Sep 12, 2026, 10:00 PM UTC

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called on parliament to establish the legal groundwork for post-war national elections. Fedorov, who was dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelensky in July, argued that drafting legislation now will ensure a seamless transition to democratic processes once martial law ends.

Ukrainian law currently prohibits holding elections during wartime, and Zelensky has repeatedly cited severe logistical and security hurdles against organizing votes while fighting continues. However, Fedorov's public statements underscore an accelerating debate within Kyiv regarding Ukraine's post-war political roadmap.

Sources: Le Monde

Former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladić has died at the age of 83 in Hague custody, where he was serving a life sentence following his conviction for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Following the announcement, Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujić stated that Mladić would be buried with full state honors. However, regional political leaders and civic organizations emphasized that his passing does not alter the legal verdicts rendered by international tribunals regarding the 1995 Srebrenica genocide and the siege of Sarajevo.

Mladić had been receiving palliative care in a detention hospital after international judges repeatedly rejected requests from his family and Serbian authorities for a temporary release on medical grounds.

Sources: Avaz, Index, Klix, Poslovni dnevnik, Vijesti

Political science scholar Alpo Rusi has published a detailed examination in Iltalehti regarding Soviet intelligence tactics directed at Finnish political leadership during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The commentary focuses on pressure and threats experienced by former Prime Minister and National Conciliator Keijo Liinamaa prior to his death in 1980. According to Rusi, Moscow's security apparatus actively engaged in political maneuvering and psychological coercion to manipulate Finnish domestic policy during a sensitive power transition. The publication sheds light on the scope of covert foreign operations operating within Finland during the Cold War.

Sources: Iltalehti

Olivier Faure, First Secretary of the Socialist Party, has confirmed his entry into the social-democratic primary ahead of France's 2027 presidential election. Organized jointly by the Socialist Party and Place Publique, the primary will feature two rounds of voting in October.

Faure joins a growing field of candidates, including former presidential contender Ségolène Royal, who successfully obtained the required sponsorships to participate, remarking that she has "gardé beaucoup d'amitiés au sein du PS".

The start of the primary campaign has seen immediate friction over media exposure. Faure, along with fellow candidates Philippe Brun and Jérôme Guedj, is pushing for three televised debates prior to the first round on October 10. Separately, Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel announced his own independent campaign for the presidency.

Sources: La Tribune, Le Figaro, Le Monde, Libération.

Sweden has entered the final days of campaigning ahead of Sunday’s parliamentary election, with public opinion polls continuing to show the left-leaning opposition ahead of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s governing bloc.

Average polling indicates that the opposition, led by Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson, holds a lead over Kristersson’s center-right coalition and the supporting Sweden Democrats, though the margin has narrowed in the campaign's closing stretch. Andersson’s team has urged the government to clarify reports regarding potential Russian influence linked to Sweden Democrats personnel. Concurrently, commentators highlight that the far-right party could consolidate significant parliamentary influence regardless of whether it formally joins a future cabinet.

As right-leaning administrations govern across much of Europe, Sweden stands out as a rare instance where center-left forces remain positioned to regain power.

Sources: Der Spiegel, NEXTA, Rzeczpospolita, The Insider, The Local Sweden.