Τρίτη 09 Ιουνίου 2026
8 άρθρα
Paris and Berlin scrap €100bn fighter
The cancellation of the Future Combat Air System marks the end of a nine-year effort to build a unified European sixth-generation jet. The project collapsed because Dassault and Airbus refused to share proprietary technology with a direct export rival. France will now pursue an independent path while Germany evaluates a potential partnership with Sweden’s Saab or joining the UK-led GCAP program.
French Rafale shoots down drone over Latvia
Following two interceptions in three weeks, Baltic leaders are pushing NATO to replace its policing mission with a permanent Air Defense Mission. The core dispute involves pre-delegating shootdown authority to commanders on the ground, bypassing the need for national capital approval. As the July summit in Ankara approaches, the alliance must reconcile combat realities with a fragmented chain of command.
Hungary unlocks €6.6 billion for Ukraine arms
Budapest lifted a two-year block on the European Peace Facility after securing €16.4 billion in frozen funds and a minority rights deal with Kyiv. However, the release exposes a massive structural shortfall, with member states claiming €43 billion for past weapon donations. Under the current proposal, donors like Poland and Slovakia may recover only 10 to 15 percent of the value of their military aid.
EU opens Ukraine accession talks June 15
Formal negotiations begin in Luxembourg after a two-year Hungarian block, but the path remains guarded by 27 potential vetoes. While Kyiv aims to close the process by 2028, member states are calculating massive budget shifts, including an 80 percent jump in German contributions. France and Germany are already floating graduated integration to manage the economic shock of Ukraine’s massive agricultural sector.
Fuel subsidies end as oil hits $97
Germany, Spain, and Italy will remove energy relief measures by the end of June, even as crude prices climb and Eurozone growth stalls at just 0.1%. With the ECB poised for a 91% probable rate hike this Wednesday, the simultaneous withdrawal of subsidies in three major economies threatens to deepen a stagflation trap. High insurance costs and disrupted LNG supplies from Qatar further squeeze a gas buffer currently sitting at half its mandatory winter target.
Rotterdam ship seizure exposes EU sanctions gaps
Dutch authorities arrested a ship captain for smuggling car parts to Russia, yet the broader enforcement of EU sanctions remains widely inconsistent. While Poland generates over half of all suspicious export alerts, 18 member states face legal action for failing to criminalize violations. Strategic exemptions for industrial giants like Aughinish Alumina show that commercial interests often outweigh the bloc’s stated geopolitical goals.
Corruption cost Hungary 20% of budget
Ferenc Bíró, head of the Integrity Authority, estimates €168 billion was lost to corruption during Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule. While the European Commission has unlocked €16.4 billion for Hungary’s new government, the move highlights a structural flaw in EU oversight: Brussels can freeze funds to demand reform but lacks the legal tools to verify implementation once the money is disbursed.
Three rivals carve up SFR for €20.35 billion
Orange, Bouygues, and Free are dismantling France’s second-largest operator to settle Patrick Drahi’s €24 billion debt mountain. While the acquisition aims to stabilize the telecom sector, mobile tariffs have already risen 9% before regulators begin their 18-month review. This shift toward a three-player market ignores the deflationary trend seen in neighboring Spain and Portugal, where new competition is driving prices down.