Commentary

Talk of a US–China 'trade truce' may lull Europe into a false sense of security. Beijing's export controls on rare earths and critical materials remain disruptive, unpredictable and coercive. Unless the EU accelerates de-risking, its industries and defence sector will stay...

Europe faces relentless foreign interference. The newly minted European Democracy Shield can turn defensive resilience into strategic resolve by boosting coordination, expanding capacities and enforcing compliance – strengthening Europe’s ability to deter hostile actors and...

As global climate ambition stalls and geopolitical rivalry deepens, the EU faces a choice: retreat or compete. Europe must recast climate diplomacy as a strategy for energy security and industrial strength – and seize its chance to lead.

A major US military build-up is under way in the Caribbean, officially to target drug-trafficking networks. But the scale of the deployment raises questions about possible regime-change ambitions in Venezuela and reflects the broader foreign-policy experiments shaping Trump’s...

Trial membership or gradual accession: the EU needs new ideas to make enlargement work. We need political creativity to implement what is a geopolitical necessity.

The 2025 enlargement package revives optimism about EU expansion, yet deferred reforms and political hesitation among Member States threaten to stall progress — testing the Union’s readiness as much as that of its candidates.

The war in Sudan is one of the world's most acute humanitarian crises. The EU must press for accountability, curb arms flows, and back global investigations into the illicit financial networks sustaining the conflict.

Russia's hybrid warfare against the EU has escalated in recent weeks, revealing a pattern of coercive probing designed to test Europe's defences and unity. The challenge for Europeans is to demonstrate to Russia that they are capable of deterring future provocations.

Albania has made global headlines in appointing 'Diella', an AI system, as a cabinet minister. Hailed as a step towards digital governance, it has also drawn criticism over legality, accountability and the risks of entrusting political power to artificial intelligence.

As a ceasefire takes hold in Gaza, the EU has an opportunity to reassert its influence – supporting reconstruction, governance and security while reaffirming its long-standing commitment to a two-state solution.