Europe & Russia

European politics, Russian strategy, NATO pressure, and the internal fractures shaping the continent.

28 Reports

Keir Starmer Has Resigned
Analysis

Keir Starmer Has Resigned

Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned less than two years after leading Labour to its biggest victory since Tony Blair. What caused his downfall, and can successor Andy Burnham fix Britain's deeper crisis?

Simon Whistler · July 2, 2026
Britain's Labour Party is Doomed
Analysis

Britain's Labour Party is Doomed

After a historic 2024 landslide, Keir Starmer's Labour government has imploded in less than two years. From winter fuel cuts to scandals and electoral catastrophe, is the party facing existential decline?

Simon Whistler · June 11, 2026
Are Europe's Populist Parties Stumbling? The Limits of the Far-Right Surge
Analysis

Are Europe's Populist Parties Stumbling? The Limits of the Far-Right Surge

Election setbacks, infighting and a Trump backlash have stalled Europe's populist right. But the grievances that fuelled its rise remain unresolved.

Simon Whistler · June 3, 2026
How Belgium Became Europe's Crossroads of Organized Crime
Society

How Belgium Became Europe's Crossroads of Organized Crime

Inside the cocaine, corruption, and political paralysis turning the heart of the EU into what one judge calls a budding narco-state.

Simon Whistler · June 3, 2026
Is Zack Polanski Britain's Zohran Mamdani? The Green Party's Eco-Populist Gamble
Society

Is Zack Polanski Britain's Zohran Mamdani? The Green Party's Eco-Populist Gamble

How Zack Polanski took the UK Green Party from the fringe toward the political mainstream, betting on anti-establishment fury to remake British politics.

Simon Whistler · June 3, 2026
Denmark's Zero-Immigration Policy: How a Left-Wing Government Built Europe's Toughest Asylum Regime
Society

Denmark's Zero-Immigration Policy: How a Left-Wing Government Built Europe's Toughest Asylum Regime

How Denmark's Social Democrats adopted Europe's most restrictive immigration and asylum policies, why they worked politically, and what comes next.

Simon Whistler · June 3, 2026
Europe's Plan for Dealing With Trump Backfired. What Comes Next?
Analysis

Europe's Plan for Dealing With Trump Backfired. What Comes Next?

A year of flattering Trump produced only tariff threats and a Greenland crisis. Now Europe confronts the question it spent decades avoiding: what leverage does it have?

Simon Whistler · June 3, 2026
What Happened to Free Speech in the UK? Arrests, the Online Safety Act, and Protest Law
Society

What Happened to Free Speech in the UK? Arrests, the Online Safety Act, and Protest Law

How Britain's free speech protections eroded from residual liberty to tweet arrests, ID checks, and protest crackdowns under the Online Safety Act.

Simon Whistler · June 3, 2026
Is It Time for a French Sixth Republic? Inside France's Political Crisis
Society

Is It Time for a French Sixth Republic? Inside France's Political Crisis

France's government keeps collapsing under the Fifth Republic. Why a growing chorus says the answer is to tear up the constitution and start over.

Simon Whistler · June 3, 2026
Germany Opened Its Doors to a Million Refugees: How Society Changed
Society

Germany Opened Its Doors to a Million Refugees: How Society Changed

A decade after Merkel's open-door decision, Germany's economy, public safety, and politics still bear the imprint of a million refugees arriving.

Simon Whistler · June 3, 2026
Ireland Is Europe's Richest Country. Why Doesn't It Feel That Way?
Resources

Ireland Is Europe's Richest Country. Why Doesn't It Feel That Way?

How Ireland became Europe's wealthiest nation on paper while a housing crisis, phantom GDP, and a two-speed economy leave its citizens struggling.

Simon Whistler · June 3, 2026
Why MAGA Is Obsessed With Hungary: Inside the Orban Model
Society

Why MAGA Is Obsessed With Hungary: Inside the Orban Model

How Viktor Orban rebuilt Hungary's democracy to be nearly impossible to lose, and why American conservatives treat Budapest as a blueprint.

Simon Whistler · June 3, 2026