Jan Pieter Beetz
Pro-EU MEPs have long pursued a logic of democratisation based on institutional mimicry. But as Jan Pieter Beetz, Gilles Pittoors and Wouter Wolfs argue, this path has become ideologically entrenched at the expense of alternative models that might better connect with European citizens Read more
Ugur Tekiner
European elections are traditionally seen as less significant than national elections. But Ugur Tekiner argues that the recent challenges facing the EU force us to rethink this classification. Recent European elections accurately reflect the national political mood in Member States, and reveal the growing polarisation around Europe Read more
Lorenzo Santini
For over 50 years, the European Parliament and the US Congress have steadily practiced transatlantic parliamentary diplomacy. In a second Trump era, what space remains for gender equality? Lorenzo Santini argues that informal and symbolic diplomacy helps keep women’s rights visible on the agenda Read more
Magdalena Frennhoff Larsén
Talking shop or powerhouse? The role of the European Parliament in foreign affairs is the subject of much debate. Magdalena Frennhoff Larsén explains how the Parliament has contributed to the current momentum around enlargement – an area where parliamentary influence is often overlooked – and how the European Commission is increasingly recognising, and valuing, the parliamentary dimension Read more
Lien Jansen
Often dismissed as a procedural bystander in EU enlargement, the European Parliament holds underused tools to shape outcomes — from budgetary leverage to informal diplomacy. Lien Jansen argues that the European Parliament can act strategically — if internal cohesion and inter-institutional cooperation align. Its latent power matters more than ever in today’s geopolitical climate Read more
Jaap Hoeksma
May 2025 marks 75 years since the Schuman Declaration that paved the way for the European Union. But while the Declaration succeeded in establishing the first democratic union of democratic states, it is now failing to protect its democracies. Jaap Hoeksma considers how we can stop Viktor Orbán and his cronies from undermining the Union Read more
Camil Ungureanu
Camil Ungureanu and Delia Dumitrica examine the phenomenon of Diana Șoșoacă, Romania's far-right strongwoman leader and TikTok sensation. While the populist right tends to champion traditional gender roles, Șoșoacă is crafting fresh gender narratives that resonate with female voters, Read more
Cherry Miller
In the European Parliament, ‘delegations’ are formal groupings of Members who maintain inter-parliamentary relationships. At recently held constitutive delegation meetings, the gendered allocations of leadership positions revealed a complex picture. Cherry Miller and Lorenzo Santini find that, despite initiatives to improve gender representation, there has been a decline in the number of ‘head’ women delegation […] Read more
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