Can SYRIZA save the EU?
The result of the coming elections constitutes a milestone for Greek politics, since it will be the first time since the end of the Second World War that the radical left in the country ever had such a...
View ArticleGreece, Syriza and the EU Banking Union
A Shifting Landscape In October 2014, the European Central Bank concluded a year-long assessment of the balance sheets for Europe’s 130 largest banks, known formally as the ‘Comprehensive Assessment’....
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The Truth Behind Youth Unemployment: Collective cost of individual disengagement
A week ago the Eurostat published the latest of the series of EU unemployment figures. There is good news and bad news. The level of unemployment level fell from December’s 9.9% to 9.8%. On a...
View ArticleSchengen in the Wake of Germanwings Tragedy: Reconciling Freedom and Security
Security and liberty are not easy bedfellows. In 1667, the French government created the first modern police force. It was created with the mission of providing safety – and representing the government...
View ArticleWhat next for the UK: Why the EU referendum concerns us all
The general election results in the UK took many pundits, politicians as well as the general public, by surprise. The pre-election speculations on potential coalitions and political deals came to no...
View ArticleLocal and Regional Elections in Spain 2015: Now, closer than ever to Europe.
After the last local and regional elections it seems obvious that a new political era is starting in Spain. After almost 30 years since its annexation to the EU, Spain is beginning to achieve real...
View ArticleEuropean Week of Sport: What Role Does Sport Play in Dealing with Youth...
In order to promote a healthier lifestyle and to inspire Europeans to exercise on a regular basis, the European Commission has dedicated the second week of September to the European Week of Sport....
View ArticleEU Autumn of Discontent: What awaits the V4?
As summer slowly winds down, European leaders – both in Brussels and national capitals – are going to be exposed to challenges which they had temporarily shelved aside to be solved at a later date....
View ArticleGermany’s PKW-Maut Bill – update on a potential toll for foreign drivers
Germany’s controversial PKW-“Maut” bill – a motorway toll that would de facto apply to foreign passenger cars only, originally planned to come into force in 2016, is currently still pending an open...
View ArticleUkraine’s Humanitarian Crisis: Psychosocial Dimension
This piece is part of a series of articles about Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis triggered by the on-going war with Russia-backed rebels in the East of the country. In countries like Ukraine – where the...
View ArticleEconomic sanctions against Russia: What to expect next?
This week is likely to be crucial for the extension of EU economic sanctions against Russia. The issue will be discussed by Heads of State during the European Council on Thursday and Friday. Sanctions...
View ArticleU.K. Out / Turkey In: the EU’s Next Storms
If the recent EU series of near-disasters has left you searching for some respite, think again: there are two threats ahead that could well transform into a systemic crisis. Indeed, after the...
View ArticleEU Foreign Policy: It is more efficient to work with its weaknesses than to...
Regarding the conflicts in Syria and in the MENA region, two main issues are being over discussed; Schengen and the EU foreign policy. Not to be confused and in order to avoid general comments on the...
View ArticleTurkey In: The Storm’s Eye
A chorus of international condemnation is growing around Turkey’s increasingly authoritarian state. Yet, the EU finds that the country remains on track to join the union. A closer look reveals the slow...
View ArticleThe Dire Straits of Brexit: Potential implications for the EU, UK and the V4
This article was co-written by Dr Christian Schweiger, Frank Markovic & Tomas A. Nagy. Towards the ´inevitable´ referendum As the third largest member state in terms of population, the UK has in...
View ArticleSpain: looking for a new government
National elections took place in Spain more than two months ago, and yet, the country does not seem any closer now to having a new government that it did the 20th of December. During these two months,...
View ArticleTime to change it all!
Observers are focussing on the 23rd June referendum, but more important is what will happen on the 24th. If a majority votes to leave, will Commissioner Hill be buying a one-way ticket to London? Will...
View ArticleEurope’s troublemakers: Similar style, different motives
During the frequent European Council summits, two men are certain to make the headlines lately. Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán has long been the pariah – or enfant terrible, depending on one’s political...
View ArticleThe EU’s deepening crisis and the problem with Germany’s leadership
The EU has now been in permanent crisis mode for almost a decade. It has been rattled by the combination of the lingering sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone and the emergence of a mounting refugee...
View ArticleDutch Referendum: a symbolic blow to the establishment & an opportunity for...
Over the course of the past decade or so, the Netherlands has had two opportunities to snub the EU elites and it has not passed on either of the two: first in 2005 when the country voted against the...
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