The EU's space ambition has a rocket problem
09 Mar EU Institutions
The EU's space ambition has a rocket problem
The continent builds world-class satellites but lacks the launch power to send them into orbit. Now policymakers are looking to private companies to restore the continent’s place in space.
Op-ed: Europe is the West's last bulwark against gender discrimination
09 Mar Member States
Op-ed: Europe is the West's last bulwark against gender discrimination
The EU has stood firm on gender equality amid the U.S. government's push to dismantle DEI — and Brussels must now consolidate its leadership in defending women's rights.
Newsletter: EU unity fractures — again
06 Mar Foreign & Security Policy
Newsletter: EU unity fractures — again
The EU’s response to Trump’s military strikes on Iran has been a blend of caution, platitudes and half-hearted support.
Essay: Trump's new Middle East war underlines Washington's selective memory
05 Mar Foreign & Security Policy
Essay: Trump's new Middle East war underlines Washington's selective memory
The first Gulf War offers key lessons for the U.S. military campaign in Iran.
Op-ed: To boost competitiveness, Europe needs a new approach to company mergers
05 Mar Member States
Op-ed: To boost competitiveness, Europe needs a new approach to company mergers
The review of the EU's M&A guidelines reflects a move away from a risk-averse approach and the assumption that mergers are more likely to harm competition than to strengthen it.
Europe on the sidelines as Iran war escalates
04 Mar Foreign & Security Policy
Europe on the sidelines as Iran war escalates
Divided messaging, limited leverage and strained diplomatic channels have left the European Union struggling to respond decisively to the escalating conflict in Iran.
Op-ed: Why Europe's next long-term budget must fix its revenue model
04 Mar EU Institutions
Op-ed: Why Europe's next long-term budget must fix its revenue model
The European Commission has proposed new resources to repay the NextGenerationEU program and reduce national contributions to the MFF, but the plan should also include a new digital tax.
Middle East escalation threatens Europe’s reindustrialization
03 Mar Economics
Middle East escalation threatens Europe’s reindustrialization
American-Israeli strikes on Iran are roiling global energy markets, complicating Europe’s push to regain competitiveness.
Why Europe is slow to leverage Ukraine’s war experience
02 Mar Foreign & Security Policy
Why Europe is slow to leverage Ukraine’s war experience
As member states rush to rearm, Ukraine’s battlefield-forged defense industry offers hard-won lessons and cutting-edge capabilities the bloc has yet to fully harness.
Half-victory for abortion campaign as Commission unlocks existing EU funds
27 Feb EU Institutions
Half-victory for abortion campaign as Commission unlocks existing EU funds
Member states can now use existing resources to support cross-border abortion access, but the Commission stopped short of creating a new funding instrument.
Newsletter: The EU plays for time on Ukraine
27 Feb EU Institutions
Newsletter: The EU plays for time on Ukraine
Ursula von der Leyen showed up empty handed in Kyiv this week, but pledged a €90 billion loan will go through.
The EU wanted stability. Trump’s tariff fallout brings fresh uncertainty
27 Feb Foreign & Security Policy
The EU wanted stability. Trump’s tariff fallout brings fresh uncertainty
A long-awaited judgment casts doubt on the legal basis for “reciprocal” tariffs, complicating Washington’s trade agenda and forcing the European Union to reconsider a fragile transatlantic deal.
Op-ed: The quiet financialization of the EU budget
26 Feb EU Institutions
Op-ed: The quiet financialization of the EU budget
Financial instruments will play a larger role in the EU's next long-term budget, complicating Parliament's ability to scrutinize how the Commission deploys EU funds.
Op-ed: How to overcome Europe's hidden company tax
25 Feb Member States
Op-ed: How to overcome Europe's hidden company tax
While sweeping reforms such as the 28th Regime will take time to implement, the European Union should move quickly to make national tax systems interoperable and reduce barriers for SMEs and startups.
Can Europe deliver more unicorns?
24 Feb EU Institutions
Can Europe deliver more unicorns?
Europe’s tech founders are fighting regulatory headwinds to build €1 billion companies while striving to define a tech future that is distinctly European.
Op-ed: Europe faces moment of truth on Ukraine's defense
24 Feb
Op-ed: Europe faces moment of truth on Ukraine's defense
The European Commission's proposal for the next MFF includes important steps to increase financial aid to Kyiv, but it still lacks a strategic vision to make support for Ukraine a pillar of Europe's long-term security strategy.
Op-ed: The Competitiveness Fund is the wrong fix for Europe's investment gap
23 Feb EU Institutions
Op-ed: The Competitiveness Fund is the wrong fix for Europe's investment gap
Market forces — not public funding — are better suited to birth new companies, restructure of old ones and drive innovation.
Newsletter: Trump's business of peace
20 Feb
Newsletter: Trump's business of peace
Donald Trump’s Board of Peace debuted in Washington on Feb. 19. Its launch, however, raises questions about legitimacy, credible governance, and political optics.
Op-ed: An effective EU budget cannot be 'a la carte'
20 Feb Member States
Op-ed: An effective EU budget cannot be 'a la carte'
After rejecting moves to fold multiple EU policies into single national plans, the European Parliament is pushing for a 10% increase in the next MFF proposal to ensure additional funding for security and competitiveness without sacrificing agriculture and cohesion.
How close are candidate states to EU membership?
20 Feb EU Institutions
How close are candidate states to EU membership?
As geopolitical pressures rise, EU enlargement is becoming a strategic necessity. With Montenegro advancing and Ukraine’s bid gaining urgency, here’s how accession works — and where candidates stand.
Op-ed: Toward a new European strategy for Africa and the Middle East
19 Feb EU Institutions
Op-ed: Toward a new European strategy for Africa and the Middle East
Countries in the Global South increasingly form issue-based partnerships, and Europe must overcome its internal divisions and act with unity to turn that flexibility into strategic advantage.
Interview: One year to shape Europe's next long-term budget
18 Feb Member States
Interview: One year to shape Europe's next long-term budget
With negotiations over the EU's next long-term budget slated to wrap up by the end of the year, disagreements over the MFF's design and spending architecture risk delaying a deal, according to MEP Carla Tavares.
Will the EU's new budget deliver for gender equality?
17 Feb EU Institutions
Will the EU's new budget deliver for gender equality?
The EU’s proposed 2028–34 budget expands gender-spending monitoring, but the lack of binding commitments is fueling concern over whether equality will become a genuine funding priority.
Rubio’s Munich message deepens transatlantic doubts
16 Feb Member States
Rubio’s Munich message deepens transatlantic doubts
At the Munich Security Conference, public relief masked private skepticism as European leaders questioned whether Washington’s vision of the Western alliance leaves room for Europe’s own worldview.