The new government in Budapest has hit the ground running, quickly resetting relations with the EU and neighbors. Now comes the hard part—eliminating institutional capture, reducing dependence on Russia, and getting the economy moving again.
The British prime minister had a terrible first year in office, and things haven’t improved much since. A bad result for his Labour Party in regional and local elections on May 7 may well cut his political career short.
Friedrich Merz wants to make Germany a leading middle power, but an assessment of his progress so far in foreign policy is sobering.
The Kensington Treaty, signed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in July, has great potential. But, crucially, its success or otherwise will be linked to EU-UK relations.
The EU’s cautious reaction to Donald Trump’s trade wars has served it relatively well. Now, however, is the time to switch to a tougher approach, backed up by an internal agreement on sharing the possible costs.
Despite the US president’s tariffs threats, other states and the EU should stick to the rules-based trading system and find ways to strengthen it.
As Donald Trump takes office again, tech billionaire Elon Musk will go from speaking for six companies to speaking for a $27 trillion economy. In response, Europe needs to concentrate on accumulating tech power.
The US Treasury is preparing a screening mechanism for investments in China. German policymakers and businesses should not avoid the debate about how Europe should react.
The far right won’t play kingmaker when it comes to deciding on whether von der Leyen is reappointed as European Commission president, but they are still a stronger force in the new European Parliament.
The EU has despatched a maritime mission to the Red Sea, in defense of maritime security and the freedom of navigation. Whether or not the root cause—Israel’s war in Gaza—is brought to an end will determine success or failure.
For the first time, the EU has made a nexus between trade policy, which is the European Commission’s domain, and security policy, which still largely rests with the member states. Its Anti-Coercion Instrument is a deterrence tool.
Can an unfair election campaign produce a fair result? After Hungary and Turkey, Poland, too, might drift deeper into illiberalism.
