Is HYDEF, the EU’s Hypersonic Interception Programme, Still Making Progress?
Russia perpetrated yet another heavy attack targeting Kyiv on May 24th, firing some 600 drones and 90 missiles including hypersonic Kinzhal and Zircon missiles. As EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said, “Russia hit a dead end on the battlefield, so it terrorizes Ukraine with deliberate strikes on city centres.” A tactic made easier by Ukraine’s lack of air defence systems that can reliably intercept hypersonic missiles – Europe has the same problem. Could the EU’s Hypersonic Defence Interceptor Programme (HYDEF) help to solve this challenge?
The EU Keeps Insisting It’s Not a State. It Keeps Building One Anyway
From a coal and steel pact to an €800 billion defence plan, seven decades of crisis management have quietly assembled something Europe refuses to name.
Free, Open, and Untouchable? Open-Source Enforcement Gaps Within the AI Act
The EU has rules for open-source AI, but little means to enforce them. Providers self-declare compliance, regulators cannot verify it, and offshore developers face no meaningful consequences for ignoring Brussels. The AI Act’s open-source regime risks mistaking documentation for accountability.
Big Brother is Watching: Orwell’s 1984 in Russian Reality
How Russia cut itself off from the world’s informational space — and what it built in the void.
Musk vs. the EU: The Battle Over Free Speech Four Years Since Twitter’s Acquisition
Elon Musk and the EU have been talking past each other for four years about free speech and content moderation. Now they must make their respective cases in court.
The Fellowship of the Payments: Europe’s Journey Beyond the Two Towers
For decades, Visa and Mastercard have dominated Europe’s payment rails. Efficient — yes. Strategically neutral? Not so much.
Albania’s Justice Reform Puts the EU’s Rule-of-Law Credibility to the Test
Albania’s EU accession bid is becoming a critical test of whether Brussels will uphold its core values on human rights, due process, and accountability when they become politically inconvenient.
Beyond Fabs: The Czech Republic’s Supply-Chain Role in Europe’s Chip Race
The EU Chips Act seeks to strengthen Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem and reach a 20% global market share by 2030. The Chips Act 2.0 is a chance to address its shortcomings.
Eco-Fatigue: Why Green Messaging Is Losing Its Appeal
After years of hype, sustainability messaging is starting to wear thin. In a world of rising geopolitical tensions, soaring energy prices, growing economic uncertainty, and chronic greenwashing, eco-friendly-ness is losing its prestige.
Saving Climate Diplomacy From the Consensus and Legitimacy Traps
COP-30 has exposed a climate regime that is no longer merely slow—it is fundamentally unable to act and deliver solutions.
Transfer Mispricing: How Multinational Enterprises Shift Profits into Losses for Africa
How do multinational enterprises use transfer mispricing to shift profits abroad, depriving African countries of vital tax revenues?
A New Threshold in Romania’s Democracy: Its Own Justice System
An independent investigation into Romania’s Justice System: How Recorder’s documentary exposed alleged judicial abuses, sparked nationwide protests, and provoked reactions from the country’s political and institutional leadership.
