Italy’s Border Controls Over the Ceuta Crisis: A Familiar Tool, an Unfamiliar Storm
A migrant crisis in Ceuta. A border closure with no shared border. A word, “suspension,” that is hardly legally possible. Untangling Europe’s strangest border story of the summer.
The EU Is Ceding Influence and Running Out of Time in the South Caucasus
How can the EU project real influence in a region where China, Russia, and Turkey move faster? Can Brussels balance its need for Azerbaijani gas with its own democratic principles? And what will it take for Europe to secure Armenia’s pivot to the West while preventing Georgia’s descent into authoritarian isolation?
EU Chat Control Could Spell an End to Private Messaging
The EU has long seen itself as the world’s gold standard for digital privacy. Chat Control is a reckoning for that claim.
EU Border Externalisation Is Testing the Migration Pact’s Own Human Rights Commitments
With the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum now fully applicable, its pillar on embedding migration in international partnerships is testing the EU’s ability to commit to the Pact’s own human rights obligations.
From Shia Ascendancy to Sunni Resurgence: The Emerging Middle East Europe Has Little Role In
The Shia Crescent built by Iran over two decades has fractured with startling speed. What is emerging in its place is a contested Sunni resurgence, and Europe has been absent from every pivotal moment of this transformation.
Made in Ukraine, Sold in Europe: A Test for the Continent’s Arms Producers
Eurosatory 2026 closed in Paris on 19 June after a record turnout of roughly 2,000 exhibitors and 43,000 visitors. Yet the real story was Ukraine, whose delegation grew from just 10 companies in 2024 to 80 this year.
The Politics of “Being a Man”: Why Masculinity Matters in the Far-Right
The far-right often associates with a predominantly male voter base and reflects toughness in its media discourse appealing to men. This article delves into how European far-right parties increasingly embody traditional masculine traits as the political landscape shifts further to the right.
Between Paris and Washington: Lebanon’s Competing Security Patrons
While France retains a historical basis in its role as the main security guarantor for Mount Lebanon’s Christians, recent U.S. foreign policy strides in Lebanon have evidently challenged France’s capacity in its traditional role.
Europe’s Strategic Dependencies (ESP Series 1)
The post-Cold War order is over. In this inaugural series, the European Strategic Policy Unit maps ten of Europe’s most critical strategic dependencies across energy, defence, digital infrastructure, trade, and space.
Is There a Future for Multi-Party Politics in the UK?
Why the UK’s current multi-party era will likely be temporary, unless electoral reform is implemented.
Is the Commission Finally Tightening the Leash on Schengen Border Controls?
The Commission’s new opinions acknowledge breaches across nine member states but stop short of declaring their border controls disproportionate or unlawful, leaving Schengen’s core promise unresolved.
Only a Fully Backed IRIS² Can Deliver Europe’s Sovereign Alternative to Starlink
Satellite connectivity has moved, in the span of three years, from a niche industrial concern to a core aspect of European security. Yet the continent’s response has been to build a shared constellation while quietly hedging with national ones. IRIS² cannot deliver sovereignty if Member States do not unreservedly back it.
