Psychiatrist and writer Péter Hunčík argues that Viktor Orbán has transformed Hungary not only politically but psychologically, replacing civic autonomy with tribal loyalty, diffuse anxiety and a rewritten moral order. In this interview, he traces how power, myth, religion and fear have been used to remake both the state and society.

https://euobserver.com/209596/lick-up-kick-down-a-psychiatrists-view-of-how-orban-created-a-sick-society/

"[Viktor Orbán] is deliberately looking for enemies in Ukraine, but Ukraine has never been an enemy to Hungary," says Borys Filatov, the 54-year-old mayor of Dnipro, a. major industrial city some 100km from the war's frontline.

https://euobserver.com/210202/100km-from-frontline-ukraine-mayor-frets-over-hungarys-election/

Pantsir systems use rapid-fire guns as well as rockets to shoot down targets - but one video shows a system taken out by a small Ukrainian drone.

https://euobserver.com/210224/russia-reports-shortages-of-surface-to-air-missiles-ukraine-battlefield-update-day-1504/

While Europe is less dependent on oil and gas coming from the gulf than Asia, 40 percent of refined products, such as jet fuel and diesel, pass through the Straight of Hormuz.

https://euobserver.com/210243/eu-energy-crisis-will-not-be-short-lived-despite-iran-us-ceasefire/

Higher oil prices triggered by the war in Iran have boosted Russia’s finances. But now Russia is banning gasoline exports until late July, as Ukrainian strikes make fuel scarcer domestically – while murmurs in the EU suggest energy pain may drive them back to Russia. The question is: how long Kyiv’s allies will support a strategy that could also keep EU energy prices high?

https://euobserver.com/210178/ukraine-torches-putins-iran-war-windfall-as-eu-allies-sweat-over-high-energy-prices/

European digital assets have a habit of not staying European. A 'Buy European' label is not a sovereignty guarantee unless it embraces licensing as a tool and helps to safeguard the supply chains the software depends on.

https://euobserver.com/210047/when-it-comes-to-techs-software-dependency-what-does-buy-european-even-mean/

This podcast episode explores taxing the "windfall profits" of oil and gas companies to offset skyrocketing energy prices. While five EU nations urge a new tax mechanism, previous attempts collected only €28m — far below the €190bn spent on subsidies. Ultimately, do taxes serve as a vital political signal for fairness?

https://euobserver.com/210166/listen-could-the-eu-tax-windfall-profits-made-by-oil-and-gas-companies/

Every euro spent by national governments is treated by commission as generating just €0.60 of economic activity no matter where it goes. Grid investment, education, tax cuts for the wealthy: all are logged as a net loss.

https://euobserver.com/210119/eu-fiscal-models-degrade-strong-case-for-clean-energy/

"I'm here to help him [Orbán] in this election cycle … Viktor Orbán is going to win this election," said Vance.

https://euobserver.com/210114/red-carpet-for-vance-as-orban-hopes-voters-prefer-maga-to-eu/

The suspicious death of a Belgrade student has intensified tensions in Serbia. The government is using the tragedy to blame university leaders for being in favour of students' anti-government protests, and justify raids. Critics and academics view these actions as a "shameless" attempt to dismantle university autonomy and silence the ongoing anti-government student movement.

https://euobserver.com/209844/how-the-serbian-government-is-exploiting-a-tragedy-against-universities-and-protesting-students/