to ban children under 15 from accessing Instagram, Facebook and TikTok starting in 2027. Protothema ↗
- A poster for an archaeology conference showing a Wehrmacht flag over the Acropolis sparked a wave of criticism. Naftemporiki ↗
BA🇧🇦Bosnia and Herzegovina media
- The CIK election commission stated that manipulating results via scanners was not possible, and warned against disinformation about new voting technologies. N1 Bosna ↗
- A court again postponed the enforcement of the sentence against Vojin Pavlović for denying genocide and glorifying Mladić. N1 Bosna ↗
LT🇱🇹Lithuanian media
- A man was shot on Savanorių Avenue in Vilnius, according to the Delfi portal the victim is kickboxing champion Vincas Jašmontas. LRT ↗
FI🇫🇮Finnish media
- Fifty to a hundred people demonstrated in Helsinki in front of Google's headquarters against planned data centers. Yle ↗
BG🇧🇬Bulgarian media
- At a secret facility near Sofia, two masked men set fire to 11 Starlink antennas, according to MP Ivajlo Mirčev. Dnevnik ↗
SI🇸🇮Slovenian media
- FIFA chief Infantino faces a new scandal – he allegedly received unreported payments worth millions, the investigation also mentions a luxury villa. Delo ↗
SE🇸🇪Swedish media
- A third student at the Sigtuna school has now been taken into custody on suspicion of a crime – the appeals court decided this after the first-instance court rejected the request. SVT ↗
MK🇲🇰Macedonian media
- The government is touting 4.3% economic growth and inflation 25% below the EU average. MKD.mk ↗
IS🇮🇸Icelandic media
- In the Reykholt case, Andri Már Mortensen Birgisson was sentenced to eight years in prison, six people in total were charged with holding a man captive and beating him to extort money from him. RÚV ↗
EE🇪🇪Estonian media
- Ülle Madise took office as Estonia's new president, taking over from outgoing president Karis. Äripäev ↗
ME🇲🇪Montenegrin media
- Former President of Serbia and Montenegro Svetozar Marović is free – the court ruled that his sentence is absolutely time-barred. Vijesti ↗
NO🇳🇴Norwegian media
- The daughter of Norwegian real estate investor Christian Ringnes has reportedly come forward as a whistleblower in the Epstein case, according to the daily DN, and speaks about her involvement in a controversial think tank. VG ↗
DK🇩🇰Danish media
- The attack that leaked 8.7 million Danish personal ID numbers was created using artificial intelligence – the suspected hacker reportedly "vibe-coded" the theft program using AI, according to Politiken. Politiken ↗
US🇺🇸American media
- The Department of Justice has launched an antitrust investigation into NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN and Fox News following Trump's threats against the media. NPR ↗
LV🇱🇻Latvian media
- A group called "Black Russians" has claimed responsibility for the incident on the Latvian border, analysts see traces of intelligence services behind it. LSM ↗
AL🇦🇱Albanian media
- Mass protests under "Revolt 135" demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and a technical government, demonstrators are marching to the government office in Tirana. Balkanweb ↗
MD🇲🇩Moldovan media
- Oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, after being sentenced to 19 years for creating and leading a criminal organization, appeared before the appeals court – demanding an explanation of the charges, telling the judges "I don't understand the accusation." Ziarul de Gardă ↗
MT🇲🇹Maltese media
- Part of a square in Tarxien collapsed, angry residents say "people could have died." Newsbook ↗
🔭 What barely made the news here
- Acting Romanian Prime Minister Luca Niculescu has until Thursday to present a government program and cabinet – he is considering a "hybrid" or technocratic government, since the PNL refuses to govern with the PSD again. This is another example of political instability in a NATO and EU member state. G4Media ↗
- The Hungarian scientific network HUN-REN lost both its chairman and its director general in a single day – both departed by mutual agreement, with Stipsicz András becoming the new interim chairman at the government's proposal. The political influence on science also resonates in Slovakia's own debate about research independence. Telex ↗
- Serbia's Dodik and Croatia's Čović confirmed their alliance and intend to lead post-election coalition talks in Bosnia. Forming a government in Bosnia has long been a sensitive issue for the region. N1 Bosna ↗
*Illustrative photo: the Berlaymont building, headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels. Wikimedia Commons. Author: KenSwe72. License CC BY 4.0.*
