Rethink:Europe

Europe’s soft-power problem

Although Europe has begun to make up for years of neglect in terms of defence spending, it remains woefully ill-equipped to win over other countries through the power of attraction and persuasion. Each side in the European culture war is uniquely unappealing to billions of people around the world

Law or less: Why Orban’s rule threatens the European project

The goal of preserving European unity could hinder the EU’s fight against democratic backsliding in Hungary. To remain a community of values, the union needs to keep up the pressure on the country’s leader

The true value of European sovereignty

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has underlined the importance of European sovereignty. The EU should now invest boldly in its military capabilities, cyber-defences, energy independence, and economic resilience

Life punishes those who come too late

The EU should immediately impose a temporary embargo on Russian energy imports. If the union waits any longer, it will be too late – and the political costs will be huge