Europe

https://www.swissinfo.ch/ita/italia:-acca-larenzia,-centinaia-per-il-presente-con-saluto-romano/88688449

Archive: https://archive.ph/2025.09.16-031603/https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/poland-reactions-russia-ukraine-war-cf53ca4c

Archive: https://archive.ph/2025.09.16-045909/https://www.ft.com/content/76fbd82f-b0bd-4dd0-81d1-fc6c15ec64ff

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4578719

Archived version

The swarm of Russian drones that flew into Poland this past week sparked outrage across Europe and dire warnings about violating NATO airspace — but no overt retaliation from a military alliance trying to avoid conflict with a nuclear-armed neighbor.

European officials blamed Moscow when the navigation system faltered this month on a plane carrying the president of the European Union’s executive branch. Officials say the plane was swept up in an intensifying Russian jamming operation, but in that case, too, they took no overt action.

Both incidents could have had deadly consequences, but instead, they fell short of anything that would provoke a forceful response. Such provocations are a hallmark of so-called hybrid or gray-zone warfare, which seeks to antagonize and destabilize countries through a combination of covert military, economic and disinformation-related measures, without overt attacks.

The episodes fueled a continuing debate among European diplomats and military officials over whether NATO or the European Union should impose stiffer penalties in response to ensure that Russia does not continue undaunted, but without risking outright armed conflict.

Russian sabotage operations in Europe more than tripled from 2023 to 2024, as the West supported Ukraine in fighting the Russian invasion, a recent report found. Over the past year alone, officials say, Russia and other adversaries have disrupted Western energy systems, meddled in national elections, plotted to put incendiary devices on cargo planes, and hacked into health service networks and legal records in shadowy strikes designed to conceal the culprit.

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The Sept. 11 attacks were the only time that NATO has invoked Article 5, which holds that an attack on one ally is considered an attack on all. Some Europeans are pushing to invoke it in response to hybrid strikes — a powerful statement, though what action would result from that, if any, is unclear.

Other potential responses could include retaliatory hybrid warfare, more military support for Ukraine and further economic penalties against Russia.

Officials identified the drones that flew into Poland this past week as cheap, plywood-and-styrofoam models that are typically used as decoys to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses, allowing the more sophisticated explosive drones to penetrate.

They did not kill anyone, but they disrupted commercial flights and stoked anxiety across Eastern Europe, where Russia has long been seen as a more immediate threat than in the West. In its immediate response, NATO invoked Article 4, which enabled members to start urgent discussions within the alliance. Militaries also stepped up air patrols across the region.

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The number of such centers [where abducted Ukrainian children live in Russia] are similar to Soviet-era youth camps and have mushroomed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Critics warn they are being used to indoctrinate children and prepare them for eventual service in the Russian military.

Human rights experts say the so-called re-education of deported Ukrainian children has become state policy in Russia since early 2022 when the all-out invasion began. Researchers describe a “lost connection syndrome” among abducted children, which is the result of deliberate efforts to sever them from their cultural and social roots.

“Russian officials are trying to portray the deportation of Ukrainian children as care and protection. In reality, this propaganda only obstructs efforts to bring the children home,” human rights defenders said.

Between 2023 and 2024, at least 8,270 children were confirmed transferred to 98 facilities in Russia and occupied territories, with 102 separate cases of forced relocation recorded.

Meanwhile, Russians have opened more than 250 “specialized” classes, nearly 100 of them with a military focus, in schools across the occupied part of the Luhansk region this academic year.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4566428

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The DSA [Digital Services Act] and the DMA [Digital Markets Act], [part of a EU] legislation aimed to prevent large tech companies from abusing their market power, impose burdens and requirements on tech companies operating in Europe, regardless of where the companies come from. Most major tech companies come from the United States, and many have lobbied against the passage of both the DSA and the DMA.

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In a recent hearing in the House Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, [U.S. Republican lawmaker Jim] Jordan argued that Europeans are trying to control how U.S. companies operate and to “censor Americans.”

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But genuine concern over free speech may not be what’s sparked the discussion. The Trump administration’s deep ties to tech CEOs appear to be one of the reasons for Washington’s newfound interest in EU regulations.

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Big American tech companies appear to have successfully convinced the White House to work on their behalf against legislation they believe hamstrings them. One European official, who asked to speak on background in order to talk candidly, said the tech industry “sees the possibility to exercise pressure or influence, to leverage the proximity they have to the administration to push against regulation.”

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“The DSA doesn’t specify what is illegal content and what is not illegal content. It’s not focusing on speech that much,” [the international policy director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation Christoph] Schmon said. “It’s more focused on transparency and processes on platforms. So it doesn’t regulate speech.

“It basically says, if there’s illegal content, and you’re notified about that illegality, you must take it off if you want to preserve your limited liability for third-party content,” he added. “This portrayal of the DSA as a speech-censorship tool doesn’t fully correspond to the reality of how the law is drafted.”

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Despite what appears to be a tempest in a teapot, the legislation is likely here to stay. Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s vice president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, has said the EU will continue to enforce the laws. And even if officials in Brussels wanted to rescind them, they would need to pass new legislation through the EU’s parliament to do that. That seems like a long shot.

Anna Cavazzini, chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, which is in charge of digital legislation, argued the EU shouldn’t make concessions to Trump.

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“EU rules apply equally to all tech giants, regardless of where they come from. The Digital Services Act protects EU citizens from disinformation and hate online. And the Digital Markets Act gives small and medium-sized enterprises a fair chance to succeed in the digital single market,” Cavazzini said in an emailed statement. “The lesson here is clear: The EU should never give in to a blackmailer.”

Cross posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4538563

Archived version

• The European Commission will publish non-binding guidance by December 2025 to tighten Schengen visa handling.
• Guidance urges consulates to apply stricter entry criteria, deeper security checks, and accept fewer travel reasons.
• Applicants from Russia face longer processing times, possible higher fees, and narrower accepted tourism or business reasons.

Eastern members—Poland, Czechia, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania—have led the charge since 2022, sharply limiting or blocking most tourist applications from Russians. Western and southern governments, including France, Spain, Italy, and Hungary, have continued to process requests more broadly, creating uneven practices across the bloc. The Commission wants to narrow those gaps without taking away national control. Spokespersons emphasize that governments will keep the final say on who gets a visa.

The security focus mirrors concerns raised across Europe since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Diplomats and security agencies cite risks tied to espionage, sabotage, and abuse of diplomatic privileges. Border states argue that cleaving to stricter controls is necessary to protect critical sites and curb covert activity. According to diplomats from those countries, the upcoming guidance is “long overdue,” even if they would prefer binding steps.

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Cross posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4530884

Archived version

The Polish government has released a detailed report exposing a sophisticated Russian disinformation campaign following an airspace intrusion by drones, believed to be of Russian origin. The incident, which occurred amidst heightened tensions between NATO and Russia, triggered a wave of false narratives across social media and news outlets aimed at deflecting blame from Moscow and undermining Poland’s security apparatus. The report meticulously documents the various disinformation narratives propagated by Russian sources, providing concrete examples of how these narratives were disseminated and amplified across online platforms.

The identified disinformation narratives included the claim that Ukraine deliberately allowed the drones to enter Polish airspace to draw Poland into the ongoing conflict. Other narratives portrayed the incident as a staged event orchestrated by Kyiv and Warsaw, suggesting it was a fabricated pretext for escalating tensions. Furthermore, disinformation spread alleged that Belarus had forewarned Poland about the incoming drones, and even implausibly suggested that the Polish military was preparing an offensive against Belarus. These narratives, according to the Polish government, were designed to sow discord and confusion, erode public trust in official information sources, and divert attention from Russia’s responsibility for the incursion.

According to the Polish government, the primary objective of this disinformation offensive was to shift the blame away from Russia and onto Ukraine, portraying Kyiv as the instigator of the airspace violation.

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Cross posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4531332

An American woman detained by the Taliban alongside a British couple has told the BBC they are "literally dying" in prison and that "time is running out".

Faye Hall was arrested with Peter, 80, and Barbie Reynolds, 76 on 1 February when returning to Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan, where the couple lived.

While Ms Hall was released after two months, Peter and Barbie remain in prison and still do not know why they are being held.

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Summary:

The article discusses the European Commission's efforts to accelerate the electrification of the vehicle fleet in Europe, led by President Ursula von der Leyen. She aims to support the production of small, affordable electric cars by the European industry, with a target price of under €20,000. A strategic dialogue has been initiated between the Commission and the automotive industry, highlighting the gap between aspirations and reality, as European automakers face challenges in transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) and are heavily reliant on China for their supply chains.

Von der Leyen has previously delayed stricter emissions regulations to appease automakers and announced a €1.8 billion project to boost battery production. However, concerns remain about Europe's lag behind China in EV adoption. The article notes that the German automotive industry is pushing back against the EU's 2035 deadline for banning new combustion engine vehicles, seeking extensions and more flexible regulations, particularly for hybrid vehicles.

The article concludes that reversing established legislation would be politically risky for the Commission, and ongoing discussions are expected to address the challenges faced by the commercial vehicle sector, which currently has a low market share of electric vans at 8.5%.

Dutch broadcast company AVROTROS has announced that the Netherlands will boycott the 2026 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to compete. The Netherlands is the fifth country to announce a planned boycott of the event, which is scheduled to be held in Vienna.

“AVROTROS can no longer justify Israel’s participation in the current situation, given the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza,” the company said in a statement. The organization manages Dutch participation and broadcast rights for the competition as part of the Dutch public broadcasting umbrella, NPO.

AVROTROS stated that they have been in discussions with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) regarding Israel’s participation in 2026. The broadcaster added that they are also concerned about the “serious erosion of press freedom,” citing the interference by the Israeli government in last year’s edition, claiming that the event was used as a “political instrument.”

Excerpts:

In 2023, and what seems like a lifetime ago, Austria launched their legal action against the European Commission for the inclusion of nuclear energy in the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy. At the time they were supported by a bulwark of EU countries and environmental NGOs that opposed nuclear energy.

But today, that whole landscape has changed.

The nuclear phase-outs or bans in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, and Italy are now history.

It shows what’s possible when we stick to the science

The European Court of Justice has now fully dismissed Austria’s lawsuit.

These wins are not abstract. They open the door to real investment, real projects, and real emissions cuts.

RTÉ has announced that it will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest "if the participation of Israel goes ahead".

In a statement, the broadcaster said that "it is RTÉ's position that Ireland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, if the participation of Israel goes ahead, and the final decision regarding Ireland’s participation will be made once the EBU’s decision is made".

Archive: https://archive.ph/2025.09.11-122856/https://www.ft.com/content/7a86b25b-540f-41ea-82d4-a2002f8e4ff7