French jet shoots down drone in Latvian airspace, Franco-German Eurofighter jet project shelved and Germany records politically motivated crimes at an 'all-time high'

In Europe, many illusions are crumbling. This week's monitor leads with two military aviation stories that point both to the future of warfare but also the death of illusions. The illusion that NATO alone can deter Russian airspace incursions into the alliance's frontline states with the introduction of lite drone warfare, currently attributed to electromagnetic warfare. The illusion that Europe's biggest countries and economies can work together to develop a next generation fighter jet.

From these micro-illusions come the macro-illusions. Europe is a safe place that is whole and free—a phrase that seems as insipid as it does antiquated in the moment. Economic integration can prevent nation-states from going to war against each other. Modern and free democratic institutions can check threats or shocks to the system brought on by extremism.

Europe's peace is now more fragile than ever since the postwar period began. It is under pressure at both the systemic level but also the solutions being presented are proving to be not viable. An old world and its security infrastructure that brought Europe eight decades of peace and prosperity might not hold.

As glamorous as the destruction of the old and the chainsaw politics of the libertarian present might seem, the crumbling of Europe's institutions and ability to integrate means the continents most vulnerable will feel the wrath of whatever emerges next first. There is a real privilege of being alive during the last 80 years of European history as opposed to the 80 years before that.

The 80 years of near and imperfect peace has softened us and our resolve. Setting aside the Balkan conflicts in the 1990s and internal domestic political turmoil in nation-states, we still owe it to those passing now, the millions of victims of history, failed racist and economic ideologies and human cruelty, to those who lived these catastrophes and the immediate aftermath, the lost children and orphaned souls to do our best to remember why we were given what we were. We also owe it to ourselves to keep the legacy they built alive and adaptable going forward.

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LATVIAN AIRSPACE – French Baltic Air Policing jet shoots down drone

• Reuters reports Monday that "A French military Rafale fighter jet shot down a drone that entered NATO member Latvia's airspace from Russia".
• It is "the latest in a series of such security incidents". For their part, the Latvians said "without saying who launched the drone" that the drone "entered from Russia" as part of "Russian electromagnetic warfare."
• The new Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs credited "swift-decision making and professional action" on social media site X while the French army spokesperson said the shooting down of the drone "shows once again NATO's determination and ability to deter and defend." Kulbergs' predecessor Evika Silina resigned from office amid the fallout after a similar incident in which a drone hit an unused fuel depot in the eastern Latvian city of Rezekne.

BERLIN, GERMANY & PARIS, FRANCE – Franco-German Euro fighter jet project dropped

• Reuters reports Tuesday that "The leaders of Germany and France have agreed to scrap a landmark project to develop and build a new-generation fighter jet". In a post-script, The Financial Times reports Wednesday that "a new aviation strategy" unveiled the same day "signalled Germany will seek to lead efforts to develop a next-generation fighter jet".
• German officials said "there was no prospect of breaking months of deadlock between arms firms involved in the plan". German Chancellor Friedrich Merz "therefore advised" French President Emmanuel Macron "not to pursue the construction of a joint fighter aircraft any further". "Macron's office said the two had discussed the project at length" but "regretted that the main industry partners," Airbus representing Germany and Spain and France's Dassault Aviation, were "not able to reach an agreement."
• The cancellation of the €100 billion ($116 billion) Eurofighter project is a considerable setback as Europe faces "in rebuilding its military capacity after decades of underinvestment."

BERLIN, GERMANY – Politically motivated crime at 'all-time high' in Germany

• Agence France Presse reports Tuesday that Germany's Interior Ministry said politically-motivated crime "has doubled over the past decade to hit an all-time high last year".
• Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt cited "right-wing and far-right perpetrators" as the biggest single culprit though he noted crime motivated by the far-left "rose most sharply."
• Of the more than 22,000 crimes classified as politically-motivated by the Interior Ministry, "more than 80% were motivated by xenophobia." Antisemitic crimes alone counted for 6,548 cases or 5% of the total.

PARIS, FRANCE – Israeli far-right finance minister banned from entering France

• Politico reports Tuesday that France banned Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich "from entering the country due to his support for the West Bank annexations that threaten a two-state solution."
• On a post on X, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed the ban on Smotrich by noting he "actively promotes the annexation of the West Bank" and "the creation of new colonies in the West Bank, the recolonization of Gaza." Israel's Foreign Ministry countered that the ban was part of a series of "disgraceful measures" of "anti-Israeli policies" which "only serve to fuel antisemitism."
• In addition to France, Smotrich has also been barred from entering Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the UK.

FLEURANCE, FRANCE – Outrage after repeat offender not questioned before girl's murder

• Reuters reports last Friday that the French public expressed outrage after the arrest of the father of a classmate of a young girl who was found dead was not questioned after credible evidence suggested before the girl's death that he was a serial child sex predator.
• Lyhanna, the missing 11 year old who has only been publicly identified by her first name, was found dead after she "was reported missing in the small southern town of Fleurance on May 29, after leaving school." The father of a classmate, age 41, "was arrested on evidence that he was seen with her on the afternoon she disappeared." Following "a massive search," Lyhanna was found murdered "on Thursday in farmland near her hometown."
• The case caused "public outcry" following the revelation that "the suspect had been accused in several cases involving young girls." The mother of one 10 year old complained to the authorities that the suspect had raped her daughter repeatedly and yet "the suspect was not questioned by police." French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin has even gone so far as to apologize publicly, offering, "We can't look at the faces of the family members and tell ourselves that everything went all right" and summoned "all state prosecutors to a meeting next week".

ROME, ITALY – Retired general's far-right party claims almost 100,000 paying members

• Reuters reports Monday that the party of Roberto Vanacci, a retired Italian general and member of the European Parliament, "has attracted almost 100,000 paying members to his new movement, Futuro Nazionale, which is polling at around 4% and rising."
• The "anti-EU, pro Russia party" is to be "officially inaugurated this weekend" and will present itself as an "uncompromising, nationalist party". Futuro Nazionale "is fast becoming a political headache for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni" and "could become enough to decide" a tight election next year.
• Further risks for Meloni "should she embrace him" risks "scaring away her more moderate supporters".

ROME, ITALY – Italy opens investigation into Israeli minister over handling of flotilla folks

• The Jerusalem Post reports Tuesday that the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation into far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's handling of Gaza flotilla activists after videos on social media showed his "alleged mistreatment".
• The videos show Ben-Gvir "mocking" the Gaza flotilla activists who are mostly citizens of numerous European countries "while they were kneeling with their hands and feet behind their backs."
• Italian prosecutors "are examining potential offenses" including "kidnapping, torture, violations of maritime navigation laws, and attempted murder" which "allegedly occurred during the interception of vessels at sea." France's Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office also "already launched a preliminary investigation into alleged torture and war crimes."

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Commodities trader Gunvor's headquarters searched

• In a story that escaped our notice last week, Swissinfo reports last week Tuesday that the Geneva headquarters of commodities trader Gunvor was searched by police "on the orders of the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland" back in May.
• The search was conducted as part of an investigation focusing "on suspicion of bribery of foreign public officials." The NGO Public Eye revealed the information, which was later confirmed by a spokesperson for the attorney general's office to Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS.
• Gunvor was previously convicted twice "for its criminal liability in connection with acts of corruption in Congo and Côte d'Ivoire" in 2019 and in 2024 on similar charges involving Ecuador.

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA – Ban on arms sales to Israel revoked by new government

• Reuters reports Thursday that Slovenia's defense ministry "has revoked a 2025 decision banning the export and transit of weapons and military equipment to Israel," which includes "arms imports from the country".
• The ban was introduced in July of last year though "the trade in arms is already governed by national law and European Union rules." The decision to revoke the prior ban is "aligned with the EU Common Position on arms export controls."
• The 2025 measure was introduced under the previous government of Robert Golob who was just replaced by the center-right government of Prime Minister Janez Jansa.

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA – PM Jansa removes Palestinian flag from government building

• Middle East Eye reports last Friday that "Janez Jansa began his fourth term as Slovenia's prime minister" after an inter-regnum filled by Robert Golub, "by ordering the Palestinian flag removed from the main government building" after "it had flown for two years."
• Meanwhile, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports, "Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced the country will open its first-ever embassy in the Slovenian capital" and The Times of Israel adds Slovenia's President Natasa Pirc Musar responded by accusing Israel of "genocide" over the war in Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 attacks carried out by Hamas and would be "raising the Palestinian flag at her palace".
• The move to remove the Palestinian flag was "carried out almost immediately after he took office Thursday". On X Friday, Jansa wrote Slovenia would pursue a "responsible" foreign policy "based on facts" which was interprest "as a coded rejection of Slovenia's recent anti-genocide stance and its commitment to international law." Jansa has attacked Golob's stance and repeatedly stated "We stand with Israel" in the past. 

Stay safe and remember the never in never again!

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