Good morning,
A warm thank-you to the people who took the time to respond to our November survey — whether it was to compliment, criticise, or encourage us to do better. We all know that time is precious and surveys can be annoying, but every comment and suggestion helps one way or another.
When going through the results, I realised that a large share of respondents receive our newsletter, but are not subscribers. I honestly get it, there is so much you can be subscribed to in the era of Netflix and Spotify.
A comment from the survey put it perfectly: “The independent nature of EUobserver brings an angle that in EU coverage is very needed and precious.” But independence is only possible when readers choose to support it.
As we approach the end of the year and the Christmas gift season, you may want to consider gifting a subscription. It is easy, you only need to 1) fill in the recipient email, 2) pay a monthly or yearly subscription 3) tell the person to open the EUobserver email and confirm their account + create password
It is a meaningful way to support quality journalism for someone who follows the EU closely, works in Brussels, or simply wants reporting they don’t need to “read with a pinch of salt”.
Your survey responses also reminded us why we do this hard but wonderful work.
Many of you value our analysis and coverage of often overlooked topics: “Keep covering the stuff the other news organisations do not" was one satisfied reader's verdict.
Others praised our “solid and thoughtful approach” or told us that EUobserver remains “the best one I could find… trustworthy, well-researched and fact-based.”
We don’t take such compliments lightly. They motivate us as a team, especially in such a noisy and continuously changing media landscape — that is often driven by PR and private interests rather than public service.
No matter what, we promise to keep being “a critical friend to the EU” by providing reporting that follows facts rather than spin, upholding independent journalism, and sometimes asking the uncomfortable questions others prefer to avoid.
Thank you again for your trust and your time.
- Elena Sánchez Nicolás, editor in chief
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Agenda
EU summit on Russian assets, plus housing crisis and Sakharov Price This WEEK
EU leaders will meet this week in Brussels to discuss Russian frozen assets, the next EU budget plus the Middle East. Also this week the first-ever housing plan will be presented by the EU Commission and discussed in the plenary session in Strasbourg.
What else you need to know
EU summit on Russian assets, plus housing crisis and Sakharov Price This WEEK
EU leaders will meet this week in Brussels to discuss Russian frozen assets, the next EU budget plus the Middle East. Also this week the first-ever housing plan will be presented by the EU Commission and discussed in the plenary session in Strasbourg.Read on »
Trump's Congo 'peace' deal outflanked EU, left guns blazingAnalysis
A transactional peace deal brokered by president Trump has paved the way for massive US investment in DR Congo and Rwanda, but the fighting in eastern DR Congo continues.Read on »
Politics ads still appearing on Meta platforms, despite ban
Meta stopped its political advertising business altogether in the EU, in response to new regulations — but experts point out that political ads are still finding their way into users feeds.Read on »
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If the EU wants enlargement, now it’s time to put money on the tableOpinion
There is talk of new momentum in the EU accession process. However, when EU citizens think about EU enlargement, 37 percent are concerned about “costs to European taxpayers,” according to Eurobarometer. Yet preliminary plans for the next EU budget (2028-2034) do not mention costs of enlargement. Read on »
Is Greece leading the way for the end of asylum in Europe?Analysis
Across Europe, efforts are underway to rewrite the 1951 Refugee Convention. Fear of migration is testing the limits of our humanity. Read on »
Listen: Europe's fight against femicide despite data gaps and taboosPodcast
Why is the legal recognition of femicides a taboo? And, beyond that, are we doing enough as societies to respond effectively to femicides?Read on »
Bulgaria's nuclear waste dilemma exposes storage failures across EuropeFeature
Nuclear waste is accumulating worldwide as permanent repositories lag behind. Bulgaria is facing rising spent-fuel stocks and limited storage, while European nations struggle with delayed disposal projects. Recycling offers potential but remains slow to advance.Read on »
In case you missed it
How NGOs die — Europe's playbook for dismantling democracyColumn
The playbook is brutally efficient: fabricate a scandal, delegitimise and defund organisations into dependency on philanthropic support, then criminalise their new funding as foreign influence — all while continuing to demand NGOs monitor consumer protections that governments refuse to fund themselves, warns new EUobserver columnist Alberto Alemanno.Read on »
EU minerals project leaves thousands at risk of displacement in Congo
The EU’s flagship project to increase supply of critical minerals will leave up to 6,500 people at risk of displacement in south DR Congo, according to new research.Read on »
Meta probed by EU over banning rival AI from WhatsApp
The European Commission will investigate WhatsApp over potential antitrust violations from a new policy which could prohibit third-party AI on the messaging service.Read on »
Bolshoi-loving banker threatened Euroclear CEO, amid EU talks on Russian assetsInvestigation
A French banker inside Euroclear, who flew to Russia 155 times for "private" reasons, allegedly tried to connect the company's CEO, Valérie Urbain, with Russian spies and threatened her when she declined, according to an investigation by EUobserver, Humo, De Morgen, and Dossier Center.Read on »
EU banks funding 'abusive' mining operations
European banks are investing heavily in the the critical minerals sector, while neglecting environmental and social safeguards, a new report says. Read on »
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