Europe

China has not stood idly by in the face of the Dutch offensive against Nexperia. The pulse with Europe intensifies

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Nexperia probably doesn’t sound familiar to us. It does not manufacture phones or computers, but its small chips are present in a good part of devices. For years, it was a discreet company based in the Netherlands and owned by the Chinese company Wingtech, far from the media spotlight. Everything changed this fall, when the Dutch Government took temporary control of its management citing reasons of economic securityand a few days later China banned its subsidiary from exporting part of its products. In just one week, an invisible company became the epicenter of the new technological pulse between Europe and Beijing. The Dutch Government’s measure was not an expropriation, but it was an unprecedented move. The Ministry of Economic Affairs invoked the Asset Availability Lawa 1952 law created to ensure the supply of essential goods. With it, he assumed veto power over strategic decisions. In parallel, The Amsterdam Business Chamber appointed an independent administrator and reorganized voting rights to ensure oversight. According to the Executive, it was about ensuring that the company maintained its production in Europe and avoiding any transfer of sensitive knowledge outside the continent. Dutch control over Nexperia has a very specific scope. The State does not own the company, but it can veto strategic decisions, changes in management or movements that modify its structure in Europe. Through the independent administrator appointed by a court, the Government has a direct say in the management and can stop any decision that it considers a risk to supply or technological security. Supervision has been established for an initial period of one year, although it is not clear whether monitoring could be extended beyond that period. Export veto. A few days after the Dutch decision, China reacted with a measure that directly hits the Asian subsidiary of Nexperia. The Ministry of Commerce vetoed the export of certain “finished components and subassemblies” manufactured in Chinese territory, both by the company itself and by its suppliers. The blockade does not affect its internal market, but limits part of the trade routes to Europe and America. The company has confirmed that it is seeking an agreement with the Chinese authorities to reverse the veto. Impact on the supply chain. Nexperia’s Guangdong plant is one of its largest centers, with a capacity of tens of billions of parts per year. The Chinese order affects precisely that facility and its local suppliers, which restricts international shipments. Nexperia keeps its factories active in Europe and Southeast Asia, which could help mitigate the effects of the blockade. For now, the company assures that European production and orders continue as normal. Official responses: Following the Dutch Government’s decision, Nexperia announced that it will fully cooperate with the authorities and implement the management changes ordered by the court. Wingtech, its Chinese parent company, talks about “an excessive intervention based on geopolitical bias rather than a fact-based risk assessment” by the Netherlands. From Beijing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the politicization of the issue and discriminatory practices against Chinese companies Chronology to understand the case at a glance. In just two weeks, the Nexperia case went from being an administrative decision to becoming a diplomatic fight between Europe and China. September 30, 2025: The Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands invokes for the first time the Goods Availability Act to apply supervisory measures over Nexperia. October 4, 2025: China’s Ministry of Commerce prohibits Nexperia China and its subcontractors from exporting certain “finished components and subassemblies” manufactured in the country. October 7, 2025: The Amsterdam Business Chamber suspends CEO Zhang Xuezheng and appoints an independent administrator with decision-making power over the company. October 12, 2025: The Dutch Government officially announces the activation of the law and the control framework over Nexperia. October 14, 2025: Nexperia recognizes the veto imposed by Beijing and affirms that it is holding talks with the Chinese authorities to resolve the blockade. ⠀ The episode leaves more questions open than answers. China has not published a detailed list of affected products, and the available information comes from Nexperia’s statement on October 14. It is also not known whether Dutch supervision will end within the announced deadline or whether it could be extended. Ultimately, the company operates between two opposing regulations, with no clear margin for stable normality. A conflict, opposing views. The Netherlands maintains that it acts for economic security and to protect technological capabilities considered strategic. China, on the other hand, interprets the measure as a form of discrimination that seeks to slow its industrial advance. Between both positions, the company tries to maintain balance on a board that has become as political as it is technological. What is at stake is not only the future of Nexperia, but the role that Europe wants to play in the new geography of technology. Nexperia is not a minor player. From its headquarters in the Netherlands coordinates a global network of more than 12,500 employees and manufactures billions of components each year for industries ranging from automobiles to consumer electronics. Their chips, invisible to most, are part of the technical fabric that supports much of the digital economy. That scale explains why what began as a national measure has ended up resonating in a global debate about control, dependence and technological power. Images | Nexperia (1, 2, 3) In Xataka | Before the tariffs, China bought most of its beef from the US. After the tariffs another country has won

As Europe fights Russia’s hybrid war, a Spanish invention simplifies how to take down its drones in seconds

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Europe attends a wave of drone raids that have violated its airspace, closed airports and exposed the fragility of its defenses. Faced with this hybrid and growing threat, the European Union study get up an “anti-drone wall”: a technological network of radars, sensors and neutralization systems designed to shield the continental sky against an invisible, cheap and increasingly closer enemy. In fact, Spain has several developments underway that it is about to test. The awakening of Spain. The advancement of drones in modern conflicts has completely transformed the nature of warand Spain is preparing to face it with an ambitious military modernization plan. The Armed Forces will celebrate from October 20 to 24 the Atlas 25 exercise in Huelva, the largest joint meeting of Land, Air and Navy for defense and attack with drones. There, Spanish observation, interception and electronic warfare systems will be tested, with the participation of the Defense Operations Command and INTA. It is not just a tactical maneuver: it is a awakening demonstration technology of the national industry, in which companies such as Indra, Arquimea, TRC and Escribano seek to position themselves at the core of European defense against an enemy that already dominates the sky with cheap and lethal swarms. Atlas 25: the great showcase. The exercise will serve as a testing ground for solutions ranging from offensive drones like the Q-Slam 40 of Archimeacapable of operating without GPS, to inhibition and defense systems developed by Indra and Escribano. But it will also be an industrial showcase in which Spain will show its capacity for technological integration and public-private cooperation. The war in Ukraine has shown that every platform is vulnerable to surveillance and air attack, and that survival depends on the speed with which new electronic warfare tools are developed. Following the recent incursions of Russian drones into European airspace, the need for this “anti-drone wall” has become a priority. The Atlas 25Therefore, it is not only a military exercise, but a political and strategic gesture that places Spain at the forefront of that continental response. Nexor Nexor full integration. The Army has chosen the Nexor systemdeveloped by TRC, as the cornerstone of its new electronic warfare strategy. We are talking about a new platform modular command and control which centralizes the information from all deployed sensors in a single interface. In recent maneuvers in Ciudad Real carried out by the 31st Electronic Warfare Regiment, Nexor (militarily named like Cerberus) has demonstrated its ability to detect, intercept and inhibit hostile drones or enemy communications, even in crowded electronic environments. He integrated system artificial intelligence and machine learning, and its open architecture allows the incorporation of new sensors or updates without redoing its structure. On a front where every second counts, Nexor promises to reduce the gap between detection and responseoffering the soldier a unified and simplified view of the environment to overthrow drones in fractions of a second. Nexor National product. In other words, with this system that is being tested, Spain takes a step towards technological sovereignty by processing and storing its own data, without depending on foreign codes or transferring sensitive information to allied or competing powers. The collaboration between TRC and the Army has led to a 100% national tool that reinforces the country’s strategic autonomy and anticipates the type of war in which so much waves like data They are as (or more) decisive than missiles. Strategic investment. The Ministry of Defense promotes a program of 646 million euros intended to reinforce the electronic warfare of the Army, awarded to Indra under the protection of article 346 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which allows certain contracts to be excluded from common regulations for reasons of national security. 60% of the investment will be allocated to light capabilities, with 16 mobile systems equipped with Vamtac vehicles and interoperable sensors. The forecast is that Indra will rely on specialized companies as CRTwhich has worked with the Army to adapt the solutions to their real needs. The objective seems clear: to create a Spanish, scalable and sovereign system, which combines industrial experience with the technological agility that the battlefield demands today. Spain and the new border. There is no doubt, the lessons from ukraine have exposed both the vulnerability of armies against drones and the urgency to adapt to a war where control of the spectrum is as important as that of the land or the air. Atlas 25 comes at a time when Europe is seeking shield your skies in the face of the Russian hybrid threat and in which Spain emerges as a unexpectedly prepared actor. If you also want, the national industry has gone from being a secondary supplier to becoming a tactical innovation laboratorywhere the integration between technology, intelligence and digital sovereignty set the course. If the future of warfare is a fight between algorithms, sensors and autonomous machines, the nation seems willing to not to be left behind. And Atlas 25 will ultimately be the litmus test of that commitment. Image | CRT In Xataka | Europe has found the antidote to Russian drones. So demand for a 100-year-old gun has skyrocketed In Xataka | Europe has decided to take action against Moscow’s hybrid war. So Germany has started hunting for Russian drones

Europe needs tungsten for its electrical future. A Swedish mining company knows where to find it: Ourense

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In the parish of Pentes, in the Ourense municipality of A Gudiña, the excavators have already begun to remove earth. There, on a slope where until recently only the mountain wind could be heard, the Swedish mining company Eurobattery Minerals AB has launched the work to extract tungsten – also known as tungsten –, a strategic metal for the European energy and technological transition. Galicia thus joins the small group of regions on the continent with active exploitation of this critical mineral. A strategic mine for Europe. The company, through its Galician subsidiary Tungsten San Juan, has launched its San Juan project while preparing its application for the second call for Strategic Projects under the European Regulation of Critical Raw Materials (CRMA), to open in January 2026. The first earthworks and the construction of a service warehouse are already visible in the area, as confirmed by the Vigo Lighthouse. When it is at full capacity, this will be the second active exploitation of tungsten in Spain, along with that of Barruecopardoin Salamanca. More in depth. The San Juan project will be an open pit mine with a goal that goes beyond local production: to provide European tungsten to the continent’s new industrial ecosystem. The company has begun improving infrastructure and constructing a pilot plant with gravimetric technology, while estimating reserves of 60,000 tons of ore with a grade of 1.3% WO₃. These are modest figures on a global scale, but significant for a Europe that seeks to reduce its dependence on Chinese imports of this critical metal. It has not been a short road. The procedures began in 2016 with geological studies, surveys and the construction of accesses, all under the supervision of the Xunta de Galicia. “Our goal is to produce tungsten responsibly and efficiently within Europe,” explains Agne Ahleniusgeneral director of Tungsten San Juan and former head of the Barruecopardo mine. “With this project, Galicia and Spain reinforce their role in the European supply chain of critical raw materials.” The metal that supports the energy transition. Few materials concentrate as much strategic value as tungsten. Its density, its resistance and its very high melting point make it a key resource for modern industry: from wind turbines to defense, including semiconductors and electric cars. But behind its technical brilliance there is a global conflict. China controls more than 80% of production and, in recent months, it has further limited its exports. The result: skyrocketing prices, uncertainty in the markets and a new reminder of how dependent Europe continues to be. To break this cycle, Brussels has launched the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), a plan to guarantee access to critical minerals within European territory. According to the European Commissionthese initiatives not only seek economic stability: they also aim to reinforce the industrial autonomy of the continent and reduce its vulnerability to geopolitical tensions. Spain, a mining window. The start of the San Juan project is not an isolated event. It is part of a larger movement: the rediscovery of Spain’s mining potential. The country has projects of copper, tungsten, vanadium, graphite and cobalt, in addition to new deposits of rare earths in Estremadura and Gran Canaria. The European Union has set clear goals. It wants to stop depending on third countries for its supply of raw materials, and the new Critical Raw Materials Regulation (CRMA) mark the way: By 2030, at least 10% of critical minerals must be extracted within Europe, 40% processed on EU soil and 15% from recycling. Furthermore, no external country may concentrate more than 65% of the supply. On this map, Spain appears as a key piece: with Galicia, Castilla y León, Andalusia and Extremadura at the forefront, the country could become one of the gateways to the new European green reindustrialization. European autonomy is in Galicia. The roar of the excavators in A Gudiña not only marks the beginning of a new mine, but also the symbol of a change of era. Europe wants to leave decades of dependence behind and build a more sovereign and sustainable industry. From a Galician hillside, a small tungsten mine has become part of that strategy. What begins in Pentes may be, deep down, one more piece of the new energy and technological map of Europe. Image | Unsplash Xataka | The price of silver is exploding to levels not seen since 1980. The reason: we need too much

Europe has found the antidote to Russian drones. So demand for a 100-year-old gun has skyrocketed.

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The war in Ukraine has become an immense laboratory for new war technologies, but it has also reminded us that beyond the sophistication of modern artillery, the experience of the past remains a weapon as powerful as any missile. we have seen optical illusionsthe return of the horses or weapons 1940’s vintage. In fact, Europe is arming itself against Russia’s hybrid war with a 100-year-old weapon. The resurgence of a legend. The war in Ukraine has returned a veteran of more than a century to the front line: the M2 heavy machine gun Browning, symbol of 20th century war engineering and now a key piece in the arsenal of modern armies. Designed in 1921 by John Moses Browning and mass produced during World War II, the M2 (capable of firing .50 caliber projectiles at a rate of up to 600 rounds per minute) has once again proven indispensable, especially on the Ukrainian front, where it is used on civilian trucks to shoot down Russian Shahed drones. Its mechanical simplicity, extreme reliability and devastating power have made it a weapon with no direct substitute, and its use has contributed to a surge in global demand reminiscent of the most intense years of the Cold War. Industrial boom. The rebirth of this icon runs parallel to the FN Browning expansionthe historic Belgian firm that from its headquarters in Herstal manufactures not only the M2, but also the FN MAG and FN Minimi (known in the United States as M240 and M249) along with FN SCAR rifles and ammunition of standard NATO calibers. After decades of relative calm, its production of machine guns has been doubled compared to 2022, and the demand for ammunition has quadrupled. Although the company does not sell directly to Ukraine, its contracts with allies such as the United States, the United Kingdom or France have grown exponentially. France, for example, has recovered thousands of M2s abandoned by US troops in 1945 for FN to modernize and return them to service with “like new” guarantees. The conflict has revived interest not only in new generation weapons, but also in those that have proven to be reliable under any circumstances. Economy of rearmament. The war has awakened a cycle of massive rearmament in Europe, with more than 930,000 million of dollars committed through 2030, and FN Browning has become one of the epicenters of this military reindustrialization. Despite a stable business volume (1.3 billion euros in 2024, after the acquisition of the ammunition producer Sofisport), the company is expanding its workforce and increasing the production of weapons and ammunition by thousands of units annually. The stagnation of its sports division, which flourished during the pandemic, contrasts with the avalanche of state contracts that consolidate its strategic role within the European defense ecosystem. The machine gun market, relegated for years, is experiencing a second youth marked by the urgency of replenishing depleted arsenals after the massive shipment of weapons to Ukraine and the perception of a persistent Russian threat. Classic weapons, modern warfare. The Ukrainian conflict has shown that even in the era of artificial intelligence and drone swarms, classically designed weapons still play a critical role. The M2 they have adapted to unmanned ground platforms and remote stations controlled by AI to improve precision in the fight against drones. F. N. Browning collaborates with technology firms to integrate automatic target recognition systems into their turrets, anticipating a convergence between mechanical tradition and algorithmic warfare. At the same time, European militaries, after decades of disinvestment, are faced with the need to rebuild their heavy fire capabilities from the ground up. From the past to the future. The longevity of the M2 It is a testament not only to its design, but also to a cyclical military reality: modern wars continue to depend on the reliability of steel and gunpowder. From the beaches of Normandy to the fields of Donetsk, this machine gun has accompanied Western armies through a century of changing conflicts, and today it once again symbolizes resistance in the face of technological adversity. For FN Browning, the resurgence of its most emblematic weapon marks not only the most active moment since the end of the Cold War, but also the beginning of a new era in which war tradition and digital innovation march, once again, at the same pace. Image | Wikimedia Cominos In Xataka | Europe has decided to take action against Moscow’s hybrid war. So Germany has started hunting for Russian drones In Xataka | “Why don’t we shoot?”: in the face of Russian drone incursions, Ryanair has its own alternative to the European wall

We have filled Europe with traps to combat the terrible Asian wasp. It was a bad idea

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That non-endemic species reach new territories It’s a colossal problem. It is estimated that more than half of contemporary extinctions They are the fault of invaders and there are examples of kicks (reaching the Arctic due to climate change). He coypu or the blue crab They are two of those invasive animals, but if we share something in Europe it is the “fear” of Asian wasps: a ‘bug’ that we have been fighting for 20 years and against which we are losing miserably. And the big problem is that we are killing flies with cannon shots. vespa velutina. About three centimeters long, this wasp came to Europe at the beginning of the century. Supposedly, he did so aboard a cargo ship from China, landing on the French coast and, since then, colonizing other territories. In 2010 the species spread to Spain, entering from the Basque Country, colonizing the Cantabrian coast and arriving in Galiciabut it has also expanded to Portugal, Germany and even the United Kingdom. It is already well established and, although it is true that it is not more aggressive than “our” wasp, when it gets angry and stings it can cause serious allergic reactions, causing occasional deaths. The worst thing is that it continues to expand at a rate of about 80 kilometers of territory gained each year. Invaders. It’s no longer that they can bother us, but rather that, as an invasive species, they do what they do best: destroy the native ones. And not with other wasps, but with bees. The Asian wasp is a predator of other insects, but has a predilection for honey bees. It attacks their hives indiscriminately, causing enormous damage to beekeeping. At a time when awareness about importance of bees in naturebeyond for him human consumption of honeythere are those who take matters into their own hands and have started setting traps. It moves fast Flies with cannon shots. There are several types. On the one hand, the most homemade: the typical upside-down bottle that we fill with mixtures attractive to wasps (juices, wines, fruits and sugar), creating a sticky paste in which the wasp becomes trapped. There are others that are more sophisticated and selective, with large holes for wasps to enter, but with release mechanisms for smaller animals and pheromones that attract insects. The problem is that they are remedies that can do more harm than anything else because, although commercial traps have release mechanisms for accidentally captured insects, you have to be careful and, basically, it is killing flies with cannon fire. Those who do not have to fall fall. And the main criticism is precisely that: the traps do not discriminate and damage is created to biodiversity because many insects that are not the Asian wasp are killed. Among them are moths, beetles, flies, bees and an ally that fights against the Asian invader: the European hornet. In a recent investigation published Pest Management Science has analyzed how in Galician vineyards, traps against Vespa velutina have turned out to be ineffective in controlling the damage that the insect does to grapes, but although Asian wasps are trapped, other species that have an important role in pollination are also captured. Solutions? The request of the researchers is that the Galician administration, promoter of this massive trapping, takes a step back because what is produced is a false idea of ​​effectiveness due to general captures, but without implying that the objective, which is to stop the Asian wasp, is met. What do they propose? That this elimination technique be reconsidered and look at the scientific evidence, since “environmental problems are complex and can rarely be solved with quick and easy solutions.” It is not a solution as such to the damage that these invasive wasps can cause, but it is to put an end to the indiscriminate killing of other insects that do a job in our ecosystem. What is evident is that, as we mentioned a few paragraphs ago, for a kind of outsider to arrive and establish itself so quickly in a territory is something devastating. And the Asian wasp is a perfect example. Images | Clame Reporter, Didier Descouens In Xataka | After centuries of disappearance, there are people releasing beavers into the Tagus and other rivers in Spain. The problem is that we don’t know who

Europe has been working for three years to isolate itself from Russian gas. Two countries have decided to build a direct gas pipeline to Russia

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The European energy map is changing at a speed that few would have imagined just three years ago. The old gas pipelines that linked Siberia to the industrial heart of the EU have been sidelined, while new routes and alliances reconfigure the power table around gas. The old continent proclaims its purpose of isolating Moscow, but in the center of the continent it is drawn an exception that alters the planned script and that may change the balance of forces in the coming winters. A map in transformation. Yes, the European gas map has changed radically in a few years, to the point that this winter of 2025 is the first in decades in which Russian gas ceases to be decisive throughout the European Union. After the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the energy crisis that broke out between 2021 and 2023, Brussels urged urgently diversification of supplies, relying on imports liquefied natural gas (LNG), especially from the United States and Qatar, and in the fortress of norway as a stable partner. The great gas pipelines that for half a century linked the Siberian fields with the European industrial heart have been underutilizeddamaged or reduced to a secondary role, as energy security moves towards the global balance of the LNG market and towards the vulnerability of infrastructures increasingly exposed to cyber attacks and hybrid incidents. On this new board, each molecule counts, but not all of them weigh the same: there are some that define true European autonomy more than others. The two exceptions. Despite the EU’s declared desire to eliminate purchases from Moscow, two countries have kept the valve open: Hungary and Slovakia. In August 2025, according to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, both added imports of Russian crude oil and gas by more than 690 million of euros, that is, the majority of the European total. In fact, they continue to receive oil through the gigantic Druzhba pipeline, which crosses Ukraine and Belarus from Russian fields to Central Europe, and have used temporary exception granted by Brussels to landlocked countries to justify their dependence. The contrast is evident: while countries like France, the Netherlands and Belgium have limited themselves to importing residual Russian LNG, Budapest and Bratislava continue buying crude oil and gas straight from Moscow, keeping alive the energy artery that the rest of Europe has tried to close. Hungary and Slovakia are investing in gas infrastructure and creating a gas block in the heart of Europe aimed at protecting against any risks USA, Brussels and pressure. The intransigence of Viktor Orbán and Robert Fico has not gone unnoticed. At the UN, Trump accused Europe of “financing the war against itself” and pointed out with their own name to the Central European partners that do business with the Kremlin. Brussels, for its part, debate sanctions growing: the nineteenth package included a ban on Russian LNG starting in 2026 and restrictions on giants such as Rosneft or Gazprom Neft, although it avoided imposing immediate vetoes on crude oil and gas by gas pipeline, fearing a head-on crash with Budapest and Bratislava. However, the Commission is already preparing specific tariffs against imports that are still They arrive through Druzhbaand requires all Member States to submit disconnection plans before 2027the year in which the final cut is expected. The discourse of dependency. Hungary insists that its economy would fall 4% immediately if they were closed russian flowsand both Orbán and Fico speak of “economic suicide” and “ideological impositions” from Brussels. However, experts and analysts dismantle many of these arguments: geography is no excuse in an integrated European market where other equally landlocked countries, such as Austria or the Czech Republic, have reduced drastically reduce its Russian imports. Alternative infrastructures there are. The Adria pipeline, which connects to the Adriatic in Croatia, could supply enough crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia, although the reliability of its capacity tests is disputed. The Croatian oil company JANAF itself assures which can supply both refineries (Százhalombatta in Hungary and Slovnaft in Bratislava) with up to 12.9 million tons per year. In gas, the interconnections with neighboring countries and the expected abundance of LNG after 2026 suggest that the cutoff of Russian flows would be more political than technical. Politics, benefits and a shadow. Budapest’s stubbornness also has an internal political and economic dimension. The MOL company, close to the Orbán Government and owner of the Slovak refinery, has reaped huge benefits thanks to the price difference between Russian Urals crude oil and Brent, which has allowed extraordinary income for both the company and the state budget itself through taxes. In parallel, the speech of the Hungarian Executive associates the continuity of supply russian with stability of its star program of subsidies on household energy bills, despite the fact that the prices that Budapest pays for Russian gas follow the same international references as for the rest of Europe. In Slovakia, Fico also protects contracts with Gazprom valid until 2034, although the national company SPP itself has flexible agreements with large Western companies that would allow demand to be met without Moscow. The new axis of the Black Sea. Be that as it may, the most revealing element of the new energy map is that Hungary and Slovakia not only resist cutting the Russian gas pipelines inherited from the Cold War, but are betting on new connections. The route that arrives through the TurkStream and enters from Türkiye towards central Europe through the Black Sea consolidates a direct link with Moscow at the same time that Brussels seeks to isolate it. Paradoxically, the two Central European countries are becoming the main russian corridor towards the heart of the EU, a role that openly contradicts the energy autonomy strategy and reinforces the structural dependence on a partner considered hostile. Europe contradicts itself. The dilemma is obvious. The European Union proclaims its purpose to end with Russian imports in just two years, but at the same time tolerates exceptions that feed … Read more

Europe has decided to take action against Moscow’s hybrid war. So Germany has started hunting for Russian drones

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Which started as a succession of technical incidents and contradictory testimonies did not take long to shake the governments of the old continent, mobilizing ships and planes, and forcing Berlin to rewrite the rules about when and how something floating above our heads can be knocked down. On that invisible chessboard there was a question that everyone avoided answering: who really presses the button that launches these devices, and for what purpose? Now, Germany and the rest of Europe seem to agree. The invisible front. we have been counting. Europe has entered an unprecedented phase of aerial vulnerability. In just a few months, a wave of incursions by unidentified drones (some over airports, industrial plants and strategic centers) has forced the closure of airspace, diverting flights and putting on alert to the forces navies of several countries. In Germany, air traffic disruptions have been multiplied by 33% in a single year, and what began as a succession of isolated incidents has become a continental phenomenon that many attribute to a hybrid offensive orchestrated by Russia. And more. These raids, without constituting a formal act of war, are part of a destabilization strategy broader that combines cyberattacks, sabotage and technological intimidation to gauge NATO’s reaction and test European response capacity without crossing the threshold of direct confrontation. Germany changes doctrine. Until recently, German authorities were limited to detecting drones, without being able to intervene on them. However, the magnitude of the raids (which forced even at closing of Munich airport and left thousands of passengers stranded) has forced a legal change of enormous significance. The Government of Friedrich Merz has approved a bill authorizing the federal police to shoot down drones that violate German airspace or represent an immediate danger, using everything from kinetic shots to laser weapons and electronic jamming systems. It is not a trivial topic. It is about the first modification of the police law since 1994, and its parliamentary approval will place Germany at the level from France, the United Kingdom, Lithuania and Romaniacountries that already allow the active neutralization of unmanned aircraft. The Executive has also announced the creation of a national anti-drone unit that will be in charge of neutralizing low-altitude devices, while those with greater power will remain under military jurisdiction. Between safety and climbing. The approval of this law reflects a dilemma that crosses all of Europe: how to respond to Russian hybrid aggression without provoking an escalation of war. Chancellor Merz himself has acknowledged that many of the intercepted aircraft appear to be carrying out reconnaissance flights, without weapons, but with clear strategic intentions. At the same time, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has underlined that operations in urban environments must be governed by the principle of proportionality to avoid collateral damage. Fear that a misidentification could lead to a diplomatic or military incident keeps security forces on edge. a constant balance between firmness and prudence. Meanwhile, Germany modernizes its defense with systems such as the Rheinmetall Skyrangerdesigned to neutralize swarms of drones in the middle of a hybrid war, and strengthens its coordination with NATO in the face of the risk that the technological frontier will also become a political frontier. The risk of the “gray zone”. Recent incidents in Poland, Estonia and Romania (where Russian drones and MiG-31 fighters have violated allied airspace) have prompted NATO to review its rules of engagement. Countries bordering Russia, backed by France and the United Kingdom, have proposed more aggressive measures: allow pilots to open fire without visual confirmation, arm surveillance drones and carry out military exercises on the same border line. Although some allies advocate containment to avoid a direct clash with a nuclear power, others maintain that the only effective deterrence is the visible action. Washington has pushed to relax response rules and even has suggested that the Alliance should “shoot Russian planes” that enter its airspace. In other words, the debate has revealed the tension between European caution and the American desire to regain the initiative against Moscow, in a context in which the war in Ukraine and Russian aerial provocations threaten to overflow the limits of conventional war. Europe and the air shield. The idea we count recently. While NATO refines its protocols, the European Union is trying to strengthen its autonomous capacity against hybrid attacks. The president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has proposed lifting that “drone wall”a network of sensors, radars and weapons that protects the eastern flank of the continent. Brussels is also preparing sanctions and restrictions to the movement of Russian diplomats suspected of directing sabotage operations, while allocating community funds to finance anti-drone systems in airports, ports and power plants. The initiative seeks not only to reinforce physical security, but also to respond politically to the Russian attempt to sow division within the EU. “Russia wants to divide us; we must respond with unity,” has warned von der Leyen, stressing that defense against gray war cannot be limited to reacting, but must focus on active deterrence. Europe in transformation. The drone challenge has forced Europe to recognize that 21st century war is not fought only with tanks and missiles, but also with algorithmsautonomous swarms and information saturation. The German law authorizes the demolition of unmanned aircraft, military coordination of NATO on the eastern flank and the new European strategy air defense They are part of the same response: that of a continent that adapts to an enemy that does not always show itself. In the diffuse space of the hybrid warwhere a civilian drone can become a strategic weapon and a cyber attack an act of war, the border between peace and conflict has become more blurred than ever. Germany, the industrial and political epicenter of the old continent, seems to have understood that security is no longer measured in battles, but in reaction seconds. And as the Ukraine war redefines the global balance of power, Europe rehearses its own defensive revival: a forced transition from pacifism to pragmatism, in which each downed … Read more

Using the WiFi on the train in Spain is the worst. The question is why there is so much difference compared to the rest of Europe

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If you have to work from the train and need WiFi, good luck. In some areas, even mobile data is useless, making the experience a real torture. It is no wonder, and Spain has one of the worst railway WiFi network infrastructures in all of Europe. According to an Ookla studiothe median download speed on Spanish trains reaches just 1.45 Mbps, compared to 64.58 Mbps in Sweden, which tops the list. At least we are above the United Kingdom or the Netherlands. A multi-layered problem. It’s not just a bad WiFi connection inside the carriage. The main failure, according to the study from Ookla, is in the “backhaul”, that is, in how the train connects to public mobile networks from the roof. Most European countries, including Spain, depend on “incidental” mobile coverage: the antennas installed by operators are designed to serve population centers, not specifically trains. The result is dead zones, constant signal drops and insufficient bandwidth when the train runs between cities. Average unloading speed on European trains. Image: Ookla Outdated technology on board. Inside the car, the panorama doesn’t help either. Although the study does not detail specific data for Spain, countries with similar performance such as the United Kingdom still maintain more than 50% of their connections on WiFi 4, a 2009 standard, and 38% use the 2.4 GHz bandmore prone to interference and congestion. This combination of outdated technology limits the experience even when the outside connection is decent. Sweden solves the puzzle with politics. In Sweden, the case is interesting because it dismantles the complicated terrain argument. Until the beginning of 2024, its trains offered speeds of just 2 Mbps. In the second quarter of that year there was a structural leap: the PTS regulator allocated public funds for neutral infrastructure in tunnels, imposed rail coverage obligations in the 2023 spectrum auctions and identified 45 tunnels and 630 kilometers of track with poor coverage. In just one year the speeds multiplied by more than 30. Average upload speed on European trains. Image: Ookla In Switzerland the model is different, but effective. This country, which is positioned in second place according to the Ookla ranking, has a different structure. And instead of universal WiFi on board, its operator SBB offers “FreeSurf”, a system that allows passengers with a Swiss SIM to use mobile data without consuming their rate while traveling. Bluetooth beacons in the carriages detect the device and the railway operator assumes the cost with the telcos. This avoids the bottleneck of shared WiFi and allows investment to be concentrated on improving the mobile network layer in the corridors. The problem is that it only works for residents with a local SIM. France invests in dedicated network. France built a specific network for railways on routes such as Paris-Lyon, with base stations every 2-3 kilometers, antennas facing the track and special systems in tunnels for trains that travel at 300 km/h and change cells every 15 seconds. Although the study places France In an intermediate position (19.12 Mbps), it continues to be well above Spain. Median latency of European countries compared to Taiwan. Image: Ookla Modern trains are Faraday cages. Part of the problem is structural. And how mention study, current railcars incorporate low-E glass with metallized coatings that block mobile signals more than a layer of concrete, according to tests carried out by the British Department of Transport. Germany has invested 50 million euros in laser treating 70,000 windows of 3,300 carriages to make them permeable to radio frequencies. Belgium abandoned a 173 million euro on-board WiFi plan and preferred to invest 40 million in modifying the windows of its trains. Asia prioritizes mobile over WiFi. In Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, the approach is different, as they invest in dedicated mobile data coverage on roads and tunnels, and treat WiFi as a secondary service. According to the study, Taiwan leads in latency (13 ms) and already deploys WiFi 6 on 20% of its rail connections. Its download speeds (8.1 Mbps) far exceed those of Spain, although they are far from the European leaders. The Japanese government, for example, has subsidized since 2020 the installation of cellular systems in all tunnels in the Shinkansen. satellite internet. Just like mention the study, operators such as ScotRail, SNCF, Trenitalia or PKP Intercity are testing terminals starlink and OneWeb on rural or coastal routes where ground coverage is insufficient. The strategy is not to replace mobile coverage, but to join both connections through onboard SD-WAN gateways. There are still limitations, as certified rail terminals are still in short supply, they do not operate in tunnels and the operational cost remains high if data is used intensively. In Xataka | How to share the data connection of your Android mobile or iPhone with an Internet access point

Spain wanted Ryanair to pay it 107 million euros. Now Europe responds: sanctioning file against Spain

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Airlines have limited “freedom to set prices.” At least that is what the European Commission, which has sanctioned our country, believes. It did so with a statement published yesterday, Wednesday, October 8, in which it clarified that the Air Navigation Law prevents airlines from charging for this service. The decision is also a hard blow for Spain’s role in its open judicial fight against Ryanair. The European Commission. She was the last to give her opinion. And he has done it in the worst possible way for Spain. In a public statementthe European entity confirms that it has opened a sanctioning file against our country when it understands that it is taking measures to restrict the freedom of airlines to charge for a service to which they are entitled. That right is to charge for hand luggage, a service for which Spain has already imposed a sanction on five airlines. The cost of that punishment was close to 180 million euros and Ryanair was the company most punished, receiving a fine that exceeded 107 million euros. According to the European Commission, these sanctions also fail to comply with Community regulations. Right. According to the European Commission: “Spain’s National Air Navigation Law does not allow airlines to subject the carriage of carry-on baggage to an additional charge, restricting the freedom of airlines to set prices and differentiate between a service that includes the right to a larger carry-on baggage allowance, and a service that does not offer that possibility and simply provides the smaller allowance that constitutes a necessary aspect of the carriage.” From Europe, therefore, it is understood that Spanish airlines are allowing the minimum necessary luggage that is mandatory to pass through completely free of charge. On the contrary, it considers that our country is preventing charging for larger packages and that, therefore, companies are prevented from charging more for the service and are forced to abandon this income option. “Reasonable”. The problem right now is that there are no established bases for what is or is not considered “carry-on luggage.” The Court of Justice of the European Union noted, as stated in the European Commission’s own statement, that hand luggage “should, in principle, be free as long as it meets reasonable requirements in terms of weight and dimensions, and complies with the applicable security requirements. Hand luggage that exceeds such reasonable requirements is subject to price freedom.” But what is reasonable? For the European Union, companies like Ryanair already complied with their previous measurements of 40 x 25 x20 cm (expanded to 40 x 30 x 20 cm last summer). For Spain, however, that size or a smaller one does not allow the transport of basic belongings and does not meet those “reasonable requirements in terms of weight and dimensions.” Justice. That same debate, in fact, has been experienced by the fined companies themselves in our country. First because they have received some of the higher economic sanctions on companies in the history of Spain. And, second, because not even the Spanish Justice has shown a clear criterion when deciding whether companies or consumers are right. In SevilleFor example, Ryanair won a lawsuit against a consumer who was charged at the boarding gate for not having checked luggage on time. In Salamancait was the consumers who beat the company for the same reason. A setback for Spain. The decision of the European Commission is a hard setback for Spain, although it was expected. The Transport Commissioner of the European Union himself, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, received the CEO of Ryanair personally a few days ago. Pablo Bustinduy, Minister of Consumer Affairs, preferred to attend to him remotely by video call. The company had also threatened to take the legality of the fine imposed in our country to the European courts. Now, it has the backing of the European Commission should the matter go to trial. For Bustinduy: “the charge for hand luggage represents a conflict between the interests of the large airline industry, which profits from these practices, and the rights of consumers. Unfortunately, today the Commission has decided to position itself on the side of the interests of the multinationals,” in words reported by The Country. An interested movement. As we already told a few weeks ago, the European Union is seeking to reach an agreement on the minimum measures for hand luggage. Both the European Commission and the European Parliament are deciding what minimum measures are imposed. However, until now measures have been put on the table that were almost identical to those offered by Ryanair and other companies low cost. The Irish company also subscribed to the decision of Airlines for Europe (A4E), an association of airlines including Ryanair, to confirm that increased the minimum size allowed in their cabins at 40 × 30 × 15 cm. They are measures slightly lower than those that Ryanair has ended up adopting and similar to those sought by the European Union, in what is a clear nod to those who have defended these latter positions. What happens now? With this file, the European Union gives our country a period of two months to adapt national legislation to European regulations or to give a reasoned response to it. If the changes are not implemented or the response is not considered sufficiently reasoned, the European Commission may issue a reasoned opinion. This is the second formal phase of the procedure and if Spain maintains its positions, the case can be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union. Photo | Niklas Jonasson and Andrijana Bozic In Xataka | Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair: “I don’t want the money. Let them fly without suitcases”

From Europe its “welfare state” was envied. But it is increasingly difficult to pay, and France is the best example

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Europa presumed for decades of having found the perfect formula to combine economic prosperity with social justice: hospitals open to all, affordable universities and worthy retirements after a work life. That pact between generations, envied on the other side of the Atlantic, became the identity mark of the continent. And yet They begin to become visible. And one of its banners wobbles: France. A price too high. I told this week The Washington Post. Europe lives a historical crossroads: the social model that guaranteed universal health, accessible education and decent retirements begins to show cracks that can no longer be hidden. France It is the epicenter of that tension. There, the runaled public debt, political paralysis and succession of Fallen prime ministers In just fifteen months they show deep wear. The State Spend more than any other country rich in social protection, but that expense seems unsustainable in a context of low growth and growing polarization. The recent resignation From Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, unable to agre as inalienable. Model under generational pressure. There are more, since, in France, new generations feel that they inherit a system that they cannot sustain. He Post counted Cases of young people such as Anastasia Blay, who depend on intermittent subsidies to survive, convinced that they should not load with the mistakes of the past or give up a decent life. In front of them, retirees like Christine Boucau-Podorski They defend The pensions achieved after decades of hard work and are willing to limited sacrifices, but not losing acquired rights. This struggle between young and old reflects the intergenerational shock that crosses To all of Europe: Who pays the invoice, what benefits should be preserved and to what extent intergenerational solidarity can continue to be the base of the European social contract. Germany and France Wobm up. Fragility is not limited to France. Germany, the other great Historical support of the European Union, faces industrial recessiondeterioration of infrastructure and a government that admits since “the current system is unassumable.” Political tensions are intense, with the social democratic opposition refusing to accept drastic cuts and the extreme right by capitalizing citizen discomfort. Meanwhile, the Ultras games grow On both sides of the rhine fed by social disenchantment and the feeling of stagnation. The paradox is that Italy or Spainonce considered weak links, they exhibit today greater stability macroeconomic than European locomotives. The center, formerly balancing, has become the area of ​​greatest uncertainty, which weakens the European project at a time of growing external threats. The southern paradox. It is quite striking that countries historically seen as fragile, such as Spain and Italy, today appear (either They seem) as relatively more stable. Italy, after decades of political instability, lives its strongest period with a controversial government that has even achieved An improvement of the credit rating. Spain, meanwhile, has reduced by half unemployment in the last decade and maintains growth above the European average, despite spend less on well -being than France or Germany. This roles investment shows to what extent the clichés of the southern Europe have been exceeded: the Mediterranean nations, previously accused of fiscal laxity, seem to have learned to navigate austerity, while “the rich north” It sinks in its own budgetary rigidity. The perfect storm. The challenge is aggravated by external factors that multiply internal pressures. The Russian Invasion of Ukraine pushes to increase the defense expensejust when public coffers They are already exhausted. China Compete fiercely With European industry, from electric cars to nuclear energy, eroding the international position of German and French manufactures. And the United States, far from offering security, Add uncertainty with a president who changes position in a matter of days and threatens tariffs to his own allies. Europe must decide If prioritize shield Your welfare state, to reorient resources towards military security or find a balance that does not sacrifice either global competitiveness or social cohesion. The great unknown. Experts Like Andreas Eisl They argue that the dilemma is first of all politician: it is not if Europe can maintain its social model, but to what extent it wants to do it and what sacrifices is willing to assume. Attempts to apply cuts, such as 44,000 million euros proposed in the budget that demolished Prime Minister François Bayrou, have caused A massive rejection on the street and fed polarization. However, mathematics is relentless: with a aging populationa Birth in Declive and one Increasing resistance To immigration, the fiscal base narrows while the needs increase. Europe may not be on the verge of a Greek collapse, or it does not seem, but the sustainability of its “way of life” indicates that it has ceased to be An unquestionable dogma. And that is, perhaps, the true battle of the future: if the old continent manages to reinvent his social contract without dynamiting him in the process. Image | Pexels, Martin Greslou In Xataka | Spain has a big problem with the generational relief of the labor market: 3.5 million young workers are missing In Xataka | Birth in Poland is a disaster and hotels have had an idea: money for those who conceive in a stay

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