WORLD WORLDWIDE EUROPE Eu - euobserver daily news - Monday 9 March 2026.

 

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Good morning. For those of you who aren't following @PM_ViktorOrban on X, the Hungarian election battle is becoming downright weird. On the one hand, Europe's whole galaxy of far-right politicians and influencers leapt to Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán's defence on Saturday after an ill-judged joke by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky (that he would send some "boys" round to Orbán's house to break his veto on EU aid for Kyiv). Orbán himself framed it as a declaration of war on his nation. Zelensky "is threatening Hungary", Orbán said. "Not a single euro more to Kyiv for Zelensky's gang of corrupt thugs!" said the far-right Patriots for Europe group in the EU Parliament, for instance. "This should be an immediate ground for the EU to suspend all support for Ukraine," said Dutch far-right influencer Eva Vlaardingerbroek, who has one million online followers. Orbán also intercepted a cash and gold shipment across Hungarian territory by a Ukrainian state-owned bank, for a photo op of a "corrupt" pile of cash. And from the other side, Hungary's top investigative reporter, Szabolcs Panyi, wrote that Orbán invited an election-meddling team of three spies from Russia's GRU military intelligence service to help him bribe and lie his way to staying in power in the vote on 12 April. Panyi cited Western intelligence sources, and his scoop was endorsed by Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski, who said on X: "To get electoral support simultaneously from MAGA and GRU is no mean feat". An EU diplomat told EUobserver: "the GRU revelation doesn't surprise me at all". Orbán also vowed to use "force" to reopen a Russian oil pipeline in Ukraine. "The Hungarian government is intentionally trying to provoke a conflict with Ukraine, because they see this as their only chance of winning the April 12 election where they're trailing the opposition considerably," Panyi said. It all bodes ill for Kyiv, indicating that Orbán will uphold his EU aid and Russia sanctions veto at the next EU summit on 19 March and probably until the election, or beyond, if he wins. Commenting on Zelensky's joke-threat, a second EU diplomat said: "This is nuts. He's helping Orbán to victory". A third EU diplomat said: "What we are seeing [Orbán's veto and rhetoric] are the death throes of his regime". "Orbán is really scared of losing, as he risks ending up in jail [on corruption charges]. That's why I expect even more craziness in the run-up to the election," a fourth diplomat said. Andrew Rettman, foreign-affairs editor ADVERT Top story Iran threatens ‘targets’ in Europe, as EU warships flock to Cyprus “If any [European] country joins in the aggression against Iran … they will be also the legitimate targets for Iranian retaliation,” Iran’s deputy foreign minister warned on French TV. What else you need to know THIS WEEK: MEPs vote on deportation bill, as Iran war keeps Europe on edge MEPs prepare to vote on a controversial deportation bill while debates intensify over Europe’s security amid the Iran war. Armenia’s prime minister addresses parliament, ministers tackle labour shortages and EU finances, and tensions rise over Ukraine funding as Hungary threatens a veto ahead of next week’s EU summit. Europe still in shadow of post-WWI imperial collapse Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine shows how the continent has not yet solved the problem of what order comes after imperial collapse The secret European Commission group driving EU deportations First launched in late 2022, the so-called High Level Network for Returns (HLNR) used the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel as a justification to enforce the exchange of data of individuals with a deportation order and flagged as “potential terrorists”. EU and Canada eye digital trade deal, in wake of US hostility The commissioned announced Friday, that the EU and Canada have begun to negotiate a so-called ‘Digital Trade Agreement’, with the aim of boosting legal certainty and fair digital trade across the Atlantic.  Cocoa price slumps, despite EU deforestation law Cocoa prices have collapsed, defying expectations that EU due diligence requirements would push up the cost of cocoa and chocolate. Is Europe succeeding in combatting violence against women? Despite changes in both national and EU laws, and years of public awareness campaigns, violence against women is still a serious problem across Europe. In some countries, it is even getting worse. A new EU law has been adopted, with full implementation in 2027. So how are different national governments trying to deal with the problem? Listen: Does Spanish PM Sánchez have real EU backing in his standoff with Trump? A transatlantic rift is opening. Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez has condemned the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and blocked American access to Spanish bases —directly challenging Donald Trump. The question now: how far can Spain go in defying Washington? In case you missed it Leak: EPP sparks row with rival deportation bill ahead of crucial parliament vote “It has become evident that the necessary majority for a compromise has not materialised,” the centre-right MEP François-Xavier Bellamy said in an email to his counterparts, seen by EUobserver, ahead of a vote on the controversial deportation bill. EU and Gulf states urge Iran to halt attacks amid escalation risks Asked if southern EU states were at risk of further aggression, EU commissioner Dubravka Šuica said: “It’s not easy to anticipate at this moment, but I don’t think it will happen”. With elections on 22 March, why is Slovenia sliding to the right? A stable but flatlining economy, social tensions with Roma, welfare payments and emigrating medics, and a fragmented Left are all shaping the Slovenian electoral campaign, ahead of the parliamentary elections on 22 March. EU under pressure to match US sanctions on Rwanda The US Treasury imposed sanctions under its Global Magnitsky Act in the wake of the Rwandan army and the M23 militia group capturing the city of Ulvira in the South Kivu province of eastern DR Congo last year Experts find holes in planned changes to EU landmark online privacy law A major digital rights NGO found serious differences between the EU Commission’s proposed changes to the bloc’s landmark General Data Protection Regulation — and what data professionals in the field really want altering. Iran war could mean shortages of Patriot defence missiles for Ukraine Ukraine has backed US action against Iran, seeking favour with Donald Trump and strategic gains against Russia, despite risks of reduced US support and Patriot shortages. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron has expanded France’s nuclear umbrella to Europe, including Poland — while disputes intensify over Ukraine’s Druzhba pipeline shutdown. What the 2022 energy crisis taught us about inflation — and why it matters now with Iran The European Central Bank itself has repeatedly said over the years that its policies are ineffective when dealing with energy shocks.  The bottom line? Europe should stay out of the illegal US-Israeli war on Iran “Law is stronger than force”, said Ursula von der Leyen on Greenland. Last week, the EU rightly stressed once more the illegality of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Four days later the US and Israel attacked Iran and the EU forgot about international law.