The end of the corrupt dictator

The rule of law in Malta does not meet European standards. The investigation into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia shows that. Which is why I’m heading to #Malta next week. #RuleOfLaw #mission

Is OLAF a good name for the @EUAntiFraud ? I don’t think it is. 👇🏻

politico.eu/newsletter/pol…

Even the richest man in the world couldn’t buy the election. The midterms are a glimmer of hope. But Trump remains in office until 2028. Europe must therefore not pin its hopes on the US, but must rely on its own strength. Our security and our democratic resilience must not depend on the outcome of the next US election.
danielfreund.eu/en/aktuelles/m…

Poland is a textbook case of the Commission giving up too soon. It closed the rule of law proceedings and released frozen funds as soon as the Tusk government took office in 2023. But the rule of law was far from restored; only the attacks had stopped. We are now seeing just how difficult it is to repair the damage done during the PiS years. The message to Brussels is clear: whenever the rule of law is systematically undermined, the Commission must launch rule of law proceedings

For those of you wondering what happened at the Polish Constitutional Tribunal this weekend, Laurent Pech, Maciej Kisilowski and I explain the legal basis for the suspension of the president and vice present. And no, it's not a coup. verfassungsblog.de/whose-coup-pol…

The best way to use EU funds? This 👇🏻

In a cloak-and-dagger manoeuvre, Babiš's right-wing coalition has set in motion the abolition of the broadcasting licence fee. In future, public-service broadcasting is to be paid for directly out of the state budget – a budget that Babiš himself controls. Rather than preparing the dismantling of public-service broadcasting, Babiš should finally deal with his own conflicts of interest, which remain unresolved to this day.
english.radio.cz/pm-babis-says-…

The European Union stands up for press freedom around the world and in its member states - and rightly so. But it is time the @EU_Commission practised what it preaches. It must stop stonewalling journalists! @pressfreedom

If we want to fight #corruption, we need to fund institutions like @EUAntiFraud and @EUProsecutor adequately.

The corrupt ID group may have been dissolved, but its leadership is carrying on regardless, simply under the Patriots’ banner. It’s good to see that investigators aren’t being fooled by the rebranding.

It’s time for a real European Magnitsky sanction regime against corrupt criminals. The reason we don’t have it yet: Viktor Orbán.

What makes democratic renewal possible? In a fireside chat at #opensocietyforum2026, @KristiRaik and @daniel_freund highlight the power of grassroots movements, bringing people together and strengthening European cooperation. Democracy needs active citizens and a stronger Europe.

Orbán’s propaganda machine, @MCC_Brussels , has not disappeared. It has simply given itself a new look: @FSI_Europe
Via @DeSmog
desmog.com/2026/10/12/orb…

🤷🏼
newsletters.rapporteur.com/mail/a1c7ff44-…

If whistleblowers aren’t using your existing channels, you should improve those channels – not hunt down the person trying to flag irregularities.

rapporteur.com/news/meps-ques…

Back from a fact-finding mission to Budapest, my impression is clear: real change is happening in #Hungary. You can see it, you can feel it. Some call it an anti-corruption marathon. Many of the Commission‘s conditions for unblocking EU funds have been met. But: Billions of Euros will flow into Hungary in a very short time. This carries risk and demands scrutiny. And two caveats remain: Hungary still violates EU asylum law and must fully commit to ending discrimination against the LGBTQI+ community.

#AffaireDatiGhosn - A la barre ce lundi, le témoignage de l’eurodéputé Daniel Freund embarrasse la ligne de défense de Rachida Dati, jugée pour corruption et trafic d’influence en lien avec l’alliance Renault-Nissan. Anticor est partie civile.
#AnticorAgit
lemonde.fr/societe/articl…

The ink on Hungary's reform laws is barely dry, and the Commission is already unblocking billions in EU funds. Will the reforms actually work? When will the European Prosecutor's Office even start its work in Hungary? The Commission acts as if Orbán‘s corrupt system has vanished in just four months. That's naive.
ec.europa.eu/commission/pre…

We will be watching closely what the AfD does in Saxony-Anhalt. If a far-right government emerges and, as announced, violates European values or even misuses funds, we will not hesitate and push to freeze EU funds flowing to an AfD-led government. The cases of Hungary and Poland have shown how important and effective this mechanism is in protecting democracy and the rule of law. EU funds come with conditions – even an EU-hostile AfD must comply with them. danielfreund.eu/en/aktuelles/a…

The political and administrative pressure to disburse the RRF funds quickly is real – and dangerous. If the Commission compromises on standards when assessing milestones and targets, it will undermine trust not only in the recovery fund but in the entire EU budget.
euractiv.com/news/eu-gears-… @Euractiv