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geopolitics

August 11, 2025

Central bank independence in a changing geopolitical world

Lucia Quaglia Over recent decades, central banks have gained new powers. Nowadays, they are involved in areas as diverse as the greening of the economy and in digital finance. But is it a problem, wonder Lucia Quaglia and Amy Verdun, that despite their broader role, central banks remain independent from politicians? Read more
July 22, 2025

🧭 Europe’s geopolitical test: enlargement in a post-American moment

Milada Anna Vachudova Milada Anna Vachudova argues that defending liberal democracy is essential to Europe's geopolitical power. EU enlargement and military investment must fill the security and values vacuum left by the United States in 2025 Read more
July 21, 2025

World leaders use their first foreign trips to signal political priorities

Meray Maddah World leaders' first foreign trips reveal more than diplomatic protocol. They are carefully crafted political stories. Meray Maddah and Max Heermann analyse inaugural diplomatic journeys to uncover stability and change in global networks from Europe’s deep political integration to Trump’s break from traditional allies and Netanyahu’s pivot to Jordan Read more
July 15, 2025

🧭 Enlargement reimagined: the shifting logics behind the EU’s expansion

Marius Ghincea What motivates EU enlargement? Marius Ghincea and Laurențiu Pleșca argue that the Union’s approach has evolved through three overlapping logics — transformation, stabilisation, and demarcation. By unpacking how these priorities have shifted over time, they offer a more nuanced understanding of enlargement in a changing geopolitical context Read more
July 9, 2025

The British National (Overseas) visa: a geopolitical tool in UK-China relations 

James F. Downes Political parties frame the UK’s British National (Overseas) visa scheme as historical humanitarian responsibility towards Hong Kong in the context of UK-China relations. But is that really the case? James F. Downes and Kenneth Lai analysed parliamentary speeches from 2019 to 2023. Their findings suggest the UK government uses BNO visas as a geopolitical tool Read more
June 16, 2025

🧭 Why the EU must act before public support for enlargement fades

Dmytro Panchuk Russian aggression in Ukraine triggered a surge in support for EU enlargement — but public goodwill is beginning to fade. Dmytro Panchuk argues that this moment of elite-public alignment is rare and fragile. To seize it, EU leaders must act decisively before war fatigue and populist rhetoric erode the case for widening Read more
May 30, 2025

The grey wolf salute: cultural expression or political provocation?

Süleyman Güngör What is seen as a symbol of pride in one country may be viewed as a provocation in another. Reflecting on the recent controversy over a footballer’s hand gesture linked to Turkish nationalism, Süleyman Güngör explores how physical expressions of cultural identity triggered international tensions Read more
May 20, 2025

☢️ Saving arms control in a changing world order

Valentina Cassar Valentina Cassar examines the motivations for US-Russian diplomacy and arms control in a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape. What role do these countries' nuclear postures play in sustaining their international primacy? China, certainly, will play a key part, while the outcomes will influence all states in the broader nuclear order Read more

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Advancing Political Science
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