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European Union

April 1, 2026

Could there be a new opportunity for liberal parties?

Alexander Davenport A growing share of Western European electorates holds a set of ideological positions to which only liberal parties can adequately cater, argues Alexander Davenport. While this has yet to bring increased success for most parties, the potential remains for them to reshape politics in the region Read more
March 25, 2026

The European Commission adapts its tone to political pressure

Radu-Mihai Triculescu Under growing public scrutiny and growing demands for public communication, how does the European Commission respond to various political pressures? Drawing on two new studies, Radu-Mihai Triculescu, Leonce Röth, Christoph Ivanusch and Klaus H. Goetz show how the European Commission balances and communicatively addresses problem and public pressures in migration and asylum policy Read more
March 20, 2026

The Iran crisis is deepening Britain’s anxiety over its international role

Ruairidh Brown Trump’s dismissal of Keir Starmer as 'no Churchill' cuts Britain deep, argues Ruairidh Brown. His open contempt strikes at the heart of Britain’s post-imperial anxiety Read more
March 13, 2026

Are EU climate policies becoming too complex to succeed? 

Steffen Hurka Steffen Hurka and Yves Steinebach reveal that EU climate legislation has become so complex that even well-resourced member states struggle to put it into practice. Longer, more detailed laws create implementation failures regardless of administrative capacity, suggesting the EU's climate ambitions may be undermined by how laws are written Read more
March 12, 2026

AfD and the politics of extremism classification in Germany

Henning Schäckelhoff Germany’s domestic intelligence agency is supposed to defend democracy from extremist threats. But new statistical evidence suggests that branches of the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland are most likely to be labelled extremist in regions where the party is electorally strongest. This pattern, says Henning Schäckelhoff, raises a difficult question: is militant democracy protecting the constitution – or shaping political competition? Read more
March 3, 2026

Why gender equality is stalling in the Western Balkans

Klaudia Koxha Gender equality is a fundamental EU value and a condition for the accession of new members. Yet political parties in Western Balkan candidate countries rarely prioritise it. Klaudia Koxha explains why: parties respond when Brussels and voters agree, but go quiet when their positions clash, especially on LGBTQ+ rights Read more
February 27, 2026

EU complicity in the slow death of Indian democracy

Amit Singh The EU’s expanding engagement with India, notably the proposed 'mother of all deals' free trade agreement, signals a strategic partnership. Yet without clear human-rights benchmarks, this cooperation risks legitimising India’s democratic backsliding and weakening the EU’s own normative credibility, argues Amit Singh Read more
February 16, 2026

🧭 How economic governance makes or breaks EU enlargement

Visnja Vukov Comparing Central and Eastern Europe with the Western Balkans, Visnja Vukov argues that the EU’s governance of economic integration is a decisive lever of transformation. When the EU prioritises and credibly enforces these requirements, it constrains rent-seeking and weakens state capture. When the EU defers them, however, governments can entrench clientelist political–economic coalitions Read more

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THE EUROPEAN CONSORTIUM FOR POLITICAL RESEARCH
Advancing Political Science
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