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Europe
Hungary
11.02.2026 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accused Brussels and Kyiv today of pursuing a plan to fast-track Ukraine's accession to the EU, calling it an open declaration of war against Hungary. Orbán said, in a post on US social media platform X, that ’the Brusselian elite's official publication, Politico,’ had published ’Brussels' and Kyiv's latest war plan, the five-point Zelenskyy plan,’ adding, ’They have decided that Ukraine will be admitted to the Union as early as 2027.’ He claimed the plan ignored Hungarian voters and targeted his government: They disregard the decision of the Hungarian people and are determined to remove the Hungarian government by any means necessary. Orbán also alleged that Brussels wanted Hungary's opposition Tisza Party to take power, saying it would mean ’no more veto, no more resistance, and no more staying out of their conflict.’ The prime minister framed the issue as a domestic political fight ahead of the April elections. "This April, at the ballot box, Hungarians must stop them," he said. "Fidesz is the only force standing between Hungary and Brusselian rule, and the only guarantee of Hungarian sovereignty." (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
Austria
(Tuesday), February 10, 2026 5:50 pm CET EU leaders must urgently focus on lowering energy prices that are suffocating European industry, Austria's chancellor Stocker told ahead of an informal EU summit on Thursday in Belgium. 'No other factor is suffocating European industry so much, and no other issue affects so many member states simultaneously.' The Austrian chancellor's comments echo other leaders including Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, both of whom have called on the EU to do away with 'environmental rules they blame for' high energy prices. 'The approach we took with the Green Deal was certainly not sustainable: in Austria, for example, the reduction in CO2 emissions is ultimately primarily due to a decrease in production,' Stocker added, referring to a landmark environmental package of regulations approved during the European Commission's previous mandate. 'Becoming greener cannot be our goal; it means becoming poorer.' (Source: Politico - U.S., owned by a German media group)
France
(Tuesday), Feb 10, 2026 - 12:15 French President Macron has called on EU countries to launch a new joint borrowing initiative to finance strategic investments ’and challenge the dominance of the US dollar’. The push for EU joint debt outlined in an interview with several European newspapers, including Le Monde, The Economist and Süddeutsche Zeitung, comes ahead of an EU leaders’ meeting in Flanders on Thursday to discuss how to tackle the bloc’s lagging competitiveness. ’Macron urged deeper integration of the single market, through the completion of the capital markets union and the interconnection of the 27 member states’ electricity grids. Certain sectors, including clean technologies, chemicals, steel, automotive manufacturing and defence, require particular protection. ’Macron insisted on the need for Europeans to undertake large-scale, joint investment in defence, green transition technologies, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. ’He estimated annual public and private investment needs for green and digital technologies at €800 billion, rising to €1.2 trillion when defence spending is included. To mobilise the necessary funding, Macron argued for the issuance of eurobonds on global markets. EU ’democracies’ are more attractive than ever compared with the US, and markets are seeking safe and liquid assets, he said. ’That makes this a unique opportunity, one that could also challenge the dominance of the dollar.’ Global market is increasingly wary of the American greenback, the French president added. ’Let’s offer it European debt.’ (Source: Euractiv - Brussels, Belgium)
Note: Is the 'common' money running out?
Italy
February 10, 2026, 6:04 AM Much like the Olympic flame, there is another symbol of triumph and transcendence. The wooden Cross of the Athletes has arrived in Olympic host city Milan for the Winter Games, symbolizing unity through sport. It holds pride of place beside the main altar in one of the city's oldest churches, the Basilica of San Babila, which Milan’s Catholic archdiocese has designated the Church of Athletes while the cross is within its walls, during the Olympics and Paralympics. The Romanesque basilica sits in the heart of the city. As part of the church's activities for this period, it is celebrating some Masses in Italian, English, French and German. The broader program of Milan archdiocese's to promote unity during the 2026 Winter Olympics includes a youth-focused “Tour of Sports Values,” cultural exhibitions, a theatrical performance, concerts and inclusive sports initiatives, as well as art routes through some of Milan’s historic churches. The presence of the cross at the Games is a tangible sign of the Catholic Church ’s belief that sport is a powerful way to bring people together. This cross is unique in that it is made from pieces of wood sourced in five continents, an apparent nod to the five Olympic rings that convey the same sentiment. English artist Cornwall used 15 pieces of wood from continents around the world to craft the cross, which made its grand debut at the London Olympics in 2012. Since then, special ceremonies have marked its arrival to host cities for both the Summer and Winter Games. Last June, it was in the Vatican for the Jubilee of Sport, celebrated with Pope Leo XIV. “The cross - carrying the prayers and hopes of athletes - is a Christian message addressed to the entire world of sport, a sign of hope for humanity, and a proposal of peace among peoples,” according to a document from the Vatican’s culture ministry. Leo said in a message entitled “Life in Abundance” issued on the same day as the Milan Cortina opening ceremony, that sport brings people together. “It teaches us that we can strive for the highest level without denying our own fragility; that we can win without humiliating others; and that we can lose without being defeated as individuals,” he wrote. (Source: ABC News / The Associated Press = U.S.)
Poland
12.02.2026 Strozyk, head of Poland’s Military Counterintelligence Service has rejected Russian allegations that its security services were involved in an attempted assassination of a senior Russian military intelligence officer, Lieutenant General Alexeyev in Moscow. Warsaw calls the allegations disinformation aimed at Russia's domestic audiences. Russian authorities said Lt. Gen. Alexeyev, deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, was shot several times in Moscow on February 6 and taken to a hospital. The attacker fled the scene. They later said a Ukrainian-born Russian citizen, 66-year-old Korba, was extradited from Dubai and charged with injuring Alexeyev. The FSB said the attack was ordered by Ukrainian intelligence, alleging Polish services were involved in recruiting the suspect. Russian media also claimed Korba’s son, a Polish citizen living in the southern Polish city of Katowice, helped recruit his father under the coordination of Polish intelligence. Strozyk dismissed the accusations, saying reports of Polish involvement in assassinations or sabotage in Russia and Belarus were fabricated to bolster a narrative that Russia and Belarus are under constant pressure from NATO and Western countries. He said the claims may have been partly linked to the recent arrest in Warsaw of a suspected long-term Russian mole at Poland’s Defence Ministry. Strozyk also criticised the spread of the allegations through major international outlets, calling it disturbing. He said Polish intelligence services operate within the law and under political oversight from senior state officials, including the prime minister and the president. (Source: TRT World - Turkey)
Spain
Feb 10, 2026 European potentates have gone to war with Musk and his X platform, sensing that the liberation of political speech could spell electoral doom for them. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, is seeking to muzzle X for the criticism of his proposed amnesty of illegal immigrants. Sanchez announced last week the legalization of some 500,000 illegal immigrants. Was the number actually closer to a million? His slavish state television immediately cast the measure as moderate. Last Saturday, Montero, a leader of Podemos, the party’s top political strategist and a former minister of equality, told a rally in Zaragoza that the amnesty was intended to win votes. ’I am asking migrants and racialized people to please not leave us alone with so many fascists! ’We have obtained papers for you, regularization [amnesty], and now we are going to demand that you be given citizenship so that you be able to vote, a very animated Montero shouted at the crowd. The Podemos party is one of the parties supporting Sanchez in the legislature. Sanchez announced his intention to legalize these illegal immigrations to mollify Podemos, which has long demanded amnesty as the price for its support. ’Yes, hopefully we’ll have replacement theory. Hopefully, we’ll be able to sweep away from this country all these fascists and racist people, with immigrants and working people. Yes, of course, I want replacement’, Montero, swept up in her own fervor, shouted. But one can’t enact a successful replacement if everyone notices. It did not take long in the age of X for people outside of Spain to notice what was going on. Cheong posted: ’By legalizing 500,000 illegals under the guise of defeating the far-right, Pedro Sánchez is essentially dropping the mask. This is electoral engineering.’ Musk saw that and reposted with one word: “Wow!” Virality ensued. So Sanchez is working to make sure that X becomes as house-trained and domesticated as the domestic news channels. The prime minister used an address he had scheduled this week at the Dubai World Government Summit to unload on X and Musk. “Just last week, the owner of X, a migrant himself, used his personal account to amplify this information about the sovereign decision by my government, the regularization of 500,000 migrants that live, work and contribute to the success of our country, Sanchez said, as if amplifying news, i.e., reporting it, should be a crime. After listing many supposed crimes by X and other social media platforms, Sanchez said, „Some may say that if we don’t like social media platforms, we can simply leave them. That no one is forced to use X or TikTok. … But we know that our children and many citizens do not have that choice. Social media has become an integral part of their lives, of their reality. So if we want to protect them, there’s only one thing we can do. Take back control.’ Sanchez then listed exactly what steps his government will present to Parliament next week. The only one that really addressed minors: Spain will ban access to social media for those under 16 years old. Few had anything to do with sparing minors the harms of online activity. ’Hold platform executives legally accountable and open to criminal liability for failing to remove illegal or hateful content; turning of ’algorithmic manipulation, and amplification of illegal content, into a new criminal offense.’ The Spanish government will pretend to ’track, quantify, and expose how digital platforms feed division and amplify hate’ - in other words, you have to give information exactly how Sanchez’s minions on Spanish media would. So X, Facebook, etc., will cease to be private entities. Add your own critical take, however, and you are criminally liable. Spain will investigate Grok, TikTok, and Instagram for possible infringements and prosecute when necessary. Spain, he added, will defend Spaniards ’from the digital Wild West’. In other words, if these proposals become law, Spain will cease to be truly free. Spain’s Left is and has always been one of the most retrograde in the West. „There are no longer anti-clerical mobs going around Spanish cities and towns, torch in hand, but they talk the same way’. ’Sometimes it seems like the same group that was burning down convents, raping nuns, and assassinating political opponents right before the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War has been brought forward by a time machine’. Sanchez’s party is well behind in the polls, and he must face the voters next year. The only way to survive, he seems to be saying, is to carry out what his 1930s predecessors were prevented from doing. (Source: The Heritage Foundation / Washington Examiner = U.S.)
by Gonzalez, the Angeles T. Arredondo E Pluribus Unum Senior Fellow at The Heritage Foundation.
European Commission
11 February 2026 The EU Court of Auditors (ECA) sees ‘systemic weaknesses’ in €650bn Covid fund fraud detection, despite attempts by the European Commission to tackle fraud in its €650 billion Covid recovery fund. The current situation still has too many gaps in the rules,which make the system vulnerable to abuse, ECA said in its special report published today. The European watchdog has highlighted serious issues with fraud detection in the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) - how fraud is reported and corrected. The RRF, launched in 2021 to help European Union countries recover from the pandemic, has faced persistent issues since its inception. The ECA’s investigation reveals that the European Commission does not have a proper overall view on the total amount of fraud in the EU with the funds. Because of this, the ECA found, member states’ anti-fraud systems are inconsistent, often delayed and lack the necessary rigour to combat fraud effectively. Although the the European Commission introduced stricter requirements through bilateral financing agreements, ’these were not specific enough’ to ensure uniform standards across the bloc. In some cases, audits were completed only after the first payments had already been made, raising questions about whether sufficient safeguards were in place. One of the most glaring issues, according to the ECA, is the underuse of data mining tools, which are essential for identifying suspicious patterns. Many member states failed to fully utilise Arachne, the EU’s primary data mining tool for fraud detection, with some relying on outdated or inadequate national systems instead. Another concerning issue is the lack of a standardised approach to reporting fraud. Member states apply different criteria for determining what constitutes fraud affecting EU funds, leading to incomplete and inconsistent data. The European Commission’s own monitoring system does not distinguish between suspected fraud and other irregularities, making it difficult to assess the true scale of the problem. Unlike in other EU funding programmes, member states are not required to return recovered fraudulent funds to the EU budget unless the the European Commission deems their recovery efforts insufficient. Countries may prioritise keeping recovered funds rather than ensuring they are returned to EU coffers. The main mechanism for member states – the management declarations – will no longer be required after December 2026, when the last payment must be made by the Commission. With the RRF set to wind down by the end of this year, the ECA warns that most fraud cases will only emerge after the programme’s formal closure. This raises the risk that fraudulent activity could go undetected or unpunished long after the money has been spent. The auditors call on the European Commission to define clearer anti-fraud requirements for future programmes, strengthen its audits, and ensure that recovered funds are consistently returned to the EU budget. (Source: Brussels Signal - Belgium)
European Parliament
Feb 11, 2026 - 10:57 MEPs have reached agreement on the conditions necessary to resume implementation of the tariff agreement with the US. with a crunch vote now set for late February. The proposal covers part of the deal struck between Commission President der Leyen and Trump in Turnberry, Scotland, in July, under which EU tariffs on US goods would be removed in exchange for a 15% blanket tariff on EU exports. That requires Parliament’s approval. A committee vote will take place on 24 February, paving the way for a plenary vote in March and the launch of negotiations with the Council. Socialist MEP Lange, chair of the trade committee and the Parliament’s lead negotiator on the US file, said that a safeguard à-la-Mercosur, which could lead to re-imposing tariffs if domestic producers are harmed, had been backed by the groups. Criteria for triggering a suspension clause linked to threats to the EU’s territorial sovereignty have yet to be defined. A stronger involvement of the Parliament on supervising the deal with Washington has also been agreed. The deal with the US would expire by March 2028 under a so-called sunset clause lasting 24 months from now, Lange said. The European People’s Party had pushed for 36 months ’to grant’ more certainty to business. On the issue of steel, Lange said that political groups recognised that the US has breached the Turnberry deal by imposing tariffs on more EU steel products. MEPs agreed to automatically establish tariffs on US steel products if Washington does not remove their own over the next six months. (Source: Euractiv - Headquarters Brussels, Belgium)
Russia
Feb. 10, 2026 Russia appears poised to complete the capture of three strategic areas in the coming weeks or months, according to military experts. Capturing all three areas - the town of Huliaipole in the southeast and the cities of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, about 60 miles northeast - would give Russia an urban foothold to base troops and organize logistics for future offensives. Moscow could use the gains to argue during peace talks that its advance, while slow, is inevitable, and that Ukraine would be better off ceding land now in a deal, rather than losing it later in bloody fighting. In the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, town Huliaipole, with a prewar population of 12,000, was one of the last Ukrainian-held urban centers in the region outside the regional capital, the city of Zaporizhzhia, Huliaipole is almost entirely under Russian control, according to Capt. Filatov, a Ukrainian officer, commander of the First Separate Assault Regiment, fighting in the area. He said in text messages last week that Ukrainian forces still held a few buildings inside Huliaipole. “The majority of the town is fully under enemy control,” he said, adding that 95 percent of the troops there were Russian. Beyond Huliaipole lie open fields, giving Ukrainian troops few built-up areas to hunker down and thwart Russian advances. About 40 miles west of Huliaipole, Russian forces are closing in on the outskirts of the city of Zaporizhzhia, an industrial hub of 700,000 people known for its steel. Battlefield maps show Moscow’s troops about 15 miles from the city’s southern entrance. Further advances would put the area within range of small attack drones. Analysts attribute Russia’s gains in the area to thin Ukrainian defenses, as Kyiv concentrates its forces on holding cities in the neighboring Donetsk region. There, Ukraine has focused on defending the cities of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, which together had a prewar population of more than 100,000. Troop deployments there, combined with drone warfare, have slowed Russian assaults. Should Russia fully capture those cities, it could use them to conceal drone operators and exploit roads and railways to streamline logistics. Myrnohrad would give Moscow a springboard to push north and pursue its goal of taking all of the Donetsk region, about three-quarters of which it already controls. A major target could be Kostyantynivka, 25 miles farther east, which is the southern gateway to a chain of cities forming Ukraine’s last major defensive belt in Donetsk. Should it fall, nearly all cities farther north would come within range of Russian drones, and Moscow would gain access to a key road linking these cities. After partly surrounding the city last year, Russian forces began infiltrating it this winter. Moscow has also intensified drone strikes against roads that Ukrainian troops use to resupply the city. A Ukrainian brigade commander recently said that approaching Kostyantynivka had become so dangerous that most supply missions into the city were entrusted to robot-like remotely operated vehicles. If Russian troops advance on the battlefield, Ukraine is likely to face more pressure on the diplomatic front. (Source: The New York Times - U.S.)
United Kingdom
(11.02.2026 While served as UK special representative for international trade and investment, former Prince Andrew forwarded to convicted sex offender Epstein a confidential UK government briefing produced by the provincial reconstruction team, outlining high value gold, uranium, marble, iridium, thorium and possible oil and gas reserve deposit investment opportunities in Helmand province, in Afghanistan, noting the potential for low-cost extraction. According to official guidance, trade envoys are bound by duties of confidentiality regarding sensitive commercial and political information obtained during official visits. Andrew may also have sent Epstein official reports from trade visits to Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam, as well as additional files labelled 'Overseas bids'. Thames Valley Police are examining the claims. Mountbatten-Windsor, 65, withdrew from royal duties in 2019 after his connection to Epstein became public. He also gave up his other royal titles, including the duke of York. In 2022, he settled a civil lawsuit brought by Giuffre, an American who accused Epstein of trafficking her to Andrew when she was 17. Andrew has consistently denied the allegations, and the settlement included no admission of liability. Giuffre died last year, and her posthumous memoir includes several specific claims involving Andrew. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
10 February 2026) After facing pressure to quit, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he will ’never walk away from the country that I love", surviving a day of political jeopardy which saw the Scottish Labour leader call for his resignation. Speaking at a community centre in Hertfordshire, the PM also sought to brush off speculation about his leadership saying he would lead his party into the next general election. The prime minister has faced questions about his leadership for months, following numerous U-turns and a drop in his government's popularity. Those questions intensified following the release of emails from Epstein, which revealed the extent of the relationship between the convicted sex offender and Mandelson, the prime minister's pick to be his ambassador in the US. Around half a dozen Labour MPs have called on the prime minister to quit. Yesterday, Scottish Labour leader Sarwar became the most senior figure in the party to call for Sir Keir to go, saying there had been too many mistakes in Downing Street. Had senior ministers publicly backed Sarwar's call for the PM to go, Sir Keir could have been forced to step down. However, shortly after Sarwar began his press conference, the cabinet started posting messages of support for the prime minister on social media. A few hours later, the prime minister received an 'enthusiastic response’ when he addressed a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party. He has also received public backing from three potential leadership challengers - former deputy prime minister Rayner, Health Secretary Streeting and Greater Manchester Mayor Burnham. Tory leader Badenoch said it was clear the Labour Party had lost confidence in Starmer and that it was a matter of when, not if he stepped down. The prime minister’s position remains fragile and the situation could change quickly. There could be further embarrassing revelations, when the government fulfils its promise to publish documents and communications related to the appointment of Lord Mandelson. Elections in Scotland, Wales and for councils in England in May could trigger fresh leadership challenges, if Labour perform badly. (Source: BBC - United Kingdom)
Europe
11 February 2026 A Financial Times article last week reported on a trip by US Under Secretary of State Rogers to Italy and other European countries. The visit was framed as part of a US effort to support and finance MAGA-aligned think tanks and charities. In Italy and across Europe, debate is intensifying, sparking political backlash and accusations of American interference in domestic affairs over possible funding by the Trump administration of movements and think tanks aligned with the MAGA movement. The left-wing media often describe them as a “black international” aimed at strengthening European nationalist forces and weakening the European Union. The US has historically provided funding in Europe, largely through USAID, founded in 1961 to fight against Communism and to provide disaster relief. Under President Clinton USAID began to move Left, with President Obama adding LGBT initiatives and climate policy. According to Primorac, who worked for USAID for three years and is now with the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, under President Biden USAID introduced transgenderism into every programme. During this period, USAID had an annual budget of approximately €23 billion. President Trump shut down most of this immediately after taking office. According to Scalea, director of the Machiavelli Foundation, a conservative think tank partnered with the Heritage Foundation in Italy, the left cries ‘foreign interference,’ but what is really being contested is not the method, but the political orientation. It remains unclear whether and to what extent new funding from Washington may reach Europe. Analysts have identified three key American actors fostering closer ties with conservative and right-wing movements on the continent: The Heritage Foundation, a US conservative think tank influential in shaping right-wing policymaking; networks linked to Bannon, and Italian associates connected to Musk, all broadly aligned with the current administration’s political orientation. Bannon is seen as mainly active through efforts to establish a training school for global MAGA cadres in Italy. Information emerging from the Epstein files has also pointed to Bannon’s past interest, dating back to 2018 and 2019, in supporting Italy’s League party at a time when it was polling strongly but facing financial constraints. There is no indication that such initiatives remain active today. Musk’s influence, by contrast, operates primarily through Stroppa, a young Italian cybersecurity expert and external adviser widely considered Musk’s man in Italy. Stroppa acts as a local intermediary with institutions and publicly supports Musk’s positions, although so far this does not appear to amount to a structured political organization. Attention has focused in recent days on the visit to Rome by McCarthy, Senior Research Fellow for European Affairs at the Heritage Foundation. The organisation plays a central role in promoting traditional values, national sovereignty, defence policy, and a more assertive foreign policy. “We receive no money from the US government or any foreign government,” McCarthy told, emphasizing the Heritage Foundation’s independence and reliance on private donations. “However, we are aligned with the Trump administration for one basic reason: We wrote a detailed plan, Project 2025,” he said, referring to an initiative outlining policies, personnel, and strategies to implement a conservative agenda for the current administration. Heritage’s activity predates the Trump administration and remains institutionally independent from it, but has found a strong overlap of interests, values, and strategic priorities with the current government. „About 75 per cent of our proposals have been adopted or are in progress", he added, noting that many Heritage staff who helped draft the plan are now working within the administration. McCarthy spoke on the side-lines of a transatlantic relations conference at the Italian parliament, attended by MPs from Brothers of Italy, the League, and Forza Italia, and organized by the Machiavelli Foundation. “We are building bridges with conservative think tanks across Europe,” McCarthy said, naming the European Conservatives and Reformists group, the Patriots, and their affiliated think tanks as main partners, while noting continued contacts with the European People’s Party, despite what he described as its shift leftward in recent years. “We do not want to destroy Europe, but rather to build a strong partnership with a strong America. Greater national sovereignty for Europeans would strengthen transatlantic relations,” he added, arguing that the strength of nationalist parties and movements in Europe reinforces transatlantic ties because it is grounded in shared ’civilisational values”. He said the goal is to align with these movements and, on a geopolitical level, encourage Europeans to strengthen their defence capabilities against external threats, ’particularly from Russia’. The Heritage Foundation, he concluded, does not fund its European partners but instead "develops strategic dialogue" and 'provides policy advice'. According to McCarthy, the activities of the Heritage Foundation in Italy and Europe are not coordinated in any way with those of Bannon or Musk. Scalea, whose Machiavelli Foundation collaborates with the Heritage Foundation, echoed McCarthy’s assessment. This heterogeneity shows that there is no single, coherent strategy by the US administration to influence Europe, but rather multiple power centres pursuing their own parallel initiatives, he said. According to Scalea, potential funding from across the Atlantic would therefore not represent a novelty in itself. While stressing that the Machiavelli Foundation has never received such funding, Scalea argued that this reflects a broader shift in US geopolitical thinking. What would be new, he suggested, would be the recipients - no longer aligned primarily with progressive causes, but rather with conservative or nationalist political forces. (Source: Brussels Signal - Belgium)
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