The handling of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 provides valuable insights about how the EU functions and its governance. It […]
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Category: European Integration & Institutional Affairs
“#BerlinPerspectives: EU enlargement – ‘Zeitenwende’ or old wine in new bottles?”, Funda Tekin (IEP, Berlin)
The old debate on widening and deepening the EU is back. The EU needs to compose the right package between […]
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“Let Us Not Deceive Ourselves: Western Unity Is Fragile”, Kristi Raik (ICDS, Estonia)
A common Western policy on Russia requires a herculean effort. Yet European unity will be short-lived unless—once the war ends—Ukraine […]
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“Europeans from the Start? Slovenia and Croatia Between State-building, National Identity and the European Union.”, Ana Bojinović Fenko, Soeren Keil and Zlatko Šabič (CIR, Slovenia)
The paper draws on Hansen and Wæver’s three-layered framework of state-nation-Europe, and applies it to Slovenia and Croatia. The authors […]
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“Differentiated cooperation in EU foreign policy”, Monika Sus and Maria Giulia Amadio Viceré (RSCAS-EUI, Italy)
This special issue co-edited by Monika Sus and Maria Giulia Amadio Viceré explores the pros and cons of differentiated cooperation […]
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“Main Drivers and Policy Options for a Differentiated EU: A Scenario-Based Exercise”, Matteo Bonomi and Nicoletta Pirozzi (IAI, Italy)
The rise of differentiation is one of the most enduring, if not defining, features of the EU and one of […]
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“RESILIO Snapshot 6: Media resilience as a subsidiary factor for rule of law resilience”, Gábor Polyák (IEP, Berlin)
The media has the principal ability to defend the rule of law through independent fact-finding and reporting, thereby imposing a […]
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“Mapping Scenarios of Differentiated EUrope 2025–2035”, Matteo Bonomi (IAI, Italy)
While the European Commission has tried to embed strategic foresight and scenario-building practices into EU policy-making, future-oriented analyses still remain […]
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“Ukraine on the Road to the EU: Realities and Prospects” (Razumkov Centre, Ukraine)
The Ukrainian experience of European integration in the conditions of war is unique. The country resisting the large-scale armed Russian […]
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“The emergence of the EU as a Democratic Regional Polity”, Jaap Hoeksma (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
In this article, Jaap Hoeksma outlines the EU’s transition from the Westphalian model of sovereign nation states into a unique democratic regional […]
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“Redrawn security map of Europe puts Germany centre stage”, Francis Ghilès (CIDOB, Spain)
The war in Ukraine is redrawing the security and economic map of Europe. As neutral Sweden and Finland seek membership […]
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“RESILIO Snapshot 5: Political resilience as enabler of rule of law resilience”, Stefan Szwed (IEP, Berlin)
Politics and the rule of law are frequently contrasted as quasi-opposites: whereas politics is understood as a struggle for power, […]
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“Dutch Parliament Demands Geopolitical Alignment in EU Enlargement”, Wouter Zweers (Clingendael Institute, The Netherlands)
The Dutch Parliament has been known for its close scrutiny of Rule of Law reforms within the EU accession processes […]
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“Ukraine on the road to the EU: Realities and prospects (Project Summary)” (Razumkov Centre, Ukraine)
The deliverables of this project implemented by Razumkov Centre with support from Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Ukraine include a policy paper, […]
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“Completing a Genuine Economic and Monetary Union”, Iain Begg (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
This Element examines efforts to strengthen Economic and Monetary Union in the European Union, especially over the last decade, asking […]
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“Open Strategic Autonomy: the Digital Dimension”, Maaike Okano-Heijmans (Clingendael Institute, The Netherlands)
Towards a European Digital Technology Stack In recent years the European Union (EU) and its member states hesitantly embarked on […]
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“Facing a critical juncture – The externalisation of the EU’s Just Transition agenda”, Robert Pollock (College of Europe, Bruges)
Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, the promotion of Just Transition has been central to the European […]
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“Open Strategic Autonomy in European Defense”, Dick Zandee (Clingendael Institute, The Netherlands)
Russia’s war in Ukraine has resulted in wide support for strengthening European defence capabilities. At the same time, the debate […]
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“Fit for 65: Why the EU needs to be ready to meet the challenges and opportunities of its aging population”, Maria Gargano (Egmont, Belgium)
Green and Digital transitions are at the forefront of the European Commission’s priorities, they are addressed by flagship horizontal policies […]
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“How can the European Union achieve digital strategic autonomy? Views from future leaders”, Inés Arco Escriche (CIDOB, Spain)
We live in a technopolar moment. In the current context defined by a fragmented digital landscape, technology and digitalization act […]
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“The European Neighbourhood and its Security Landscape: An increasingly Integrated Picture”, Zane Šime (College of Europe, Bruges)
Zones of conflict in the European Neighbourhood are interconnected. Going beyond a country-specific approach and paying attention to interconnections between […]
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“Lessons from EU Space Programmes for Collective Defence”, Ediz Topcuoglu and Salih Bora (College of Europe, Bruges)
The European Defence Fund (EDF) has been interpreted by a number of scholars as a step beyond intergovernmental cooperation and […]
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“EU Foreign Policy Integration at Times of War: From Short-Term Responses to Long-Term Solutions”, Maria Giulia Amadio Viceré (IAI, Italy)
The outbreak of Russia’s war against Ukraine triggered not only a paradigmatic change in the system of international relations, putting […]
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“The Interaction of Competition Law and Sector Regulation”, Pier Luigi Parcu, Giorgio Monti and Marco Botta (RSCAS-EUI, Italy)
This book discusses the interaction of sector-specific regulation and competition policy. Read more here.
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“Nordic security and defence brand revisited: The unutilised potential of Nordic cooperation”, Iro Särkkä (FIIA, Finland)
Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership offers an opportunity to deepen Nordic defence cooperation. An agile and pragmatic approach to consolidating […]
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“Europe’s lack of leadership: Is it the smaller states’ time to shine?”, Minna Ålander (FIIA, Finland)
Russia’s war in Ukraine has raised questions about who is fit to lead Europe. While it is too early to […]
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“Realising the EU Rapid Deployment Capacity: opportunities and pitfalls”, Dick Zandee and Adája Stoetman (Clingendael Institute, The Netherlands)
When the European Union’s Strategic Compass had almost been completed in late February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Consequently, the language […]
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“Change by Chance? How International Norms Travel Between the United Nations and the African Union”, Nina Wilén and Kseniya Oksamytna (Egmont, Belgium)
In October 2022, members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council […]
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“The EU Political System After the 2019 European Elections”, Olivier Costa, Steven Van Hecke (College of Europe, Bruges)
This paper analyses the decision to allocate funds from the European Union, more particularly DG ECHO, in the field of […]
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“Naval Defence Cooperation in the EU: Potential and Hurdles”, Elio Calcagno, Ana E. Juncos and Sophie Vanhoonacker (IAI, Italy)
Taken together, some recent events represent a watershed in the global geopolitical landscape. The strategic repositioning of the US towards […]
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“State of the European Union 2022: A Union that stands strong together”, Mihaela-Adriana Pădureanu (EIR, Romania)
Following the State of the Union speech, delivered by the European Commission’s president, Mihaela-Adriana Pădureanu (expert within the European Studies […]
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“Romanian Journal of European Affairs, vol. 22, no. 1”, Oana-Mihaela Mocanu et al. (EIR, Romania)
The June issue of Romanian Journal of European Affairs proposes to its readers topics such as: the hybrid threats in […]
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“The European Political Community: Some Post-Meeting Thoughts”, Philipp Brugner and Martin Fleischer (CIFE)
On October 6, 2022 the inaugural meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) took place with the attendance of all […]
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“The European (Geo)Political Community: more than meets the eye?”, Pol Morillas (CIDOB, Spain)
The inaugural summit of the European Political Community (EPC) in Prague on 6 October 2022 is seen as an endeavour […]
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“Regional and EU Integration of the Western Balkans: Beyond a Two-Track Approach”, Matteo Bonomi and Zoran Nechev (IAI, Italy)
Notwithstanding the conclusion of a number of EU-sponsored agreements aimed at deepening economic integration in the Western Balkans, implementation has […]
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“FACTS: From alternative narratives to citizens true EU stories”, Carme Colomina and Héctor Sánchez Margalef (CIDOB, Spain)
The inaugural summit of the European Political Community (EPC) in Prague on 6 October 2022 is seen as an endeavour […]
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“France and Visa Liberalisation for Kosovo: Ready to Move Forward?”, Wouter Zweers, Donika Emini and Florent Marciacq (Clingendael Institute, The Netherlands)
Kosovo’s EU visa liberalisation process, for many years now, has been an ordeal for Kosovo citizens and a thorn in […]
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“Re-examination of EU normative power in light of the revised enlargement methodology towards the Western Balkans”, Ana Bojinović Fenko and Faris Kočan (CIR, Slovenia)
The article aims to re-examine the concept of ‘EU normative power’ in the revised EU approach to enlargement policy announced […]
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“Protecting the rule of law: The case of Poland”, Maria Skóra (IEP, Berlin)
The new budget conditionality mechanism opens pathways to effectively curbing democratic backsliding in the EU. Making use of its proclaimed […]
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“Theorizing Public Performances for International Negotiations”, Øyvind Svendsen(NUPI, Norway)
This article theorizes how public performances matter in international negotiations. Studies of international negotiations are predominantly focused on power-political instruments […]
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“How to ‘Open’ Strategic Autonomy”, Luuk Molthof and Luc Köbben (Clingendael Institute, The Netherlands)
The EU’s open strategic autonomy agenda is quickly gathering pace, especially in the trade and industrial domain. A host of […]
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“More Integration, Less Autonomy: The EU in Europe’s New Order”, Riccardo Alcaro (IAI, Italy)
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not just shattered what was left of Europe’s post-Cold War order. It has also defined […]
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“When founding member states look at the future of Europe: Benelux countries’ contribution to the COFOE”, Benjamin Bodson & Ward Den Dooven (Egmont, Belgium)
This article highlights key features of the Benelux countries’ experiences with the COFOE and provides an outlook on their perspective […]
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“The EU’s strategic multilateralism: Global engagement in an era of great-power competition”, Niklas Helwig (FIIA, Finland)
The crises of previous years and the rise of strategic competition have put the EU’s traditional approach to multilateralism under […]
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“Nordic resilience: Strengthening cooperation on security of supply and crisis preparedness”, Mikael Wigell et al. (FIIA, Finland)
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 crisis and Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, crisis preparedness and security of supply have taken […]
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“Post-war Greco-German Relations, 1953–1981. Economic Development, Business Interests and European Integration”, Christos Tsakas (RSCAS-EUI, Italy)
This book explores the post-war Greco-German relationship and asks how this relationship fits into, and changes, the narrative of European […]
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“The Dutch position on Kosovo’s EU visa liberalisation process: Light at the end of the tunnel?”, Wouter Zweers et al. (Clingendael Institute, The Netherlands)
Kosovo remains the last country in the Western Balkans that has not yet attained EU visa liberalisation which would allow […]
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“From ‘Unidentified Political Object’ to European Democracy”, Jaap Hoeksma (The Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
This essay aims to demonstrate that the EU has outgrown its notorious democratic deficit by applying the constitutional principles of […]
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“Time to Downgrade the Eastern Partnership and Refocus on Enlargement”, Kristi Raik (UI, Sweden)
The geopolitical relevance of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) was significant when the initiative was launched in 2009. In 2022, the […]
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“Association agreement with the EU in khaki”, Mykhailo Pashkov (Razumkov Centre, Ukraine)
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: “The Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU has already been implemented by 63%, and 37% of […]
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“United clubs of Europe: Informal differentiation and the social ordering of intra-EU diplomacy”, Kristin Haugevik (NUPI, Norway)
This article makes the case for integrating informal, social and minilateral dynamics in analyses of ‘differentiated integration’ in the European […]
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“The OSCE and a 21st century spirit of Helsinki: Opportunities to shift security back to the people”, Bradley Reynolds and Johanna Ketola (FIIA, Finland)
A common understanding of the OSCE and the security it seeks to promote has been in decline since 2008. The […]
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“Stabilizing the European Continent: Reflections on the Future of EU Enlargement”, Jean De Ruyt (Egmont, Belgium)
Since the decision to accept Croatia as a candidate member in 2011, the debate in the European Union about its […]
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“Towards a smart and sustainable single European transport area: An assessment of the past 10 years of EU regulation”, Matthias Finger, Juan Montero and Teodora Serafimova (RSCAS-EUI, Italy)
This book achieves two major objectives. First, it reminds us of the decades-long journey to build a Single European Transport […]
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“EU candidate Ukraine and the 27 gatekeepers: Pragmatizing the EU enlargement policy”, Tyyne Karjalainen (FIIA, Finland)
The signing of the European Union membership application by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the fourth day of Russia’s invasion of […]
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“Is Europe Serious About Defense?”, Alexander Mattelaer (Egmont, Belgium)
Slowly but surely Europeans are getting serious about defense. Military expenditure is trending upward, readiness is being rebuilt, and collective […]
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“Slovenia: High interest in the complementarity of the Three Seas Initiative with EU regional development frameworks”, Ana Bojinović Fenko (CIR, Slovenia)
Slovenia positions itself within the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) based on its general understanding of the origin and potential outcomes […]
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“CMPF’s contribution to the Call for Evidence on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA)”, Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (RSCAS-EUI, Italy)
The CMPF welcomes the high symbolic and normative value of a European Media Freedom Act. It is many years, probably […]
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“Youth Ideas for the Future of Europe”, Funda Tekin et al. (IEP, Germany)
What conditions contribute to the success of European participation projects? First, a wide European network and a supportive application process are […]
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“European Defence: Time to Act”, Alessandro Azzoni (IAI, Italy)
The Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 has renewed momentum on the long-standing debate on EU defence, convincing […]
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“Unequal Europe: Regional Integration and the Rise of European Inequality”, Csaba Lakócai (IWE CERS, Hungary)
Beckfield’s book is an empirical study on how European integrationhas affected the (mainly Western European) welfare state systems.Data analyses reveal […]
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“The EU Strategic Compass: A Blueprint for a European Defensive and Securitisation Policy”, Pol Bargués (IAI, Italy)
On 21 March 2022, the Council of the European Union released the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence. The document provides a […]
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“Beyond the Brussels Effect: Supporting the International Case for a Value-based Digital Market”, Susanna Sprague (Egmont, Belgium)
Building a strong European Single Market represents a major effort and challenge to the European Union. It must encompass and […]
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“Europe Day 2022: End of the Conference on the Future of Europe but the beginning of a Europe for all Europeans?”, Ward Den Dooven (Egmont, Belgium)
On Europe Day (May 9th), the final report of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) was presented to […]
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“European politics in times of crisis: Developments in Germany, France and Italy, and consequences for the EU”, Marco Siddi, Niklas Helwig and Tuomas Iso-Markku (FIIA, Finland)
The war in Ukraine and the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have put the spotlight on important political developments […]
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“European Council Conclusions: A Powerful Tool”, Jim Cloos (Egmont, Belgium)
Ever since its creation in 1974, the European Council has dominated the EU agenda, even though at first lacking any […]
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“Reforming the EU’s electoral law: More EU democracy”, Manuel Müller (IEP, Germany)
On 3 May 2022, in a bid to harmonise European elections, the European Parliament agreed on a comprehensive revision of […]
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“Celebrating Europe Day”, Jaap Hoeksma (The Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
Against all odds, the Conference on the Future of Europe has shown that it is quite possible for the EU […]
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“Summary of Party Positions on EU Foreign, Security and Defence Policy”, Leonardo Puleo (IAI, Italy)
This study explores political parties’ salience and position on foreign policy issues in France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland and Spain […]
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“EU Open Strategic Autonomy and the Trappings of Geoeconomics”, Tobias Gehrke (Egmont, Belgium)
The EU’s new trade strategy promises to advance open strategic autonomy that is to balance the benefits of economic interdependence […]
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“The practice of judicial interaction in the field of fundamental rights”, Federica Casarosa and Madalina Bianca Moraru (RSCAS-EUI, Italy)
This insightful and timely book provides a comparative assessment of selected legal issues emerging from the EU legal context which […]
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“My European President: Ursula von der Leyen”, Nathalie Tocci (IAI, Italy)
Ursula von der Leyen is quintessentially European. Born in Belgium, the daughter of one of the first European civil servants, […]
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“When Do Individuals Radicalize?”, Rik Coolsaet (Egmont, Belgium)
For more than a century now, observers have been trying to understand why and how individuals become terrorists. Every time […]
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“A Brussels Declaration for an Ever Closer Union”, Jo Coelmont (Egmont, Belgium)
What is valuable, is vulnerable. So it is for peace, democracy, and the ability to lead the good life. They […]
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“A Joined-Up Union, a Stronger Europe: A Conceptual Framework to Investigate EU Foreign and Security Policy in a Complex and Contested World”, Riccardo Alcaro, Pol Bargués and Hylke Dijkstra (CIDOB, Spain)
Fractious domestic debates, the fragmentation of regional politics and growing interstate competition all affect the capacity of the EU to […]
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“Forging European Unity on China. The Case of Hungarian Dissent”, Ties Dams (Clingendael Institute, The Netherlands)
EU Member states can be divided on China, even on issues such as human rights. Often singled out as an […]
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Essay collection on European unification in Central Europe 1989/2004 and beyond (IEP, Germany)
The essay collection reminds and invites us to think about the legacy, aspirations and hopes that were connected to democratization […]
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“The Democratisation of Europe”, Jaap Hoeksma (The Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
In all its atrocity, the Russian invasion of Ukraine may serve to recall that the democratisation of Europe is both […]
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“Contesting COVID: The ideological bases of partisan responses to the COVID-19 pandemic”, Jan Rovny et al. (Sciences Po CEE, France)
How do political parties respond to external shocks? Using an original survey of political parties across Europe conducted in June […]
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“Governing Differentiation and Integration in the European Union: Patterns, Effectiveness and Legitimacy”, Nicoletta Pirozzi and Matteo Bonomi (IAI, Italy)
The Special Issue “Governing Differentiation and Integration in the European Union: Patterns, Effectiveness and Legitimacy”, collects contributions of a group […]
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“Paving the way for a meaningful EU Year of Youth 2022”, Marcel Muraille (Egmont, Belgium)
As the pandemic eases, the EU has decided to dedicate 2022 to young people. But this opportunity should not aim […]
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“Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) as a New Form of Differentiation: An Analysis of Their Challenges for the European Single Market”, Andreas Eisl (IAI, Italy)
In support of a more active EU industrial policy, so-called Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) have been increasingly […]
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“Differentiated Integration and EU Outsiders: A Norwegian View”, Nina Græger and Kristin Haugevik (IAI, Italy)
A non-EU state and member of the European Economic Area (EEA) since 1994, Norway enjoys a unique legal, political and […]
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“External Differentiated Integration in Justice and Home Affairs: Participation of the Western Balkan Countries in EU Agencies”, Ivan Damjanovski and Zoran Nechev (IAI, Italy)
Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) policies, and especially migration and border management, have been on the forefront of deepening relations […]
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“Flexible Defence Cooperation in Europe: FNC, JEF and EI2”, Tuomas Iso-Markku and Tyyne Karjalainen (IAI, Italy)
Defence cooperation between European Union member states has long been characterised by a high level of fragmentation. To manage, and […]
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“Conference on the Future of Europe: a glimpse into the future of participatory democracy?”, Ward Den Dooven (Egmont, Belgium)
The Conference on the Future of Europe had its official start on 9 May 2021 and the process has brought […]
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“The EU and Finland’s security of supply: A ‘turn’ in EU thinking provides new opportunities, but significant differences remain”, Tuomas Iso-Markku (FIIA, Finland)
Security of supply, a central concept in Finnish national security thinking, has not yet taken root at the EU level. […]
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“Protracted Pandemic Crisis = Risk of Great Collapse for weak states? An opportunity for reassessing EU’s development aid to promote good governance”, Michel-Henry Bouchet (CIFE)
Could the pandemic crisis be the outpost of an unprecedented structural shock on already weak countries? It might then create […]
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“The politics of government reorganization in Western Europe”, Julia Fleischer et al. (Sciences Po CEE, France)
The reorganization of governments is crucial for parties to express their policy preferences once they reach office. Yet these activities […]
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“The political economy of COVID-19 responses in East Central Europe”, Dorothee Bohle, Edgars Eihmanis and Alen Toplišek (RSCAS-EUI, Italy)
The COVID-19 crisis is the second major crisis to have hit the East Central European countries within a decade, putting […]
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“Political science communities challenged by Internationalisation”, Thibaud Boncourt et al. (Sciences Po CEE, France)
The internationalisation of political science is an uneven process. Existing studies have shown that it is characterised by centre-periphery relationships, […]
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“The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council: A Troubled Relationship”, Tobias Schumacher (College of Europe, Natolin)
The chapter offers an overview of the practical pursuit of EU–GCC relations in a longitudinal perspective and examines the implementation […]
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“The politics of government reorganization in Western Europe”, Julia Fleischer et al. (Sciences Po CEE, France)
The reorganization of governments is crucial for parties to express their policy preferences once they reach office. Yet these activities […]
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“The Social Bases of Political Parties: A New Measure and Survey”, Gary Marks et al. (Sciences Po CEE, France)
This article proposes a measure of the social structuration of political parties. The measure has some distinctive virtues. It assesses […]
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“Considering EU enlargement through the prism of security cooperation”, Ellise Bernard and Joseph Leloup (ÖGFE, Austria)
For the next six months France holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. One of the top […]
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“Security debates and partnership choices in the Nordic states: From differentiation to alignment”, Kristin Haugevik et al. (NUPI, Norway)
What security challenges do the Nordic states highlight in a fluctuating security environment? Towards which partner institutions, networks and states […]
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“A European success story? Central Europe from democratic revolutions to EU accession (1989-2004) and beyond” (IEP, Germany)
The year 1989 was a breakthrough moment in history not only for Central Europe but also Europe as a whole […]
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“Germany in the EU after Merkel: a view from the Netherlands”, Luuk Molthof and Martijn Haas (Clingendael Institute, The Netherlands)
Germany is not only the Netherlands’ most important neighbour and trading partner but also its most important ally in the […]
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“Informal Differentiated Integration in EU Foreign and Security Policy: Perspectives of a Small Member State”, Jan Kovář and Kateřina Kočí (IAI, Italy)
The last decade has seen a significant increase in the study of mechanisms of informal differentiation, such as lead groups, […]
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“Informal Differentiated Integration in EU Foreign and Security Policy: Perspectives of a Small Member State”, Jan Kovář (IIR, Czech Republic)
The last decade has seen a significant increase in the study of mechanisms of informal differentiation, such as lead groups, […]
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