Steven Langendonk
Steven Langendonk contests the idea that Brussels’ new China strategy is indicative of greater agency. Instead, he says, the EU-China relationship is firmly grounded in internal struggles. The pressure is on to manipulate member states' sentiments and to provide a new political narrative for a changing relationship. Read more
Trym Nohr Fjørtoft
Have we had enough of experts? Covid-19 revealed how expertise doesn't necessarily translate into public acceptance of the right to make decisions in the public interest. Trym Nohr Fjørtoft and Asimina Michailidou explore the conditions under which expert agencies secure public legitimacy. Their conclusion? It's about striking the right balance Read more
Martin Westlake
The new President of the European Parliament, Maltese Roberta Metsola, was elected as a continuity candidate of the centre-right. Yet, argues Martin Westlake, her election also marks a shift to the young, the left and the south, by a gifted politician who will surely leave her mark A breath of fresh air On 18 January […] Read more
Jasper Bongers
To facilitate interdisciplinary communication and deepen our shared understanding of European cooperation dynamics, Jasper Bongers, Lynn Hillary & Guus Wieman have developed the concept of aligning rulesets. Read more
Camille Nessel
EU trade policy is widely contested by the public. Their concern: the danger of prioritising neoliberal economic interests over citizens' human rights. Yet, write Camille Nessel and Elke Verhaeghe, the EU was able to avoid mass protest by creating an ethical narrative around its trade negotiations with authoritarian Vietnam Read more
Clara Portela
Human rights activists have applauded the European Union's new human rights sanctions regime. However, writes Clara Portela, although the regime comes with several flexible innovations, its ultimate goal remains ambiguous Read more
Aline Bartenstein
Former Commission President Juncker proclaimed that 'solidarity is the glue that keeps our Union together'. But behind this general claim, the concept of solidarity remains nebulous. A federal perspective, argues Aline Bartenstein, helps us to understand the features of solidarity between member states, and why the counter-principle of subsidiarity is necessary Read more
