


Andrej Babis, the Czech billionaire making a political comeback
Accusations of corruption and conflicts of interest seem not to hinder his campaign
“ANO, ZASE bude lip” (“Yes, it will be better again”), promises a campaign poster showing Andrej Babis in front of a shimmering Czech flag. In the run-up to parliamentary elections on October 3rd and 4th, Mr Babis, a billionaire who was prime minister between 2017 and 2021, insists Czechs will be better off with him back in office. But he has been dogged by allegations of misuse of European Union funds, which he denies. And the country’s European allies are worried about his attitudes towards the EU and NATO.
Explore more

How bad is America’s icebreaker gap with Russia?
Finland has something special that America wants

Italy’s regions are creating a right to die
They are acting as parliament has failed to do so

How Europe crushes innovation
Labour rules devised in the 20th century are hobbling Europe in the 21st
The unravelling of France’s centrist project
There is a real chance that power will fall into the hands of the extremes
Europe’s biggest military project could collapse
Industrial bickering is putting the Future Combat Air System at risk
The War Room newsletter: Is Putin testing Europe’s mettle?
Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, explores the intentions of Russia’s president