What will make or break the EU in 2026?
02 Jan EU Institutions
What will make or break the EU in 2026?
Last year radically transformed Europe, as Russia continued its war in Ukraine and the US reneged on longstanding commitments to the continent.
What’s left of Europe’s diplomatic service?
30 Dec 25 Member States
What’s left of Europe’s diplomatic service?
A corruption scandal rocking the European External Action Service is the latest blow to an institution long criticised for its weak grip on the EU’s foreign policy.
Trump’s Belarus gamble is testing Europe’s sanctions faith
26 Dec 25 Foreign & Security Policy
Trump’s Belarus gamble is testing Europe’s sanctions faith
As Washington courts Alexander Lukashenko for prisoner releases and diplomatic leverage, Brussels is left asking whether isolation still works — or whether Europe is being sidelined in shaping Belarus’s future.
Q&A: How Europe should learn to fight, build and deter on its own
24 Dec 25 Foreign & Security Policy
Q&A: How Europe should learn to fight, build and deter on its own
The Parliament spoke to Camille Grand, secretary general of the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe, about whether Europe’s defence industry can scale fast enough for a future with less American support.
The EU wants protectionism. Some members say it will backfire
22 Dec 25 Economics
The EU wants protectionism. Some members say it will backfire
As Brussels advances a ‘Buy Europe’ agenda to shield its struggling industry, a group of EU countries is pushing back to defend free trade.
Does the EU's loan deal for Ukraine set a new precedent?
19 Dec 25 Member States
Does the EU's loan deal for Ukraine set a new precedent?
Forced to ditch a plan to tap frozen Russian assets, EU leaders relied on the bloc's 'enhanced cooperation' mechanism to reach a deal on borrowing €90 billion to fund Ukraine.
Why Europe isn’t ready for a return to compulsory military service
18 Dec 25 Member States
Why Europe isn’t ready for a return to compulsory military service
As European countries flirt with conscription and other schemes to recruit new soldiers in order to beef up their defence capabilities, the real issue is actually retention.
Op-ed: What's missing from the debate on Russian frozen assets
17 Dec 25 EU Institutions
Op-ed: What's missing from the debate on Russian frozen assets
The EU's strategy on the allocation of Russian capital must also focus on long-term support for Ukraine's recovery, particularly for women and girls.
Trump's foreign policy seeks to undermine the EU — and strengthen Europe's nationalists
16 Dec 25 EU Institutions
Trump's foreign policy seeks to undermine the EU — and strengthen Europe's nationalists
The new US National Security Strategy could signal the end of the post-war transatlantic relationship, as Washington pursues a policy of intervention on the continent.
Op-ed: Europe does not need a 'single defence market'
12 Dec 25 Member States
Op-ed: Europe does not need a 'single defence market'
The European Union should establish an intergovernmental defence market built on voluntary cooperation, supported by stronger coordination at the EU level.
The EU's X fine shows its tech rules still have teeth
11 Dec 25 EU Institutions
The EU's X fine shows its tech rules still have teeth
As Elon Musk and the US government rail against the €120 million penalty, EU officials say the move proves Europe is still willing to deploy one of its last major sources of leverage over American tech giants.
Op-ed: Europe must arm for reality
10 Dec 25 Member States
Op-ed: Europe must arm for reality
After decades of wishful thinking, the EU is finally beginning to confront its security responsibilities. The question now is whether Europe will act with the urgency that deterrence demands.
‘Europe cannot afford to disengage’: Šuica on the EU’s new Mediterranean pact
09 Dec 25 Member States
‘Europe cannot afford to disengage’: Šuica on the EU’s new Mediterranean pact
The European Commission's Dubravka Šuica sat down with The Parliament to discuss how Brussels is trying to rebuild ties in the EU’s “southern neighbourhood,” amid mounting labour shortages and soaring energy costs. 
COP30’s turning point: No roadmap, no US, no easy wins 
08 Dec 25 Energy & Environment
COP30’s turning point: No roadmap, no US, no easy wins 
With the United States absent and emerging powers asserting themselves, Europe faces a new era when climate progress hinges less on grand agreements and more on coalitions.
Women still work 15 months to earn men’s annual pay, EU index shows
05 Dec 25 EU Institutions
Women still work 15 months to earn men’s annual pay, EU index shows
The 2025 Gender Equality Index highlights slow, uneven progress across member states, prompting calls for deeper reforms and stronger engagement of men and boys in equality policies.
Shein's expansion in France underscores Europe's addiction to cheap Chinese goods
04 Dec 25 Member States
Shein's expansion in France underscores Europe's addiction to cheap Chinese goods
With the Chinese fast-fashion firm setting up shop in one of Paris’s landmark department stores, the EU is wrestling with how to protect its ailing textile industry.

Europe’s defence reliance on the US runs deeper than hardware
02 Dec 25 Foreign & Security Policy
Europe’s defence reliance on the US runs deeper than hardware
Europe’s surge in defence spending, layered on to an American-centric security architecture, is deepening its dependence on Washington — just as the continent seeks greater strategic autonomy.
Op-ed: The EU must link enlargement to raw materials strategy
01 Dec 25 Member States
Op-ed: The EU must link enlargement to raw materials strategy
The EU’s green and industrial transition depends on secure supplies of critical minerals. The Western Balkans need investment, trust, and value-chain integration. Aligning enlargement with raw materials policy is no longer optional — it’s strategic.
Europe’s uneven rush to rearm
28 Nov 25 Member States
Europe’s uneven rush to rearm
While front-line states have embraced rapid militarisation, major economies like Spain and Italy are still falling short — risking the creation of a two-tier security model.
Op-ed: Why Europe should build ships with Indo-Pacific allies
26 Nov 25 Foreign & Security Policy
Op-ed: Why Europe should build ships with Indo-Pacific allies
As Washington deepens industrial ties with Japan, South Korea and Australia, Europe risks being left out unless it partners with its Asian allies.
The Czech mining town saying ‘no thanks’ to Europe’s critical raw materials push
25 Nov 25 Member States
The Czech mining town saying ‘no thanks’ to Europe’s critical raw materials push
As Brussels races to secure raw materials and cut its reliance on China, it's facing resistance from a Czech region that's thought to hold a significant lithium deposit.
UN official warns that US-led peace plan in Gaza could imperil the creation of a Palestinian state
21 Nov 25 EU Institutions
UN official warns that US-led peace plan in Gaza could imperil the creation of a Palestinian state
The Palestinian Authority should be 'at the centre of the conversation' concerning any plans for Gaza’s reconstruction, a UNRWA official said in an interview.
EU Mediterranean Commissioner: 'We want to be players and not only payers'
19 Nov 25 Member States
EU Mediterranean Commissioner: 'We want to be players and not only payers'
With Brussels set to host the inaugural Palestine Donor Group on Thursday, Dubravka Šuica is calling for the bloc to play a more strategic role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Could oil-rich Norway save Ukraine?
18 Nov 25 Foreign & Security Policy
Could oil-rich Norway save Ukraine?
Norway could leverage its sovereign wealth fund to back a loan to fund Ukraine’s defence — but Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg isn’t eager to reach into the country’s deep pockets.