Robin Gilman
France claims that a 'safer’ Europe is the goal of its new nuclear policy. Yet Robin Gilman argues that undermining the nonproliferation treaty is eroding the EU’s credibility and safety, leaving it at a crossroads. It can either remain a reliable partner – or fuel the collapse of the rules-based order Read more
Omran Shroufi
We commonly hear EU leaders talk about the need to ‘defend democracy’. Yet, as Omran Shroufi shows, their discourse is often more about identifying and naming geopolitical threats than it is about tackling pervasive, home-grown structural problems of democratic disconnect and disillusionment Read more
Oana-Cosmina Mihalache
On 13 May 2026, Bucharest hosted the Summit of the Bucharest Nine (B9) and the Nordic countries. Oana-Cosmina Mihalache argues that the reunion’s outcome was indicative of the format’s role in the architecture of European defence cooperation Read more
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
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