Koen Slootmaeckers
On 21 April 2026 the European Court of Justice delivered a landmark ruling, arguing that Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ law, in dehumanising LGBTIQ+ people, is incompatible with EU values. Koen Slootmaeckers analyses the Court’s ruling and its wider implications beyond Hungary Read more
Iveri Kekenadze Gustafsson
The crushing defeat of Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz in Hungary’s 2026 elections gives the EU a rare opportunity to reform its enlargement policy. Iveri Kekenadze Gustafsson argues that this moment can accelerate candidates’ path to membership and prevent single states from derailing the process for domestic or bilateral political gain Read more
Maya Ikene
The EU's ambition to strengthen defence cooperation is exposing new tensions at the heart of EU leadership. Maya Ikene argues that the Future Combat Air System reveals the limits of the Franco-German 'engine' of European integration and why future European defence initiatives may require broader coalitions beyond Paris and Berlin Read more
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
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
Sibei Sun
The Trump administration is advancing an illiberal Atlanticism that reimagines the West in manners similar to how Putin imagines Eurasia. Sibei Sun dissects the uncanny parallels between the two geopolitical doctrines and what it all means for future transatlantic relations Read more
Gülşen Doğan
Gülşen Doğan argues that Türkiye’s long crisis reveals a new way of governing that stretches liberal rules without fully abandoning them. Cities like Istanbul can keep democratic options alive even as national politics turns in a more authoritarian direction Read more
László Bruszt
László Bruszt and Julia Langbein argue that EU market rules, when applied to weaker economies, can trigger damaging side effects. Unless anticipated and managed, these risks threaten not just candidate countries but the European Union itself. Lessons from the 2004 enlargement are vital as Ukraine moves closer to membership Read more
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