Kristof Bender

Indeed, the EU should open first EU accession negotiation chapters with Moldova asap. Waiting for Ukraine to be unblocked by Hungary does not help anybody, not even Ukraine. The more countries that deserve to proceed are held back, the worse for the - already tainted - credibility of the process.

EU to curb Russian diplomats’ travel as suspected spy attacks mount [FREE TO READ] Intelligence agencies say sabotage operations are often led by spies posing as diplomats

Brussels to curb the travel of Russian diplomats within the EU, in response to a surge in sabotage attempts that intelligence agencies say are led by spies operating under diplomatic cover.

Czech-led initiative backed after Hungary drops its veto. With @andybounds.bsky.social

on.ft.com/46Umr0T

📷 Antoni Lallican, l’Ukraine au coeur

⚫ Le photographe français et collaborateur de Libération, tué par un drone dans le Donbass ce vendredi 3 octobre, documentait avec ardeur le quotidien des habitants du pays en guerre, civils comme militaires.

Voir : bit.ly/4nzpDWW

#Austria second from the bottom: only 60% believe that Austria has benefitted from #EU membership.
I remember well how Austria
looked like in the early 1990s, in particular close to its Eastern borders, and know how it looks now. How can we fail so dramatically at telling this huge success story?!

I've been saying this for two weeks!

AOC: Trump is weaker than he looks. They double down in public to overcompensate for it. They rely on the 'perception' of strength. They rely on the 'perception' of inevitability.

They want you to give up!

We can't give up. We have to be their consequence."

EU Analytics - September 2025 review With the far-right still split on Ukraine, the centre-right working with the far-right on Colombia, and a first Return of the “German Vote” under Merz

In my substack EU-Analytics, I now do monthly reviews of EU voting in the EP and the Council. September 2025 edition is here, with a closer look at voting on Ukraine, overall EP changes - with another centre-right to far-right majority - and a surprise German vote in the Council:

The economic component of establishing an authoritarian regime.

Only 38% of Serbs trust the EU. This is what happens if you lecture about values & principles while you ignore serious backsliding on the rule of law and media freedom and publicly support an autocrat for the sake of some weapons deals and the (unlikely) possibility of access to some rare earths.

Politiker gesteht: Für Konferenz mit Krah floss Geld aus Russland Der AfD-Politiker Maximilian Krah lobbyierte mit Oleg Voloshin für Russland. Nun gesteht der britische Politiker Nathan Gill: Voloshin bezahlte ihn selbst für genau solche Dienste.

With former Reform UK leader Nathan Gill admitting to accepting bribes from Oleg Voloshyn in exchange for making pro-Russian statements while serving as an MEP, @jmuellertoewe.bsky.social reports that the connections of German right-wing extremist Maximilian Krah to Russia have become obvious.

“I was not born to be a lifelong president,” said Milorad #Dodik while addressing members of the main board of the ruling #SNSD, which decided that the party will take part in early elections for president of Republika Srpska.

Parlamentswahl in Moldau: Proeuropäische Partei von Maia Sandu holt parlamentarische Mehrheit Die Wahl galt als Gradmesser, ob sich Moldau künftig der EU oder Russland zuwendet. Nach Auszählung fast aller Stimmen bleibt die europafreundliche PAS an der Macht.

Fabulous result for Maia Sandu’s pro-EU PAS in #Moldova elections. With more than 99% of ballots counted, PAS leads with 49.9% and thereby will defend its parliamentary majority.

Great day for 🇲🇩!
Great day for 🇪🇺!
Bad day for Putin‘s 🇷🇺!

www.zeit.de/politik/ausl...

Moldova’s Voters and the Russian Bear Paw Moldovans are preparing for an election that will determine their future in Europe amid “unprecedented” Russian interference. Can they resist?

"If Russia can bend Moldova to its will, it will embolden similar campaigns elsewhere. Conversely, if Moldova resists, it will show that even small, vulnerable states can withstand Moscow’s playbook with the right support." Kateryna Odarchenko

Maia Sandu: ‘We will do everything to make sure that Russia does not get to control Moldova’ In this conversation with two reporters from the PULSE network Moldova’s President reaffirms her country’s EU path by 2030, warns of Russian election interference, and highlights cooperation with Ukra...

🗳️ 🇲🇩 As Moldovans head to the polls today, it's worth checking this exclusive conversation with the country's president Maia Sandu on what is at stake in this election #PulseEurope. voxeurop.eu/en/maia-sand...

An immensely important day for Moldova & for Europe. Will the small state on the EU’s eastern flank hold its pro-European course, or will massive Russian disinformation and vote-buying schemes manage to bring it on a trajectory of transformation into a Russian client, wedged between 🇷🇴and🇺🇦?

🇲🇩🇲🇩🇲🇩🇲🇩🇲🇩🇲🇩🇲

In the age of AI, I wonder if the Nobel Foundation should not consider adding a Nobel Prize for courageous machines fighting for universal values.

I already have a candidate:

With the 🇵🇱 presidency still in PiS hands, it is very difficult to resolve the mess in Poland's judiciary system, with hundreds of judges appointed by an unconstitutionally formed body, a constitutional court that was captured by PiS through illegitimate means ... The CJEU better speed up ...

The harassment of @panayote.bsky.social of the Greek Helsinki Monitor must stop. For years he has been the target 🎯 of the authorities. He is punished for defending European values. @ec.europa.eu @europarl.europa.eu @eucopresident.consilium.europa.eu should speak out

Germany’s Merz backs using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine Chancellor calls on Europe to unlock €140bn loan and ‘massively raise the costs’ of Kremlin aggression

Great! Friedrich Merz has called on the EU to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine’s war effort, arguing the move could unlock a €140bn loan for Kyiv for military equipment and show “staying power” against Russian aggression.

Huge blow for Putin!

www.ft.com/content/3ac0...

A middle-aged woman with short hair and sunglasses stands in the crowd of protesters and holds a placard reading "Women will judge you!" as he gathers in support of student Nikolina Sindjelic demanding the dismissal of Marko Kricak, commander of the Special Unit for the Protection of Certain Facilities and Persons, as well as his urgent prosecution and sanctioning for the abuse and torture of detainees, in front of a special police unit station in Belgrade on August 19, 2025.

In Serbia, women have been involved in all aspects of the student-led anti-corruption movement. But in a deeply patriarchal society, being visible and speaking up means risking gender-based violence ranging from media smear campaigns to revenge porn. My story for @en.afp.com : u.afp.com/SWgD

Finger on the trigger: How NATO is responding to Russia’s airspace violations NATO is a defensive alliance, which makes it very cautious about responding with force to Russia’s provocations.

How is NATO balancing deterrence and defense in responding to Russia’s repeated airspace violations? Read this @politico.eu article by @laukaya.bsky.social with my take ✈️

@rusi.bsky.social

www.politico.eu/article/nato...

An Unlikely Road to Peace in the South Caucasus How common cause against Russia enabled an American deal.

Just published, my piece on the U.S. Armenia-Azerbaijan deal and its prospects. There is a lot of hard work still to be done, I argue, but the shared coincidence of interests that neither country wants Russia as a guarantor has been transformative. www.foreignaffairs.com/armenia/unli...

What is needed:

Agree on a clear course. Without delay.
Communicate plainly what will follow if it happens again.
And if it does, act.

Words are not enough.

Maybe worth recalling

"Neither Rabin nor Arafat can stop Hamas.
Only the people can.
But they must have something precious to defend."

(Haidar Abdel-Shafi, head of the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid Conference, in 1994)

🇮🇱🇵🇸

A deal like this would stop small boats within weeks Of course Britain can secure the Channel, an immigration expert writes: Europe will co-operate if the alternative is Nigel Farage

EU members can help the UK to get a grip on the situation in the channel - taking back all irregular arrivals after a cut-off date. In exchange, the UK would take an annual contingent of asylum seekers from its EU partners. High time to act, if we don't want Farage!
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Security guarantees for Ukraine require readiness to fight Russia, says Finland’s president Exclusive: Alexander Stubb says a plausible deterrent and ‘American backstop’ are needed in the event of a future peace deal

Security guarantees for #Ukraine require readiness to fight #Russia, says Finland’s president
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s... #Putinswar #Finland

Nato-Luftraum: CDU-Politiker fordert harte Reaktion auf russische Grenzverletzungen Russlands Provokationen über Nato-Gebiet benötigen aus Sicht des Außenexperten Jürgen Hardt eine klare Antwort. Das reiche bis zum Abschuss russischer Kampfjets.

🇩🇪 ‘s CDU is calling for tough measures, including the shooting down of Russian jets, in the event of a further violation of NATO airspace. “These provocations and tests by Russia will only end if we clearly respond to all military border violations.” (FP spokesperson)
www.zeit.de/politik/2025...

A few drones here, a few fighter jets there … we need to come up with a clear response line, rather quickly.

Describing #Austria's development from democracy to dictatorship to Nazi regime, Gedye's book delivers a sobering warning, very relevant today: Those who undermine the rule of law are enemies of democracy. Democracy is fragile. Once independent institutions are weakened, things can unravel quickly.

It can happen very quickly A long out-of-print book offers insights into the collapse of democracy in Austria’s First Republic. Today it is more relevant than ever.

G.E.R. Gedye lived in Vienna as Central Europe correspondent from 1925-1938. I had the privilege to write about his extraordinary yet forgotten book "Fallen Bastions", describing Austria's descent into dictatorship, for @datum.at. It's now also available in English:
www.esiweb.org/cafe-europe/...