Prinsjesdag: A Summary of the 2025 Dutch Budget
With the end of more than a decade of centrist conservative-liberal governance, the Netherlands has moved further right, and so has its budget.
Suppressing Dissent: Media Freedom and Speech Restrictions in Non-Democratic Societies
~2h read (full) -- Analysis | Media | Hungary | Russia | Long-form Suppressing Dissent: Media Freedom and Speech Restrictions in...
The EU as a Global Actor: The Enduring Relevance of de Gaulle’s Vision for Europe
As the rules-based world order is replaced by uncompromising power politics, the need for a coherent European foreign and defense policy independent of the US is increasingly urgent.
Franco-German Engine Failure: Why Europe Is Far From Ready to Disengage From US Security
Though a democratic presidency under Kamala Harris could be good news for European security, it would likely also mean further stagnation of European strategic autonomy.
An Obsolete, German-led EU: Why Europe Should Look Eastward For New Leadership
As Europe settles into its new antagonistic phase in history, a re-examination of what led it here, and hence of its leadership, is long overdue.
Achieving Effective Policy Advising in the EU: Its Challenges and the European Green Deal
Policy advising plays an exceptionally crucial role in the EU’s legislative process and represents a pivotal instrument in the production of quality policy. Yet, because of the EU’s specific features and the alternative interests within politics, achieving effective policy advising is no easy task, particularly for the European Green Deal.
Democratic Deficit as an Obstacle to EU-Level Parliamentary Legitimacy in External Relations
The EU’s internal democratic deficit’s extent is debatable. Yet, it seems clear that democratic standards are lacking more in the EU’s external action. How so?
The 2024 European Parliament Elections: The Right-Wing Surge and Why Vote
With predictions forecasting a surge in ring-wing political groups in the upcoming European elections in June, the status quo of the EU could experience drastic changes.
Catch Me if You Can: How the Spanish-Catalan Dispute Became European
Since the 2017 declaration of independence, the struggle between Catalan separatism and the Spanish government has transcended borders, with the fate of the Catalan politicians who fled the country to avoid prosecution as its centerpiece.
Hungarian Public Opinion: The Separation of People and State
The policies of the Hungarian have increasingly isolated major sections of Hungarian public opinion from Fidesz’s positions. Here we shed light on the lesser known but equally noteworthy tools used by the Fidesz government to influence, and at times censor, opinions of Hungarians.
Win-Win or Trojan Horse? Assessing Chinese FDI in Central and Eastern Europe
In a world marred by geopolitics, what do Chinese investments in Europe mean for the EU? Do these financial manoeuvres mark a collaborative milestone or a strategic ploy?
Sticks and Stones: The Dire State of Italian (and European) Armaments Production
The war in Ukraine pushes Europeans to embrace their guns. But what about those who gave up theirs?
